US08978160B2
A system and method for validating a software file to be installed into a controller. The method includes preparing the software file including assigning a software version code to the software file, assigning a security version code to the software file, and signing the software file with the software file version code and the security version code. The signed software file is presented to the controller for installing on the controller and the controller verifies the software file signature to determine if the software file is valid and the security version code is valid. The controller allows the software file to be installed in the controller if both the signed software file is valid and the security version code is valid.
US08978159B1
Access control systems are provided that mediate access to derivatives of sensitive data. A method is provided for processing a data request from a client, the data request comprising a client identifier and an indication of the intended use of the data, by receiving the data request from the client; providing the client identifier and indicated use to an access manager, wherein the access manager assesses a risk of providing access to the data for the indicated use; if the access manager grants access for the indicated use, receiving one or more keys with corresponding computing restrictions from the access manager; computing a result; and providing the result to the client, wherein the provided result comprises the derivative of sensitive data. The access manager grants the access for the indicated use, for example, based on a risk score.
US08978150B1
A data recovery service protects against unauthorized use of a computer system. The service includes a data feed that contains data recovered from online repositories known to be used by malicious software or individuals, the recovered data identifying a compromised credential of an authorized user of the computer system. Based on this data, a protective action is automatically performed to limit or prevent use of the credential of the authorized user to access the computer system. Protective action may include disabling user account access privileges, etc.
US08978145B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a rights object in Digital Rights Management in a portable terminal are provided. In the method, a first time zone information of network is detected when the rights object for content is provided. A second time zone information of network is detected when the content is used. An absolute time difference between the time zone informations is computed when the first time zone information is not equal to the second time zone information. As such, use authority for the content is managed by controlling the rights object according to the absolute time difference.
US08978139B1
A method and apparatus for detecting malicious software activity, using at least one processor, based on an Internet resource information database in memory is described. In one embodiment, a method for detecting malicious software activity, using at least one processor, based on an Internet resource information database in memory includes processing Internet activity to determine source and time information associated with at least one application download, comparing the Internet resource information database with the source and time information associated with the at least one application download to identify at least one suspicious application, and monitoring execution of the at least one suspicious application.
US08978126B2
A method at a computing client located behind a NAT and restrictive-access firewall, including establishing a control connection with a TCP TURN server utilizing a port capable of traversing the restrictive-access firewall; requesting an allocation of an client service identity from the TCP TURN server; and receiving, from the TCP TURN server, a response containing the client service identity, the client service identity being independent of any port used to communicate with the TCP TURN server. Further a method at a TCP TURN server, including listening on a first port for communications from a computing client, the computing client being behind a restrictive access firewall and the first port capable of traversing the restrictive-access firewall; establishing a control connection with the client on the first port; receiving a request for an allocation of an client service identity from the computing client; and sending a response containing the client service identity.
US08978118B2
An OT or Oblivious Transfer protocol is used to output pseudonym tokens from a list of pseudonym tokens to user entities such that it is possible to obtain pseudonymized authentication by a preceding verification of proof of identity of the respective user entities and marking pseudonym tokens as used as soon as the same are used for authentication by means of the OT protocol after the output.
US08978117B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for determining authentication frequency (i.e., the length of time between authenticating and re-authenticating a user) and challenge type (e.g., username/password, fingerprint recognition, voice recognition, etc.) based on one or more environmental properties (e.g., ambient noise level, ambient luminosity, temperature, etc.), or one or more physiological properties of a user (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, etc.), or both. Advantageously, the illustrative embodiment enables authentication frequency and challenge type to be adjusted based on the likelihood of malicious activity, as inferred from these properties. In addition, the illustrative embodiment enables the authentication challenge type to be tailored to particular environmental conditions (e.g., noisy environments, dark environments, etc.).
US08978116B1
Method for monitoring an online identity of a user on a network is described. In one example, data exchanged between a browser client on a device associated with the user and the network is monitored. Creation or use of an online identity by the user is detected within the data. The online identity is associated with a host site. The host site may be any of a plurality of point of presence sites. A notification of the online identity is generated for presentation to a custodian of the user. The notification may then be sent to the custodian.
US08978115B2
The authentication of identities within a realm in which some identities are authenticated using direct authentication, and some identities are authenticated using federated authentication. Requests for service from valid identities in the realm that are to be authenticated by direct authentication are responded to with a direct authentication interface. Requests for service from valid identities in the realm that are to be authenticated by federated authentication are responded to with a federated authentication interface. Requests for service from invalid identities are responded to pseudo-randomly with either the direct authentication interface or the federated authentication interface.
US08978112B2
Systems and methods for controlling communication systems for the hearing impaired are disclosed. A portable communication device requests control over a plurality of communication devices. The portable communication device connects to and controls the plurality of communication devices. The portable communication device includes a user interface that enables a user to transfer a call from a first communication device to a second communication device.
US08978104B1
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing indirect and temporary access to a company's IT infrastructure and business applications. The methods/systems involve establishing an access control center (ACC) to control the access that technical support personnel may have to the company's IT infrastructure and business applications. Thin client terminals with limited functionality may then be set up in the ACC for use by the technical support personnel. The thin client terminals connect the technical support personnel to workstations outside the ACC that operate as virtual desktops. The virtual desktops in turn connect the technical support personnel to the IT infrastructure and business applications. An ACC application may be used to control the connection between the thin client terminals and the virtual desktops and the virtual desktops and the IT infrastructure and business applications.
US08978099B2
A method for detecting an IP address. An access router releases the routes of a detected IP address via a first interface and a second interface, and sets the priority of the route released via said first interface lower than that of the route released via said second interface. After having received by said access router a WEB request by the user via said first interface, the method comprises searching a session record corresponding to said WEB request; establishing by said access router the session record corresponding to said WEB request when the corresponding session record is not found, and returning a redirecting message taking said detected IP address as the re-directed destination IP address; and after having received by said access router via said second interface the message taking said detected IP address as the destination IP address, determining that the user who sent said message is an illegal user.
US08978094B2
A novel security framework that is part of an operating system of a device is provided. The framework includes a security assessor that performs security policy assessments for different operations that need to be performed with respect to an application executing on the device. Examples of such operations include the installation of the application, execution of the application, and the opening of content files (e.g., opening of documents) by the application.
US08978086B2
The MEDIA CONTENT BASED ADVERTISING SURVEY PLATFORM APPARATUSES AND SYSTEMS (“AD-SURVEY”) transforms user advertisement exposure data via AD-SURVEY components, into ad effects data including user responses to survey questions. A system is disclosed, comprising: a memory; a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions executable by a processor for obtaining TV program schedule listing data including a plurality of ad tags at a server; providing the obtained TV program schedule listing data to a user mobile device, receiving a user media program selection message from the user mobile device; retrieving an ad tag associated with the user selected media program from the TV program schedule listing data; querying a survey question list based on key terms extracted from ad contents; generating and sending a survey question to the user mobile device; and obtaining a user reaction to the survey question.
US08978078B2
A particular method includes detecting a channel change request at a set-top box. The channel change request specifies a requested channel that is associated with a plurality of multimedia streams, where each multimedia stream has a corresponding content format. A particular multimedia stream is selected based on an available bandwidth of a service to a premises of the set-top box. Alternately, or in addition, the particular multimedia stream may be selected based on an output setting of the set-top box, scheduled recordings at a digital video recorder associated with the set-top box, available storage space at the digital video recorder, and other factors. In one example, the method may implement channel proxy functionality, reducing redundancy and complexity at an electronic program guide and simplifying a channel selection process for a user.
US08978076B2
Methods and system for providing content are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a request for data at a first time, wherein the data comprises a first time duration, determining a buffer size based upon the first time duration, and determining a playback window based upon the determined buffer size and the first time. The method can also comprise synchronizing presentation of content on a plurality of devices.
US08978067B2
A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates ordered in a hierarchy for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. The templates include those for higher-order displays which have one or more links to lower-order displays of specific content. The VOD Application Server, in response to viewer request, displays a high-order templatized display, and in response to viewer selection of a link, displays the lower-order display of specific content. The hierarchical templatized displays enable viewers to navigate to an end subject of interest while having a unique visual experience of moving through a series of displays to the end subject of interest. For example, the higher-order display may be a product ad and the lower-order display may be an ad for a local retailer of the product. Similarly, a viewer can navigate from national product to local product ad, or classified ad category to specific classified ad, or bulletin board topic category to specific posting. In another embodiment, the VOD content delivery system is used to deliver consumer-generated classified ads on TV. A web-based Content Management System receives consumer-generated content uploaded online in industry-standard file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer's TV indexed by title and topical area, and displays a requested classified ad in response to viewer selection.
US08978066B2
Methods, computer program products, and apparatuses are provided for allowing a user to communicate with a set top box and a media content server through a mobile communication device, such as a cellular phone. The user may be able to request and receive a customer specific interactive programming guide through the mobile communication device. The interactive programming guide may allow the user to search and record media programs, including sending recording commands to a set top box to record a particular media program. The interactive programming guide may also allow the user to order and receive media programs to the mobile communication device. Embodiments may provide a personal video recorder proxy server as an interface between the mobile communication device and the set top box and the media content server.
US08978060B2
Systems, methods, and media for presenting advertisements are provided. In some implementations, systems for presenting advertisements are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor that: receives media content containing a video portion and/or an audio portion; determines whether a watermark is embedded in at least one of the video portion and/or the audio portion of the media content; and if it is determined that the watermark is embedded in the at least one of the video portion and/or the audio portion of the media content: identifies a payload in the watermark; receives an advertisement selected at least in part based on the payload; and causes the advertisement to be presented instead of the media content.
US08978058B2
A placeshifting device handles content from a media source (e.g., a set-top box) that might incorporate a form of copy-protection such as HDCP. In one case, when a placeshifting mode is entered (as opposed to a pass-through mode), the copy-protection capability of the interface (e.g., an HDMI interface) is simply disabled. In another case in which the media source includes a copy protection “flag” or the like that can be interrogated by the placeshifting device, the placeshifting device determines whether the media source copy-protection is enabled, and only then disables the copy-protection capability of the interface. In another case in which selectable output control (SOC) is available in the media source, the placeshifting device determines whether alternate interfaces are available (e.g., component video, composite video, and the like), and if so, disables the interface having copy-protection capability.
US08978056B2
The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory) for controlling loading (e.g., pre-filling) of video data to a user equipment by a wireless network (e.g., from internet) while the video is played by the user equipment using an additional pre-filling based on predicted degradation of connectivity of the user equipment with the wireless network to avoid interruption or deterioration of playing the video and/or to reduce video data loading cost.
US08978055B1
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a receiver, a generator and a transmitter. The receiver receives operation data indicative of an operating period from each of one or more electronic apparatuses used by a first user, and receives viewing data from a first electronic apparatus of the one or more electronic apparatuses, the viewing data indicative of a program viewed by the first user. The generator generates living pattern data indicative of a living pattern of the first user using the operation data and the viewing data. The transmitter transmits the living pattern data to an electronic apparatus used by a second user.
US08978045B2
A per-station start time scheduler identifies a station that is unavailable to perform a task over a time interval. The scheduler identifies a plurality of stations and a start time of a task. The scheduler monitors each of the plurality of stations using a station time constraint corresponding to the task. Upon detecting that a station is unavailable to perform a task over a time interval, the scheduler sends a notification specifying the station that is unavailable to perform the task.
US08978044B2
A method for distributing drivers from a storage system to one or more host systems includes maintaining, in a storage system, a driver database containing drivers for different host systems. The drivers enable the different host systems to effectively communicate with the storage system. The method further determines whether a specific host system is configured with an appropriate driver. In the event the specific host system is not configured with the appropriate driver, the method retrieves the appropriate driver from the driver database. The method then transmits the appropriate driver from the storage system to the specific host system for installation thereon. By using the storage system as a central repository for the latest device drivers, the method ensures that connected host systems are always configured with the latest drivers. A corresponding apparatus, system, and computer program product are also disclosed herein.
US08978026B2
An architecture allows individual system components to be developed and tested individually, i.e., as distinct modules, and to be subsequently combined through standardized electrical and communication interfaces. Any combination of these modules can be implemented to form different products that provide any number of functions, such as an integrated system for monitoring a health condition and/or delivering a medication. The architecture also provides an approach for dynamically updating the product and offering its users the latest generation of technology even after the users have already purchased the product. In particular, the embodiments employ the communication interfaces to also provide connection to a remote network that can update or upgrade the product's software when the product is out in the field.
US08978025B2
The disclosure provides a server including a baseboard management controller (BMC), a programmable logic device (PLD) and a blocking unit. The BMC receives an update instruction, and according to the update instruction, generates a firmware update data. The BMC generates an update signal according to on a reception state of the update instruction. The PLD is coupled to the BMC, receives the firmware update data to update a firmware. When the firmware is updated, the PLD generates a restart signal. The blocking unit is coupled to the BMC and the PLD, receives the update signal and the restart signal, and according to the update signal, determines whether to block the restart signal.
US08978019B2
A solution is proposed for instrumenting a software application for configuration thereof. A corresponding method includes scanning a source code of the software application for detecting an indication of a set of configuration parameters each one being identified by a pre-defined non-executable statement, creating a set of instances of a pre-defined configuration object each one mapping a corresponding one of the configuration parameters, the configuration object being designed to manage the corresponding configuration parameter, and creating a set of configuration interfaces for editing the configuration parameters, the configuration interfaces being operable to interact with each instance of the configuration object to get and set the corresponding configuration parameter.
US08978003B1
A method of making a semiconductor device includes arranging a first cell and a second cell, determining, by a processor, a first pattern density of a first cell, determining a second pattern density of a second cell, determining a pattern density gradient from the first pattern density to the second pattern density, determining whether the pattern density gradient exceeds a pattern density gradient threshold, and indicating a design change if the pattern density gradient exceeds than the pattern density gradient threshold.
US08977991B2
A received layout identifies a plurality of circuit components to be included in an integrated circuit (IC) layer for double patterning the layer using two photomasks, the layout including a plurality of first patterns to be included in the first photomask and at least one second pattern to be included in the second photomask. A selected one of the first patterns has first and second endpoints, to be replaced by a replacement pattern connecting the first endpoint to a third endpoint. At least one respective keep-out region is provided adjacent to each respective remaining first pattern except for the selected first pattern. Data are generated representing the replacement pattern, such that no part of the replacement pattern is formed in any of the keep-out regions. Data representing the remaining first patterns and the replacement pattern are output.
US08977990B2
A reticle including exposure monitoring keys. The reticle includes an exposure region that is to be exposed to light during an exposure process, and a non-exposure region surrounding the exposure region and not to be exposed to the light. The exposure monitoring keys are disposed across a boundary between the exposure region and the non-exposure region.
US08977976B2
Systems and methods are provided for instantly and electronically reporting generation outages and/or availability to the grid operator. More specifically, the invention relates to systems for creating outage requests on a mobile device or web interface, accepting outage requests, processing the outage request, submitting the outage request to the grid operator electronically, receiving and communicating acknowledgement of receipt, acceptance or rejection of the outage request and starting the outage when an outage request is approved. In some embodiments, workflow design for processing the outage request may occur on a mobile device or web interface.
US08977974B2
Ambient noise sampled by a mobile device from a local environment is used to automatically trigger actions associated with content currently playing on the mobile device. In some implementations, subtitles or closed captions associated with the currently playing content are automatically invoked and displayed on a user interface based on a level of ambient noise. In some implementations, audio associated with the currently playing content is adjusted or muted. Actions can be automatically triggered based on a comparison of the sampled ambient noise, or an audio fingerprint of the sampled ambient noise, with reference data, such as a reference volume level or a reference audio fingerprint. In some implementations, a reference volume level can be learned on the mobile device based on ambient noise samples.
US08977973B2
An online tool allows a user, such as an online merchant, to access a page of a service provider, select a format, customize funding sources and designs, and copy and paste the code to the merchant page to quickly and easily create a customized funding source graphic.
US08977972B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and machine-readable mediums for implementing gesture-based signature authentication. In one embodiment, a system may include several modal input devices. Each modal input device is capable of retrieving a stream of modal input data from a user. The system also includes modal interpretation logic that can interpret each of the retrieved modal input data streams into a corresponding of set of actions. The system additionally includes modal pairing logic to assign each corresponding set of actions to control one of the displayed objects. Furthermore, the system has modal control logic which causes each displayed object to be controlled by its assigned set of actions.
US08977969B2
A system for providing a dynamic web portal page in a web portal environment by modifying the web portal page, where the system includes: a server configured to provide a content with at least one portlet of the web portal page to a user. The server enters code into the provided content of the web portal page for identifying user-interface elements in the content of the web portal page. The server enters code into the provided content of the web portal page for monitoring user actions related to the identified user-interface elements in the content of the web portal page. The server re-configures automatically the content of the web portal page according to a user-specific preference extracted from the monitored user actions for the user at a later stage.
US08977967B2
In one or more embodiments, a flip ahead input, such as a gesture, provides touch users with an ability to easily navigate various websites. The flip ahead input can be utilized to advance to the next portion of relevant content. In at least some embodiments, the flip ahead input resides in the form of a forward swipe. In one or more embodiments, the flip ahead input is configured to be utilized in association with an aggregated browsing history from multiple users. The aggregated browsing history is analyzed to generate rules that are then downloaded to a client device and used by a suitably-configured web browser to ascertain the next portion of content when a flip ahead input is received.
US08977962B2
A method for displaying reference waveforms to facilitate visual identification of different points such as maximum points and minimum points of an audio clip is provided. The reference waveform includes points that correspond to points on the original audio waveform, except that some or all points on the reference waveform are accentuated to easily identify the positions of the corresponding points on the audio waveform. The reference waveforms are especially useful when an audio waveform (or at least a portion of the clip) has low volume which makes the visual identification of the maximums and minimums of the waveform difficult. Displaying the reference waveform which accentuates the peaks and valleys of the original waveform facilitates the identification of these maximums and minimums.
US08977961B2
Gesture based, context sensitive help and search functionalities are provided for application programs on a mobile device. In response to detecting movement at a mobile device in the form of a gesture, it is determined whether the movement corresponds to a predetermined gesture for invoking a help or search functionality. When the movement corresponds to a predetermined gesture, a current context of mobile device is identified and help content associated with the identified current context is retrieved for the help functionality, or a search query associated with the context is invoked and search results are obtained for a search functionality, for presentation to the user of the mobile device.
US08977957B2
An image processing apparatus displays a preview image of an input job and a method controls the apparatus. The apparatus determines an attribute of an object included in an input job, analyzes the job while switching the degree of the precision of analysis of the job based on a user-specified display size and the attribute of the object, and generates and displays a preview image of the job based on the analysis results.
US08977954B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for providing an HTML-based application capable of controlling web actions and clients. The system includes an HTML skin-generating module to generate an HTML skin that includes instructions corresponding to business logic, and a script to control a skin according to the business logic. The system also includes an application drive file-generating module to generate an application drive file to interoperate with the HTML skin to execute the business logic.
US08977951B2
A system receives an identification of an electronic form that contains a set of objects. At least one object allows a user, via a graphical user interface, to provide input to the object. The system identifies a set of objects from the electronic form to be included within a panel used by a wizard to complete the electronic form. The system generates the panel for presentation by the wizard. The panel allows the user to provide input to those objects on that panel.
US08977950B2
Techniques to select and manipulate table borders as discrete objects are described. In particular, a table border may be selected without having to select a cell that includes the desired border. In one embodiment, for example, a technique may include detecting a selector in proximity to a border in a table. The border in proximity to the selector may be highlighted visually on a display to show which part of the table border may be selected. A selection may cause the highlighted border to be selected. The now-selected border may then be manipulated. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08977948B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for determining information associated with an extracted portion of content. In use, a user is identified. Additionally, content generated by the user is identified. Additionally, a portion of the content is extracted. Further, information associated with the extracted portion of the content is determined. Further still, the determined information is added to a profile of the user. Also, an action is initiated, based on the profile of the user.
US08977946B2
A presentation apparatus stores parts data that includes parts data that includes type, location, and size of component parts that are displayed within a selected screen area, together with a selection rule that depicts the type of the component part that is to change a drawing state when the presentation apparatus is running in a presentation mode. When executing a presentation process, the apparatus selects a component part from the parts data, according to the selection rule, processes the selected screen area by changing an image of the selected component part, and generates the image to be used in the presentation.
US08977944B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a memory, and a memory controller coupled to the memory via an address bus, a data bus, and an error code bus. The memory stores data at an address and stores an error code at the address. The error code is generated based on a function of the corresponding data and address.
US08977926B2
A LDPC decoder includes a processor for targeted symbol flipping of suspicious bits in a LDPC codeword with unsatisfied checks. All combinations of check indices and variable indices are compiled and correlated into a pool of targeted symbol flipping candidates and returned along with symbol indices to a process that uses such symbol indices to identify symbols to flip in order to break a trapping set.
US08977918B2
An architecture for testing a plurality of circuits on an integrated circuit is described. The architecture includes a TAP Linking Module located between test pins on the integrated circuit and 1149.1 Test Access Ports (TAP) of the plurality of circuits to be tested. The TAP Linking Module operates in response to 1149.1 scan operations from a tester connected to the test pins to selectively switch between 1149.1 TAPs to enable test access between the tester and plurality of circuits. The TAP Linking Module's 1149.1 TAP switching operation is based upon augmenting 1149.1 instruction patterns to affix an additional bit or bits of information which is used by the TAP Linking Module for performing the TAP switching operation.
US08977910B2
Embodiments are described that leverage variability of a chip. Different areas of a chip vary in terms of reliability under a same operating condition. The variability may be captured by measuring errors over different areas of the chip. A physical factor that affects or controls the likelihood of an error on the chip can be varied. For example, the voltage supplied to a chip may be provided at different levels. At each level of the physical factor, the chip is tested for errors within the regions. Some indication of the error statistics for the regions is stored and then used to adjust power used by the chip, to adjust reliability behavior of the chip, to allow applications to control how the chip is used, to compute a signature uniquely identifying the chip, etc.
US08977902B2
A method for integrity checking for a cryptographic engine in a computing system includes monitoring a state of a side channel of the cryptographic engine during operation of the cryptographic engine by a side channel monitor; comparing the state of the side channel to a side channel model of the cryptographic engine to determine whether a mismatch exists between the state of the side channel and the side channel model; and based on a mismatch between the state of the side channel and the model of the side channel, indicating an error in the cryptographic engine.
US08977901B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating a service call pattern for a system. A monitor is installed on a first and a second service call channel. Each service call channel is used by a first and second system under test, respectively. Through the monitor, service calls are received from the respective system under test. The service calls are issued to at least one service. A first service call pattern is generated based at least in part on the plurality of service calls issued by the first system under test. A second service call pattern is generated based at least in part on the plurality of service calls issued by the second under test. The first service call pattern report and the second service call pattern report are compared. An error condition if the comparison indicates a difference greater than a predefined threshold.
US08977887B2
A disaster recovery appliance is described herein. The disaster recovery appliance is coupled to one or more servers. The disaster recovery appliance continuously receives backup data for each of the one or more servers. When a server fails, the disaster recovery appliance, replaces the failed server. While the failed server is inaccessible, the disaster recovery appliance is able to mimic the functionality of the failed server. In some embodiments, the disaster recovery appliance is able to act as a server in addition to a backup device for the other servers.
US08977886B2
Various embodiments provide a method and apparatus of providing a rapid disaster recovery preparation in cloud networks that proactively detects disaster events and rapidly allocates cloud resources. Rapid disaster recovery preparation may shorten the recovery time objective (RTO) by proactively growing capacity on the recovery application(s)/resource(s) before the surge of recovery traffic hits the recovery application(s)/resource(s). Furthermore, rapid disaster recovery preparation may shorten RTO by growing capacity more rapidly than during “normal operation” where the capacity is increased by modest growth after the load has exceeded a utilization threshold for a period of time.
US08977875B2
A power supplying control apparatus includes a transition unit that causes a control apparatus to transition to one of a power supplied state that causes power to be supplied and a power shutoff state that shuts off the supplying of power, and a determining unit that determines a transition target of the transition unit in accordance with a first time period and a second time period, the first time period having a length of time beyond which no further memory space is available from a second memory, and thus being determined by a transmission and reception speed of information to a communication line network and a storage capacity of the second memory, the second time period being so long as to enable information stored on the second memory to be stored on a first memory in the power shutoff state.
US08977870B2
An electronic apparatus includes: a DC-DC converter for supplying power to an external device connected via a USB 3.0 host connector; and a device determination section for determining, via one terminal of the USB 3.0 host connector, the external device connected to the USB 3.0 host connector. Upon determination by the device determination section that a USB compatible device is connected, the DC-DC converter supplies power to the USB compatible device.
US08977869B2
While an IC chip is in idle mode with no power being supplied to the IC chip, the IC chip may be operable to detect a signal pulse received by the IC chip using energy associated with the signal pulse. The IC chip may be operable to control a control signal for a power switch using the energy associated with the signal pulse. The power switch may allow power to be provided to the IC chip based on the control signal. The IC chip may comprise a pulse detector, a latch circuit and an ON/OFF logic circuit within the IC chip. While the IC chip is fully powered and communication with a partner chip is finished, the IC chip may be operable to control the control signal to turn off the power switch for powering down the IC chip based on a turn-off signal.
US08977867B2
A virtual machine comprises a unique identifier that is associated with one or more encryption keys. A management server encrypts the virtual machine's virtual hard disk(s) using the one or more associated encryption keys. The management server further provides the one or more encryption keys to a limited number of one or more servers in a system. Only those one or more servers that have been provided the one or more encryption keys can be used to load, access, and/or operate the virtual machine. The management server can thus differentiate which virtual machines can be operated on which servers by differentiating which servers can receive which encryption keys. In one implementation, a management server encrypts all virtual machines in the system, but encrypts virtual machines with sensitive data with a limited set of encryption keys, and further provides those encryption keys to a limited set of trusted servers.
US08977862B2
Before an application is allowed to execute a secure function, code signing keys associated with the application are analyzed for correspondence with the class that contains the secure function as well as correspondence with the secure function. Optionally, code signing keys associated with the application are analyzed for correspondence with the input parameters to the function.
US08977861B2
A method of authentication is provided that includes capturing biometric data for a desired biometric type from an individual, determining an algorithm for converting the biometric data into authentication words, converting the captured biometric data into authentication words in accordance with the determined algorithm, including the authentication words in a probe, and comparing the probe against identity records stored in a server system. Each of the identity records includes enrollment biometric words of an individual obtained during enrollment. Moreover, the method includes identifying at least one of the identity records as a potential matching identity record when at least one of the authentication words included in the probe matches at least one of the enrollment biometric words included in the at least one identity record, and generating a list of potential matching identity records.
US08977856B2
Techniques for use in sharing a plurality of credential objects of a user account amongst a plurality of mobile devices operative in a wireless network are described. In one illustrative example, a network infrastructure (e.g. a cloud) stores a plurality of encrypted credential objects in association with the user account. Each encrypted credential object is encrypted with a credential key. The network infrastructure also stores a plurality of encrypted forms of the credential key in association with the user account. Each encrypted form of the credential key is encrypted with a respective one of a plurality of device keys. Each device key is stored at respective one of the mobile devices. The network infrastructure provides, to the mobile devices, access to the encrypted credential key and the encrypted credential objects.
US08977851B2
Example removable security modules for use with process control devices and related methods are disclosed. An example removable security module includes a body configured to be removably coupled to the process control device and a memory disposed in the body with a shared secret stored in the memory. The example removable security module also includes a processing unit disposed in the body, coupled to the memory and configured to read information from the process control device, compare the information to the shared secret and authenticate the process control device based on the comparison.
US08977846B2
A method for the secure transfer of a digital file from a first computerized system to one second computerized system, the method comprising the following steps: writing the digital file on a first file-management module of a secure transfer device, transferring the digital file to an internal verification module of the secure transfer device, verifying one portion of the transferred digital file in the verification module, and transferring the partially verified digital file to a second file-management module of the secure transfer device according to the result of the verification, in order to allow the file to be read by the one second computerized system according to the result of the verification.
US08977843B2
A system and method for verifying and/or geolocating network nodes in attenuated environments for cyber and network security applications are disclosed. The system involves an origination network node, a destination network node, and at least one router network node. The origination network node is configured for transmitting a data packet to the destination network node through at least one router network node. The data packet contains a security signature portion, a routing data portion, and a payload data portion. The security signature portion comprises a listing of at least one network node that the data packet travelled through from the origination network node to the destination network node. In addition, the security signature portion comprises geolocation information, identifier information, and timing information for at least one network node in the listing.
US08977842B1
A secure component communication management system provides secure, trusted communication between components in a hypervisor based virtual computing environment. A hypervisor security extension generates a container level private key/public key pair. The hypervisor security extension container injects the container level public key into one or more VM(s) that are to securely receive trustworthy data. The hypervisor security extension container encrypts data to transmit to VMs with the container level private key, and injects the encrypted data into one or more target VM(s), such that the injected data is trusted by the VM(s). The one or more VM(s) receive the container level public key and data encrypted with the container level private key, injected by the hypervisor security extension container. These VM(s) use the public key to decrypt injected data encrypted with the private key, such that the decrypted data is trusted.
US08977831B2
A device includes volatile memory; one or more non-volatile memory chips, each of which is for storing data moved from the volatile-memory; an interface for connecting to a backup power source arranged to temporarily power the volatile memory upon a loss of power from a primary power source; a controller in communication with the volatile memory and the non-volatile memory, wherein: the controller is programmed to move data from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory chips upon a loss of power of the primary power source of the volatile memory; and parameters describing the volatile memory are stored in at least one of the non-volatile memory chips that store the data moved from the volatile memory. In some aspects the parameters include serial presence detect information.
US08977830B1
A method, system, and computer program product comprising using a tracking structure to map a first portion and a second portion of a non-volatile storage medium to a logical representation of the non-volatile storage medium; wherein the first portion is presented by the logical representation as writable storage and using the tracking structure to enable the logical representation to present the data written to the second portion as the data corresponding to the write in the first portion.
US08977819B2
A prefetch filter receives a memory read request having an associated address for accessing data that is stored in a line of memory. An address window is determined that has an address range that encompasses an address space that is twice as large as the line of memory. In response to a determination of in which half the address window includes the requested line of memory, a prefetch direction is to a first direction or to an opposite direction. The prefetch filter can include an array of slots for storing a portion of a next predicted access and determine a memory stream in response to a hit on the array by a subsequent memory request. The prefetch filter FIFO counter cycles through the slots of the array before wrapping around to a first slot of the array for storing a next predicted address portion.
US08977814B1
Some embodiments are directed to an object addressable storage (OAS) system that stores a plurality of objects, a method for use in an OAS system and at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instruction that, when performed by a computer perform a method for use in an OAS system. Each object may include a plurality of portions. A tiered storage environment comprising a plurality of storage tiers may be used. In response to a command a storage tier may be selected for each portion of the object. The OAS system may store at least one of the plurality of portions in a respective selected storage tier such that the object is stored in the OAS system with each of the portions being stored in its respective selected storage tier.
US08977812B1
A method is used in iterating in parallel for deduplication. Based on an iteration scheme, a collection of sections is selected from a set of storage extents. Each section of the collection of sections includes subset of the contents of a storage extent of the set of storage extents. Based on the iteration scheme, each section of the collection of sections is arranged in an ordered arrangement. Based on the ordered arrangement, a deduplicating technique is applied in parallel to each section of the collection of sections.
US08977807B2
A Flash-based storage system, card, and/or module comprises a Flash controller configured to encrypt the data pages of a page stripe by shuffling the data pages, including loading each data page into a data shuffling buffer in a sequential order relative to other data pages in the page stripe, and thereafter unloading each data page in a non-sequential order relative to other data pages in the page stripe. The Flash controller is also configured to scramble the data pages of the page stripe by performing a bitwise logical operation on the data pages that are unloaded from the data shuffling buffer. A user key and one or more system keys are used to perform the shuffling and scrambling. The Flash controller is further configured to flush the user key by bypassing the system's backup power supply and performing an emergency system shutdown without backing up system data.
US08977802B2
Provided is a method for stabilizing and increasing the speed of processing for writing a plurality of different-sized files such as a video file and a management file in parallel in the case where the area in a non-volatile memory of an information recording module is managed by a file system. An access module (1) includes a means for retaining sequential areas in logical block units as areas for writing file data, and a means for realizing file data addition and overwriting by writing data to logical blocks and changing links in a FAT regardless of whether file data addition or overwriting is performed. Writing to the information recording module is performed by writing to sequential addresses in the logical blocks. This realizes the stabilization of and an increase in the file data recording speed by suppressing needless copy processing performed in the information recording module 2 in the case of recording a plurality of files such as a video file and a management file in parallel.
US08977801B2
A computing system comprises at least a processing module, a main memory, a memory controller, and a plurality of memory components. A method begins by the memory controller receiving a memory access request regarding a data segment. The method continues with the memory controller interpreting the memory access request to determine whether an error encoding dispersal function of the data segment is applicable. The method continues with the memory controller identifying at least a threshold number of memories based on the memory access request, wherein the threshold number of memories includes at least one of the main memory and/or one or more of the plurality of memory components, when the error encoding dispersal function is applicable. The method continues with the memory controller addressing the at least a threshold number of memories to facilitate the memory access request.
US08977793B2
A computer program product includes a tangible storage storing instructions for performing a method. The method includes: receiving a request at a channel subsystem in a host computer system to provide a channel path description for a channel path, the channel subsystem including a channel configured to be coupled to a control unit via the channel path, the channel configured to control information transfer over the channel path; and outputting a channel path description block from the channel subsystem to the operating system in response to the request, the channel path description block including channel path identification and description information, the channel path description block specifying whether the channel path supports a Fiber Channel protocol for commanding an I/O operation, the channel path description block specifying whether the channel path supports an extension to the Fiber Channel protocol based on the channel path supporting the Fiber Channel protocol.
US08977788B2
Methods and apparatus relating to observing an internal link via an existing port for System On Chip (SOC) devices are described. In one embodiment, a logic within an SOC device may allow an external logic analyzer to observe communication between a first and second component of the SOC through an existing (e.g., shared and/or non-dedicated) interface. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08977783B2
A system and a method are disclosed for quickly and securely transferring media files to an SD card from a kiosk. The kiosk includes a customer interface module for receiving a selection of a media file to transfer, a transaction module for accepting payment, a media file processing module for preparing the media file to be written to the SD card, and a high-speed secure SD card writer that can write to both an unsecure area and a secure area of the SD card. All data is written to the unsecure area before data is written to the secure area to improve speed. Optionally, the kiosk includes a firmware update module for distributing firmware updates through the SD cards, and the ability to play previews to attract customers and entertain them while transferring media files to the SD card.
US08977779B2
The disclosed methods and systems allow individuals with speech challenges to convey personalized expressive content to others. Implementation is performed on widely available and popular wireless handheld multimedia devices, which may help foster acceptance of the individuals and minimize any perceived differences. Users may easily create and add personalized content to the devices and may quickly customize the content selection interfaces of the devices. These tasks may be accomplished using either the devices themselves via a device-based content authoring tool running locally on the device, or using a Web-based authoring tool on a network server. The Web-based authoring tool allows users to create, capture, and store personalized content and customized content selection interfaces on the network server from virtually any location in the world with network access. The personalized content and customized interfaces may then be downloaded and synchronized automatically on the devices from time to time or as needed.
US08977772B2
A method and system for facilitating one-to-many data transmissions with reduced network overhead includes conducting a round of data transmissions from a source computing device to a plurality of sink computing devices. Each of the sink computing devices generates a bucket list of lost data blocks for the round of data transmissions and transmits the bucket list to the source computing device. The source computing device conducts a subsequent round of data transmissions based on the bucket lists. One or more additional subsequent rounds may be conducted until the bucket list of each sink computing device is empty.
US08977770B2
A skip function for a broadcast or multicast media station is disclosed. In one embodiment, two content streams are simultaneously transmitted for a single radio station. A receiving device simultaneously receives the two content streams transmitted for the radio station. The receiving device provides playback of a first content stream of the two content streams. During playback of the first content stream, the receiving device buffers one or more most recently received content items from the second content stream. When a user of the receiving device initiates a skip, the receiving device performs a skip function by switching playback from the first content stream to the second content stream beginning at the start of the one or more most recently received content items from the second content stream that have been buffered at the receiving device.
US08977754B2
A composite public cloud enables an automated marketplace system for, selling and trading of computational resources by aggregating available compute resources so that buyers are automatically matched with sellers. A listing of compute resources available on a prospective seller's system and bids by prospective buyers for resources offered is maintained. A seller uses a series of attributes to characterize an available resource for prospective buyers. Compute resources are presented in a form which can be easily quantified or compartmentalized. Prospective buyers search the marketplace system based on desired resource criteria. The marketplace continually evaluates the attributes of resources available for sale and the desired criteria of prospective buyers. The system attempts to match buyers and sellers, optimizing for the needs of both parties. If a desirable match is found, the marketplace system facilitates a transaction between both parties, making the purchased resource available to the buyer.
US08977752B2
Disclosed are a method, a system and a computer program product for automatically allocating and de-allocating resources for jobs executed or processed by one or more supercomputer systems. In one or more embodiments, a supercomputing system can process multiple jobs with respective supercomputing resources. A global resource manager can automatically allocate additional resources to a first job and de-allocate resources from a second job. In one or more embodiments, the global resource manager can provide the de-allocated resources to the first job as additional supercomputing resources. In one or more embodiments, the first job can use the additional supercomputing resources to perform data analysis at a higher resolution, and the additional resources can compensate for an amount of time the higher resolution analysis would take using originally allocated supercomputing resources.
US08977737B2
In a network having one or more Audio Video Bridging (AVB) devices, non-AVB bridges are detected by transmitting a maintenance message, such as a unicast linktrace message, from one AVB device such as a residential gateway to another AVB device such as a set-top box or IPTV. AVB devices in the path provide replies indicating whether the port on which the linktrace message was received is connected to a non-AVB bridge. The disclosure has utility in diagnostics problems with IPTV in a network.
US08977731B2
An energy data management control system is configured to allow a user to control operation of the data management among a plurality of modes.
US08977729B2
Various system and method embodiments are disclosed that include using a first node to receive messages including error information from a plurality of client computers via a computer network. Recommendations for resolving errors associated with the error information are made available to the client computers via the computer network.
US08977726B2
An invention is provided for creating logical network abstractions of physical networks, and deploying computer services to physical networks based on a specified logical network. In an embodiment, a physical network is divided into one or more logical networks. Upon receiving an indication to deploy a computer service to a logical network, a mapping from that logical network to a sub-network of the physical network is determined, the service is configured to execute on the sub-network of the physical network, and an indication of this configuration of the service is stored.
US08977725B2
An apparatus for sharing network capabilities of a host system by one or more virtual machines. A unified virtual network interface instance is included within an operating system of a virtual machine operating within a virtual environment. The interface instance provides device specific network capability for the virtual machine. A host system supports the virtual machine and includes a network capability provider instance that interfaces with the unified virtual network interface to provide the device specific network capability for the virtual machine. A network capability provider enforces sharing of host-wide network capability as implemented through the one or more unified virtual network interfaces supported by the host system.
US08977724B2
A method, system, and article for dynamic management of two or more operating system images for at least two client machines operating in a computer system sub-network. Different physical areas of the sub-network support separate image of the operating system images. As the client machines may be individually subject to movement within the sub-network, an appropriate operating system image is dynamically selected and uploaded to one or more of the individual client machines based upon the physical location thereof.
US08977723B2
Technology is disclosed for decomposing an application into fragments and streaming the application fragments for execution on a mobile computing device. A fragment presents a user interface of the application and needs a set of resources, e.g., images, icons, etc. to be executed. A server determines a set of fragments for the application and streams them to the device as and when the device needs a particular fragment. The server determines the set of fragments in various ways. For example, the server executes an emulator that simulates the execution of the application by the user and determines fragment data including the set of fragments, resources needed by each of the fragments, and various possible navigations between the fragments. In another example, the server receives such fragment data from various users executing the application on various devices, and aggregates them based on aggregating policy to obtain an aggregated fragment data.
US08977719B1
A server supporting mapping applications serves map data to a client device. The map data includes one or more references to copyright information about a feature or image in the map data. The reference may be used to locate the copyright data when the feature is requested and the copyright information is also served to the client device. Alternatively, copyright information can be associated with a tile that includes some or all of the features. When map data contains copyrighted content, a size threshold of the feature or zoom level can be used to determine if the copyright information is to be displayed.
US08977716B2
The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for easily acquiring information. A television receiver accesses an application server and acquires an application list therefrom. When an application is selected from the application list, the television receiver again accesses the application server and acquires the selected application therefrom. While executing a process based on the acquired application, the television receiver accesses a content server as needed and acquires content data therefrom. The acquired application and content data are deleted from a storage unit when an end of the process based on the application is designated. The present invention applies to television receivers which acquire data via a network.
US08977700B2
A method includes receiving, from a set-top box device, an e-mail notification request including a set-top box identifier associated with the set-top box device and linked to an internet protocol television account identifier. The method includes accessing stored information that includes a plurality of set-top box identifiers and that links respective set-top box identifiers with corresponding e-mail accounts. The method further includes determining, based on the stored information and the set-top box identifier, an e-mail account of a first user maintained at a mail server, where the determination includes associating the internet protocol television account identifier with the e-mail account. The method further includes determining whether an e-mail has been received for the e-mail account at the mail server. When the e-mail has been received, the method includes generating an e-mail delivery notification and transmitting the e-mail delivery notification to the set-top box device associated with the e-mail notification request.
US08977699B2
A method for securing an email address includes: establishing a secure group constituted by associates in response to an establishment request from a sender, wherein the associates comprise the sender and a recipient; obtaining a secure-group address in response to a sending operation of an email; and replacing an email address of the sender of the email with the secure-group address and transmitting the email to an email address of the recipient of the email. A device for securing an email address is also provided.
US08977698B2
A networking environment accessible by a plurality of computing devices is established to facilitate communications between participants associated with the computing devices, where content is generated and shared by participants via the networking environment. An item of content is shared with a group of recipients associated with computing devices via the networking environment, where the shared item of content includes one or more tags associated with the content, and each tag includes an initial weight value associated with the tag. A relevance factor associated with the group is determined, where the relevance factor is based upon information obtained from profiles of recipients from the group, and the initial weight value of each tag associated with the shared item of content is adjusted based at least in part upon the collective relevance factor associated with the group.
US08977695B2
A method and system for managing messages in a unified messaging (UM) platform to enable message recall is disclosed. The UM platform deposits a message from a sender into a UM mailbox of a recipient. It is then determined whether the sender of the message is a UM subscriber. If the sender is a UM subscriber, a copy of the message or a link to the message is deposited into a UM mailbox of the sender. The UM platform then provides a message recall option with the copy of the message or the link to the message in the UM mailbox of the sender. If the sender is not a UM subscriber, a recall message including a randomly generated message recall URL is sent to the sender. This allows the sender to select the randomly generated message recall URL to send a message recall request to the UM platform.
US08977668B2
A calculating unit for reducing an input number with respect to a modulus, wherein the input number has input number portions of different significances, wherein the input number portions represent the input number with respect to a division number, wherein the modulus has modulus portions of different significances, and wherein the modulus portions represent the modulus with respect to the division number, includes a unit for estimating a result of an integer division of the input number by the modulus using a stored most significant portion of the number, a stored most significant portion of the modulus and the number, and for storing the estimated result in a memory of the calculating unit, and a unit for calculating a reduction result based on a subtraction of a product of the modulus and a value derived from the estimated result from the number.
US08977666B2
An adaptive filter is disclosed, having a plurality of computation groups, a plurality of computation circuits, a summation circuit, a slicer circuit, an updating circuit, and a control circuit. Each computation group corresponds to an equalization parameter and has a plurality of memory cells. When the corresponding equalization parameter of a computation group is greater than a predetermined value, the control circuit configures the computation group and the computation circuit to collaboratively generate an output of the computation group. The summation circuit sums up the outputs of the computation groups to produce a filter output. The slicer circuit generates a slicer output according to the filter output. The updating circuit updates the equalization parameters according to the filter output and the slicer output.
US08977663B2
The disclosed embodiments facilitate converting binary values into the BCC format. One technique facilitates the direct conversion of binary numbers into BCC. A second variation first converts a binary number into an intermediate BCD value, and then converts that BCD value into a BCC value. Look-ahead comparators can further improve conversion performance by decreasing the latency of the conversion operation. By speeding up the conversion of binary values to decimal-format values, the disclosed techniques facilitate leveraging dedicated binary-format hardware for decimal-format operations, and thus improve the performance of decimal-format operations.
US08977654B1
This technology is directed to determining a character or personality characteristic for users of an online community, for example, a social network, and assigning a character or personality class to the users. In some instances, the systems and methods may determine the character or personality characteristic either implicitly from user data or actions etc., or explicitly, by providing users with a personality survey or questionnaire to solicit responses. The system and methods assign a suitable character or personality class to the users based on the character and personality characteristic determined for the users, and generate at least one of a class description, a career profile, and a relationship profile for the users, and provide data including the class description, career profile, and the relationship profile capable of being displayed on a user interface.
US08977652B2
Techniques for manipulating URIs that have been rewritten for XmlHttpRequests (XHRs) and/or Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP). In one set of embodiments, a URI rewriter factory module is provided that is configured to determine and select a URI rewriter module based upon an input URI string. The input URI string may be, for example, in the form of a Javascript pseudo-protocol link, a remote proxy URI, or both. The selected URI rewriter module can then parse the input URI string to generate a URI object that has methods for manipulating the input URI string and for outputting the resulting manipulated URI as a string.
US08977649B1
Implementations of the present disclosure include providing a suggested social circle includes generating a list of contacts who, based on first predetermined criteria, are to be considered for potential inclusion in a social circle to be suggested to a particular user and generating an edge and vertex-weighted graph representation that indicates a strength of the particular user's affinity to each of the contacts. A set of vertices in the graph that has a high overall score based on predetermined factors is identified. After determining that the contacts corresponding to the identified set of vertices should be presented as a suggested social circle to the particular user, social circle data corresponding to the suggested social circle is transmitted, to a client device associated with the particular user, to display a representation of the suggested social circle on the client device.
US08977643B2
The disclosed architecture leverages realtime continuous event processing (CEP) to address using a general input interface framework to import a dynamic set of event types (e.g., assets), and using a declarative, expressive query model to implement monitoring and management tasks on an asset level. This is in contrast to looking separately at single values from static databases and/or realtime streams as is common conventionally. The architecture uses the CEP data model to model assets as realtime event types. Thus, queries can be formulated per asset and not just per single stream. The architecture uses the query capabilities of CEP to formulate asset management and monitoring tasks as standing, declarative queries, and uses the input interface of a CEP platform to correlate data from different data sources with different dynamic properties.
US08977639B2
A server system receives a visual query and identifies an entity in the visual query. The server system further identifies a client-side action corresponding to the identified entity and creates an actionable search result element configured to launch the client-side action. Examples of actionable search result elements are buttons to initiate a telephone call, to initiate email message, to map an address, to make a restaurant reservation, and to provide an option to purchase a product. The entity identified in the visual query may be indirectly associated with a client-side action whose contact address or appropriate link is found in a search result associated with the identified entity. The client system receives and displays the actionable search result element, and upon a user selection of the actionable search result element, launches the client-side action in an application distinct from the visual query client application.
US08977631B2
In one embodiment, a system and method is illustrated including receiving a feedback request identifying a particular user, retrieving a feedback entry in response to the feedback request, the feedback entry containing a first term, building a scoring model based, in part, upon a term frequency count denoting a frequency with which the first term appears in a searchable data structure, mapping the first term to a graphical illustration based upon a second term associated with the graphical illustration such that the graphical illustration may be used to represent the second term, and generating a feedback page containing the first term and the graphical illustration. The method may include assigning a value to the first term so as to identify the first term, assigning the first term to the searchable data structure, and extracting the first term from the searchable data structure based, in part, upon an extraction rule.
US08977622B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for assessing the quality of a node that comprises a collection of items containing textual data. The homogeneity of the node can be related to its quality. Highly ranked descriptive terms used in the node are identified and quality score is calculated that provides a measure of the quality of the node. Additionally, a node can be examined for outliers to improve node quality.
US08977620B1
A method and system of classifying documents is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of documents from at least one user, wherein each document includes information relating to a customer support issue or sentiment and identifying at least one customer support issue or sentiment contained within each document. The method also includes classifying the documents satisfying a confidence threshold using a classifier, clustering the remainder of the plurality of documents into groups using a clustering engine, the clustering engine applying a word analysis, and outputting a frequency of each identified customer support issue or sentiment, the frequency based on the classifying or the clustering.
US08977616B2
An apparatus for generating indexes of data may include a processor and memory storing executable computer code causing the apparatus to at least perform operations including obtaining an order number responsive to receipt of a request from a device to index an item(s) of data. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to map the order number to a key value and link the key value to the data and provide one or more index entries to a memory device to enable storage of the index entries. The index entries may include information corresponding to the key value and the data. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to assign a new index row(s) including the data for inclusion in a set of index rows of a designated partition(s) to obtain a built index(es) of the data. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.
US08977615B2
A zoom in/out interface to a ratings system provides navigation to users for inspection and interaction with prescribed indicators underlying an integrated rating of a company's performance. The interface presents at various different depths in a hierarchy of the prescribed indicators the multivariate relationships that exist among the indicators, expressed as variable values, as well as the basis for the underlying values of each indicator down to the source of the data.
US08977592B2
Architecture for restoring nodes. After restoring a node, fix-up occurs to make the node appear as a different node than before the restore operation. The node appears as a new node, which new node knows the data up to a certain point from when the new node had the prior identity. This enables new changes generated by the new node to flow to the other nodes in the topology, as well as have the changes that the prior identity sent to other nodes flow back to the new node. In other words, the architecture maintains information to create the new node in the topology while maintaining prior data knowledge. Additionally, item level metadata of associated data items is updated to correlate with the updated data items so that changes can be correctly enumerated and applied. This metadata update occurs across scopes of which the data items are included.
US08977583B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a neural network comprising multiple functional neural core circuits, and a dynamically reconfigurable switch interconnect between the functional neural core circuits. The interconnect comprises multiple connectivity neural core circuits. Each functional neural core circuit comprises a first and a second core module. Each core module comprises a plurality of electronic neurons, a plurality of incoming electronic axons, and multiple electronic synapses interconnecting the incoming axons to the neurons. Each neuron has a corresponding outgoing electronic axon. In one embodiment, zero or more sets of connectivity neural core circuits interconnect outgoing axons in a functional neural core circuit to incoming axons in the same functional neural core circuit. In another embodiment, zero or more sets of connectivity neural core circuits interconnect outgoing and incoming axons in a functional neural core circuit to incoming and outgoing axons in a different functional neural core circuit, respectively.
US08977582B2
Apparatus and methods for detecting salient features. In one implementation, an image processing apparatus utilizes latency coding and a spiking neuron network to encode image brightness into spike latency. The spike latency is compared to a saliency window in order to detect early responding neurons. Salient features of the image are associated with the early responding neurons. A dedicated inhibitory neuron receives salient feature indication and provides inhibitory signal to the remaining neurons within the network. The inhibition signal reduces probability of responses by the remaining neurons thereby facilitating salient feature detection within the image by the network. Salient feature detection can be used for example for image compression, background removal and content distribution.
US08977580B2
The present invention has its objective to provide a defect classification apparatus which suppresses over-fitting and accurately classify the defect type of a defect. A defect classification apparatus is provided in which a data point indicating feature information of a defect to be classified having an unknown defect type is mapped to a point in a mapping space having a dimensional number higher than the number of features constituting the feature information, and the defect type of the defect to be classified is classified based on in which of two regions of defect type, which are formed by separating the mapping space by a decision boundary, the mapped point is located, wherein a discriminant function indicating the decision boundary is determined by adopting a weight which minimizes the sum of the classification error, which corresponds to the accuracy in classifying a training defect dataset, and a regularization term, which has a positive correlation with the dimensional number of the decision boundary, as the weight for each feature constituting the discriminant function.
US08977577B2
A method for recommending an application includes obtaining an input model representing user interaction patterns during execution of a first application. The input model is compared to a reference model representing user interaction patterns during execution of a second application. A similarity is determined between the input model and the reference model. A recommendation of the second application is generated in response to the similarity.
US08977576B2
Methods for solving a computational problem including minimizing an objective including a set of weights and a dictionary by casting the weights as Boolean variables and alternately using a quantum processor and a non-quantum processor to successively optimize the weights and the dictionary, respectively. A first set of values for the dictionary is guessed and the objective is mapped to a QUBO. A quantum processor is used to optimize the objective for the Boolean weights based on the first set of values for the dictionary by minimizing the resulting QUBO. A non-quantum processor is used to optimize the objective for the dictionary based on the Boolean weights by updating at least some of the columns of the dictionary. These processes are successively repeated until a solution criterion is met. Minimization of the objective may be used to generate features in a learning problem and/or in data compression.
US08977571B1
An image of a check that is in the field of view of a camera is monitored prior to the image of the check being captured. The camera is associated with a mobile device. When the image of the check in the field of view passes monitoring criteria, an image may be taken by the camera and provided from the mobile device to a financial institution. The image capture may be performed automatically as soon as the image of the check is determined to pass the monitoring criteria. The check may be deposited in a user's bank account based on the image. Any technique for sending the image to the financial institution may be used. Feedback may be provided to the user of the camera regarding the image of the check in the field of view.
US08977569B2
A smart electronic wallet with reconfigurable multiple-account transaction card is provided. The system and method provide measures for storing a plurality of account identifiers from a plurality of traditional single-use transaction cards into a storage memory in a smart wallet. The system and method also provide for storing a reconfigurable multiple-account transaction card within the smart electronic wallet and allowing for it to be dynamically and selectively reconfigured for any one of the plurality of account identifiers stored within the smart electronic wallet. Additionally, a consumer is able to initiate a transfer or trade of transaction cards across different smart electronic wallet devices.
US08977566B2
A method and system provides transactions and arrangements in virtual world environments. A user can participate in transactions to acquire virtual property and related virtual rights. In some implementations, real-world and virtual parties can be involved in possible transfers and/or transfer revocations involving various types of virtual objects and virtual rights.
US08977564B2
Apparatus for coordinating a rule-based relationship between a bank, a vendor and a merchant is provided. The apparatus may include a first receiver configured to receive an employee identification number input into a graphical user interface (“GUI”). The apparatus may additionally include the first receiver being configured to receive a billing account number input into the GUI. The apparatus may also include a processor configured to determine if the billing account number includes a number of consecutive, identical digits. The processor may further be configured to determine if the number of consecutive, identical digits is equal to or greater than a threshold number of consecutive, identical digits.
US08977563B2
The invention relates to systems, methods, and devices for automatically reconciling information among multiple records. Systems and methods of the invention are operable to automatically reconcile differences among a gatelog, a shift ticket, and an activity report by applying rules. Since the invention is able to automate and standardize the reconciliation, the results are rapid and predictable and conform to expectations.
US08977562B2
The present invention provides for automation of the process of ensuring that the contents of the return mailed digital media, comprising a disc enclosed in a sleeve, is correct for redistribution. A camera on a sorting machine is used to scan a first code on a hub of the disc through a sleeve opening. The camera also scans a second code printed on the sleeve. The sorter computer compares the first and second codes to determine whether the first and second codes correspond. If the first and second codes do not correspond, the sorter outsorts the mailed digital media so that the mismatch problem can be corrected. In a further embodiment, the system detects whether there are more or less than a single disk in the mail package. In the preferred embodiment, the mailed digital media is further composed of an envelope that receives and encloses the sleeve. The sorter scanner scans first code is further comprised of scanning the first code through an envelope opening, preferably the same envelope opening used for scanning of the first code.
US08977560B2
Methods and systems to identify a user across multiple browsers and machines are described. In some embodiments, a web request is received at a retrieval service from a browser. The web request may include a request to access a retrieval service website of the retrieval service and may be initiated by a redirection of the browser from a requesting service to the retrieval service. A unique identifier associated with a user logged in to an account of the retrieval service may be determined. The user may be logged in to the account via the browser. A redirect request is sent from the retrieval service to the browser. The redirect may include the unique identifier and may redirect the browser from the retrieval service website to the requesting service. The unique identifier may be used by the requesting service to perform additional functionality specific to the user.
US08977558B2
Electronically generating an engineering plan for installation of equipment, such as cable system equipment, at a work site. First geographic information relating to a first location of the work site is compared with second geographic information representing a second location of an engineer generating the engineering plan (or of a plan generating tool being used by the engineer to generate the plan) to verify that the engineer/tool is sufficiently near to the work site. A digital image of a geographic area including the work site is displayed on the plan generating tool, and user input is acquired from the engineer (e.g., via a user input device associated with the plan generating tool) relating to at least one first position, relative to the displayed digital image, representing a first equipment location of at least a first piece of the equipment to be installed at the work site. A marked-up digital image including at least one first digital representation of the first piece of the equipment placed on the displayed digital image is generated, based at least in part on the user input, and information relating to the marked-up digital image is electronically transmitted and/or electronically stored so as to generate the engineering plan.
US08977556B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a voice detector receiving an input signal that is divided into sub-signals that represent a frequency sub-band. The voice detector calculates, for each sub-band, a signal-to-noise (SNR) value based on a corresponding sub-signal for each sub-band and a background signal for each sub-band. The voice detector also calculates a power SNR value for each sub-band, where at least one of the power SNR values is calculated based on a non-linear function. The voice detector forms a single value based on the calculated power SNR values and compares the single value and a given threshold value to make a voice activity decision presented on an output port.
US08977548B2
An enhanced speech recognition system and method are provided that may be used with a voice recognition wireless communication system. The enhanced speech recognition system and method take advantage of group to group calling statistics to improve the recognition of names by the speech recognition system.
US08977545B2
Described herein are multi-channel noise suppression systems and methods that are configured to detect and suppress wind and background noise using at least two spatially separated microphones: at least one primary speech microphone and at least one noise reference microphone. The multi-channel noise suppression systems and methods are configured, in at least one example, to first detect and suppress wind noise in the input speech signal picked up by the primary speech microphone and, potentially, the input speech signal picked up by the noise reference microphone. Following wind noise detection and suppression, the multi-channel noise suppression systems and methods are configured to perform further noise suppression in two stages: a first linear processing stage that includes a blocking matrix and an adaptive noise canceler, followed by a second non-linear processing stage.
US08977537B2
The described implementations relate to natural language processing, and more particularly to training a language prior model using a model structure. The language prior model can be trained using parameterized representations of lexical structures such as training sentences, as well as parameterized representations of lexical units such as words or n-grams. During training, the parameterized representations of the lexical structures and the lexical units can be adjusted using the model structure. When the language prior model is trained, the parameterized representations of the lexical structures can reflect how the lexical units were used in the lexical structures.
US08977534B2
A controller support program causes a processor to acquire a first control execution time which is an execution time of a first control program which is an object program generated from a control source program, which is a source program of a control program generated in accordance with an object of control of a user, and operating at the simulator, the first control execution time being measured at the simulator. The processor also calculates an estimated execution time which is an estimated value of an execution time, at the controller, of a second control program which is an object program generated from the control source program and operating at the controller, by converting the first control execution time using the calibration data. Data representing the estimated execution time is output.
US08977533B2
The present invention provides a system and method for detecting unreachable states in a large commercial Statemate Statechart model. A system for checking the reachability of any given state in a Statemate Model, the said system comprises: an input means for receiving an Original Statemate Model (OSM), output means for displaying the result to a user, and a processor, wherein the processor is capable of executing the programmed instructions to: transform the OSM into First Statemate Model (FSM) by using translator; transform the OSM into Second Statemate Model (SSM) based on the determined length of the super step such that the set of all initial configurations of the SSM is a superset of all the stable configurations of the OSM by using translator; check the reachability of states of the OSM in the SSM by using bounded model checker (BMC); and send the result to the output means.
US08977523B2
Method to estimate severity of downhole vibration for a drill tool assembly, including: identifying a dataset comprising selected drill tool assembly parameters; selecting a reference level of downhole vibration amplitude for the drill tool assembly; identifying a surface drilling parameter and calculating a reference surface vibration attribute for the selected reference level of downhole vibration amplitude; determining a surface parameter vibration attribute derived from at least one surface measurement or observation obtained in a drilling operation, the determined surface parameter vibration attribute corresponding to the identified surface drilling parameter; and estimating a downhole vibration severity indicator by evaluating the determined surface parameter vibration attribute with respect to the identified reference surface vibration attribute.
US08977519B2
A spectrum analyzer for measuring an RF signal over a selected frequency span configured to use multiple Intermediate Frequencies (IFs) for residual, spurious and image signal reduction. The spectrum analyzer has both a primary IF path and a secondary IF path configured to provide band pass filtering of the IF signals. A master clock synthesizer is configured to reduce residual noise by providing from a single Voltage Controlled Oscillator, a master clock signal and a Local Oscillator (LO) signal. The spectrum analyzer has a microcontroller configured to change the frequency of the master clock signal and the LO signal if the center frequency of the selected span is sufficiently close to a known spurious signal.
US08977518B2
A turbomachine has a first process control element, a second process control element, and a test system for testing the first process control element. The first process control element and the second process control element influence the same process variable. To test the first process control element, the test system changes the process variable by means of the second process control element. This change in the process variable caused by the second process control element is compensated again by means of the first process control element.
US08977515B2
A balanced drumstick system and method permanently reposition the longitudinal center of gravity of a plurality of wood drumsticks to common new specified location to create custom sets of balanced wood drumsticks. The system and method automate the repositioning of the longitudinal center of gravity of wood drumsticks to increase accuracy and to decrease time to create sets of custom wood drumsticks.
US08977514B2
A device may receive thermal event data corresponding to thermal activity. The thermal event data may be received from a sensor device corresponding to a detection zone. The device may determine whether the thermal event data exceeds a detection threshold. The device may create a response to the thermal event data when the thermal event data exceeds the detection threshold. When the thermal event data does not exceed the detection threshold, the device may disregard the thermal event data.
US08977513B2
An electronic device for executing a reliability test. Such an electronic device includes a circuit for implementing a functionality of the electronic device, and testing circuit for executing a test of the functional circuit including a plurality of test operations on the functional circuit. The testing circuit returns an indication of a result of each test operation. In an embodiment, the electronic device further includes control circuit for causing the testing circuit to reiterate the test, monitoring circuit for monitoring the result of each test operation to detect a failure of the test operation, and storage circuit for storing failure information indicative of temporal characteristics of each failure.
US08977510B2
A system and a method for determining charging and discharging power levels for a battery pack are provided. The battery pack has an enclosure holding a battery module therein. The system includes a computer that determines a temperature correlation value based on first and second temperature values associated with the battery pack. The computer determines a third temperature value indicative of a temperature level of a first battery cell disposed adjacent to the end of a housing in the battery pack based on the first temperature value and the temperature correlation value. The computer determines a desired charging power level for the battery pack based on the third temperature value.
US08977508B2
The present invention provides a method and a system for determining forces which act on a body with a controlled volume which is provided inside the flow tunnel and in which the body is arranged. A first measuring means is used to measure a pressure distribution for each surface defining the controlled volume. A second measuring means measures a velocity field for each defining surface of the controlled volume. Furthermore, a calculation unit is provided for calculating the forces acting on the body as a function of the pressure distributions and velocity fields measured for the defining surfaces of the controlled volume.
US08977504B2
Apparatus for monitoring a substance in human or animal in real time, the apparatus comprising a sensor providing a time series of measurements of substance level, said measurements being indicative of an inferred level of said substance in a part of said human or animal and a processor which applies an interacting multiple model strategy to a system model to provide a combined estimate of the inferred substance level from the substance level measurements. The substance may be glucose. The apparatus may also be adapted to control said substance using said interacting multiple model strategy to a system model to provide a combined estimate of a dose to be applied.
US08977503B2
Apparatuses and methods for collecting and analyzing seismic data (D) include a frequency dependent noise factor (ε2) for stabilizing a transformation matrix (S). The noise factor (ε2) is a function of a number of nonzero eigenvalues of the transformation matrix (S).
US08977499B1
A computing device and methods for operating an auditory interface for an automated driving system are disclosed. One example method of automated driving using an auditory interface includes receiving, from a user, an indication associating an auditory icon with a vehicle action at the auditory interface. The method further includes receiving, from a path planner application, an indication of an upcoming implementation of the vehicle action by one or more vehicle systems and sending, to an audio system, a command to implement the auditory icon associated with the vehicle action before the one or more vehicle systems implements the vehicle action.
US08977498B2
In some implementations, a user can provide ratings for routes, streets and/or locations. In some implementations, the user can initiate an alert associated with a location. In some implementations, user-specified ratings and alerts can be included in a route determination. In some implementations, route rating and alert information can be transmitted to other users and/or devices.
US08977495B1
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a method that includes receiving information identifying a start point and an end point in a transit system. The method further includes identifying transit routes between the start point and the end point. Each of the transit routes has one or more portions and each of the portions has one or more modes of transportation. The method further includes calculating a duration for each transit route in the transit routes. The duration is based on average amounts of time spent riding the modes of transportation in the portions of the transit route. The duration is based on a representation of an amount of time spent waiting for the modes of transportation in the portions of the transit route. The method further includes identifying one or more of the transit routes as optimal based on having shortest durations.
US08977492B1
Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for generating a temporary, pop-up, location-dependent clock to the pilot of an aircraft. A clock generator may be configured to retrieve approach procedure data representative of waypoint location such as the location of a final approach fix; receive navigation data representative aircraft location information; determine the passing of the waypoint inbound to the applicable airport; and perform one repetitive clock operation of a plurality of repetitive clock operations upon the passing of the waypoint, wherein an image data set is generated and provided to one or more display units. The image data set could be representative of (1) a pop-up timer displaying a counting down of time from the manually-initialized, estimated time, or (2) a pop-up stopwatch displaying a counting up of time when the estimated time is not manually initialized.
US08977489B2
A system to display graphical images upon a windscreen of a vehicle including navigational aids includes the windscreen having a transparent windscreen head up display, an enhanced vision system manager monitoring a planned travel route, and generating display requirements based upon the planned travel route. The system further includes a graphics system generating the graphical images to be displayed based upon the display requirements, and a graphics projection system communicating with the graphics system and displaying the graphical images.
US08977487B2
A navigation device and a guide route search method prevents searching for a detour route, and shortens the time required for setting an eventual guide route. A first partial route is extracted from a first guide route found in accordance with map data divided into three hierarchical levels, based on information about a road network. The first guide route is the route from the current location to a destination. A second partial route is obtained by performing a route search between the nodes at opposite ends of the first partial route, based on the map data containing the lowest level. A second guide route is obtained by replacing the first partial route in the first guide route with the second partial route, and is set as the eventual guide route.
US08977486B2
Disclosed is a navigation system and displaying method thereof, which controls the level of protrusion for each piece of indication data displayed on a 3-D screen of the navigation system based on its criticality so as to maximize the legibility of the driver. More specifically, the navigation system includes a GPS receiving member which receives GPS location information, a map data storage member which stores map data including a plurality of indication data, a controlling member which requests a display scope of the map data, corresponding to the received GPS location information, and at least one set of indication data within the display scope, and 3-D data-processes said indication data so that it can be displayed so that the most important data is protruding the most to the driver, and a display member which displays the map data containing the 3-D data-processed indication data.
US08977485B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of autonomously self-righting a maneuverable robot. In one embodiment, an autonomous method for self-righting a maneuverable robot to affect recovery from an overturned state to its nominal upright configuration may include: defining a convex hull and center of mass of each link of the robot; determining the convex hull and overall robot center of mass for each joint configuration of the robot; analyzing each convex hull face to determine its stability or instability; grouping continuously stable orientations of the robot and joint configurations together defining nodes and transitions there between; assigning a cost to transitions between nodes; computing an overall cost for each potential set of transition costs resulting in achievement of the goal; and determining a sequence of one or more actions to self-right the robot such that the sequence of actions minimizes the overall cost of self-righting the robot.
US08977479B2
A system includes a vehicle processor configured to detect one or more brake presses. The processor is also configured to detect one or more accelerator presses. Further, the processor is configured to add values related to the brake presses and accelerator presses to aggregate an index value based on detected brake and acceleration presses. The processor is additionally configured to enact a safety and convenience related measure based on the index value passing at least a first predetermined threshold.
US08977474B2
A diesel-gasoline dual fuel powered combustion engine system is provided with spark-assisted fouling free EGR system in which gasoline and air are homogeneously combined and supplied to cylinders and then a diesel fuel is injected and combusted together. The system may include: a plurality of cylinders each having a fuel injector; and an exhaust line through which flows an exhaust gas discharged as a fuel from each cylinder is combusted; wherein gasoline fuel combustion type is adapted to one or more cylinder of the plurality of the cylinders, and diesel-gasoline fuel pre-mixed combustion type is adapted to the other cylinders.
US08977469B2
A system includes a controller operable to control an engine in an operating mode. The controller operation is based at least in part on a first parameter set and on a second parameter set. The first parameter set is associated with an engine fuel supply and includes information regarding characteristics of a first fuel and a second fuel. The first fuel and second fuel are not the same type of fuel. The second parameter set is associated with one or more engine operation threshold values.
US08977465B2
Disclosed herein is a vehicle braking system and control method. The vehicle braking control method includes detecting velocities of respective wheels provided at a vehicle, calculating a vehicle velocity based on the velocities of the respective wheels, calculating slip amounts of the respective wheels by comparing the vehicle velocity and the velocities of the respective wheels, calculating change rates of the slip amounts of the respective wheels, obtaining regenerative braking force corresponding to one of the slip amounts and the slip change rates of the respective wheels, and controlling regenerative braking using the obtained regenerative braking force.
US08977462B2
When a depression force of an accelerator pedal is increased than a base depression force by a predetermined increase amount when an accelerator opening degree becomes greater than an accelerator opening degree threshold value, an overshoot control is performed so that a depression force increase command is once increased than a depression force increase target command value which increases the depression force of the accelerator pedal than the base depression force by the predetermined amount, and returned to the depression force increase target command value. In this overshoot control, an overshoot controlled variable of the overshoot control is set based on a magnitude of a hysteresis of the base depression force of the accelerator pedal.
US08977460B2
A method managing a device distributing engine torque between main and secondary wheel sets of a motor vehicle, the distributing device including an actuator distributing engine torque, a control unit exhibiting plural distribution modes of the engine torque and adopting one distribution mode as a function of a variable and a button selecting a distribution mode delivering an information item representative of the button position, the control unit determining, in regular operation, the variable, as a function of the information item; the method includes: detecting potential failure of the selection button, including verifying consistency of the information item; activation of degraded mode of operation, when a failure of the button is detected, in which a constant value is allocated to the variable; during degraded operation, monitoring end of failure, including verifying consistency of the information item; activation of regular mode of operation, when end of failure is detected.
US08977450B2
An automatic gear-shifting bicycle includes: a bicycle body provided with two cranks, two pedals and a derailleur, a power supply module, a microcomputer, a gear shifting control driver, and a pedal position sensor module installed in the bicycle body corresponding to the cranks and electrically coupled to the microcomputer for enabling the microcomputer to determine the angular position and forward/backward pedaling of the cranks. The microcomputer calculates the optimal shift timing subject to the time point the crank to be moved over the pedaling dead point in the next time, the pedaling speed to be below a predetermined speed value or the cranks are been pedaling backwardly.
US08977448B2
An operating state display device for a vehicle includes a display portion that displays an energy transmission state of the vehicle. A display similar to what is shown when no energy is being transmitted to the axle is shown, regardless of the energy transmission state, when two conditions that the vehicle is stopped and that a brake operation is being performed are satisfied.
US08977437B2
A target pinion angle computation unit computes a target pinion angle on the basis of a basic assist component and a steering torque, and computes the target pinion angle so as to rapidly increase a steering reaction force when it is determined based on the target pinion angle that a rack shaft of a rack-and-pinion mechanism reaches a position near a limit of a movable range of the rack shaft. In an EPS, a correction component for the basic assist component, which is necessary to increase the steering reaction force rapidly, is computed through execution of PID control for causing an actual pinion angle to coincide with the target pinion angle. Because the correction component is added to the basic assist component, the steering reaction force is increased rapidly when the rack shaft reaches the position near the limit of the movable range.
US08977436B2
An electric power steering system includes steering a torque detector that detects steering torque, and a motor that provides assist torque based on the detected steering torque, wherein for the purpose of estimating, without detecting motor rotation angular information and rotation angular velocity information, the road reaction torque in which the influence of the motor inertia torque is eliminated, a value corresponding to rotation velocity of a steering shaft is calculated based on the steering torque and the assist torque, to calculate road reaction torque based on the value corresponding to the rotation velocity of the steering shaft.
US08977434B2
A target sideslip angle computing unit calculates a target sideslip angle used when a vehicle makes a turn, based on a steering angle and a vehicle speed. A target sideslip angle correcting unit corrects the target sideslip angle calculated by the target sideslip angle computing unit using a sideslip angle correction amount calculated based on at least one of a steering angular velocity, a depression amount of an accelerator pedal, a depression velocity of the accelerator pedal and a depression amount of a brake pedal. Vehicle attitude control is executed using the target sideslip angle corrected by the target sideslip angle correcting unit.
US08977424B2
A fault diagnosis device and a fault diagnosis method read a diagnostic trouble code from an Electronic Control Unit to the fault diagnosis device, and display a work guide screen for guiding work in accordance with the read diagnostic trouble code. The work guide screen includes an entire work flowchart consisting of a plurality of work items for identifying a fault occurrence location at which the fault event corresponding to the diagnostic trouble code is caused, and includes an entire work display area in which a work item selected among the plurality of work items is highlighted and a concrete work display area in which concrete work details about the highlighted work item are indicated.
US08977422B1
A system maintains integrity of a vehicle, a wheel, and/or a tire. The system includes a sensor mounted to the wheel or the tire and a processor for receiving data from the sensor. The processor analyzes the data and forms a status estimation of the vehicle, the wheel, and the tire. The processor further transmits the status estimation and a recommendation for repair to an appropriate party.
US08977418B2
A control interface for drivetrain braking provided by a regenerative brake and a non-regenerative brake is implemented using a combination of switches and graphic interface elements. The control interface comprises a control system for allocating drivetrain braking effort between the regenerative brake and the non-regenerative brake, a first operator actuated control for enabling operation of the drivetrain braking, and a second operator actuated control for selecting a target braking effort for drivetrain braking. A graphic display displays to an operator the selected target braking effort and can be used to further display actual braking effort achieved by drivetrain braking.
US08977415B2
A system includes a grade estimation module that receives an accelerometer value and generates a grade estimate based on the accelerometer value, wherein the accelerometer value corresponds to acceleration of a vehicle and the grade estimate corresponds to a grade of the vehicle. A mass estimation module receives the accelerometer value and generates a mass estimate based on the accelerometer value, wherein the mass estimate corresponds to a mass of the vehicle. A shift control module at least one of selects and adjusts one of a plurality of shift schedules based on at least one of the grade estimate and the mass estimate and controls a transmission of the vehicle based on the one of the plurality of shift schedules.
US08977412B2
A method of enabling an autopilot (9) to cause a rotorcraft (1) to follow a path. At least one guide mode (G) relative to at least one progression axis (P, R, V, Y) of the rotorcraft (1) is selected by the rotorcraft pilot. Said selection causes the selected guide mode (G) to be inhibited (19) and causes a path setpoint (C) to be acquired (20) from the pilot of the rotorcraft (1) operating a manual control member (4) for controlling the progression of the rotorcraft (1). The path setpoints (C) relating to other guide modes (G) of the rotorcraft (1) that continue to be engaged are conserved in their initial states and the autopilot (9) adapts the commands relating to the progression axes (P, R, V, Y) relating to these other guide modes (G).
US08977407B2
A method is provided for semi-automatic operation of a portable control device for a remote-controlled, unmanned vehicle. The method includes the steps of monitoring parameters of an operational environment of the portable control device, switching from a manual operation mode to a semi-automatic operation mode in response to occurrence of predetermined criteria within the operational environment, and presenting a semi-automatic operation graphical user interface to a user of the portable control device. The semi-automatic operation graphical user interface includes a reduced set of user interfaces for the semi-automatic operation mode presented by the portable control device.
US08977403B2
A SCADA system includes a main switching hub and a backup switching hub that relay transmission data between a wind turbine generator and terminals provided in another SCADA system and client terminals, and a network switch for performing switching between the main switching hub and the backup switching hub for relaying transmission data between the wind turbine generator and the terminals. A backup remote I/O connected to the backup switching hub causes the network switch to perform switching based on a switching command from a SCADA terminal input via the backup switching hub. This serves to solve a data transmission problem caused by a problem in a switching hub on the wind turbine generator side from a remote location.
US08977400B1
A landscape controller includes a housing and a control panel in the housing. The control panel includes a display and at least one manual control that enables a user to enter and/or select a watering schedule. A memory is provided for storing an operational program for carrying out the watering schedule. A processor is connected to the memory and is capable of executing the operational program. A connecting device in the control panel operatively connects at least one feature module to the processor. The controller further includes station control circuitry controlled by the processor that enables the processor to selectively energize a plurality of valves to deliver water to sprinklers in accordance with the watering schedule.
US08977398B2
A controllable robotic arm system comprises a base unit and a moveable torso coupled to the base unit. The moveable torso is capable of moving in at least one degree of freedom independently of movement of the base unit. At least one robotic slave arm is moveably coupled to the torso. A master control system is operable to control the robotic slave arm and the moveable torso. The master control system includes an input interface by which a user can cause control signals to be communicated to the robotic slave arm and the moveable torso.
US08977371B2
A controller, method and system, for controlling lighting responsive to ambient lighting conditions are described. In particular, disclosed is illumination controller (110) for controlling illumination of a workspace near a display (253). The illumination controller includes a memory device (113) storing a user's preference for illumination of the workspace; a processor (111) accessing the user's preference in the memory device; and an interface (112) between the processor and an electronic sensor (231) located proximate to the display, which collects a reading from the electronic sensor. The processor compares the reading with the user's preference, and sends a command to at least one luminaire (241) to adjust the illumination of the workspace. The electronic sensor can be, for example, a photosensor, an occupancy sensor, an orientation sensor, or a location sensor. In some embodiments, the interface collects the reading from the electronic sensor via a wireless communication link.
US08977342B2
The invention relates to a device for a medical intervention in or on moving tissue of a living being, said device having a medical instrument provided for the intervention, a position detection system by means of which the position of the medical instrument in the body of the living being can be determined, and at least one acceleration sensor for recording at least one movement of the instrument caused by the moving tissue. The invention also relates to a medical instrument for a medical intervention in or on moving tissue of a living being, said medical instrument having at least one acceleration sensor and a sensor of a position detection system, as well as to an operating method for the device.
US08977341B2
A measuring device for a magnetic resonance device is provided. The measuring device has a sensor unit. The sensor unit includes at least one acoustic sensor element for detecting heart sounds of a patient. The sensor unit also includes a resonating body unit. The resonating body unit has a hollow space for filtering interfering signals emitted by the magnetic resonance device from the heart sounds of the patient.
US08977334B2
Catheter systems for measuring at least one electrical property, e.g., impedance, of cardiac tissue of a living being are disclosed. The system includes a catheter having a tip with a sensing electrode, a guard electrode and an electrical shield. The sensing electrode is arranged to engage the cardiac tissue and is coupled to circuitry for measuring the at least one electrical property of the cardiac tissue, shielding the sensing electrode from bulk blood adjacent the cardiac tissue. The measurement can gated to the cardiac cycle. Additional embodiments include multi-electrode sensor catheter tips for high density mapping. Moreover, such tips may be dynamically configurable, i.e., their electrodes can be variably assigned as sensor electrodes or guard electrodes by associated circuitry. Such multi-electrode configuration and reconfiguration can be gated to the cardiac cycle.
US08977333B2
A shape-imparting mechanism for a catheter that includes an elongate element dimensioned to fit within a lumen of an electrode sheath of a catheter. An insertion facilitating arrangement is carried at a distal end of the elongate element for facilitating insertion of the distal end of the elongate element into the lumen of the electrode sheath of the catheter.
US08977331B2
Systems and methods for imaging are presented. The method includes producing excitation light configured to induce fluorescence in an imaging agent that selectively binds to a target species in a region of interest (ROI) of a subject that also includes a background species. A first and a second spectral region are selected such that a determined difference between fluorescence corresponding to the target and the background species in the first spectral region differs from a corresponding difference in the second spectral region. First and second fluorescence images are generated from the fluorescence corresponding to the first and second spectral regions. Additionally, a fluorescence ratio for the background species in the first and second fluorescence image is determined. The first fluorescence image is then multiplied or divided with the determined ratio to generate an intermediate image that is subtracted from the second fluorescent image to reconstruct a background-subtracted image.
US08977329B1
A cover panel is disposed on a surface of an electronic apparatus and is made of sapphire. A flexible printed wiring board extends in a state of being curved in the electronic apparatus. A gap reduction member is in contact with at least a curved portion of the flexible printed wiring board from the cover panel side.
US08977328B2
A wrapping device for a cell phone has a holder and a wrapping sticker. The holder has a paper recess and a cell phone chamber. The paper recess is formed in a front surface of the holder. The cell phone chamber is formed through a bottom face of the paper recess. The wrapping sticker is mounted in the holder and has a backing paper and a protective film. The backing paper is mounted in the paper recess and has two tearing lines, a tear-off paper and a cutting line. The tearing lines are formed in an external surface of the backing paper beside a midline of the backing paper. The tear-off paper is formed on the backing paper between the tearing lines. The cutting line is formed in the external surface of the backing paper. The protective film is detachably mounted on the external surface of the backing paper.
US08977309B2
The present disclosure provides an antenna array (1) for relaying radio signals into a cell (10) of a communication network (500). The antenna array (1) comprises a plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u) selectable as an uplink beam shape for an uplink relaying and a plurality of downlink beam forming vectors (20d) selectable as a down link beam shape for a down link relaying. The plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u) and/or the plurality of the downlink beam forming vectors (20d) may be adjusted at a digital radio interface and forwarded from the digital radio interface to the antenna array (1). An individual one (22u) of the plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u) and an individual one (22d) of the plurality of downlink beam forming vectors (20d) are independently selectable using a local knowledge (60) about the cell 10. The present disclosure further provides a communication network (500) comprising a plurality of the antenna arrays (1-1, 1-2, . . . , 1-N) for relaying radio signals into the communication network (500). The communication network (500) further comprises a network playing system (200) adapted to independently select an individual one (22u-1, 22u-2, . . . , 22u-N) of the plurality of uplink beam forming vectors (20u-1, 20u-2, . . . , 20u-N) and an individual one (22d-1, 22d-2, . . . , 22d-N) of the plurality of downlink beam forming vectors (20d-1, 20d-2, . . . , 20d-N) for at least one of the antenna arrays (1-1, 1-2, . . . , 1-N) using a local knowledge (600) about the communication network (500). The present disclosure further provides a method for relaying radio signals into a cell (10) of the communication network (500), a method (2000) for planning the communication network (500), and a method (5000) for relaying radio signals into cells (10-1, 10-2, . . . , 10-N) of the communication network (500); all methods (1000, 2000, 5000) using a knowledge (600) about the communications network (500).
US08977307B2
Technology for spatial domain beamforming coordination at a low power node (LPN) in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) is disclosed. One method can include the LPN collecting spatial feedback information of macro node interference from a plurality of wireless devices in a LPN cell. The LPN can compile the spatial feedback information into a spatial feedback report. The LPN can send the spatial feedback report from the LPN to a macro node for calculating a beamforming vector to reduce the macro node interference for the plurality of wireless devices in the LPN cell.
US08977289B2
A method of processing positioning information in an electronic apparatus having a signal receiving unit, is provided. The method includes receiving at least one positioning signal through the signal receiving unit and obtaining positioning information from the positioning signal. The method further includes selectively adjusting a positioning tolerance according to the positioning information and the positioning tolerance.
US08977287B1
A method for determining a location of a mobile electronic device includes receiving from said device, at a first electronic device, a first RF signal comprising a wireless signal according to a first standard other than a GPS standard. First RF fingerprint data is provided based on the first RF signal. A second RF signal comprising a wireless signal according to a second standard other than a GPS standard is received from said device at a second electronic device. Second RF fingerprint data is provided based on the second RF signal. Device specific RF signal fingerprint data is determined in dependence upon each of the first and second RF fingerprint data. The location of the device is determined using the first RF signal, the device specific RF signal fingerprint data for the first standard, the second wireless signal, and the device specific RF signal fingerprint data for the second standard.
US08977284B2
For a wireless network, a tuning system in which mobile phones using the network are routinely located. With the location of the mobile phones identified, load adjustments for the system are easily accomplished so that the wireless network is not subject to an overload situation. Ideally the location of the mobile phones is accomplished whether the mobile phones are transmitting voice data or not.
US08977279B2
Apparatus and methods of communicating in a communication network include the actions of and components for receiving one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages in a radio link control (RLC) queue, determining a RRC message type of the one or more RRC messages located in the RLC queue, prioritizing the one or more RRC messages located in the RLC queue according to the corresponding RRC message type, and transmitting the prioritized one or more of RRC messages in order of priority.
US08977271B2
A method for computer-aided mapping of system information medium access control protocol messages onto a plurality of transport channels for transmission using an orthogonal frequency division multiple access method, wherein a scheduling of system information data packets information in the context of the mapping on a transport channel of the plurality of transport channels is carried out dependent on the type of the system information.
US08977267B2
A communication control method executed in a multi-hop cellular network including at least one gateway and a plurality of radio base stations includes: a first radio base station performing radio resource management and movement management concerning a radio mobile station requesting, when the first radio base station determines it is necessary to switch a connection destination of the radio mobile station, a second radio base station at a handover destination to perform handover processing and instructing the radio mobile station (a handover execution mobile station) to perform handover to the second radio base station; and the second radio base station determining, based on the number of times of transfer until a signal transmitted from the first radio base station reaches the own station, whether to change the radio base station that performs the radio resource management and the movement management concerning the handover execution mobile station.
US08977264B2
An apparatus and method for preventing performance degradation of a call service in a portable terminal are provided. In the apparatus, a memory stores a Preferred Roaming List (PRL) including information about a plurality of systems and an avoidance list including information about a system to which access has failed the predetermined number or more times, and when an access attempt to originate or terminate a call to or from a specific system acquired in a weak electrical field has failed a predetermined number or more times, a controller controls reacquisition of the specific system and attempting of call origination to or call termination from the reacquired specific system.
US08977257B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided that facilitate controlling device access to one or more restricted groups of access points in a visited network. An indicator can be provided by a home network that specifies whether a device registering with a visited network is allowed to access restricted groups in the visited networks. If so, the visited network can request restricted group subscription information for the device. Additionally or alternatively, the device can control whether restricted groups are displayed for selecting access points based on one or more indicators regarding whether the device is allowed to access restricted groups in visited networks.
US08977252B1
System and method for automatic detection and recovery of malfunction in mobile devices are provided. A mobile device is described, that comprises one or more resources operatively coupled to at least one sensor directly or indirectly coupled to a recovery block. The sensor is configured to monitor at least one of the resources for information, possibly indicative of at least one affected resource, and to report, directly or indirectly this information and/or derivative thereof to the recovery block. In addition, the recovery block is configured to initiate at least one recovery-related action in respect of at least one of the resources in case the received information and/or derivative thereof meets a certain criterion.
US08977250B2
A processing device local context is determined, and a communication of the processing device is filtered at least in part according to the local context.
US08977246B2
There is provided a method and a system of providing a seamless service. The method includes receiving seamless service application information from a first device; receiving, from a second device, history information of at least one application executed by the second device; receiving a seamless service request from the first device; generating seamless service data for the first device, in response to the request, based on the received seamless service application information and the received history information; and transmitting the generated seamless service data to the first device, wherein the first device executes at least one seamless service application based on the transmitted seamless service data.
US08977241B2
A voicemail system includes a memory and a processor. The memory can store data relating to one or more users. An incoming communication can be handled by the voicemail system and provided with functionality based upon a user's preferences, for example. The voicemail system can include functionality to allow a user to convert a voicemail message to a desired format and forward voicemail message, for example as a file, to one or more designated destinations. Methods for forwarding one or messages are also disclosed.
US08977238B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for interfacing SMS/MMS web applications with packet-switched networks. One embodiment comprises a system that handles a Mobile Terminated (MT) text message from a web application to a packet-switched network. The system receives a send command for the MT text message from the web application. The send command is based on a standard used by the web application, such as Parlay X. The system converts the send command for the MT text message to a SIP send request, and transmits the SIP send request for the MT text message to a packet-switched network for delivery to a recipient.
US08977237B1
An automated safety notification system is proposed herein in which one or more safe zone access points may be physically deployed to one or more safe zones associated with a disaster area. If a person with a mobile phone or other mobile device enters the safe zone, the safe zone access point may detect the presence of the mobile device and perform certain functions in response to the detection. For example, the safe zone access point may initiate contact of a predetermined plurality of contacts that the person may have already designated before the disaster. The safe zone access point may also be used to initiate an insurance claim.
US08977226B2
A mobile terminal including a transceiver having a plurality of output terminals; a plurality of power amplifier units respectively connected to the plurality of output terminals, and configured to amplify a first or second signal output by the output terminals and to output the amplified first or second signal to a plurality of antennas respectively connected the plurality of power amplifiers; and a receiving module configured to receive a third signal through a receiving antenna disposed to be spaced apart from the plurality of antennas and to output the received third signal to the transceiver. Further, the receiving module includes first and second filters configured to control an intermodulation distortion (IMD) signal included in the third signal due to the output of the first or second signal.
US08977222B2
A circuit for measurement of a phase noise of an oscillator may include the oscillator to generate a first signal having the same oscillation frequency as an instantaneous oscillation frequency of the oscillator. The circuit may include a first circuit that is configured to generate a second signal from the first signal. An instantaneous amplitude of the second signal may be related to the oscillation frequency of the first signal. A second circuit may be configured to integrate the second signal to generate a third signal. The third signal can be a measure of the phase noise of the oscillator. The third signal can be used to cancel some or all of the phase noise of the oscillator.
US08977218B2
A multi-mode wireless transceiver and a multi-mode switching method thereof are disclosed to provide at least one wireless transceiving interface capable of dynamically switching between multiple frequency bands. The wireless transceiver comprises: a first RF transceiving circuit for transceiving RF signals of a first frequency band; a second RF transceiving circuit for transceiving RF signals of a second frequency band; a first frequency synthesizer and a second frequency synthesizer for generating a first carrier of the first frequency band and a second carrier of the second frequency band respectively; and a switching circuit for outputting the first carrier to the first RF transceiving circuit, and for determining to output one of the first and second carriers to the second RF transceiving circuit according to a control signal.
US08977208B2
A transmitter front-end for wireless chip-to-chip communication, and for other, longer-range (e.g., several meters or several tens of meters) device-to-device communication is disclosed. The transmitter front-end can include a plurality of reflector power amplifiers implemented on an IC chip and an on-chip or on-package antenna for wireless transmitting a signal to another IC chip or device. The plurality of reflector power amplifiers can reflect the radiation of the on-chip or on-package antenna in a particular pattern such that the effective radiation pattern is reinforced in a desired direction and suppressed in an undesired direction. This helps to reduce the required output power of the transmitter front-end and mitigate interference with other potential wireless chip-to-chip or longer-range communications.
US08977207B2
An apparatus for augmenting associations between places and fingerprints may include a processor and memory storing executable computer code causing the apparatus to at least perform operations including detecting items of fingerprint data from one or more beacon devices, as the apparatus traverses one or more physical places. The fingerprint data may correspond to generated summaries of radio information corresponding to the physical places. The computer program code may further cause the apparatus to detect that the apparatus is stationary in at least one of the physical places for a predetermined time period and determine a location of the apparatus in the physical place based in part on determining fingerprint data, detected from a subset of the beacon devices which are in the physical place, that most accurately resembles canonical fingerprint data corresponding to one of a plurality of physical places. Corresponding methods and computer program products are also provided.
US08977194B2
A computer-implemented system and method for establishing media data exposure, where a media device, such as a computer, radio, television and the like, receive media data and produces research data from it. The research data may be based on computer-based or computer network-based characteristics, ancillary codes or audio signatures. As the research data is being produced, an inductive coupling is sought for nearby portable computer devices. Once a portable computing device inductively couples to the media device, information is transferred, allowing a system to determine and/or verify that specific users were exposed to particular media data.
US08977192B2
A fast data method is contemplated to speed data processing and/or transmission times associated with sensor devices desiring to report or otherwise communicate electronic data over wireless or wireline communications mediums to a processing entity. The fast data method may be achieved by scheduling transmission windows/intervals for the sensor devices and adjusting the scheduled intervals in a manner aimed at increasing processing/polling speeds and/or in a manner aimed at facilitating transmission of data built-up over time due to a prior inability to transmit the data.
US08977190B2
A linearizer-channel amplifier device for a dual RF channel designed to be installed on a telecommunication satellite comprises two independent radiofrequency channels, each radiofrequency channel corresponding to a radiofrequency-signal communication channel and comprising a channel-amplifier module, the two radiofrequency channels being connected to one and the same remote control and telemetry module designed to route and to manage remote control signals dedicated to each of the two channel-amplifier modules and to manage telemetries produced by the two channel-amplifier modules. For application notably to the field of satellite telecommunications and in particular to the radiofrequency transmission systems of satellite repeaters.
US08977189B2
Provided is a method for power control in a two-way relay network. The power control method may maximize a minimum transmission rating and a synthesized transmission rating of the overall system when there are restrictions on the synthesized power of terminals and a repeater in the two-way relay network. The power control method may include determining a power ratio for allocating power to each terminal and a repeater for each subcarrier under restriction on synthesized power of the terminals and the repeater and determining power allocated for each subcarrier according to the determined power ratio.
US08977184B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a conveyance path configured to guide a recording sheet conveyed from a sheet placement portion, passing through a sheet feeder unit, a nip portion between a photoconductor and transfer member, a fixing device, and a sheet ejection unit in this order; and a re-conveyance path configured to guide the sheet conveyed from the fixing device to an upstream-side path which constitutes part of the conveyance path extending upstream from the photoconductor. The re-conveyance path branches off from the conveyance path at a position downstream from the fixing device and extends to pass through a space between the photoconductor and the exposure device. The re-conveyance path includes a switchback mechanism configured to reverse a traveling direction of a sheet conveyed along the re-conveyance path after passing through the space between the photoconductor and the exposure device and to convey the sheet toward the upstream-side path.
US08977179B2
A fuser assembly for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a rotatable fusing member forming a fusing nip with a backup member. A heating lamp is positioned to heat the fusing member. A first reflector is positioned around a circumferential portion of the fusing member and positioned to direct light from the heating lamp onto the fusing member. The first reflector covers a first section of an axial length of the fusing member and does not cover a second section of the axial length of the fusing member. A second reflector is movable between a first position covering at least a portion of the second section of the axial length of the fusing member and a second position uncovering at least a portion of the second section of the axial length of the fusing member.
US08977169B2
A development device includes a developer introduction port, a developer conveyance portion, a first conveyance ability suppressing portion, and a connecting conveyance portion. The conveyance ability suppressing portion is disposed on a downstream side of the developer introduction port in a first direction in which the developer is conveyed in order to partially suppress a developer conveyance ability of the developer conveyance portion such that a developer accumulation portion is formed in a position opposing the developer introduction port. A first direction downstream side of the first conveyance ability suppressing portion opposes a first connecting passage in a third direction that intersects the first direction. The connecting conveyance portion is joined to the first direction downstream side of the conveyance ability suppressing portion and opposes the first connecting passage in the third direction in order to pass the developer from a first conveyance passage to a second conveyance passage.
US08977158B2
An electrical connecting mechanism includes: a first connector disposed at an apparatus main body; a second connector disposed at an optional device, a power feed switch disposed at one among the apparatus main body and the optional device and capable of switching between a connected state and an unconnected state; and an operation element that is disposed in the other one among the apparatus main body and the optional device, and causes a state in which power can be supplied from the apparatus main body to the optional device to be entered by changing the power feed switch to the connected state, when the first connector and the second connector are coupled.
US08977152B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for bearing an electrostatic latent image, and a developing device including a container for accommodating the developer, a developer carrying member for carrying the developer and for developing the electrostatic latent image with the developer, a developer supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, and stirring member for stirring the developer and for feeding the developer to the developer supplying member. In addition, a controller controls, before image formation, a stirring operation by the stirring member on the basis of information on electrostatic capacity between the developer carrying member and the developer supplying member.
US08977151B2
An image forming apparatus having; a latent image support member; a latent image forming unit for forming an electrostatic latent image on the latent image support member; a developer support member for supplying toner to the latent image support member to develop the electrostatic latent image; a voltage applying device for applying a developing bias, which is a superimposed voltage of a DC voltage and an AC voltage, to the developer support member; a first selecting device for selecting a screen ruling; and a second selecting device for selecting a frequency of the AC voltage. The second selecting device selects a first frequency when the first selecting device selects a first screen ruling, and selects a second frequency lower than the first frequency when the first selecting device selects a second screen ruling higher than the first screen ruling.
US08977150B2
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photoconductor, a charging unit, an exposure unit to expose the photoconductor to reduce an electrical potential at the photoconductor, a developing unit to charge the toner held on a toner bearing member with friction and attract the toner to the exposed portion on the photoconductor by supplying a development voltage from a first power source and using an electrical potential difference between the toner bearing member and the photoconductor in the development area, a reverse development voltage controller to supply a reverse development voltage while a non-charged portion on the photoconductor passes the development area, and a developer reducing potential applier to supply a development restraining potential and an absolute value smaller than a target charging potential to the photoconductor while the reverse development voltage is supplied.
US08977144B2
An image forming apparatus includes a pre-transfer conveying portion that conveys a recording medium, an image bearing member that moves while bearing a toner image, a conveying belt that attracts the recording medium conveyed from the pre-transfer conveying portion and conveys the recording medium at the same speed as the image bearing member, a detecting portion that detects the recording medium attracted to the conveying belt, and a control unit that controls the speed at which the pre-transfer conveying portion conveys the recording medium. On the basis of the detection of the recording medium, the control unit changes the speed of the pre-transfer conveying portion from a speed slower than the speed of the conveying belt to a speed equal to or faster than the speed of the conveying belt, and thereby causes the leading edges of the toner image and the recording medium to coincide.
US08977119B2
The embodiments provide an automatic bias control method and apparatus for an optical transmitter. The apparatus includes: a detecting unit configured to monitor output optical power of an I/Q modulator of the optical transmitter; a calculating unit configured to calculate bias voltage indicating values of the I modulator, Q modulator and phase modulator of the I/Q modulator according to the output optical power and known modulation data; and an adjusting unit configured to adjust respectively Direct-Current (DC) bias voltages of the I modulator, Q modulator and phase modulator according to the bias voltage indicating values of the I modulator, Q modulator and phase modulator. With the embodiments, known modulation data are used to realize automatic bias control by monitoring the evenness of distribution of the power of output optical signals of the transmitter in the four quadrants of an I/Q plane.
US08977117B2
Provided herein is a supplemental heating element that may be inserted into a tank of a residential or commercial hot water heater. A collar of the supplemental heating element engages a threaded inlet or outlet of the hot water heater and provides a flow path into or out of the hot water heater while the supplement element is suspended within a tank of the hot water heater.
US08977115B2
A vaporizer for generating a vaporized chemical decontaminating agent. The vaporizer includes a primary flow path and a blower for conveying a carrier gas along the primary flow path. A secondary flow path has a first end fluidly connected to the primary flow path at a location upstream of the blower and a second end fluidly connected to the primary flow path at a location downstream of the blower. A heating element is disposed along the secondary flow path. A liquid flow path has a first end fluidly connected to a source of liquid chemical decontaminating agent and a second end fluidly connected to the secondary flow path. The liquid flow path injects the liquid chemical decontaminating agent into the secondary flow path at a location upstream of the heating element. The heating element vaporizes the liquid chemical decontaminating agent to form the vaporized chemical decontaminating agent.
US08977114B2
A device for thermal treatment of corrosive gases includes a chamber for heating gases in which there are at least four heating elements or four groups of heating elements including an electrically conductive material, wherein each heating element or group is connected to a separately regulatable and/or controllable subsystem of an electrical energy network and can thereby be heated by direct current flow, wherein each heating element or group can be controlled or regulated with respect to at least one either identical or different value of a parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, heating power, current, voltage and resistance, or with respect to another heating element process variable, which can be influenced by the device, and wherein at least four regulatable and/or controllable subsystems are DC-isolated from ground potential. The invention also relates to a corresponding method for the thermal treatment of corrosive gases.
US08977113B1
An example method for managing a plurality of media is provided. The method includes providing a composite media file with a plurality of scenes and a plurality of events; playing a scene of the media on a display with at least one event of the plurality of events positioned over the scene; determining if an event of the at least one event has been selected while the scene is playing; and responsive to the event being selected, taking an action.
US08977104B2
A method includes identifying video content that includes an audiovisual component, receiving an identification of the audiovisual component, and receiving at least one component location of the audiovisual component in the video content. Each component location indicates a time and a screen position with which the audiovisual component is associated with in the video content. Component information associated with the audiovisual component is received. A video tag is generated based on the audiovisual component and the component information. The method includes populating one or more fields associated with the video tag based on the component information, the identification of the audiovisual component, and the at least one component location. The method also includes presenting the video tag to a user. The video tag is selectable to present the video content at the at least one component location.
US08977103B2
A video data processing apparatus includes a reading unit reading video data from a video data file recorded on a randomly accessible storage medium in response to a first control signal, and reading position data indicating a frame position of the video data in the video data file from the video data file recorded on the storage medium in response to a second control signal, a memory storing the position data read by the reading unit, and a controller controlling the reading unit by outputting the second control signal before the outputting of the first control signal, and controlling the reading unit by outputting the first control signal with a designation of particular video data to be read indicated by the position data stored in the memory, in response to a request to execute a process to the video data file.
US08977101B2
An imaging apparatus includes: a first display panel unit for executing display toward a user side; a second display panel unit for executing display toward a subject side; an imaging processing unit for subjecting incident light from the subject side to photoelectric conversion to obtain a captured image signal; a recording processing unit for executing a recording process to a recording medium regarding the captured image signal obtained at the imaging processing unit; and a control unit for controlling the display states of the first display panel unit and the second display panel unit for each of a plurality of various types of operation periods changing along with the operation of the imaging processing unit or the recording processing unit, and executing display control wherein the first display panel unit and the second display panel unit can have different display content during at least a single operation period.
US08977098B2
The present invention is directed to a liquid metal clamp, and a clamp system and method including same. A clamp system includes a first clamp configured to hold a first portion of a set of fibers and a second clamp configured to hold a second portion of the set of fibers, the second clamp comprising a liquid metal that takes a liquid form at a first temperature for receipt of the second portion of the set of fibers and that takes a solid form at a second temperature to secure the second of the set of fibers. The set of fibers can be a single fiber or a plurality of fibers. The fiber or fibers can have a circular or non-circular cross section.
US08977092B2
One exemplary multimode optical fiber includes a graded index glass core having a diameter in the range of 41 microns to 80 microns, a graded index having an alpha less than 2.04 and a maximum relative refractive index in the range between 0.6% and 1.8%. The cladding includes a depressed-index annular portion. The fiber has an overfilled bandwidth greater than 2.5 GHz-km at at least one wavelength between 1200 nm and 1700 nm.
US08977089B2
The present invention relates to a communication cable splice box that is capable of different ways to waterproof the main cable, the cable splice box comprises a protective cover and at least a cable entry place, the cable entry space has at least three hollow cylindrical columns, one of the hollow cylindrical columns can provide entry for two main cables that are preparing for heat shrink tube waterproofing into the cable splice box, the two remaining hollow cylindrical columns each provides entry for one main cable that is preparing for elastic rubber shrinkable pipe waterproofing into the cable splice box. This can improve in the prior art and solve the array of waterproofing problems encountered in the entry opening of the main cable of the telecommunication cable splice box.
US08977088B2
An optical interposer for optically coupling light between an OED supported on a substrate and an optical fiber, the interposer comprising: (a) an interposer of an optically-clear moldable material comprising at least the following features: (b) a port for receiving a ferrule containing at least one optical fiber, the port comprising an interface surface positioned to optically couple with an end face of the optical fiber; (c) an active lens adapted to optically couple with an OED, the active lens and the interface surface optically coupled along an optical path in the interposer; (d) a protrusion extending backward from the port, the protrusion defining a first register surface, the first register surface being a certain distance from the optical path such that, when a second register surface of a ferrule containing the optical fiber contacts the first register surface, the ferrule is aligned with the port such that the port can receive a front portion of the ferrule if the ferrule is pushed forward.
US08977087B2
The invention relates to a tapered optical fiber and a method and drawing tower for producing such an optical fiber. The tapered optical fiber comprising a core region that is capable of guiding light along a longitudinal axis of said optical fiber and a cladding region surrounding said core region. The optical fiber comprises a tapered section arranged between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position, said tapered section comprising a first taper section having a first length, L1, over which the optical fiber is tapered down to a taper waist, and a second taper section having a second length, L2, over which said optical fiber is tapered up.
US08977085B2
A method of forming an optical fiber tip, the method including, roughening at least part of an end portion of the optical fiber; and, etching the roughed end portion to thereby form an optical fiber tip.
US08977075B2
A method for determining the relative position and orientation of a first and a second imaging device by comparing the image of a commonly depicted object in a first and a second image of the first and the second imaging device respectively, wherein the first and the second imaging devices are adapted for providing first and second depth information respectively for the respective images and in which at least the first and the second depth information is used for the determination. Corresponding device are also disclosed.
US08977071B2
Means which enables image conversion in which a plurality of conversion results can be output without once saving all of video-image data, which has been input from image-pickup means, in a storage medium is provided. A single line memory having a plurality of lines is used while switching the role thereof for a reading use by a video-image converting means and a use for inputting image data from the image-pickup means. The image converting means obtains an input image, which is in the line memory, and carries out conversion of the input image based on a conversion specifying means interpreted by an instruction decoder.
US08977069B2
Provided are an apparatus and method of obtaining a high resolution image using multi-band combination filters. The apparatus includes a high frequency extraction unit to extract a high frequency image from a low resolution input image through filtering operations performed in parallel, a high frequency expansion unit to expand the high frequency image to generate an expanded high frequency image, an image expansion unit to expand the low resolution input image to generate an expanded input image, and an image combination unit to combine the expanded high frequency image and the expanded input image.
US08977068B2
An invention is disclosed for performing differencing of graphical data in post-transform space for a remote presentation session. Graphical data is transformed from a first representation to a second representation (e.g. with a DWT), and then a difference is taken of the post-transform data and the post-transform data of the frame that preceded the current frame. This difference is then encoded and transmitted to a client, which decodes it, and creates a representation of the graphical data using the delta, and a previously determined representation of the previous frame. By performing differencing in post-transform space, fidelity of the remote presentation session is retained while it may decrease bandwidth. This may occur because the entropy of the delta representation is usually lower than a non-delta representation while the scheme retains the identical data of the final decoded image of the non-delta version of the same compression scheme.
US08977063B2
The disclosure is directed to techniques for region-of-interest (ROI) processing for video telephony (VT) applications. According to the disclosed techniques, a recipient device defines ROI information for video information transmitted by a sender device, i.e., far-end video information. The recipient device transmits the ROI information to the sender device. Using the ROI information transmitted by the recipient device, the sender device applies preferential encoding to an ROI within a video scene. ROI extraction may be applied to process a user description of a region of interest (ROI) to generate information specifying the ROI based on the description. The user description may be textual, graphical, or speech-based. An extraction module applies appropriate processing to generated the ROI information from the user description. The extraction module may locally reside with a video communication device, or reside in a distinct intermediate server configured for ROI extraction.
US08977046B2
An image processing device includes a pattern type determination unit in which a predetermined pattern is determined corresponding to color information of an image; a region setting unit in which a predetermined region in the image is set; an image data generation unit in which image data including the image and the pattern are included; and a size correction unit in which a size of the pattern is changed corresponding to a size of the region, or a position correction unit in which a positional relationship between a characteristic portion from which a type of the pattern included in the pattern which is determined in the pattern type determination unit can be discriminated and the region which is set in the region setting unit is corrected.
US08977039B2
Described are computer-based methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for pulling keys from color segmented images. Data indicative of a two dimensional image is stored in a data storage device, the two dimensional image comprising a plurality of pixels. A plurality of color segmented frames are generated based on the two dimensional image, wherein each color segmented frame comprises one or more objects. For each of the color segmented frames, a key is generated based on the one or more objects. A depth map is calculated for the two dimensional image based on the keys, wherein the depth map comprises data indicative of three dimensional information for each pixel of the two dimensional image.
US08977038B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, means for generating a disparity map based on a depth map, means for determining accuracy of pixels in the depth map where the determining means identifies the pixels as either accurate or inaccurate based on a confidence map and the disparity map, and means for providing an adjusted depth map where the providing means adjusts inaccurate pixels of the depth map using a cost function associated with the inaccurate pixels. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08977033B1
Methods, systems, and computer readable media are disclosed for determining a pixel-to-length ratio between a number of pixels disposed over a predetermined length of a reference object within an image of a siding sample and the predetermined length of the reference object. A first and second distance between respective first and second pairs of points within the image corresponding to respective first and second length measurements of the siding sample are determined, as well as a first and second number of pixels disposed between the first and second pair of points, respectively. Furthermore, the method, system, and computer readable medium disclose determining the first length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the first number of pixels, determining the second length measurement based on the pixel-to-length ratio and the second number of pixels, and identifying a siding product associated with the first and second length measurements.
US08977032B2
A method is provided for evaluating a possible pallet structure. The method comprises: providing a gray scale image comprising one or more possible lines; providing respective pixel locations in the gray scale image for an estimated upper left corner and an estimated upper right corner; calculating, using a computer, a value h based on the estimated upper left corner location and the estimated upper right corner location; estimating, using the computer, a first hole with a first rectangle having a height h; estimating, using the computer, a second hole with a second rectangle having the height h; and estimating, using the computer, the possible center stringer with a third rectangle having the height h.
US08977030B2
A blood cell image display apparatus comprising: a classifier for classifying blood cell images, which are obtained by imaging a blood smear prepared from a blood specimen, in accordance with types of blood cells in the blood cell images; an information receiver for receiving information relating to the blood specimen; a display section; and a display controller for determining a type of blood cell as a display object on the basis of the information relating to the blood specimen, and displaying a blood cell image classified as the determined type on the display section, is disclosed. A specimen analyzing system, a blood cell image display method, and a computer program product are also disclosed.
US08977029B2
A method and system for multi-atlas segmentation brain structures and vessel territories in a brain computed tomography (CT) image is disclosed. Each of a plurality of atlas images is individually registered to an input brain CT image, resulting in a plurality of warped atlas images. A region of interest is defined based on labeled brain structures in each of the plurality of warped atlas images. For each atlas image, a respective sum of squared difference (SSD) value is calculated between the corresponding warped atlas image and the brain CT image within the region of interest defined for the corresponding warped atlas image. A number of the atlas images are selected based on the SSD values calculated for the atlas images. The brain structures and vessel territories are segmented in the brain CT image using only the selected atlas images.
US08977017B2
A system and method supporting medical diagnosis made based on evaluation of images of a histopathology sample. The method includes automated generation and evaluation of a digitally-stained image (emulating the effect produced on the sample by a chosen specific dye) based at least on one of data representing an image of the HE-stained sample and empirical testing data representing samples stained with specific dyes. The system is adapted to acquire a multispectral image of the sample, to implement the digital staining of the sample's image, and to evaluate automatically the digitally-stained image contemporaneously with multispectral image acquisition. The system generates an output indicative of need to request a preparation of an actual specimen stained with chosen specific dye for further evaluation, reducing the number of samples prepared in anticipation of such request and reducing time lapsed prior to the evaluation by a histopathologist.
US08977013B2
One embodiment includes a biometric sensor for generating a three-dimensional representation of a portion of a finger, the finger comprising a three-dimensional structure including a surface tissue layer and a subsurface tissue layer, the biometric sensor comprising: a platen; a first transducer; a drive system; a controller; and a software module. The platen is configured to receive the finger. The first transducer is arranged about the platen, configured to scan at least a portion of the finger by transmitting ultrasound waves toward the finger and receiving the ultrasound waves after the waves reflect off of the finger, and further configured to output signals based upon the received ultrasound waves. The drive system is configured to motivate the set of transducers accurately about a central axis substantially parallel to the length of the finger to be scanned. The controller is configured to control the motion of the drive system. The software module is configured to receive a form of the signals from the first transducer and to compose the form of the signals into a three-dimensional representation of at least a portion of the surface tissue layer of the finger.
US08977005B2
Provided is a carried item region extraction device for accurately extracting a carried item region from an image.This carried item region extraction device has: a string region processing unit for extracting a string region including a string of a carried item from image information; and a carried item region processing unit for extracting a carried item region including a carried item from the image information on the basis of the string region.
US08977003B1
The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for object detection. The method includes detecting at least one initial position of an object of a specific type in at least one initial image within an ordered sequence of images stored in a memory. The method further includes detecting at least one subsequent position of the object in at least one subsequent image within the ordered sequence of images. The method further includes estimating one or more intermediate positions of the object in one or more intermediate images within the ordered sequence of images between the initial image and the subsequent image based on the initial position and the subsequent position.
US08976999B2
A vehicle detection apparatus includes a lamp candidate extraction unit that extracts a pixel region that may correspond to a tail lamp of a vehicle from pixel regions that an integration processing unit creates by extracting and integrating pixels of an image as a lamp candidate and a grouping unit that regroups groups containing the lamp candidate of the groups generated by grouping position data detected by a position detection unit and then regroups all groups. In the regrouping processing, a threshold used for regrouping groups containing the lamp candidate is set easier for regrouping than a threshold used for subsequently regrouping all groups.
US08976998B2
The disclosure describes methods and apparatus of providing steganographic indicia or digital watermarking in image or video data. One implementation provides a method of embedding a digital watermark in image data captured by an imager, with watermark embedding occurring on-chip with the imager. Another implementation provides a method of managing images. Each of the images comprises plural-bit data steganographically embedded therein in the form of a digital watermark, with the plural-bit data corresponding to a geo-location. Yet another implementation provides a method of identifying locations on a map, with the map being for display via a computer display. Still another implementation provides a method of introducing a watermark message to a watermark embedder located on-chip with an image array. Other implementations and embodiments are provided as well.
US08976994B2
An earphone comprising an earphone housing having a body portion acoustically coupled to a tube portion extending from the body portion, the body portion having an acoustic output opening to output sound from a driver positioned therein into an ear canal of a wearer. An acoustic tuning member is positioned within the body portion for acoustically coupling the driver to the tube portion. The acoustic tuning member defines a back volume chamber of the driver and includes an acoustic output port for outputting sound from the back volume chamber of the driver to the tube portion to improve an acoustic performance of the earphone.
US08976987B2
There is provided a sound reproduction device including a left channel housing unit that accommodates at least a left channel driver unit outputting a left channel sound, a left channel microphone recording an external sound, and a left channel micro-computer controlling a setting for a noise cancelling processing based on a recording signal of the left channel microphone; and a right channel housing unit that accommodates at least a right channel driver unit outputting a right channel sound, a right channel microphone recording an external sound, and a right channel micro-computer controlling a setting for a noise cancelling processing based on a recording signal of the right channel microphone. The left channel micro-computer and the right channel micro-computer are configured to communicate data with each other.
US08976984B2
A microphone includes a polar piece contacting with a first magnetic pole of a first permanent magnet, a yoke body annularly arranged around the polar piece through a magnetic gap G with a predetermined width, a magnetic circuit unit including a tail yoke connected to the yoke body and contacting with a second magnetic pole of the first permanent magnet, and a diaphragm unit provided with a voice coil arranged to vibrate in the magnetic gap. The second magnetic pole of the first permanent magnet contacts with one side of the tail yoke, a first magnetic pole of the second permanent magnet is disposed to contact with other side of the tail yoke, a magnetic path is produced between the second magnetic pole of the second permanent magnet and the yoke body, and the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet are polarized in the same sense.
US08976970B2
A method and apparatus of effectively encoding and decoding a high-frequency signal of a multi-channel audio are provided. A multi-channel audio decoding apparatus may down-mix a multi-channel audio input signal, expand a number of channels of the down-mixed signal, select at least one of the expanded channel signal, extract a parameter indicating a characteristic relation between the selected signal and the multi-channel audio input signal, and encode the down-mixed signal and the extracted parameter.
US08976965B2
A system can include a mobile computing device and a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can include a sensor that outputs an indication that the wearable computing device is being worn. In some examples, one or both of the devices can be operable to determine that the devices are within a threshold distance of each other. Responsive to receiving the indications that the wearable computing device is being worn and the devices are within the threshold distance of each other, one or both of the devices can be operable to change an access mode of computing environment provided by the respective device from a reduced access mode to an increased access mode.
US08976964B2
In a key pair management method for use in an image forming device, one or more key pairs which are usable for secure communication between the image forming device and an external device are stored into a first area of a memory. A key pair required for the secure communication with the external device is received from the first area of the memory. After the key pair is received from the first area of the memory, the key pair required for the secure communication with the external device is generated in an asynchronous mode and stored into the first area of the memory again. The secure communication between the image forming device and the external device is performed using the key pair received from the first area of the memory.
US08976959B2
Communicating data is disclosed. A time delay encoding a data to be communicated is selected. A sonic signal is combined with a version of the sonic signal that is delayed by the selected time delay. The data is communicated at least in part by transmitting the combined signal to a mobile device.
US08976954B1
Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: configuring a communication component of the customer center communication system to enable recording of a media stream associated with the communication session; transmitting the media stream over a network based on the configuration of the communication component; receiving the media stream over the network; and recording the received media stream.
US08976942B2
A system, method and software for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment are provided. In operation, the invention provides for the identification of a call center transaction selection from a natural language user utterance and the invocation of one or more scripts operable to route the user to a call center service agent configured to service the selected transaction. In the event a transaction selection cannot be readily identified or can only be partially identified, the invention provides for the initiation of a dialog module or script directed to eliciting a discernable transaction selection and/or the presentation of one or more menus from which the user may select an available call center transaction.
US08976934B2
A collimator includes an x-ray blocking surface including one or more generally flat plates defining an aperture edge. The aperture edge includes a first end portion including a first end of the aperture edge, a second end portion including a second end of the aperture edge, and a central portion including a center of the aperture edge. The first end portion of the aperture edge corresponds to a first end portion of a detector, the second end portion of the aperture edge corresponds to a second end portion of the detector, and the central portion of the aperture edge corresponds to a central portion of the detector. A profile of the aperture edge is discontinuous at a point between the first end of the aperture edge and the center of the aperture edge.
US08976906B2
A multi-carrier signal is typically comprised of many equidistant sub-carriers. This results in periodicity of spectrum within the bandwidth of such a multi-carrier signal. An unknown multi-carrier signal with equidistant sub-carriers can thus be sensed together with its sub-carrier spacing by finding a discernible local maximum in the cepstrum (Fourier transform of the log spectrum) of the multi-carrier signal.
US08976896B2
A transmitter (50) includes a low power nonlinear predistorter (58) that inserts predistortion configured to compensate for a memoryless nonlinearity (146) corresponding to gain droop and another memoryless nonlinearity (148) corresponding to a video signal. When efforts are taken to reduce memory effects, such as configuring a network of components (138) that couple to an HPA (114) to avoid resonance frequencies substantially throughout a video bandwidth (140), high performance linearization at low power results without extending linearization beyond that provided by the memoryless nonlinear predistorter (58). A look-up table (282) has address inputs responsive to a magnitude parameter (152) of a communication signal (54). A pre-distorted communication signal (60) is responsive to the output of the look-up table, a derivative signal (204), and possibly one or more variable bias parameters (85). The look-up table (282) is updated in response to an LMS control loop.
US08976895B2
Method for calibrating a linearizer and linearized electronic component the method comprises predistortion, in a predistortion linearizer, of a signal upstream of an electronic component to compensate nonlinear distortion. Determining predistortion setting parameters comprises applying a bifrequency test signal to the component and measuring the relative amplitudes of the lines at the output of the component. A variable indicative of the magnitude |Kp| of the AM/PM conversion coefficient of the component is calculated on the basis of these measurements. The predistortion setting parameters are adjusted so as to minimize |Kp|. The method may in particular be implemented in a linearized amplifier device and in an amplifier test bench.
US08976878B2
In one aspect, a method includes performing a mapping on bits to form a complex data symbol, applying a frequency rotation mask to the complex data symbol based on a polynomial phase, performing an inverse discrete Fourier transform (IDFT) after applying the frequency rotation mask, applying a time domain window after performing the IDFT, converting digital data to analog data after applying the time window and transmitting the analog data as an analog signal.
US08976869B2
A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having the filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filters includes filters having different filtering strength. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.
US08976867B2
A motion vector predictor candidate generation unit derives a plurality of motion vector predictor candidates by prediction from first coded prediction blocks neighboring a prediction block subject to coding within the same picture as the prediction block subject to coding, or from a second coded prediction block located at the same position as or in the neighborhood of the prediction block subject to coding in a picture different from that of the prediction block subject to coding, and adds the derived motion vector predictor candidates in a motion vector predictor candidate. The motion vector predictor candidate generation unit determines, for the purpose of obtaining a predetermined number of motion vector predictor candidates, which of first coded prediction blocks provides the motion vector from which to derive the motion vector predictor candidate, organizing the blocks in the order of priority.
US08976858B2
A method and apparatus to improve error resiliency in processing a multimedia bitstream is described. A directory of header information is generated for a multimedia bitstream. The directory information comprises packet header information associated with the multimedia bitstream. The directory information may be transmitted to a receiver along with the multimedia bitstream. A receiver of the multimedia bitstream and the directory can utilize the header information to identify and locate packets within and subsequent to erroneous data in the received bitstream. By identifying and locating packets that may otherwise be discarded, the receiver may be able to improve error recovery and decoding of the multimedia data.
US08976854B1
A reconfigurable P-way parallel N-tap feed forward equalizer includes an adaptive filter configured to generate a series of coefficients (taps) and an input register for storing input symbols. A variable cursor position defined by a parameter corresponding to a position in the input register selects a set of pre-cursor and post-cursor taps for dynamic ISI correction of a like set of pre-cursor and post-cursor symbols. Multiplier banks generate partial result symbols by applying the taps to the set of input symbols, and a set of combiners or adder banks generate equalized output symbols from the partial result symbols. Two multiplexers adjust input symbols and coefficients according to the parameter, and a controller allows selection of an optimal parameter, and thus an optimal variable cursor position. The coefficient corresponding to the parameter may additionally be preset to save storage space.
US08976851B2
A method which includes receiving a first modulated signal from a first user device, the first modulated signal being generated based upon a time-frequency transformation of first user data. The method further includes receiving a second modulated signal from a second user device, the second modulated signal being generated based upon a time-frequency transformation of second user data. The first modulated signal and the second modulated signal are then processed.
US08976835B2
Systems and methods of interference-triggered frequency hopping in a wireless communication system. A master is provided in the wireless communication system in wireless communication with slave nodes each configured to use different preselected communication frequencies to permit frequency hopping. A current channel is selected from among multiple channels in the wireless communication system in which the master and at least some of the slave nodes send and receive wireless communications. Each of the channels uses different ones of the preselected communication frequencies. In the current channel, interference with communications between the master and a selected one of the slave nodes that use the current channel is detected. A new channel is selected only in response to detecting the interference. The system switches from the current channel to the new channel such that communications between the master and the selected slave node use the new channel.
US08976824B2
A TOSA can include: a light emitting element; and one or more heating elements thermally coupled to the light emitting element so as to provide a substantially constant heat generation profile and/or temperature profile across the TOSA during a light emitting element dormant period and a light emitting element firing period. The TOSA can include a controller operably coupled with the one or more heating elements so as to control the substantially constant heat generation profile and/or temperature profile. In one aspect, the one or more heating elements can include one or more dedicated heating elements. In one aspect, the one or more of the dedicated heating elements can include a resistor element or coil.
US08976821B2
Apparatus and methods for anisotropic pumping of a Kerr lens modelocked laser. Direct diode laser pumping of an ultrafast Kerr lens modelocked laser oscillator is accomplished. Diode lasers generate severely anisotropic beams, meaning the pump beam has a higher-beam-quality dimension and a lower-beam-quality dimension. By spatially overlap of the pump beam higher-beam-quality dimension and the KLM laser mode, KLM operation is accomplished. Multiple laser diode pump beams are combined in counterpropagating and same-side configurations.
US08976819B2
A current detection module generates a first current detection signal of a first current flowing through a first power line and a second current detection signal of a second current flowing through a second power line. A multiplexer periodically switches between the two current detection signals in response to a control signal so as to output the first current detection signal within a first duration of each cycle of the control signal and the second current detection signal within a second duration of each cycle of the control signal. A signal processing module generates an energy accumulation signal according to the output of the multiplexer and a voltage detection signal of the voltage of a phase line. A control module provides the control signal to the multiplexer, and generates an effective value of the second current during the second duration.
US08976816B1
A self-synchronous scrambler/descrambler and method for operating same are disclosed. A self-synchronous scrambler/descrambler comprises an M-bit Scrambler State memory for retaining M previously scrambled/descrambled bits, a SOP/EOP Zero Inserter for receiving replacing certain bytes of the bus word with a value of zero, a Mid-Packet Word Logic for scrambling/descrambling the received bits using the previously scrambled/descrambled bits from the M-bit Scrambler State memory; and a Barrel Shifter for rotating the M-bit Scrambler State memory backwards. The method for scrambling/descrambling bits, comprising receiving a bus word, replacing certain bytes of the bus word, scrambling/descrambling bits of the bus word by exclusive-ORing with previously scrambled/descrambled bits, retaining the scrambled/descrambled bits of the bus word; and rotating the scrambled/descrambled bits of the bus word backwards an amount.
US08976812B2
A communication apparatus includes: an attaching unit configured to attach, to an input frame to be processed in the communication apparatus, a frame identifier of the input frame and a band control correction value corresponding to the frame identifier and the output port; a correction unit configured to correct an amount of data of the frame to be output to a network via the output port, based on the band control correction value; a band control unit configured to control a band of each of the output ports, based on the amount of data of the frame corrected by the correction unit; and an editing unit configured to edit, according to the frame identifier, a frame that the attached frame identifier and correction value thereof has been removed from and that has been band controlled, the edited frame being output to the network via the output port.
US08976811B2
A communication apparatus includes: a storage section to store a communication throughput of communication apparatuses, a reference value of the communication throughput and a reference adjustment value; a calculating section, when a current communication throughput of a self-sided communication apparatus exceeds a self reference value, to calculate a reference value of the communication apparatuses based on an upper limit value, the current communication throughput, and the communication throughput and the reference adjustment value in the storage section, the upper limit value corresponding to a total communication throughput of the communication apparatuses; an updating section to update the reference value with the calculated reference value in the communication apparatuses; a transmitter section to transmit the calculated reference value to an external communication apparatus; and a receiver section to receive the calculated reference value transmitted from the external communication apparatus and update the reference value with the calculated reference value.
US08976800B1
A switching element and methods thereof are provided. The switching element includes a port from among a plurality of ports, which when configured to operate as a network protocol port sends and receives network information and when configured to operate as a storage protocol port sends and receives storage information. The port includes a control segment for generating a control signal for setting an operating mode of a serial and de-serializer (SERDES). The operating mode of the SERDES is selected based on whether the port is configured to operate as a network protocol port or as a storage protocol port.
US08976798B2
An approach for providing secure communication services is disclosed. A secure (e.g., a Virtual Private Network (VPN)) tunnel from a source node over an access network, such as a satellite network, to a destination node, wherein the nodes are external to the network. A connection that supports a mechanism for enhancing performance of the network is established for a portion of the secure tunnel that traverses the network.
US08976797B2
System and method for providing a layer 2 switch in the access network that switches based upon one or more carrier tags identifying customer traffic. Customer traffic conforming to any variety of different layer 1 or layer 2 protocols may be encapsulated and identified according to carrier tag values. The layer 2 switch may determine how to handle the traffic by interpreting and manipulating the carrier tag values. The layer 2 switch may be capable of switching TDM input traffic to either TDM or packet output traffic, and switching packetized input traffic to either TDM or packet output traffic. Handling classification values may also be processed by the layer 2 switch to affect prioritization of handling of encapsulated traffic.
US08976795B2
A computing environment containing a mesh network that is adapted to provide a reliable transport mechanism over which services may be delivered. Nodes of the mesh can automatically select routable addresses without conflicts, which allows nodes of the mesh to be accessed, even as the mesh changes through the addition or deletion of nodes. Also, nodes communicate with a protocol that supports service advertisements. These advertisements can identify mesh nodes that supply services, such as file or print servers, for which devices that have not yet connected to the network may be searching. Advertisements can also identify services to be used by nodes in the network, allowing, for example, a node to select a gateway providing a reliable connection to an external network. The mesh network can be used as a transport for communication using protocols, such as TCP/IP, that generally exhibit poor performance when using unreliable transports.
US08976791B1
A packet is received at a network device, the packet having a header that includes destination information for a first network in a first header portion, and destination information for a second network in a second header portion. The packet is processed, in a first pass, to make a first forwarding decision to forward the packet to a destination in the first network based on information contained in the first header portion. The packet is replicated and the packet, or the replicated packet, is returned for processing in a second pass. The packet, or the replicated packet, is processed in the second pass to make a second forwarding decision to forward at least a portion of the packet or the replicated packet to a destination in the second network based on information contained in the second header portion without relying on information contained in the first header portion.
US08976787B2
A traffic optimizer facilitates communication of data packets using a unicast protocol between a server and at least one of a plurality of clients through a multicast network. The traffic optimizer includes a communication processor and a packet processor. The communication processor receives both data including association data and the data packets using the unicast protocol from the server. The association data includes IP addresses of the server and IP addresses of at least one of a plurality of clients available for communication. The packet processor processes the data packets to optimize data transfer in response to an analysis of the data packets, and forwards the processed data packets to at least one of the plurality of clients at respective ones of the received IP addresses through a multicast network using the unicast protocol.
US08976780B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for uplink timing maintenance in wireless communications are provided. Certain aspects of the disclosure involve, at a user equipment (UE), detecting a downlink transmission timing has changed by an amount of time. The UE may determine that a time alignment timer (TAT) is not running or determine the downlink transmission timing change is not compensated for. The UE can adjust a timing advance based on the amount of time that the downlink transmission timing has changed.
US08976779B2
Provided is a differential precoding method for reducing inter-user interference and increasing the sum rate. The differential precoding method comprises initializing a precoding matrix with a first (Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) for a channel between a mobile station and a base station; and updating the precoding matrix with a second PMI for the channel and side information for adaptively updating the precoding matrix according to a change speed of a state of the channel, wherein the side information has a quantized scalar value.
US08976778B2
In certain embodiments, a slave clock node in a wireless packet network achieves time synchronization with a master clock node by implementing a packet-layer synchronization procedure, such as the IEEE1588 precision timing protocol (PTP), to set the slave's local time based on the master's time. The slave's local time is then maintained by implementing a physical-layer syntonization procedure, such as synchronous Ethernet, without relying on the packet-layer synchronization procedure. The packet-layer synchronization procedure may be selectively employed to adjust the slave's local time (if needed) after significant periods of time (e.g., substantially greater than one second). Both the packet-layer synchronization procedure and the physical-layer syntonization procedure are traceable to a common reference timescale (e.g., UTC). Depending on the implementation, the packet-layer synchronization procedure can be, but does not have to be, terminated when not being employed to adjust the slave's local time.
US08976774B2
A method for predicting performance of a radio link in a wireless communication terminal including hypothesizing a second codeword including information associated with a hypothesized first codeword, obtaining channel state information from a received signal, and estimating a decoder error rate of the first codeword under a condition that the second codeword may not be decoded correctly, wherein the decoder error rate is estimated using the channel state information.
US08976772B2
When a wireless communication network is built in an ad hoc mode, it is possible to appropriately build the wireless communication network regardless of start timings of wireless communication functions of image capturing apparatuses. In order to achieve the object, there is provided the image capturing apparatus which is capable of building a wireless communication network by wirelessly connecting to another image capturing apparatus in an ad hoc mode, and which is capable of switching between a function as a creator and a function as a joiner, including a start unit configured to start as the creator, a unit configured to execute a scan process, and a unit configured to determine based on a result of the scan process whether to function as the creator and to function as the joiner, and to control the image capturing apparatus in accordance with the determination result.
US08976769B2
A user may simultaneously access sources of multimedia information via multiple wireless networks using a handheld multimedia gateway. A user interface may support the selection of information services that are each provided separate, but possibly overlapping, viewing spaces. Circuitry in the multimedia gateway manages the operation of the multiple wireless communication paths, and enables the display of visual information through two or more display devices. The user may customize the display, the size, and the location within a display of regions in which the information is presented.
US08976764B2
Accommodating semi-persistent scheduling in heterogeneous networks with restricted subframe patterns
A method is provided for operating a network element in a wireless communications network. The method comprises transmitting, by a network element configured to utilize time domain measurement resource restriction, a first initial transmission under a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) scheme, wherein retransmissions of the first initial transmission follow a first retransmission pattern. The method further comprises transmitting, by the network element, a second initial transmission under the SPS scheme, wherein retransmissions of the second initial transmission follow a second retransmission pattern, the second retransmission pattern allowing at least one retransmission of the second initial transmission to occur in a restricted subframe.
US08976760B2
To provide a communication control system and a communication control method, in which call connection delay can be reduced even in a case where a resource capable of continuing an established communication bearer in a radio communication system in a transition destination cannot be captured when a mobile station transitions to another radio communication system. An eNB 110 includes a handover control unit 115 configured to determine whether a handover of a PS bearer to a 3G system 20 is performed based on the priority of the PS bearer to the CS bearer when a connection destination of a mobile station 300 being in connection with an LTE system 10 using the PS bearer is switched to the 3G system 20.
US08976751B2
Channel state information (CSI) reporting is described. CSI configuration information for a plurality of cells, and information requesting an aperiodic CSI report for a first cell are received. A periodic CSI report for a second cell different from the first cell with the aperiodic CSI report for the first cell in a corresponding subframe is transmitted. If a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) are transmitted in the corresponding subframe simultaneously, the periodic CSI report for the second cell is transmitted via the PUCCH and the aperiodic CSI report for the first cell is transmitted via the PUSCH in the corresponding subframe. Otherwise, the periodic CSI report for the second cell is piggybacked on the PUSCH and the periodic CSI report for the second cell and the aperiodic CSI report for the first cell are transmitted via the PUSCH in the corresponding subframe.
US08976748B2
When a mobile station apparatus capable of being connected to a base station apparatus by using a plurality of frequency bands performs an uplink transmission, the mobile station apparatus selects the optimum combination among the combinations of a plurality of frequency bands and uplink transmission methods, and performs the uplink transmission. The mobile station apparatus aggregates a plurality of cells to connect the same to a base station apparatus and requests, from the base station apparatus, an uplink radio resource required to transmit uplink data. The mobile station apparatus selects, based on a first condition, an uplink for making a radio resource request using a random access channel from the plurality of cells, and selects, based on a second condition, either the radio resource request using the random access channel or the transmission of uplink data using an uplink radio resource common to other mobile station apparatuses.
US08976747B2
A method for configuring aperiodic sounding reference symbols is disclosed. The method avoids transmission of unused configuration parameters. In particular, parameters for use with DCI format 4 are not configured for user equipment that does not support the format. Accordingly, the method may include: configuring UL transmission mode equal to 1; configuring aperiodic SRS for DCI format 0/1a; and not configuring aperiodic SRS parameter sets for DCI format 4. The method may also include: configuring UL transmission mode equal to 2; configuring aperiodic SRS for DCI format 0/1a; and not configuring aperiodic SRS parameter sets for DCI format 4.
US08976730B2
For voice traffic over-the-air in LTE, persistent schedule (PS) or semi-persistent (SPS) scheduling would be the preferred method as they minimize signaling messages. In PS or SPS, resources are pre-allocated to the UE 402 at regular intervals (e.g., every 20 milliseconds). At each time slot, the UE will generally transmit an IMBE frames which are encoded in ISSI packet. In ISSI, other data streams are multiplexed with the IMBE frame and thus the packet size varies depending on its position within a super-frame. For PS or SPS, eNodeB must allocated sufficient resources to support the largest packet that. Therefore, there is spare capacity when the packet is not of the largest size. The exemplary embodiments specify ways to use spare capacity to transfer data.
US08976729B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure propose methods for reporting information such as a maximum power spectral density to a serving access point after receiving overload indicators from one or more neighboring access points. The reported information may be multiplexed with other information (e.g., Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Precoding Matrix Index (PMI), rank indication (RI) or acknowledgement (ACK)/negative acknowledgment (NACK) message for downlink data channel) before transmission to the serving access point. In addition, the information may be transmitted in a medium access control (MAC) packet data unit (PDU).
US08976728B2
Message or traffic data is transmitted from a given radio or node for reception by one or more other nodes in a communications network, by arranging the node for transmitting the data according to a selected one of a number of different medium access protocols. The medium access protocol selected for a given message or traffic is determined according to one or more of (a) the size of the traffic, (b) the priority of the traffic, (c) the periodicity of the traffic, and (d) whether the traffic is broadcast or unicast to the other nodes in the network. Each radio includes one or more processor and memory modules configured to output messages or traffic for transmission from the radio according to the selected medium access protocol. By using distributed scheduling and traffic control to protect against hidden nodes, the radios can maintain agile portability in tactical urban environments.
US08976719B2
A wireless communications system and method configured to operate and communicate with a plurality of wireless communications stations in compliance with a wireless communications protocol, wherein said communications comprise transmitting a first control packet to disable at least one of the wireless communications stations from data transmissions in compliance with the wireless communications protocol, and transmit a second control packet to enable at least one of the disabled wireless communications stations to perform the data transmissions. The first control packet is transmitted using a first configuration, and the second control packet is transmitted using a second configuration.
US08976718B2
This invention relates to an automatic detection apparatus for UL/DL configuration in LTE-TDD signal and the method thereby for automatically detecting the UL/DL configuration number of an LTE-TDD signal without a decoder by using a simple structure. An automatic detection apparatus for UL/DL configuration in LTE-TDD signal comprises: a signal receiving unit for receiving an LTE-TDD RF signal and converting the LTE-TDD RF signal into a LTE-TDD baseband signal; a signal extracting unit for extracting a cell-specific reference signal for each subframe length in one frame length of the LTE-TDD baseband signal received from the signal receiving unit; a signal power measurement unit for measuring the power of the corresponding subframe reference signal according to the cell-specific reference signal received from the signal extracting unit; and an UL/DL configuration determination unit for determining whether the corresponding subframe is a DL subframe or an UL subframe according to the comparison result of the power of the corresponding subframe reference signal measured in the signal power measurement unit with a predetermined reference value, and determining the UL/DL configuration number for the corresponding frame based on the subframe number determined as described above. In the above configuration, it is characterized in that the predetermined reference value is the noise power without any LTE-TDD signal.
US08976717B2
The present invention provides a method for data forwarding. The method includes: transmitting, by a source system, Selected IP Traffic Offload (SIPTO)/Local Internet Protocol Access (LIPA) indication information to a destination system, the SIPTO/LIPA indication information indicating that the source system adopts an optimized user plane network structure; performing, by the destination system, an optimized data forwarding mechanism after receiving the SIPTO/LIPA indication information. According to the present invention, it can be ensured that a system sets up an optimized data forwarding mechanism during a handover process of a terminal.
US08976716B2
A method, a device, and a conference system for processing a media data packet are provided. The method includes: establishing with a conference proxy server (CPS), a virtual public participant (VPP) channel corresponding to a conference identity; when there are media data packets with same content in a media data packet corresponding to each conference member identity, acquiring a media data packet with a highest frequency of same content among the media data packets as a public media data packet, and forwarding the public media data packet to the CPS through the VPP channel; acquiring a conference member identity that currently does not multiplex the VPP channel, generating a real-time transport protocol control protocol (RTCP) multiplexing start command corresponding to the conference member identity, and delivering the RTCP multiplexing start command to the CPS, so that the CPS starts to forward the public media data packet to a user equipment corresponding to the conference member identity.
US08976714B2
Receiving a system information (SI) message is disclosed. A user equipment (UE) may be configured to receive si-Windowlength information in a SI type 1 message. The UE may determine a downlink (DL) subframe wherein a SI message starts based on a number of DL subframes contained in a radio frame. The UE may be configured to receive the SI message in a DL subframe of a calculated radio frame.
US08976709B2
Methods, systems, and products simulate a topology of a residential home network. The residential home network has a residential gateway and one or more devices communicating with the residential gateway. Each device is queried by the residential gateway for configuration and performance data. A simulated view of a topology of the residential home network is then generated.
US08976706B2
System and method for balancing a number of incoming connections of nodes connected to a peer-to-peer network. The method includes receiving at a selecting node information about out-finger candidates. The information includes at least a quantifiable parameter for the out-finger candidates and the out-finger candidates are possible nodes to be connected to the selecting node. The method includes calculating in the selecting node, for each node of the out-finger candidates, a probability value by using a predetermined probability function that uses as input the corresponding quantifiable parameter; and selecting one node from the out-finger candidates to be an out-finger node for the selection node based on the probability value. The probability value is associated with a number of in-finger connections to the selected out-finger node.
US08976703B2
A device receives, from a mobile device, a registration request when the mobile device moves to a new service area of a network, where the registration request includes a resource management (RM) extension and a performance monitoring (PM) extension. The device also inspects quality of service requirements of the registration request, identifies performance aspects of the registration request to be verified, and inspects performance monitoring information associated with the registration request to identify a performance monitoring test needed to make a resource management decision. The device further executes the performance monitoring test, collects results of the execution of the performance monitoring test, analyzes the collected results of the performance monitoring test, determines whether intervention related to network topology and configuration is possible, and accepts or rejects the registration request based on the analysis of the collected results of the performance monitoring test.
US08976702B2
Devices, methods and instructions encoded on computer readable media are provided herein for estimation of the available bandwidth in a frequency channel shared by a first access point and at least one neighboring access point. In one example, an impact value that represents the impact of traffic associated with the neighboring access point on the first access point is calculated. Based on the impact value, a first utilization metric associated with the first access point is generated. The first utilization metric represents the bandwidth available on the frequency channel in the presence of the traffic associated with the neighboring access point.
US08976700B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for analyzing a wide frequency band with respect to signal power levels in specified narrow frequency bands, detecting narrow band signal power levels received in the specified narrow frequency bands, determining an average composite wideband power level from the narrow band signal power levels, determining an adaptive threshold, detecting narrow band interference according to one of the average composite wideband power level, the adaptive threshold, or both, prioritizing the detected narrow band interference, and selectively filtering a portion of the detected narrow band interference according to the prioritization. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08976699B2
A method for activating/deactivating secondary carriers of a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation is provided. The method comprises, receiving a control message including an activation/deactivation Control Element (CE) in a first sub-frame from a Base station, identifying an activation command or a deactivation command of at least one secondary carrier based on the control message, determining whether a current sub-frame is a second sub-frame or not, performing at least one first operation for the at least one secondary carrier in a second sub-frame, and performing, when the activation/deactivation CE indicates deactivation of the at least one secondary carrier, at least one second operation for the at least one secondary carrier no later than the second sub-frame.
US08976688B2
In general, techniques are described for performing grant scheduling in optical networks. An optical line terminal (OLT) comprising a control unit may implement the techniques. The control unit determines an amount of upstream data associated with a category of service that is waiting at a first one of a plurality of ONTs to be transmitted upstream to the OLT and computes a number of GCPs for each of the ONTs based on a determined amount of data associated with the category of service that is waiting to be transmitted upstream to the OLT for each of the ONTs. After computing the number of GCPs, the control unit then grants time slots to the one or more of the ONTs based on the number of GCPs computed for each of the ONTs, wherein the time slots comprise time slots for upstream communication form the ONTs to the OLT.
US08976686B2
A Tandem connection monitoring (TCM) path search method, a TCM path creation method, a path search management system, and a path creation management system are provided. The source end TCM mode and the sink end TCM mode at a single level of each node in an Optical Channel Data Unit-k (ODUk) path are acquired; and a TCM path at the single level between nodes in the ODUk path is calculated according to the source end TCM mode and the sink end TCM mode at the single level of each node that are acquired. TCM level information and the sink end TCM mode of a second node for TCM path creation between a first node and the second node are acquired by specifying the first node and the second node; and a TCM path between the first node and the second node that are specified is created and stored.
US08976682B2
In one embodiment, a maintenance intermediate point (MIP) receives a packet traveling along a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) label switched path (LSP) that extends from a first maintenance end point (MEP) to a second MEP. The receiving MIP decrements a time-to-live (TTL) value in a header of the packet. In response the TTL value in the header of the packet equaling a particular value, the receiving MIP examines an associated channel header (ACH) field in an operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) message stored in a payload of the packet, and determines a particular OAM function to perform based on a code in the ACH field. The receiving MIP performs the particular OAM function.
US08976676B2
Systems and methods are provided for initiation, use, access, and control of functionality of a network. In one aspect, the systems and methods can be utilized to generate information defining signaling or control performance and operational characteristics associated with the functionality in a variety of network environments. In another aspect, based on such information, adaptive signaling can be utilized to monitor, analyze and detect specific signaling signatures associated with the functionality. Managing signaling or control messages in response to information collected by monitoring and analyzing the adaptive signaling permits originating or requesting the functionality without conventional operation of a network component.
US08976667B1
Method and system for maximizing data transmission between a first network device and a second network device connected to a network, is provided. A data transmission pause request received from a port of the first network device by a port of the second network device. The process then determines if the first network device's port can receive additional data; and transmits additional data to the first network device from the second network device if the first network device's port can receive additional data.
US08976662B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for associating a user equipment (UE) with a relay in a wireless network are provided. The apparatus determines a relay backhaul link quality of a relay; determines a path loss from a UE to the relay; and compares the relay backhaul link quality to a direct link quality between the UE and a base station, and the path loss to a path loss threshold to determine whether to associate the UE with the relay.
US08976645B2
In one embodiment, a repair label switched path (LSP) is established for a primary LSP having a head-end node. The repair LSP extends from a neighboring upstream node of the head-end node to a downstream neighboring node of the head-end node. When a failure of the head-end node is detected, the neighboring upstream node reroutes traffic onto the repair LSP. The rerouted traffic rejoins the primary LSP at the downstream neighboring node. The neighboring upstream node refreshes state of the primary LSP to maintain the primary LSP after failure of the head-end node.
US08976644B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to forwarding traffic for link aggregation groups in a system. One embodiment includes a system with a first module that receives a packet and synchronizes a group membership based on the packet. A second module receives the synchronized group membership from the first module and creates link aggregation group (LAG) entries for a primary switch and a secondary. A router receives join requests from the second module for adding a first interface link and a second interface link to the router. A source transmits traffic for the LAG. The second interface link is placed in a pruned state based on a protocol independent multicast (PIM) assert message received from the second module by the primary switch and the secondary switch. The secondary link forwards traffic in the pruned state to an access switch upon the primary link failing.
US08976639B2
When recording layers were provided on both the front and back sides of an optical disk in order to increase the recording capacity, whether the reproducing surface of the optical disk taken out of the cartridge was the front side or the back side could not be determined. This problem can be solved by adding to the BCA, in addition to disk identification information: type information indicating whether a recording surface is provided on one side or both sides; side information indicating whether the surface with which reproduction is being performed is side A or side B; recording layer quantity information indicating whether the disk has a single layer or a double layer; information indicating the areas other than the BCA and the directions in which data on the read-in, data zones, and read-out are recorded/reproduced; and information indicating the presence/absence of a disk cartridge.
US08976628B2
The wristwatch (1) is provided with an electrical connector (5), which is connected via a connection element (15) to at least one electronic circuit and/or to a rechargeable battery which are disposed inside the watch case. The electrical connector (5) is a female USB electrical connector, which is disposed on an inner surface of the bracelet (4), and where the bracelet is fixed to the middle part (3) of the watch case. The inner surface of the bracelet comes into contact with the user's wrist when the watch is worn. The connection element (15) passes through the middle part to connect a contact area of the electrical connector to the electronic circuit and/or the rechargeable battery inside the case.
US08976624B2
A method is provided for processing seismic data for interpretation. The method includes recording an original seismic data trace, decomposing the original seismic data trace into a set of predefined wavelets, and reconstructing a seismic data trace from, at least a subset of, the set of wavelets.
US08976622B2
A method for towing a streamer array includes moving a vessel along a body of water. Streamers are towed by vessel. A relative position is determined at selected points along each streamer with respect to the vessel. At least one of the streamers is deflected at least one longitudinal position along the streamer in response to the determined positions to maintain the streamers in a selected geometry. The selected geometry is related to one of survey vessel heading, energy source trajectory, previously plotted sensor trajectory and a lateral separation related to distance from the towing vessel.
US08976620B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a memory controller for controlling a memory. The memory controller comprises a pulse width modulation module, a voltage comparator and a duty cycle calibration device. The pulse width modulation module is suitable for receiving a clock signal to generate a first voltage. The voltage comparator is suitable for receiving and comparing a reference voltage with the first voltage to output a comparison signal. The duty cycle calibration device is suitable for adjusting a duty cycle of the clock signal according to the comparison signal.
US08976617B2
Disclosed herein is a device that includes: a set of address terminals supplied with a set of address signals, each of the address signals being changed in logic level; memory mats to which address ranges are allocated, respectively, the address ranges being different from each other, each of the memory mats including memory cells; and decoder units each provided correspondingly to corresponding memory mat. Each of the decoder units includes a set of first input nodes and a set of second input nodes, the set of first input nodes of each of the decoder units being coupled to the set of address terminals to receive the set of address signals, the set of second input nodes of each of the decoder units being coupled to receive an associated one of sets of control signals, each of the control signals being fixed in logic level.
US08976616B2
Methods and systems that extend the capability of fuse elements, anti-fuse elements, and combinations thereof to enable multi-time programmable memory elements are provided. Accordingly, significantly reduced area requirements and control circuitry complexity of memory elements is enabled. The provided methods and systems can be used in non-volatile memory storage, and are suitable for use in system on chip (SoC) products.
US08976608B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device that detects an operation error of an SRAM caused by a device variation fluctuating with time is provided. In the SRAM, a memory cell has a transfer MOS transistor whose gate is connected to a word line. At the time of a write test of the memory cell, a control circuit including a test/normal operation selection circuit and a word line driver circuit applies a third voltage to the word line in a preparation period before writing test data, thereafter a first voltage to the word line, and a second voltage to the word line at the end of writing. Due to this, the threshold voltage of the transfer MOS transistor, which fluctuates with time, can be controlled. Therefore, it is possible to enhance detection efficiency for a malfunctioning cell of the SRAM due to a temporal variation.
US08976604B2
A page copy operation such as copy back programming is performed between a source page of the memory array and a destination page of the memory array in different segments. The segments divide the columns of the main array and the set of redundant columns of the redundant array into, for example, sets of rows. The copy back programming transfers data from a part of the source page in the redundant array to a part of the destination page in the main array, and transfers data from a part of the source page in the main array to a part of the destination page in the redundant array.
US08976587B2
The operating method of a data storage device includes storing data in a buffer memory according to an external request, and determining whether the data stored in the buffer memory is data accompanying a buffer program operation of a memory cell array. When the data stored in the buffer memory is data accompanying the buffer program operation, the method further includes determining whether a main program operation on the memory cell array is required, and when a main program operation on the memory cell array is required, determining a program pattern of the main program operation on the memory cell array. The method further includes issuing a set of commands for the main program operation on the memory cell array to a multi-bit memory device based on the determined program pattern.
US08976559B2
Disclosure includes control methods and power controllers with load compensation adapted for a power supply powering a load. A disclosed power controller comprises a converter and a control circuit. The converter converts the load signal at a first node to output a load-compensation signal at a second node. The load signal corresponds to an output power provided from the power supply to the load, and the converter includes a low-pass filter coupled between the first and second nodes. The control circuit is coupled to an inductive device via a feedback node, for controlling the output power to make a cross voltage of the inductive device approach a target voltage, based on a feedback voltage at the feedback node. The higher the load-compensation signal the higher the target voltage.
US08976557B2
A reactive energy compensator is provided. The compensator is connected to an alternating electrical network including M phase(s), M being an integer greater than or equal to 1. The compensator includes M connection terminals, N banks of capacitor(s) capable of providing reactive energy, N being an integer greater than or equal to 2, N two-way voltage inverters, connected to each other in parallel and each connected to a unique capacitor bank, each inverter being able to convert a direct current into an alternating current including M phase(s) in one direction and the alternating current into direct current in the other direction, each inverter including first and second input terminals and M output terminal(s), the input terminals being connected to the corresponding capacitor bank, each output terminal corresponding to a phase of the alternating current and being connected to a corresponding connection terminal, and a device for balancing the voltage of the N capacitor banks.
US08976556B2
Inverter is modulated based on first, second, and third switching states determined according to a reference vector represented as a sum of a remainder vector connecting the reference vector with a first vertex of a modulation triangle and a set of vertex vectors connecting a center vertex of space vector diagram with the first vertex. A first switching state of the inverter at the first vertex is determined based on angles of vertex vectors in the set. A second switching state of the inverter at a second vertex of the modulation triangle and a third switching state of the inverter at a third vertex of the modulation triangle are determined based on the first switching state and the remainder vector.
US08976542B2
A high frequency cathode heater supply for a microwave source includes a SMPS inverter and an isolation transformer having a primary winding arranged to be powered by the SMPS inverter, a monitor winding passing through primary core assemblies of the primary winding and a secondary winding arranged for connection to the cathode heater. A current monitor is arranged to monitor a current in the primary windings. Signal processing modules are arranged to receive a first input signal from the monitor winding indicative of a voltage across the cathode heater and a second input signal from the current monitor indicative of a current through the cathode heater. The signal processing modules are arranged to output a control signal to the SMPS inverter to control power supplied to the cathode heater dependent on a monitored resistance of, or monitored power supplied to, the cathode heater as determined from the first input signal and the second input signal.
US08976540B2
A mobile terminal includes a terminal body; and a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly mounted to the terminal body. The PCB assembly includes a first PCB, a first electronic device mounted on the first PCB, a second PCB spaced from the first PCB in a first direction, a second electronic device mounted on the second PCB. The first electronic device is disposed to overlap the second electronic device in the first direction. A first shield can may be mounted on the first PCB so as to cover the first electronic device, and configured to shield Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) between the first electronic device and the outside. A shield block may be disposed at a space between the first and second PCBs, accommodating therein the first and second electronic devices, and shielding EMI between the first electronic device and the outside, and between the second electronic device and the outside.
US08976536B2
An apparatus comprises a housing that includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion coupled at a first end. The apparatus further comprises a bulkhead secured to a second end of the second housing portion, and a handle pivotally secured to a second end of the first housing portion. The bulkhead includes a distally extending pin and a spring latch. The handle has a hole that is sized and positioned to selectively receive the distally extending pin and allow the handle to close only with the first and second housing portions in a closed position. The handle also has a hook that is captured by the spring latch in response to the handle being closed. A torsion spring may be used to bias the handle to an open position where the handle can be easily grabbed when the handle has not been latched.
US08976534B2
In order that even the cell connectors (17) of, for instance, a traction rechargeable battery (11) which carry very high currents can be connected to a battery management system (21) in a fault-resistant and functionally reliable manner, firstly a circuit board (24) in the form of a leadframe (25) encapsulated with plastic by injection molding is latched onto the housing (13) mechanically grouping the cells (12), said circuit board in any case not projecting higher than the adjacent end faces (15) of the cell terminal connections (14) projecting at a clear radial distance therefrom. When a cell connector (17) is placed onto the terminal connections (14), it descends with a nozzle (32) extending in a manner curved away therefrom into the plane of the leadframe (25) parallel to the cell connector (17), and in the process becomes wedged between at least two clamping lugs (35) facing one another, whereby an extremely reliable mechanical and electrical connection of the cell connector (17) to the wiring circuit board (24) is produced.
US08976533B2
A storage device including a circuit board, an electronic device package and a terminal module is provided. The circuit board has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, a plurality of via-holes connecting the first surface and the second surface, a plurality of first pads on the first surface, and a plurality of first pads on the second surface. The electronic device package is disposed on the first surface. The terminal module disposed on the first surface has a plurality of first and second contact parts, and each of the first contact parts passes through the corresponding via-hole and is protruded out of the second surface, and each of the second contact parts is electrically connected to the corresponding first pad. An orthogonal projection area of the electronic device package on the first surface is smaller than an area of the first surface.
US08976531B2
A method and apparatus for an accessible equipment rack system. A mounting frame having a set of transport elements and a translation mechanism is connected to a translating equipment rack. The translation mechanism moves the translating equipment rack to enable access to said translating equipment rack from an exterior area.
US08976530B2
Data storage apparatus comprising a main housing containing an electric power supply, a panel supporting a plurality of electric connectors for connecting the power supply to other component parts of the apparatus and a plurality of units. Each of the units comprises a plurality of data storage elements and is mounted to slide from within the main housing to provide access to its data storage elements.The apparatus also comprises a plurality of cable modules each comprising a cable having a first connector at a first end connected to one of the units and a second connector at a second end connected to an electric connector on the panel. The cable modules also include a moveable rigid structure providing a barrier preventing manual access to the panel. The second connector is attached to the rigid structure such that movement of the rigid structure causes the second connector to be disconnected.
US08976524B2
An electronic device including a first body, a rotating base and a transmission module is provided. The rotating base has a first ventilation opening. The rotating base is pivoted on the first body and suitable for rotating between a using position and a retracted position in relative to the first body. When the rotating base is located at the retracted position, the first ventilation opening is exposed from the first body. When the rotating base is located at the using position, the first ventilation opening is retracted in the first body. The transmission module is connected to the rotating base for outputting a mechanical force to actuate the rotating base.
US08976516B2
A portable device (e.g., a wireless device such as a cell phone) is provided with a flexible keyboard and a flexible display screen. Such flexible components may be stored in the housing of the portable device when not in use. The flexible display screen and flexible keyboard may be expanded from the housing when the flexible components are utilized by a user. Non-flexible display and input components may be provided on the exterior of the portable device such that the device may be used, in some form, while the flexible components are stored. In one embodiment, a portion of the flexible display (or flexible keyboard) may be utilized when the flexible display (or flexible keyboard) is stored in said first housing.
US08976507B2
A method of increasing the area of carbon nanotubes used in fabricating capacitors is described. The method involves reacting carbon nanotubes with electrically conductive ions, molecules or nanoparticles that increase the surface area of the nanotubes. The capacitance and the energy stored in the capacitor can be increased by such treatment. Devices constructed from such treated materials and their properties are described.
US08976504B2
An ignition system having a spark plug, a discharge power supply, and an AC power supply. Voltage from the discharge power supply and AC power from the AC power supply are supplied to a spark discharge gap through an electrode of the spark plug. The AC power from the AC power supply is applied to a spark generated by the voltage from the discharge power supply in the spark discharge gap.
US08976503B2
An improved fireset for detonating an explosive includes a voltage monitor arranged to measure a voltage across a quickly dischargeable energy storage device (QDESD), such as a capacitor, and to perform a detonation sequence based at least in part on the voltage measured by the voltage monitor. The fireset employs feedback from the voltage monitor to promote accurate charging of the QDESD and accurate maintenance of charge during an armed state. The voltage monitor also promotes safety by allowing the fireset to indicate when the QDESD is discharged to a safe level, i.e., one which is assured not to result in detonation.
US08976500B2
A DC block RF device includes a housing defining a cavity having a central axis, an input conductor disposed in the cavity of the housing and extending substantially along the central axis of the cavity and an output conductor disposed in the cavity of the housing and extending substantially along the central axis of the cavity. The DC block RF device further includes a first capacitor connected to the input conductor and a second capacitor connected to the output conductor and the first capacitor. In addition, the DC block RF device includes a coil for grounding surge signals, the coil having an inner edge connected to the center conductor and an outer edge connected to the housing of the device. During a surge, the first capacitor is configured to arc the surge across the capacitor without damaging the capacitor so the surge can dissipate through coil to ground.
US08976499B2
An electronic fuse system includes plural current paths, each operable to be coupled between a power source and a load, and each including a switching element and a current sensing resistor in series with the path such that the path passes current when the switching element is turned on and does not pass current when the switching element is turned off. A controller has two sense inputs and a control output. The control output is coupled to the switching elements in each of the plural current paths and is operable to turn them all on or off simultaneously responsive at least in part to the sense inputs. A summing resistor is connected across the two sense inputs, and coupling circuitry is operable to couple voltages appearing across the current sensing resistors to the summing resistor.
US08976498B2
A field device for determining and/or monitoring a physical or chemical, process variable in automation technology. The field device comprises: at least one microcontroller; a supply unit of limited capacity as primary voltage supply; and a detection circuit, which signals the microcontroller of a failure of the supply unit so early by means of a detection signal that sufficient time is available to take suitable safety measures, in order to avoid loss of data. The detection circuit is so embodied that a reference voltage required for detection of a voltage decline of the supply unit has an almost constant offset from the supply voltage of the supply unit and adjusts to the supply voltage, until the detection circuit, in the case of an abrupt subceeding of the reference voltage, or an abrupt voltage decline of the supply voltage, sends a detection signal to the microcontroller.
US08976494B2
A device for detecting a fault in an AC supply comprises a circuit (CT, 100) for detecting a particular type of fault in an AC supply to a load (LD) and providing a corresponding output (10). A relay (RLA) is responsive to said output (10) to open a set of load contacts (SW1) in the AC supply to disconnect the load from the supply. Test means (TS, Rt, W2) are provided for simulating a supply fault of the said type, and means (C3, R5, SCR2, SOL, SW2) are provided for causing the load contacts (SW1) to open if they do not open in response to the simulated fault within a certain period of time.
US08976480B1
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method for obtaining head/disk clearance based on ECS signal. The ECS is calibrated by applying different interface voltages to cause changes in the head/disk clearance, the ECS signal at each interface voltage is obtained, and the relationship between the change in head/disk clearance and the ECS signal is calculated. From this relationship, the head/disk clearance may be obtained based on ECS signal.
US08976479B2
A method for writing data to a tape storage medium includes: writing first user data to a first physical region (11) of the tape storage medium (1) in a first write mode, writing second user data to a second physical region (12) of the tape storage medium (1) in a second write mode, wherein the second write mode differs from the first write mode. An apparatus for writing data to a tape storage medium, a tape storage medium, a tape cartridge are also provided.
US08976474B1
Technologies are described herein for implementing a universal modulation coding mechanism for a data channel. A user data sequence comprising a first number of bits is received. The user data sequence is encoded into a codeword sequence comprising a second number of bits utilizing a modulation encoder. The modulation encoder may encode the user data sequence based on a set of Markov state transition probabilities. The modulation encoder may implement a data de-compressor algorithm from a lossless data compression scheme. The codeword sequence is output to the data channel. The codeword sequence is subsequently received from the data channel, and the user data sequence is decoded from the codeword sequence utilizing a modulation decoder. The modulation decoder may decode the user data sequence based on the same set of Markov states transition probabilities. The modulation de-coder may implement the data compressor algorithm from the lossless data compression scheme.
US08976473B1
Technologies are described herein for cancelling adjacent track interference in a storage device using an ITI predictor determined from predetermined data patterns in adjacent tracks. A first signal is read from a first portion of a data track, the first portion containing a first predetermined data pattern. Next, a value for an inter-track interference predictor associated with an adjacent track is determined based on the first signal, the first predetermined data pattern, and a second predetermined data pattern contained in a corresponding portion of the adjacent track. A second signal is read from a second portion of the data track, and inter-track interference from the adjacent track in the second signal is cancelled utilizing the value for the inter-track interference predictor.
US08976466B2
An imaging optical system smaller than conventional systems yet with well-corrected aberrations, comprises five lenses L1-L5 having refractive powers, in order from the object side: positive, negative, positive, positive, and negative, with an aperture at an endmost object-side position. In one embodiment, L1 is biconvex, L2's object-side surface is convex, L5's object-side surface is convex, and 1.0≦f3/f1≦4.9, f1 and f3 being the focal lengths of L1 and L3, respectively. In a variant thereof, L2 is a meniscus lens and L5's object-side surface is concave. In another embodiment, L1 is glass, and −4.0<(r6+r7)/(r6−r7)<−0.51, r6 and r7 being paraxial curvature radii of L3's object-and image-side surfaces, respectively. In another embodiment, L1 is glass, and −1.5
US08976461B2
The lens barrel includes a first frame, a second frame configured to be rotatably supported by the first frame, a drive actuator that is disposed on the inside of the second frame, and a transmission mechanism disposed on the inside of the second frame and configured to transmit the drive force of the drive actuator to the second frame. The imaging device includes the above-mentioned lens barrel and an imaging element that converts an optical image formed by this lens barrel into image data.
US08976460B2
A varifocal lens barrel includes a plurality of lens groups, each of which are linearly movable in the optical axis direction thereof without rotating about the optical axis during a zooming operation and during a focusing operation, including a base barrel which is linearly movable in the optical axis direction by rotation of a zoom operational ring, wherein lens frames of the respective lens groups are each supported by the base barrel.
US08976456B2
A detachable lens for variable focus spectacles, the lens including a plurality of magnets in a groove on its rear surface for holding the lens to the spectacles. An interlocking boss keeps the lens from sliding off the spectacles, and a locating tab provides a means for assuring that the lens is installed on the correct side of the spectacles and with the proper orientation.
US08976445B1
Optical tunable tapped-delay-lines using wavelength conversion and chromatic dispersion based delays
Methods, systems and devices implement optical tapped delay lines. In one aspect, a device includes an optical tapped delay (TDL) including a wavelength conversion element, and a dispersive element, coupled with the wavelength conversion element, to impose a relative delay to an optical signal. The optical TDL can include a nonlinear element to combine signals in a phase coherent manner. The wavelength conversion element can include an optical nonlinear device such as a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) or a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) with a high nonlinear coefficient and a low dispersion slope to effect four-wave mixing (FWM). The dispersive element can have a low dispersion slope, and the delays effected by the optical TDL can be tunable.
US08976444B2
The present invention is directed to a color display comprising an electrophoretic fluid comprising two types of pigment particles of contrasting colors and carrying opposite charge polarities dispersed in a clear and colorless solvent, wherein said electrophoretic fluid is sandwiched between a common electrode and a plurality of colored sub-pixel electrodes or colored pixel electrodes.
US08976442B2
Electro-wetting display devices are disclosed. The electro-wetting display may include an upper structure and a lower structure opposite to each other, a hydrophobic insulating layer covering a bottom surface of the upper structure, hydrophilic partitions disposed between the hydrophobic insulating layer and the lower structure to define pixel regions, and a colorless conductive fluid and a colored non-conductive fluid filling each of the pixel regions. A specific gravity of the colored non-conductive fluid may be smaller than a specific gravity of the colorless conductive fluid.
US08976431B1
The color of a pixel in a scanned image is represented by two color components and is adjustable by interpolating between color component values obtained from elements in a bidimensional color remap look-up table. The table is sparsely populated and may be readily implemented in most scanner circuits without adding memory.
US08976429B2
A image reading device comprises a reading part for reading a document, a storage part including shared space, and an operation part for accepting input of identification information when the device is in a logged-out state, entering a logged-in state when a user is successfully certified, accepting settings input and function execution input when the logged-in state is in effect, and entering the logged-out state when predetermined conditions are met, the operation part including a scanning START key for accepting instructions to perform scanning using the reading part. When the scanning START key is pressed while the device is in the logged-out state, the reading part reads a document and forms image data, and the storage part stores the image data formed by logged-out scanning in the shared space.
US08976428B2
An evaluation chart has test patterns, a first code mark, and a second code mark. The evaluation chart is electronically read at one time to obtain first code information that specifies measuring conditions for the evaluation chart and second code information that specifies image forming conditions for the evaluation chart. Quantized information of the test patterns that is measured under the measuring conditions is associated with the image forming conditions.
US08976421B2
A document feeding device has: a document placement stand on which documents of different sizes can be placed; a conveying section separating, one-by-one, documents of a document stack placed on the document placement stand, and conveying a separated document to a discharging section; a first document width sensing unit sensing a maximum document width of the document stack placed on the document placement stand; a second document width sensing unit sensing a document width of a document separated from the document placement stand by the conveying section; and a controller that, in a case in which a mixed size document mode that permits conveying of documents of different sizes is not set, causes the conveying section to restartably interrupt conveying of the document when the maximum document width sensed by the first document width sensing unit and the document width sensed by the second document width sensing unit differ.
US08976420B2
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing value documents. A value document is input to the input opening of an apparatus for value-document processing and transported using a transport system of the apparatus to an image sensor which senses a partial image of the value document. A contour of the front partial area is ascertained from the sensed partial image and checked. If the check of the contour of the front partial area yields a fault, the value document is rejected. Faulty or faultily transported value documents can thus be recognized and transported back to the input opening at a very early time.
US08976418B2
An image forming apparatus determines, with respect to intermediate data including a start edge and an end edge indicating a shape of an object and which do not intersect and where an edge direction of the start edge and an edge direction of the end edge are aligned, whether an edge read from the intermediate data is the start edge or the end edge based on an edge direction of the edge, determines an X coordinate of an edge to be determined for each scan line as a minimum value of a corresponding scan line, and determines, an X coordinate of an edge to be determined for each scan line, as a maximum value of a corresponding scan line.
US08976416B2
In a case in which image data used to form an image on a recording medium in a plurality of scans performed across a recording area of the recording medium is generated, a coefficient determination unit determines assignments of output density for the scans on the basis of density characteristics corresponding to the type of recording medium indicated by a recording-medium signal. Multipliers and binary conversion units generate image data for the scans from input image data on the basis of the assignments of the output density.
US08976414B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a line noise detection section for detecting line noise pixels included in input image data; a segmentation process section for determining a pixel in a text region; and a line noise removal process section for (i) determining a replacement-target line noise pixel by excepting, from the line noise pixels, the pixel in the text region and a pixel within a first distance from the pixel in the text region and (ii) replacing the replacement-target line noise pixel with another pixel other than the line noise pixels, which another pixel is included in the input image data.
US08976407B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a print file having an actual page size, and a nominal imposition template specifying a nominal page size, and generating an imposition flat for printing. If the actual page size matches the nominal page size, the nominal imposition template is applied to the print file without change. If, however, the actual page size differs from the nominal page size, the nominal imposition template is automatically modified based on the actual page size, and then the modified imposition template is applied to the print file to create the imposition flat.
US08976405B2
A printing apparatus comprising a storage unit having a driving unit, determines whether or not access to the storage device is required with reception of data; determines whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed after transition to a first operation state; in a case where the predetermined period of time has elapsed, obtains, as an estimation time, a period of time until next reception of data that requires access to the storage device based on history information; and causes the printing apparatus to transition from the first operation state to a second operation state in a case where the estimation time exceeds a threshold of a period of time decided based on an amount of power consumption for when the driving unit is driven, and maintain the printing apparatus in the first operation state in a case where the estimation time does not exceed the threshold.
US08976404B2
A printing apparatus having a printing engine, a first control unit, and a second control unit, in which a normal operation is performed by at least the printing engine and the first control unit, a first power saving operation is performed by at least the first control unit while the printing engine is stopped, and a second power saving operation is performed by only the second control unit, the printing apparatus including: a first storage unit of the first control unit that stores a setting value reflecting a setting change performed while the printing apparatus is operated and an operation value not reflecting the setting change performed while the printing apparatus is operated; a second storage unit of the second control unit that stores the setting value and the operation value.
US08976400B2
A network device including a controller, a transmitter and a receiver. The controller is configured to generate a first request that initiates, via a cloud, scanning of a document via a scanner. The cloud includes a service device, and a document device that is separate from the document device. The transmitter is configured to, prior to the scanner scanning the document, transmit the first request from the network device to the service device. The receiver is configured to, based on the first request received at the service device and subsequent to the scanner scanning the document, receive an image file transmitted from the document device to the network device without prior transmission of the image file from the document device to the service device. The image file includes an image of the document.
US08976397B2
An image forming apparatus includes a print engine configured to perform printing on a recording medium, a job issuing unit configured to issue a print job, two print control units configured to control the print engine in accordance with the issued print job, and a job allocating unit configured to allocate the print job to an appropriate print control unit, among the two print control units. If a last print job that is issued is for a first print control unit, the control of the print engine by the first print control unit in accordance with the last print job allocated to the first print control unit is not completed, and a next print job that is issued is for a second print control unit, the job allocating unit is configured to place on standby the allocation of the next print job to the second print control unit.
US08976395B2
A client terminal has a web page acquisition unit that gets a web page having an embedded print control script that operates on a web browser and controls printing related to the web page from a web application server, a drawing process unit that writes input operations on the web page in a drawing area, a print data generation unit that generates print data from the image data in the drawing area according to the print control script when triggered by a print operation on the web page, and a print command unit that commands printing the print data according to the print control script.
US08976375B2
An image forming apparatus is provided which has an operating panel capable of providing a screen display and a Web browser. The image forming apparatus includes a storage for storing predetermined text that is data to be entered into a text entry box of a Web page; a text entry limiting portion for, when the Web page displayed on the operating panel by the Web browser contains the text entry box, limiting text to be entered into the text entry box to the predetermined text stored in the storage; a display processing portion for, when the text entry limiting portion limits text to be entered, displaying, on the operating panel, a screen for a user to designate the predetermined text as text to be entered into the text entry box; and an operation processing portion for informing the Web browser of the predetermined text designated by the user.
US08976365B2
A material sensing apparatus comprises an excitation source configured to induce waves in a workpiece, and an optical waveguide interferometer configured to sense the induced waves in the workpiece. The optical waveguide interferometer comprises a probe segment having a probe segment end, and an adjustable coupler configured to permit setting a gap between the probe segment end and the workpiece. A controller is coupled to the adjustable coupler and configured to set the gap between the probe segment end and the workpiece.
US08976338B2
A photogate electrode has a planar shape of a rectangular shape having first and second long sides opposed to each other and first and second short sides opposed to each other. First and second semiconductor regions are arranged opposite to each other with the photogate electrode in between in a direction in which the first and second long sides are opposed. Third semiconductor regions are arranged opposite to each other with the photogate electrode in between in a direction in which the first and second short sides are opposed. The third semiconductor regions make a potential on the sides of the first and second short sides higher than a potential in a region located between the first and second semiconductor regions in a region immediately below the photogate electrode.
US08976333B2
A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and a cooling system to cool a part of the lithographic apparatus with increased cooling capabilities to reduce the heat transfer from the part to other parts of the apparatus.
US08976329B2
The present invention discloses an array substrate, comprising: multiple pixel units arranged in an array having rows and columns, and each of the pixel units comprises a pixel electrode, and the pixel electrode comprises at least a trunk portion corresponding to an opaque dark area; and multiple scan lines, and each of the scan lines is disposed within the vertical projection of the trunk portion for inputting a scanning signal to one of the pixel units. The present invention also discloses an LCD panel. By the above way, the present invention can improve the transmittance and the aperture ratio of the LCD panel.
US08976328B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having a thin film transistor (TFT) in each pixel region, a first inorganic protective film on the first substrate including the TFT, color filters on the first inorganic protective film in each pixel region excluding the TFT, a common electrode on the color filters, a second protective film over the entire first inorganic protective film including the common electrode, a pixel electrode on the second inorganic protective film with the pixel electrode connected to a drain electrode of the TFT exposed by selective removal of the first and second inorganic protective films, the pixel electrode forming a fringe field with the common electrode such that the second inorganic protective film is interposed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, and a column spacer on the second inorganic protective film with the column spacer covering the TFT.
US08976326B2
The present invention relates to an ultra slim bezel structure of liquid crystal display device, which includes a TFT surface having an inner face on which a PI film is arranged, a CF surface having an inner face on which a PI film is arranged, a sealant, and a first color resist barrier and a second color resist barrier. The inner faces of the TFT surface and the CF surface are in registration with each other in a vertical direction and edges of the inner faces of the TFT surface and the CF surface are bonded together with the sealant. The first color resist barrier includes a linear color resist barrier that is formed by continuously arranging color resist on the inner face of the TFT surface adjacent to the sealant to extend along the edge of the TFT surface. The second color resist barrier includes a linear color resist barrier that is formed by continuously arranging color resist on the inner face of the CF surface adjacent to the sealant to extend along the edge of the CF surface. The first color resist barrier and the second color resist barrier oppose each other at upper and lower sides and respectively block spread of the PI films on the TFT surface and the CF surface. The present invention effectively controls spread areas of PI films and realizes an ultra slim bezel design to thereby effectively handle peripheral mura.
US08976324B2
An electronic device may have a display such as a liquid crystal display. The display may have multiple display layers for generating display light such as a color filter layer and a thin-film transistor layer. The display may include first and second layers of optical fibers formed over the display layers. The first and second layers of optical fibers may guide display light generated in the display layers to an outer surface of the display. The first layer of optical fibers may include optical fibers having a first numerical aperture. The second layer of optical fibers may include optical fibers having a second numerical aperture. The first numerical aperture may be smaller than the second numerical aperture. The second layer of optical fibers may include vertical and angled optical fibers. The angled optical fibers may help reduce the size of an inactive region around the center of the display.
US08976317B2
A display device comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a blue phase liquid crystal layer and an optical element is provided. The first substrate has a display area and is opposite to the second substrate. The blue phase liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first and the second substrate and reflects a light selectively. The spectrum peak of the light is within an intersection interval corresponding to a cross point of x_bar, y_bar and z_bar stimulus value spectrums, and the intersection interval has a wavelength range from 480 nm to 520 nm. The optical element has at least one function for adjusting a phase of the light or absorbing the light.
US08976306B2
The present invention discloses shutter glasses and a 3D display system. The shutter glasses include a first polarizer, a second polarizer, a normally-white LCD panel, and a normally-black LCD panel. A thickness of the normally-white LCD panel is not the same as a thickness of the normally-black LCD panel, and an optical compensation film is installed between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal layer of the normally-black LCD panel and/or between the second polarizer and the liquid crystal layer of the normally-black LCD panel in order to compensate for a dispersion occurred when the liquid crystal layer of the normally-black LCD panel is in a dark mode. In this way, the present invention can not only shorten the response time of the shutter glasses to reduce the power consumption, but also reduce the 3D crosstalk.
US08976296B2
A digital receiver including: a receiver; a decoder; and a display controller, with a display having a first display zone displaying at least a part of the title included in program information and a second display zone displaying an entirety of the title, under control of the display controller; wherein the display controller includes an input data amount calculator calculating an amount of input data for the first display zone inputted from memory, and a comparator to compare the amount calculated with an amount of displayable data, and when the amount of the input data is larger than the amount of the displayable data, a part of the title and a symbol indicative of omission are displayed, and when the first display zone is selected, an entirety of the title in the selected first display zone is displayed in the second display zone.
US08976290B2
A positionable mechanism includes a base unit, a frame unit, an optical image stabilizing (OIS) unit and a positioning unit. The frame unit and the OIS unit are mounted on the base unit. The frame unit is retractable with respect to the base unit between a storage position and a working position, and has a first surface. The OIS unit includes a movable carrier that has a second surface facing the first surface, an optical element that is mounted on the movable carrier, and a driving element that is operable to drive the movable carrier to move with respect to the base unit. The positioning unit is disposed between the first surface and the second surface, and is configured to position the movable carrier with respect to the frame unit when the frame unit is at the storage position.
US08976288B2
A light field data acquisition device includes optics and a light field sensor to acquire light field image data of a scene. In at least one embodiment, the light field sensor is located at a substantially fixed, predetermined distance relative to the focal point of the optics. In response to user input, the light field acquires the light field image data of the scene, and a storage device stores the acquired data. Such acquired data can subsequently be used to generate a plurality of images of the scene using different virtual focus depths.
US08976287B1
A method and apparatus comprising a sensor array, a primary lens, and a moveable lens array. The sensor array comprises sensors arranged in an array in which the sensors are configured to generate image data. The primary lens is configured to direct light towards the sensor array. The moveable lens array comprises a number of lenses. The moveable lens array is moveable to a plurality of positions between the primary lens and the sensor array. Each lens in the number of lenses is configured to focus the light.
US08976284B2
A solid-state imaging device and a camera system are provided. The solid-state imaging device capable of performing an intermittent operation includes a pixel unit and a pixel signal readout unit for reading out a pixel signal from the pixel unit in units of a plurality of pixels for each column. The pixel signal readout circuit includes a plurality of comparators and a plurality of counters whose operations are controlled by outputs of the comparators. Each of the comparators includes an initializing switch for determining an operating point for each column at a start of row operation, and is configured so that an initialization signal to be applied to the initializing switch is controlled independently in parallel only a basic unit of the initialization signal used for a horizontal intermittent operation, and the initializing switch is held in an off-state at a start of non-operating row.
US08976283B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel unit includes first pixel groups having two or more pixels and second pixel groups being different from the first pixel groups, wherein a portion of the pixels in the first pixel groups and a portion of the pixels in the second pixel groups share a floating diffusion element.
US08976282B2
An image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having first and second faces, and a wiring structure arranged on a side of the first face, wherein photoelectric converters are arranged in the semiconductor layer and light is incident on the second face. The wiring structure includes reflection portions having reflection regions and arranged for at least some of the photoelectric converters, absorbing portions arranged around the reflection regions, an insulator portion arranged to surround the absorbing portions, and an interlayer insulating film arranged between the first face and a group of the reflection portions, the light absorbing portions, and the insulator portion, and a reflectance of the light absorbing portions is smaller than a reflectance of the reflection regions, and a light transmittance of the light absorbing portions is smaller than a light transmittance of the insulator portion.
US08976264B2
A technique for generating a digital photograph comprises blending two related images, each sampled according to a different illumination environment. The two related images are blended according to a blend surface function that includes a height discontinuity separating two different blend weight regions. Color consistency between the two related images is achieved by spatial color correction prior to blending. The technique enables a digital camera to generate a strobe image having an appearance of consistent color despite discordant strobe and ambient scene illumination.
US08976263B2
The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth.
US08976262B2
Methods of connecting network-based cameras to video station such that the ownership between the network-based camera with the respective connected socket can be locked, such that at any time, each of the at least one socket can lock ownership of only one network-based camera, and receives video from the only one network-based camera with ownership locked by the respective socket. As the socket of the current invention can now engage into “locking” relationship with only one network-based camera with camera-identification tag acceptable to the video station, and preferably with the lock key, the chance of spoofing can be substantially reduced.
US08976261B2
There is a need for an object recognition apparatus for identifying multiple objects separately or collectively and a method therefor. An object recognition apparatus is configured to include: an image output section acquiring multiple object images and outputting an image; a detection section detecting the multiple object images in the image; a first identification section identifying the detected multiple object images; and a second identification section identifying the detected multiple object images collectively.
US08976248B2
Monitoring system of person coming to entrance comprises camera for capturing image of the person and recorder for the captured image, the system informing the person of the image recordation for deterring a crime in bad visit case or making polite notice in goodwill visit case. Unlock system has an intercom for visitor to request unlock and a self unlock operating portion for resident. If unlock done through intercom with acquaintance confirmed, polite notice is preferred, whereas “note record” is added to the image record in case of intercom unlock with unacquainted assumed. If unlock done by resident, the information and the image recordation are withheld. If entrance in a group detected, “note record” is added to the image record in case bad person successively follows goodwill person duly unlocking entrance. Privacy of acquaintance visitor image is protected by password. “Note record” is added to image record without voice message.
US08976246B1
The gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer hitch alignment and safety system includes a reverse camera and at least one proximity sensor to provide alignment of a hitch to a hitch ball located inside of a truck bed. The reverse camera is positioned on or around a third brake light, and is aimed at the truck bed so as to provide visualization inside of the truck bed. The proximity sensor(s) detects the presence of a respective hitch located inside of the truck bed, and emits different colored alarms that in concert with the visualization of the reverse camera provide alignment means to a respective driver of said truck.
US08976236B2
A system for illuminating and recording an image of an operative field during a medical procedure is presented. The system includes a first light source assembly, a second light source assembly, and a controller. The first and second light source assemblies include a light source operable to illuminate the operative field, a camera operable to record the image of the operative field, and a sensor operable to detect motion from the light source assemblies. The controller is in communication with the first and second light source assemblies. The controller is configured to send operational commands to the light source assemblies based on feedback from the sensors. One of the operational commands is a recording command. The controller is configured to send the recording command to either the camera in the first or second light source assembly.
US08976234B2
An apparatus for controlling display of a stereoscopic image, includes: a display control portion which cuts out a stereoscopic image in a to-be-displayed area which is an area corresponding to a part of a stereoscopic image consisting of a plurality of images with a parallax, and displays the cut-out stereoscopic image on a display portion; a parallax change amount calculation portion which calculates a change amount between a parallax amount in a stereoscopic image within the to-be-displayed area before the to-be-displayed area is moved and a parallax amount in a stereoscopic image within the to-be-displayed area after the to-be-displayed area is moved by a first moving distance when an instruction to move the to-be-displayed area is issued; and a to-be-displayed area movement control portion which moves the to-be-displayed area by a moving distance in accordance with the change amount calculated by the parallax change amount calculation portion.
US08976233B2
A three-dimensional image processing method and a three-dimensional image processing circuit using the above method are provided. The method is configured for processing N source images, and N is a natural number and is larger than or equal to two. Each of the source images corresponds to a visual angle, and each of the source images comprises image data with three primary colors. The image data of each of the source images are arranged in an array according to a predetermined color sequence. In the method, six parameters are provided firstly, wherein each of the six parameters is configured for defining a basic data-arrangement variation. Then, the image data with three primary colors of the N source image are obtained according to the six parameters, so as to form a three-dimensional image.
US08976229B2
An image analysis apparatus for processing a 3D video signal comprising successive pairs of images representing different respective views of a scene to generate an image depth indicator comprises a correlator configured to correlate image areas in one of the pair of images with image areas in the other of the pair of images so as to detect displacements of corresponding image areas between the two images; a graphics generator configured to generate a graphical representation of the distribution of the displacements, with respect to a range of possible displacement values, across the pair of images; and a display generator for generating for display the graphical representation in respect of a current pair of images and in respect of a plurality of preceding pairs of images, so as to provide a time-based representation of variations in the distribution of the displacements.
US08976227B2
The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for initiating a video phone call using a standard phone device. For instance, in one embodiment, a method for initiating a video phone call from a first party to a second party is disclosed. The method includes receiving a call from the first party. The call is initiated using a standard phone device. The method determines whether the call is a voice call or a call request to initiate a video call. In response to a determination that the call is a call request to initiate a video call, the method terminates the call, initiates a call to a video phone device of the first party and also a communication device of the second party. The method establishes a communication session between the video phone device of the first party and the communication device of the second party.
US08976226B2
A system and method for generating an animation based at least in part on video content associated with a multi-party video communication session are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a video receiver module, a video sampler module, a conversion module, a request receiver module and an animation display module. The video receiver module receives video content of a multi-party video communication session including video content of each of one or more participating devices. The video sampler module generates a plurality of video frames based on the video content. The conversion module generates a plurality of images each image based on one of the plurality of video frames and generates an animation file based on the plurality of images. The request receiver module receives a request from a user. The animation display module, based on the request, provides for display textual content, the animation file, and a connection.
US08976220B2
A video call host module comprising a processor configured to decode video data corresponding to videos from endpoints and rank the videos based on motion indicators corresponding to each of the endpoints. The motion indicators are calculated from motion vectors corresponding to each of the videos. A predetermined number of highest-ranking videos are selected for display. A method of hosting a video call includes receiving encoded video data including motion vectors. Videos are ranked based on a motion indicator calculated from the motion vectors for each of the videos. Encoded video data is converted to decoded video data, and decoded video data corresponding to a predetermined number of the highest ranking videos is combined to create a single video.
US08976216B2
A light source unit includes a surface-emitting laser array including light emitting units; and an apertured member provided on a light path of light beams emitted from the surface-emitting laser array, the apertured member including an aperture. In at least one direction, an intensity distribution of interference patterns caused by the light beams passing through the aperture includes an equal number of crests and troughs.
US08976210B2
A remote access application queries the client device for its display properties. Using the display properties of the client device and optionally the size of the fingertip of the user, a connection resolution for a remote desktop connection is determined. A remote desktop session is retrieved at the connection resolution and remote pixels are mapped to client pixels at a non-1:1 ratio. Remote desktop is then optionally resized to full screen.
US08976206B2
A display device is disclosed. The device includes: a timing controller configured to derive data signals for a display panel from external signals; a date driver configured to derive data voltages from the data signals and apply the data voltage to data lines on the display panel; a gamma IC (integrated circuit) chip configured to apply gamma voltages to the data driver; a power supply IC chip configured to apply a most significant voltage to the data driver; a DAC (digital-to-analog converter) configured to receive the gamma voltages and the most significant voltage from the gamma IC chip and the power supply IC chip and generate the data voltages opposite to the data signals; and a power supply unit configured to convert the gamma voltages and the most significant voltage using the data signals and apply the converted voltages to the DAC.
US08976199B2
Particular embodiments display a series of objects across a screen of an electronic device, the objects being arranged side by side; display a boundary of each object in the series, the boundary of an object near the center of the series slightly overlapping a portion of each of two objects next to the object nearer the center of the series; and display a shadow around the object near the center of the series, the shadow overlapping a portion of each of the two objects next to the object near the center of the series to simulate an visual effect that the object near the center of the series is above the other objects in the series.
US08976198B2
A method, system and computer program product for creating shape collages are provided. The method includes receiving a shape specification signal which specifies at least one desired shape having an area. The method further includes receiving image data which represents a plurality of images. The method still further includes processing the shape specification signal and the image data to obtain a shape collage of the images at least partially covering the area of the at least one desired shape. The step of processing may include the steps of at least partially covering the at least one desired shape with at least one shape primitive and placing at least one image over the at least one shape primitive to at least partially fill the at least one shape primitive. The method may further include receiving a command signal to either locate a user-specified image essentially or approximately at a desired location in the shape collage or resize the user-specified image from an initial size in the initial collage to a desired size. The method may still further include processing the command signal and the shape collage to create a finished shape collage having either the user-specified image essentially or approximately at the desired location or the user-specified image with the desired size to increase visual appeal of the finished shape collage to the user.
US08976193B2
An information processing apparatus that executes information display processing is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a display unit that executes information display; and a data processing unit that executes a control of the information display of the display unit and data processing based on a user input. The data processing unit displays an image browsing screen, which corresponds to image data stored in a storage unit, on the display unit and executes display of a map at the position, which corresponds to position information included in attribute information of a selected image, on the basis of a user's input of image selection information and map display request.
US08976192B2
A contrast control device is provided. The device of the invention includes a detecting unit, a judging unit, a backlight control unit, a gain generating unit and a contrast gain processing unit. The detecting unit calculates an average value and detects a maximum value of a current image. The judging unit generates a gain index and a brightness index according to the average value. The backlight control unit generates a backlight control signal according to the brightness index. The gain generating unit generates a first contrast gain value and a soft-clamping gain value according to the gain index, the average value and the maximum value and then selects one from the first contrast gain value and the soft-clamping gain value for output as a second contrast gain value according to an input pixel value of the current image. The contrast gain processing unit generates an output pixel value according to the second contrast gain value and the input pixel value.
US08976188B1
A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, receives image data from an image database, such as a map database, in the form of vector data having image object elements defined as sets of vertex data points. The image rendering system stores and tabulates the vertex data points used to render an image object element. A code specifies a number of vertex data points that can be obtained from a tracking table as well as an amount of vertex data points to be sent from the image database. An image rendering engine uses the stored and transmitted vertex data points to render the image object element to be displayed.
US08976185B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for executing an operation once work associated with a version of a state object has been completed. The method includes receiving the version of the state object at a first stage in a processing pipeline, where the version of the state object is associated with a reference count object, determining that the version of the state object is relevant to the first stage, incrementing a counter included in the reference count object, transmitting the version of the state object to a second stage in the processing pipeline, processing work associated with the version of the state object, decrementing the counter, determining that the counter is equal to zero, and in response, executing an operation specified by the reference count object.
US08976173B2
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method for manipulating an image comprises the steps of deriving a bi-illuminant dichromatic reflection model representation of the image, and utilizing the bi-illuminant dichromatic reflection model representation to manipulate the image.
US08976166B2
A pixel includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a driving transistor for controlling a current supplied to the OLED, a first transistor for transmitting a data signal to the driving transistor, and a capacitor coupled between the driving transistor and the first transistor. A driving method of the pixel includes initializing a gate voltage of the driving transistor, compensating a threshold voltage of the driving transistor, and transmitting a data signal to the driving transistor through the capacitor. A period for compensating the threshold voltage is longer than a period for transmitting the data signal to the driving transistor. Sufficient time to compensate the threshold voltage of the driving transistor of the pixel may be obtained under high resolution and high frequency driving to realize a display device of high image quality.
US08976148B2
There are provided a data processing method and a touch sensing apparatus. The data processing method includes (a) obtaining a plurality of pieces of sensing data according to one or more touch inputs; (b) selecting one or more pieces of temporary reference data having the minimum difference value between adjacent other pieces of sensing data; (c) calculating difference values between the one or more pieces of temporary reference data; (d) calculating an N number of difference values between the N number of pieces of sensing data obtained from the nodes included in the Kth row and an N number of pieces of sensing data obtained from nodes included in the K-1th row; and (e) determining the temporary reference data having a relatively small representative value as reference sensing data of the Kth row.
US08976143B2
A touch detecting method comprises: enabling a sample signal in a period between driving a previous gate line and a previous two gate line before a corresponding gate line of a sense unit, and sampling a readout signal in a corresponding readout line during a sample period corresponding to the enabled sample signal by a readout unit; using the sampled readout signal during the sample period by the readout unit as a sample reference signal; enabling a sense readout signal in a period between driving the corresponding gate line of the sense unit and a next gate line, and reading out the readout signal during a sense readout period corresponding to the enabled sense readout signal; using the readout signal during the sense readout period as a sense signal; and judging whether the sense unit is touched according to the sample reference signal and the sense signal.
US08976142B2
In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a touch event on a back-mounted touchpad of a computing device during display of a current user interface of an application executing on the computing device. The application includes a navigation hierarchy with a home user-interface layer, multiple sub user-interface layers, and multiple user-interface branches. The method includes determining a particular sub user-interface layer and user-interface branch that the current user interface corresponds to and determining a type of the touch event. When the type of the touch event is an upward touch event and there is a next sub user-interface layer in the particular user-interface branch of the current user interface, the method navigates to the next user-interface layer in the particular user-interface branch of the current user interface.
US08976141B2
Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display. Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.
US08976138B2
A touch display device including a display module and a touch module is provided. The touch module is disposed above the display module and includes a transparent cover, a touch electrode layer and a phase retardation protection layer. The display module is configured to provide an image light. The touch-sensing layer is disposed on the transparent cover and between the display module and the transparent cover. The phase retardation protection layer covers the touch-sensing layer. A polarization direction of the image light provided by the display module is changed after passing through the phase retardation protection layer. A touch display device including a phase retardation planarization layer is also provided.
US08976136B2
A proximity-aware multi-touch tabletop is disclosed that includes both a touch screen display and proximity sensors. The proximity sensors are disposed in one or more annular groups around the touch screen display and are positioned in upward-and outward-facing directions. The proximity sensors allow the multi-touch tabletop to sense the distance of a body, arm, hand, or fingers of a user from the multi-touch tabletop. Thus, hand, arm, and finger positions of a user can be determined relative to the body position of the user, which enables the multi-touch tabletop to differentiate between left hand/arm gestures and right hand/arm gestures. Further, because the multi-touch tabletop can correlate left arm and right arm movements to a user body, the multi-touch tabletop can differentiate gestures originating from different users. The ability of the multi-touch tabletop to distinguish between users greatly enhances user experiences, particularly in a multi-user environment.
US08976125B2
The invention relates to an operator control apparatus and to a method for operating an operator control apparatus which comprises at least one operator control element for capturing user inputs and an approach recognition device which is designed to sense an approach by an actuating element, in particular a body part, of a user to the operator control element before the at least one operator control element is touched, wherein the approach recognition device comprises a reflection light barrier, which has at least one lamp (22a-22d) for emitting electromagnetic detection radiation (35) in front of the at least one operator control element into a physically limited detection area (4) which does not cover an entire volume in front of the at least one operator control element, and a reception element (28) for detecting a detection radiation (35) component which is scattered and/or reflected at the actuating element of the user during an approach to the at least one operator control element, wherein the approach recognition device is designed to recognize an approach from intensity of the received detection radiation.
US08976122B2
A noise reducing device for a capacitive touch panel and a method of reducing noise for a capacitive touch panel are disclosed to solve problems related to noise generated by a conventional filter circuit and an integrating circuit or external noise. In the invention, at least one switch circuit is used so that the conventional filter circuit and integrating circuit used in the prior are omitted. Signals output from a current measurement circuit are transmitting to a control unit to calculate the location of a touch point, reducing any noise.
US08976119B2
An electronic display board apparatus configured to provide an operation key, includes a display with a touch panel function on which an application image is displayed; a mode change accepting unit which accepts an operation mode for the touch panel function, the operation mode including a simple operation mode; an image analyzing unit which detects an operational image associated with an operational function from the application image displayed on the display at the simple operation mode; a key allocation unit which allocates the operation key to the operational image detected by the image analyzing unit so that an operation of the allocated operation key is treated as an operation to the operational image at the simple operation mode; and a touch panel control unit which suppresses the touch panel function of at least a part where the operational image is displayed at the simple operation mode.
US08976118B2
A computer program product is provided and includes a non-transitory tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and on which instructions are stored for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method. The method includes enabling retrieval of a keyboard pressed sequence of characters of a first type, permitting a re-selection of characters of a second type, which are associated with the keyboard pressed sequence of the characters of the first type and permitting modification of the keyboard pressed sequence of the characters of the first type to initiate a search for and retrieval of characters of the second type.
US08976117B2
A touch sensitive keypad device (101) for an electronic device (100) includes one or more keys (106,107,108,109,110) situated in a keypad carrier (206). One or more conductive layers (115,116,117,118) span the keys. One or more transverse conductive layers (119,120,121,122,123,124) are integrated with a non-key component, such as the keypad carrier (205). A capacitance sensing circuit (126) detects changes in capacitance between the conductive layers and the transverse conductive layers to detect user input, thereby allowing a user (1990) to use a matrix (1902) of keys as a touch pad.
US08976105B2
In one embodiment, a method includes, by software of a computing device, dynamically identifying a particular region of a display of the computing device. The method also includes, by the software and through a device driver of the computing device, dynamically adjusting one or more particular ones of a plurality of backlighting components of the display associated with the particular region.
US08976102B2
A timing controller utilized in a display device includes an image processing circuit, a luminance adjusting circuit, a data converting circuit and a driving signal generating circuit. The image processing circuit performs image processing on image data of an image signal. The luminance adjusting circuit adjusts luminance of the processed image data according to a luminance characteristic of the display panel of the display device. According to a pixel arrangement of the display panel, the data converting circuit converts the adjusted image data to display data provided to a driving circuit of the display panel. The driving signal generating circuit generates a driving signal to control the driving circuit according to a synchronous signal of the image signal.
US08976101B2
A display device includes a display panel including a gate line and a data line, a gate driver that outputs a gate voltage to the gate line according to a gate output enable signal, a data driver that outputs a data voltage to the data line, a detecting circuit that detects a state of a clock signal. The state of the clock signal includes a normal or abnormal state. A masking circuit performs a masking operation for the gate output enable signal according to the state of the clock signal and a level of a reset signal, where the level of the reset signal includes a first or second level corresponding to a power-on or off of the display device, respectively.
US08976097B2
A driving apparatus and a display driving system. The driving apparatus includes a first amplification unit receiving a first signal and outputting a driving signal of a positive polarity voltage with respect to a reference voltage, a second amplification unit receiving a second signal and outputting a driving signal of a negative polarity voltage with respect to the reference voltage, and a controller for determining a chopping signal applied to a chopping terminal of the second amplification unit such that an offset polarity of an output voltage of the first amplification unit and an offset polarity of an output voltage of the second amplification unit are the same.
US08976095B2
An apparatus and method for saving power in an office machine having a display panel are provided. The method comprises setting the apparatus in an operation standby mode, detecting whether an error exists in the apparatus and turning on the display panel to display the error thereon when the error is detected. Furthermore, the apparatus keeps the display panel in an off state when the error is not detected. Thus, the exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a power saving method of an office machine which prevents unnecessary power consumption during an operation of an office machine having a display panel.
US08976088B2
A pixel circuit and an organic light emitting display using the pixel circuit are disclosed. The pixel circuit compensates for variation of the threshold voltage of a driving transistor and for variation in the power supply to the pixel.
US08976087B2
A light emitting device, which is a main body, is arranged to be located closer to the nose NS side than the eye EY of a wearer during wearing of a virtual image display device. Therefore, the light emitting device is prevented from excessively projecting to the side of the face of the wearer. The light emitting device is arranged between the eye EY of the wearer and the virtual-image forming member. Therefore, the light emitting device is prevented from excessively projecting further to the front side than the virtual image forming member, i.e., the front side of the face of the wearer. Further, a combined-light forming unit is a unit small in size and light in weight. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the center of gravity of the entire virtual image forming member from deviating to the side and the front side.
US08976065B2
An apparatus and a method, the apparatus comprising: a temperature compensated oscillator; satellite positioning circuitry; and a temperature sensor configured to provide a first control output to the temperature compensated oscillator and to provide a second control output to the satellite positioning circuitry.
US08976062B2
Assisted-GPS for a portable biometric monitoring device is provided. The portable biometric monitoring device may obtain updated ephemeris data from an associated secondary device via a short-range, low-power communication protocol. The secondary device may be a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Various rules may control when the ephemeris data is updated. The ephemeris data may be used in the calculation of the global position of the portable biometric monitoring device. Additionally, the portable biometric monitoring device may communicate downloaded position fixing data to the associated secondary device. The associated secondary device may then calculate the global position from the position fixing data.
US08976060B2
Distance between two radio frequency devices is estimated by receiving a plurality of spread spectrum chirp signals frequency offset from one another, and evaluating the received plurality of spread spectrum chirp signals for relative phase shifts between the plurality of spread spectrum chirp signals. A fine propagation time is derived using the phase shifts between the spread spectrum chirp signals. A frequency domain despreading window is shifted to reduce the influence of time-delayed near multipath signals in receiving the plurality of spread spectrum chirp signals.
US08976055B2
The invention relates to a method for operating an electrical device which during operation emits electromagnetic radiation at least temporarily, and to a method for operating a locating device for identifying objects. The method for operating an electrical device is characterized in that the presence of an external radiation source or radio communication service is detected. The invention also relates to an electrical device, especially a locating device comprising at least one UWB sensor, which device is operated according to the method of the invention.
US08976041B2
Methods, systems, and devices for monitoring roadway traffic. A method includes transmitting wireless signals from at least one roadside equipment (RSE) device and receiving responses by the RSE device from a wireless device, the responses including a unique identifier corresponding to the wireless device. The method includes determining a signal strength of each of the responses by the RSE device and transmitting response data from the RSE device to a control system, the response data including the unique identifier, the signal strength of each of the responses, and times that the responses were received. The method includes detecting at least one vehicle by the control system using a vehicle detection device and associating the response data with the detected vehicle. The method includes determining traffic information associated with the wireless device based on the received response data and the associated detected vehicle.
US08976039B2
The present application is directed to systems and methods for operating a measurement system. Various embodiments may comprise a measurement device and a receiving device remote from the measurement device. The measurement device may acquire data corresponding to one or more measurements, convert any analog portion of the data into a digital transmission signal, and transmit the signal. The receiving device may receive the signal, convert the signal into digital data, and display the digital data.
US08976036B2
An activity monitor which can be pre-programmed at the factory, the doctor's office or the pharmacist, or that can be programmed by the user. The activity monitor is affixed to a medicine bottle or container and activity associated with the bottle or container, such as movement, opening, volume changes, etc. are monitored in view to the schedule. If the schedule indicates that a dose of medicine should be taken at a particular time, but the monitored activity does not determine that the medicine has been taken, an alert signal will be issued to alert the user that it is time to take the medicine. In addition, if the monitored activity indicates that the medicine bottle has been opened prior to a scheduled time, then a tamper alert can be triggered.
US08976032B2
The present invention provides a system, a method and a computer program product for, identifying an anonymous patient in a health care location, when the anonymous patient requires medical attention. A health parameter data of the patient is acquired by a sensor unit, and transmitted to a gateway module associated with the patient. In an event the acquired health parameter data transgresses preconfigured limits or preconfigured pattern(s); an alert is generated by the gateway module, and transmitted to a context server. The context server is configured to validate the alert; instruct the gateway module to emit a colored light corresponding to the color code and transmit the gateway identifier, the color code and a location of a nearest connector, to a medical agent for the purpose of locating the patient.
US08976028B2
A system and method for tracking items are disclosed. The system and method include a computing device capable of near filed communication (NFC), and at least one tag coupled to each of at least one item, where the at least one tag is communicatively coupled to the NFC of the computing device using radio frequency (RF) signals. The coupling of the at least one tag to the at least one item enables the computing device to identify the at least one item and the distance from the at least one item to the computing device.
US08976023B2
This invention provides impact detection and vehicle cooperation to achieve particular goals and determine particular threat levels. For example, an impact/penetration sensing device may be provided on a soldier's clothing such that when this clothing is impacted/penetrated (e.g., penetrated to a particular extent) a medical unit (e.g., a doctor or medical chopper) may be autonomously, and immediately, provided with the soldiers location (e.g., via a GPS device on the soldier) and status (e.g., right lung may be punctured by small-arms fire).
US08976022B2
A mobile tracking identification system, method, and computer program product uses a tracking chip, a pickup apparatus, a wireless network, and a controller unit. The tracking chip is disposed within a human body and is configured to passively transmit a data beacon via a wireless link. The pickup apparatus is configured to generate a triggering signal that activates the tracking chip as well as receive a data beacon from the tracking chip. The wireless network is configured to relay the data beacon from the pickup apparatus via a transmission medium. The controller unit is configured to receive the data beacon from the wireless network and generate geolocational data, store the geolocational data to produce a tracking vector, and initiate a commandeering function as needed.
US08976020B2
A wireless communication system may include a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly receive vital data from a sensing terminal, a storage unit configured to store comparison vital data, a comparison unit configured to compare the wirelessly received vital data with the comparison vital data, and a control unit configured to control the wireless communication unit to transmit an instruction for stopping wireless transmission of the vital data to the sensing terminal that has wirelessly transmitted the vital data based on a comparison result of the comparison unit.
US08976016B2
An alarm system for a vehicle charge cord is provided. The alarm system has an armed state and a disarmed state. The alarm system includes a battery, a charge cord sensor, a battery state estimator (“BSE”) module, and an interface module. The battery has state of charge (“SOC”), and is rechargeable to a predetermined level of charge. The charge cord sensor is configured to detect if the vehicle charge cord is connected to or disconnected from a vehicle. The BSE module is configured to monitor the SOC of the rechargeable battery and determine if the battery is charged to the predetermined level of charge. The interface module is in communication with the charge cord sensor and the BSE module. The interface module is configured to switch the alarm system from the armed state to the disarmed state.
US08976012B2
An assembly for providing haptic effects includes a panel adapted to be mated to another structure, a frame placed around and spaced apart from the panel, at least one flexible coupling to connect the panel to the frame, a display connected to the panel so as to be stationary with respect to the panel, and a touch screen assembly connected to the frame. The touch screen assembly is placed over the display.
US08976008B2
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for secure and authentic electronic cross domain collaboration between a plurality of users using a combination of biometric security, a separate and secure network infrastructure, management processes, encrypted electronic storage, and collaborative templates. In an exemplary embodiment, an cross domain collaboration system includes a server including a network interface connected to the Internet, a data store including electronic data storage, and a processor, wherein each of the network interface, the data store and the processor are communicatively coupled, and wherein the network interface, the data store and the processor are collectively configured to: biometrically authenticate a plurality of users, wherein each of the plurality of users comprises a security level and a domain; and enable cross domain collaboration between the plurality of users based on the security level of each of the plurality of users.
US08975996B2
Provided is an electronic component that can suppress the occurrence of disconnections between line conductor layers and via hole conductors and a method of manufacturing the electronic component. A multilayer body is formed by stacking insulating layers. A conductor layer is provided on a first insulating layer. A line conductor layer is provided on a second insulating layer that is provided on an upper side of the first insulating layer in a stacking (z-axis) direction. A via hole conductor connects an end portion of the line conductor layer to the conductor layer and extends through the second insulating layer in the z-axis direction. In the via hole conductor, a connection surface connected to the line conductor layer is formed of a circular portion and a protrusion. The protrusion protrudes from the circular portion in the x-axis direction in which the line conductor layer extends from the end portion.
US08975995B1
A coupled inductor includes a ladder magnetic core, a first common leakage plate formed of a magnetic material, and N windings, where N is an integer greater than one. The ladder magnetic core includes first and second rails and N rungs, where each of the N rungs connects the first and second rails. Each of the N windings includes a respective first portion. Each of the N windings is wound around a respective one of the N rungs, and at least two of the N windings are wrapped at least partially around the first common leakage plate such that a first portion of the winding is disposed between an outer surface of the first rail and an outer surface of the first common leakage plate.
US08975979B2
An electronic device comprises first, second and third inductors connected in series and formed in a metal layer over a semiconductor substrate. The first and second inductors have a mutual inductance with each other. The second and third inductors having a mutual inductance with each other. A first capacitor has a first electrode connected to a first node. The first node is conductively coupled between the first and second inductors. A second capacitor has a second electrode connected to a second node. The second node is conductively coupled between the second and third inductors.
US08975969B1
Disclosed are control systems, and more specifically control systems which benefit from a long-gate time for measurement and a rapid sample time to enhance responsiveness and methods and systems for utilizing multiple-staggered, overlapping gates where the gate time is an integer multiple of the time between ends of adjacent gates. The system continuously counts at the wavefronts or zero-crossings of a frequency reference signal and temporarily records them in registers and compares the contents of registers separated by a gate time and outputs a sample after every sample time.
US08975967B2
A low-noise amplifier (LNA) filter for use with global navigation satellite system (GNSS) devices is disclosed. A first LNA stage, which is configured to connect to an antenna configured to receive GNSS signals, includes an LNA. A second LNA stage, which is connected to the output of the first LNA stage, has a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter and an LNA. A third LNA stage, which is connected to the output of the second LNA stage, also has a SAW filter and an LNA.
US08975964B2
A high performance digitalized Programmable Gain Amplifier (PGA). In prior art circuit, a dual-ladder DAC is employed for gain control, the back gate leakage of NMOS resistors in the fine ladder conquers fine ladder nominal current and it produces non-monotonic gain scallop. Two new art design techniques: (1) adaptively control the fine ladder; and (2) use dummy PMOS brunch device leakage compensates for the NMOS resistor device leakage, are proposed so that the non-monotonic scallops are substantially eliminated and 13-bit resolution/accuracy PGA has been achieved.
US08975961B2
Circuits for reducing power consumption in power amplifier circuits are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a circuit for power control in the transmitter includes a coupling circuit, a first power amplifier circuit and a second power amplifier circuit. The coupling circuit includes a primary winding inductively associated with a first secondary winding and a second secondary winding. The coupling circuit provides a signal at output terminals of the first secondary winding and the second secondary winding in response to a signal at the primary winding. A first power amplifier circuit is coupled with output terminals of the first secondary winding, and a second power amplifier is coupled with output terminals of the second secondary winding. The first power amplifier circuit and second power amplifier circuit are configured to be enabled or disabled based on a bias voltage.
US08975960B2
An integrated circuit comprises a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) output stage; at least one amplifier stage prior to the RF PA output stage; a linear amplifier comprising a voltage feedback wherein the linear amplifier is operably coupled to a low frequency supply module such that the linear amplifier and low frequency supply module provide a combined first power supply to the RF PA output stage; and a switched mode power supply module arranged to provide a second power supply to the linear amplifier and to the at least one amplifier stage prior to the RF PA output stage.
US08975959B2
Circuitry, which includes data memory and processing circuitry, is disclosed. The data memory is used to store look-up table (LUT)-based radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) calibration data. The processing circuitry converts at least a portion of the LUT-based RF PA calibration data to provide monotonic response curve-based data. As such, a magnitude of an envelope power supply control signal is determined based on a magnitude of an RF input signal using the monotonic response curve-based data.
US08975956B2
A digital amplifier comprises: a switching unit that amplifies a signal input to the digital amplifier by performing a switching operation; a driving unit that turns the switching unit on and off; an input signal detection unit that detects an input signal to the digital amplifier; and a first control unit that performs control such that the switching unit starts a switching operation by starting driving of the driving unit, when the digital amplifier is changed to a signal input state and the input signal detection unit detects an input signal, and performs control such that the switching unit stops the switching operation by stopping the driving of the driving unit, when the digital amplifier is changed to a no signal input state and the input signal detection unit does not detect an input signal. This configuration enables to reduce power consumption when no signal is input.
US08975950B2
Radio-frequency (RF) switch circuits are disclosed providing improved switching performance. An RF switch system includes at least one field-effect transistor (FET) disposed between a first node and a second node, each having a respective source, drain, gate, and body. The system includes a coupling circuit including a first path and a second path, the first path being between the respective source or the respective drain and the respective gate of the at least one FET, the second path being between the respective source or the respective drain and the respective body of the at least one FET. The coupling circuit may be configured to allow discharge of interface charge from either or both of the coupled gate and body.
US08975948B2
A transmission gate self-biases its transistors to provide a constant gate biasing that provides a consistent path for an input signal to be cleanly passed to the gate's output and protects the transistors' gate oxide in cases of high input signals. An array of matched transistors are arranged to be biased by a voltage input node and with a current source configured to provide a bias current across individual transistors of the array of matched transistors. A current sink is configured to sink the bias current across the individual transistors to set a bias voltage at a voltage input node to a multiple of a gate-to-source voltage for the individual transistors of the array of matched transistors. A different set of transistors is configured to provide a signal path for an analog input signal.
US08975945B2
An I/O device comprises a driving unit coupled between a first voltage and a second voltage, and configured to receive a first signal so as to drive a second signal for swing with a second swing range narrower than a first swing range between the first voltage and the second voltage and supply the second signal to a transmission line. The driving unit includes a first stabilizer coupled between the first voltage and the transmission line and a second stabilizer coupled between the second voltage and the transmission line.
US08975938B2
An integrated circuit may include a digital output port including a buffer stage that includes subassemblies of MOSFET transistors. One subassembly may include two pull-up transistors having sources connected to a common high voltage, and having drains connected to a common node connected to the output terminal. Another subassembly may include pull-down transistors having sources connected to a common low voltage, and having drains connected to the common node. The pull-up and pull-down transistors are formed in a thin semiconductor layer of an FDSOI substrate. The substrate may include a thick semiconductor layer and an oxide layer separating the thin and thick semiconductor layers. Areas of the thick semiconductor layer facing the pull-up and pull-down transistors may be connected to a circuit configured to vary a threshold voltage of the pull-up and pull-down transistors.
US08975926B2
A comparator used in a clock signal generation circuit compares two input signals and generates an output signal. The comparator has first and second input transistors coupled to the input signals. First and second hysteresis transistors are coupled between the input transistors and an output stage of the comparator, and apply hysteresis to a comparison of the input signals. First and second hysteresis control transistors are coupled between the input transistors and the hysteresis transistors to isolate the hysteresis transistors from the input transistors under control of a hysteresis enable signal. The comparator is operable in a first mode or a second mode based on a hysteresis enable signal. In the first mode the comparator applies hysteresis to the comparison of the input signals and in the second mode, compares the input signals without hysteresis.
US08975921B1
A synchronous clock multiplexer circuit detects the presence of an input clock signal whenever an input select signal changes state to select the input clock signal, and generates an output select signal, which is then used instead of the input select signal for selecting an input clock signal as an output clock signal. The output select signal stays in a logic high state to select a second input clock signal when the input select signal transitions from high to low to select a first input clock signal but the first input clock signal is not present. The output select signal stays in a logic low state to select the first input clock signal when the input select signal transitions from low to high to select the second input clock signal but the second input clock signal is not present.
US08975920B2
A multi-function programmable transceiver is described. The transceiver includes a driver circuit and a receiver circuit, which allows an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) device to drive and receive data from other ASIC devices. Both the driver and receiver circuits share a common input/output (I/O) pin. The driver circuit can be programmed to provide one of the several driver functions, such as CMOS, TTL, PCI, HSTL, SSTL and LVDS. Other functional features of the transceiver that can be programmed are driving strengths or output impedance, output power supply voltage, single ended or differential mode of HSTL/SSTL transceivers, and class 1 or class 2 operations for SSTL/HSTL transceivers. The receiver circuit can also be programmed to provide one of the several receiver functions, such as CMOS, TTL, PCI, HSTL, SSTL and LVDS.
US08975918B2
To optimize the arrangement of configuration data stored in a configuration memory. A lookup table includes a memory configured to store configuration data, a plurality of multiplexers each configured to select one signal from a plurality of input signals in accordance with the configuration data supplied from the memory and output the one signal, and an inverter. The plurality of multiplexers are connected in a binary tree with multiple levels. The inverter is provided between one of input terminals of a multiplexer in an uppermost level and an output terminal of a multiplexer in one level lower than the uppermost level. Signal selection is performed in each of the multiplexers so that the multiplexer in the uppermost level outputs, as an output signal, one signal of all input signals of the multiplexers in a lowermost level.
US08975914B2
An isolation receiver includes at least one isolation capacitor to provide a first logic signal in response to a second logic signal that is provided by a transmitter. The receiver includes a signal processing circuit to amplify the first logic signal to generate an amplified signal, and the signal processing circuit includes a an amplifier to apply a nonlinear function. A comparator of the receiver provides a third logic signal in response to the amplified signal.
US08975904B2
A wafer inspection interface IF comprises a probe card, an adsorption unit configured to adsorb a wafer to the probe card, a wafer adsorption sealing member to which the probe card is adsorbed, and a fixing ring configured to fix the wafer adsorption sealing member to a card holder. The adsorption unit includes an air exhaustion unit, a first air duct whose right end portion is opened in the hermetically closed space and the left end portion is opened at a side of the fixing ring, a second air duct whose right end portion is opened to face an opening of the left end portion of the first air duct and the left end portion is opened to be connected with the air exhaustion unit, and a hole by which the first air duct is in communication with the second air duct.
US08975902B2
Various embodiments provide systems and methods for controlling sub-system components during power disturbance events. More particularly, various embodiments provide systems and methods for preventing a controller (215) within a sub-system from turning OFF a switching device (220) during power disturbance events related to other sub-systems.
US08975899B2
An inverter device for feeding electrical energy from a DC-power source into a power grid includes a pair of bus lines to be connected to the DC-power source; a plurality of capacitors connected in series between the bus lines; a surveying topology surveying an integrity of the plurality of capacitors, and to provide a signal indicating a loss of integrity of one capacitor of the plurality of capacitors; a voltmeter measuring a voltage drop over the plurality of capacitors; a DC/AC-inverter; and a controller. in case of the signal indicating a loss of integrity of one capacitor of the plurality of capacitors, the controller compares the voltage drop over the plurality of capacitors to a lost integrity threshold voltage value, and reduces a current load to the plurality of capacitors by reducing the power uptake of the DC/AC-inverter, when the voltage drop exceeds the lost integrity threshold voltage value.
US08975897B2
A state-of-charge estimating apparatus includes at least a first arithmetic unit configured to calculate, as a first estimation value, the present estimation value calculated based on a battery capacity, the last estimation value, and an electric current flowing in and out between a current control apparatus, which controls charge and discharge amounts of a power storage apparatus, and the power storage apparatus, and a second arithmetic unit configured to calculate, during constant current control, as the present value of a second estimation value, an estimation value calculated based on an equivalent circuit model of a battery and a voltage of the battery and, on the other hand, calculate, during constant voltage control, as the second estimation value, the present estimation value calculated taking into account a resistance change of the battery based on the equivalent circuit model of the battery and the voltage of the battery.
US08975888B2
The present invention provides miniature power supplies and circuitry for powering high-voltage devices.
US08975883B2
A soft start circuit includes an error amplifier for generating a control signal according to an input voltage, a feedback voltage and a reference voltage, a feedback circuit for generating the feedback voltage according to an output voltage, an internal voltage source for generating a soft start voltage, and a sink circuit including a first transformation module for generating a first transformation current according to the soft start voltage, a second transformation module for generating a second transformation current according to the feedback voltage, a comparison module coupled to the first transformation module and the second transformation module for generating a comparison result according to the first transformation current and the second transformation current, and an output module coupled to the comparison module for generating a sink current according to the comparison result, so as to control the control signal.
US08975874B2
The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a change in terminal voltage of the battery/cell. In another aspect, the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a partial relaxation time of the battery/cell. In yet another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of an overpotential or full relaxation time of the battery/cell. In another aspect the present inventions are directed to techniques and/or circuitry to adaptively charge a battery/cell using data which is representative of a state of charge and/or data which is representative of a state of health of the battery/cell.
US08975873B2
A composite device system including: a first device including a nonvolatile memory; and a second device configured to supply a power to the first device, the second device including: a power supply circuit configured to stabilize a first power supplied from an external part into a second power lower than the first power, and to supply the second power to the first device; a communication circuit configured to receive control data from the first device; and a switch configured to switch between on and off based on the control data, and to supply the first power to the first device when the switch is on, wherein the second device receives the control data from the first device by the communication circuit when data is written into the nonvolatile memory so that the switch is turned on and the first power is supplied to the first device.
US08975870B2
A charging device supplies charge current to a battery group having plural secondary batteries connected in series to perform charging. In the charging device, a discharge route circuit for discharging charge current to be supplied to the secondary battery when the battery voltage of the secondary battery exceeds a predetermined voltage while charging is provided to every secondary battery. Also provided is a cut-off circuit for cutting off the discharge route circuit from each secondary battery after charging is completed. Discharge at a discharge route circuit is suppressed and energy efficiency is increased.
US08975866B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method of charging an energy storage system for an electric vehicle. The method includes determining the estimated consumption for a specific route of the electric vehicle at different times and setting a target end point for the energy storage system based upon a minimum state of charge level for the energy storage system. The method further includes determining charge set points for the energy storage system based upon the target end point and the determined estimated consumption and determining the actual end point of the energy storage system after operation of the electric vehicle on the given route. The method also includes comparing the actual end point to the target end point and determining the difference in state of charge for the energy storage system between the actual end point and the target end point. In addition, the method includes using the difference between the actual end point and the target end point to adjust the charge set points for the energy storage system.
US08975864B2
The present invention relates to a wireless charging system for an electric vehicle and to a charging method for same, in which electric power is wirelessly supplied to the electric vehicle through a plurality of wireless transceiving panels to charge a battery, and only the wireless transceiving panel that is opposite the electric vehicle at an optimum condition in consideration of the type and parked position of the vehicle selectively operates to perform a wireless transceiving operation, thereby maximizing wireless charging efficiency. For this purpose, the present invention provides a wireless charging system for an electric vehicle and a charging method for same, wherein the wireless charging system comprises: a power control device installed in a wireless charging station to control each wireless power-transmitting device; a wireless power-transmitting device and a ground near field wireless communication module, which are installed in a parking area; a plurality of wireless power-transmitting devices installed on the ground of the parking area to select and operate a portion of wireless transmitting panels opposite the vehicle in accordance with electric vehicle charging information; a plurality of wireless receiving panels installed in the lower portion of the electric vehicle such that the panels are movable in the upward and downward directions; and a wireless power receiver, a wireless charging terminal, a near field communication module and a charge controller installed within the electric vehicle, thereby performing optimized wireless charging in accordance with the selection of a driver made via the wireless charging terminal.
US08975863B2
Charging stations for use in charging an electrically powered vehicle and related methods are disclosed. One example charging station includes a housing defining an interior and an opening configured to permit access to the interior, a door configured to substantially cover the opening, and a hinge assembly configured to provide a pivotal movement of the door relative to the housing between at least a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position. The hinge assembly includes a base member and a bracket including a projecting member. The projecting member and the base member are configured to permit removal of the door from the housing when the door is in the first open position. The projecting member and the base member are configured to prevent removal of the door from the housing when the door is in the second open position
US08975861B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for continuously powering tools downhole for extended periods of time, such as for the life of the producing well. Batteries may power the downhole tools, but traditionally, the batteries may last up to 2 years, and in some cases, up to 5 years may be reached with an optimized data sampling rate and power management scheme. After that time, operations may be halted temporarily for replacing the batteries. According to embodiments of the present invention, in contrast, rechargeable batteries may be utilized downhole to provide power to operate the tools, and rather than halting operations and retrieving the rechargeable batteries to the surface for recharging, reserve batteries may be used for recharging the rechargeable batteries. In many cases, these well tools may be designed to operate for a long period of time (e.g., around 10-20 years), depending on the life of the producing well.
US08975858B2
The invention relates to a method for the open-loop or closed-loop control of an asynchronous machine with or without speed feedback, the asynchronous motor being controlled by a control device (converter or servo converter). First of all, a voltage vector rotating at a rotary field frequency is specified and impressed, both the rotary field frequency and the voltage vector being determined by an open-loop or closed-loop control based on a voltage-frequency characteristic curve configured in any manner and the voltage vector being adapted by a cos φ closed-loop control. Desired values of cos φ are calculated using rating plate data and equivalent circuit diagram data for an optimum-loss or loss-optimized operation of the asynchronous machine for the calculation of cos φdesired value, which results in optimized-loss operation. A value for cos φactual is then determined using the impressed voltage vector and a current vector or using the real power and apparent power. Thereafter, the difference is calculated between cos φdesired value and cos φactual and a cos φ closed-loop control is fed with this input difference. A control value of the controller for cos φ is calculated and restricted and the voltage vector is adapted by the control value of the cos φ closed-loop control.
US08975856B2
An electric motor (40) has a permanent-magnet rotor (46) and an apparatus for generating a three-phase sinusoidal current (i202, i204, i206) for supplying current to said motor (40), also a microprocessor (95) for executing the following steps: while the motor (40) is running at a substantially constant load, the motor is operated firstly at a predetermined operating voltage (U), and an amplitude of a current flowing to the motor is iteratively sampled, stored, and compared as applied voltage is decreased. If it is found, in this context, that the current flowing to the motor has not decreased as a result of reduction in the voltage amplitude, the motor (40) is operated at that current. If, however, it is found that the current flowing to the motor has decreased as a result of the reduction in the voltage delivered to the motor (40), the measurements and the comparison are repeated, optionally multiple times, in order to identify values for optimized efficiency.
US08975844B2
There is provided a motor driving apparatus capable of stably performing operation conversion between a normal mode and a sleep mode by counting a duty of the PWM signal according to a preset clock signal, the motor driving apparatus including: a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generating unit providing a PWM signal for driving a motor; a driving unit operating normally in a normal mode and waiting for operation in a sleep mode according to a control, and driving the motor in response to the PWM signal of the PWM signal generating unit; and a driving controlling unit counting a duty of the PWM signal according to a preset clock signal to determine an operation mode of the driving unit.
US08975833B2
Disclosed is an LED driving circuit. The LED driving circuit includes a power supply, an LED array to receive a signal of the power supply, an IC connected to the LED array, and an inrush current restricting part to gradually increase an output current recognized in the IC. The inrush current restricting part comprises at least one of a frequency adjusting part and a current adjusting part.
US08975830B2
A light emitting system includes a light emitting device having a forward voltage, and an optical power control device. The optical power control device includes a control signal module and a current controller. The control signal module generates a control signal according to the forward voltage, and the current controller permits flow of a driving current through the light emitting device according to the control signal.
US08975829B2
An induction RF fluorescent lamp includes a lamp envelope with a re-entrant cavity both covered on a partial vacuum side with phosphor and filled with a working gas mixture; an air-core power coupler on the non-vacuum side of said re-entrant cavity comprising a coil composed of at least one turn of an electrical conductor; an electronic ballast, wherein the ballast converts mains frequency voltage and current to a power coupler frequency voltage and current, the electronic ballast providing the voltage and current to the power coupler through at least two of a plurality of electrical terminals of the electronic ballast; and a capacitor electrically connected between the air-core power coupler and at least one of the plurality of electrical terminals of the electronic ballast, wherein the magnitude of the impedance of the capacitor is high at the mains frequency and the magnitude of the impedance of that same capacitor is low at the operating frequency of the RF fluorescent lamp.
US08975825B2
A light emitting diode (LED) driver circuit that generates current for driving an LED load includes a voltage converter circuit configured to supply a drive current to the LED load in response to a control signal, a control circuit that generates the control signal, and a bias voltage generating circuit that generates the bias voltage for the control circuit. The bias voltage generating circuit is galvanically isolated from a power supply voltage and from the LED load. The voltage converter circuit regulates a level of the drive current supplied to the LED load in response to the control signal.
US08975822B2
A flashlight having a locking mechanism for securing a head skirt to a head assembly is disclosed. A circuit for temporarily remember the mode of operation of the flashlight is also disclosed.
US08975790B2
A power supply system with a filter with at least a first and second connector, wherein the first connector is connected to a power source and the second connector is connected to a power supply. A power supply system with a first filter with at least a first and second connector, a second filter with at least a third and fourth connector, wherein the first connector is connected to a power source, wherein the first filter is connected to the second filter, and the fourth connector is connected to a power supply. A filter with a housing, a male connector, and a female connector.
US08975783B2
A converter unit to improve the response dynamics and overall recovered power in a photovoltaic array configuration. Each photovoltaic panel in the photovoltaic array may be coupled to a respective converter unit, which may include a controller to sense an output voltage and output current produced by the solar panel, and control operation of a power converter to output modified voltage and current corresponding to the solar panel onto a bus coupling the converter units. The controller may operate as an analog or (digital) firmware control system to regulate the input voltage of each power converter unit under indirect guidance of a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller to optimize and regulate the resultant power, and achieve very fast dynamic response to environmental transients. Input voltage and output voltage management may be achieved by way of a fast inner control loop and a corresponding MPPT control system configured as an outer guidance loop providing a reference signal to the inner control loop.
US08975778B2
A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device, a daylight control device, and a temperature control device operable to be controlled so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system in an energy-savings mode. The energy-savings mode can be manually overridden in response to actuation of the actuator of an input control device, such that the load control system enters a manual mode for manually adjusting the loads controlled by the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the temperature control device. The load control system is operable to automatically return to the energy-savings mode at a time after the load control system entered the manual mode.
US08975777B2
A method is performed in a power sourcing device (PSD). The method includes, for each of a plurality of powered devices (PDs) configured to time-varyingly draw power from the PSD, (a) receiving a set of power requirements for that PD, (b) assigning a set of amounts of power to be allocated to that PD, each assigned amount respectively indicating an assigned power allocation to that PD at a different time slot, and (c) during each time slot, providing an amount of power to that PD in accordance with the assigned amount. The set of power requirements includes (1) a plurality of different amounts of power to be drawn by the PD, each different amount of power being associated with an operational mode in which the PD can operate and (2) a policy indicating which operational mode the PD should operate in at different times.
US08975776B2
A system for power regulation is provided. The system includes a plurality of regulator stages and a voltage boost circuit configured to provide a source voltage to a difference amplifier of each regulator stage. The difference amplifier of each regulator stage is configured to compare a feedback voltage to an output voltage of a reference generation circuit. Each regulator stage includes a plurality of output transistors driven by an output of the difference amplifier. The system includes a start-up circuit arranged and configured to power the voltage boost circuit the reference generation circuit while operation in a start up mode.
US08975774B2
The invention relates to a HV-battery, in particular a traction battery for a vehicle, having a plurality of cell modules which each comprise a plurality of cells, wherein each cell module is assigned a controller for cell monitoring and/or for cell balancing, wherein the controllers are connected to a battery management control device for communication or open-loop control and/or closed loop control purposes, wherein the HV-battery is of modular construction by configuring the cell modules as plug-in modules that are detachably mountable or can be mounted to a printed circuit board.
US08975755B2
An embodiment of the disclosure provides a chip package which includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface; a first recess extending from the first surface towards the second surface; a second recess extending from a bottom of the first recess towards the second surface, wherein a sidewall and the bottom of the first recess and a second sidewall and a second bottom of the second recess together form an exterior side surface of the semiconductor substrate; a wire layer disposed on the first surface and extending into the first recess and/or the second recess; an insulating layer located between the wire layer and the semiconductor substrate; a chip disposed on the first surface; and a conducting structure disposed between the chip and the first surface.
US08975752B2
A multiple access Proximity Communication system in which electrical elements on an integrated circuit chip provide the multiplexing of multiple signals to a single electrical receiving element on another chip. Multiple pads formed on one chip and receiving separate signals may be capacitively coupled to one large pad on the other chip. Multiple inductive coils on one chip may be magnetically coupled to one large coil on another chip or inductive coils on three or more chips may be used for either transmitting or receiving. The multiplexing may be based on time, frequency, or code.
US08975737B2
A transmission line formed in a device including a stack of first and second chips having their front surfaces facing each other and wherein a layer of a filling material separates the front surface of the first chip from the front surface of the second chip, this line including: a conductive strip formed on the front surface side of the first chip in at least one metallization level of the first chip; and a ground plane made of a conductive material formed in at least one metallization level of the second chip.
US08975732B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes, a chip including a first chip electrode on a first surface on one side, and a second chip electrode on a second surface on the other side, an electrically conductive frame provided on a side periphery of the chip, a rewiring configured to electrically connect the second chip electrode and the electrically conductive frame on the other side of the chip, and an insulation side portion provided between the electrically conductive frame and the side periphery of the chip.
US08975729B2
A semiconductor wafer has an integrated through substrate via (TSV). The semiconductor wafer includes a substrate. A dielectric layer may be formed on a first side of the substrate. A through substrate via may extend through the dielectric layer and the substrate. The through substrate via may include a conductive material and an isolation layer. The isolation layer may at least partially surround the conductive material. The isolation layer may have a tapered portion.
US08975725B2
A bias circuit according to the present invention includes a resistor layer 2 which is placed above a substrate 1 and connected to a ground potential, and a conductor 4 for forming an inductor 5 placed above the resistor layer 2. Further, a manufacturing method of the bias circuit according to the present invention generates the resistor layer 2 above the substrate 1 and is connected to the ground potential, and generates the conductor 4 for forming the inductor 5 above the resistor layer 2. The present invention can provide a bias circuit and a manufacturing method of the bias circuit that enables easy integration on a semiconductor substrate and prevents parasitic oscillation.
US08975721B2
An integrated circuit having a semiconductor component arrangement and production method is provided. The integrated circuit includes a semiconductor material region having a surface region and being laterally subdivided into a central region and into an edge region. The integrated circuit includes a passivation layer region, an oxide layer, and a VLD zone. The passivation layer region is formed on the surface region in the edge region and is configured to realize a field distribution at the edge of the semiconductor component arrangement. The oxide layer region is provided as a protection against oxidation on and in direct contact with the surface region of the semiconductor material region in the edge region. The oxide layer region or a part of the oxide layer region is formed in direct contact with a channel stopper region formed in the edge region.
US08975712B2
One method disclosed herein includes forming first and second transistor devices in and above adjacent active regions that are separated by an isolation region, wherein the transistors comprise a source/drain region and a shared gate structure, forming a continuous conductive line that spans across the isolation region and contacts the source/drain regions of the transistors and etching the continuous conductive line to form separated first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures that contact the source/drain regions of the first and second transistors, respectively. A device disclosed herein includes a gate structure, source/drain regions, first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, each of which contacts one of the source/drain regions, and first and second conductive vias that contact the first and second unitary conductive source/drain contact structures, respectively.
US08975705B2
A semiconductor device includes a first planar silicon layer, first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers, a first gate insulating film, a first gate electrode, a second gate insulating film, a second gate electrode, a first gate line connected to the first and second gate electrodes, a first n-type diffusion layer, a second n-type diffusion layer, a first p-type diffusion layer, and a second p-type diffusion layer. A center line extending along the first gate line is offset by a first predetermined amount from a line connecting a center of the first pillar-shaped silicon layer and a center of the second pillar-shaped silicon layer.
US08975703B2
Various embodiments provide an MOS transistor, a formation method thereof, and an SRAM memory cell circuit. An exemplary MOS transistor can include a semiconductor substrate including a first groove on one side of a gate structure and a second groove on the other side of the gate structure. The first groove can have a sidewall perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The second groove can have a sidewall protruding toward a channel region under the gate structure. A stressing material can be disposed in the first groove to form a drain region and in the second groove to form a source region. Stress generated in the channel region of the MOS transistor can be asymmetric. The MOS transistor can be used as a transfer transistor in an SRAM memory cell circuit to increase both read and write margins of the SRAM memory.
US08975696B2
A semiconductor component may include a semiconductor layer which has a front side and a back side, a first terminal electrode on the front side, a second terminal electrode on the back side, a first dopant region of a first conduction type on the front side, which is electrically connected to one of the terminal electrodes, a second dopant region of a second conduction type in the semiconductor layer, which is electrically connected to the other terminal electrode, a pn junction being formed between the first and second dopant regions, a dielectric layer on the back side between the semiconductor layer and the second terminal electrode, and the dielectric layer having an opening through which an electrical connection between the second terminal electrode and the first or second dopant region is passed.
US08975695B2
A display device capable of operating at high speed and with low power consumption is provided. A miniaturized display device occupying a small area is also provided. The display device includes a support; a display portion which includes a pixel; a light-blocking unit which is in the support and includes a light-blocking layer having a first opening overlapping with at least part of the pixel, and a movable light-blocking layer blocking light passing through the first opening; a transistor which is electrically connected to the light-blocking unit and includes an oxide semiconductor film; and a capacitor electrically connected to the transistor.
US08975694B1
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate with doped regions of a first type and doped regions of a second type. A first metallization layer connects to the doped regions of the first type through conductive paths, such that current is able to flow within the metallization layer along a plurality of linear axes. A second metallization layer connects to the doped regions of the second type through conductive paths, such that that current is able to flow within the metallization layer along a plurality of linear axes. Contacts on an exterior surface of the semiconductor device can be arranged concentrically.
US08975688B2
A voltage compensation structure includes a first semiconductor or insulating material disposed along one or more sidewalls of a trench formed in a doped epitaxial semiconductor material. The first semiconductor or insulating material has a dopant diffusion constant which is at least 2× different for n-type dopant atoms than p-type dopant atoms. The voltage compensation structure further includes a doped second semiconductor material disposed in the trench so that the first semiconductor or insulating material is interposed between the doped second semiconductor material and the doped epitaxial semiconductor material. The doped second semiconductor material has a different dopant diffusion constant than the first semiconductor or insulating material so that a lateral charge separation occurs between the doped second semiconductor material and the doped epitaxial semiconductor material.
US08975682B2
An integrated circuit (IC) includes at least one capacitor with metal electrodes. At least one of the electrodes (10 or 30) is formed from at least surface-silicided hemispherical grain silicon or silicon alloy. A fabrication process for obtaining such a capacitor with silicided metal electrodes is also provided.
US08975671B2
A semiconductor component is provided with a semiconductor substrate, in the upper face of which an active region made of a material of a first conductivity type is introduced by ion implantation. A semiconducting channel region having a defined length and width is designed within the active region. Each of the ends of the channel region located in the longitudinal extension is followed by a contacting region made of a semiconductor material of a second conductivity type. The channel region is covered by an ion implantation masking material, which comprises transverse edges defining the length of the channel region and longitudinal edges defining the width of the channel region and which comprises an edge recess at each of the opposing transverse edges aligned with the longitudinal extension ends of the channel region, the contacting regions that adjoin the channel region extending all the way into said edge recess.
US08975658B2
A shunting pattern on a surface of an LED die comprises an array of metal dots having widths that are on the order of 2Lt-5Lt (where Lt is transfer length) so as not to block a significant amount of light, yet have low contact resistance to the semiconductor current spreading layer. Contact resistance is not significantly reduced with widths greater than 2Lt. Each dot represents a current injection area. For a minimum 2Lt width and 50 square dots per mm2, the top surface area of an LED die will have about 1% of its surface covered by the dots. To cause the current to be evenly distributed over the top surface of the LED, the dots are connected with a grid of very thin metal connectors, having widths much less than 2Lt. In one embodiment, a wire bond electrode is formed near the middle of the top surface of the LED to create a more uniform current distribution.
US08975657B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a package from which a metal wiring and the like are difficult to be detached even when heat is generated from a semiconductor light-emitting element. This object is achieved with a package for a semiconductor light-emitting device comprising at least a molded resin containing (A) a SiH-containing polyorganosiloxane and (B) a filler, wherein an amount of SiH existing in the molded resin, after a heat treatment thereof at 200° C. for 10 minutes, is 20 to 65 μmol/g.
US08975653B2
There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device including a conductive substrate, a first electrode layer, an insulating layer, a second electrode layer, a second semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a first semiconductor layer that are sequentially stacked. The contact area between the first electrode layer and the first semiconductor layer is 3% to 13% of the total area of the semiconductor light emitting device, and thus high luminous efficiency is achieved.
US08975650B2
A semiconductor light emitting device that includes: a light emitting structure; an electrode layer under the light emitting structure; a light transmitting layer under of the light emitting structure; a reflective electrode layer connected to the electrode layer; and a conductive supporting member under the reflective electrode layer and electrically connected to the reflective electrode layer. The reflective electrode layer includes a first part in contact with an under surface of the electrode layer and a second part spaced apart from the electrode layer. A portion of the light transmitting layer is physically contacted with an outer side of the electrode layer and is physically contacted with the lower surface of the light emitting structure. The conductive supporting member has a thickness thicker than a thickness of the light transmitting layer.
US08975645B2
Two light receiving elements are formed on a support substrate. A first light receiving element is formed of a p-type layer, an n-type layer, a light absorption semiconductor layer, an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, a protection film, etc. A second light receiving element is formed of a p-type layer, an n-type layer, a transmissive film, an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, a protection film, etc. The light absorption semiconductor layer absorbs light in a wavelength range λ and disposed closer to the light receiving surface than is the pn junction region. The transmissive film has no light absorption range and disposed closer to the light receiving surface than is the pn junction region. The amount of light in the wavelength range λ is measured through computation using a detection signal from the first light receiving element and a detection signal from the second light receiving element.
US08975633B2
A metal oxide bilayer second electrode for a MIM DRAM capacitor is formed wherein the layer of the electrode that is in contact with the dielectric layer (i.e. bottom layer) has a desired composition and crystal structure. An example is crystalline MoO2 if the dielectric layer is TiO2 in the rutile phase. The other component of the bilayer (i.e. top layer) is a sub-oxide of the same material as the bottom layer. The top layer serves to protect the bottom layer from oxidation during subsequent PMA or other DRAM fabrication steps by reacting with any oxygen species before they can reach the bottom layer of the bilayer second electrode.
US08975630B2
An organic light emitting diodes display includes: a switching thin film transistor and a driving thin film transistor connected to the switching thin film transistor, wherein the driving thin film transistor includes a driving semiconductor layer section, a first gate insulating layer covering the driving semiconductor layer section, a floating gate electrode disposed on the first gate insulating layer, a second gate insulating layer covering the floating gate electrode, and a driving gate electrode disposed on the second gate insulating layer and at a position corresponding to the floating gate electrode, wherein the second gate insulating layer has a permittivity in the range of about 10 to about 100.
US08975626B2
There is provided a flexible semiconductor device. The flexible semiconductor device of the present invention comprises a metal layer comprising a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode; a metal oxide film made from a metal which constitutes the metal layer and formed over a surface region of the metal layer; and a semiconductor layer formed above the gate electrode via the metal oxide film. In the flexible semiconductor device, uncovered portions, each of which is not covered with the metal oxide film, are locally formed in the surface region of the metal layer; and also electrical connections are formed between the source electrode and the semiconductor layer and between the drain electrode and the semiconductor layer via the uncovered portions.
