US08402555B2
The invention is an apparatus that facilitates access to encrypted digital media to accept verification and authentication from an excelsior enabler using at least one token and at least one electronic identification. The at least one electronic identification could be a device serial number, a networking MAC address, or a membership ID reference from a web service. Access to the product is also managed with a plurality of secondary enablers using the at least one electronic identification reference.
US08402554B2
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for receiving a request to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a first network address. The resources are retrieved from a cache. The retrieved resources are responsive to the request, correspond to the first network address, and are configured to activate a first web application. Activation of the first web application requires that the computing device be authenticated. Instructions that are in the retrieved resources and are for activating the first web application are executed. The execution includes determining that the computing device is not authenticated to activate the first web application, and requesting to retrieve electronic resources that correspond to a second network address and that are configured to activate a second web application. Activation of the second web application does not require that the computing device be currently authenticated.
US08402540B2
A flow processing facility, which uses a set of artificial neurons for pattern recognition, such as a self-organizing map, in order to provide security and protection to a computer or computer system supports unified threat management based at least in part on patterns relevant to a variety of types of threats that relate to computer systems, including computer networks. Flow processing for switching, security, and other network applications, including a facility that processes a data flow to address patterns relevant to a variety of conditions are directed at internal network security, virtualization, and web connection security. A flow processing facility for inspecting payloads of network traffic packets detects security threats and intrusions across accessible layers of the IP-stack by applying content matching and behavioral anomaly detection techniques based on regular expression matching and self-organizing maps. Exposing threats and intrusions within packet payload at or near real-time rates enhances network security from both external and internal sources while ensuring security policy is rigorously applied to data and system resources. Intrusion Detection and Protection (IDP) is provided by a flow processing facility that processes a data flow to address patterns relevant to a variety of types of network and data integrity threats that relate to computer systems, including computer networks.
US08402523B2
A system and method for associating message addresses with certificates, in which one or more secondary message addresses are identified and associated with a user-selected certificate that does not contain any e-mail addresses. In certain situations, a message may be encrypted using a certificate that does not contain an e-mail address that matches the e-mail address of the individual to which the message is to be sent, so long as the address to which the message is to be sent matches any of the message addresses associated with the certificate. The message addresses are saved in a data structure that resides in a secure data store on a computing device, such as a mobile device.
US08402521B2
Systems and methods for emulating credentials are disclosed. In some cases, the systems include an access credential reader and an access credential writer. The access credential reader is communicably coupled to the access credential writer. The access credential reader is operable to receive information from an access credential, and to transfer at least a portion of the information to the access credential writer. The access credential writer is operable to transfer at least the portion of the information to an emulation access credential.
US08402516B2
An apparatus and method of establishing a peer-to-peer communication session between a host device and a client device. Routing information of the host device is received from a server via a wide area network, routing information of the client device is provided to the server, and authentication information is provided to the host device via the wide area network. Peer-to-peer communication is transmitted to the client device via the wide area network if the client device is authenticated for peer-to-peer communication by the host device.
US08402509B2
A user authentication apparatus includes an information collection unit which collects user information from a plurality of personal portable devices of a user within a predetermined distance, and a control unit which identifies the user as a user corresponding to the collected information based on the amount of user information collected. Accordingly, user authentication can be easily performed using portable devices of a user, resulting in increased user convenience.
US08402508B2
Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide a method and an apparatus for enabling delegated authentication for web services. Delegated authentication is provided without divulging the information the user requires to complete an authorization procedure of another web service or otherwise subjecting the user to unnecessary risk. Furthermore, delegated authentication is granted for a limited duration and access is subject to further limitations to prevent unnecessary intrusion to the user, the user's data, and the host web service.One embodiment of the claimed subject matter is implemented as a method for enabling delegated authentication to allow a third party service access to protected data on a host service. A user attempting to utilize functionality of a third party website that requests access to the user's data stored on a separate host website is enabled as a delegate with authorization to access the data stored on the host website.
US08402507B2
In one embodiment, a network device generates a protection policy responsive to identifying undesired voice data traffic. The network device then distributes the generated protection policy along a call path used for transferring the undesired voice data traffic. The proxy may distribute the protection policy by inserting the protection policy in a call response or other message that traces the call path back to a calling endpoint.
US08402504B2
A method and system for the creation of interactive programming using captions. A caption and program information extractor monitors a broadcast media signal having captions and program information encoded in the broadcast media signal. The captions and program information are extracted and stored in a content database. A moderator accesses the content database to retrieve captions and for a program specified by the program information. The moderator uses the services of a moderator server to generate interactive programming from the captions and the moderator's own comments. The interactive programming is transmitted to a plurality of viewers who interact with the interactive programming by entering viewer comments. The viewer comments are received by the moderator along with additional captions and new interactive programming is generated using the viewer comments, additional captions, and additional moderator commentary.
US08402503B2
An interactive program manager comprises a receiver, a controller and an analyzer. The receiver presents audio and visual content for display. The controller directs the receiver to select a first channel and to forward a second channel different from the first channel. The analyzer monitors a program guide and at least the second channel for content of interest in accordance with a user profile. The controller also directs the receiver in response to an operator input.
US08402499B2
Disclosed herein are inventions that integrate a home television set top box (“STB”) or home media center with a smart voicemail system of a telephone service provider. Smart voicemail features, such as email notification of voicemails, or online playback of voicemails, may be used to obtain digital voicemail audio files that are then stored and maintained in a home computer network. These files can be served over the network via a networked television STB or a media center computer, to a display monitor during normal usage. Embodiments cause new voicemail notifications to be displayed during typical operation of a television with the STB or media center computer and provide users with an interface for responding to new voicemail notifications, and reviewing, managing, and playing back voicemail. Messages received thus can be easily identified and reviewed through an interface with which subscribers are extremely comfortable.
US08402498B2
An approach is provided for controlling a set-top box based on a device event. A set-top box detects a wireless device. A communication channel is established with the wireless device configured to initiate a voice call. A command message is received, by the set-top box, over the communication channel. The command corresponds to a device event experienced by the wireless device.
US08402496B1
A method and apparatus for enabling IP service subscribers to share media contents with other IP service subscribers or Internet users in either a secured or open fashion are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention enables the sharing of home movies, pictures, and other media contents, where media could be stored media or media created in real-time. Namely, the present method allows IP service subscribers to effectively create their own TV station, e.g., complete with stored or live content programming and content scheduling. In turn, the method allows a viewing subscriber to select and view a shared media program created by another subscriber.
US08402494B1
Displaying video on a video display device is disclosed. A first video stream from a first video streaming source is displayed on the display device. A second video stream from a second video streaming source is processed on the display device without displaying the second video stream. Displaying the first video stream is ceased and instead the second video stream is displayed. Supporting operations on a video stream is also disclosed. At least one video chunk is received at a first granularity. A determination is made that an operation is to be performed at a different granularity. At least one video chunk is requested at the different granularity.
US08402469B2
Computing resources can be assigned to sub-plans within a query plan to effect parallel execution of the query plan. For example, computing resources in a grid can be represented by nodes, and a shortest path technique can be applied to allocate machines to the sub-plans. Computing resources can be provisionally allocated as the query plan is divided into query plan segments containing one or more sub-plans. Based on provisional allocations to the segments, the computing resources can then be allocated to the sub-plans within respective segments. Multiprocessor computing resources can be supported. The techniques can account for data locality. Both pipelined and partitioned parallelism can be addressed. Described techniques can be particularly suited for efficient execution of bushy query plans in a grid environment. Parallel processing will reduce the overall response time of the query.
US08402467B2
A system and method for providing fault resilient processing in an implantable medical device is provided. A processor and memory store are provided in an implantable medical device. Separate times on the processor are scheduled to a plurality of processes. Separate memory spaces in the memory store are managed by exclusively associating one such separate memory space with each of the processes. Data is selectively validated prior to exchange from one of the processes to another of the processes during execution in the separate processor times.
US08402456B2
A portable storage device, a system, and a method for an automatic software installation, the portable storage device including: an interface to connect to an external device to transmit and/or to receive data to/from the external device; a memory to store a setup program to install, in the external device, a main software required to connect the portable storage device to the external device; and a controller to control the interface to transmit the setup program to the external device when the interface is connected to the external device, wherein the setup program is transmitted to the external device and automatically run in the external device. Accordingly, when the portable storage device is connected to the external device, the software can be automatically installed by auto-running the setup program internally stored to the portable storage device.
US08402448B2
A compiler system including a compiler configured to compile a source code into a machine language code is presented, so that the machine language code is executable on a processing unit, wherein the processing unit comprises an internal register that is changing its state responsive to an execution of the machine language code. The compiler is configured to encrypt the machine language code based on an encryption function that depends on the state of the internal register.
US08402443B2
A method and system monitor and diagnose the performance of remote method invocations using bytecode instrumentation in distributed multi-tier applications. The method and system use automated instrumentation of client application bytecode and server application bytecode with sensors to measure performance of remote method invocations and operations performed during remote method invocations. Performance information is captured for each remote method invocation separately, allowing performance diagnosis of multithreaded execution of remote method invocations, so that throughput and response time information are accurate even when other threads perform remote method invocations concurrently. The captured performance metrics include throughput and response time of remote method invocation, object serialization, and transport. The performance metrics are captured per remote method invocation. Performance metrics may be sent to a processing unit for storage, analysis, and correlation.
US08402440B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to verify a program by symbolically enumerating path programs; verifying each path program to determine if the path program is correct or leads to a violation of a correctness property; determining a conflict set from the path program if the path program is proved correct; using the conflict set to avoid enumerating other related path programs that are also correct.
US08402431B2
A system for communicating with a microprocessor includes an interface agent that facilitates a communications link between customized windows applications and a suite of development tools. The system allows for interactive hardware and software verification testing of a microcontroller or microprocessor contained within any type of platform, such as mass produced electronic subassembly, consumer product, or a demonstration board. The system also allows for interactive tutorials about the suite of development tools and capabilities of a selected microcontroller or microprocessor. The interface agent affords a high level of interactivity during the tutorials, which involves requesting the user to perform tasks and monitoring for execution of the tasks.
US08402429B2
In an embodiment, a predicate condition that compares a predicate variable to a compared value is determined. The predicate condition is in a predicate block that exists on a path to a current block that accesses a current variable. A decision is made whether the current variable and the predicate variable are defined by a sub-clique and whether a member of the sub-clique sets the predicate variable to a predicate value that causes control flow to take the path from the predicate block to the current block. Upon a determination that the current variable and the predicate variable are defined by the sub-clique and the member of the sub-clique sets the predicate variable to the predicate value that causes control flow to take the path from the predicate block to the current block, then contents for the current variable are calculated and first object code is generated, which loads the contents.
US08402425B2
A method to shape one or more features of Web 2.0 in the form of Web 2.0 solutions, using Web 2.0 realization framework, to the plurality of enterprises is disclosed. The method includes identifying the respective enterprises computing infrastructure and a business application needs of the respective enterprises. The respective enterprises current support system is also measured to find the feasibility of implementing the features of the Web 2.0. The method further comprises offering one or more Web 2.0 features to the respective enterprises based on the business activity. The method includes providing the Web Realization Cycle (WRC) for controlled implementation of Web 2.0 features to the respective enterprises.
US08402416B1
A logic device includes a low-skew network that feeds a subset of elements on the logic device. The low-skew network includes a selector that can select from a plurality of signal sources which includes a first signal source and a second signal source, wherein the second signal source can reach at least one element outside of the subset.
US08402415B2
A layout method of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes five steps. The first step is of extracting a wiring crowding place where wiring lines are crowded as compared with a predetermined condition, after carrying out a routing in a region where a placement of circuit elements is carried out. The second step is of generating routing prohibition regions where a routing is prohibited in an area including the wiring crowding place. The third step is of carrying out a routing by bypassing the routing prohibition regions. The fourth step is of deleting the routing prohibition regions. The fifth step is of carrying out a re-routing. The generating step includes: calculating a size and an interval of the routing prohibition regions based on a rate for generating a routing prohibition region in the area in each wiring layer, and generating the routing prohibition regions in the area on the basis of the calculating result.
US08402412B1
An embodiment of an integrated circuit is disclosed. For this embodiment, the integrated circuit includes circuit blocks. At least one transistor of a circuit block of the circuit blocks includes a portion of a semiconductor substrate having a diffusion layer. The circuit block has a relatively high diffusion pattern density as compared with others of the circuit blocks. The diffusion layer has an exposed surface active area constrained responsive to a design rule. The design rule is to limit to a maximum amount the surface active area in order to improve at least one parameter of the at least one transistor selected from a group consisting of an increase in switching speed and a decrease in leakage current of the at least one transistor of the circuit block having the relatively high diffusion pattern density.
US08402408B1
An electronic automation system performs register retiming on a logic design, which may be a logic design for a programmable logic integrated circuit. Register retiming is a moving or rearranging of registers across combinatorial logic in a design in order to improve a maximum operating frequency or fmax. In one implementation, the system includes machine-readable code, which may be stored on a computer-readable medium such as a disk, executing on a computer. The system balances timing in order to trade off delays between critical and noncritical paths. Register retiming may make changes to a design at a gate level.
US08402407B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit pattern verification method includes executing simulation to obtain a simulation pattern to be formed on a substrate on the basis of a semiconductor integrated circuit design pattern, comparing the simulation pattern and the design pattern that is required on the substrate to detect a first difference value, extracting error candidates at which the first difference value is not less than a first predetermined value, comparing pattern shapes at the error candidates to detect a second difference value, combining, into one group, patterns whose second difference values are not more than a second predetermined value, and extracting a predetermined number of patterns from each group and verifying error candidates of the extracted patterns.
US08402405B1
This invention provides a system and method for correcting gate-level simulation commences by identifying unknown values (Xs) that are falsely generated during the simulation of a given trace for a design netlist. Then, a sub-circuit of the design netlist is determined for each false X that has inputs of real Xs and an output of a false X. Finally, simulation correction code is generated based on the sub-circuit to eliminate false Xs in simulation of the design netlist. The original design netlist can then be resimulated with the simulation repair code to eliminate false Xs. This allows gate-level simulation to produce correct results.
US08402403B2
A mechanism is provided for verifying a register-transfer level design of an execution unit. A set of instruction records associated with a test case are generated and stored in a buffer. For each instruction record in the set of instruction records associated with the test case: the instruction record is retrieved from the buffer and sent to both a reference model and an execution unit in the data processing system. Separately, the reference model and the execution unit execute the instruction record and send results of the execution of the instruction record to a result checker in the data processing system. The result checker compares the two results and, responsive to a mismatch in the results, a failure of the test case is indicted, the verification of the test case is stopped, and all data associated with the test case is output from the buffer for analysis.
US08402400B1
An electric design automation (EDA) tool for generating a design of a system on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) includes a library that includes a processor interface block selectable by a designer to represent a component in the design that is accessible to a processor. The EDA tool also includes a processor interface circuitry generation unit to automatically generate circuitry in the design to support the processor interface block without input from the designer.
US08402382B2
A method, system and computer program for organizing and visualizing display objects within a virtual environment is provided. In one aspect, attributes of display objects define the interaction between display objects according to pre-determined rules, including rules simulating real world mechanics, thereby enabling enriched user interaction. The present invention further provides for the use of piles as an organizational entity for desktop objects. The present invention further provides for fluid interaction techniques for committing actions on display objects in a virtual interface. A number of other interaction and visualization techniques are disclosed.
US08402373B2
Devices, methods, and computer-readable media for cloning a device setting input from a user by aggregating a user interface based on two or more members of plurality of peripheral computing devices, e.g., multifunction peripheral rendering and/or printing devices, having a user interface where two or more members of the plurality of user interfaces each require a user input; replicating a user input of at least one member of the plurality of user interfaces based on the aggregated user interface; and outputting for routing, to two or more members of the plurality of peripheral computing devices a replicated user setting based on the aggregated user interface.
US08402367B1
Methods and systems for reloading one or more browser tabs containing an incomplete display of web page are disclosed. A request is provided for one or more web pages for display in one or more browser tabs of a browser. There is a one to one mapping between the one or more web pages and the one or more browser tabs. Each browser tab is assigned a reload priority. The one or more requested web pages are received and loaded by the one or more browser tabs. One or more browser tabs containing an incomplete display of the one or more web pages is identified. The one or more browser tabs containing an incomplete display of a web page are reloaded based on the reload priority of the respective browser tab containing the incomplete display of the web page.
US08402355B2
Provided is a signal processing device including a signal receiving unit for receiving a multilevel signal having a signal waveform that is obtained by synchronously adding an encoded signal generated based on a specific coding rule and a clock which has an amplitude larger than the encoded signal and for which the transmission speed is half that of the encoded signal, an amplitude level detection unit for detecting an amplitude level of the multilevel signal received by the signal receiving unit, a violation detection unit for detecting a bit position at which rule violation of the specific coding rule occurred, based on a change pattern of the amplitude level detected by the amplitude level detection unit, and an error correction unit for correcting a detection value of the amplitude level corresponding to the bit position detected by the violation detection unit so that the rule violation is resolved.
US08402353B2
A cyclic code processing circuit, network interface card, and method for calculating a remainder from input data comprising a plurality of bits arranged in parallel. The calculation is performed by first computing a first remainder obtained by dividing an integral multiple data block by a generator polynomial, the integral multiple data block comprising a plurality of words that precede the final word of the input data. Then, a second remainder is computed by dividing the final word by the generator polynomial, the final word comprising the parallel bits located at the end of the input data. The input data remainder is calculated using the first and the second previously calculated remainders.
US08402352B2
Exemplary embodiments for providing multi-bit error correction based on a BCH code are provided. In one such embodiment, the following operations are repeatedly performed, including shifting each bit of the BCH code rightward by 1 bit while filling the bit vacated due to the rightward shifting in the BCH code with 0, calculating syndrome values corresponding to the shifting of the BCH code, and determining a first error number in the BCH code under the shifting based on the syndrome values corresponding to the shifting of the BCH code. In the case where the first error number is not equal to 0, modified syndrome values are calculated corresponding to the shifting of the BCH code. The modified syndrome values are those corresponding to the case that the current rightmost bit of the BCH code under the shifting is changed to the inverse value. Additional operations are performed as described herein.
US08402351B1
The disclosure provides a method that includes receiving a data sector of a plurality of data tiles, wherein each of the plurality of data tiles includes either nuisance data or user data, decoding the received data sector, using an error correction code, to generate a decoded data sector, and determining an error in the decoded data sector. The method further includes identifying, in response to determining the error, at least one data tile from a first plurality of data tiles, such that each of the identified at least one data tiles potentially includes nuisance data, and generating a modified data sector from the received data sector, by correcting at least one of the at least one data tiles in the received data sector.
US08402340B2
A parity-check-code decoder includes: a verifying device that multiplies (N) bit nodes by a matrix provided with (N) columns so as to obtain a plurality of check nodes; a reliability generator that generates a reliability index for each of the bit nodes in accordance with a channel; a reliability-updating device that uses the bit nodes and the check nodes to exchange message iteratively, and following each iteration, updates (N) exchange results corresponding to the (N) columns; and a recording controller that includes a separator, a quantizing determiner and a quantizer. The separator divides the matrix into at least one column group based on the characterizing signals. The quantizing determiner determines a shift signal for each column group based on the characterizing signals. The quantizer quantizes the characterizing signals according to the shift signals for subsequent output.
US08402331B2
An integrated circuit carries an intellectual property core. The intellectual property core includes a test access port 39 with test data input leads 15, test data output leads 13, control leads 17 and an external register present, ERP lead 37. A scan register 25 encompasses the intellectual property core and ERP lead 37 carries a signal indicating the presence of the scan register.
US08402330B2
An IC includes an IEEE 1149.1 standard test access port (TAP) interface and an additional Off-Chip TAP interface. The Off-Chip TAP interface connects to the TAP of another IC. The Off Chip TAP interface can be selected by a TAP Linking Module on the IC.
US08402320B2
An I/O device includes a host interface that may be configured to receive and process a plurality of transaction packets sent by a number of processing units, with each processing unit corresponding to a respective root complex. The host interface includes an error handling unit having error logic implemented in hardware that may be configured to determine whether each transaction packet has an error and to store information corresponding to any detected errors within a storage. More particularly, the error handling unit may perform the error detection and capture of the error information as the transaction packets are received, or in real time, while the error handling unit may include firmware that may subsequently process the information corresponding to the detected errors.
US08402319B2
In one embodiment, a method includes automated extraction of the Page Transition Graph (PTG) model for model-based analysis of web applications. Specifically, the method includes accessing one or more JAVASERVER PAGES (JSP) files, one or more Extensible Markup Language (XML) configuration files, and one or more class files of a web application; parsing the JSP files and extracting data in the JSP files that encode user or server events supported by the event-driven application; parsing the XML configuration files and extracting data in the XML configuration files that encode definitions used by the event-driven application when deployed; parsing the class files and extracting data in the class files that encode one or more actions or one or more forms used by the event-driven application when deployed; storing the extracted data as an abstract syntax tree (AST); populating a page transition graph (PTG) of the event-driven application based on the AST; and checking the extracted PTG for navigation errors such as unreachable pages, ghost pages and undefined transitions.
US08402312B2
The present invention provides a method, test-bed and computer program product for testing an application installed on a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device communicates one or more messages wirelessly to a server through a test-bed. The test-bed is connected with the server and provides one or more testing parameters for the one or more messages. A tester, testing the application, assigns a probability to the one or more messages. Further, the tester assigns a probability to the one or more testing parameters. Thereafter, the messages are re-communicated between the server and wireless communication device through the test-bed. Subsequently, the one or more messages are identified by the test-bed and one or more wireless network conditions are emulated based on the probabilities assigned to the one or more messages and the one or more testing parameters.
US08402295B2
A method includes receiving data intended for a destination and sending a power flit to the destination via a route. The power flit wakes at least one component on the route. The method also includes sending the data as a data flit to the destination via the route after sending the power flit. The power flit can include a header indicating the destination and a source of the received data. The power flit can be formed by extracting destination data from the received data.
US08402291B2
A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes causing a processor to enter into a first power state. Then an interrupt is received that signals the processor to leave the first power state. The method continues by causing the processor to remain in the first power state if the interrupt was received less than a minimum dwell time after the processor entered the first power state.
US08402284B2
A system is provided, the system having a first storage device and a second storage device. A symbiotic relationship is established between the first and second storage devices to selectively store backup digital content for each other.
US08402280B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for buffering an audio video (AV) stream, audio/video header information, and an audio/video elementary stream for hardware audio/video digital rights management (DRM) processing. In operation, an AV stream encrypted under a shared symmetric key in an M2TS format is buffered, where the AV stream includes content including at least one of audio or video and all content data associated with the AV stream is removed at picture level and below, with the exception of content headers associated with the content data. Additionally, content header information encrypted under the shared symmetric key is buffered, the content header information indicating locations of the content headers associated with the content data. Further, a content elementary stream encrypted under a hardware secret key is buffered for consumption of a hardware bit stream decoding engine.
US08402279B2
Apparatus and method for updating set of limited access model specific registers in a microprocessor
A microprocessor having model specific registers (MSRs) includes, for each of the MSRs, an associated default value that indicates whether the MSR is protected or non-protected and an associated fuse that, if blown, toggles the associated default value from protected to non-protected or non-protected to protected. In one embodiment, microcode that does the following in response to the microprocessor encountering an instruction that accesses a specified MSR: determines whether the fuse associated with the specified MSR is blown or unblown, uses the default value associated with the MSR as an indicator of whether the MSR is protected if the associated fuse is unblown; toggles the associated default value to generate the indicator if the associated fuse is blown; protects access to the MSR if the indicator indicates the MSR is protected; and refrains from protecting access to the MSR if the indicator indicates the MSR is non-protected.
US08402278B2
The present invention is directed to a method and system for protecting data. In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention a new file is created. Key information is retrieved for the file from a keyserver. The key information includes, a key, a key identifier, and encryption algorithm information. The file is encrypted using the encryption algorithm. The key identifier is stored in a data repository. The data repository relates the key identifier to the encrypted file.
US08402261B2
A system and method retrieve an image using a first computer processor, and transmit the image from the first computer processor to a second remote computer processor. The first computer processor and the second remote computer processor are coupled via a network connection. The image is received at the network connection, and the image is a lightweight operating system that is configured to be stored in and execute in a virtual memory coupled to the second remote computer processor. The second remote computer processor is not equipped with additional hardware or an agent to receive or execute the image.
US08402259B2
A method for accelerating a wake-up time of a system is disclosed. The method includes scrubbing and making available for allocation a minimum amount of memory, executing a boot-up operation of an operating system stored on the system, and scrubbing and making available for allocation an additional amount of memory in parallel with and subsequent to the boot-up operation of the operating system. The system may include one or more nodes, each of the nodes having a minimum node resource configuration associated therewith that corresponds to a minimum number of processors included in a node that are required to be activated in order to activate the node. The system may further include one or more partitions, where each partition encompasses at least one node. Each partition may be assigned a priority in relation to other partitions, and the partitions may be successively activated based on the assigned priorities.
US08402255B2
A processor that is configured to perform parallel operations in a computer system where one or more memory hazards may be present is described. An instruction fetch unit within the processor is configured to fetch instructions for detecting one or more critical memory hazards between memory addresses if memory operations are performed in parallel on multiple addresses corresponding to at least a partial vector of addresses. Note that critical memory hazards include memory hazards that lead to different results when the memory addresses are processed in parallel than when the memory addresses are processed sequentially. Furthermore, an execution unit within the processor is configured to execute the instructions for detecting the one or more critical memory hazards.
US08402250B1
A system and method are provided for deduplication (dedup) of data file information in a network of distributed data filers. A host, including a metadata service (MDS) and a data node (DN), receives a block count and hash group calculations for a file from a network-connected client device. The MDS creates a file map with target addresses, and compares the calculated hash group to hash groups associated with stored blocks of data in a global dedup hash table. If a match is found, the MDS directs the client device not to send the block of data associated with matching hash group, and reallocates the address of the block of data from the target address.
US08402247B2
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.
US08402244B2
A system and method are provided for pooling storage devices in a virtual library for performing a storage operation. A storage management device determines a storage characteristic of a plurality of storage devices with respect to performing a storage operation. Based on a storage characteristic relating to performing the storage operation, the storage management device associates at least two storage devices in a virtual library. The storage management device may continuously monitor the virtual library and detect a change in storage characteristics of the storage devices. When changes in storage characteristics are detected, the storage management device may change associations of the storage device in the virtual library.
US08402243B2
Systems and methods are provided for dynamically allocating a number of bits per cell to memory locations of a non-volatile memory (“NVM”) device. In some embodiments, a host may determine whether to store data in the NVM device using SLC programming or MLC programming operations. The host may allocate an erased block as an SLC block or MLC block based on this determination regardless of whether the erased block was previously used as an SLC block, MLC block, or both. In some embodiments, to dynamically allocate a memory location as SLC or MLC, the host may provide an address vector to the NVM package, where the address vector may specify the memory location and the number of bits per cell to use for that memory location.
US08402231B2
A virtual volume control unit allocates, upon detection of a write request for new data in a virtual volume to be accessed, an actual storage space of a physical medium existing in the same storage group to the virtual volume in accordance with volume capacity of the new data. A storage control unit stores the new data as actual data in the actual storage space of the physical medium allocated to the virtual volume. And a restoration control unit causes, upon detection of a fallback in data redundancy in the storage group, the actual data in a stored space among the actual storage spaces in the physical medium that caused the fallback to be preferentially restored in an actual storage space in a destination physical medium with reference to the physical media other than the physical medium that caused the fallback in the storage group.
US08402226B1
Based on a count of the number of dirty pages in a cache memory, the dirty pages are written from the cache memory to a storage array at a rate having a component proportional to the rate of change in the number of dirty pages in the cache memory. For example, a desired flush rate is computed by adding a first term to a second term. The first term is proportional to the rate of change in the number of dirty pages in the cache memory, and the second term is proportional to the number of dirty pages in the cache memory. The rate component has a smoothing effect on incoming I/O bursts and permits cache flushing to occur at a higher rate closer to the maximum storage array throughput without a significant detrimental impact on client application performance.
US08402225B2
In a computing system, cache coherency is performed by selecting one of a plurality of coherency protocols for a first memory transaction. Each of the plurality of coherency protocols has a unique set of cache states that may be applied to cached data for the first memory transaction. Cache coherency is performed on appropriate caches in the computing system by applying the set of cache states of the selected one of the plurality of coherency protocols.
US08402223B2
Embodiments are directed to efficiently determining which cache entries are to be evicted from memory and to incorporating a probability of reuse estimation in a cache entry eviction determination. A computer system with multiple different caches accesses a cache entry. The computer system determines an entry cost value for the accessed cache entry. The entry cost value indicates an amount of time the computer system is slowed down by to load the cache entry into cache memory. The computer system determines an opportunity cost value for the computing system caches. The opportunity cost value indicates an amount of time by which the computer system is slowed down while performing other operations that could have used the cache entry's cache memory space. Upon determining that the entry cost value is lower than the opportunity cost value, the computer system probabilistically evicts the cache entry from cache memory.
US08402221B2
In an embodiment, an indicator is set to indicate that all of a plurality of most significant bytes of characters in a character array are zero. A first index and an input character are received. The input character comprises a first most significant byte and a first least significant byte. The first most significant byte is stored at a first storage location and the first least significant byte is stored at a second storage location, wherein the first storage location and the second storage location have non-contiguous addresses. If the first most significant byte does not equal zero, the indicator is set to indicate that at least one of a plurality of most significant bytes of the characters in the character array is non-zero. The character array comprises the first most significant byte and the first least significant byte.
US08402219B2
A system for performing storage operations using hierarchically configured storage operation cells. The system includes a first storage manager component and a first storage operation cell. The first storage operation cell has a second storage manager component directed to performing storage operations in the first storage operation cell. Moreover, the first storage manager component is programmed to instruct the second storage manager regarding performance of storage operations in the first storage operation cell.
US08402218B2
Handling garbage collection and exceptions in hardware assisted transactions. Embodiments are practiced in a computing environment including a hardware assisted transaction system. Embodiments includes acts for writing to a card table outside of a transaction; handling garbage collection compaction occurring when a hardware transaction is active by using a common global variable and instructing one or more agents to write to the common global variable any time an operation is performed which may change an object's virtual address; acts for managing a thread-local allocation context; acts for handling exceptions while in a hardware assisted transaction. A method includes beginning a hardware assisted transaction, raising an exception while in the hardware assisted transaction, including creating an exception object, determining that the transaction should be rolled back, and as a result of determining that the transaction should be rolled back, marshaling the exception object out of the hardware assisted transaction.
US08402215B2
This invention is intended for the purpose of providing the storage system, the storage apparatus, and the storage system by which, even if the storage areas allocated to the virtual volume are managed in management units set by the RAID group, overhead for parity calculation does not become excessive. This invention, by releasing a specific management unit not fully utilized for page allocation from allocation to the virtual volume and migrating the allocated pages belonging to this specific management unit to the other management unit, makes the storage areas of the specific management unit available for the write accesses for the other virtual volumes from the host computer.
US08402207B2
The present disclosure includes memory devices and systems having memory cells, as well as methods for operating the memory cells. One or more methods for operating memory cells includes determining age information for a portion of the memory cells and communicating a command set for the portion of the memory cells, the command set including the age information.
US08402206B2
Systems and methods are provided for coupling multiple flash devices to a shared bus utilizing isolation switches within a SSD device. The SSD device is operable at a speed of about 400 MT/s or higher with high signal integrity. The SSD device includes a controller, a channel in electrical communication with the controller, a plurality of isolation devices in electrical communication with channel, and a plurality of flash memory devices, wherein each flash memory device is in electrical communication with the channel and controller through the one of the isolation devices.
US08402199B2
The invention discloses a memory management system and a memory management method are disclosed. The memory management system includes a first memory, at least one secondary memory, and a memory management device. The first memory includes a normal access memory bank and at least one switching access memory bank. The secondary memory includes at least one secondary access memory bank corresponding to the switching access memory bank. The memory management device reads/writes the normal access memory bank or the secondary access memory bank.
US08402196B2
A storage assembly includes a physical expander for connection in use to two or more SCSI initiators, and two or more storage devices, wherein the expander is controlled such that it presents plural virtual expanders. A method for connecting two or more storage devices to two or more SCSI initiators within a storage assembly, includes providing a physical expander for connection in use to the two or more SCSI initiators, and two or more storage devices, and controlling the single expander such that it presents plural virtual expanders.
US08402195B2
A storage system 10 enables control by more processors 201 in accordance with reducing the resource size required per EP in a communication network to which MR-IOV is applied. The storage system 10 includes a plurality of processors 201 and a plurality of CMs 209. The internal network of the storage system 10 is configured such that each processor 201 is able to dual-write write data to a CM 209 in a FE-CM data transfer, and to transfer the write data from one of the dual-write CMs 209 to the BE in a CM-BE data transfer.
US08402192B2
A modularly constructed field device of process automation technology having a basic card with an executable, basic program, wherein the basic card is expandable by at least one expansion card containing at least one, executable, expansion program. For executing the basic program, the basic card comprises at least one computing unit and a first memory unit matched to memory requirement of the executable, basic program, characterized in that the expansion card comprises at least a second memory unit designed for memory requirement of the expansion program, an automatic detecting of the connected expansion card is provided by the basic card, and, for expanding the basic program by the expansion program, a partial and/or intermittent accessing of the second memory unit by the computing unit is provided.
US08402191B2
System and method for virtualization of computing elements. A hypervisor provides virtualization of one or more peripherals for one or more computing elements. The hypervisor may further allow separate instances of an operating system to be suspended on one computing element to allow another application to be processed by replacing the state information of the computing element. The suspended instance may be resumed on the same or a different computing element.
US08402184B2
Techniques are described for reducing write operations in memory. In use, write operations to be performed on data stored in memory are identified. A difference is then determined between results of the write operations and the data stored in the memory. Difference information is stored in coalescing memory buffers. To this end, the write operations may be reduced, utilizing the difference information.
US08402182B2
Peripherals and data processing systems are disclosed which can be configured to interact based upon sensor data. In one embodiment, a peripheral, which is configured to be used with a data processing system, includes an interface to couple the peripheral to the data processing system, and at least one sensor, such as a proximity sensor, to sense a user of the peripheral, and a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one sensor, wherein the processor configures the peripheral in response to data from the at least one sensor. The peripheral may communicate sensor data from its sensors to the data processing system, which may be a wireless PDA, and the data processing system analyzes the sensor data from its sensors and from the peripheral's sensors to decide how to configure the peripheral and/or the data processing system based on the sensor.
US08402179B1
A technique for user notification involves modifying a title associated with a process to include information about an event that calls for user notification. A method according to the technique may include running a process, processing an event, generating a string of characters that includes information associated with the event, and displaying the string of characters as a title associated with the process. A system constructed according to the technique may include a client, a title array, an event processing engine, and a title provisioning engine.
US08402176B2
A method for automatic configuration parameter monitoring for wind energy installations. The method includes generating a nominal configuration parameter set for a wind energy installation, storing the nominal configuration parameter set in a database, automatically detecting an actual configuration parameter set for the wind energy installation, automatically comparing the nominal configuration parameter set with the actual configuration parameter set, and outputting a warning message in the event of discrepancies between the actual configuration parameter set and the nominal configuration parameter set. A system for implementing the method can include a wind energy installation with a communication unit, a server, and a database.
US08402175B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining an external connection device connected to a portable terminal. A multi-connector, and a charging cable and a data cable having the same are disclosed. According to the method, a logic level of the external connection device is determined when the external connection device is connected to the portable terminal. The external connection device is distinguished according to the logic level and performing control corresponding to the external connection device.
US08402170B2
A servicing daemon is described herein for providing servicing of a running computer system (such as a filer). The servicing daemon resides and executes on the operating system of the filer and communicates across a network with a debugger that resides and executes on a remote administering computer. A debugging session is performed that complies with a protocol relating to the remote accessing of files. The debugging session provides live servicing of an application executing on the filer without requiring an actual corefile (having copied filer memory data) to be created. Rather, the servicing daemon creates a simulated corefile header that is sent to the debugger, receives requests from the debugger, and maps addresses specified in the requests to filer memory addresses. The servicing daemon then reads and retrieves data directly from filer memory at the determined filer memory addresses and sends the data to the debugger for analysis.
US08402167B2
In the field of communication technology, a method for invoking a Universal Service Interface (USI) and a USI system are provided. The schemes provide a user with a short-lived user ID for the application to interact with the USI system. The short-lived ID has a corresponding relation with the long-lived user ID and can be found according to the long-lived user ID regardless of whether the user is online or offline. The method and device can effectively ensure the security of USI invocation, and ensure that the application can initiate the USI service request even when the user is in an offline state.
US08402162B2
A network system that can easily carry out remote access of a different network. The network system comprises a first image processing apparatus connected to a first network and a second image processing apparatus connected to a second network having a network address different from that of the first network. The first image processing apparatus includes a first network interface connected to the first network; a second network interface that can build a third network, that is different from the first and second networks, between it and a terminal that is normally connected to the second network and in which the first IP address in the second network is set; an IP header editing unit that performs processing such that the address of the IP packets sent from the terminal via the third network is the IP address of the second image processing apparatus; and a packet transmission unit that sends the IP packets processed by the IP header editing unit to a network via the first network interface, and the second image processing apparatus includes a response header editing unit that performs processing to make the first network interface the destination for responses to IP packets sent by the terminal via the first image processing apparatus.
US08402159B2
Methods and systems for distributed infrastructure for streaming data via multiple access points. Aspects of one method may include apportioning multimedia information among a plurality of transmitting devices based on feedback channel information received from a destination receiving device by, for example, a transmission controller device. The transmitting devices may transmit the multimedia information to the destination receiving device. A transmitting device that may not be apportioned multimedia information may transmit a probing signal. The destination receiving device may generate feedback channel information for a transmitting device, for example, based on the multimedia information or the probing signal received from the respective transmitting device. The apportioning of the multimedia information may be dynamically adjusted based on updated feedback channel information received from the destination receiving device.
US08402157B2
A system and method for use by website operators and advertisers to place interstitial advertisements on websites. The system uses an Internet dispatcher server and a mass storage device containing one or more databases storing advertisement command files pertaining to placements of advertisements that are stored in an advertisement server. The method comprises the steps of selecting aid files stored in a computer ad server, designating the url for the ad file, the url for the website page where the ad will be displayed, the url for the websites to which a user will be directed depending on the user's reaction to the advertisement, storing in a dispatcher server database a data string representing the ad placement commands with a url representing a dispatcher server-based application to execute said ad placement commands, and including said data string on said website for launching said dispatcher server command file.
US08402151B2
A method of facilitating communication between a resource and a computer is described. The computer employs a software application that allows the computer to communicate with the resource. The resource may comprise a medical device such as a blood glucose meter or an insulin pump. In order to facilitate communication between the computer and the resource, the software constructs a communication protocol particular to the type of resource connected to the computer. The stack comprising the communication protocol allows the computer to communicate with the resource. Once the resource and computer cease communication, the stack may be removed from the memory of the computer.
US08402138B2
A system and method for consolidating a plurality of resources on a plurality of data processing units (DPUs) in a data processing network is provided. The method includes selecting a first DPU having a highest DPU volume among the plurality of DPUs. The method further includes calculating an angle made by a first DPU vector of the first DPU with a horizontal dimension of a multi-dimensional chart using first DPU co-ordinates from the plurality of DPU co-ordinates. Further, the method includes calculating an angle made by a first resource vector of a first resource to be assigned to the first DPU with a horizontal dimension of the multi-dimensional chart. Thereafter, the first resource is assigned to the first DPU, when a deviation of the first resource vector from the first DPU vector is minimum among the plurality of resources.
US08402128B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide various communication techniques for communication between a mobile computing device and an accessory. An accessory protocol that is generic to the mobile computing device can be used for some communication. An application executing at the mobile computing device can communicate with the accessory using an application communication protocol. In some embodiments, the application communication protocol can be different from the accessory communication protocol. In other embodiments the application protocol may only be recognized by the application and the accessory. In some embodiments, messages conforming to an application protocol can be communicated between the application and the accessory by packaging the messages inside a message conforming to the accessory communication protocol.
US08402126B2
A method for discovering managed systems in a network including classifying a first managed system associated with a first active Internet Protocol (IP) address in the network using a plurality of network protocols, identifying a set of drivers using the classification, where the set of drivers are configured to obtain first management information about the managed system, obtaining a first set of drivers, populating a data model with the first management information obtain using at least one of the first set of drivers, and managing the first managed system using the data model.
US08402122B2
A universal plug and play (UPnP) apparatus and method for providing a UPnP network with a multiple remote access service by operating a multiple remote access server (RAS) device in a UPnP home network and controlling the multiple RAS device by using a UPnP control point (CP). The communication method of a UPnP CP device, the method includes: discovering a neighboring remote access server (RAS) device that is capable of providing a remote access service in a home network according to a discovery result of a service status of an active RAS device that provides a remote access client (RAC) device with a remote access service; and transmitting identification information of the discovered neighboring RAS device to an Internet gateway device (IGD) of the home network or the RAC device of a remote network.
US08402118B2
An apparatus for generating and managing logical units (LUNs) in a storage network environment is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such an apparatus includes an identification module to identify a type of LUN, one or more servers that will access the LUN, and a storage system that will host the LUN. A mapping module maps the type, the one or more servers, and the storage system to one more abbreviations. A naming module then generates a LUN name that encapsulates the abbreviations. An assignment module may then assign the LUN name to the LUN. A corresponding method and computer program product are also disclosed herein.
US08402109B2
A wireless router receives a firmware update from a remote server, and destructively overwrites router firmware in flash memory in a chunk-wise manner, and then writes a kernel memory before going live with upgraded firmware. Some routers authenticate the firmware image. In some cases, image chunks are re-ordered into an executable order after receipt and before finishing their final arrangement in the flash memory. In some routers, a maximum firmware image size is at least two chunk sizes smaller than the flash memory storage capacity. Some routers remap ROM to RAM memory. Some decompress data from flash into a RAM. Some save text file configuration settings in flash before rebooting. Some detect a user's inactive billing status and redirect a web browser to a billing activation page.
US08402104B2
An e-mail filter may be associated with a schedule defining a recurrent active time period. As such, some e-mail filters may be active at specific times of day and on specific days of the week and inactive the rest of the time. Before applying any filters, the current time is determined and it is determined which filters are active. The determination of which filters are active is based on the current time being within the active time period.
US08402103B2
A communication system is provided in which users associate handling data identifying how messages are to be processed with contact data. Handling data for the identified contacts in the contact data is then dispatched to those contacts. Subsequently when messages are dispatched from the locations identified by the contact data a sender of a message selects handling data to be associated with a message being dispatched. Upon receipt of a message associated with handling data the message is then processed in the manner identified by the handling data.
US08402102B2
A method and system for filtering email spam using email noise reduction are described. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting, in an email message, data indicative of noise added to the email message to avoid spam filtering. The method further includes modifying the content of the email message to reduce the noise, and comparing the modified content of the email message with the content of a spam message.
US08402094B2
A system and method for measuring user affinity in a social network environment is provided. One or more activities performed by a user associated with a social network environment are monitored. A relationship associated with the one or more activities is identified. An affinity for one or more objects associated with the social network environment is then determined based on the one or more activities and the relationship.
US08402088B2
Web-based telephony applications have recently been developed whereby a user is able to access a web-site and click on links or buttons in order to establish a voice over internet protocol telephone call from for example, his or her PC phone, to another user at another telephone terminal (PC phone or other suitable type of telephone). By enabling a web-based telephony application to receive URIs containing time information it is possible to enable telephone calls (including conference calls) to be initiated automatically at specified times or for feature keys on a user's telephone terminal to be programmed such that when activated at a particular time, a specified telephone call is initiated. In addition, URIs comprising time information may be used to set up “follow-me” functionality whereby all calls to a particular user are directed to different pre-specified directory numbers depending on the time of day. In another example, URIs comprising time information are used to route calls to contact-center agents in order to reduce the burden on contact center routing applications. URIs comprising time information are also advantageously used to communicate information to other entities.
US08402070B2
Automatically accepting applications, and testing, training, certifying, assigning, allocating, controlling, and scheduling remote agents. An applicant (100) transmits an application to a remote agent center (RAC) (130) via a Communications Network (120). The application contains the person's profile, training, and experience. The RAC validates the skills via testing or third party confirmation, accepts the person as a remote worker, certifies the person's skill levels, and places the person in the remote worker pool. The remote worker can also obtain remote training on new or additional topics. The RAC evaluates the business demands of an external party, identifies remote workers with the needed skills who are available, and transmits the work at the appropriate time to the remote workers. The work is transmitted via or through the RAC. The external parties thus do not have to recruit, train, or test persons, or be concerned with staffing issues.
US08402062B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for exporting data from a number of data sources using a number of corresponding data exporters, and importing the exported data into a destination data repository using a data importer. In various embodiments, the data exporters may be automatically generated using a data exporter generator adapted to generate the data exporters in view of data schemas of the data sources.
US08402059B2
Improved Internet Directory System including an upper-level Directory Provider referencing a plurality of independently owned for-profit Category Directory Websites, the Category Directory Websites referencing websites relating to a category and being identified as participating in the System by at least a mark or URL, and including a business model imposed on the Category Directory Websites.
US08402058B2
A method of geodetic information acquisition and a computer program product having computer code for performing the method are provided. The method includes identifying a file having multiple records, where the records contain spatially referenced data. The records are classified into header records and data records. Each data record is divided into fields. Patterns of fields consistent with sets of the data records are identified. The records are associated with a format based on the patterns of fields. At least some of the spatially referenced data is extracted from the records according to the format.
US08402057B2
A content management method and apparatus for storing and deleting content, backing up content, and restoring the backup content are provided. The method includes receiving the content from a first server and storing the content, and generating and storing content information including information about a location from which the content can be downloaded.
US08402054B2
In an exemplary method, a request for content initiated by a user associated with a user profile is received, a plurality of content instances is identified as being related to the requested content based on a predefined relationship heuristic, wherein the content instances are associated with other user profiles, a relevance between the user profile and each of the other user profiles is determined based on a predefined relevance heuristic, and the content instances are prioritized based on the determined relevance. In certain embodiments, data representative of the prioritized content instances is displayed in accordance with the prioritization.
US08402050B2
An object recognition method using filter information includes acquiring object image information including an object of interest, acquiring filter information for recognizing the object of interest from the object image information, and recognizing the object of interest using the filter information. An object recognition apparatus using filter information including an object information acquiring unit to acquire object image information comprising an object of interest, a filter information input unit to acquire filter information, an output unit to output the image information and the filter information, and a controller to recognize the object of interest in the object image information using the filter information.
US08402049B2
In an embodiment managing a cache includes determining from metadata of a received service request whether a cache data response may satisfy the request as a function of recognizing a cacheable method name specification within request metadata by a service provider associated with the request, the embodiment further including determining whether the request is an inquiry or a request as a function of comparing an update frequency specification in the request metadata to a value of a time parameter associated with the cacheable method name in the metadata if the request may be satisfied by the cached data. The embodiment also includes searching the cache for the data response if determined the data is cacheable and the request is an inquiry, and sending the request on to a service provider if the data response is not a cacheable response or the request is an update request.
US08402043B2
A method of analyzing historical communications. During a first communication session between a first user and at least a second user, at least a first communication exchanged between the first user and the second user can be detected and stored. A second communication exchanged in a second communication can be compared with the first communication to determine a degree of similarity between the first communication and the second communication. In one aspect, when the degree of similarity is at least a threshold value, an indication can be provided to at least one user participating in the second communication session that the first communication potentially is relevant to the second communication session and that the first communication is available to be reviewed. In another aspect, a report pertaining to hierarchical relationships between users and the context of the communications can be generated based on the first and second communications.
US08402038B1
A computer-implemented method is provided for allocating input data. The method includes receiving (1) the input data comprising source data and driver data, and (2) one or more user-specified parameters for allocating the input data. The method includes configuring a set of rule metadata based on the one or more user-specified parameters. The method also includes filtering at least one of the source data or the driver data based on the rule metadata to generate at least one of filtered source data or filtered driver data. The method further includes processing at least one of the filtered source data or the filtered driver data to generate target data and storing at least one of the filtered source data, the filtered driver data or the target data in separate operational tables in a database.
US08402034B2
Using a dynamically-generated content-level newsworthiness rating to provide content recommendations
A method for providing content-level data artifact recommendations can begin with the creation of a semantic library from the textual content of data artifacts by a newsworthy content recommendation engine. A base newsworthiness rating can be calculated using global newsworthiness parameters and behavioral functions that model newsworthy influences for each relationship contained in the semantic library. A user-specific search network can be generated that represents user-entered criteria and/or user task-related criteria. Within the semantic library, potential newsworthy semantic networks can be identified. Newsworthy content from each identified potential newsworthy semantic network can be dynamically determined based upon the base newsworthiness rating and a predefined newsworthiness threshold. The newsworthy content from the identified potential newsworthy semantic network can be related to the user-specific search network at the common node, creating a newsworthy content recommendation graph. The newsworthy content recommendation graph can be presented within a user interface.
US08402033B1
An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents. Phrases are extracted from the document collection. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases, using phrase posting lists. The phrase posting lists are stored in an cluster of index servers. The phrase posting lists can be tiered into groups, and sharded into partitions. Phrases in a query are identified based on possible phrasifications. A query schedule based on the phrases is created from the phrases, and then optimized to reduce query processing and communication costs. The execution of the query schedule is managed to further reduce or eliminate query processing operations at various ones of the index servers.
US08402031B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining the Internet search popularity of an entity are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include receiving a group of Internet search records and assigning a popularity ranking based on the number of times an entity descriptor associated with an entity occurs within the group of Internet search records created over a designated time period. An entity descriptor is one or more terms commonly used to identify an entity. The trend in an entity's popularity rank may also be calculated. An entity's popularity rank and trend in popularity rank may be presented in a graph or in a list.
US08402028B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for conditionally performing a query including an aggregate function. These mechanisms and methods for conditionally performing a query including an aggregate function can limit performance of queries including aggregate functions based on a number or records associated with such performance of such aggregate functions. The ability to limit performance of queries including aggregate functions can enable performance quality of a computer system to be maintained.
US08402023B2
A computer-implemented method for determining a connection ranking value between entities includes receiving private information from a user, and retrieving public information from publicly available sources. The method also includes matching the public information with the private information, generating a graph database with the public and private information, establishing at least one search criteria, and generating a connection ranking value between entities in the graph database based on the search criteria.
US08402022B2
Tools and techniques for converging terms within a collaborative tagging environment are described herein. Methods for converging divergent contributions to the collaborative tagging environment may include receiving respective contributions from users within the environment. The methods may identify at least some of the contributions as divergent, and enable the users to converge the divergent contributions.
US08402016B2
A method of performing a multi-way join of a plurality of database relations includes executing a plurality of pipelined two-way joins with the database relations. Each two-way join has two sequential phases. In the first phase, missing attributes of the input relations that are required to evaluate a joining criterion specific to said two-way join are fetched from a non-volatile memory device, and the input relations are joined according to the criterion. In the second phase, any additional missing attributes of the input relations are fetched from the non-volatile memory device as assigned by an optimization process executed prior to commencing the multi-way join.
US08402011B1
A system and method is disclosed for managing user web browsing information. A web browser-integrated extension provides one or more controls for selecting how the extension stores web browser information collected during a user's browsing session. On a first selection, the extension automatically transmits user-identifiable web browsing information to a first remote storage. On a second selection, the extension automatically transmits anonymous web browsing information to a second remote storage. On a third selection, a transmissions of web browsing information is stopped.
US08402004B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for forming deduplicated images of a data object that changes over time using difference information between temporal states of the data object. The method includes organizing the content of the data object for a first temporal state as a plurality of content segments and storing the content segments in a data store; creating an organized arrangement of hash structures to represent the data object in its first temporal state; receiving difference information for the data object; forming at least one hash signature for the changed content; and storing the changed content that is unique in the data store as content segments, whereby a deduplicated image of the data object for a second temporal state is stored without requiring reception of a complete image of the data object for the second temporal state.
US08402002B2
An event log management system includes an event log source to generate event log data associated with an asset of an electronic network, an event log database to store the event log data, an asset database to store asset information, and a log report generator to package the event log data into a log report based on the asset information stored in the asset database.
US08402001B1
Systems, methods, apparatus and software can utilize a markup language to import and export data that is archived using a backup and restore system. An export utility extracts data produced or processed by an application program, converts it into a markup language format, and provides it to a backup and restore system. An import utility extracts data in a markup language format, converts it to another format, and provides the data for use by the application program. In one example, the application program is a database management system.
US08402000B2
A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed.
US08401996B2
Described are systems and methods for storing a variable number of instances of data objects (e.g., 1, 2, 3, or up to N−1 instances, where N is the number of instances of the data object included in primary data) in secondary storage across a data storage network. In some examples, a system for storing a variable number of instances of data objects includes, one or more computing devices storing a set of data objects and multiple storage devices distinct from the one or more computing devices. Each of the multiple storage devices is configured to store at least a single instance of a data object. The system also includes a database configured to store information associated with the data objects. This information includes substantially unique identifiers for the data objects and, for each of the data objects, a number of instances of the data object stored on the multiple storage devices.
US08401994B2
A plurality of mid-tier databases form a single, consistent cache grid for data in a one or more backend data sources, such as a database system. The mid-tier databases may be standard relational databases. Cache agents at each mid-tier database swap in data from the backend database as needed. Consistency in the cache grid is maintained by ownership locks. Cache agents prevent database operations that will modify cached data in a mid-tier database unless and until ownership of the cached data can be acquired for the mid-tier database. Cache groups define what backend data may be cached, as well as a general structure in which the backend data is to be cached. Metadata for cache groups is shared to ensure that data is cached in the same form throughout the entire grid. Ownership of cached data can then be tracked through a mapping of cached instances of data to particular mid-tier databases.
US08401993B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for building and executing analytics solutions. Such a solution may provide a comprehensive analytics solution (e.g., a risk assessment, fraud detection solution, dynamic operational risk evaluations, regulatory compliance assessments, etc.). The analytics solution may perform an analytics task using operational data distributed across a variety of independently created and governed data repositories in different departments of an organization. A framework is disclosed which allows a user (e.g., a risk analyst) to compose analytical tools that can access data from a variety of sources (both internal and external to an enterprise) and perform a variety of analytic functions.
US08401992B2
Embodiments of the invention may provide a computing platform, a business rules engine, a method, a system, and a user interface for building a computing platform, where each is based on a hierarchy of nested data structures and an application programming interface defining functions. The functions comprise at least one function for nesting one or more data structures within the contents of an enclosing data structures such that nesting the one or more data structures within the contents of the enclosing data structures results in a hierarchy of nested data structures; at least one function for removing one or more data structures from the contents of the enclosing data structures; at least one function for retrieving one or more data structures from the contents of the enclosing data structures; and at least one function for modifying the contents of one or more data structures. Each of the functions may receive a data structures as a parameter. The functions for retrieving and removing receive a pattern as the parameter, the pattern having a head concept and nested concepts. The functions match the contents of the data structures against the pattern in a recursive manner, wherein the matching is first by the head concept and then by the zero or more nested concepts.
US08401985B2
A method of automatically learning how multiple devices are directly or indirectly linked in a monitoring system, comprises determining configuration parameters for the multiple devices in said system, receiving data measured by the devices, and grouping the devices into multiple segments according to at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of configuration parameters and data measured by said devices. Potential relationships of the devices in each segment are determined according to at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of configuration parameters and data measured by the devices, the hierarchies of the devices within individual segments are determined, and the hierarchies of the top-most device or devices in the segments are determined.
US08401984B2
Techniques for detecting social influence between users in a set of users with regard to an activity are provided. Data for each user of the set of users is received that includes a time value at which the user became active with regard to the activity, and includes at least one indication of another user in the set of users associated with the user. A first estimate of social correlation in the set of users is determined based on the data. The data is modified. For instance, the data may be modified according to a shuffle test and/or an edge reversal test. A second estimate of social correlation in the set of users is determined based on the modified data. The first estimate is compared to the second estimate to determine a degree of social influence in the set of users.
US08401979B2
Described is multiple category learning to jointly train a plurality of classifiers in an iterative manner. Each training iteration associates an adaptive label with each training example, in which during the iterations, the adaptive label of any example is able to be changed by the subsequent reclassification. In this manner, any mislabeled training example is corrected by the classifiers during training. The training may use a probabilistic multiple category boosting algorithm that maintains probability data provided by the classifiers, or a winner-take-all multiple category boosting algorithm selects the adaptive label based upon the highest probability classification. The multiple category boosting training system may be coupled to a multiple instance learning mechanism to obtain the training examples. The trained classifiers may be used as weak classifiers that provide a label used to select a deep classifier for further classification, e.g., to provide a multi-view object detector.
US08401978B2
Apparatus and method for at least partially fitting a medical implant system to a patient is described. These apparatuses and methods comprise executing a genetic algorithm to select a set of parameter values for the medical implant system. This genetic algorithm may comprise generating successive generations of child populations until a confidence threshold is reached. This confidence threshold comprises determining whether the values of each parameter value to be selected have converged on particular value with a specified confidence level. In determining whether the values have converged, one or more initial generations of the search may be excluded in computing the likelihood that the value has converged.
US08401965B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for handling a payment at a point of sale or a remote payment acceptance and processing location for a customer account. The systems and methods may include receiving a payment at a point of sale or a remote payment acceptance and processing location and identifying data including at least an amount of the payment that is associated with the payment. The data may be transmitted over a computer network and stored in a data store that is associated with a customer account. A balance of the customer account may be rapidly updated based on the data associated with the payment. The data may be transmitted over a computer network and may be utilized in a computer software application to provide a customer account with rapid recognition of a payment and of a total balance.
US08401946B2
A system and method of revenue assurance for a service activity are presented. Multiple data feeds are received by a revenue assurance analytic system, where each data feed contains the same logical component of the service activity. The multiple data feeds are processed to detect revenue assurance issues in the service activity based on one or more common linking keys between disparate records related to the logical component.
US08401944B2
A hierarchal view preserving relationships between data is generated by storing information related to sales and investment. The information includes dimensions and each of the dimensions includes a level and each of the levels is described by variables. Relationships between the variables are also stored. A request for a hierarchy is received. The requested hierarchy includes a set of dimensions from the stored dimensions, a level for each dimension in the set, and a sequence of the dimensions or levels in the hierarchy. A computer system calculates values for the variables in the levels for the requested hierarchy using the stored relationships that are applicable to the variables in the levels. A view of the hierarchy is generated and includes the calculated values. The view also includes the dimensions or levels of the requested hierarchy in the sequence specified for the requested hierarchy.
US08401932B2
In an embodiment, articles are left in storage areas, such as lockers or other receptacles, which may be associated with a household services company. In an embodiment, after depositing the articles in the storage area the articles are associated with the user by the household services company based on a claim by a user of using the storage area and/or tags associated with the articles.
US08401925B1
A computer determines desired software products for a managed system. The computer selects a first set of one or more available owned licenses, each license of said first set involving the least waste in terms of covering non-desired products. The computer selects a second set of one or more of licenses from said first set, each license of said second set providing most coverage in terms of covering desired software products. The computer applies a license of said second set to said managed system.
US08401924B1
Comparative decision systems and methods are disclosed for gathering and mining data representative of purchase decisions. One disclosed comparative decision system detects when a user is comparing items and provides the user with the ability to create a research note storing comparative information for the alternative items. The system displays information about items according to a variety of factors. The user can customize the factors and enter information for each alternative item according to the various factors. Some information may be pre-populated by the system. The research note may be made visible to other users, and may be suggested to another user based on the note's expected helpfulness and relevance to that user. One disclosed method for mining data stored within research notes identifies which factors are given higher relative priorities by users considering a purchase. Another mining method analyzes the effects of price changes on item popularity.
US08401919B2
A fact checking system verifies the correctness of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with one or more sources. The fact checking system automatically monitors, processes, fact checks information and indicates a status of the information.
US08401916B2
A product customization system and method are provided in which a consumer can insert user content, such as images or text, onto a product, such as a shoe, and then view the customized product before purchasing the customized product.
US08401914B1
The disclosure provides a method of operating a retail store by displaying copies of some variations of a product in a customer shopping area within the retail store and storing other variations of the same product in a non-customer storage area of the retail store, while providing customers with a method to easily browse through all of the store's offerings by using mobile devices and QR codes located on or near displayed products. Upon scanning a QR code of a product displayed in the customer shopping area, the mobile device displays all variations and products related to the scanned product that are available for purchase at the retail store.
US08401908B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for implementing a software architecture design for a software application implementing plan-driven procurement. The application is structured as multiple process components interacting with each other through service interfaces, and multiple service operations, each being implemented for a respective process component. The process components include The process components include an RFQ Processing process component, a Purchase Request Processing process component, a Purchase Order Processing process component, a Purchasing Contract Processing process component, a Supplier Invoice Processing process component, a Supply and Demand Matching process component, an External Procurement Trigger and Response process component, and a Customer Requirement Processing process component.
US08401904B1
Novel features to be used in a proxy card payment system include a real-time request to override a declined transaction or to select a different financial account and the insertion of user identification information into the transaction approval message sent to the merchant. A payment request is forwarded to the payment system, which maintains the proxy card account and determines whether the transaction violates a user-defined rule. If the transaction is declined by the issuer that maintains the financial account, or the payment system for violation of a user-defined rule, the payment system sends a real-time message to the user. The user is prompted to override the rule causing the transaction to be declined or to select a new account to process the transaction. Once the payment system receives authorization for the transaction, it inserts the user identification information in an approval message before transmitting the approval to the merchant.
US08401903B2
Systems and methods for dynamically sizing, structuring and operating advertisements that include a variety of content, including interaction prompts and other elements, which enable an engagement-based revenue generation model. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises storing advertising content, serving an XML file from an advertising server to an advertisement manager in order to control a player on a user computer, dynamically generating the advertisement through the player based on directions from the advertisement manager and the stored content, and tracking and reporting a user's engagement with the advertisement in order to determine compensation for the publisher.
US08401884B1
A computer-implemented shift scheduling system and method are disclosed that present data to workers relating to unfilled work shifts. Selected shifts are compiled as shift data for each worker. Worker accreditation may be tracked and used to determine access to the database of unfilled work shifts. Work shift data may be grouped into categories according to an employers worker needs for specific shifts. Pay rate incentives may be associated with one or more categories and indicated on presentment of the work shift data. Remote worker access to the scheduling system may be provided in LAN or WAN environments.
US08401883B2
A process for enhancing the relationship between a service provider and a client is disclosed. A first data set of feedback from employees of the service provider regarding service provided by the service provider to the client is received via machine interface. A second data set of feedback from a client regarding services provided by the service provider to the client also is received via machine interface. An analysis of the first and second data sets is implemented via a computer programmed to compare the first and second data sets and assess areas of similarity and areas of difference between the first and second data sets. A strategy is developed based on the analysis for the service provider to enhance areas of similarity and reduce differences between the first and second data sets. The strategy is implemented in the relationship between the service provider and the client.
US08401869B2
A distributed, digital, network-based, streaming video solution allows users to view live streaming digital video from multiple video sources in multiple operating rooms at any location connected to a network. One or more video sources in an operating room are connected to a streaming video encoder capable of converting the video to a network packet stream. Once the digital video stream is available on the network, it may be accessed and routed through the use of a streaming video control server. The streaming video control server is responsible for user authentication and authorization and web page access for remote viewing and video source selection by users. The control server also provides audit logging services, operating room selection and overall system resource allocation. The video control server also provides a network-based remote control interface, which enables other systems to communicate on the streaming video network, and allows for remote control of visualization from an integrated operating room control system, and provides the ability for one operating room to look into other operating rooms.
US08401866B2
A method to align and effectively apply business practices or culture within the business units in one or more business entities is provided. In the first phase, a practices charter defining future state business practices is developed. A practices charter is developed from an initial set of differing alternatives statements regarding future business practices, in view of a right-versus-right spectrum. A practices charter is an output of the reconciliation of differing alternatives statements in right-versus-right spectrums. In a second phase, a practices charter is applied to hypothetical issues to develop realistic outcome narratives describing hypothetical situations and dilemmas. In a third phase, discrepancies between outcome narratives and a current state of business practice are identified, and a prioritized action program is developed to address identified discrepancies. Finally, progress is evaluated by utilizing outcome narratives to identify achievements and to target areas needing further improvement and additional actions.
US08401859B2
A distributed voice applications system includes a voice applications rendering agent and at least one voice applications agent that is configured to provide voice applications to an individual user. A management system may control and direct the voice applications rendering agent to create voice applications that are personalized for individual users based on user characteristics, information about the environment in which the voice applications will be performed, prior user interactions and other information. The voice applications agent and components of customized voice applications may be resident on a local user device which includes a voice browser and speech recognition capabilities. The local device, voice applications rendering agent and management system may be interconnected via a communications network.
US08401858B2
A method and a system for voice communication, especially for a user who has voice or speaking problems, are disclosed. The method requires a communication sheet and a digital voice signal processing device. The communication sheet comprises a plurality of communication units and a plurality of function units for a user to click with the digital voice signal processing device. The plurality of function units comprise a whole sentence unit, and the method comprises a method for performing a function of emitting the sound of a whole sentence, which comprises the following steps: receiving sounds of words selected by the user; searching a voice file according to each of the sounds of words; receiving a command generated by the user's clicking the whole sentence unit; and playing voice files in order.
US08401855B2
Embodiments of a dialog system that utilizes grammar-based labeling scheme to generate labeled sentences for use in training statistical models. During the process of training data development, a grammar is constructed manually based on the application domain or adapted from a general grammar rule. An annotation schema is created accordingly based on the application requirements, such as syntactic and semantic information. Such information is then included in the grammar specification. After the labeled grammar is constructed, a generation algorithm is then used to generate sentences for training various statistical models.
US08401853B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for approximating responses to a user speech query in voice-enabled search based on metadata that include demographic features of the speaker. A system practicing the method recognizes received speech from a speaker to generate recognized speech, identifies metadata about the speaker from the received speech, and feeds the recognized speech and the metadata to a question-answering engine. Identifying the metadata about the speaker is based on voice characteristics of the received speech. The demographic features can include age, gender, socio-economic group, nationality, and/or region. The metadata identified about the speaker from the received speech can be combined with or override self-reported speaker demographic information.
US08401848B2
A system, method, and computer-readable storage device for sending a spoken message as a text message. The method includes initiating a connection with a first subscriber, receiving from the first subscriber a spoken message and spoken disambiguating information associated with at least one recipient address. The method further includes converting the spoken message to text via an audible text center subsystem (ATCS), and delivering the text to the recipient address. The method can also include verifying a subscription status of the first subscriber, or delivering the text to the recipient address based on retrieved preferences of the first subscriber. The preferences can be retrieved from a consolidated network repository or embedded within the spoken message. Text and the spoken message can be delivered to the same or different recipient addresses. The method can include updating recipient addresses based on a received oral command from the first subscriber.
US08401845B2
A system and method for enhancing a tonal sound signal decoded by a decoder of a speech-specific codec in response to a received coded bit stream, in which a spectral analyser is responsive to the decoded tonal sound signal to produce spectral parameters representative of the decoded tonal sound signal. A quantization noise in low-energy spectral regions of the decoded tonal sound signal is reduced in response to the spectral parameters produced by the spectral analyser. The spectral analyser divides a spectrum resulting from spectral analysis into a set of critical frequency bands each comprising a number of frequency bins, and the reducer of quantization noise comprises a noise attenuator that scales the spectrum of the decoded tonal sound signal per critical frequency band, per frequency bin, or per both critical frequency band and frequency bin.
US08401835B2
In the case of tracing processor activity and generating data streams multiple triggers can be generated at the same time. The issue is further complicated in a protected pipeline where certain locations are considered as in illegal instruction boundary. During those cycles certain information is invalid and cannot be transmitted to the user. Thus a received trace trigger cannot begin. This invention resolves all ambiguities related to multiple triggers so that the user has a known predictable behavior based on the setup of the triggers.
US08401829B2
A method of determining in situ composite material constituent properties is provided. In one example computer software is provided that automatically determines adjusted material properties or in situ properties of each constituent of a composite material. Methods shown ensure that a finite element model will consistently predict material behavior not just at one desired stress/strain state, but in all simulated states.
US08401828B1
Systems and methods for simulating and verifying an analog mixed signal design provide an analog mixed signal testbench configured to verify analog parameters of the design. The testbench can include a mechanism to fetch a value of an analog object in an analog portion of a mixed signal design. The testbench mechanism can include an argument specifying the name of the object and the analog quantity to be fetched for that object. The testbench can retrieve estimated values and can further specify timing constraints specifying absolute times or events at which values are to be measured and returned.
US08401825B2
A method (400) of processing signal outputs of a plurality of topologically distinct sensors in response to stimuli is described. The method comprises obtaining (402) a plurality of temporal sensor outputs in parallel. Thereafter, features are extracted (406), the features having dynamic behavior pattern. The extraction is performed in a topology consistent way by arithmetic processing in parallel of neighboring temporal sensor outputs. Furthermore, a quality of the extracted features is being determined.
US08401823B2
An arrangement and method for assessing and diagnosing the operating state of a device under test in the presence of a disturbing ambient noise and for detecting, localizing and classifying defects of the device which affect its operational reliability and quality. At least two sensors monitor signals at arbitrary locations which are affected by signals emitted by defects and by ambient noise sources. A source analyzer receives the monitored signals, identifies the number and location of the sources, separates defect and noise sources, and analyzes the deterministic and stochastic signal components emitted by each source. Defect and noise vectors at the outputs of the source analyzer are supplied to a defect classificator which detects invalid parts of the measurements corrupted by ambient noise, accumulates the valid parts, assesses the quality of the system under test and identifies the physical causes and location of the defects.
US08401820B2
An in situ health monitoring apparatus may include an exciter circuit that applies a pulse to a piezoelectric transducer and a data processing system that determines the piezoelectric transducer's dynamic response to the first pulse. The dynamic response can be used to evaluate the operating range, health, and as-mounted resonance frequency of the transducer, as well as the strength of a coupling between the transducer and a structure and the health of the structure.
US08401805B2
An ultrasonic multiphase flowmeter, a flow rate measurement program and a multiphase flow rate measurement method using an ultrasonic wave that can measure the flow rate of a multiphase flow by detecting the position of an interface between phases by an operation processing of at least one of data on reflected ultrasonic wave and data on a flow velocity distribution are provided. The ultrasonic multiphase flowmeter functions to transmit/receive ultrasonic waves, calculate flow velocity distributions, determine interface positions, and calculate flow rates.
US08401803B2
Method and arrangement for determining the remaining lifetime of a component of a power electronics appliance, such as a frequency converter, in which the lifetime data that is dependent on the ambient conditions and operation as specified by the manufacturer of the component is used, in which method at least one magnitude connected to ambient conditions, such as temperature, is determined, at least one loading magnitude of the component, such as speed of rotation, is determined and the calculation of the remaining lifetime is performed on the basis of at least one magnitude connected to ambient conditions, such as temperature, and of at least one loading magnitude of the component, such as speed of rotation, as well as of the lifetime data that is dependent on these ambient conditions and loading as specified by the manufacturer of the component.
US08401801B2
Methods for selecting a medication for a patient are described that include determining the patient's genotype for a panel of genes and selecting the medication based on the genotype. Articles of manufacture also are provided that include nucleic acid molecules for detecting alleles of genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes and genes encoding products involved in neurotransmission.
US08401788B2
A GPS measuring unit receives a signal from a GPS satellite and outputs GPS measurement data including at least orientation of an object. An angular velocity sensor outputs angular velocity of the object. An offset value computing unit estimates a running condition of the object on the basis of the measurement data and the angular velocity. The offset value computing unit sequentially derives a temporary offset value of the angular velocity sensor in accordance with the estimated running condition of the object. The offset value computing unit derives an offset value of the angular velocity sensor by executing statistical process on the temporary offset value of the angular velocity sensor. A forgetting factor in the statistical process is changed according to the running condition of the object.
US08401777B2
A coupling device (1) for gas and liquid systems comprises a passive transponder and at least one sensor for measuring at least one quantity. The transponder is connected to the sensor and arranged to wirelessly transmit and receive data via communication protocols. Moreover the sensor is passive, connected to and integrated with the transponder, the sensor being activated with energy induced by the transponder. An independent claim is included for a use of a wireless transmission system in a vehicle.
US08401773B2
An air traffic control system, for use by a human controller controlling a plurality of aircraft held vertically separated in a stack above a minimum stack level, the system comprising at least one processor, and a display device for the human controller, controlled by said at least one processor; further comprising: means for periodically inputting a value representative of local terrestrial air pressure conditions; means for periodically inputting an aircraft flight level reading representing an altitude defined by a reference air pressure measured on the aircraft; means for periodically generating a display on said display device comprising a plurality of flight levels vertically arranged; means for indicating in said display said plurality of aircraft, arranged in a vertical list ranked by flight level; said at least one processor being arranged, on reception of a new said value, to redetermine said minimum stack level and to vary said display so as to indicate changes to said minimum stack level.
US08401769B2
A control method of restarting an engine of an AT ISG vehicle may include a first step of restarting the engine when a state of the vehicle satisfies a restart condition after an idle-stop, a second step of keeping a throttle valve constant at a first critical value or less when a positional value of an acceleration pedal may be equal to a second critical value or more after the first step, and a third step of opening a throttle valve until the positional value of the acceleration pedal detected by the acceleration pedal position sensor and a positional value of the throttle valve detected by a throttle valve position sensor may be matched after a critical time passes, a shifting may be completed after the restarting, or when the acceleration pedal may be pressed down less than at the second critical value after the first step.
US08401767B2
Various systems and methods are described for controlling combustion stability in an engine driving a transmission. One example method comprises limiting airflow to the engine in response to a spark timing retarded beyond a spark retard threshold, the limiting airflow to the engine reducing engine torque output and compensating for the reduction in engine torque output by adjusting a transmission operating parameter.
US08401759B2
An apparatus to control a reaction force of an accelerator includes a detector to detect an opening degree of the accelerator, and a controller to increase the reaction force by a first force magnitude during a period in which the vehicle transitions from a first operational state to a second operational state in response to an increase in the opening degree of the accelerator, wherein the controller increases the reaction force if the accelerator opening degree is increased within a predetermined time period after the reaction force is increased by the first force magnitude, wherein the first operational state corresponds to a low specific fuel consumption and the second operational state corresponds to a high specific fuel consumption, and wherein the controller decreases the reaction force by the first force magnitude in response to a reduction in the opening degree of the accelerator.
US08401747B2
A shift-by-wire device including a shaft position sensor that detects a shaft rotating angle, a drive unit that drives an actuator of the shaft, an operational function unit including an operational CPU that receives the shaft rotating angle from the shaft position sensor, receives a shift command from an administrative electronic control unit to transmit the shaft rotating angle of the shaft to the administrative electronic control unit, and controls the drive unit according to the shaft rotating angle and shift command. The device further includes a monitoring function unit including a monitoring CPU that receives the shaft rotating angle in order to monitor whether there is an abnormality in the operational function unit and transmits the shaft rotating angle to the administrative electronic control unit when a detected abnormality occurs in the operational function unit.
US08401736B2
Traveling environment information, which is information on a traveling environment around a vehicle, is obtained. If the automation level of the vehicle, which is set according to the traveling environment information, is decreased, the driving assistance level is decreased in a stepwise manner to execute a driving assistance control.
US08401735B2
A damping apparatus for an automobile is provided, capable of ensuring a high level of reliability while obtaining excellent damping effect with simple configuration. The damping apparatus for an automobile that reduces vibrations of an automobile body may include an actuator that is attached to the automobile body and drives an auxiliary mass; a current detector that detects a current flowing through an armature of the actuator; a section that detects a terminal voltage applied to the actuator; a calculation circuit that calculates an induced voltage of the actuator, and further calculates at least one of the relative velocity, relative displacement, and relative acceleration of the actuator, based on a current detected by the current detector and the terminal voltage; and a control circuit that drive-controls the actuator based on at least one of the relative velocity, relative displacement, and relative acceleration of the actuator calculated by the calculation circuit.
US08401731B2
A workshop system, with a plurality of diagnostic and/or programming devices, which are networked by means of data links and are intended for vehicles is provided. In order to enhance the reliability of workshop systems of the prior art, a warning indicating the occurrence of an event, which requires that a workshop employee intervene at a moment's notice at a first diagnostic and/or programming device of the networked devices is forwarded, as an alternative or in addition, to a second or an additional diagnostic and/or programming device to be communicated to the workshop employee.
US08401728B2
A battery system for vehicle comprises a battery unit that is constituted with a plurality of serially connected cell groups each include a plurality of serially connected battery cells, integrated circuits that are each disposed in correspondence to one of the cell groups of the battery unit and each measure terminal voltages at the battery cells in the corresponding cell group, and a signal transmission path through which one of the integrated circuits is connected to another one of the integrated circuits or to a circuit other than that of the integrated circuits.
US08401725B2
A target route setting support system is equipped with a transiting area/starting-terminal point recognizing unit, a route candidate generating unit, and a determining unit. The transiting area/starting-terminal point recognizing unit recognizes a node or a link connecting nodes together designated by the user via a remote controller as a designated transiting area, the target position as a terminal point, and a departure position as a starting point. The route candidate generating unit generates a moving route candidate connecting the terminal point and the starting point so the designated transiting area is included at least in a part of the moving route candidate. The determining unit determines the level of a possibility of contact between the robot and an object in the case where the robot is made to move along the moving route candidate, and outputs the determination result via an output device.
US08401719B2
A method includes controlling an aircraft during descent, and controlling the engine pressure ratio of a jet engine so that the engine has a substantially equal pressure at the exhaust, and at the front of the engine during the descent.
US08401713B2
A method for determining relative spatial information between a first vehicle and a second vehicle, the method including monitoring a communication channel at the first vehicle and receiving a current communication signal sent by the second vehicle on the communication channel. The current communication signal is received at a received power level. A relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is calculated. Input to the calculating includes an actual or estimated transmitted power level, and the received power level.
US08401707B2
An output-power control apparatus is provided in an electric power system connecting a secondary battery system and a power generator in parallel, and controls output power of the electric power system. The output-power control apparatus detects output power of the power generator, and controls output voltage of the secondary battery system, based on a value obtained by subtracting the detected output power of the power generator from an output power instruction for controlling the output power.
US08401702B2
A robot arm provided with a body unit shifting mechanism that connects a base unit and a body unit so as to be relatively shifted, and joint lock mechanisms that are capable of mechanically securing respective joints is disposed on the body unit, and a robot operation control unit controls to switch between a robot arm operation mode in which the robot arm is operated with one of the joints of the robot arm brought into a free state, and a body unit shift mode in which the body unit is shifted with the joint being brought into a locked state.
US08401698B2
A method for optimizing performance of a robot. At least one experiment is designed including at least two tests. Each test differs from at least one other test in the experiment regarding the location of the task in relation to the robot. The boundaries that are allowable for location of a task are calculated/determined. The effect on optimality for at least one test in the experiment is calculated/determined. The experimental data is fit to an algorithm. The optimal location of the task is calculated/determined.
US08401680B2
When any one of a plurality of amplifiers has been selected in response to amplifier selecting operation, an amplifier Detail View of the selected amplifier is displayed, where corresponding parameters are displayed via elements of the amplifier Detail View. When any one of a plurality of groups has been selected in response to group selecting operation, a group Detail View of the selected group is displayed, where maximum and minimum values detected from among values of a parameter of individual amplifiers of the selected group are displayed via a band-shaped element of a corresponding fader element. In another example, where a hierarchical group is selected in a tree display section on a control screen, respective state information, including parameter values or states of parameters, of a plurality of amplifiers belonging to the selected hierarchical group is displayed in a state information section.
US08401676B2
A mechanism for controlling a plant is provided. A reference signal is received at a signal transformation loop of a feedback controller. The signal transformation loop causes the reference signal to include a disturbance signal and a nominal signal. Also, the reference signal is received at a feed-forward controller, and the feed-forward controller recreates the disturbance signal that was caused by the signal transformation loop. The output of the feedback controller is input into a plant. The output of the feed-forward controller is input into the plant such that the disturbance signal is removed from the output of the feedback controller.
US08401668B2
Systems, methods and devices for creating an effect using microwave energy to specified tissue are disclosed. A system for the application of microwave energy to a tissue includes a signal generator adapted to generate a microwave signal having predetermined characteristics, an applicator connected to the generator and adapted to apply microwave energy to tissue. The applicator includes one or more microwave antennas and a tissue interface, a vacuum source connected to the tissue interface, a cooling source connected to the tissue interface, and a controller adapted to control the signal generator, the vacuum source, and the coolant source. The tissue includes a first layer and a second layer, the second layer below the first layer. The controller is configured so that the system delivers energy such that a peak power loss density profile is created in the second layer.
US08401665B2
Apparatus and methods for detecting lead migration through the use of measured artifactual data about the tissue in the vicinity of the lead.
US08401650B2
The present invention provides systems, apparatus and methods for selectively applying electrical energy to body tissue. A device is provided having an enclosure within an outer wall formed from an electrically-permeable material to allow for electrical energy to pass from the interior of the enclosure through the outer wall. The device further includes an electrode positioned within the interior of the enclosure and a fluid passage coupled to the enclosure for delivery of an electrically conductive fluid into the interior of the enclosure such that the electrically conductive fluid couples the electrode with the electrically-permeable section of the outer wall. The conductive fluid allows for the passage of electrical energy from the electrode through the fluid and the outer wall of the enclosure for treatment of tissue on or in a patient. In this manner, the electrode does not directly contact the tissue of the patient, which reduces the potential for collateral tissue damage or necrosis and/or excessive electric fields in the tissue.
US08401648B2
An implantable medical device includes a housing having frame with one or more openings. The openings of the frame are covered with a thin metallic foil that is welded to the frame to provide a hermetic seal. Non-conductive members may be placed in or about the openings to provide a backing or structural support for the metallic foil. By decreasing the mass of conductive material capable of forming eddy currents, improved recharge or telemetry performance may be realized.
US08401645B2
A method includes selecting an electrode located in a patient; acquiring position information with respect to time for the electrode where the acquiring uses the electrode for repeatedly measuring electrical potentials in an electrical localization field established in the patient; calculating a stability metric for the electrode based on the acquired position information with respect to time; and deciding if the selected electrode, as located in the patient, has a stable location for sensing biological electrical activity, for delivering electrical energy or for sensing biological electrical activity and delivering electrical energy. Position information may be acquired during one or both of intrinsic or paced activation of a heart and respective stability indexes calculated for each activation type.
US08401639B2
Cardiac resynchronization therapy is delivered to a heart using an extended bipolar electrode configuration in accordance with programmed pacing parameters including a non-zero intraventricular delay. The extended bipolar electrode configuration comprises a left ventricular electrode defining a cathode of the extended bipolar electrode configuration and a right ventricular electrode defining an anode of the extended bipolar electrode configuration. A pace pulse is delivered to the left ventricular electrode and anodal stimulation of the right ventricle is detected based on the sensed response to the pace pulse.
US08401636B2
The health state of a subject is automatically evaluated or predicted using at least one implantable device. In varying examples, the health state is determined by sensing or receiving information about at least one physiological process having a circadian rhythm whose presence, absence, or baseline change is associated with impending disease, and comparing such rhythm to baseline circadian rhythm prediction criteria. Other chronobiological rhythms beside circadian may also be used. The baseline prediction criteria may be derived using one or more past physiological process observation of the subject or population of subjects in a non-disease health state. The prediction processing may be performed by the at least one implantable device or by an external device in communication with the implantable device. Systems and methods for invoking a therapy in response to the health state, such as to prevent or minimize the consequences of predicted impending heart failure, are also discussed.
US08401632B1
The present invention involves a system and methods for performing neurophysiologic assessments including, but not necessarily limited to, pedicle integrity assessments, neuromuscular pathway assessments, nerve proximity assessments, and spinal cord assessments, and methods for filtering EMG signal data to reject noise.
US08401631B2
A method for providing an indication of a state of awareness for a patient, includes the steps of arranging data of an EEG and EMG power spectrogram to provide power versus frequency in a log-log arrangement; calculating a first best-fit line for a lower frequency region of the EEG power spectrogram; calculating at least a second best-fit line for a higher frequency region of the EEG power spectrogram. The display of these lines is augmented by displaying a template that identifies different regions on the display that help confirm the state of the patient. Secondly, the time domain EEG signals can be filtered and displayed such that different frequency bands can be simultaneously displayed or a single frequency band can be displayed according to different time scales.
US08401620B2
Apparatus for accurate positioning of a needle guide is disclosed. The apparatus provides a means for taking as input the position vector for the point of insertion of the needle into the body. This point of insertion can be selected from images produced by a Computer Tomography system. Similarly, the apparatus has a means for taking as input the point of target. A controller determines the directional vector between point of insertion and point of target. A guide manipulator accurately positions the needle guide in line with the directional vector, such that the needle can easily be inserted through the guide to the point of target. The positioning of the guide manipulator in accordance with the directional vector is done with the help of motors.
US08401612B1
A method for detecting Chiari malformations. The method generally comprises positioning a patient in an upright orientation in a patient-receiving space of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and acquiring images of the patient's cerebellum and brainstem in the upright orientation. The method further comprises positioning the patient in a recumbent orientation in the patient-receiving space of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and acquiring images of the patient's cerebellum and brainstem in the recumbent orientation.
US08401607B2
A method and apparatus for controlling alarms in a medical diagnostic apparatus where an alarm is generated when a measured value for a physiological parameter is outside a specified range. The method continuously calculates a baseline value, and establishes dynamic thresholds that are related to and continuously track the baseline value. The method determines the amount of time the measured value is past the dynamic threshold, and the amount by which the threshold is passed. Alarms are triggered based upon a combination of the amount of time and the amount by which the threshold is passed. Preferably, the combination is an integral or some function of an integral.
US08401605B2
A measuring apparatus, a physiological sensor, and an interface unit for determining blood parameters of a subject are disclosed. The sensor comprises an emitter unit comprising a first plurality of emitter elements configured to emit radiation at a second plurality of wavelengths and a detector unit configured to receive radiation generated by the emitter elements and transmitted through the tissue of the subject, wherein the detector unit is further configured to produce electric measurement signals indicative of absorption caused by the blood of the subject. The sensor or the interface unit is provided with a memory that stores emitter activation information for at least a third plurality of wavelengths, thereby to enable a monitoring unit operably connectable to the physiological sensor to employ a combination of wavelengths selected from the third plurality of wavelengths, wherein the third plurality is equal to or smaller than the second plurality.
US08401604B2
Embodiments of the present system and methods measure a concentration of a substance, such as glucose, in a body. The present embodiments measure a first amount of infrared (IR) radiation absorbed or emitted from the body in a first wavelength band, and a second amount of IR radiation absorbed or emitted from the body in a second wavelength band. The present embodiments also measure a temperature at a surface of the body and an ambient temperature. A normalized ratio parameter is calculated from the four measurements, and the concentration of the substance in the body is calculated by correlating the normalized ratio parameter with the body surface temperature and the ambient temperature using an empirically derived lookup table. Also disclosed are methods for creating the empirically derived lookup table.
US08401600B1
A superconducting multi-bit digital mixer, designed using rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) logic, for multiplying two independent digital streams, at least one of these comprising a plurality of parallel bit lines, wherein the output is also a similar plurality of bit lines. In a preferred embodiment, one of the digital streams represents a local oscillator signal, and the other digital stream digital radio frequency input from an analog-to-digital converter. The multi-bit mixer comprises an array of bit-slices, with the local oscillator signal generated using shift registers. This multi-bit mixer is suitable for an integrated circuit with application to a broadband digital radio frequency receiver, a digital correlation receiver, or a digital radio frequency transmitter. A synchronous pulse distribution network is used to ensure proper operation at data rates of 20 GHz or above.
US08401594B2
A system and method for maximizing the standby time of mobile communication devices that have WiFi or other high energy-consuming network interfaces, by predicting in real time actionable silent periods (ASPs) of the interface and shutting the interface down during these ASPs. Standby times are significantly increased, resulting in longer periods of operation before battery charging is required, while keeping minimal the probabilities of missing incoming data packets when the interface is turned off.
US08401592B2
A mobile terminal having a touch function is presented. The mobile terminal includes a display unit to display one or more content on a screen and a storage box positioned on the screen for storing at least one of the one or more content dragged on the screen.
US08401589B2
Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for managing text-based services on mobile devices during the operation of a vehicle. Proactive service-controls use a time of day and location based services to determine that a mobile device is in a moving vehicle. Reactive position-awareness techniques use near-field communication (NFC) to determine that the mobile device is being operated by a user in a driver's seat of the vehicle. Upon satisfying both these determinations, specific text-based services such as messaging, browsing, etc. can be disabled by either the mobile device itself or by a network entity. The present invention can also be extended to managing other mobile device's usages in vehicles, including phone calls, online gaming, etc.
US08401586B2
A system and method for power control in distributed networks is provided. A method for transmitting information includes setting a transmit power level for a subset of communications controllers in a communications network, and transmitting information to a communications device served by a communications controller. The subset of communications controllers includes ad hoc communications controllers in the communications network, and the setting of the transmit power level is performed in a distributed manner. The information is transmitted at a transmit power level set for the communications controller.
US08401579B2
An apparatus and method for synchronizing a broadcast message in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. In a method of operating a Base Station (BS) for synchronizing the broadcast message in the broadband wireless communication system, the method includes setting a transmission start frame number of each of broadcast messages so that the transmission start frame number is identical to those of neighbor BSs according to a frame number generated based on Global Positioning System (GPS) information, if at least one or more of the broadcast messages are superposed in an nth frame, transmitting broadcast messages having a high priority among the at least one or more of the broadcast messages in the nth frame, and transmitting broadcast messages, having a low priority and not transmitted in the nth frame, in an (n+1)th frame with a time delay, and setting a next transmission start time of the broadcast messages having the high priority and the broadcast messages having the low priority to an (n+m)th frame, wherein n is an integer indicating a frame number for transmitting the broadcast messages, and m is an integer indicating a transmission period of a corresponding broadcast message.
US08401577B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for limiting text/multimedia message delivery based on destination point codes or other destination identifiers. A switching center in a mobile network monitors the amount of text/multimedia message traffic routed to destinations. If the message traffic routed to a destination exceeds a threshold, then the switching center generates a traffic message indicating traffic congestion for the destination, and transmits the traffic message to a message center. The message center processes the traffic message to identify a destination point code for the destination. The message center then adjusts delivery of text/multimedia messages toward the destination point code of the destination.
US08401573B2
Methods and systems respectively provide for receiving a wireless signal coverage map request from a wireless device. A map is generated in accordance with the request and provided to the wireless device. The map includes symbology keyed to wireless signal services within a particular geographic area. Such symbology can be indicative of recommended areas and travel routes having particular types of wireless signal coverage, regions of poor or non-existent wireless signal service, areas presently experiencing heavy wireless signal usage, and so on. In this way, a wireless device user can seek to access specific wireless services and/or avoid suspect trouble regions within a geographic area.
US08401571B2
The invention relates to a mobile electronic system. In order to expand and enhance the usability of the mobile electronic system, it is proposed that it comprises a 3D magnetometer 51 performing magnetic measurements in three dimensions and providing data indicative of the current posture of the mobile electronic system based on these measurements. Further, it is proposed that the mobile electronic system comprises processing means 52, 54 processing the data provided by the 3D magnetometer 51 for enabling a posture related presentation of information via output means 12, 42 of the mobile electronic system. The invention relates equally to components of such a system and to a corresponding method.
US08401568B2
The present invention allows mobile terminals to receive location-based information upon entering a local wireless zone established by an access point. The access point includes or is associated with one or more servers, which may provide the location-based information and control access. The local wireless zone is a limited area in which communications between the access point and the mobile terminal are possible. Once the mobile terminal enters into one or more local wireless zones, the presence of the mobile terminal in the local wireless zone is detected. Once detected, the mobile terminal is afforded access to a server on which the location-based information is stored. The server is associated with the local wireless zone.
US08401566B2
A mobile terminal and method for converting a channel on a desired channel list is provided such that a channel list can be changed while receiving broadcast data without having to select a menu when a channel change is desired. An input method corresponding to a key or a touch input received while receiving a broadcast is detected and either a currently set channel list is changed to a different list or the currently set channel list is changed to a different channel list and a channel is simultaneously changed on the different channel list according to the detected input method.
US08401565B2
A method including detecting a communication call attempt in a portable communication device, determining whether the portable communication device is outside of a communication network coverage area, determining a location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected if outside of the communication network coverage area with a position determining module of the portable communication device and storing the location in a memory of the portable communication device, determining at least one route from the location of the portable communication device where the communication call attempt is detected to at least one communication network coverage area with a navigation module of the portable communication device and presenting the at least one route on a display of the portable communication device.
US08401559B2
A wireless, multi-modal access device and system adapted to integrate a number of communications networks operating in differing communication modes. to facilitate transfer of communication links during a communication session to promote efficient use of the communication networks. The system includes a plurality of Universal Multi-Modal Access. Devices UMMAD that are capable of operating at different frequencies and different protocols (TDMA, AMPS, .CDMA, GSM, PCS etc.) to communicate with any one of a number. of Wide Bandwidth Gateways (WBG), which are each capable of communication using one or more of the protocols. The communication links may be switched from one WBG to another or from one protocol to another during a communication session to continue the session under the control of a Universal System Traffic Controller. Numerous other applications of the UMMADs for unique identification and e-commerce are disclosed.
US08401545B2
In a communication system comprising multiple networks, a system is provided for re-establishing a dropped call, involving subscribers of possibly different networks, between a user A who has been unintentionally-disconnected from a communication network and a user B who is the other party to the call. The system includes a database, a detection task module, re-establishment task modules and a task manager module. The call is re-established after complete tear-down of the dropped call in both users' networks.
US08401532B2
A method, a master short range accessory, and an ad-hoc personal area network device for pairing with multiple slave communication devices are disclosed. An audio user interface 310 may interact with a user. A primary device interface component 372 may create a primary audio connection with a primary mobile communication device 502 to facilitate a primary telephone conversation session with a primary communication partner 512. A secondary device interface component 372 may create a secondary audio connection with the secondary mobile communication device 504 to facilitate a secondary telephone conversation session with a secondary communication partner 532 while maintaining the primary audio connection. A processor 330 may send an audio hold indication to the primary communication partner 512 and mutes the primary audio connection.
US08401527B2
A method of simulating a conversation includes providing at least one pre-programmed conversational script on a storage device; selecting the at least one pre-programmed conversational script for playback on the mobile communications device at a predetermined time; receiving an incoming communications alert on the mobile communications device; reciting the selected at least one pre-programmed conversational script on the mobile communications device upon responding to the incoming communications alert; and simulating an authentic conversation through the mobile communications device using the at least one pre-programmed conversational script.
US08401524B2
A cellular phone device stores mail information related to an electronic mail exchanged with a communication network. A communication unit is configured to connect with the cellular phone device via a wireless communication. Immediately after connection of the wireless communication between the communication unit and the cellular phone device, a receiving unit receives specific mail information among mail information stored in the cellular phone device. The specific mail information is related to an electronic mail exchanged in a time period between previous disconnection from the cellular phone device and present connection with the cellular phone device.
US08401522B2
Systems, apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture provide for controlling access to one or more enterprise resources, including one or more functions of an enterprise device, or other computing device, based on information about one or more activities of a user. Some embodiments provide for determining an intuitive challenge question having a corresponding response, such as an intuitive password.
US08401513B2
Proximity sensor, particularly for usage in an electronic mobile device, comprising at least one acoustic transducer adapted for receiving acoustic signals at least in parts of the frequency range of human audible sound and emitting and/or receiving ultrasonic signals for proximity estimation. The acoustic transducer preferably is a Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) microphone. Further, a method in an electronic device comprising an acoustic transducer is provided comprising the steps of generating at least one electric signal in the frequency range of ultrasonic sound, emitting at least one ultrasonic signal by means of the acoustic transducer; receiving at least one ultrasonic signal by means of the acoustic transducer; deducing from the at least one emitted ultrasonic signal and the at least one received ultrasonic signal at least the delay between emission of the emitted ultrasonic signal and reception of the corresponding ultrasonic signal.
US08401503B2
Techniques for performing frequency control using dual-loop automatic frequency control (AFC) are described. The dual-loop AFC includes an inner loop that corrects short-term frequency variations (e.g., due to Doppler effect) and an outer loop that corrects long-term frequency variations (e.g., due to component tolerances and temperature variations). In one design, a first inner loop is implemented for frequency control of a first system (e.g., a broadcast system), a second inner loop is implemented for frequency control of a second system (e.g., a cellular system), and at least one outer loop is implemented for adjusting a reference frequency used to receive signals from the first and second systems. Each inner loop estimates and corrects the frequency error in an input signal for the associated system and may be enabled when receiving the input signal from the system. The reference frequency may be used for frequency downconversion, sampling and/or other purposes.
US08401502B2
Provided is a method and system for controlling current characteristics in a transceiver having a transmitter. The transmitter includes a plurality of current cells. Each cell is configurable for operating in different modes. The method includes determining a first probability associated with transmitting data at a particular symbolic level and determining a second probability associated with each cell being used during a transmission at the particular symbolic level. Next, one of the modes for each cell is selected in accordance with anticipated performance requirements. An average current of the transmitter is then calculated based upon the determined first and second probabilities and the selected modes.
US08401488B2
A portable device for detecting a radio frequency transmission of electromagnetic radiation includes a housing; a controller situated within the housing; memory communicatively connected to the controller; an antenna connected to the controller and configured to receive the radio frequency transmission; and an audio-generating component connected to the controller. The radio frequency transmission of the electromagnetic radiation is harmful to an electrical device and is from a transient electromagnetic device (TED) threat source. The controller is operative for sensing magnitude, duration, and/or repetition of the radio frequency transmission; identifying a class of the radio frequency transmission based on one of the magnitude, duration, and repetition associated with the radio frequency transmission; and causing the audio-generating component to output tones to provide aural discrimination of an identified class of the radio frequency transmission received by the portable device. The identified class is a transient electromagnetic pulse signal from the TED source.
US08401483B2
Techniques for using at least one of omni-directional and directional antennas for communication are described. A station may be equipped antenna elements selectable for use as an omni-directional antenna or one or more directional antennas. The station may select the omni-directional antenna or a directional antenna for use for communication based on various factors such as, e.g., whether the location or direction of a target station for communication is known, whether control frames or data frames are being exchanged, etc.
US08401479B2
A system and method for minimizing interference for mobile devices in a communication network that includes a macrocell base station and a femtocell having a base station. The method receives initialization data on a backhaul connection between the femtocell base station and the macrocell base station, and uses that data to configure the femtocell base station transmitting power. The method receives a user equipment identifier from a macrocell user equipment in the communication network, and determines whether the macrocell user equipment is authorized. If authorized, the macrocell user equipment is granted access to the femtocell base station. If unauthorized, user equipment information for the macrocell user equipment received on the backhaul connection is used to adjust the femtocell base station transmitting power to minimize the interference for mobile devices.
US08401470B2
A device, e.g., a hearing aid, has an electronic circuit for wireless communication of a digital signal. The circuit has a driver driving an RLC tank. The driver has a plurality of inverters whose outputs are coupled to a node of the coil via a respective one of multiple capacitors in the tank. The circuit has a controller that selectively drives one or more of the inverters with the digital signal and connects the inputs of the other inverters to a supply voltage or ground. The tank has a further plurality of series arrangements of a further capacitor and a high-voltage switch connected between the node and ground. The controller is configured for controlling the high-voltage switches.
US08401468B2
A method and system for facilitating scheduling using a mobile device and near field communication (NFC) allows a user of a mobile device integrated with an NFC unit while in the vicinity of a shared resource that is presently unavailable or a residence of a social contact who is presently not home to review a schedule for the shared resource or social contact, and in the case of a shared resource reserve the shared resource at a later time.
US08401467B2
Conventional spot beam satellites receive return uplink beam signals that each correspond to a separate and unique return downlink beam. An embodiment of the invention allows flexible coverage areas by selectively attenuating and combining multiple return uplink beam signals and transmitting them on a single beam to a gateway terminal. This allows uplink capacity to be dynamically allocated amongst different uplink signals. Offered load in different beams can be predicted and used to set the attenuation values appropriately and the attenuation values may also be controlled remotely.
US08401451B2
Provided is a heating fixing roller which includes a tubular base member and a fluororesin layer provided on an outer circumferential surface of the base member directly or through an adhesive layer, the heating fixing roller being characterized in that the fluororesin layer contains phosphorus-doped tin oxide. The heating fixing roller has a surface resistance capable of stably and effectively preventing the occurrence of electrostatic offsets, and also has an excellent releasing property. Also provided is a process for producing the heating fixing roller, characterized by including the steps of applying a fluororesin dispersion containing an aqueous dispersion of phosphorus-doped tin oxide onto a tubular base member or an adhesive layer disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the tubular base member, and then sintering the fluororesin.
US08401449B2
Apparatuses useful in printing and methods of fixing marking materials onto media are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus useful in printing includes a first roll including a first shaft and a first surface; a second roll including an axially-extending inner portion including a second shaft; an axially-extending outer portion over the inner portion; at least a first annular gap and a second annular gap extending axially between the inner portion and the outer portion, the first annular gap being axially spaced from the second annular gap; and a second surface forming a nip with the first surface. The inner portion and the outer portion of the second roll bend in opposite directions when the first roll and the second roll are loaded by applying a first force to the first shaft in a first direction and applying a second force to the second shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
US08401446B2
A printing apparatus and method include a charging device positioned adjacent a photoreceptor that places a latent image charge on the photoreceptor. A donor device is adjacent the photoreceptor, and transfers marking material to regions of the photoreceptor that have received the latent image charge. In addition, a media path that is adjacent the photoreceptor causes at least one sheet of media to be placed on the photoreceptor and the marking material. A transfer assist blade that is also adjacent the photoreceptor, presses the sheet of media against the photoreceptor to cause the marking material to be transferred to the sheet of media. The apparatus also includes a controller that is operatively connected to the transfer assist blade. The controller causes the transfer assist blade to apply more pressure to leading and trailing portions of the sheet of media relative to the middle portion of the sheet of media.
US08401436B2
A developer container is provided with a container body. An opening is formed through the container body. An opening/closing lid closes the opening. A lid holding frame holds the opening/closing lid in such a manner that the opening/closing lid can move between an open position and a closed position. A stopper stops the opening/closing lid and thereby preventing it from moving toward the open position in a state that the opening/closing lid is located at the closed position. A contact portion comes into contact with a hook portion provided in a container receiving portion when the developer container is inserted into the container receiving portion. A deformable portion deforms the stopper to such an extent that the stopping of the opening/closing lid by the stopper is canceled when the developer container is inserted into the container receiving portion and the contact portion comes into contact with the hook portion.
US08401435B2
A developer supply apparatus includes an accommodating portion for accommodating a developer; a discharge opening for discharging developer from the accommodating portion; a first feeding member, provided in the accommodating portion, for feeding the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion from one end of the accommodating portion toward the other end; and second feeding member, provided at a position remoter from the discharge opening than the first feeding member, for feeding the developer accommodated in the accommodating portion from the one end of the accommodating portion toward the other end; wherein a feeding power of the second feeding member per unit drive time is higher than that of the first feeding member.
US08401431B2
A developing device includes: a developing device main body in which a developer chamber containing a developer is formed; a pressure application area forming unit that is provided in the developer chamber so as to form a pressure application area where pressure is applied to the developer in the developer chamber because of movement of the developer contained in the developer chamber; and a pressure regulating unit that regulates the pressure applied to the developer in the pressure application area in response to temperature of the developer in the pressure application area.
US08401427B2
An image forming device includes: a main body; a plurality of image forming units; a holding unit; and an engagement mechanism. Each of the plurality of image forming units has a developing portion. The holding unit holds the plurality of image forming units. The plurality of image forming units are aligned in the holding unit in a predetermined drawing direction. The holding unit is configured so as to be drawn out in the predetermined drawing direction from a storage position where the holding unit is stored in the main body. The holding unit sequentially reaches a plurality of different drawing positions while moving in the predetermined drawing direction. The plurality of image forming units are sequentially exposed to the outside while the holding unit sequentially reaches the plurality of drawing positions. The engagement mechanism is configured to engage the holding unit with the main body when the holding unit reaches each of the plurality of drawing positions.
US08401423B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material in the state that cartridge is detachably mounted to a main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising an opening; a cartridge supporting member linearly movable through the opening between an inside position, in the main assembly of the apparatus, for forming an image using the cartridge and an outside position which is outside the main assembly of the apparatus; retracting means for retracting the cartridge supporting member from a region in which the cartridge supporting member faces the opening, in the state that cartridge supporting member is in the outside position; and locking means for releasably locking the cartridge supporting member at the retracted position.
US08401419B2
An image forming apparatus, in which a toner collection section is disposed in an air pathway between a ventilation duct and suction blower, and the toner collection section and a recovery container are connected via an opening and closing device, has a control device to control the opening and closing device to close the opening and closing device when the suction blower is suctioning air and to open the opening and closing device so that the recovery container recovers the toner collected by the toner collection section after the suction blower is stopped.
US08401414B2
In a fixing device, a pressing member rotates in a predetermined direction of rotation. A flexible endless fixing member rotates in accordance with rotation of the pressing member. A nip formation member is provided inside a loop formed by the fixing member and pressed against the pressing member via the fixing member to form a nip between the fixing member and the pressing member through which a recording medium bearing a toner image passes. A first heat generator faces an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member at a position other than the nip to heat the fixing member. A second heat generator faces the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member at a position other than the nip to heat the fixing member, and is disposed adjacent to the first heat generator along the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member.
US08401412B2
A fixing apparatus includes a fixing mechanism having a first motor, and a conveyance mechanism arranged downstream of the fixing mechanism having a second motor. A motor control section is provided to control sheet conveyance speeds V1 and V2 in the respective fixing and conveyance mechanisms to maintain a difference therebetween within a prescribed range by adjusting a number of rotations of one of the first and second motors.
US08401411B2
An image forming apparatus having a printing section loaded with a first toner group, and a second toner group having a higher chroma value than the first toner group; and a control section which is configured to: convert color information of each part of an image based on image data specified by a print job into values in a prescribed color space; make a first judgment of a toner group proper to the image by comparing the values in the prescribed color space with color reproducible range of previously registered each toner group; make a second judgment of the toner group proper to a recording sheet and/or a printing condition which being specified by the print job, by referring to previously stored correlation information; and determine the toner group to be used for printing the image, based on results of the first and second judgments.
US08401400B2
A detection system and method may be used to detect data transmitted in a signal with data pattern dependent signal distortion. In general, a detection system and method compares samples of a received signal with stored samples of distorted signals associated with known data patterns and selects the known data patterns that correspond most closely with the samples of the received signal. The detection system and method may thus mitigate the effects of data pattern dependent signal distortion.
US08401398B2
Described are an FSK modulator and a method for large-alphabet FSK modulation. The FSK modulator and the method are based on filtering of a multi-tone optical source such as a mode-locked laser which provides a comb distribution of tones. A frequency-selective component selects for transmission a subset of the tones. In various embodiments the frequency-selective component is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer filter or a microring resonator filter. A second frequency-selective component selects a subset of the tones from the comb distribution provided by the first frequency-selective component. Still more frequency-selective components can be used according to the number of tones supplied by the multi-tone optical source to the FSK modulator. The optical signal exiting the last frequency-selective component includes only a single tone which corresponds to the symbol to be transmitted.
US08401397B2
An optical reception device is provided. The optical reception device includes a filtering unit that receives input light of predetermined power, filters the input light by use of filter characteristics where the degree of attenuation of the power of an optical signal of predetermined frequency is lower than the degree of attenuation of the power of an optical signal of another frequency, and supplies an output light; and a determining unit that compares a value relevant to the power of the output light supplied by the filtering unit, with a threshold, and determines whether the input light contains signal light.
US08401391B2
Channel power management may be achieved in a branched optical communication system such that uniform loading is provided across branch channels on a branch drop path without passing information signals that are not intended for the branch terminal to the branch drop path. In general, a system and method consistent with the present disclosure reuses one or more loading signals (e.g., noise bands) from the branch add path to maintain uniform loading in the branch drop path of the same branch. The system and method thus prevents trunk channels from being dropped to a branch terminal when those trunk channels are not intended for the branch terminal.
US08401377B2
A portable video display system (PVDS) provides convenience of presenting video data to users in a variety of situations, such as while the users may be traveling. A PVDS can store video data through removable and/or installed memory, including a disc, and present the video through a video display, providing an autonomous video storage and display system that is portable such that users may experience video presentations conveniently under many circumstances. Common applications include use while a user is traveling, commuting, on vacation, and present in other places and situations where portable entertainment is desired. A PVDS may be used with headphones to increase privacy and minimize disturbance to others nearby while PVDS is in use. A PVDS may also have the ability to present other media data such as image data and/or audio data.
US08401374B2
An apparatus and method of managing data stored in a data storage unit is provided. Data stored in the storage unit is classified into data to be preserved and deletable data. The data is preserved or deleted on the basis of preservation setting and a preservation period of the data in the storage unit. The preserving and deleting of the data may be automatically or manually performed based on the remaining storage capacity of the storage unit.
US08401366B2
A method and apparatus for downloading ancillary program data to a DVR. An embodiment allows multimedia device users to select programs to record or download movie or music over a network, such as the Internet, from a content provider. The system automatically downloads and stores ancillary program data that is directly related to, and associated with, a program that has been selected for recording or content requested for download. When a user selects a program to view the user is offered the opportunity to browse ancillary program data associated with the program and view an ancillary program data. The service can charge the content provider or an advertiser for each time their ancillary program data is viewed by a user. The ancillary programming is deleted when the associated recorded program is deleted.
US08401360B2
A reproducing apparatus simultaneously reproduces a first video signal and a second video signal reproduced at any timing against the first video signal. A first (second) converting section outputs the first (second) video signal having a first frame frequency alternately for three successive frames and two successive frames to convert the first (second) video signal having the first frame frequency into the video signal having a second frame frequency. They have a relationship of 2 to 5. A controlling section performs control such that timing at which a field group of the three successive frames of the first video signal having the second frame signal is changed to a field group of the two successive frames thereof matches timing at which a field group of the three successive frames of the second video signal having the second frame signal is changed to a field group of the two successive frames thereof.
US08401359B2
A video receiving apparatus having an input terminal to receive pixel-based video data transmitted with pixel clock synchronized with the video data is provided. The video receiving apparatus may include a separation unit, an information acquisition unit, and a determination unit. The separation unit may be configured to separate auxiliary data added to the video data from the video data obtained at the input terminal. The information acquisition unit may be configured to acquire information on the number of horizontal pixels and the number of vertical pixels for the input video data from the auxiliary data separated at the separation unit. The determination unit may be configured to determine a type of the input video data based on the information on the number of horizontal pixels and the number of vertical pixels that is obtained at the information acquisition unit.
US08401346B2
The present invention relates to a device having an optical fiber coupled to a high pressure containment vessel and a method for making the same. The high pressure containment vessel can be an optical fiber based flow cell for a chromatography system.
US08401341B2
An imaging apparatus has an intermediate image generating section to generate a second structure component and a second texture component by magnifying each of a first structure component and a first texture component separated from an original image by an intermediate magnification ratio. The second structure component and the second texture component are synthesized to generate an intermediately magnified image. A final image generating section generates a finally magnified image by synthesizing a finally magnified structure component generated by magnifying a third structure component separated from the intermediately magnified image by a final magnification ratio, and a finally magnified texture component generated by magnifying the first texture component by the final magnification ratio.
US08401328B2
An image processing apparatus includes a detection circuit configured to detect an image, a luminance correction circuit configured to determine luminance of the detected image and to execute correction for reducing a luminance variation in the detected image, and an extraction circuit configured to extract feature amount data from the detected image corrected by the correction circuit for use in authentication processing.
US08401314B2
A system and method for character error correction is provided, useful for a user of mobile appliances to produce written text with reduced errors. The system includes an interface, a word prediction engine, a statistical engine, an editing distance calculator, and a selector. A string of characters, known as the inputted word, may be entered into the mobile device via the interface. The word prediction engine may generate word candidates similar to the inputted word using fuzzy logic and user preferences generated from past user behavior. The statistical engine may generate variable error costs determined by the probability of erroneously inputting any given character. The editing distance calculator may determine the editing distance between the inputted word and each of the word candidates by grid comparison using the variable error costs. The selector may choose one or more preferred candidates from the word candidates using the editing distances.
US08401313B2
An image processing method is provided for an image processing apparatus which executes processing by allocating a plurality of weak discriminators to form a tree structure having branches corresponding to types of objects so as to detect objects included in image data. Each weak discriminator calculates a feature amount to be used in a calculation of an evaluation value of the image data, and discriminates whether or not the object is included in the image data by using the evaluation value. The weak discriminator allocated to a branch point in the tree structure further selects a branch destination using at least some of the feature amounts calculated by weak discriminators included in each branch destination.
US08401309B2
A mechanism is provided for security screening image analysis simplification through object pattern identification. Popular consumer electronics and other items are scanned in a control system, which creates an electronic signature for each known object. The system may reduce the signature to a hash value and place each signature for each known object in a “known good” storage set. For example, popular mobile phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and the like may be scanned for the known good signature database. At the time of scan, such as at an airport, objects in a bag may be rotated to a common axis alignment and transformed to the same signature or hash value to match against the known good signature database. If an item matches, the scanning system marks it as a known safe object.
US08401308B2
Disclosed herein an information processing device that compares an input image with a model image, the device including: a storage; an object feature point extractor; and a feature comparator.
US08401303B2
An image processing apparatus comprises an attribute determination unit that divides image data into a plurality of blocks each having a predetermined number of pixels and determines an attribute of each of the divided blocks that indicates whether or not the block includes a character; a connected area extraction unit that extracts a connected area in which pixels having the same pixel characteristic are connected sequentially, from each of the divided blocks; and a foreground/background determination unit that selects a foreground/background determination method to be used for a processing target block, based on the attribute of the processing target block, the attribute of a first adjacent block that is adjacent to the processing target block, and the extracted connected areas, and determines whether a connected area of the processing target block among the extracted connected areas is the foreground or the background, using the selected foreground/background determination method.
US08401300B2
Targeted attribute transformation involves obtaining a digital image of the skin, selecting an individual skin attribute (an imperfection, such as a blemishes, pores, or wrinkles), extracting the individual skin attribute from the digital image by linear digital filtering on all the color channels, to obtain a contrast map in all three channels of the individual attribute, and adding or subtracting a fraction of the contrast map to the initial image, to obtain the skin image with transformed selected skin attribute.
US08401296B2
An image processing method of locating and recognizing barcodes in an image frame is applicable to an image processing apparatus. The method is to define plural scan tracks on the sample image frame, and the image processing apparatus searches for the section(s) possibly having the barcode, along each scan track. If the section(s) possibly having the barcode found on two neighboring scan tracks by the image processing apparatus is located at an approximate horizontal axis position, the image processing apparatus determines that a quadrilateral area defined by the two sections possibly having the barcode is an area possibly having the barcode. Therefore, the image processing apparatus can quickly locate and recognize the barcode area in the image frame.
US08401288B2
Pixels from an image are sampled for gray world statistics. To avoid the effect of saturated regions, the color pixels are pruned based on predetermined criteria for individual and combined color channel values. If a predetermined percentage of the pixels are included in the gray world statistics, color channel gain is calculated and applied to the image for color balancing.
US08401285B1
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for controlling luminance of non-tissue objects within an image. A method may include determining one or more seed pixel values for an image. The method may further include determining, based at least in part on the one or more seed pixel values, one or more regions of the image that include non-tissue objects. The method may additionally include defining a mask comprising the determined one or more regions of the image. The method may also include calculating a mask pixel value based at least in part on a defined luminance value. The method may further include setting pixel values within the mask to the calculated mask pixel value. The method may additionally include causing masking of the image with the mask. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.
US08401276B1
Generating three-dimensional information can include accessing multiple different images of an object taken by one or more cameras; selecting one of the accessed images as a reference image; identifying corresponding features between the reference image and one or more different ones of the accessed images; determining first camera pose information for each accessed image based on one or more of the corresponding features, each first camera pose information indicative of a relationship between an imaging device and the object; determining a first three-dimensional structure of the object based on first camera pose information of two of the accessed images; and generating a second three-dimensional structure and a second camera pose information for each accessed image based on the first three-dimensional structure and the first camera pose information for each accessed image.
US08401271B2
Systems and methods are provided for evaluating and sorting seeds based on characteristics of the seeds. One system includes an imaging and analysis subsystem that collects image data from the seeds and analyzes the collected image data for characteristics of the seeds. This subsystem can include an imaging theater having mirrors that reflect image data from the seeds to an imaging device for collection. The system can also include an off-loading and sorting subsystem configured to sort the seeds based on their characteristics. And, one method includes illuminating the seeds and collecting image data from the seeds for determining their characteristics. The image data can be collected from at least three portions of the seeds at each of a plurality of sequentially changing spectral wavelengths. In addition (or alternatively), the image data can be collected from top and bottom portions of the seeds using a single imaging device.
US08401269B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for automatic measurements and calibration of computerized magnifying instruments. More particularly, the method includes an automatic calibration aspect, which includes obtaining an optimized digital image of a reference object including at least one standardized landmark feature, and establishing calibration parameters based on one or more measured attributes of the landmark feature. The method further describes a calibration aspect, which includes providing calibration parameters, obtaining a digital image including at least one known attribute, measuring the at least one known attribute and comparing the measured value with the known value. The method further includes an aspect of automatic measurement of an attribute of one or more object, which includes retrieving calibration parameters, acquiring a digital image and measuring the attribute. The system includes an object support, a reference object including one or more standardized landmark features, and an automatically readable identification means.
US08401264B2
The geometry of an object is inferred from values of the signed distance sampled on a uniform grid to efficiently model objects based on data derived from imaging technology that is now ubiquitous in medical diagnostics. Techniques for automated segmentation convert imaging intensity to a signed distance function (SDF), and a voxel structure imposes a uniform sampling grid. Essential properties of the SDF are used to construct upper and lower bounds on the allowed variation in signed distance in 1, 2, and 3 (or more) dimensions. The bounds are combined to produce interval-valued extensions of the SDF, including a tight global extension and more computationally efficient local bounds that provide useful criteria for root exclusion/isolation, enabling modeling of the objects and other applications.
US08401253B2
According to one embodiment, an image processing device includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of images captured in time series; a first calculating unit configured to calculate a first change vector indicating a change between the images in an angle representing a posture of a subject included in each of the images; a second calculating unit configured to calculate a second change vector indicating a change in coordinates of a feature point of the subject; a third calculating unit configured to calculate an intervector angle between the first change vector and the second change vector; and a determining unit configured to determine that the subject is three-dimensional when the intervector angle is smaller than a predetermined first threshold.
US08401235B2
Disclosed are a parking space recognition method and apparatus. The inventive parking space recognition system includes: a vehicle edge extraction unit for extracting a vehicle edge of a counterpart vehicle positioned adjacent to a parking space by analyzing an image acquired by a camera; a vehicle position extraction unit for extracting a vehicle position of the counterpart vehicle by analyzing ultrasonic wave data acquired by an ultrasonic sensor; a vehicle edge position analysis unit for analyzing the vehicle edge position for the extracted vehicle edge by mapping the extracted vehicle edge and the extracted vehicle position; and a parking space recognition unit for recognizing the parking space by determining the position of the counterpart vehicle on the basis of the analyzed vehicle edge position. According to the present invention, a sensor convergence type parking space recognition technology using a camera and an ultrasonic sensor in such a manner that the disadvantages of the ultrasonic sensor and the camera can be compensated with each other.
US08401230B2
A system and method for providing signature-based drive-through order tracking. An image with respect to a vehicle at a POS unit can be captured at an order point and a delivery point (e.g., a payment point and a pick-up point) utilizing an image capturing unit by detecting the presence of the vehicle at each point utilizing a vehicle presence sensor. The captured image can be processed in order to extract a small region of interest and can be reduced to a unique signature. The extracted signature of the vehicle at the order point can be stored into a database together with the corresponding order and the vehicle image. The signature extracted at the delivery point can be matched with the signature stored in the database. If a match is found, the order associated with the vehicle together with the images captured at the delivery point and the order point can be displayed in a user interface at the delivery point to ensure that the right order is delivered to a customer.
US08401229B2
A sequence of video frames of an area of interest is obtained. A first background model of the area of interest is constructed based on a first parameter. A second background model of the area of interest is constructed based on a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter. A difference between the first and second background models is determined. A stationary target is determined based on the determined difference. An alert concerning the stationary target is generated.
US08401228B2
An image recognition device includes a detection unit which is configured to detect a first difference between at least a part of the first image information and the reference information, a second difference between at least a part of the second image information and the reference information, and a third difference between at least a part of the third image information and the reference information. A recognition unit is configured to make a first determination whether the first difference is within a predetermined range, and to make a second determination whether the second difference is within the predetermined range. A changing unit is configured to change the predetermined range based on the first and second determinations. The recognition unit is configured to recognize an area corresponding to the reference image in the third image information based on the third difference and the predetermined range which has been changed.
US08401227B2
Image acquisition apparatus (1) for acquiring images of mailpieces (P), the apparatus comprising a housing (3) inside which the following are placed: a first camera (4) co-operating with a first lighting system (8) emitting light radiation at a certain wavelength suitable for exciting a fluorescent mark to acquire an image of the surface of a mailpiece through a first window (5); a second camera (6) co-operating with a second lighting system (9) emitting light radiation in the visible light domain to acquire an image of the surface of a mailpiece through a second window (7); and means (10) for preventing light interference, which means are concave in shape and are disposed between the first window and the second window, the second lighting system (9) being disposed in the cavity of said means (10) for preventing light interference.
US08401224B2
An image is encoded to define one or more spatial regions that can be sensed by a suitably-equipped mobile device (e.g., a smart phone), but are imperceptible to humans. When such a mobile device senses one of these regions, it takes an action in response (e.g., rendering an associated tone, playing linked video, etc.). The regions may overlap in layered fashion. One form of encoding employs modification of the color content of the image at higher spatial frequencies, where human vision is not acute. In a particular embodiment, the encoding comprises altering a transform domain representation of the image by adding signal energy in a first chrominance channel, where the added signal energy falls primarily within a segmented arc region in a transform domain space.
US08401220B2
A micro speaker includes a substrate having a cavity formed therein, a diaphragm formed on the substrate overlapping the cavity. The diaphragm includes a first vibration membrane formed in a first area corresponding to a center portion of the cavity and a second vibration membrane formed in a second area corresponding to an edge portion of the cavity and formed of material different from that used for the first vibration membrane. A piezoelectric actuator is formed including a first electrode layer formed on the first vibration membrane, a piezoelectric layer formed on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer formed on the piezoelectric layer, and first and second curved lead wires, respectively connected to the first and second electrode layers across the second area, which are symmetrical to the center of the piezoelectric actuator.
US08401218B2
An earphone comprises an inner shell, a stem and a pivot connection. The inner shell has a generally circular periphery shaped to at least partially fit in a user's concha. The stem is mounted to the inner shell at a position spaced from a rotational center of the inner shell and supports a wire leading to the inner shell. The inner shell and the stem are rotatable relative to each other by the pivot connection to configure the earphone to fit the user's ear with the shell member positioned at least partially in the user's concha and the stem positioned exteriorly along an intertragic notch of the ear.
US08401212B2
Systems, devices and methods for communication include an ear canal microphone configured for placement in the ear canal to detect high frequency sound localization cues. An external microphone positioned away from the ear canal can detect low frequency sound, such that feedback can be substantially reduced. The canal microphone and the external microphone are coupled to a transducer, such that the user perceives sound from the external microphone and the canal microphone with high frequency localization cues and decreased feedback. Wireless circuitry can be configured to connect to many devices with a wireless protocol, such that the user can receive and transmit audio signals. A bone conduction sensor can detect near-end speech of the user for transmission with the wireless circuitry in noisy environment. Noise cancellation of background sounds near the user can improve the user's hearing of desired sounds.
US08401206B2
Described is a audio signal processing technology in which an adaptive beamformer processes input signals from microphones based on an estimate received from a pre-filter. The adaptive beamformer may compute its parameters (e.g., weights) for each frame based on the estimate, via a magnitude-domain objective function or log-magnitude-domain objective function. The pre-filter may include a time invariant beamformer and/or a non-linear spatial filter, and/or may include a spectral filter. The computed parameters may be adjusted based on a constraint, which may be selectively applied only at desired times.
US08401202B2
A speaker with a digital signal processor is disclosed. In one aspect, a speaker comprises at least one electromechanical transducer configured to convert an electrical audio signal into sound and a digital signal processor configured to process an audio signal and send the processed audio signal to the electromechanical transducer directly or indirectly.
US08401196B2
A method and apparatus for performing Joint Randomness Not Shared by Others (JRNSO) is disclosed. In one embodiment, JRNSO is determined in Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) using a baseband signal loop back and private pilots. In another embodiment, JRNSO is determined in Time Division Duplex (TDD) using a baseband signal loop back and combinations of private pilots, private gain functions and Kalman filtering directional processing. In one example, the FDD and TDD JRSNO embodiments are performed in Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) and Single-Input-Multiple-Output (SIMO) communications. In other examples, the FDD and TDD embodiments are performed in Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) and Multiple-Input-Single-Output (MISO) communications. JRNSO is determined by reducing MIMO and MISO communications to SISO or SIMO communications. JRNSO is also determined using determinants of MIMO channel products. Channel restrictions are removed by exploiting symmetric properties of matrix products.
US08401194B2
A diabetes care kit for providing diagnostics and therapy that is preconfigured to reduce initial setup by a user. The kit can include a handheld diabetes managing device and insulin pump. The handheld diabetes managing device and insulin pump can each be preloaded with an encryption key such that the handheld diabetes managing device and the insulin pump are paired and a secure bidirectional communication link exists between the handheld diabetes managing device and the insulin pump.
US08401189B2
An encrypted program received in an MPEG transport stream is decrypted by receiving a message in the MPEG transport stream, wherein the message contains a key, decrypting the encrypted program based on the key, and replacing the message in the MPEG transport stream with a null packet.
US08401184B2
An integrated circuit assembly having monitoring circuitry for observing the internal signals of the system so that its properties are captured. The system properties are manipulated so that they can be used as a pseudo random number and or as the basis number for an encryption key. The monitoring circuitry having: manipulation circuitry to transform monitored data and combine it with previously manipulated values; and registers to store previously manipulated values; and counters to count events; and condition detection circuitry for detecting when a signal is at a specific value or range of values. Optionally the monitoring circuitry which has the functionality for capturing system properties may be combined with other monitoring circuitry, which has the functionality required by a debug support circuit. The monitoring circuitry avoids replication of resources by sharing parts of specific monitoring circuits like counters.
US08401176B2
In an electronic device having an acoustic echo canceller and being capable of implementing audio applications and at least one of a conferencing application and a telephony application, there is provided a background training method for the acoustic echo canceller. The method includes the step of utilizing (650) sound that corresponds to a non-training audio application to train the acoustic echo canceller.
US08401171B1
Systems and methods for computing device assistance for phone based customer service representative interaction are described herein. One or more systems include a number of customer service representative computing devices having processors and memory thereon for the storage of executable instructions and data, wherein the instructions are executed to allow at least one of the number of computing devices to control a customer's computing device such that the customer service representative or executable instructions can select information, related to a phone based customer service representative interaction, to display on the customer's computing device and display the selected information on a display of the customer's computing device.
US08401169B2
A system and method of delivering ringback audio content are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a connection request at an originating serving call session control function (S-CSCF) network element. The connection request indicates that a caller device has placed a call to a destination device associated with a ringback audio content service subscriber. The method also includes receiving a plurality of naming authority pointer (NAPTR) records at the originating S-CSCF network element from a telephone number mapping (ENUM) server. The NAPTR records include a plurality of ringback audio uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the destination device. The method also includes modifying the connection request to include the plurality of ringback audio URIs.
US08401168B2
A system and method for ring delay on a user agent. A destination user agent may receive a request from an origination user agent to establish a session between the two user agents. The destination user agent may delay ringing according to a ring delay parameter. If the request has not been terminated by the time the ring delay parameter is met, the destination user agent may ring and a session may occur between the origination user agent and destination user agent. If the request is terminated before the ring delay parameter is met, the destination user agent may never ring. The ring delay parameter may be a ring delay time period. The ring delay parameter may be received as part of the request from the origination user agent, set by the destination user agent, or set by a service provider for the destination user agent.
US08401162B2
The present invention provides a telephone relay apparatus in which even in a telephone terminal which cannot recognize a subaddress, it is possible to attain information to judge whether or not the call is to be started. A telephone relay apparatus 100 possesses a plurality of call transmission telephone numbers (proxy telephone numbers) to uses a telephone number (user telephone number) properly to transmit a call to a telephone terminal 210 on the call reception side according to a rule prescribed in advance, which enables the telephone terminal 210 on the call reception side to identify the type of the call via the telephone relay apparatus 100 based on the call transmitter telephone number (notification telephone number).
US08401161B2
A method for routing a toll-free call through a network includes receiving a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint, determining an identifier associated with the call origination endpoint, determining a meet point trunk based on at least a portion of the identifier if a DAL is not available, and routing the toll-free call to a LEC via the determined meet point trunk. A system for routing a toll-free call entering a network to an appropriate carrier includes an inbound gateway device configured to receive a toll-free call from a call origination endpoint having an assigned telephone number and to query a core routing engine (CRE) for a route plan using the assigned telephone number, and a CRE configured to select an interconnection access line based on the origination endpoint telephone number, wherein the interconnection access line is connected to a LEC that is operable to route the call to the appropriate carrier.
US08401160B2
A communication device is provided. The communication device includes a calling party information receiving unit to receive calling party information, a first call record storing unit to create and store a call record including the calling party information based on receiving conditions of the incoming call, a second call record storing unit to create and store a call record without the calling party information based on receiving conditions of the incoming call, and a call record output unit to output the call records inclusive of the call records stored by the first call record storing unit and by the second call record storing unit.
US08401157B2
A system and method for providing a user with an accurate audible pronunciation of a person's name in a non-call environment using the spoken name pre-recorded and saved at the person's Voice Mail system is described herein. An Application Server can obtain an audio file of a person speaking his or her name for the external Voice Mail System to which he or she subscribes, and provide the audio file to a User requesting to hear an accurate pronunciation of the person's name. The Application Server can provide this spoken name pronunciation feature as part of a Directory Information Service, talking call waiting feature, or to other Online Applications.
US08401155B1
Systems and methods for secure recording in a customer center environment are provided. The system receives data related to a communication at a media distribution device. A key is provided by a key server to the media distribution device to encrypt the received data. In addition, an identifier may be associated with the received data. The key and the identifier are stored in a database associated with the key server. The encrypted data is recorded the a recorder, where it is accessible to authorized users within the customer center. Upon request, the key is provided to the authorized user to decrypt the encrypted data for play back. The customer center environment may include a user interface for viewing customer contacts. The contact may be organized into folders and annotations associated with the customer contacts may be received.
US08401148B2
A method of calculating a dose distribution for a patient for use in a radiation therapy treatment plan. The method includes acquiring an image of a volume within the patient, defining a radiation source, and defining a reference plane oriented between the radiation source and the patient. The method also includes generating a radiation therapy treatment plan, wherein the plan includes a plurality of rays that extend between the radiation source and the patient volume, and calculating a three-dimensional dose volume for the patient volume from the plurality of rays that intersect the reference plane without first having to independently calculate a dose distribution on each of the plurality of rays. The method can also include displaying the three-dimensional dose volume.
US08401142B2
The reactor vessel of a nuclear reactor installation which is suspended from the cold leg nozzles in a reactor cavity is provided with a lower thermal insulating barrier spaced from the reactor vessel that has a hemispherical lower section that increases in volume from the center line of the reactor to the outer extent of the diameter of the thermal insulating barrier and smoothly transitions up the side walls of the vessel. The space between the thermal insulating harrier and the reactor vessel forms a chamber which can be flooded with cooling water through passive valving to directly cool the reactor vessel in the event of a severe accident. The passive inlet valve for the cooling water includes a buoyant door that is normally maintained sealed under its own weight and floats open when the cavity is Hooded. Passively opening steam vents are also provided.
US08401140B2
A circuit comprises a first phase detector, a second phase detector, and combinational logic. The first phase detector is for detecting a phase difference between a rising edge of a first clock signal and a rising edge of a second clock signal, and for providing a first difference signal indicating the phase difference. The second phase detector is for detecting a phase difference at a time of a falling edge of the first clock signal and a time of a falling edge of the second clock signal, and for providing a second difference signal indicating the phase difference. The combinational logic is coupled to receive the first difference signal and the second difference signal, and for preventing the second difference signal from being provided when the first difference signal is being provided.
US08401137B2
A jitter evaluation apparatus for receiving a digital test signal from which a clock signal is recovered, is shown. A clock recovery circuit (401) recovers a clock signal from the test signal and a synchronization circuit generates a synchronized system clock signal from said recovered clock signal. A sinusoid generator (403) generates a sinusoid signal from the synchronized system clock signal and a sampling analog to digital converter (404) samples the sinusoid signal by the recovered clock signal to provide sinusoid samples further comprising: A numerically controlled oscillator (401) is configured to produce sine values and cosine values in response to receiving an input from the system clock signal and a first multiplier (412) is configured to produce a first product of the sinusoid samples and the sine values. In addition, a second multiplier is configured to produce a second product of the sinusoid samples and the cosine values. Furthermore, a co-ordinate rotation device (416) is configured to receive said first product via a first low pass filter (414) and to receive said second product via a second low pass filter (415) to produce an output indicative of jitter phase.
US08401133B2
A multi-antenna system using adaptive beamforming includes a phase shift unit, a signal combination unit, a frequency down-converter, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, and a beamforming control unit. The phase shift unit includes a plurality of phase shifters which shift the phases of signals received from a plurality of antennas. The signal combination unit combines phase-shifted signals output from the plurality of phase shifters. The frequency down-converter down-converts a signal output from the signal combination unit into a baseband signal. The A/D converter converts the baseband signal into a digital signal. The beamforming control unit searches for a weight vector higher than a preset threshold signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) when a reception SNR of the digital signal output from the A/D converter is lower than the threshold SNR, and changes a currently set weight vector into the searched weight vector to provide to the phase shift unit.
US08401124B2
A method for detecting pilot sequence signal includes: when the service data signal in the received signal is confirmed to be right, the said service data signal is extracted from the received signal, wherein, the service data signal and the pilot sequence signal in the received signal are located in the same slot; the pilot sequence signal is obtained from the received signal having been extracted the service data signal. At the same time, a communication device and a communication system are provided. The interference of pilot sequence signal made by the service data signal can be restrained, the detecting performance of the pilot sequence can be enhanced by using the present invention.
US08401123B2
A mobile device receives a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising a primary synchronization sequence (PSS) and a secondary synchronization sequence (SSS). The mobile device performs multiple frequency hypothesis (MFH) testing via multiple MFH branches. A PSS correlation process is performed for each MFH branch. Frequency offset for receiving data is estimated using resulting correlation data. A desired offset is placed in each MFH branch. A baseband signal is frequency offset per MFH branch according to the desired frequency offset before the PSS correlation process. A received PSS is detected based on a maximum PSS correlation over the entire set of MFH branches. A frequency offset is estimated for the MFH branch associated with the detected PSS by combining an associated residual frequency with a corresponding desired offset. The frequency offset estimate is used for baseband signal processing and/or adjusting a reference oscillator frequency at the mobile device.
US08401121B1
A symbol error detector can be configured to detect symbol errors of GFSK modulated portions of a Bluetooth packet without relying solely on a CRC error detection mechanism. The symbol error detector can operate on frequency error signals that are a difference between a frequency associated with a current symbol and predetermined frequency outputs from a bank of filters matched to a frequency response of the Bluetooth receiver for predefined combinations of three consecutive symbols (i.e., an estimated previously decoded symbol, an estimated current symbol, and an estimated subsequent symbol). The frequency error signals can be compared against a threshold and against each other to determine a potential unreliability in decoding the current symbol and to determine whether to generate a symbol error notification. The frequency error signals being within a threshold of each other can indicate potential unreliability in decoding the current symbol.
US08401117B1
Method for automatic modulation recognition in adaptive modulation based cognitive software defined radio (SDR), including receiving a transmitter signal from a transmitter; inputting signal data frame r(k), k=1, . . . , K; estimating SNR for data frame; feeding channel condition to transmitter; selecting one of plurality of predetermined modulation schemes from database; determining whether SNR(r(k))< or =threshold T(i); reporting failure if SNR(r(k))< or =T(i) and if not then estimating mean bj(i)(k) for r(k); calculating ∥r(k)−{circumflex over (b)}(i)(k)∥2; accumulating to calculate g ( i ) = ∑ k = 1 K r ( k ) - b ^ ( i ) ( k ) 2 ; repeating above steps from selecting for the other predetermined modulation schemes; finding minimum g ( i ) = ∑ k = 1 K r ( k ) - b ^ ( i ) ( k ) 2 ; determining whether [K/SNR(r(k))−g(I)]
US08401116B2
An RF receiver comprising: an amplifier configured to receive an RF signal over an input bandwidth and to provide an amplified RF signal; an equalizer circuit connected to the amplifier to receive the amplified RF signal and configured to provide an equalized RF signal; a converter module connected to the equalizer circuit and comprising an analog to digital converter configured to convert the equalized RF signal to a digital signal; and a digital signal processing module connected to the receiver module and configured to process the digital signal to provide a plurality of channels at an output of the receiver, wherein the digital signal processing module is further configured to process the digital signal to determine a measure of tilt in the RF signal across the input bandwidth and is connected to the equalizer circuit to provide a control signal for adjusting the measured tilt.
US08401114B2
A mobile telecommunication device includes a digital baseband processing unit and an analog baseband processing circuit. The digital baseband processing unit is configured to extract a difference value of current ramping data of ramping data of ramping samples of a ramping profile from previous ramping data, the current ramping data and the previous ramping data having a first bit number, and to transmit the difference value to the analog baseband processing unit as sample difference ramping data having a second bit number which is smaller than a first bit number. The analog baseband processing unit configured to receive the sample difference ramping data, and to generate a ramping up/down signal of the first bit number based on the sample difference ramping data, wherein the ramping up/down signal controls an output power level of the mobile telecommunication device.
US08401113B2
A method for transmitting a random access preamble to a base station at a user equipment (UE) includes generating the random access preamble from a Zadoff-Chu sequence having a length ‘N’ and a root index ‘M’, wherein the random access preamble is defined by a cyclic shift of the Zadoff-Chu sequence and transmitting the generated random access preamble to the base station via a random access channel, wherein the cyclic shift is given by using a variable corresponding to a Doppler shift of one subcarrier spacing, the variable given by using the root index ‘M’, and wherein the cyclic shift is differently given based on whether the variable is smaller than ⅓ of the length ‘N’.
US08401103B2
A parallel decoder for decoding a code division multiplexed (CDM) signal. The parallel decoder has two matched filters, both operating at a frequency equal to half the chip rate of the CDM signal. One matched filter correlates odd-numbered chips of the CDM signal with odd-numbered chips of the spreading code. The other matched filter correlates even-numbered chips of the CDM signal with even-numbered chips of the spreading code. The two resulting correlated signals are combined, and the decoded signal is obtained from the combined signal. This arrangement doubles the maximum possible chip rate of the CDM signal.
US08401102B2
A method for communication includes defining N respective symbol constellations in a signal space for N transmitters (24), N(2, subject to a predetermined power constraint, so as to produce a joint constellation including superpositions of symbols selected from the N symbol constellations. Data is transferred from the N transmitters by simultaneously transmitting from M the N transmitters N respective symbols selected respectively from the N symbol constellations. A composite symbol including a superposition of the N transmitted symbols is received. The received composite symbol is demodulated using the joint constellation so as to reconstruct the data transferred from the N transmitters.
US08401097B2
A receiver is a Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial/Handheld (DVB-T/H) receiver. The DVB-T/H receiver comprises a fast fourier transform (FFT) operative on a signal for providing an FFT output signal comprising a number of samples; a spectrum shifter for reordering the samples in the FFT output signal to provide a spectrum shifted signal; and a phase corrector for estimating a phase error from the FFT output signal and for correcting a phase of the spectrum shifted signal in accordance with the estimated phase error.
US08401094B2
The transmission and decoding of resource blocks (RBs) transmitted via a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna having a plurality of transmit antennas is disclosed. Each RB includes a plurality of resource elements (REs). Each RE is reserved for one of a common reference signal (CRS) associated with one of the transmit antennas, a dedicated reference signal (DRS) including a single beamformed or precoded pilot, a DRS including a composite beamformed or precoded pilot, and a data symbol. Each RB may include a “control type” data symbol that indicates a DRS mode associated with the RB. In one DRS mode, each DRS includes a single beamformed or precoded pilot. In another DRS mode, each DRS includes a composite beamformed or precoded pilot. In yet another DRS mode, single beamformed or precoded pilots, and composite beamformed or precoded pilots, may coexist and be transmitted simultaneously within the same RBs or in different RBs.
US08401091B2
In one embodiment, a method for encoding or decoding a video signal includes constructing a base layer picture in a base layer, where the base layer picture includes image sample data. The method further includes applying a de-blocking filter to the image sample data in the constructed base layer picture, and interpolating the deblocking filtered base layer picture. Each of an even field component and an odd field component in the deblocking filtered base layer picture is interpolated in a vertical and a horizontal direction. The interpolated even field component and odd field component are interleaved, and texture prediction information of a current block in an enhanced layer is obtained by using the interleaved even field component and odd field component.
US08401090B2
A method of synchronizing the phase of a local image synchronization signal generator of a local video data processor in communication with an asynchronous switched packet network to the phase of a reference image synchronization signal generator of a reference video data processor also coupled to the network, the local and reference processors having respective clocks, the reference and local image synchronization signal generators generating periodic image synchronization signals in synchronism with the reference and local clocks respectively including: frequency synchronizing the local and reference clocks; sending an image timing packet providing reference image synchronization data indicating the difference in timing, measured with respect to the reference processor's clock, between the time at which the image timing packet is launched onto the network and the time of production of a reference image synchronization signal; and controlling the timing of the production of the local image synchronization signal.
US08401087B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to allocate between a video and audio quality in an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) presentation and to utilize a resultant bandwidth as a result of allocation to enhance an audio or video quality in the IPTV presentation in response to a user selection among levels of video quality and audio quality. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08401080B2
A motion vector coding unit 117 executes processing including a neighboring block specification step (S100) of specifying a neighboring block which is located in the neighborhood of a current block; a judgment step (Steps S102, S104) of judging whether or not the neighboring block has been coded using a motion vector of another block; a prediction step (S106, S108) of deriving a predictive motion vector of the current block using a motion vector calculated from the motion vector of the other block as a motion vector of the neighboring block; and a coding step (S110) of coding the motion vector of the current block using the predictive motion vector.
US08401079B2
A moving picture decoding method and a decoder for restoring a moving picture signal is disclosed. The decoder includes a decoding unit that decodes the differential signal, a motion vector, and a shape information indicating a shape of a block that becomes a unit for the motion compensated prediction by using an encoded bitstream. The shape information indicates an accuracy of virtual pixel and an interpolation filtering method. The decoder also includes a motion compensating unit that determines that the accuracy of virtual pixel and the interpolation filtering method is to be used in generating the predicted picture based on the shape of the block that becomes the unit for the motion compensated prediction, and generating the predicted picture containing the virtual pixel with reference to the reference pictures stored in a frame memory using the motion vector decoded by the decoding unit according to a determination result.
US08401072B2
An information processing apparatus for decoding compression-coded video data, including: at least one decoder that decodes the compression-coded video data; and a controller than controls processing executed by the decoder, wherein the controller, when a picture at a head of a decoding processing unit is an I-picture or a P-picture among decoded pictures output from the decoder, controls the decoder so that a decode start timing at which the decoder starts decoding and a display output timing at which the decoder starts outputting the decoded pictures are displaced from each other by a first predetermined number of pictures.
US08401070B2
A method for inverse telecine. The method generally includes the steps of (A) checking if a current field of a plurality of fields in a video sequence repeats in the video sequence according to a pattern-based approach where the current field fits a telecine pattern, (B) checking if the current field repeats according to a first pattern-less approach where the current field complies with at least one of a plurality of rules and (C) generating a signal for an encoder in (i) an asserted state if the current field repeats and (ii) a deasserted state if the current field does not repeat.
US08401067B2
A method and apparatus for measuring the quality of a video provided in an IP network based media service is provided. The apparatus for measuring Quality of Experience (QoE) guaranteed real-time Internet Protocol (IP)-media video quality, includes: a receiver receiving a transmission video provided through an IP network service platform and an original video corresponding to the transmission video, and extracting frames of the transmission video and the original video; a detector comparing the frames of the transmission video and the original video in real time to obtain a difference between the frames of the transmission video and the original video and detecting a matching segment between the transmission video and the original video; and a measurement unit calculating a QoE parameter using the frames of the transmission video and the original video which correspond to the matching segment.
US08401066B2
Method and system of power regulating, such as but not limited to attenuating signal power levels. The power regulating being suitable for use in any number of application, environments, and circuits, including but not limited to those associated with a universal garage door opener (UGDO), remote keyless entry (RKE) unit, tire pressure monitor (TPM) unit, and/or a passive entry element. The regulating may be suitable for directly broadcasting the regulated signal and/or communication the regulated signal to other circuit element for further processing.
US08401063B2
A decision feedback equalizer includes a correction circuit to correct a sampled value of an incoming bit based on intersymbol interference of at least one preceding bit, and to generate a received bit. The correction circuit includes a first multiplexer and a first pair of latches coupled thereto. The first multiplexer is controlled by a clock signal to generate a digital level representative of a sign of a first correction coefficient to be subtracted from the sampled value of the incoming bit for deleting the intersymbol interference. The first pair of latches receives as input the received bit and is clocked in phase opposition by the clock signal to generate respective latched replicas of the received bit during respective active phases of the clock signal. The respective latched replicas are input to the first multiplexer.
US08401060B2
A data transmission apparatus and a data apparatus, are provided. The apparatuses may share data in a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) scheme via a network. The data transmission apparatus divides data into a plurality of segments, and determines a transmission order with respect to each of the divided segments. The data transmission apparatus and the data apparatus share data based on the transmission order of the divided segments.
US08401056B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for acquisition of a received spread spectrum signal transmitted over a wired or wireless medium.
US08401055B1
Apparatus for recovering symbols from control and data channels corresponding to a plurality of users is described. Samples corresponding to control channel signals from multiple users are processed on a time shared basis with various control channel processing elements being reused multiple times to processes the samples and recover signals, e.g., symbols, corresponding to the plurality of users. While the control channel processing elements are used on a time shared basis, a separate data channel processing chain or module maybe provided for each of the plurality of users. In some embodiments the order of despreading and filtering is reversed for the control and data channel signal processing.
US08401042B2
A broadcasting signal receiver and a method for transmitting/receiving a broadcasting signal are disclosed. An identifier of a cell is set in the broadcasting signal and, if the cell is changed, channel information of the changed cell can be obtained from program table information having the channel information of the cell. Accordingly, the broadcasting signal receiver can continuously output a program although the cell is changed.
US08401037B2
A method of processing data at a specific protocol layer in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The present invention includes the steps of receiving a first data block including sequence information from a lower layer, checking a status of a second data block contained in the first data block, the second data block being an upper layer data block having time information, and if the status of the second data block fails to correspond to a prescribed condition, discarding the first data block.
US08401027B2
The invention provides an enhanced datagram packet switched computer network. The invention processes network datagram packets in network devices as separate flows, based on the source-destination address pair in the datagram packet. As a result, the network can control and manage each flow of datagrams in a segregated fashion. The processing steps that can be specified for each flow include traffic management, flow control, packet forwarding, access control, and other network management functions. The ability to control network traffic on a per flow basis allows for the efficient handling of a wide range and a large variety of network traffic, as is typical in large-scale computer networks, including video and multimedia traffic. The amount of buffer resources and bandwidth resources assigned to each flow can be individually controlled by network management. In the dynamic operation of the network, these resources can be varied—based on actual network traffic loading and congestion encountered. The invention also teaches an enhanced datagram packet switched computer network which can selectively control flows of datagram packets entering the network and traveling between network nodes. This new network access control method also interoperates with existing media access control protocols, such as used in the Ethernet or 802.3 local area network. An aspect of the invention is that it does not require any changes to existing network protocols or network applications.
US08401024B2
A system and method for mapping original Media Access Control (MAC) addresses to unique locally administered virtual MAC addresses in an Ethernet network. A first field of the address may include a domain for the address, and a second field may indicate that the address is a locally administered MAC address. A third field of the address may include an index indicating a number of virtual MAC addresses for each user. Fourth and fifth fields of the address may include a Network Element ID (NE ID) for uniquely identifying a given access node in a given domain, and a Port ID for uniquely identifying an end-user port at the given access node. The system may be implemented in an access node or in a network emulator, which generates unique locally administered MAC addresses for all of the nodes in the Ethernet network for performing emulations of the network.
US08401023B2
An illustrative intelligent network and method for providing voice telephony over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (“ATM”) and private address translation are provided that can provide significant advantages. The method includes generating an input ATM setup message at the calling party CPE that includes a VToA designator and a called party phone number, extracting information from the input ATM setup message, analyzing the information, designating an ATM address of a called pany CPE to be stored in the first parameter of an output ATM setup message, determining if private address translation is needed, designating the ATM address of the called party CPE to be stored in a first instance of the second parameter of the output ATM setup message, designating an ATM address of an egress ATM edge switch to be stored in the first parameter of the output ATM setup message, and generating an output ATM setup message.
US08401022B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for providing services such as provided by Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) with an IP network that is not the IMS. According to one embodiment, a system for providing communication services can comprise a communication network, one or more subsystems communicatively coupled with the network and adapted to provide one or more telco functions, and one or more applications communicatively coupled with the network and adapted to utilize the telco functions.
US08401021B2
A method for wireless communication of aircraft. The method includes, inter alia, in any feasible order, (1) in accordance with detecting a touchdown of the aircraft, assigning a first priority for transmitting information and a second priority for receiving media content; (2) in accordance with detecting an arrival of the aircraft at the gate, assigning a third priority for receiving media content; (3) in accordance with detecting a departure of the aircraft, assigning the first priority for transmitting information and the second priority for receiving media content; and (4) in accordance with detecting a departure ready of the aircraft, assigning a fourth priority for receiving essential media content and the second priority for receiving other media content. The first priority is greater than the second priority; and the fourth priority is greater than the second priority.
US08401014B2
A method of transmitting data packets through a passive optical network. The method includes: receiving a first data packet from a first interface of the passive optical network, the first data packet including precedence information; encapsulating the first data packet in a second data packet at the first interface; and transmitting the second data packet through the passive optical network toward a second interface, wherein encapsulating includes inserting in a header field of the second data packet a value indicative of the precedence information. The value indicative of the precedence information could include a priority and/or a virtual LAN identifier.
US08401010B2
A backbone network, comprising a first switch comprising a first port configured to communicate a data stream via an Ethernet interface, and a second port configured to communicate the data stream via a SONET/SDH interface, and a second switch comprising a third port configured to receive the data stream from the first switch via the Ethernet interface, wherein the first switch and the second switch are synchronized.
US08401002B2
According to one aspect, a system and method of exchanging GRUUs (Globally Routed User Agent URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)) between a first telephony-enabled device and a second telephony enabled device using a circuit-switched message is provided. Once exchanged, the telephony enabled devices can exchange SIP (session initiated protocol) communications routed by the GRUUs. Any one of the telephony-enabled devices can add a media component to the SIP communications. According to another aspect, a system and method of generating GRUUs is provided. According to another aspect, a system and method of handing off communications to a packet switched network from a circuit switched network is provided.
US08400998B2
A method in a wireless communication terminal (103) including receiving a plurality of sub-frames having time-frequency resource elements and resource allocation fields associated with a corresponding sub-frame, wherein the resource allocation fields indicate a resource assignment. In another embodiment, terminal receives a radio frame comprising a plurality of sub-frames and a frequency diverse allocation field indicating frequency diverse resource allocations in multiple sub-frames of the radio frame.
US08400997B2
A communication system comprising one or more wireless stations programmed to await for an authorizing signal to initiate wireless communications with a network controller or access point. The network controller maintains identification information in different queues, said queues based upon the wireless station's activity. The wireless station identification information is moved between the different queues in response to wireless station activity. Between polling, each mobile station aggregates data for the next opportunity to transmit. Multi-polling may be employed such that more than a single station is polled at a time. Polling is accomplished by polling one of the more active station along with a less active station. The less active station is unlikely to transmit, so collisions are avoided to a certain degree. If a lesser active station becomes active, it is moved into the more active queue and consequently will be polled more often.
US08400996B2
A transmission apparatus includes a plurality of antennas and a frame configurator that selects, in a first unit time either a first transmitting method which transmits a modulated signal from at least one of the plurality of antennas, or a second transmitting method which transmits a plurality of modulated signals from the plurality of antennas, for a first carrier group arranged for a first terminal and either the first transmitting method or the second transmitting method for a second carrier group arranged for a second terminal. The frame configurator selects, in a second unit time either the first transmitting method or the second transmitting method for the first carrier group arranged for a third terminal and either the first transmitting method or the second transmitting method for the second carrier group arranged for a fourth terminal, wherein each of carrier groups includes one or more sub-carriers.
US08400995B2
A method and system for negating a series of packed data bytes simultaneously based on conditional flags is used to descramble the data, as opposed to negating each byte with respect to each conditional flag bit. Sets of scrambled binary values are received. A descrambling code that corresponds to a flag bit sequence used to scramble the sets of binary values is generated. Then the sets of scrambled binary values are descrambled using the descrambling code. The method is particularly suitable for use in a wireless base band receiver.
US08400981B1
A method and system for providing registration coverage in a telecommunications network is disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the method, the method includes determining a registration coverage hole in the telecommunications network, providing a single pilot site in proximity to the registration coverage hole, and broadcasting a single registration channel in a 360 degree pattern by the single pilot site. In accordance with an embodiment of the system of the present invention, the system includes the single pilot site in proximity to the registration coverage hole, where the single pilot site broadcasts the single registration channel in a 360 degree pattern.
US08400975B2
A user apparatus to be used in a mobile communications system including multiple cells is disclosed. The user apparatus includes a unit which receives a sync channel; a unit which extracts a primary sync channel and a secondary sync channel from the sync channel and conducts a cell search; and a unit which controls, based on a condition for setting an averaging time in a time direction in the cell search, a correlation detection time in a correlation detection performed in the unit which conducts the cell search.
US08400968B2
Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes obtaining data for a transmission to a wireless communication device(s), including one or more medium access control (MAC) data units that encapsulate data in a physical (PHY) frame, determining a length of a MAC layer pad based on a number of symbols associated with the PHY frame, including, in response to the length of the MAC layer pad being greater than zero, the MAC layer pad in the PHY frame after the one or more MAC data units, determining a length of a PHY layer pad based on remaining available bits in the PHY frame, including, in response to the length of the PHY layer pad being greater than zero, the PHY layer pad in the frame after the MAC layer pad, and transmitting the PHY frame to the wireless communication device(s).
US08400958B2
Disclosed is a data transmission apparatus for providing transmission diversity in an SC-FDMA (Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access) system. The data transmission apparatus comprises: a data processor, which performs coding and modulation on an information bit to generate a data symbol; an SC-FDMA processor, which changes a weight matrix per change-cycle, precodes the data symbol for each weight matrix being changed and performs SC-FDMA modulation for generating an SC-FDMA symbol; and an RF unit, which transmits the SC-FDMA symbol. With the application of a PVS method to the SC-FDMA system, not only can transmission diversity be provided, but PAPR can also be reduced and single-carrier properties can be maintained.
US08400949B2
A UE in the idle or semi-idle state determines that a wirelessly received signal is scrambled by a scrambling code which is not within a locally stored list of scrambling codes received from its serving network node, and applies a rule to determine from the scrambling code whether to decode broadcast system information that is transmitted by an access node using the scrambling code. In one embodiment such a rule is that if the scrambling code is not within the list, do not decode the broadcast system information again if the scrambling code is locally stored from a previous instance of decoding the system information. Another rule embodiment is if the scrambling code is not within the list, do not attempt to decode the system information unless a measured signal strength for the wirelessly received signal is higher than a threshold, which may be absolute or dependent on strength of a signal received from the serving network node.
US08400946B2
Methods and systems for supplying data objects to users of a communication system are disclosed. In an exemplary method a session is established between a first and second communication device, and a primary data object providing first information pertaining to a user of the first communication device is transferred to the second communication device upon the occurrence of a triggering event at the first communication device. A request for a secondary data object is transferred from the second communication device to a data server, the request including the first information and further including information pertaining to the user of the second communication device. A secondary data object intended for rendering at the first and second communication devices is created and transferred to the first and second communication devices.
US08400945B2
In one embodiment, a method and apparatus of controlling transmission of data packets in a communications network includes designating all networking devices in a portion of the communications network as either hubs or spokes, communicating a link-state advertisement to each connected hub and spoke in the portion of the communications network, computing a shortest path tree at all the hubs and the spokes based on the link-state advertisement, the computing including truncating the shortest path tree at the hubs only for links leading from the spoke to the hub, creating a routing table at each of the hub and the spoke based on the truncated shortest path tree, and transmitting the data packets in the communications network based on the link-state advertisement. The shortest path tree includes all data transmission routes in the tree except links leading from a spoke to a hub.
US08400944B2
A system and method for displaying message-related relationships is provided. Messages are analyzed by identifying entities associated with each message, wherein the entities include senders and recipients of the messages and by accumulating a number of messages communicated between each sender and each recipient. A social network is created by connecting one or more of the senders and recipients via a link based on the number of messages communicated between that sender and that recipient. A semantic network is generated from concepts of the messages. The social network and the semantic network are simultaneously displayed.
US08400943B2
A system includes an access node having an associated identifier. The access node is configured to insert the identifier into a network connection request. The system includes an IP edge service node connected to the access node and configured to receive the network connection request. The IP edge service node is further configured to store the inserted identifier and to insert the identifier into an Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) address request transmitted according to dynamic host configuration protocol version 6 (DHCPv6) through an established network connection based on the network connection request. The system further includes a server configured to receive the IPv6 address request and assign an IPv6 address based on the IPv6 address request.
US08400942B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to performing network communications according to an existing protocol by using frames that are larger than those usually allowed by the existing protocol. Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide for an extension of the existing protocol which allows for the use of larger frames. The larger frames may result from the use of larger payloads and their size may be defined in terms of the payload size. Embodiments provide for use of various negotiation and initialization mechanisms of the existing protocol with additional modifications to allow for the negotiation of the use of larger frames. These modifications may provide for end to end negotiation of a larger frame or payload size. Some embodiments ensure that the negotiations are performed in such a manner that devices that feature the improvements of the present invention can communicate with devices that do not feature these improvements.
US08400936B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to provision name-servers. An example system disclosed herein includes a name-server evaluator to determine capacities of the plurality of name-servers, a provisioner to compute profile assignment values based on a plurality of subscriber identifiers, and an assignor to assign the subscriber identifiers to one of the plurality of name-servers based on the profile assignment values and the capacities.
US08400924B2
In one embodiment, a receiver on a credit-based flow-controlled interface is configured to free one or more data credits early when a data payload is received that incurs fewer unused data credits within a buffer memory that is allocated at a coarser granularity than the data credits. In another embodiment, header credits and data credits are dynamically adjusted based on actual packet data payload sizes.
US08400923B2
An edge router runs a Multipath Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP) proxy to allow for a host that implements TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) to operate normally yet reap the benefits of an MPTCP connection. An upgrade of a TCPIP stack on the host is not necessary. The edge router demultiplexes packets received from the host over a TCP connection to an MPTCP connection and multiplexes packets sent to the host over an MPTCP connection to a TCP connection. As a result, higher throughput of packet communication can be realized, for example, for improved video support.
US08400921B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes identifying a bandwidth parameter associated with a network link. The method includes evaluating a bandwidth request associated with user equipment, the bandwidth request is associated with a session, which involves the user equipment and which implicates the network link. The bandwidth request can be modified based on the bandwidth parameter that was identified. In more detailed embodiments, one or more header extensions in one or more packets are evaluated in order to assist in identifying the bandwidth parameter. The one or more header extensions can include a selected one of packet sequence numbers, an average packet transmission rate, an average packet receiving rate, and a packet reception error rate. In other examples, modifying the bandwidth request can include downgrading the bandwidth request to lower a bit rate based on the bandwidth parameter identified for the network link.
US08400914B2
The present invention relates to communications systems comprising multiple access technologies, and more especially it relates to access technology allocation of communications in such communications systems. Particularly, it relates to allocation of a plurality of communication flows to one or more of a plurality of access technologies avail able in the communications system. Access selection based upon stored one or more preference values is disclosed.
US08400906B2
In a relay based wireless communication system, a method for transmitting an uplink backhaul sub-frame of a relay node includes obtaining scheduling information for an uplink backhaul sub-frame through a downlink backhaul control channel from a base station, and performing a rate matching and mapping of data by regarding at least one predefined symbol as a blank symbol. The predefined symbol is located at a front part or a rear part of the scheduled uplink backhaul sub-frame. The transmitting method further includes performing a multiplexing of the uplink backhaul sub-frame, and transmitting the multiplexed uplink backhaul sub-frame. This method can eliminate an overlap of transmission and reception timing in a relay node due to an RF transmission/reception switching time delay. Also, the method can make better use of wireless backhaul resources and minimize an influence on conventional systems by offering the compatibility with conventional uplink and downlink sub-frame structures.
US08400889B2
There is provided a low-cost and reliable optical pickup device, wherein an objective lens is in contact with an adhesive at least one or more portions and fixed to the adhesive and also the height of the adhesive for fixing the objective lens is higher than the surface of the objective lens or the end of the objective lens, thereby a sufficient adhesive strength is secured between the objective lens and a member to which the objective lens is adhered and further this adhesive serves also as a disc protector.
US08400884B1
A method of manufacturing a plasmon generator includes the steps of forming an accommodation part and forming the plasmon generator to be accommodated in the accommodation part. The step of forming the accommodation part includes the steps of: forming a dielectric layer having an upper surface; etching the dielectric layer by using an etching mask and thereby forming a groove in the dielectric layer; and forming a dielectric film in the groove. The groove has first and second sidewalls and a bottom. Each of the first and second sidewalls forms an angle in the range of 0° to 15° relative to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the dielectric layer. The dielectric film includes a first portion interposed between the first sidewall and the first side surface, and a second portion interposed between the second sidewall and the second side surface.
US08400880B2
A system is provided for communicating to health care workers the turning, positioning and schedule requirements of dependent patients with pressure ulcers, or at risk for the development of pressure ulcers. The system includes a display indicating a next required position of the patient and a display indicating a time for next movement of the patient to the next position. The time of next movement is calculated by entering an indication of a maximum allowable time for the patient to remain in each position and adding this to the current time.
US08400879B2
A sensor vehicle of the present invention has one or more rotatable track means (parallel if two or more) spaced apart by a support frame and adapted to be towed or otherwise moved in a forward direction parallel to a forward axis of said track means. Rotatable track means have two or more supporting wheels aligned on a vertical plane along the forward axis, which axis is generally parallel to a ground surface upon which said sensor vehicle travels. Tracked vehicles are well known in the art of ground and earth moving equipment having flexible, elastomer-based tracks or segmented metal tracks with associated support frames and wheels, most of which may be adapted to achieve the objects of the invention.
US08400878B2
In the case of an electroacoustic underwater antenna, which has a reflector (11) and spring elements which fix the reflector (11) on an antenna mount (10), in particular on the hull of a submarine, in order to produce an underwater antenna which can be produced at low cost from only a small number of components, and in which the reflector (11) to which electroacoustic transducers are fitted is at an adequate distance from the antenna mount (10), is acoustically well decoupled from the antenna mount (10) and is largely resistant to shock loading, the spring elements have an upper and a lower resilient rocker (19, 20), wherein each rocker (19, 20) extends over the horizontal extent of the reflector (11) in the fitted position. Each rocker (19, 20) has a rear contact limb (192, 202), for making contact with and fixing on the antenna mount (10), and a front contact limb (191, 201), for making contact with and fixing on the reflector (11).
US08400877B2
Provided is a method and device for measuring a position of an ultrasonic generating device for generating ultrasonic signals and inputting information by using position measurement values of the ultrasonic generating device. Accordingly, a plurality of broadband microphones that can be used as general microphones provided to an electronic device are used in a case where information is input by using an ultrasonic generating device. In this case, a position of the ultrasonic generating device is measured by extracting an ultrasonic signal generated by the ultrasonic generating device from signals received by the broadband microphones, and information is input by using the position of the ultrasonic generating device and a trajectory of the moving ultrasonic generating device.
US08400876B2
Pulses are transmitted into a scene by an array of the transducers, wherein each pulse has wideband ultrasound frequency, wherein the pulses are transmitted simultaneously, and wherein a pattern of the wideband ultrasound frequencies in each pulse is unique with respect to the patterns of each other pulse. The pulses as received when the pulse are reflected by the scene and objects in the scene. Each received pulse is sampled and decomposed using a Fourier transform to produce frequency coefficients, which are stacked to produce a linear system modeling a reflectivity of the scene and the objects. Then, a recovery method is applied to the linear system to recover the reflectivity of the scene and the objects.
US08400867B2
A method and apparatus for stray magnetic field compensation in a non-volatile memory cell, such as a spin-torque transfer random access memory (STRAM). In some embodiments, a first tunneling barrier is coupled to a reference structure that has a perpendicular anisotropy and a first magnetization direction. A recording structure that has a perpendicular anisotropy is coupled to the first tunneling barrier and a nonmagnetic spacer layer. A compensation layer that has a perpendicular anisotropy and a second magnetization direction in substantial opposition to the first magnetization direction is coupled to the nonmagnetic spacer layer. Further, the memory cell is programmable to a selected resistance state with application of a current to the recording structure.
US08400864B1
A mechanism for managing peak power in a memory storage array that includes sub-array blocks may reduce the peak currents associated with read and write operations by staggering the wordline signal activation to each of the sub-array blocks. In particular, the wordline units within each sub-array block may generate the wordline signals to each sub-array block such that a read wordline signal of one sub-array block does not transition from one logic level to another logic level at the same time as the write wordline of another sub-array block. Further, the wordline units may generate the wordline signals to each sub-array block such that a read wordline of a given sub-array block does not transition from one logic level to another logic level at the same time as a read wordline signal of another sub-array block.
US08400863B1
Circuits for a memory array and a method of operating a configurable memory block are disclosed. An embodiment of the disclosed memory circuits includes a first memory block coupled to a second memory block to form an array of memory blocks. Each of the memory blocks has multiple bit lines with a dedicated address decoder coupled to the bit lines from each of the memory blocks. Switches are placed in between the first and second memory blocks such that each of the bit lines from the first memory block is connected to a corresponding bitline from the second memory block through one of the switches. The switches may be used to either connect the second memory block to the first memory block or disconnect the second memory block from the first memory block.
US08400856B2
A memory device includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells, sensing circuitry coupled to at least a given bitline associated with a particular column of the memory cells of the memory array, and access time acceleration circuitry coupled to the bitline. The access time acceleration circuitry is configured to control an amount of time required by the sensing circuitry to access data stored in a given one of the memory cells in the particular column of memory cells, by providing in a current access cycle at least a selected one of a plurality of different supplemental charging and discharging paths for the bitline based at least in part on data accessed using the bitline in a previous access cycle. By way of example, the different supplemental charging and discharging paths may comprise an additional pull-up path configured to supplement operation of a pull-up path of the given memory cell and an additional pull-down path configured to supplement operation of a pull-down path of the given memory cell.
US08400847B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a write-read clock control signal generating unit that activates a read clock control signal and a write clock control signal in response to one of a write operational mode and a read operational mode after maintaining the read clock control signal and the write clock control signal at a deactivation state in response to one of an idle mode and a refresh operational mode, and a clock buffer that generates a read clock signal and a write clock signal in response to a clock signal, the read clock control signal, and the write clock control signal.
US08400845B2
Column address strobe write latency (CWL) calibration including a method for calibrating a memory system. The method includes entering a test mode at a memory device and measuring a CWL at the memory device. A difference between the measured CWL and a programmed CWL is calculated. The calculated difference is transmitted to a memory controller that uses the calculated difference for adjusting a timing delay to match the measured CWL.
US08400839B2
Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a charge storing element of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent charge storing elements. To compensate for this coupling, the programming process for a given memory cell can take into account the target programmed state of one or more adjacent memory cell. The amount of programming is verified after each programming pulse and the standard verify level for the programming cell is dependent on the target state. The verify level is further offset lower dependent on the amount of perturbation from neighboring cells, determinable by their target states. The verify level is preferably virtually offset by biasing adjacent word lines instead of actually offsetting the standard verify level. For soft-programming erased cells, neighboring cells on both adjacent word lines are taken into account.
US08400832B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first circuit unit having first and second interconnects, a second circuit unit having third and fourth interconnects, and an intermediate unit provided therebetween and having first and second transistors juxtaposed to each other along a direction perpendicular to a direction from the first circuit unit toward the second circuit unit. A high impurity concentration region in a first connection region of one diffusion layer of the first transistor is connected to the first interconnect, and other diffusion layer is connected to the third interconnect. A distance from the first connection region to a gate is longer than a distance from the second connection region to a gate. An midpoint region with a narrower width than the first connection region is provided between the gate and the first connection region of the one diffusion layer of the first transistor.
US08400828B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device including a memory cell array of memory cells arranged in a matrix, each of which includes a selecting transistor and a memory cell transistor; a column decoder controlling the potential of bit lines; a voltage application circuit controlling the potential of the first word lines; a first row decoder controlling the potential of the second word lines; and a second row decoder controlling the potential of the source line. The column decoder is formed of a circuit whose withstand voltage is lower than the voltage application circuit and the second row decoder.
US08400825B2
Memory units that have a magnetic tunnel junction cell that utilizes spin torque and a current induced magnetic field to assist in the switching of the magnetization orientation of the free layer of the magnetic tunnel junction cell. The memory unit includes a spin torque current source for passing a current through the magnetic tunnel junction cell, the spin torque current source having a direction perpendicular to the magnetization orientations, and also includes a magnetic ampere field current source is oriented in a direction orthogonal or at some angles to the magnetization orientations.
US08400822B2
A system and method to access a multi-port non-volatile memory that includes a resistive memory element is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a multi-port non-volatile memory device is disclosed that includes a resistive memory cell and multiple ports coupled to the resistive memory cell.
US08400821B2
According to one embodiment, a dummy cell simulates an operation of a memory cell. A main dummy bit line transmits a signal read out from the dummy cell. An inverter makes a sense amplifier circuit to operate based on a potential of the main dummy bit line. n (n is a positive integer) number of auxiliary dummy bit lines are provided. A switching element connects at least one of the n number of auxiliary dummy bit lines to the main dummy bit line.
US08400819B2
An integrated circuit comprises a memory array and a bias circuit. The memory array comprises a plurality of memory cells arranged in a grid of rows and columns. A first conductor is coupled to a power supply voltage terminal of each of the plurality of memory cells. A second conductor is coupled to receive a power supply voltage. The memory array also includes a plurality of dummy cells. A transistor of one or more of the plurality of dummy cells has a first current electrode coupled to the first conductor, a second current electrode coupled to the second conductor, and a control electrode. The bias circuit is coupled to the control electrode of the transistor.
US08400817B2
The semiconductor device includes a source line, a bit line, a first signal line, a second signal line, a word line, memory cells connected in parallel between the source line and the bit line, a first driver circuit electrically connected to the source line and the bit line, a second driver circuit electrically connected to the first signal line, a third driver circuit electrically connected to the second signal line, and a fourth driver circuit electrically connected to the word line. The memory cell includes a first transistor including a first gate electrode, a first source electrode, and a first drain electrode, a second transistor including a second gate electrode, a second source electrode, and a second drain electrode, and a capacitor. The second transistor includes an oxide semiconductor material.
US08400812B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory array and a peripheral circuit. The memory array has a plurality of memory cells, word lines, and bit lines, in which a first, second, and third blocks are set in the order along the bit line. The peripheral circuit has a transistor group. The transistor group includes a first transfer transistor belonging to the first block, a second transfer transistor belonging to the second block, and a third transfer transistor belonging to the third block. The first, second, and third transfer transistors share the other of a source and a drain of each. With regard to a direction in which either of the source and the drain is connected to the other in each of the first, second, and third transfer transistors, the directions of the adjacent transfer transistors are different from each other by 90° or 180°.
US08400809B2
A memory array contains a plurality of banks coupled to each other by a plurality of data lines. Each of the data lines is divided into a plurality of segments within the array. Respective bidirectional buffers couple read data from one of the segments to another in a first direction, and to couple write data from one of the segments to another in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The data lines may be local data read/write lines that couple different banks of memory cells to each other and to respective data terminals, digit lines that couple memory cells in a respective column to respective sense amplifiers, word lines that activate memory cells in a respective row, or some other signal line within the array. The memory array also includes precharge circuits for precharging the segments of respective data lines to a precharge voltage.
US08400803B2
A content addressable memory device capable of making simultaneous pursuit of low power consumption and speeding up is provided. A match amplifier A determines coincidence or non-coincidence of search data and data stored in a content addressable memory in an entry of a memory array A, according to a voltage of a match line MLA. A match amplifier B determines coincidence or non-coincidence of search data and data stored in a content addressable memory in an entry of a memory array B, according to a voltage of a match line MLB. A block-B control circuit directs to start searching in the memory array B after two cycles after searching has been started in the memory array A. A block-B activation control circuit directs to stop searching in the memory array B according to a voltage of the match line MLA after searching in the memory array A.
US08400797B2
A power conversion system with zero-voltage start-up mechanism and a zero-voltage start-up device are disclosed. The system includes a power conversion circuit, a power factor correction unit, a storage capacitor, a storage switching unit, and a zero-voltage detection module. The storage switching unit is serially connected with the storage capacitor, and particularly controlled by the zero-voltage detection module. The zero-voltage detection module detects a timing as an input voltage is at low level, and then outputs a control signal to turn on the storage switching unit. Therefore, the present invention assures that the power conversion system is turned on when the input voltage is at the low level, in order to suppress the system from a surge current.
US08400771B2
An apparatus is disclosed that may include a printed circuit board (PCB) and an electronics package may be disposed about the first surface of the PCB. The PCB may include a metal layer and a core, and, in some aspects, may include multiple cores interposed between multiple metal layers, and in some embodiments a backplane may be disposed along the core. The metal layer may be disposed on a core first surface. The metal layer may comprise metal or other conductive material suitable to define traces, which may be circuit paths for electronic components affixed to the PCB. In some aspects, the core may be electrically non-conducting, and may be thermally insulating, and, accordingly, inhibit the transfer of heat from the electronics package through the PCB. However, pins may be configured to pass through the PCB including the core from the core first surface to the core second surface to conduct heat generated by the electronics package away for dispersion. In some embodiments, the pins may pass into the backplane. A pad may be disposed between the electronic package and the core in some embodiments, the pins passing into the pad.
US08400766B2
The present invention relates to a device for eliminating dust for a computer and a control method thereof. A control unit and a heat-radiating fan controlled by the control unit are provided in the main body. In addition, there is provided a cooling fin through which air stream formed by the heat-radiating fan passes. While the air stream formed by the heat-radiating fan passes through the cooling fan, heat is exchanged between the air stream and the cooling fin and the air stream is then exhausted to the outside of the main body. A vibration-generating element for generating vibration supplied with power is provided at one side of the cooling fin. The control unit controls the driving of the vibration-generating element. Vibration of the vibration-generating element is transmitted to the cooling fin to shake off dust accumulated on the cooling fin. Then, the air stream formed by the heat-radiating fan is exhausted to the outside of the main body together with the dust. Further, the driving of the vibration-generating element cooperates with the driving of the heat-radiating fan. According to the present invention so configured, the dust accumulated on the cooling fin is automatically eliminated by the vibration-generating element, whereby a cooling efficiency is enhanced and convenience in use is increased.
US08400765B2
A computer system includes a chassis, one or more hard disk drives coupled to the chassis, and one or more air passages under at least one of the hard disk drives. The air passages include one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets. The inlets direct at least a portion of the air downwardly into the passages. The passages allow air to move from the air inlets to the air outlets.
US08400763B2
A display device includes a front frame, a panel module, a main back cover, a sub-back cover, a circuit device and a stand set, wherein the main back cover includes a recess portion sinking from the main back cover toward the panel module. An inner space is formed between the recess portion and the sub-back cover. The circuit device is disposed in the inner space and connected to the recess portion. In different embodiments, the display device includes a reinforcing rib for grounding purpose. The reinforcing rib is disposed on the panel module and is located between the panel module and the main back cover. Furthermore, a through-hole is formed on the recess portion for the reinforcing rib to pass through and electrically couples with the circuit device.
US08400760B2
A power distribution device may include an input port configured to receive power form a power source, a plurality of sockets arranged along a first plane to from a matrix, each of the plurality of sockets including first and second terminals, the first terminals coupled to the input port, the first and second terminals of each of the plurality of sockets configured to deliver the power therebetween upon coupling to a connection device, and a plurality of output ports aligned along a second plane, each of the plurality of output ports coupled to the second terminal of one of the plurality of sockets, the plurality of output ports configured to distribute the power to one or more power loads.
US08400752B2
An embodiment of a tunable capacitor can include a plurality of capacitors connected in series where at least two capacitors of the plurality of capacitors share a common electrode where the at least two capacitors are in lateral proximity and a bias that is capable of being applied to the at least two capacitors whereby the at least two capacitors vibrate in opposite phase to each other when the bias and an RF signal is applied to the at least two capacitors.
US08400747B2
In a superconducting coil, a parallel conductor includes a plurality of superconducting wires bundled and wound in a coil. The superconducting wires have at least two connections therebetween. A current source connected to the superconducting wires to form a loop via the superconducting wires and the connection to supply a current in the loop when a quench is detected. A superconducting magnet includes the superconducting coil, a persistent current switch connected to the superconducting coil, and a quench detector configured to detect quench occurring in the superconducting coil.
US08400746B1
An integrated circuit is disclosed to bypass transients between first and second nodes. The circuit includes a first bypass capacitor implemented as a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor and coupled to a first node; and a switch coupled to the first bypass capacitor and the second node, the switch preventing leakage current from passing through the first bypass capacitor during power down.
US08400737B2
A support structure with enhance vibrational response. In accordance with some embodiments, an apparatus includes a data storage medium and a magnetic head to write to or read from the medium. The head has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side being closer to a center of the medium than the second side. An actuator is adapted to tilt the first side of the head closer to a surface of the medium than the second side of the head.
US08400736B2
An assembly includes a slider having an air bearing surface and a slider mounting surface opposite the air bearing surface. The slider mounting surface includes first, second, third, and fourth slider pads. A first slider trace electrically shorts the first slider pad with the third slider pad. A second slider trace electrically shorts the second slider pad with the fourth slider pad. A transducing head is supported by the slider. The transducing head includes a positive terminal electrically connected to the first slider pad and a negative terminal electrically connected to the second slider pad. The first, second, third, and fourth slider pads can be connected to pads on a connection circuit with interleaved traces.
US08400733B2
Methods for fabrication of leading edge shields and tapered magnetic poles with a tapered leading edge are provided. The leading edge shield may be formed by utilizing a CMP stop layer. The CMP stop layer may aid in preventing over polishing of the magnetic material. For the tapered magnetic poles with a tapered leading edge, a magnetic material is deposited on a planarized surface, a patterned resist material is formed, and exposed magnetic material is etched to form at least one tapered surface of the magnetic material.
US08400732B2
The present invention provides a perpendicular magnetic write head capable of preventing unintended erasure of information due to spread of a magnetic field for writing. A leading shield, two side shields, and a trailing shield are disposed around (a front end portion of) a main magnetic pole layer. A nonmagnetic layer having a uniform thickness formed by ALD is provided between the front end portion and two side shields. Consequently, intervals are constant in any positions. Spread of magnetic fields for recording in a write track width direction is suppressed sufficiently more than the case where the intervals vary among positions.
US08400731B1
A magnetic recording head comprises a write pole including a throat region with a leading edge, a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, and first and second side edges opposite one another. The magnetic recording head further comprises a first side wall gap layer disposed alongside the first side edge of the throat region, and a second side wall gap layer disposed alongside the second side edge of the throat region. Each of the first and second side wall gap layers has a first width at the leading edge of the throat region smaller than a second width at the trailing edge of the throat region.
US08400729B1
A method of manufacturing a motor including a rotating portion and a stationary portion including a stator, a base portion, and a circuit board preferably includes the steps of: a) arranging the stator at a predetermined position on the base portion, and arranging a lead wire of a coil of the stator at a position on a far side of an imaginary cylindrical surface centered on a central axis and which touches top surfaces of teeth of a stator core with respect to the top surfaces; b) arranging a shield between a land portion of the circuit board and the top surfaces; c) soldering the lead wire to the land portion, the lead wire extending along an upper surface of the circuit board through a gap between the shield and the circuit board; d) removing the shield; and e) attaching the rotating portion to the stationary portion.
US08400728B2
A storage library is described that includes a shelf system adapted to support a number of tape cartridges. The storage library further includes a tape drive adapted to read and write data to and from tape cartridges. The storage library further possesses a temporary repository near the tape drive that is adapted to facilitate an exchange of a first tape cartridge intended to be loaded in the tape drive with a second tape cartridge ready to be removed from the tape drive with a single tape picker device.
US08400721B2
A leaf-cartwheel flexure for coupling an object to a frame includes a leaf flexure for mounting to an object and a cartwheel hinge for mounting to the frame. The leaf flexure defines an axis of contraflexure and the cartwheel hinge is bendable about a rotational axis. The cartwheel hinge is coupled to the leaf flexure and positioned such that the rotational axis substantially aligns with the axis of contraflexure. A system and a method for mounting a component utilize three such leaf-cartwheel flexures for mounting the component to a frame, in which the flexures are approximately equidistant from each other about the component.
US08400717B2
An optical lens system for taking image comprises, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object-side surface; a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave image-side surface and an object-side surface cemented to an image-side surface of the first lens element; a third lens element with negative refractive power; a fourth lens element with positive refractive power having a concave image-side surface and at least one inflection point; and an aperture stop located between an object to be photographed and the third lens element. In the optical lens system for taking image, the number of the lens elements with refractive power being limited to four. A focal length of the optical lens system for taking image is f, a focal length of the first lens element is f1, they satisfy the relation: 0.8
US08400716B2
Provided is an imaging lens, including a first lens having positive (+) refractive power; a second lens having negative (−) refractive power; a third lens having negative (−) refractive power; a fourth lens having negative (−) refractive power; and a fifth lens having positive (+) refractive power in order from an object side, where the third lens is formed concavely at an object side.
US08400707B2
The present invention relates to a medium for photon energy up-conversion, a photon-energy up-conversion device comprising said medium and to uses of said medium. The present invention also relates to a method of photon energy up-conversion using said medium or said device.
US08400695B2
A holographic display device comprises an OLED array writing onto an OASLM, the OLED array and OASLM forming adjacent layers. The OASLM encodes a hologram and a holographic reconstruction is then generated by the device when an array of read beams illuminates the OASLM. The OASLM is suitably controlled by the OLED array. An advantage of the device is that it lends itself to compactness.
US08400677B2
The image processing apparatus includes: a color conversion unit color-converting an image signal of a first color space into that of a second color space with a color conversion characteristic defining a correspondence relationship between the image signals; an adjustment unit adjusting the image signal of the second color space with adjustment conversion factor groups that is for adjusting it in accordance with a change in the color conversion characteristic, and is set for respective types of sheets on which an image is to be printed according to the image signal of the second color space; a calculation unit calculating the adjustment conversion factor groups; a memory storing an associating factor group associating, with each other, the adjustment conversion factor groups; and an update unit updating the adjustment conversion factor groups according to the calculated adjustment conversion factor group of one sheet and the stored associating factor group.
US08400672B2
The present invention provides specific image adding section for adding the specific image to inputted image data includes a first counter for deciding positions of a main scanning direction and a vertical scanning direction and a second counter for specifying a form of the specific image. The second counter counts up addresses of pixels with a starting point at one corner on a matrix made up of the main scanning direction and vertical scanning direction. If the first counter counts a predetermined count value, the second counter starts. When a maximum value of the count value of the second counter is equal to or less than a count set value, an image is formed on each of the pixels. The pixel on which the image is formed is changed and the form of the specific image is also changed by changing the count set value.
US08400660B2
An information processing device includes a memory that stores instruction data describing a content of processing to be executed on document data and a sequence of the processing, in association with a storing area for storing the document data; and a processing executing unit that executes a first processing on the document data stored in the storing area according to the instruction data associated with the storing area, when the document data is stored in the storing area, and executes a second processing on the document data according to the instruction data set for an upper storing area when the upper storing area is set for the storing area.
US08400656B2
The invention relates to an image communication apparatus that allows e-mail transmission with excellent versatility. Based on a result of detection provided by a document detecting section (3) for detecting the presence or absence of a document, it is determined whether or not an e-mail is transmitted with use of an attachment file by an e-mail transmitting section (7). For example, when the presence of a document is detected by the document detecting section (3), a control section (2) acts to create an e-mail with document image data read by a reading section (4) in attachment-file form, and to transmit the created e-mail. When the absence of a document is detected by the document detecting section (3), the control section acts to create an e-mail without using an attachment file of image data, and to transmit the created e-mail.
US08400649B2
An approach is provided for managing printer driver settings. According to the approach, printer driver settings specified by a user for electronic data are maintained as a “print tag”. Print tags may be stored, either local to a client device or remotely to a client device, and later retrieved when electronic data is to be printed again. This allows printer driver settings to be maintained on a per electronic data, e.g., electronic document, basis and re-used any number of times. It also allows printer driver settings to be persistently maintained when the execution of application programs and print drivers is terminated or in the event of failures. Print tags may be shared among different users to allow multiple users to easily and conveniently use the same printer driver settings to print the same electronic data, without each user having to manually enter the printer driver settings.
US08400647B2
A determination unit detects a change of a configuration of an image forming apparatus and determines whether an operation screen needs to be updated based on a content of detected change. When it is determined that an update of the operation screen is needed, a screen-configuration-data acquisition unit acquires screen configuration data corresponding to an operation screen after the update from a storage unit. A generation unit generates operation screen data that is screen configuration data for an updated operation screen based on received screen configuration data and configuration information related to the display unit.
US08400632B2
A method for increasing the throughput and/or the precision of a flow cytometer, or a hematology analyzer employing a flow cytometer, and for further reducing the complexity of such a cytometer or analyzer. The system and method includes utilizing the technique of laser rastering in combination with a lysis-free single-dilution method.
US08400628B2
An enclosure for an optical inspection apparatus for scanning the profile of at least one surface of an article moving along a travel path axis, which apparatus having a frame for mounting a profile sensor unit using a laser source, includes a peripheral portion connected to the frame and forming spaced apart peripheral edges defining a space in which the frame and the profile sensor unit are contained, and front end and rear end portions each having an opening aligned with the travel path axis to allow the movement of the article through the apparatus. At least one of the front and rear end portions is provided with a pair of access doors having outer closing edges adapted to mate with corresponding portions of the peripheral edges, and inner closing edges adapted to mate one with another at first portions thereof, wherein at least one of the inner closing edges is provided with a clearance at a second portion thereof to define one of the openings whenever the access doors are brought one toward another to a closing position. The second portion is provided with at least one shielding element adjacent to the clearance to confine reflections of the laser beam within the enclosure while allowing the movement of the article.
US08400627B2
Proposed is a light sensor (1), comprising at least one wavelength selective photo-detector (10), a lens (20) and an aperture (30).The wavelength selective photo-detector allows detecting light within a predefined wavelength range falling on the sensor. The lens project light on the photo-detector and the aperture defines a field of view of the light sensor. The photo-detector (10), the lens (20), and the aperture (30) are arranged in a telecentric configuration. Advantageously, this allows light to impinge on the wavelength selective photo-detector within a predefined range of angles irrespective of the direction of the light incident on the aperture, thus removing the angle dependent response of the wavelength selective photo-detector.
US08400625B1
Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed for testing the boresight of a gimbaled camera and laser system, such as an infrared countermeasures (IRCM) system, in extreme environments. Light simulating a target is reflected through an optics system to the camera, with a portion of the light reflected back from a corner cube reflector through the optics system as a reference. A laser beam from the laser is received through the same optics system, and a position of the corner cube reflected reference and laser beam are compared in order to determine whether the camera and laser are properly aligned. A spherical shell adapted to position the camera at its geometric center keeps misaligned laser pulses from reflecting back into the camera.
US08400621B2
The present invention relates to an automatic egg examining device for differentiating between fertilized eggs and unfertilized eggs, comprising emission means (3), which comprise, for each egg to be examined, at least one coherent laser source forming a coherent optical beam (31) directed at an egg (9) to be examined, reception means (4), which receive the light flux passing through the egg, and data processing means (7), which process the light flux received by said reception means in order to determine the state—fertilized or unfertilized—of the egg.
US08400594B2
Provided is an electrode layer and a wiring layer, which are free from peeling from a glass substrate. A wiring layer and a gate electrode layer are constituted by an adhering film which is a thin film made of Cu—Mg—Al formed on a surface of a glass substrate, and a copper film formed on the adhering film. When the adhering film includes Mg in a range of at least 0.5 atom % and at most 5 atom %, and aluminum in a range of at least 5 atom % and at most 15 atom %, assuming that the total number of atoms of copper, magnesium and aluminum is taken as 100 atom %, adhesion of the adhering film to the glass substrate becomes high, and the copper thin film is not peeled from the glass substrate. The wiring layer is electrically connected to a pixel electrode of a liquid crystal display device.
US08400586B2
The present invention provides a polarizing plate excellent in adherence (particularly, under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions) between a polarizer and a protective film. The polarizing plate of the present invention includes: a polarizer; an adhesive layer; an easy-adhesion layer formed of an easy-adhesive composition containing a urethane resin having a carboxyl group and a cross-linking agent; and a protective film containing a (meth)acrylic resin.
US08400585B2
A surface light source device includes a point source of light and a light guide plate causing light from the point source of light introduced from a light incident end face and emitted from a light emission surface to outside. The light guide plate is formed of a light introducing portion provided at an end of a light guide plate body. The point source of light is placed facing the light incident end face positioned at an end face of the light introducing portion. Along a region of the light introducing portion adjacent to the light guide plate body, a directivity converting portion is provided. The directivity converting portion is configured by arranging V-grooved directivity conversion patterns in an arc shape. A region of the light introducing portion has a thickness equal to that of the light guide plate body and has a surface positioned in the same plane.
US08400570B2
A system and method for displaying multiple images on a single display. A plurality of unique video sources may be provided where each video source provides video frames having a plurality of vertical lines. A portion of the vertical lines are captured for each video source and transmitted to the display. The partial video frames may then be re-assembled into a single video frame which can be shown on the display. The display contains a masking where only certain vertical lines are viewable at certain angles. The masking may allow two or three images to be simultaneously visible to the observer, depending on the angle of viewing the display. Wireless or wired transmission may be used. Some embodiments also use a sound focusing device which may be synced with the video source so that separate sound messages can also be observed depending on the angle of viewing the display.
US08400567B2
A method for recovering pixel clocks based on an iDP interface includes selecting a prime factor closest to VA or HA from prime factors of X, and selecting a value obtained by subtracting VA from the selected prime factor, as VB, in Mvid = ( HA + HB ) × ( VA + VB ) X , where HA indicates a horizontal active period, HB indicates a horizontal blank interval, VA indicates a vertical active period, and VB indicates a vertical blank interval, fixing the selected VB value, and selecting a total of HB within one frame period and the number of lanes under a condition that Mvid has an integer value, and recovering pixel clocks by multiplying a frequency of link symbol clocks of data received via the lanes by a multiplication of Mvid/48.
US08400564B2
Image capture techniques are described. In implementations, an image is captured, by an image capture device of a computing device, of an object that is disposed on a surface of a first display device of the computing device. The computing device includes a first housing that includes the first display device and a second housing that is rotatable attached to the first housing and that includes a second display device. The captured image is displayed on at least one of the first display device or the second display device.
US08400554B2
A lens barrel is a lens barrel that can be mounted to a camera body, including a lens element, a lens support frame, an actuator, and an electrical contact. The lens support frame supports the lens element. The actuator is arranged to drive the lens support frame in an optical direction of the lens element, and includes a drive shaft and a detector configured to detect rotation of the drive shaft. The electrical contact is disposed on the opposite side from the actuator with respect to the lens element when viewed in the optical axis direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens element, and is configured to be electrically connected with the camera body.
US08400551B2
An apparatus having an optical reader system and method for label-independent detection having improved spatial resolution of the reader, as defined herein. The system includes an optical configuration for interrogating a sensor on a microplate at an incident angle (θ1) of greater than 45°, and recording the image received from the contacted sensor with the image recorder, the image recorder being oriented with respect to the reflected beam at a reflected angle (θ2) of greater than about 5°, as further defined herein.
US08400548B2
A device can receive live video of a real-world, physical environment on a touch sensitive surface. One or more objects can be identified in the live video. An information layer can be generated related to the objects. In some implementations, the information layer can include annotations made by a user through the touch sensitive surface. The information layer and live video can be combined in a display of the device. Data can be received from one or more onboard sensors indicating that the device is in motion. The sensor data can be used to synchronize the live video and the information layer as the perspective of video camera view changes due to the motion. The live video and information layer can be shared with other devices over a communication link.
US08400545B2
This invention is an amplification circuit which limits increased power consumption and circuit surface area use and an imaging device including this amplification circuit. After initially discharging a capacitor, a signal charge corresponding to the difference between pixel signals is transferred repeatedly to the capacitor during an integration phase storing a signal charge proportional to the number of repetitions. The output of amplification is the signal charge accumulated in the capacitor. The gain is independent of the capacitor capacitance ratio. Thus the capacitor size can be smaller than conventional amplification circuits.
US08400542B2
An image sensor having a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction and a column direction, comprises a plurality of pixel amplifiers which are arranged in the row direction for each column, and one of which is shared by at least two pixels of each column; two output lines arranged for each column, to either of which signals are output from the plurality of pixel amplifiers arranged in the row direction for each column; and an averaging unit which averages signals output from the two output lines arranged for the same column.
US08400533B1
A method of reducing aberrations in a digital image comprises capturing input samples associated with a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, wherein each pixel is associated with a color defining the digital image; establishing vertical chrominance groups associated with columns of the matrix and horizontal chrominance groups associated with rows of the matrix; determining chrominance values for the chrominance groups; determining, for each chrominance group, a mean value and, a sum of absolute differences between the chrominance values and the mean value for the chrominance values of the chrominance group; calculating, by a signal processing device, a plurality of weights comprising vertical weights associated with the vertical chrominance groups and horizontal weights associated with the horizontal chrominance groups based upon the sums of absolute differences; and determining a missing color component for a predetermined pixel of the plurality of pixels using the plurality of weights.
US08400531B2
A multi-functional digital imaging system is described that controls and manages digital image filtration processes. The camera CPU and DSP are used to filter digital sensor files using algorithms to correct optical and digital aberrations.
US08400529B2
A buffer memory for rotating an image. The buffer memory is address-mapped in three dimensions including a first axis, a second axis, and a third axis, that are orthogonal to one another. Data may be sequentially accessed (read from or written to) the buffer memory in each of the direction of the first axis, the direction of the second axis, and the direction of the third direction. Second data may written to a given plane of the buffer memory at the same time that first data is read from the same plane of the buffer memory.
US08400518B2
An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit; a display unit capable of displaying a moving image based on the image data generated by the imaging unit; a setting unit that receives setting of a user; a shutter operable to adjust an exposure time of the imaging unit according to a shutter speed; a determination unit operable to determine the shutter speed according to setting related to exposure set by user through the setting unit; and a controller operable to control the imaging unit and the display unit. The controller controls the imaging unit to be exposed for an exposure time corresponding to the shutter speed determined by the determination unit, and changes a frame rate of displaying the moving image on the display unit according to the determined shutter speed.
US08400516B2
A image stabilization control circuit is provided that comprises at least one analog-to-digital converter circuit that converts an output signal of a vibration detection element which detects vibration of an imaging device, and an output signal of a position detection element which detects a position of an optical component or an imaging element, into digital signals, and a logic circuit that generates a control signal which drives the optical component or the imaging element, based on the output signal of the vibration detection element which is digitized by the analog-to-digital converter circuit and the output signal of the position detection element which is digitized by the analog-to-digital converter circuit, wherein an offset value and an amplitude for the output signal of the position detection element are adjusted.
US08400515B2
A motion vector detecting unit detects a motion vector of each block in a shot image, which is divided into a plurality of blocks, during an optical zooming operation. A linear function calculating unit calculates for each block a linear function that represents a straight line, the slope of which is the same as that of a line passing through the center of the shot image and a representative point and which passes through a vector detection point. A hand-movement motion vector calculating unit selects at least two blocks that have the calculated linear functions, the slope of which are different from each other, and obtains an intersection of graphs of the linear functions of the selected blocks so as to calculate a motion vector caused by hand movement. A hand-movement correcting unit corrects the hand movement in the shot image based on the calculated motion vector caused by the hand movement.
US08400513B2
A data processing apparatus includes: a detection section detecting an image of an object from moving image data; a table creation section recording position information indicating a position on the moving image data in a table on the basis of a detection result by the detection section; a dubbing processing section performing dubbing processing on the moving image data; and a control section controlling the dubbing processing section so as to extract a portion of the moving image data recorded on a first recording medium on the basis of the position information recorded in the table, and to perform the dubbing processing on the extracted portion onto a second recording medium.
US08400505B2
A calibration device and method calibrates a distance measuring device which provides captured images with significant lens aberration. The calibration device and method estimate a camera parameter representing a characteristic of each imaging system of a distance measuring device, and perform the following: capture, using the distance measuring device, an image of a reference chart which (i) represents a geometric pattern in which elements are arranged and (ii) is positioned to have a predetermined positional relationship with the distance measuring device; modify a luminance distribution affected by aberration of the lens in the captured image of the reference chart; calculate, as a feature point position, a gravity center position of each element in the captured image whose luminance distribution is modified; and estimate the camera parameter using the feature point position calculated in the calculating and an approximate actual gravity center position in the reference chart.
US08400501B2
It is necessary to provide inspection arrangements in order to facilitate prototype design of assemblies such as gas turbine engines as well as insitu testing of such assemblies. Previously endoscope type arrangements have been utilized, but the flexible or rigid stems in such endoscopes can cause fouling and snagging in use. By providing an inspection arrangement in which the inspection element is combined with a positioning tool such that the inspection element can be detached from the positioning tool through a releasable element, it is possible to avoid such snagging problems. The inspection element will be relatively self-sufficient and incorporate possibly a camera or other sensor for temperature of otherwise. The inspection element will typically incorporate a wireless link arrangement, or possibly incorporate a storage device for data such that the inspection element can be retrieved later with that data.
US08400500B2
An endoscope that has an insertion portion that is inserted into an interior of an object and an image pickup device that is provided in the insertion portion, and that observes the interior of the object via the image pickup device, includes: a first LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; a second LED unit that is provided in the insertion portion and has an LED chip that is used to irradiate light into the interior of the object; and an alternating conduction control unit that conducts power alternatingly to the first LED unit and the second LED unit.
US08400498B2
An endoscope having a color space conversion circuit performs a matrix calculation according to RGB signals and matrix data respectively corresponding to signals in wavelength ranges is provided with a wavelength memory section having a default data memory area, which stores a default value representing a wavelength range selected by a wavelength selection section, and a changed-wavelength saving area that stores a wavelength range selected by the wavelength selection section after changed from the wavelength range represented by the default value. Subsequently, at least a part of the wavelength range stored in the changed-wavelength saving area is rewritten by a reset section into the default value stored in the default data memory area.
US08400494B2
A system and method are presented for use in the object reconstruction. The system comprises an illuminating unit, and an imaging unit (see FIG. 1). The illuminating unit comprises a coherent light source and a generator of a random speckle pattern accommodated in the optical path of illuminating light propagating from the light source towards an object, thereby projecting onto the object a coherent random speckle pattern. The imaging unit is configured for detecting a light response of an illuminated region and generating image data. The image data is indicative of the object with the projected speckles pattern and thus indicative of a shift of the pattern in the image of the object relative to a reference image of said pattern. This enables real-time reconstruction of a three-dimensional map of the object.
US08400492B2
A method and system for projecting linearly polarized stereoscopic images to a viewer that results in increased viewer head-tipping capabilities is provided. The design includes projecting linearly polarized light energy toward a screen and providing the viewer with a set of linearly polarized eyewear configured to receive the linearly polarized light energy projected to the screen and transmit a right perspective view to a right eye of the viewer and a left perspective view to a left eye of the viewer. Projecting comprises performing a noise reduction technique to reduce crosstalk in linearly polarized light energy images projected.
US08400490B2
At least one camera lens captures a field of view comprising at least one object of interest, wherein the at least one camera lens is configured for extending the field of view in at least one direction. The at least one object of interest that is within said field of view is detected. Then, an image of a detected at least one object of interest is warped to fit within the field of view. A plurality of pixels surrounding the image of the detected at least one object of interest within the field of view is cropped such that, based on the warping and the cropping, the detected at least one object appears as centered within the field of view.
US08400489B2
The invention concerns a method of controlling a video conference with two or more participants (1, 2, 3, 4), and a video conference server and a computer program product to execute this method. A topic of the video conference is dynamically determined (303, 313). A participant data base comprising associations of one or more of the participants (1, 2, 3, 4) with one or more respective attributes is accessed (304, 314). The determined topic is mapped to one or more of the one or more respective attributes. From the one or more participants (1, 2, 3, 4) associated with the one or more respective attributes one or more participants (1, 2, 3, 4) who are associated with the determined topic according to said mapping are selected (305, 315). One or more of the selected participants (1, 2, 3, 4) are displayed (307, 317) on a screen.
US08400484B2
A device includes a first element substrate and a second element substrate for driving a driving element; a first signal input unit connected to an input terminal of the first element substrate; a second signal input unit connected to an input terminal of the second element substrate; and a signal output unit. Each of the first and second element substrates includes a driving element, a first signal generation unit configured to output a first signal, a second signal generation unit configured to output a second signal, an input terminal, an output terminal, and a selection unit configured to receive a signal from the first and the second signal generation units, select one of a state of the first signal, a state of the second signal, and a high-impedance state on the basis of the selection signal input from the input terminal, and output the state to the output terminal.
US08400482B2
An image hold body includes a support body, a plurality of pixel electrodes, charge storage members, switch members, scanning lines, signal lines and shield members. A latent image voltage is applied to the plurality of pixel electrodes based on an image signal. The charge storage members store charge corresponding to the latent image voltage. The scanning lines select and scan pixel electrode groups through the switch members. The signal lines apply the latent image voltage through the switch members to the pixel electrodes of each of the pixel electrode groups selected by the scanning lines. The shield members are provided on the support body corresponding to the signal lines placed in the proximity of the pixel electrodes, and shield an effect of at least a part of an electric field from the signal line on an electric field based on the latent image voltage of the pixel electrodes.
US08400478B2
A method for rendering static labels in a mobile device in applications such as map applications. Panning increments are received for panning a previously rendered frame to a panned frame and a rendering region is defined based on the panning increments. Ones of the labels that overlap the region and that overlap with the panned frame by a threshold amount are determined. Geometry that overlaps the rendering region is rendered and a portion of the previously rendered frame is copied. The ones of the labels are rendered to provide the panned frame.
US08400461B1
A computer-implemented method includes selecting a polygon that includes a convex shape defined by vertices represented by integer coordinates. The method also includes determining a polygon transfer function from cones defined by some of the vertices. The polygon transfer function defines image processing operations independent of the scale of the polygon.
US08400459B2
A graphics processing system comprises at least one memory device storing a plurality of pixel command threads and a plurality of vertex command threads. An arbiter coupled to the at least one memory device is provided that selects a pixel command thread from the plurality of pixel command threads and a vertex command thread from the plurality of vertex command threads. The arbiter further selects a command thread from the previously selected pixel command thread and the vertex command thread, which command thread is provided to a command processing engine capable of processing pixel command threads and vertex command threads.
US08400452B2
A method and system for visualizing the propagation of a radio-frequency (RF) signal between a first wireless device and a second wireless device is provided. The method includes segmenting (304) the RF signal along its propagation path, based on the one or more characteristics associated with the propagation of the RF signal. The method also includes visualizing (306) the segments by using graphical representations.
US08400448B1
A method for processing three-dimensional data that defines a three-dimensional scene, and determining and displaying lines-of-sight (LOS) and viewsheds on all visible surfaces of the scene, includes: i) assigning at a user-selected location at least one viewpoint in the scene; ii) applying ray tracing from locations in the scene to the viewpoint to determine locations in the scene that are in a line of sight (LOS) and outside the LOS of the viewpoint, thus determining the viewshed relative to the viewpoint while generating a set of color-coding information; iv) saving the set of color-coding information as a 2D texture image in graphics hardware memory; and v) compositing the 2D texture image over the 3D scene in a 3D window at a frame rate that enables real-time updating of the color coding as the scene is translated or rotated or the viewpoint is changed.
US08400441B2
A display apparatus includes a display part to display an image thereon, a video signal processor to convert an input video signal into a signal having a format displayable by the display part, a network controller connectable to a network to transmit and receive data according to a predetermined protocol, a data processor to process the data transmitted and/or received through the network controller into a video signal processible by the video signal processor, and a controller to control power to be supplied to the data processor according to whether the data is being transmitted and/or received by the network controller through the network. Accordingly, the display apparatus transmits and receives data through a network and reduces power consumption.
US08400428B2
A touch panel having high reading accuracy of an object to be detected is provided. In a method for driving a touch panel which is provided with a photo sensor in a pixel, an image is displayed in a display portion of a touch panel, a detection region is determined by detecting approach or contact of an object to be detected in a state in which the image is displayed, and the object to be detected is read while substantially equalizing the intensity of light of pixels in the detection region per unit time and unit area. The intensity of light of the pixels per unit time and unit area, which is to be substantially equal, is preferably the maximum intensity of light in the detection region before adjustment, more preferably, the intensity of light for white display.
US08400418B2
Provided is a capacitance type input device, in which a plurality of first light transmission electrodes extending in a first direction and a plurality of second light transmission electrodes extending in a second direction crossing the first direction are formed in an input region of a light transmission substrate, wherein, when the light transmission substrate is viewed from the top, dummy patterns formed of the same light transmission conductive film as the first light transmission electrodes and the second light transmission electrodes are formed in regions sandwiched between the first light transmission electrodes and the second light transmission electrodes.
US08400406B1
There is disclosed and claimed new and improved photoelectric sensing array system, method, and apparatus for large area IR touch screens to increase the resolution of the array, and to provide ease of manufacture and testing.
US08400405B2
A handheld device includes a plurality of input members, a first set of which each have a Roman character assigned thereto, a least some of which have a first non-Roman and a second non-Roman character assigned thereto. In response to an actuation of a first one of the input members, a first one of the non-Roman characters that is assigned to the first one of the input members is displayed. Based on one or more rules which govern permissible character sequences in the subject language, the display of a second one of the non-Roman characters in response to an actuation of a second one of the input members having the second one of the non-Roman characters assigned thereto immediately following the actuation of said first one of the input members is prevented.
US08400404B2
A wireless handheld electronic device configured to send and receive text messages. A microprocessor for receiving, processing and outputting data is located within the handheld device. A display screen in data-communication with the microprocessor presents information for user observation based upon data output from the microprocessor. A sensor is provided within the handheld device that detects the attitude of the device as held by the user. The sensor communicates data that is indicative of the detected attitude of the device to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is further enable to disable a user input device when the detected attitude of the device matches a predetermined attitude criteria.
US08400399B2
The invention relates to a location based gaming device. The gaming device comprises an elongated handheld body and a location control unit arranged in the body. The location control unit outputs location data. A light unit is arranged at a distal side of the body. A controller is adapted to control said light unit, the controller comprising a memory to store track data. The controller is arranged to change a light characteristic between an on track and an off track mode depending on a proximity function between the track data and the compass directional data and/or location data. Accordingly a device is provided that can provide intuitive direction indications, which may be interpretable by players of younger ages.
US08400398B2
Implementations of visualization controls are described. Some techniques described herein enable a user to interact with a geoscience object on display. In one possible embodiment, simultaneous movements of two or more user-controlled points are tracked using a motion monitoring system, such as cameras. The movement of the points is then interpreted as an interaction with the geoscience object and results in a corresponding alteration of the display of the geoscience object. One example interaction includes a compound manipulation (i.e. translation, rotation, scaling and/or skewing) of the geoscience object.
US08400395B2
In a machine-implemented method of local dimming a light source of a light source block for driving the light source block to provide a plurality of image regions with light, duty ratios of a first light source and a second light source adjacent to the first light source are initially determined by using a first target luminance value of a first image region closest to the first light source and a second target luminance value of a second image region closest to the second light source. The initially determined duty ratios are compensated by using a target luminance value of a remaining image region excluding the first and second image regions among the image regions receiving the light generated from the first and second first light sources. The first and second first light sources are driven by using the compensated duty ratios.
US08400390B2
A gate driving device includes a plurality of stages, a first dummy stage connected to the plurality of stages and a second dummy stage connected to the first dummy stage. Stages of the plurality of stages are cascaded. The first dummy stage includes a first charge unit which receives a first input signal from a previous stage of the plurality of stages and is thereby charged, and a first pull-up transistor which outputs a clock signal when the first charge unit reaches a first charge level. The second dummy stage includes a second charge unit which receives a second input signal from the first dummy stage and is thereby charged, and a second pull-up transistor which outputs the clock signal when the second charge unit reaches a second charge level higher than the first charge level.
US08400389B2
A liquid crystal display is provided. The liquid crystal display includes an edge common line receiving a common voltage through input sources, a plurality of pixel common line patterns that are formed in each of liquid crystal cells constituting each pixel and are electrically connected to one another, and a plurality of longitudinal common lines that are electrically connected to the edge common line to apply the common voltage to the pixel common line patterns. The pixel common line patterns are connected to common electrodes of the liquid crystal cells. Each of the longitudinal common lines is formed between two horizontally adjacent pixels in a direction parallel to data lines. The pixels includes a plurality of pixel units each including two vertically adjacent pixels, and two data lines and three gate lines are assigned to each of the pixel units.
US08400383B2
A liquid crystal display is disclosed. The liquid crystal display includes a data line arranged in a column direction, a first pixel electrode that is positioned on the left side of the data line on a first line, a second pixel electrode that is positioned on the right side of the data line on the first line, a first gate line that is arranged between the first line and the second line in a line direction perpendicular to the column direction, a second gate line that is arranged between the first line and the second line in the line direction, the second gate line underlying the first gate line, a first thin film transistor that is positioned on the left side of the data line on the first line to supply a first data voltage received from the data line to the first pixel electrode in response to a gate pulse received from the first gate line, and a second thin film transistor that is positioned on the right side of the data line on the first line, crosses the first gate line to be connected to the second pixel electrode, and supplies a second data voltage received from the data line to the second pixel electrode in response to a gate pulse received from the second gate line.
US08400378B2
An electro-luminescence display having a plurality of pixels is disclosed. One of the pixels of the electro-luminescence display includes an electro-luminescence diode electrically connected between first and second voltage sources; first and second thin film transistors adjusting an amount of current flowing to the electro-luminescence diode; and a control circuit complementarily operating the first and second thin film transistors in an active mode and a refresh mode.
US08400377B2
A pixel includes: an organic light emitting diode; a first transistor having a second electrode coupled with the organic light emitting diode and a first electrode coupled with a data line; a second transistor coupled between a gate electrode and the second electrode of the first transistor and turned on when a first scan signal is supplied to a first scan line; a third transistor coupled between the first electrode of the first transistor and the data line and turned on when a second scan signal is supplied to the second scan line; a first capacitor coupled between the first electrode of the first transistor and a first power supply; and a second capacitor coupled between the gate electrode of the first transistor and the first power supply.
US08400375B2
A processing method of a flat panel display apparatus in which a cathode panel having electron emitting regions and an anode panel having phosphor regions and an anode electrode are joined is provided. A predetermined voltage is applied to each electron emitting region, thereby allowing electrons to be emitted therefrom. In a predetermined row, initial electron emitting states in the electron emitting regions are measured. After that, a voltage higher than that of the electron emitting region in a row showing the low initial electron emitting state is applied to the electron emitting region in the row showing the high initial electron emitting state for a predetermined time, thereby performing aging.
US08400374B2
The invention provides a semiconductor device which is capable of decreasing an effect of a variation in characteristics of transistors, supplying a predetermined current even when voltage-current characteristics of a load change, and improving a write speed of a signal sufficiently even when the amount of a signal current is small. In the semiconductor device, a current-voltage converting element and a transistor are connected in series; and an amplifier circuit detects a voltage which is applied when a current flows to the current-voltage converting element, and sets a gate-source voltage of the transistor depending on the voltage. Therefore, since the amplifier circuit has low output impedance, a write speed of a signal can be improved sufficiently even when the amount of a signal current is small.
US08400360B2
A loop antenna for communication is provided, which includes a microwave substrate, being a hexahedron; a first conductive layer, disposed on an upper surface of the substrate for forming a first loop; a second conductive layer, disposed on a first side surface of the substrate, and electrically connected to a feed-in point and a ground point; and a third conductive layer, disposed on a lower surface of the substrate for forming a second loop. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are electrically connected at the junction between the upper surface and the first side surface, and the second conductive layer and the third conductive layer are electrically connected at the junction between the first side surface and the lower surface. The antenna also has an appropriate bandwidth for wireless communication application.
US08400357B2
A radio arrival direction estimation device that accurately estimates the arrival direction of radio waves from a desired tag, even when there are multiple antennas disposed at short intervals. When ID detection timing is provided from a timing detector (114) to a switch (201), relative amplitude/phase data related to the tag ID digital value “1” or “0” is obtained by an arrival direction estimation unit (125). One relative amplitude/phase datum is formed for each unit cycle in a first adder (202), which adds the relative amplitude/phase datum related to the tag ID digital value “1” to each element in a matrix, and a second adder (203), which adds the relative amplitude/phase datum related to the tag ID digital value “0” to each element in a matrix. An OOK signal causes an arithmetic unit (204) to subtract the relative amplitude/phase data produced by the second adder (203) from the relative amplitude/phase data produced by the first adder (202), and extract the phase of a signal corresponding to the phase of the digital value “1.”
US08400350B2
An electronic scanning radar device that detects an azimuth angle of a target based on a phase difference between a first pair of received waves received by a first pair of antennas separated by a prescribed distance, and combines the first pair of received waves and generates a first composite wave. The composite wave has a steep antenna pattern, for which the amount of level change is large for the amount of change in azimuth angle, and an azimuth angle judgment unit performs true/false judgment in which a detected azimuth angle is judged to be true when the level of the above first composite wave is equal to or above a reference value, and the azimuth angle is judged to be false when the level is below the reference value.
US08400349B1
The spurious-free dynamic range of a wideband radar system is increased by apportioning de-ramp processing across analog and digital processing domains. A chirp rate offset is applied between the received waveform and the reference waveform that is used for downconversion to the intermediate frequency (IF) range. The chirp rate offset results in a residual chirp in the IF signal prior to digitization. After digitization, the residual IF chirp is removed with digital signal processing.
US08400347B2
The invention relates to a monitoring device and method allowing surveillance of an aircraft in relation to aircraft and/or craft on an airport displacement zone. The invention is a system comprising a dedicated transmitter and receiver to receive the information regarding the location and displacement of the cooperative aircraft and to monitor the location of the said aircraft in relation to the cooperative aircraft. The monitoring application is based on the detection of conflict zones by inter-correlation of constraint surfaces of the airport zone. The invention applies to aircraft carrying communication moans for ADS-B networks for an airport zone monitoring application.
US08400345B2
A multimedia assembly with a programmable universal remote control unit, which is configured to “learn” remote control codes from original remote control units, and which provides that remote control signals are transmitted from original remote control units to the control unit where they are analyzed, decoded, and newly encoded; and wherein newly encoded signals are then transmitted from the control unit to the universal remote control unit that is to be programmed, where they are stored in a memory.
US08400343B1
A stage of a pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is provided according to embodiments of the present invention. The stage of the present invention has double-amplifier architecture and uses level-shifting technique to generate a residue of the stage. The amplifiers of the stage are implemented in two different split paths, thereby to generate a relatively coarse amplification result and a relative fine amplification result. The relatively coarse amplification result is used to level-shift the output level of the amplifier. As a result, the stage of the present invention can have a correct residual by using amplifiers of moderate quality.
US08400337B1
Offset is canceled by determining a voltage level to set a body input of a transistor to. The body input of the transistor is set to the determined voltage level to cancel offset associated with the transistor.
US08400335B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, method, and data structure for using variable length code tables to compress an input data stream to a compressed output data stream. A determination is made as to whether a number of at least two consecutive data units in the input data stream match the number of consecutive data units in a history buffer of previously received data units in the input data stream. If so, a copy pointer symbol is generated including data indicating a copy pointer symbol referencing previously received data units in the history buffer and indicating the determined number of consecutive data units. A determination is made of a relative displacement count in the history buffer at which the number of matching consecutive data units start. A determination is made from a variable length code table an encoding of the relative displacement count in the history buffer.
US08400331B2
A vehicle-mounted device (10) which receives and outputs a radio wave containing at least direction information as information includes: detection means which detects the radio wave; and control means which compares the detection direction received from the direction detection means which detects the direction of the vehicle head to the direction information so as to judge whether the information is to be outputted. Thus, it is possible to provide a vehicle-mounted device which can provide only the information required by a user, a method for outputting the information, and an information providing system.
US08400330B2
A system for displaying first and second images to a pilot of an aircraft includes, but is not limited to, a sensor subsystem that detects a light transmission originating from outside the aircraft and generates a first signal indicative of the light transmission, a dynamic condition sensor that detects a dynamic condition of the aircraft and generates a second signal indicative of the dynamic condition of the aircraft, a display unit, and a processor that is communicatively coupled to the sensor subsystem and to the dynamic condition sensor and operatively coupled to the display unit. The processor is configured to command the display unit to display a first image corresponding to the first signal, to display a second image overlaid over the first image corresponding to the second signal, and to modify the appearance of the second image to enhance the pilot's ability to discern the first image.
US08400316B2
An electronic thermometer has a probe having a temperature measuring unit at its end, a temperature sensor arranged in the temperature measuring unit of the probe, a contact sensor arranged in a position shifter from the temperature measuring unit of the probe toward a thermometer body, a determining unit for determining whether a state of contact between the temperature measuring unit and a measurement target portion of a user is good or not, based on outputs of both the temperature sensor and the contact sensor, and a notifying unit for providing a notification according to a result of the determination by the determining unit.
US08400315B1
An apparatus and method for indicating a process temperature anomaly during a power outage comprising employing a power source separate from that powering the process, setting a temperature set point; sensing presence and absence of power powering the process, sensing process temperature; and indicating to users that an absence of power was sensed and that the temperature sensed during the absence of power was below (or above) the temperature set point.
US08400308B2
For identifying an object and releasing a security of the object an identification element is associated with the object and recognized by recognizing unit, a securing element is attached to an object and releasable from the object, and the identification element and the securing element are formed so that a release of the securing element is possible only after the identification of the object by recognizing the identification element.
US08400304B2
Biological reagent carrier devices and methods are disclosed, which employ RFID techniques to associate information with biological reagents.
US08400299B1
A system for automated house damage detection and reporting may comprise at least one subsystem configured for receiving a damage detection signal detecting potential damage to a building from at least one sensor operably connected to the building, and at least one subsystem configured for automatically communicating damage detection data using the received damage detection signal to a remote system outside the building for further analysis.
US08400287B2
An assistance method for performance driving of a vehicle; the assistance method includes the steps of: identifying a route used by the vehicle; on each section of the route, identifying the optimum point for the operation of an accelerator command, a brake command, a steering command and/or a gearbox command; identifying the current position of the vehicle along the route; identifying the next optimum point for the operation of a command; identifying a warning advance in accordance with an estimate of the reaction time of the driver and in accordance with the current speed and acceleration of the vehicle; and signalling to the driver to operate the command using the previously identified warning advance so that the driver actually operates the command at the optimum point of operation.
US08400285B2
A key locator includes a first and second antenna arranged in a vehicle. A first query unit transmits a challenge from the first antenna. A second query unit transmits a challenge from the second antenna to an electronic key responding to the challenge of the first query unit. A key locating unit determines the location of the electronic key in accordance with whether responses to the challenges from the first and second antennas are received from the electronic key.
US08400283B2
An electronic device for providing tactile feedback is provided. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback using any suitable approach, including for example vibration, heat, electrical, visual, or any other type of feedback. The electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to detecting any particular status of the electronic device, receiving any particular input, or detecting any suitable communication received by the electronic device. For example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to identifying the current network of the device, the status of a particular electronic device component, or any other electronic device status. As another example, the electronic device may provide tactile feedback in response to receiving a particular type of communication, or in response to receiving a communication from a particular contact.
US08400282B2
A magnetic circuit including a pole piece, a magnet, and a yoke is supported by using a suspension where outer and inner circumferential portions thereof are connected to each other with a supporting member, and the outer circumferential portion of the suspension is fixed to protrude from a housing or an inner wall of a cover provided with a stepped portion in a direction passing over the magnetic circuit toward an inner portion, so that it is possible to limit a movable range of the magnetic circuit by using the outer circumferential portion of the suspension and to prevent inner components of a main body of the multi-function vibration actuator from being destructed at the time of being impacted due to falling.
US08400281B2
A wireless identification system can include a directed-energy device configured as a reader. The reader can include a charged particle generator configured to generate energized particles and a charge transformer configured to receive the energized particles that include charged particles from the charged particle generator and to output a wavefront including energized particles that include particles having substantially zero charge. The system can also include an identification tag configured to be activated when impinged by the wavefront from the reader so as to transmit a signal configured to be used by the reader. A method of using a directed-energy device as a tag reader in a wireless identification system can include generating a wavefront that includes particles at substantially zero charge, impinging an identification tag with the wavefront so as to activate the identification tag so as to send a signal and detecting a signal transmitted by the identification tag.
US08400277B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for monitoring a transfer of fluid between a syringe and a fluid reservoir. A syringe may include a chamber for holding fluid transferred between the syringe and a fluid reservoir, a distal end comprising a point of attachment for a needle enabling transfer of fluid between the syringe and the fluid reservoir, and a first signaling tag carried by the syringe. The first signaling tag may be positioned to enable the first signaling tag to come within a sufficient proximity of a second signaling tag carried by the fluid reservoir to trigger a state of a signal emitted by at least one of the first signaling tag or second signaling tag to change when the needle is inserted through a membrane of the fluid reservoir.
US08400273B2
Device for reading radio frequency identifiers (RFID) ensuring volumetric confinement at UHF of the detection of RFID tags to a desired volume above a reading surface, which includes one or more metallic transmission lines (6) printed on a dielectric substrate (8), on a metallic reference ground plane (7), an RFID reader or interrogator (3) at one end and a load (10) at the other end whereby a structure (19,21,22,23), that comprises the reading surface, in which the one or more transmission lines (6), the dielectric substrate (8) and the metallic reference ground plane (7) are embedded or attached, and the electric fields (11) are contained in planes perpendicular to the one or more transmission lines (6) with one to five wavelengths that extend over all or part of the length of the reading surface, and wherein the dielectric substrate (8) has a low permittivity, less than 1.5 and the width of the transmission line (6) is comprised between 8 and 15% of the wavelength.
US08400270B2
Systems and methods for determining a binary status of a device are provided. A method for detecting an operating status of a device using a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is provided. The method includes coupling a first portion of the RFID tag to a first portion of the device and coupling a second portion of the RFID tag to a second portion of the device, wherein the first portion of the device is moveable with respect to the second portion of the device, changing a position of the first portion of the device with respect to a position of the second portion of the device, detecting the change in position of the first device portion based on the movement of the first RFID tag portion, wherein the movement causes a change in a status of an RFID signal emitted by the RFID tag, and determining the status of the device based on the change in the RFID signal status.
US08400266B2
To continuously detect a suspicious person, and to provide information for identifying the suspicious person, a monitoring device for monitoring an object existing in a detection area includes: a detection unit for detecting existence of the object in the detection area; an authentication information acquisition unit for acquiring authentication information held by the detected object; a registered authentication information storage unit for storing registered authentication information on an object admitted into the detection area; a determination unit for acquiring, based on the authentication information and the registered authentication information, a number of registered authentication objects and a number of unregistered authentication objects, for setting an alert mode when the detection unit detects the existence of the object, and when the number of registered authentication objects is zero, and for determining a suspicious object based on the number of registered authentication objects, the number of unregistered authentication objects, and the alert mode; and an alarming/notifying unit for notifying an alarm based on a result of determination by the determination unit.
US08400264B2
An operator system and related methods for automatically controlling access barriers which includes a base controller associated with at least one access barrier and at least one base receiver associated with the base controller. The system also includes at least one mobile transmitter that automatically and periodically generates at least one mobile signal detectable by the base receiver. The base controller selectively generates barrier movement commands upon receipt of the at least one mobile signal. Timers may be used to block receipt of any mobile signals for a period of time to prevent any further door movement. Such a system allows for hands-free operation of the access barrier. A discrete processing system may also be used to retrofit existing barrier operator systems for use in hands-free operation.
US08400259B2
An electronic device includes: a main unit operable by remote control using a remote controller, wherein the main unit includes a display section having a display screen, a main unit operation section performing input operation, and a main unit control section which performs both control operation corresponding to the operation of the main unit operation section and control operation corresponding to the operation of the remote controller, and the main unit control section displays a first guide screen for guiding the operation of the main unit operation section on the display screen as a first guide operation when detecting that the main unit operation section has been operated, and displays a second guide screen for guiding the operation of the remote controller on the display screen as a second guide operation when detecting that the remote controller has been operated.
US08400257B2
The present disclosure is directed to a thin film resistor structure that includes a resistive element electrically connecting first conductor layers of adjacent interconnect structures. The resistive element is covered by a dielectric cap layer that acts as a stabilizer and heat sink for the resistive element. Each interconnect includes a second conductor layer over the first conductive layer. The thin film resistor includes a chromium silicon resistive element covered by a silicon nitride cap layer.
US08400254B2
A surge absorbing element has a first electrode, a second electrode, and a ceramic layer. The second electrode is opposed to the first electrode. The ceramic layer has a polycrystal structure including a plurality of crystal grains showing voltage nonlinearity, and is at least partially brought into contact with the first electrode and the second electrode. The ceramic layer has a void inside therein, and surface discharge is generated on surfaces, exposed to the void, of the crystal grains, whereby electric conduction is attained between the first and second electrodes.
US08400253B2
Disclosed are a thermal fuse resistor having a case injection-molded by using thermosetting resin having heat resistance less than that of a filler, a manufacturing method of the thermal fuse resistor, and a method of installing the thermal fuse resistor such that a resistor and a thermal fuse are laid down on a printed circuit board. In the thermal fuse resistor, through changing a material of the case, the case has a lighter weight and is not easily broken, so that the thermal fuse resistor is advantageously used for an electronic appliance because of its lightness and slimness. The thickness of the case of the thermal fuse resistor serves as the thickness of the electronic appliance employing the thermal fuse resistor, so that the thermal fuse resistor allows the electronic appliance to have a slim structure.
US08400247B2
A coil component comprises a plurality of coil elements arranged side-by-side and a connecting portion that interconnects the coil elements. The plurality of coil elements are formed from a single flat wire wound edgewise so that the coil elements wind in the same direction. The connecting portion includes a portion of the flat wire between the two coil elements wound edgewise, wherein a part of the connection portion protrudes radially outward from the two coil elements. The connecting portion is bent flatwise at two positions so that the two coil elements are arranged side-by-side with their axes in parallel with each other.
US08400243B2
There is an electromagnetic switch for a starter includes a first and second electromagnet and a frame and a cover. The first and second electromagnets are set alongside in the frame. The first and second electromagnets are configured to change a position with respect to the cover by rotating about the axis with respect to the frame.
US08400242B2
A solenoid for a park lock mechanism wherein an annular frame has a reduced diameter at one end and receives a bobbin with a coil wound thereon with the bobbin projecting outward of the coil at one end and defining an integral bearing positioned in the one end of the annular frame. A magnetic permeable sintered metal bushing is interposed between the integrated bearing of the bobbin and the one end of the annular frame. A plunger is received in the bobbin for sliding movement relative thereto. The plunger has a first reduced section at one end that includes an element for connecting to a shifter and a second reduce section at its other end that projects out of said bobbin. The solenoid has two operating conditions, a first condition in which no magnetic force is applied to the plunger and a connected shifter is locked, and a second condition in which magnetic force is applied to the plunger and a connected shifter is unlocked for shifting. A manual release is provided for coacting with the plunger for putting the solenoid into the second condition in the absence of power.
US08400240B2
A magnetic switching device is provided with a first switching device which is provided with a movable magnet connected to a contact bridge, and with a second switching device which is provided with a magnet connected to a movable switch element. The magnets have the same polarity on the front faces facing each other. Positioned between the magnets is a separating plate made of ferromagnetic material, which is smaller than the front faces of the magnets which face each other.
US08400227B2
A clock generator is provided, capable of automatically adjusting an output clock when process, voltage, or temperature variation occurs. The clock generator includes a current generator, for generating a first current and a second current according to a bias signal, an oscillator, coupled to the current generator, for generating a clock signal according to the first current, a frequency detector, coupled to the oscillator, for generating a control signal according to the clock signal and a reference signal, and a bias voltage adjuster, coupled to the current generator and the frequency detector, for adjusting the bias signal according to the control signal. When the signal frequency of the clock signal changes, the bias signal corresponds to the bias voltage adjuster, to adjust the first current and the second current.
US08400226B2
An oscillation circuit and associated method, wherein the oscillation circuit provides a pair of oscillation signals at two oscillation nodes, and includes a first capacitor, a switch circuit and a second capacitor serially coupled between the two oscillation nodes; the switch circuit conducts between the first capacitor and the second capacitor on an enable voltage higher than a power voltage of the oscillation circuit.
US08400221B2
An apparatus and method for biasing each amplifier of an amplification stage provides that the voltage across each current sensing element of each amplifier of the amplification stage is measured. For each pair of voltage measurements taken, a sum and difference is calculated, where the sum is processed to determine minima peaks and the difference is averaged. A portion of the sum term and the average of the difference term are summed to yield the individual bias current conducted by a first amplifier of the amplification stage. The difference between a portion of the sum term and the average of the difference term is calculated to yield the individual bias current conducted by the second amplifier of the amplification stage. The bias current conducted by the first and second amplifiers may then be individually modified manually, or conversely, may be modified automatically based upon the bias current measurements taken.
US08400217B2
A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier system adjusts the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier (PA) adaptively, responsive to the measured or estimated power of the RF output signal of the PA. The RF PA system includes a power amplifier (PA) which receives and amplifies an RF input signal to generate an RF output signal at a level suitable for transmission to an antenna. A PA supply voltage controller generates a supply voltage control signal, which is used to control the supply voltage to the final stage of the PA. The supply voltage control signal is generated responsive to the measured or estimated power of the PA RF output signal, and also may be responsive to a parameter indicative of impedance mismatch experienced at the PA output. By controlling this supply voltage to the RF PA, the efficiency of the PA is improved.
US08400210B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes an individual chip designating code setting block configured to generate a plurality of individual chip designating codes which have different code values or at least two of which have the same code value, in response to a plurality of chip fuse signals; and an individual chip activation block configured to compare the plurality of individual chip designating codes with chip selection address in response to the plurality of chip fuse signals, and enable one of a plurality of individual chip activation signals based on a result of the comparison.
US08400207B2
A level shift circuit includes a first circuit connected between a first power supply terminal (PST) and an output terminal (OT) of the level shift circuit to set OT to a first voltage (V1) when conducting, a second circuit connected between a second PST and OT to set OT to the second voltage (V2) when conducting, and a third circuit that receives an input signal and a feedback signal from OT so that, when OT=V2 and input=a third voltage (V3), the first circuit conducts, and when OT=V1, the first circuit is made nonconductive irrespective of the value of the input signal. The second circuit is made conductive and nonconductive, when the input=a fourth voltage (V4) and V3, respectively. A high/low relationship of V1, V2=that of V3, V4. The input between V3, V4 has a lower amplitude than the output signal between V1, V2.
US08400201B2
A delay clock generator includes a plurality of delay element arrays arranged in parallel; a feed side transfer line and a return side transfer line provided in each of the delay elements which make up the delay element arrays, and that transfer a clock signal in a feed direction and a return direction; a selector selecting a first transfer route that couples the feed side transfer lines to each other along the preceding and succeeding delay elements and a third transfer route that couples the return side transfer lines to each other along the preceding and succeeding delay elements, and a second transfer route that couples the feed side transfer lines and the return side transfer lines of each of the delay elements; and a decoder causing the selector to select the second transfer route for one of the delay elements in the delay element array.
US08400199B2
A charge pump being disposed in a phase locking system. The charge pump includes a sourcing element, a draining element and an offset element. The sourcing element is arranged to selectively source a first current into an output terminal of the charge pump according to a first control signal, and the draining element is arranged to selectively drain a second current from the output terminal according to a second control signal. The offset element is arranged to selectively conduct an offset current via the output terminal according to a third control signal, and one of the sourcing element and the draining element is disabled when the phase locking system is in a phase-locked state.
US08400195B2
An apparatus and a method provide synchronization of an output signal to a synchronization information. The synchronization is accomplished by providing coupling of a correction control information that controls a signal generator, e.g. a phase locked loop arrangement or a direct digital synthesis arrangement, to its exact frequency to a frequency conversion unit that converts an uncorrected reference frequency to a correct or exact reference frequency. Thereby, the uncorrected reference frequency for the signal generator can be provided by a simple crystal oscillator without any frequency controller. The setting of the signal generator and the frequency conversion unit can be done in a predetermined sequence which enables a user equipment to synchronize its reference frequency to the synchronization information emitted by a communication network.
US08400194B2
A current driving type transmitter using independent current signals, which can independently generate and transmit differential current indicating a logic state of data to be transmitted, using a difference between positive data current and negative data current without using external current, so that magnitudes of current applied to a pair of transmission lines can be kept constant without being influenced by the design of current sources and processing factors, a current driving type receiver using independent current signals, which can simultaneously convert a difference in levels of current, received through the transmission lines, into a voltage level by a single I-V converter, so that errors of a true line and a bar line can be lessened, and an interface system for COG application, which adopts the transmitter and receiver, so that distortion of transmitted signals can be reduced.
US08400192B2
An architecture for resonant clock distribution networks is proposed. This architecture allows for the energy-efficient operation of a resonant clock distribution network at multiple clock frequencies through the deployment of flip-flops that can be selectively enabled. The proposed architecture is primarily targeted at the design of resonant clock networks with integrated inductors and exhibits no inductor overheads. Such an architecture is generally applicable to semiconductor devices with multiple clock frequencies, and high-performance and low-power clocking requirements such as microprocessors, ASICs, and SOCs. Moreover, it is applicable to the binning of semiconductor devices according to achievable performance levels.
US08400182B2
A wafer inspection device, which inspects the electrical properties of a semiconductor wafer on which a semiconductor integrated circuit is formed, and the wafer inspection device has: a holding mechanism for holding a probe card; a wafer stage that holds the semiconductor wafer on the upper surface and is movably provided; and a pressing mechanism that are held and press the wafer stage against the probe card. The wafer stage is provided on the outer periphery with a seal ring. The seal ring forms a sealed space in a state where the wafer and the probe card are brought close to each other by contacting the probe card and is provided in such a manner as to reduce the pressure of the sealed space.
US08400180B2
A system for testing with an automated test equipment (ATE) includes a tester having at least one test resource, a tandem handler, and a mux relay that switchably connects the test resource, via parallel connections, to either one of dual sockets at each instant of testing. The handler has first and second manipulator arms. Each arm operates as to a particular one of the respective sockets, to retrieve a next device to be tested and position the device in the socket (while testing is performed on a device in the other socket), to disposition the device from the socket once testing is completed as to the device in the socket, and thereafter repeat until all staged devices for testing have been tested (or an interruption of testing otherwise occurs). The mux relay switches between sockets in response to the tandem handler acting as a master and the tester as slave. Upon completion of testing via the test resource as to an applicable pin of one socket, the test resource is switchably connected via the mux relay to a functionally same applicable pin of the other socket.
US08400172B2
A sensor for monitoring a structure or material. The sensor has a continuous elongate conducting member embedded in an insulating material and a conductivity or resistance meter. The insulating material has one or more gaps that expose the conducting member without allowing direct contact between the insulating material and the structure or material when the sensor is placed against the structure or material. The meter is arranged to monitor conductivity or resistance between the conducting member and the structure or material being monitored, and/or between two regions of the conducting member.
US08400171B2
A sensor device for monitoring and testing for potential corrosion of structural elements is disclosed comprising a soluble material disposed adjacent to at least one conductor in a transmission line that reacts to the presence of moisture causing a detectable change in an electrical property of the conductor. The conductor may comprise a conductive ink that is disrupted when the soluble material dissolves beneath it. Alternately, the nonconductive soluble membrane may separate two conductors and moisture causes a disruption in the soluble membrane allowing the two conductors to short. Detected changes in the electrical properties of the one or more conductors can be used to indicate potential corrosion or structural imparement in the structural element. Connection to the sensor device may be through a connector or using a wireless reader which remotely energizes the sensor device comprising one or more RFID chips.
US08400166B2
Systems and methods to determine electromagnetic properties are provided. A particular method includes directing electromagnetic energy toward an article under test. The method also includes taking measurements of electromagnetic energy scattered by the article under test. The method further includes determining expected baseline values of at least one electromagnetic property of the article under test. The expected baseline values are based on electromagnetic energy scattered by a control article. The method also includes determining output data based on a difference between the expected baseline values and characteristic values of the article under test determined based on the measurements of electromagnetic energy scattered by the article under test. The output data includes values indicative of inhomogeneous distribution of an electromagnetic property of the article under test.
US08400162B1
A method of monitoring battery capacity comprises determining a starting capacity of a battery; determining an activity coefficient for a device connected to the battery; determining a voltage and current profile for the battery using the starting capacity; determining a voltage and current operating point for the device using the activity value for the device; and determining an updated capacity of the battery using the voltage and current profile for the battery and the voltage and current operating point for the device.
US08400161B2
A modular test plug for voltage, current and saturation testing has a housing having a handle portion, a plurality of jaw connections for injecting upstream toward the equipment to be tested, a plurality of blade connections for injecting downstream toward a transformer, a first plurality of binding posts on a top of the housing connected to the jaw connections, and a second plurality of binding posts also on a top of the housing connected to the blade connections. Also provided is a short-defeating insert for defeating a shorting mechanism in an FT switch. This insert has a thin flat extension member extending from the body to prevent a bottom cam on a shorting blade from making contact with a shorting spring that would otherwise short the circuit when the switch handle is moved from the open position to the closed position.
US08400155B2
Methods and apparatus for providing on a display device an electronic rendering of a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of an underground facility. One or more electronic detection marks are displayed in a display field of the display device, based at least in part on locate information generated by a locate device used for the locate operation. The locate device includes a receiver antenna to detect a magnetic field from the underground facility. The locate information includes magnetic field information based on the detected magnetic field, and geographic information indicating at least one location of the locate device during the locate operation. One or more characteristics of the electronic detection mark(s) is/are based on the magnetic field information, and one or more positions in the display field at which the electronic detection mark(s) is/are displayed is/are based on the geographic information.
US08400153B2
An overmoulded cable trap (302) for improved performance of an RF trap (102) is disclosed, wherein the RF trap (102) is placed on a section of an electrical cable (104) and fixed in position by overmoulding a thermoplastic material over both the RF trap (102) and the section of the electrical cable (104). The overmoulded cable trap (302) disclosed herein provides an RF trap (102) that has better shock protection, increased resistance to moisture, improved smoothness, is easier to handle and clean, is cheaper, can be created in very small packages where space is limited, can be easily sized to a range of diameters and lengths, is more reliable with respect to maximum rated voltage and less electromagnetic coupling to the environment, and generates less heat, than other designs of RF traps.
US08400145B2
A balanced bridge variable-reluctance sensor with no internal circuit components, springs, or dielectric for performing vibration analysis in high-vibration, high-temperature, and other extreme environments. The present invention includes a variable-reluctance sensor in a vibration-sensing capacity. The present invention has inherently high reliability due to its simplicity. The sensor is solidly mounted to a structure that is being monitored and allows a vibration wave to pass through a floating sensor bridge. The sensor vibrates at the same frequency as the application being measured.
US08400138B2
A current sensing assembly is provided for sensing the current travelling through a current carrying member of a pad mount distribution transformer in a meter network. A current sensor includes a slot having an open end that receives the current carrying member. The sensor includes a conductive coil disposed adjacent the slot that generates an output signal indicating a sensed current level. A retainer member includes a retainer wall that is configured to be inserted into the open end of the slot so as to define a receptacle that captures the current carrying member therein.
US08400137B2
A reference voltage generation circuit includes a current-mirror circuit formed of a plurality of MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistors each having a source terminal connected to a power source and a gate terminal connected to with each other; and a plurality of transistors each connected to a drain terminal of each of the MOS transistors of the current-mirror circuit for controlling the current-mirror circuit, so that an output current of the current-mirror circuit is converted to a voltage to be output as a reference voltage. Each of the MOS transistors of the current-mirror circuit has the drain terminal connected to a collector terminal of each of the transistors. Accordingly, when a voltage of the power source varies, it is possible to maintain a collector voltage of each of the transistors at a specific level and a collector current of each of the transistors constant.
US08400135B2
A self-oscillating switch circuit is configured for use in a switching DC-DC converter (switched mode power supply (SMPS)). The self-oscillating switch circuit comprises an input terminal (Tin1, Tin2) for receiving power from a power supply (51) and an output terminal (Tont1, Tont2) for supplying power to a load. The load may be a high-power LED, for example. The self-oscillating switch circuit further comprises a power switch semi-> conductor device (Q1) having a control terminal and a control semi-conductor device (Q2) coupled to the power switch semi-conductor device. The power switch semi-conductor device is configured for controlling a load current between the input terminal and the output terminal and the control semi-conductor device is configured for supplying a control signal to the control terminal of the power switch semi-conductor device for controlling switching of the power switch semi-conductor device. In order to reduce a power loss in the power switch semi-conductor device, a gain semi-conductor device (Q4) is coupled between the power switch semi-conductor device and the control semi-conductor device for amplifying the control signal. Due to the amplification of the control signal, switching of the power switch semi-conductor device is performed faster, thereby reducing power dissipation due to a load current flowing through the power switch semi-conductor device, while the base-emitter voltage of the power switch transistor is below a base emitter voltage corresponding to the peak current at that time.
