US07640891B2

An assembly of a gate for use in animal traffic, and an animal recognition device that is provided with a reading device disposed on the gate and an identification device worn by an animal, the gate comprising two swing doors, that are each pivotable about their own almost vertical axis. The lower side of one of the swing doors is situated at a higher level than the lower side of the other swing door.
US07640889B2

An assembly and method for feeding and milking animals is disclosed. The assembly is provided with an area where the animals are allowed to move freely, with a number of juxtaposed feeding stations for the animals, and with a retaining device for retaining an animal at a feeding station. The retaining device can be activated for retaining an animal and can be deactivated for releasing an animal. A mobile milking robot connects at least one teat cup to a teat of an animal, a computer system controlling the operation and movement of the milking robot. The mobile milking robot is a self-propelled mobile milking robot, and the retaining device is fixedly disposed at the feeding station.
US07640883B2

A communication system including a fluid-operated calling device mounted in a first location in a building, and a fluid-operated indicator mounted in a second location in a building and in fluid communication with the fluid-operated calling device, wherein actuation of the fluid-operated calling device causes the fluid-operated indicator to provide an indication that the fluid-operated calling device has been actuated. A fluid-operated lock may be mounted near the fluid-operated calling device and in fluid communication with a fluid-operated actuator, wherein actuation of the fluid-operated actuator causes opening of the fluid-operated lock.
US07640878B2

The illustrative embodiments described herein are directed toward an apparatus and method for coupling an embroidery accessory to an embroidery machine. The apparatus includes a support bar. The support bar is coupled to the embroidery machine. The apparatus also includes a set of acceptors. The set of acceptors are attached to the support bar. The apparatus also includes an embroidery accessory. The embroidery accessory includes a set of attachment adapters. The set of attachment adapters are adapted to be coupled to the set of acceptors.
US07640875B2

A disc system for an agricultural machine including a frame carrying a plurality of agricultural tools, the disc system comprising a leading disc mounting mechanism and a rear tools mounting mechanism, wherein the mechanisms are mounted in the frame in a manner that they move in upward and downward directions and when one of the mechanisms tends to move in one of the directions the other one of the mechanisms tends to move in the opposite direction to copy as close as possible the field profile.
US07640870B2

A foldable table includes a table top having collapsible legs connected thereto. The table top includes a first table top section and a second table top section. A first hinge assembly hingedly connecting the first table top section to the second table top section such that the table top can selectively move between a folded position and an unfolded position. A latch engages with the first hinge assembly so as to releasably lock the first hinge assembly when the table top is in the unfolded position. In alternative embodiments, portions of the table top sections can interlock when the table is in the unfolded position. A handle can project from between the table top sections when the table is in the folded position.
US07640867B2

A pallet assembly includes an upper deck and a lower deck spaced by a plurality of columns. In one embodiment, the columns are snap-fit into the upper deck and the lower deck. The weight of the pallet is reduced without significant reduction in strength by providing only a single cross beam in each of the upper and lower reinforcement members and orienting them perpendicular to one another. The reinforcement members are minimized for weight reduction and for improved performance in heat tests. The peripheral rail of the upper reinforcement member is reduced such that it rests on only an inwardly open recess on an inner corner of each of the corner columns. This reduces the size and weight of the upper reinforcement member, while still providing support to the upper deck. Additionally, the peripheral rails of both the upper and lower decks are reduced in length such that either ledge does not directly support them while the pallet is stored on a rack. As a result, in the case of sufficient heat source on the pallets, the pallets will eventually collapse without interference from the reinforcement members and at least partially smother the heat source.
US07640866B1

A portable, adjustable support system for large scale, flat monitors and associated hardware. The portable support system is fully self-contained and is fully adjustable so as to allow a user to interact with the monitor from a range of positions including standing, sitting, or lying down through actuated variation of the height and/or angle of the monitor.
US07640856B2

A method for controlling the feeding of a web substrate into a printing press, in particular a rotary press, the web substrate being fed with a web tension into the printing press and a printing length to be achieved being specified. A current printing length of the printing press is determined. The web tension is varied by varying the length of the web substrate fed during one time interval as a function of the deviation of the current printing length from the printing length to be achieved.
US07640854B2

A timing assembly (200) for a manufactured wood products press (66) is provided. The manufactured wood products press includes a first drive shaft (120) coupled to a first platen (90) and second drive shaft (120) coupled to a second platen (90). The first and second platens are disposed within the manufactured wood products press in an opposed manner. The timing assembly includes a housing (202) and a plurality of timing gears (204) disposed within the housing. The plurality of timing gears are operatively connected to the first and second drive shafts for simultaneously driving the first and second drive shafts in an eccentric path.
US07640852B1

A large round baler is equipped with a combined belt-tensioning and bale ejecting arrangement including front and rear tensioning arm assemblies mounted at an upper front location adjacent a baling chamber. Extensible and retractable belt-tensioning actuators are coupled between the arm assemblies and serve to yieldably restrain movement of the arms, which support and or guide runs of bale-forming belts, in response to the growth of a bale being formed in the baling chamber. One end of each of the tensioning actuators is coupled to the rear arm assembly in such a way that the actuator may be cycled to move over center relative to the pivot axis of the rear arm assembly once the bale is completely formed so that the actuators may be used to aid in ejecting the bale once the discharge gate is opened.
US07640849B2

A cooking appliance includes a base, and lower and upper cooking plates pivotally mounted to the base such as to permit: (a) the upper cooking plate to be pivotted to an open position with respect to the lower cooking plate for introducing and removal of food articles between the cooking surfaces of the two cooking plates; (b) the upper cooking then to be pivotted to a closed position with respect to the lower cooking plate for contacting the food article between the cooking surfaces of the two cooking plates; and (c) both plates to be pivotted to any desired angular position with respect to the base for drawing fluids from the food article while being cooked between the cooking surfaces of the two cooking plates.
US07640842B2

Prepacked serving of coffee powder, particularly for an espresso coffee making machine, comprising a cartridge (1) enclosing a given portion of coffee powder (40), the said cartridge (1) comprising an essentially cylindrical side wall (101) provided at its two ends with a first wall (201) designed to be acted upon by the pressurized hot-water supply means, and with a second wall (301) designed to be acted upon by the brewed coffee dispensing means, the said cartridge (1) being made of an essentially airtight material, and the said wall (301) being continuous and made of a thermoplastic material.
US07640841B2

A seal includes a seal body forming an annular sealing surface. The annular sealing surface includes an annular ridge protruding substantially radially from the annular sealing surface. The seal body includes an annular cavity. The seal also includes first and second annular springs located adjacent to each other in the annular cavity.
US07640840B2

In one embodiment, an automated system for mating a launch device to a launch platform may include a launch platform having a first electrical connector, and a interface member attached to the launch device. The interface member may include a second electrical connector configured to automatically couple to the first electrical connector of the launch platform.
US07640835B2

Woodworking machines are disclosed having electrically conductive cutting tools adapted to cut workpieces. The machines include a contact detection system capacitively coupled to the cutting tool, and adapted to detect contact between a person and the cutting tool. The machines also include a reaction system configured to cause one or more predetermined actions to take place upon detection of contact between a person and the cutting tool by the contact detection system.
US07640826B2

An adjustable positioning apparatus, which may be used for a foot-operated control, includes a first member that is movably supported with respect to a base, an adjuster that is supported on the first member, and a second member. The adjuster includes a displacement device, an actuator, and a controller. The displacement device includes a first portion that is coupled to the first member, and includes a second portion that is displaced with respect to the first portion. The actuator displaces the second portion with respect to the first portion, and the controller operates the actuator and determines displacement of the second portion with respect to the first portion. The second member is coupled to the second portion.
US07640816B2

Disclosed is a monitoring system for collecting and/or transdermally rediffusing air containing environmental contaminants. The inventive monitoring system generally includes at least one diffusion collector and/or an equilibrium diffuser. The diffusion collector is provided with at least three layers, i.e. an adhesive layer that is in direct contact with the skin of a living being, a barrier layer, and a collecting layer on the exterior face of the monitoring system. The equilibrium diffuser includes an adhesive layer and a collecting layer. The collecting layers and the adhesive layers of the two components of the monitoring system are preferably made of the same material and have the same dimensions.
US07640805B2

Provided is a micro-electromechanical-system (MEMS) device including a substrate; at least one semiconductor layer provided on the substrate; a circuit region including at least one chip containing drive/sense circuitry, the circuit region provided on the at least one semiconductor layer; a support structure attached to the substrate; at least one elastic device attached to the support structure; a proof-mass suspended by the at least one elastic device and free to move in at least one of the x-, y-, and z-directions; at least one top electrode provided on the at least one elastic device; and at least one bottom electrode located beneath the at least one elastic device such that an initial capacitance is generated between the at least one top and bottom electrodes, wherein the drive/sense circuitry, proof-mass, supporting structure, and the at least one top and bottom electrodes are fabricated on the at least one semiconductor layer.
US07640800B2

A filling level sensor having a lever arm which has a float at one end and is held at its other end by a clip. A resistance network is arranged on a substrate and to which a contact structure is assigned, the resistance network producing an electrical signal for the filling level as a function of the pivoted position of a lever arm. The clip is composed of an electrically conductive plastic and has an electrical contact connected to the clip in an electrically conductive way, such that as the lever arm pivots said contact describes a circular path on the substrate. The area on the substrate over which the electrical contact passes is an electrically conductive contact face and is electrically conductively connected to a connecting line of the filling level sensor.
US07640788B2

A wear gauge is provided for simulating the wear of a magnetic recording component at its interface with a magnetic storage medium comprising a wear gauge block having a wear surface that substantially approximates the geometrical dimensions and contour of the working surface of the magnetic recording component, wherein the wear surface has a coating of transparent material. A test method comprises mounting the wear gauge in a test fixture, positioning a tape and adjusting the over wrap angle at edges of the wear surface, choosing the desired tape tension, speed and runtime, and running the tape, preferably unidirectionally, in operational contact with the wear surface for the desired runtime. The wear surface is inspected under white light illumination to observe and record locations of interferometric color changes on the wear surface. The color changes are correlated to thickness changes of the transparent coating on the wear surface.
US07640786B2

The method and apparatus in one embodiment may have: a sensing element for an accelerometer having a bias, the sensing element having a rectangular plate supported by flexures which allow rotation about a transverse center line thereof; a center of mass (CG) of the sensing element having two stable positions, one on each side of an axis of rotation defined by a centerline of suspension; a secondary mass within a proofmass translates in-plane to move the center of mass to thereby effect a self-calibration mechanization that continuously measures and nulls the accelerometer's bias under dynamic operating conditions.
US07640772B2

A locking device for a watersports apparatus which in one embodiment, comprises a pair of interlocking brackets which form an inverted “T” when slidably disposed in a channel associated with a fin box. Apertures are provided to allow a cable or other security device to traverse the inverted “T” locking device for securing the watersports apparatus. In a second embodiment, a pair of generally planar scissor members having a pair of unguiform clasping elements aligned in opposition and configured to clasp a rod disposed in a tether plug aperture by scissor action. Useful watersport tools may be provided on the distal ends of the generally planar scissor members. The useful tools include a screwdriver, a wax comb, a bottle cap opener and a wax scrapper.
US07640758B2

A refrigeration system includes a mass of refrigerant, a reservoir containing a first portion of the mass of refrigerant, and a condenser containing a second portion of the mass of refrigerant. A first sensor is positioned to measure a first parameter of the reservoir and output a first signal indicative of the first parameter. A second sensor is positioned to measure a second parameter of the condenser and output a second signal indicative of the second parameter. A processor receives the first signal and the second signal to calculate a weight of missing refrigerant.
US07640757B2

An air conditioner having an enhanced user perception and a controlling method thereof are provided. A predetermined character and/or its applied character image are/is displayed on a display window of the air conditioner. The character and/or the character image are/is changed depending on the operational states of the air conditioner, so that the user perceives the operational state of the air conditioner more conveniently. The air conditioner has advantages in that the user can perceive the operational state of the air conditioner more conveniently, the user can be stimulated to purchase the product, and a use term of the air conditioner can be extended.
US07640750B2

A spent liquor recovery boiler in the pulp and paper industry including a water/steam circulation system having superheaters, the circulation system connected to a steam turbine comprising a high-pressure part, and a furnace for burning spent liquor to produce flue gases, and including an upper portion through which the flue gases flow, wherein the steam/water circulation system of the recovery boiler is provided with a reheater for reheating steam from the high-pressure part of the turbine.
US07640748B2

A system and method of cooling a steam turbine having internal moving components to a predetermined temperature by controlling a flow of nitrogen through the turbine, thus decreasing the downtime associated with maintaining the turbine. This provides a more efficient and cost effective method of operating a power plant.
US07640746B2

A method to integrate collected solar thermal energy into the feedwater system of a Rankine cycle power plant is disclosed. This novelty uses a closed loop, single phase fluid system to collect both the solar heat and to provide the heat input into the feedwater stream of a regenerative Rankine cycle. One embodiment of this method of integrating solar energy into a regenerative Rankine power plant cycle, such as a coal power plant, allows for automatic balancing of the steam extraction flows and does not change the temperature of the feedwater to the boiler. The concept, depending on the application, allows for the spare turbine capacity normally available in a coal plant to be used to produce incremental capacity and energy that is powered by solar thermal energy. By “piggybacking” on the available components and infrastructure of the host Rankine cycle power plant, considerable cost savings are achieved resulting in lower solar produced electricity costs.
US07640739B2

A device and method for producing energy from a dilute VOC gas stream. The device includes a concentrator that concentrates a dilute VOC gas stream into a concentrated VOC fuel. The concentrated VOC fuel is supplied to the fuel intake of an engine. The device is operated by adsorbing the dilute VOC onto an adsorbing media within a concentrator. The concentrator increases the concentration of VOC per unit volume. The adsorbed VOC are then desorbed to form a concentrated VOC fuel stream. The concentrated VOC fuel stream may be either liquefied VOC or a more concentrated VOC gas stream. The concentrated VOC fuel stream is then directed to an engine to produce kinetic or electrical energy.
US07640737B2

A hydraulic jack system is described, suitable for lifting heavy loads such as automobiles. The jack system is operable by a powered driver fitted with a socket for coupling to a nut rotationally fixed to the jack system, wherein the driver is removable directly after use. As such, no handle is required for activating the hydraulic jack system. The jack system has a low profile, reducing the danger of being accidentally knocked into during operation. When operated by a powered driver, the driver rotates a camshaft mounted to the jack system, the camshaft reciprocally drives a push rod that activates a plunger for hydraulically elevating a piston ram.
US07640736B2

The hydraulic linear actuator system of the present invention includes a pump that is configured to rotate in a single direction at a substantially constant velocity. Both the direction and flow rate of fluid through the system is controlled by adjusting the positional relationship between the stator and the rotor of the pump. This positional relationship is adjustable between a forward flow state, a non-flow state and a reverse flow state. The hydraulic linear actuator is responsive to the flow of fluid through the system so as to be displaced in a first direction by the forward flow state of the pump and in a second direction by the reverse flow state of the pump.
US07640729B2

A method for operating a particulate filter situated in an exhaust gas area of an internal combustion engine and a device for carrying out the method are described. A measure of the particulate matter burn-off rate is detected for influencing and/or monitoring the particulate matter burn-off rate or for influencing and/or monitoring the particulate filter temperature. A secondary air flow supplied by a secondary air pump is blown into the exhaust gas area upstream from the particulate filter. The secondary air flow is determined as a function of the detected measure of the particulate matter burn-off rate. If necessary, the secondary air flow may be enriched by an oxygen flow or nitrogen flow supplied by an air separation unit. The method prevents the particulate filter from being damaged by an unacceptably high particulate matter burn-off rate or an unacceptably high particulate filter temperature.
US07640719B2

A wing-type rotary mower apparatus with a hydraulically powered over-center self-locking wing lift that extends between the central mower deck and the wing mower deck(s) to effect wing movement from a working position to a locked transport position. The lift mechanism comprises a double acting cylinder, a bell crank, and a pair of lift links that are pivotally connected. When the cylinder is retracted the bell crank rotates inward towards the center of the apparatus transferring the movement through the lift links to the mower wing(s). The rotational force on the bell crank about a fixed central pivot point on the central mower deck goes from an outward force reacted to by the cylinder to an inward force supported by the stop seat on the central mower deck; effectively locking the wing(s). The procedure is reversed when the cylinder is extended to return the wing(s) to the working position.
US07640711B2

An Interlocking Continuous Roof Assembly and Method for Wind Resistant Roofing is presented, whereby continuous double lock seams are used exclusively to join panels together. This roof manufacturing methodology results in a roof that possesses improved resistance to wind and water during storm conditions and thereby decreases the chances of the roof being damaged or destroyed by severe weather.
US07640704B2

A door comprises a frame, first and second outer skins, and first and second stiffeners. The first and second outer skins are respectively connected to first and second sides of the frame, and the first and second stiffeners are positioned between the first and second outer skins and are attached to the frame. The first stiffener is connected to the first side of the frame, and the second stiffener is connected to the second side of the frame. The first and second outer skins are respectively connected to the first and second stiffeners at positions adjacent the frame. The first and second stiffeners are joined together within an area defined by the frame, and the first and second stiffeners are joined together along a plane approximately equidistant from the first and second outer skins. The door also includes a window.
US07640700B2

A composite wall panel having continuous upper and lower hollow horizontal chases and spaced hollow studs forming vertical chases throughout the panel to permit passage of electrical wiring and the like. The chases have protective barriers to protect the wiring from penetration and damage due to mechanical fasteners used to manufacture the panel and to construct load bearing walls using a plurality of manufactured panels. Further, the panel has a continuous header to provide structural rigidity and to permit rapid manufacturing of the panel without the need to frame openings, such as doors and windows, at the time of manufacture. Openings are cut in the panels and finished after the walls are constructed. Even further, the panel has horizontally extending brackets which laterally support the studs.
US07640688B2

The present invention provides an adjustable cheek rest for installation on the butt stock of a firearm, the cheek rest having an elongate comb adapted to conform to the top portion of the butt stock, the comb being supported on a rail that is fixed to, or removably mounted to, one side of the butt stock. The cheek rest comb is adjustable both longitudinally and vertically with respect to the butt stock to suit the needs of a particular shooter, the comb being attached to the butt stock by a fixture slidably engaging the rail to permit longitudinal adjustment and slidably engaging the comb to permit vertical adjustment. Once adjusted, the comb may be secured in a desired longitudinal and vertical location. A removable rail is also provided for mounting the cheek rest and/or other accessories to a firearm butt stock not having a fixed accessory mounting rail.
US07640682B1

Removable wings or end extensions for a snow plow blade and a snow removal system including removable end extensions are provided. Each of the removable end extensions secure to a side end of a snow plow blade, and are easily removed and stored on the snow plow blade, when not required for the plowing application.
US07640676B1

In one embodiment of the present invention, a distance measuring device for use with a power tool having an alignment area for receiving a work piece, comprises a measuring sensor proximate to said alignment area that produces a first signal corresponding to longitudinal motion of the work piece within the alignment area; a processor that receives the first signal, determines a longitudinal distance traveled by the work piece within the alignment area from the first signal, and outputs a second signal corresponding to the longitudinal distance traveled by said work piece within said alignment area; and a display receiving the second signal from the processor and providing an alpha-numeric representation of the distance traveled by the work piece within the alignment area.
US07640675B2

A method is proposed for measuring tools on a machine tool with a measuring device, wherein by means of a movement of a spindle of the machine tool the measuring device is temporarily positioned at a measuring point on the machine tool in order to carry out one or more measurements, the measuring point differing from a spindle mount. Furthermore, a measuring apparatus is proposed which is embodied in such a way that the measuring device can be positioned at a measuring point on the machine tool for a measuring operation by means of a spindle movement of a machine tool, said measuring point differing from a spindle mount.
US07640671B1

A measuring compass is disclosed. The compass comprises a marking leg, a pegging leg which symmetrically form into a shape of a pencil. The upper end of the pegging leg and the marking leg is a center plate or gear module, and the bottom end is a protective cover for protecting the marking leg and the pegging leg. When the compass is not in use, the marking leg and the pegging leg are closed to each other and the protective cover caps the legs. The compass can be inserted to a pocket.
US07640669B1

A chain saw with a centrifugal clutch in a housing made at least partially of, or which is mounted magnetized material which aides clutch operation. An elongated support extending outward from inside the housing preferably includes at least one lateral or longitudinal slit to aid with adjusting chain saw tension or braking.
US07640666B1

A pair of gardening shears include two cutting blades pivotally connected with each other, two movable members each having a first side mounted on a respective cutting blade, two fixing members each mounted on a second side of a respective movable member, two locking bolts each extended through the fixing members, the movable members and the cutting blades, and two locking nuts each screwed onto a respective locking bolt. Thus, the cutting blades are limited by the fixing members and the locking bolts so that the cutting blades are juxtaposed to each other closely without producing a gap between the cutting blades, thereby facilitating a user operating the gardening shears.
US07640665B2

In a rotor hub manufacturing method, a workpiece is chucked and a hole centering on the workpiece center axis is formed in the workpiece. A sealing member is press-fit into the hole, forming an internal space. A shaft feature is thereafter shaped in the workpiece by cutting work done on the periphery of the workpiece around the hole. The workpiece part including the shaft feature is then cut away from the workpiece to form a rotor hub as a shaft unit.
US07640661B2

A process for manufacturing reinforcing parts (14) for leading edges (10) and/or trailing edges (12) of fan blades (1) is described. In particular, this invention relates to the use of the SPF/DB (<>) process for this type of non-hollow part.
US07640660B2

A multilayer wiring board (X1) comprises a core portion (100) and out-core wiring portion (30). The core portion (100) comprises a carbon fiber reinforced portion (10) composed of a carbon fiber material (11) and resin composition (12), and an in-core wiring portion (20) which has a laminated structure of at least one insulating layer (21) containing a glass fiber material (21a) and a wiring pattern (22) composed of a conductor having an elastic modulus of 10 to 40 GPa and which is bonded to the carbon fiber reinforced portion (10). The out-core wiring portion (30) has a laminated structure of at least one insulating layer (31) and a wiring pattern (32) and is bonded to the core portion (100) at the in-core wiring portion (20).
US07640658B1

A method of forming an anti-tamper mesh on an electronic device. The method includes forming at least one terminal on the electronic device and forming a conductive mesh on at least one surface of the electronic device, wherein the conductive mesh is in electrical contact with the terminal, and wherein the terminal facilitates electrical conduction between the conductive mesh and an electrical detection circuit.
US07640646B2

The present invention is useful for achieving a reduction in weight and for attaining increased strength in not only electronic devices and domestic electric devices but also various parts and structures. As a pretreatment, a rib (3) is dipped in an aqueous solution of ammonia, hydrazine, a hydrazine derivative, or a water-soluble amine compound. A metal frame (2) is inserted into an injection mold for forming ribs (3) by injection molding. A thermoplastic resin composition is injected to the surface of the metal frame (2) by injection molding to form ribs (3). In the housing of a casing cover (1) thus formed, the metal frame (2) and the ribs (3) made of the thermoplastic resin composition are integrally bonded together. Thus, the housing improves strength and external appearance. Moreover, a complicated configuration and structure can be formed in the housing.
US07640634B2

Fasteners characterized by structures which are suitable to be engaged reversibly in a slot of a rigid part, such as a metal sheet or the frame of a car for example. The structure provides easy insertion but difficult extraction of the fastener from the slot, without producing squeaking noises during end-use. Easy manufacturing and high dimensional accuracy are also great assets of the fasteners. The invention also pertains to an assembly of said rigid part and the fastener, an assembly connecting parts with the fastener of this invention, as well as vehicles comprising such assemblies.
US07640630B2

A refrigerator capable of saving time and labor for mounting a handle to a door is disclosed. The refrigerator has a main body including a storage compartment opened toward the front, a door mounted to the main body to open and close the storage compartment, a handle provided on the front of the door in the form of a long shaft extended lengthwise in a vertical direction of the door in order to open and close the door, and fastening units arranged between the handle and the door lengthwise in the vertical direction of the door to enable mounting of the handle to the door through a simple operation of pushing the handle toward the door and engaging the fastening units.
US07640627B2

A door-stopping device for motor vehicles, includes a door holder bar, a support housing including a passage for the door holder bar to pass through, and a locking unit disposed in the support housing, which includes two pivotally mounted locking levers. Each locking lever is pre-tensioned by a spring element towards each other and towards the door holder bar. Each locking lever comprises a locking element. The locking elements bear on mutually opposite sides against the door holder bar and are adapted to engage with the locking grooves on the door holder bar. For the door-stopping device to present diverse possibilities of design, to be manufactured in a cost-effective manner and to occupy only little space, the spring elements are arranged substantially parallel to the door holder bar.
US07640618B2

There is disclosed a cleaning article including a brush portion. The brush portion has a plurality of strips and at least one layer of a fiber bundle.
US07640617B2

A cleaning device including a cleaning member and a handle connected to the cleaning member. The handle includes a first member and a second member. The first member includes a ball member and the second member includes a socket. The ball member being disposed in the socket to couple the first member and the second member and enable the second member to pivot with respect to the first member.
US07640611B1

A mattress embodying a foam encasement surrounding individually wrapped coils and lacking a barrier separating upholstery layers from the coil assembly. Border material is affixed to sidewalls forming the foam encasement and the upholstery layer is tacked to a base of the foam encasement.
US07640602B2

A pre-assembled anti-creep waist-clothing stay device including a patch having front and back surfaces and sized for application to a crotch-adjacent inner-seam area of the waist-clothing and a stay strip affixed to the back surface of the patch, the stay strip being positioned and sized such that the patch extends beyond edges of the stay strip. In key embodiments, the patch includes a heat-activated adhesive such that, when the patch is applied to the waist-clothing with iron-on heat and pressure, the patch adheres at its back surface to the waist-clothing, thereby securing the stay strip in position to prevent the waist-clothing from riding up and bunching in the crotch area.
US07640601B2

A sports cap in which a visor has an intermediate support layer bonded with a bottom lining layer and sandwiched between a top layer and a bottom layer, and a positioning block with a center insertion hole selectively fastened to one of recesses on the top side of the intermediate support layer for securing a stem of a decorative item for enabling a golf counter to be detachably fastened to the decorative item by means of magnetic attraction.
US07644447B2

Provided is a scanning probe microscope capable of precisely analyzing characteristics of samples having an overhang surface structure. The scanning probe microscope comprises a first probe, a first scanner changing a position of the first probe along a straight line, and a second scanner changing a position of a sample in a plane, wherein the straight line in which the position of the first probe is changed by using the first scanner is non-perpendicular to the plane in which the position of the sample is changed by using the second scanner.
US07644445B2

Key management is performed to generate a single key allowing of the decoding of all authorized levels of a plurality of access types within a scalable codestream. An access node set is derived from sets representing access types having hierarchies representable by fully ordered sets, such as resolution and layer levels, and hierarchies representable by partially ordered sets, such as tile and precinct levels. The access node set derived is a partially ordered set representing the combinations of levels of the access types included within the codestream. A hierarchical key management system is applied to the access node set to assign a key to each of the access nodes, generate content encryption keys, and encrypt the codestream. A client receiving the codestream, access node set, and other public information uses the key to derive additional keys to decrypt the codestream.
US07644443B2

A content distribution is performed by a secure container including a content encrypted by a content key and container information set for a content transaction. The container information includes a person identification certificate identifiers list. Usage control status information including the list is generated and stored in a device during a secondary distribution among user devices after a primary distribution of the content. In the distribution among the user devices, identifying an identification certificate in reference to the list and performing a person authentication based on the identification certificate allows each of the user devices to use the transmitted content, when the authentication is affirmative.
US07644438B1

A network security system can have a plurality of distributed software agents configured to collect security events from network devices. In one embodiment, the agents are configured to aggregate the security events. In one embodiment of the present invention, an agent includes a device interface to receive a security event from a network device, a plurality of aggregation profiles, and an agent aggregate module to select one of the plurality of aggregation profiles, and increment an event count of an aggregate event representing the received security event using the selected aggregation profile.
US07644428B2

The present invention provides an easy-to-search program guide having efficient display contents of program information when receiving digital broadcasting from plural transmission media. A program information extracting unit extracts program information for channels receivable from a first and a second transmission media, and stores the extracted program information of individual channels in a storing unit. A program information integrating unit, when integrating program information of the first transmission media and program information of the second transmission media, compares program information stored in the storing unit, and integrates duplicate program information of a same channel, if any, into one piece of program information. A display contents creating unit creates a program guide based on the integrated program information, and displays it in a display unit.
US07644426B2

A method for implementing a help function in a digital television receiver is disclosed, wherein main help items including titles of external elements such as a rear panel and a front panel are displayed on a screen if a user pushes a help button of a remote controller or main body. When one of the main help items is selected, a configuration (or figure) of the selected main help item is displayed, and the user can indicate a desired part of the configuration by manipulating buttons of the remote controller and the main body. A help description of the indicated part is displayed on the screen together with it's configuration.
US07644419B2

The heat dissipation of a pickup is improved in an optical disc apparatus of a slot-in type.A unit cover 16 on a disc-facing side of a unit mechanism 6 includes a circumferential plate 21, a lever supporting plate 22, a disc guiding plate 23, a flexible printed circuit board holding plate 24, a reinforcing plate 25, a driving part covering plate 27, ventilating openings near sub guiding shaft 28, an extended notch near sub guiding shaft 30, an outer extended notch 31, and an extended notch near main guiding shaft 32. With this configuration, plenty of air flow induced by the rotation of a disc 5 can be introduced to a pickup 9 also through the unit cover 16, greatly improving heat dissipation capability.
US07644406B2

Disclosed herein is a mobile services network including an electronic device with an update agent that may be capable of updating firmware and application software stored in non-volatile memory and employing multiple FLASH memory chips. The update agent may employ an update package generated to update firmware/software data segments and code segments. In an embodiment according to the present invention, the update agent may also employ a flash library supporting multiple FLASH memory chips from the same or different manufacturers. In an embodiment according to the present invention, the FLASH memory chips may be grouped. The update agent may also be capable of updating code in the multiple FLASH memory chips in the non-volatile memory of the electronic device.
US07644400B2

The illustrative embodiment of the present invention provides a platform that enables a content developer to distribute uniform content to multiple types of requesting mobile devices. By authoring content in a generic markup language and using the technologies included in the Mobile Content Framework(MCF), the content developer is able to provide content to multiple types devices without providing different versions of the content. The content may be authored originally in the generic markup language or translated from other languages into the generic markup language by the MCF. The MCF exploits the capabilities and accommodates the limitations of different types of wireless devices by converting generic markup language content to device-specific content. The MCF interacts with device registries holding records of the device attributes in order to provide the device-specific content. The MCF handles these issues for current mobile devices while also being extensible for future mobile devices.
US07644395B1

A system and method for employing bytecode modification techniques for tracing services within an application server. Application servers, such as those based on the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (“J2EE”) standard, include a variety of different services. In one embodiment of the invention, a group of services executed on an application server are identified for tracing. For each service in the group, a group of entry and/or exit methods to be traced are identified. The group of entry/exit methods may represent entry and/or exit points to and from the service, respectively. Once the service's method are identified, the service's bytecode is modified based on the particular group of entry/exit methods specified. The service is then executed and method invocations of the bytecode modified entry/exit methods are registered.
US07644394B2

A computer system, program product and method debug an object-oriented computer program by tracking the creation of objects by a plurality of creators (e.g., constructor methods) of a selected class. A user need not separately track each creator. Instead, a debugger identifies each creator and associates breakpoints with all or a user-specified subset of creators to facilitate tracking. Any of the breakpoints may then trigger a halting of execution during debugging. Moreover, in some instances it may be desirable to track the number of creations by all or the subset of the creators for the selected class during program execution until a user-specified condition is satisfied, whereupon program execution is terminated and debugging information is provided to the user.
US07644384B2

The present invention introduces methods, systems, and architectures for routing clock signals in an integrated circuit layout. The introduced clock signal clock signal structures are rendered with non Manhattan routing. In a first embodiment, the traditional recursive H clock signal structure is rendered after transforming the coordinates system such that a rotated recursive H clock signal structure is rendered. In another embodiment, a recursive Y structure is used to create a clock signal structure. The recursive Y structure may also be implemented in a rotated alignment. For clock signal redundancy, non Manhattan wiring may be used to create a clock signal mesh network.
US07644380B1

Method for analyzing a circuit composed of MOS devices. The method can be used to direct MOS devices in static and dynamic circuits and involves identifying an undirected MOS device that connects nets. Functions of the nets that cause each net to be logic values are defined as a function of inputs to the circuit. The defined functions can include pulldown functions or both pullup and pulldown functions. A set of rules is used to determine the direction of a signal that flows through a device and applies defined functions. The rules for analyzing static devices may differ from the rules for analyzing dynamic devices. Devices that are determined to have uni-directional signal flow can be directed. Additionally, devices having bi-directional signal flow and uni-directional observability can be directed.
US07644378B2

A characterized cell library for EDA tools includes one or more mathematical models for each cell, and one or more preconditioning functions (and/or inverse preconditioning functions) for each mathematical model. Each mathematical model represents a performance parameter (e.g., delay, power consumption, noise) or a preconditioned performance parameter of the cell. The preconditioning functions convert an operating parameter (e.g., input slew, output capacitance) associated with the performance parameter into a preconditioned input variable for the mathematical models. In doing so, the preconditioning functions allow for more accurate modeling of complex data relationships without increasing the complexity (e.g., order and number of coefficients) of the mathematical models. Also, because the cell library can be substantially similar to conventional polynomial-based cell libraries except for the inclusion of preconditioning functions, preconditioning does not significantly increase storage requirements and conventional EDA tools can be readily adapted to use the preconditioned cell library.
US07644375B1

A report shows website visitation statistics including page visits before and after a path that can include one or more pages. The report responds to user selection of a page by adding the selected page to the path and regenerating the report. The user can click on pages to add them to the path, or to replace existing pages in the path. The user can also request and receive additional information about any page represented in the report.
US07644364B2

A media editing application for creating and displaying video effect clips. A detection component detects video files stored in a memory of a computer. A user interface displays the detected video files and various video effects that can be applied to video files. The user interface is responsive to a user selecting one or more of the detected video files to apply a selected video effect to the selected video files to create the video effect clip. The user interface is further responsive to user input to display the video effect clip.
US07644350B2

Techniques for creating and processing electronic forms that include at least one field that is configured to accept multimedia information as input. Techniques are provided for creating an electronic form comprising at least one field that is configured to accept multimedia information. Techniques are provided for specifying and associating a set of constraints (or predicates) with fields of a multimedia form, including specifying and associating one or more constraints with fields configured to accept multimedia information. Techniques for validating the electronic form based upon the constraints, if any, associated with the fields of the form. Various actions may be performed depending upon the results of the validation.
US07644342B2

An ECC circuit (103) is located between I/O terminals (1040-1047) and page buffers (1020-1027). The ECC circuit (103) includes a coder configured to generate check bits (ECC) for error correcting and attach the check bits to data to be written into a plurality of memory cell areas (1010-1017), and a decoder configured to employ the generated check bits (ECC) for error correcting the data read out from the memory cell areas (1010-1017). The ECC circuit (103) allocates a set of 40 check bits (ECC) to an information bit length of 4224=528×8 to execute coding and decoding by parallel processing 8-bit data, where data of 528 bits is defined as a unit to be written into and read out from one memory cell area (101j).
US07644339B2

Novel decoding approach is presented, by which, updated bit edge messages corresponding to a sub-matrix of an LDPC matrix are immediately employed for updating of the check edge messages corresponding to that sub-matrix without requiring storing the bit edge messages; also updated check edge messages corresponding to a sub-matrix of the LDPC matrix are immediately employed for updating of the bit edge messages corresponding to that sub-matrix without requiring storing the check edge messages. Using this approach, twice as many decoding iterations can be performed in a given time period when compared to a system that performs updating of all check edge messages for the entire LDPC matrix, then updating of all bit edge messages for the entire LDPC matrix, and so on. When performing this overlapping approach in conjunction with min-sum processing, significant memory savings can also be achieved.
US07644331B2

A method and apparatus is presented for debugging and testing a memory controller. In one embodiment, a testing interface is presented for performing stuck-at testing. In a second embodiment, a testing interface is presented for observing clock timing in a memory controller.
US07644325B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a control circuit configured to generate a control code to control a parameter of a predetermined circuit and outputs the control code to the predetermined circuit; and a latch circuit connected with an output of the control circuit to latch the control code in response to a control signal. The latch circuit may be provided between the control circuit and the predetermined circuit to latch the control code or transfer the control code to the predetermined circuit, in response to the control signal.
US07644323B2

Disclosed is a build-in self-diagnosis and repair method and apparatus in a memory with syndrome identification. It applies a fail-pattern identification and a syndrome-format structure to identify at least one type of faulty syndrome in the memory during a memory testing, then generates and exports fault syndrome information associated with the corresponding faulty syndrome. According to the fault syndrome information, the method applies a redundancy analysis algorithm, allocates spare memory elements and repairs the faulty cells in the memory. The syndrome-format structure respectively applies single-faulty-word-syndrome format, faulty-row-segment-syndrome format, and faulty-column-segment-syndrome format for different faulty syndromes, such as faulty row segments and single faulty words, faulty column segments and single faulty words, all of single faulty words, faulty row segments and faulty column segments, and so on.
US07644313B2

A method for detecting a failure in a computing system and for restoring the system is provided. The method comprises providing a system connected to a network communications channel, creating, using a configured backup automation tool, a full system backup image and incremental archive logs of the system before attempting to remotely install software on the system and executing a point-in-time detection and restoration tool configured to detect a system failure when attempting to remotely install software on the system and, if the system failure is detected, to restore the system to a desired restoration point before the system failure occurred, using the full system backup image and incremental archive logs created of the system.
US07644311B2

A process and system for estimating the soft error rate of an integrated circuit. The process involves determining the surface area of and charge stored on each logic node on the integrated circuit. Then a response curve is used to estimate the soft error rate for a logic node using the charge stored on the logic node. Different response curves exist for integrated circuits of different technologies and products. Finally, the soft error rate of the integrated circuit can be estimated using the soft error rates for each logic node.
US07644310B2

A semiconductor IC capable of debugging two or more processors at the same time by means of a single debugger and a semiconductor IC test system. The semiconductor IC includes processors operating at different frequencies, a trigger circuit which causes all of the processors to be in a debugging state when one of the processors is in the debugging state, and a JTAG circuit applying a boundary scan operation to the processors connected to a JTAG pin in series.
US07644309B2

The invention relates to a recovery of a hardware module of an electronic device from a malfunction state. The hardware module is connected via a signal line to a recovery component of the device, a state of the signal line being controlled by the hardware module. The recovery component monitors a state of the signal line. Whenever the signal line is detected not to assume a predetermined state during a predetermined period of time, the recovery component causes a hardware reset of the hardware module.
US07644290B2

A system and method for detecting and responding to device tampering in an Energy Management (“EM”) device is disclosed. The EM device is provided with mechanisms to detect and indicate unauthorized tampering with the device. Further, in response to detected unauthorized tampering, the device may take actions to protect the integrity of data generated by the device as well as protect any confidential data stored within the device. Such actions may include preventing further device operation, generating warnings to the device owner/user, marking subsequently generated data as suspect, destroying stored confidential data, etc.
US07644289B2

A cryptographic device may include a cryptographic module and a communications module coupled thereto. The cryptographic module may include a user network interface, a host network processor coupled to the user network interface, and a cryptographic processor coupled to the host network processor. Additionally, the communications module may include a network communications interface coupled to the cryptographic processor. The host processor may generate cryptographic processor command packets for the cryptographic processor each having an address portion and a data portion, and it may also encapsulate command packets for the communications module in the data portions of the cryptographic processor command packets. The cryptographic processor may pass the communications module command packets to the without performing cryptographic processing thereon.
US07644288B2

An image forming apparatus is disclosed, the image forming apparatus including a storing unit that stores a program in accordance with which the image forming apparatus operates, an acquiring unit that acquires an update program from an external source, and an updating unit. Before updating the program stored in the storing unit, the updating unit determines whether the update program acquired by the acquiring unit is authentic by checking the electronic signature of the update unit. If the updating unit determines that the update program acquired by the acquiring unit is authentic, the updating unit updates the program stored in the storing unit. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus can improve the reliability of the update program.
US07644281B2

The present invention is a method and apparatus for watermarking text or vector graphics documents. It is based on character-wise or vector graphics element-wise grayscale or color modulation. At high resolution, halftone or dither modulation can also be used in addition or in place of grayscale/color modulation, for printed representation of electronic document. For the detection, the document is acquired through an acquisition device, document segmentation is performed, characters/elements are segmented, the watermark signal is estimated and the information is decoded. Although the proposed scheme mostly addresses the watermarking of hard-copy documents, it can easily be integrated into electronic document editing and acquisition tools, and the watermark is attached to the document electronic version.The invention is applicable either using expensive high-resolution printing and acquisition devices, either using common cheap low-resolution devices, depending on the application needs. The proposed scheme is suitable for example to the protection of security documents, contracts, technical and commercial documentation; it can use any physical support like paper, cellulose, or plastic; it can be used for copy protection, authentication, or tamper proofing; finally it can also be applied to other non security-related applications, such as document tracking, as well as document embedded annotation and watermarked-assisted automatic processing.
US07644280B2

A method for processing a file having an existing filename. A private key associated with a digital certificate and a certificate address from which the digital certificate may be accessed are received from a certification authority (CA) who issued the digital certificate. A digital signature is generated based on the file and the received private key. The digital certificate includes a public key associated with the private key such that the generated digital signature can be verified through use of the public key. The file is signed with the generated digital signature The received certificate address is encoded to generate an encoded address. The existing filename and the encoded address are merged to generate a new filename. The file is renamed with the new filename. The renamed file may be authenticated by verifying the digital signature via execution of an authentication algorithm in conjunction with the public key.
US07644279B2

Aspects for consumer product distribution in the embedded system market are described. The aspects include forming a secure network for distributing product digitation files capable of configuring operations of an adaptive computing engine (ACE), and providing an agent server within the secure network for controlling licenses of the product digitation files, wherein a separation of responsibility and control of the distributing and licensing exists.
US07644275B2

This disclosure pertains generally to client authentication. One aspect of the disclosure relates to a first server for presenting evidence to a Domain Controller (DC) of a first authentication context being submitted from a client to the first server to obtain a delegable credential, wherein the credential can be used to request a second authentication context from that client to a second server. Another aspect relates to the first server providing a pass-thru with evidence to a DC. The evidence relates to a first authentication context being submitted from a client to the first server that it obtained a delegable credential. The pass-thru is used in combination with the credential to request a second authentication context from the client to a second server.
US07644258B2

Various embodiments are described relating to processors, branch predictors, branch prediction systems, and computing systems. In an example embodiment, a processor includes a plurality of branch predictors. Each branch predictor is adapted to provide a prediction and an override signal. In the example embodiment, the processor futher includs a branch prediction control circuit. The branch prediction circuit is adapted to generate a branch prediction based on the prediction and the override signal from each predictor.
US07644252B2

A multiprocessor system includes a plurality of microprocessors configured to operate on a plurality of operating systems, respectively, and a memory section configured to have a plurality of memory spaces respectively allocated to the plurality of microprocessors. Each of the plurality of microprocessors may include a translation look-aside buffer (TLB) and a page table register. The TLB stores a copy of at least a part of data of one of the plurality of memory spaces corresponding to the microprocessor, and the copy includes a relation of each of virtual addresses of a virtual address space and a corresponding physical address of a physical address space as the memory space. The page table register refers to the TLB in response to an execution virtual address generated based on an application program to be executed by the microprocessor to determine an execution physical address corresponding to the execution virtual address. The microprocessor accesses the memory space based on the execution physical address.
US07644251B2

A controller includes a volatile random access memory and translation hardware. The volatile random access memory includes a table having at least one entry. The at least one entry includes a portion of a physical address of a memory location at a NAND flash non-volatile solid-state memory. The volatile random access memory is accessible to the translation hardware. The translation hardware is configured to sum binary data bits of a portion of a logical address and a pointer value to determine a random access memory address of the at least one entry and is configured to determine the portion of the physical address of the memory location at the NAND flash non-volatile solid-state memory based at least in part on the random access memory address of the at least one entry.
US07644242B2

The control device acquires the archive deadline of archive target data and acquires, for storage devices of a plurality of types, a warranty deadline for the quality of data stored by the storage device and the unit cost which is the cost for each predetermined storage size of the storage device. The storage control device is a storage device which acquires a data migration cost and which obtains a storage destination for the archive target data from storage devices of a plurality of types on the basis of the archive deadline, warranty deadline, unit cost and data migration cost thus acquired. The storage control device selects a storage device for which the total cost is minimum when the archive target data is archived until the archive deadline.
US07644241B2

History information of storage destinations designated for storing data input to an image processing device is managed. The priorities of a plurality of storage areas which are storage destination candidates are determined based on the managed history information. To assist a user designate a storage destination, a display unit displays information indicating the plurality of storage areas arranged based on the determined priorities. Based on the displayed information, the user designates one of the storage areas as the storage destination. A control unit effects control so as to store the data in the storage area designated by the user.
US07644240B2

A controller for a memory device and methods are provided. The controller has an updateable register bank adapted to send a first signal to an analog/memory core of the memory device for controlling operation of the analog/memory core. The analog/memory core has an array of flash memory cells and supporting analog access circuitry. A bus controller is coupled to the register bank. The bus controller is adapted to receive a second signal from the register bank and to send a third signal to the register bank for updating the register bank. A select register is coupled to the register bank. A processor is coupled to the bus controller and the select register.
US07644237B1

A method and apparatus is described for insuring coherency between memories in a multi-agent system where the agents are interconnected by one or more fabrics. A global arbiter is used to segment coherency into three phases: request; snoop; and response, and to apply global ordering to the requests. A bus interface having request, snoop, and response logic is provided for each agent. A bus interface having request, snoop and response logic is provided for the global arbiter, and a bus interface is provided to couple the global arbiter to each type of fabric it is responsible for. Global ordering and arbitration logic tags incoming requests from the multiple agents and insures that snoops are responded to according to the global order, without regard to latency differences in the fabrics.
US07644226B1

According to one exemplary embodiment, a RAM employing system includes a RAM and a RAM controller coupled to the RAM. The RAM employing system further includes a command queue, which is configured to receive time encoded RAM commands from the RAM controller. The RAM is configured to retrieve, decode, and execute each of the time encoded RAM commands in the command queue.
US07644224B2

A flash memory device includes an array of memory cells for storing data pages, one or more buffers for retrieving the data pages and a logic mechanism that, responsive to a plurality of commands, transfers the data pages between the buffers and a host. Each command subsequent to a first command instructs retrieval of a data page whose address either precedes, or exceeds by more than 1, the address of the data page retrieved by the immediately preceding command, and at least one command does not explicitly specify the address of its retrieved data page. Another similar flash memory device uses two buffers to implement cache reads of data pages whose addresses are specified arbitrarily in the commands subsequent to the first command.
US07644219B2

A system and method is disclosed for initializing PCI devices in a computer system or information handling system. Upon initialization of the system, each operating system instance of the system attempts to access a PCI bridge device. The first operating system to access the bridge device is granted ownership of the bridge device and the authority to initialize each PCI device coupled to the bridge device. The bridge device assigns each operating system to at least one context included in at least one of the PCI devices. After each of the PCI devices has been initialized, a configuration event is issued with respect to each operating system instance and each assigned PCI device, thereby causing each operating system to recognize each PCI device assigned to each respective operating system instance.
US07644214B2

An even-driven interrupt processing is efficiently carried out in a multiprocessor system. A main control unit 112 executes a main process as a processing for controlling an apparatus in a unified manner. A sub-control unit 116 executes a task assigned by the main control unit 112 during the execution of the main process, as a sub-process. An event detector 162 detects an event occurrence upon which an interrupt task is to be preferentially executed during the execution of the main process. An interrupt notification unit 164 notifies the sub-control unit 116 of interrupt information indicative of an interrupt task in response to the detected event. The sub-control unit 116 notified of the interrupt information executes the interrupt task specified by the interrupt information, as a sub-process.
US07644213B2

Methods and devices utilizing operating system semaphores are described for managing access to limited-access resources by clients.
US07644206B2

A data storage system is provided with command queue controller circuitry for positionally pushing pending access commands from a command queue to a selected target zone of a storage space. A method is provided for dividing a storage space into a plurality of LBA zones, selecting a target zone in relation to a number of pending access commands for each of the plurality of LBA zones, and pushing access commands to the target zone.
US07644196B2

The present invention provides a USB function apparatus which supports a plurality of USB descriptors and which is connected to a host apparatus via a USB to operate as a USB function, the USB function apparatus comprising a descriptor switching device which switches one of the plurality of USB descriptors to be transmitted to the host apparatus, a bus reset generating device which generates a bus reset to initialize communications with the host apparatus, and a control device which, when a descriptor request from the host apparatus is responded with a current USB description but if the host apparatus does not start communications in accordance with the USB descriptor, causes the descriptor switching device to switch the USB descriptor and causes the bus reset generating device to generate a bus reset.
US07644161B1

Information from control plug-ins organized in a hierarchy is received. The control plug-ins control an allocation of resources for an application. Relationships between the control plug-ins are determined based on the received information, and a topology of the control plug-ins is generated.
US07644160B2

A system and method of mapping remote ports so that they appear as local ports. One or more accounts is created, including a first and a second account, wherein the first account is assigned to a first user and the second account is assigned to a first computer. A plurality of first ports are assigned to the first account. A plurality of second ports are assigned to the second account. One of the second ports is mapped to a local port on the first computer. Another of the second ports is mapped to a remote port such that the remote port appears as a local port on the second computer. The first user is logged into a second computer and, while the first user is logged into the second computer, one of the first ports is mapped to a local port on the second computer and another of the first ports is mapped to a remote port such that the remote port appears as a local port on the second computer.
US07644154B2

When a management PC (as an address information display device in an address information display system) displays IPv6 addresses that have been assigned to a device in the system, the addresses may be displayed in a pull-down menu, for example. The display order in the pull-down menu may be determined according to a priority order which can be set arbitrarily by the user. Further, addresses judged to be important (according to settings by the user) may be displayed using a bold font, local addresses are displayed in italic, addresses close to the expiration of term of validity may be grayed out) and invalid addresses (addresses already expired) may be grayed out with strikethroughs. As a result, an address information display system may be realized that is capable of displaying addresses assigned to a device in a style easy for the user to understand.
US07644153B2

A method and system for the resource allocation for an interactive session on a grid computing system. When a user-request for an interactive session is received, the particular applications needed to be launched in the interactive session are identified, as are resource requirements for the interactive session including processor, network bandwidth, executables and files requirements. A contract is then generated for the interactive session specifying resource allocations and authorizations, and resources for the interactive session are allocated in accordance with the contract. The system includes a distributed resource management node, a contract generation engine, and a contract repository.
US07644151B2

A zone locking system detects unauthorized network usage internal to a firewall. The system determines unauthorized network usage by classifying internal hosts inside a firewall into zones. Certain specified zones are unauthorized to initiate client communications with other selected zones. However, zone override services can be designated for each associated internal zone, and thus, authorizing selected network services. An alarm or other appropriate action is taken upon the detection of unauthorized network usage.
US07644148B2

In a method of allocating workload among servers based upon historical data, a requested workload profile is received and is compared with a plurality of historical workload profiles. A historical workload profile that is within a predefined range of the requested workload profile and that corresponds to a substantially minimized resource usage for power and cooling is selected. In addition, workload among the servers is allocated according to the selected historical workload profile to thereby substantially minimize resource usage for power and cooling.
US07644142B2

Methods and apparatus to perform process placement for distributed applications are disclosed. An example method comprises determining a mapping between a communication graph representative of communications of a distributed application and a topology graph representative of communication costs associated with a computing network, and executing the distributed application with the processes of the distributed application assigned to the processing entities of the computing network based upon the mapping.
US07644137B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for workload balancing in environments with multiple clusters of servers. A process for sharing resources from a pool of servers among a first cluster of servers and a second cluster of servers includes determining a current workload of the first cluster and determining a current workload of the second cluster. The process calculates a combined workload of the first and second clusters, and allocates a first number of servers from the pool to the first cluster, the first number equal to a product of a total number of servers in the pool and the first server's workload divided by the combined workload.
US07644136B2

A virtual file system including multiple storage processor nodes including a management node, a backbone switch, a disk drive array, and a virtual file manager executing on the management node. The backbone switch enables communication between the storage processor nodes. The disk drive array is coupled to and distributed across the storage processor nodes and stores multiple titles. Each title is divided into data subchunks which are distributed across the disk drive array in which each subchunk is stored on a disk drive of the disk drive array. The virtual file manager manages storage and access of each subchunk, and manages multiple directory entries including a directory entry for each title. Each directory entry is a list of subchunk location entries in which each subchunk location entry includes a storage processor node identifier, a disk drive identifier, and a logical address for locating and accessing each subchunk of each title.
US07644134B2

A method of analysis of the performance of defined visitor tasks at a host's web site. Tasks are defined a sequence of web pages with which the host wishes the visitor to view or interact. The method allows a given task to be provided, compares the desired task to current visitor behavior to determine frequency, manner and completion of the task and analyzes the task-related information for anomalies and trends in the completion, or lack thereof, of the desired tasks.
US07644123B2

An announcement thread addressing format which comprises a first sub-part concatenated with a second sub-part is described. The first sub-part is preferably the address of the party which generates the addressing identifier, whereas the second sub-part may be random data. An announcer apparatus may then use these address formats by including only those parts of an announcement thread address which render the address unique within the particular index message in which it is to be included, but not necessarily globally unique.
US07644112B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for initializing a synchronized remote database. A creation module creates a first backup table of a backup database from a schema for a primary table of a primary database. A read module reads each row from the primary table with an application server configured to manage access to the primary database by a database application. A construction module constructs a SQL command for each row of the primary table. Each SQL command inserts data of a primary table row in the first backup table. An application module applies each SQL command to the first backup table to mirror the primary table at the first backup table.
US07644109B2

A system and method for conforming a metadata file associated with qtree of a storage system to a version used by a file system kernel of the storage system, where the version indicates a format of the metadata file. The metadata file stores state information with respect to each qtree, and may be located outside of the qtree structure. Major and minor versions are compared with latest known major and minor versions associated with the file system kernel. In response to such comparisons, the metadata file may be updated to a newer version, rolled back to an older version, and/or the system may enter a corrective state where further operations are performed.
US07644104B2

An image data transmission system includes: a first procedure section includes: a path name acquisition unit that acquires a path name of a file; a directory path name specifying unit that specifies a path name of a directory associated with a character string; a path name conversion unit that converts the character string into the path name of the directory; a converted path name providing unit that provides the converted path name; and an image data providing unit that provides an image data; and a second procedure section comprises: a converted path name acquisition unit that acquires the path name; a data reading unit that reads file data stored in the file; an image data acquisition unit that acquires the image data; and a data processing unit that performs a process of the image data, using the file data and the image data.
US07644102B2

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with certain principles related to the present invention enable a computing system to perform hierarchical topical clustering of text data based on statistical modeling of co-occurrences of (document, word) pairs. The computing system may be configured to receive a collection of documents, each document including a plurality of words, and perform a modified deterministic annealing Expectation-Maximization (EM) process on the collection to produce a softly assigned hierarchy of nodes. The process may involve assigning documents and document fragments to multiple nodes in the hierarchy based on words included in the documents, such that a document may be assigned to any ancestor node included in the hierarchy, thus eliminating the hard assignment of documents in the hierarchy.
US07644098B2

The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for identifying advertisements responsive to one or more historical queries generated by a given user. The method of the present invention comprises annotating a profile for a user with information associated with one or more historical queries generated by the user. The profile associated with the user is retrieved, the profile indicating one or more historical queries previously generated by the user. One or more advertisements are identified as responsive to a selected historical query maintained in the profile of the user. The one or more advertisements previously displayed to the user in response to the selected historical query are identified. The one or more advertisements identified as not previously displayed to the user are thereafter displayed.
US07644095B2

Method, system, and article of manufacture for assembling a compound document according to a collection of domain-specific rules. For example, a content management system (CMS) may be configured to process the domain-specific compound document according to domain-specific schema and rules (e.g., an XML schema and DTD), while at the same time, maintaining the compound document in a generic form according to a generic schema for a compound document format used by the CMS.
US07644094B2

The present invention includes a system and a method for processing large data sets that are too large to conveniently fit into a formal database application. The large data set processing system and method use a prediction model having a feature selection capability to process a fraction of the large data set and define useful predictors. The useful features are used to make predictions for the entire data set. The large data set processing system includes a useful predictor module, for defining useful predictors, and a feature-selection prediction model, for processing a portion of the data set (including the useful predictors) to obtain prediction results.
US07644071B1

A computer implemented method searches for keywords within a document and displays a surrounding context. A keyword search term and a view area size for the document are received. A plurality of occurrences of the search term is identified within the document. A view area size surrounding each occurrences of the search term is identified to form a plurality of view area sizes. An edited view of the document is displayed. The edited view includes a sequence of the plurality of view area sizes, wherein each of the plurality of view area sizes are separated by one of a plurality of interactive virtual boundary lines, and each of the a plurality of interactive virtual boundary lines have an indicator to form a plurality of indicators.
US07644063B2

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for ensuring query execution plan stability in a database management system. The present invention binds a static database query to a new query execution plan (QEP) that produces the same result set as an original QEP bound to the static database query. Next, the present invention identifies one of the original QEP and the new QEP as a primary QEP and automatically collects execution statistics for the original QEP and the new QEP. Finally, the present invention automatically selects one of the original QEP and the new QEP as the primary QEP in response to completion of the automatic collection of execution statistics, the primary QEP selected such that the automatically selected QEP provides optimal execution performance based on performance criteria in comparison to the automatically unselected QEP, the primary QEP selected based on the execution statistics.
US07644061B1

A method, apparatus, and medium are provided for assigning indexes to a set of index-based resources. The method includes providing an index-based-resource manager (IBRM), requesting one or more indexes to be allocated to a desired number of resources, directing the request to the IBRM, identifying indexes available to be allocated, and allocating the identified indexes to be associated with the one or more resources. The present invention also contemplates transactional processing, enabling deallocation and querying of indexes.
US07644054B2

A system for finding and presenting content items in response to keystrokes entered by a user on an input device having a known layout of overloaded keys selected from a set of key layouts. The system includes (1) a database containing content items and terms characterizing the content items; (2) input logic for receiving keystrokes from the user and building a string corresponding to incremental entries by the user, each item in the string having the set of alphanumeric symbols associated with a corresponding keystroke; (3) mapping logic to map the string to the database to find the most likely content items corresponding to the incremental entries, the mapping logic operating in accordance with a defined error model corresponding to the known layout of overloaded keys; and (4) presentation logic for ordering the most likely content items identified by the mapping logic and for presenting the most likely content items.
US07644053B2

A system, method, and computer program product for combining causal domain models with reasoning and text processing for knowledge driven decision support are provided. A knowledge driven decision support system is capable of creating a domain model, extracting and processing quantities of text according to the domain model, and generating understanding of the content and implications of information sensitive to analysts. An interface may be used to receive input to model complex relationships of a domain, establish implications of interest or request a query, and update the causal model. A processing element can capture and process text into text profiles by incorporating the domain model and process the text profiles in accordance with the domain model by applying formal reasoning to the information to derive trends, predict events, or arrive at other query results. An output element can provide a user the resulting information related to the domain model.
US07644051B1

In a method for managing a data center, data for a training set of data is collected. The data includes heat loads generated by a plurality of electronic components and temperatures at multiple locations in the data center and under varying power profiles. A machine learning application is implemented to develop a model of a thermal topology of the data center using the training set of data and the model is implemented to predict heat profiles corresponding to a plurality of power profiles that are outside of the training set of data.
US07644044B2

The present embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and systems to distribute content over a network. Some embodiments provide methods to distribute content within a local media network. These methods receive a request for a first content to be transferred to a sink device, request from the source an access criteria for a first content that is protected according to a first digital rights management (DRM), forward the access criteria to the sink device, receive an evaluation of the access criteria from the sink device regarding at least whether the sink device can interpret the first DRM, determine according to the evaluation received from the sink device whether the sink device can utilize the first content that is protected according to the first DRM, and initiate a transfer of the first content from the source device to the sink device when the sink device can utilize the first content.
US07644040B2

An automated banking machine (12) is operative to conduct transactions in response to HTML documents and TCP/IP messages exchanged with a local computer system (14) through an intranet (16), as well as in response to messages exchanged with foreign servers (20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 96) in a wide area network (18). The banking machine includes a computer (34) having an HTML document handling portion (76, 80, 82). The HTML document handling portion is operative to communicate through a proxy server (88), with a home HTTP server (90) in the intranet or the foreign servers in the wide area network. The computer further includes a device application portion (84) which interfaces with the HTML document handling portion and dispatches messages to operate devices (36) in the automated banking machine. The devices include a sheet dispenser mechanism (42) which dispenses currency as well as other transaction devices. The device application portion communicates with a device interfacing software portion (64) in the banking machine through a device server (92) in the intranet. The device server maintains local control over the devices in the banking machine including the sheet dispenser. The banking machine operates to read indicia on the user's card corresponding to a system address. The computer is operative to connect the banking machine to the home or foreign server corresponding to the system address, which connected server operates the banking machine until the completion of transactions by the user.
US07644036B2

A payment service provider receives a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor and determines, responsive to the received request, that the payee will not accept the requested payment via a charge to a credit card account of the payor with a credit card issuer. The payor wishes to fund the requested payment from the credit card account. Accordingly, the payment service provider transmits, to the credit card issuer, account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the requested payment for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account. However, the payment service provider directs the requested payment to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account.
US07644026B2

A method for ranking a plurality of systems based on their susceptibility to a selected risk that is determined from a plurality of risk indicators, is described herein. The method includes obtaining benchmark values for at least one benchmark system with a predetermined level of the predetermined risk; obtaining measured risk indicator values of the predetermined plurality of risk indicators in each of the plurality of systems, the predetermined plurality of risk indicators are the same in all of the plurality of systems; comparing the measured risk indicator values of each of the plurality of systems with the benchmark values of the at least one benchmark system; and ranking the plurality of systems based on the comparing to indicate the susceptibility of each of the plurality of systems to the predetermined risk.
US07644023B2

A system for updating parameters of financial transactions associated with financial services initiated and completed on behalf of or directly by a user through access to a data-packet-network into more than one electronic interface accessible to the user is provided. The system comprises, a main electronic interface supported by back-end software, the main interface for registering all user accounts into at least one portfolio group, the accounts accessible in detail through the main interface, at least one cobranded electronic interface supported by back-end software, the cobranded interface mirroring the accounts registered in the main electronic interface and a plurality of institution-specific electronic interfaces for providing direct account registration, reporting, and maintenance specific to accounts provided by the associated institutions. Through direct linking between the main, cobranded, and institution-specific interfaces, any parameters associated with any action initiated to a specific account through any of the interfaces is immediately propagated to the other interfaces.
US07644020B2

The invention relates to both a method and a computer system that are designed to provide a bid positioning system using a computerized bid proxy. The bid proxy takes instructions from the bidder and then bids based upon these instructions. Using a bid positioning system allows this bidder to place its bids in relation to a lead bid placed by another bidder in an auction based upon either a nominal or percentage distance from the lead bid. In a preferred embodiment, this computerized bid proxy is used in a shipment management system. This system allows a shipper to present at least one shipping requirement for a particular shipment to a centralized server. These shipping requirements could include the origin and destination of a shipment, the time or delivery date of a shipment, the number of articles being shipped, and the weight or volume of the shipment. The server next sends the at least one shipping requirement to a plurality of carriers some of whom are chosen by the shipper and some of whom are chosen by the system. These carriers next bid based upon the at least one shipping requirement. This system and method also allows these carriers to re-quote their bids based upon the bids presented by the other carriers. Once all of the bid deadline has been reached, the shipper picks the quote that best suits the shipper.
US07644014B2

In an electronic procurement system having a portal server, an Extensible Markup Language (XML) content integration and transformation method and system. The XML content integration and transformation system includes logic for retrieving an “Open Buying on the Internet (OBI)” compliant XML file from a database which is then formatted in response to an electronic purchasing request over the Internet. In one embodiment of the present invention, the client aware XML content transformation system receives an OBI XML file and uses this information to automatically search for data objects related to the OBI XML file content from a database on the Internet and translates the content into a format suitable for internal processing by the XML content integration and transformation logic and delivers it to the purchasing requisitioner over the Internet.
US07644013B2

The present invention includes a method and system to facilitate managing of local and remote resources. The invention facilitates access to a resource engine, for the automatic grading, tracking, scoring, and assigning of resources based on the resource's skills and skill sets. The invention also facilitates the automatic grading, tracking, scoring, and assigning of tasks and/or applications based on the skills and skill sets needed to perform the tasks and/or applications. The invention uses one or more engines to combine relationships for resources, tasks, skills and time entry to determine expected completion times and efficiencies. The engine may include grading and scoring a resource's skills sets, dividing applications into various tasks, determining the desired resource skills sets to complete the tasks, and matching a resource's skills sets with the desired skills sets for the tasks.
US07644012B2

It is desirable to provide systems that select prospective consumer contact points producing high advertising effects and that carry out navigation for distribution of a budget among the contact points, taking into account every opportunity to introduce brand information to prospective consumers.The present invention provides methods and systems that accomplish the above objectives by determining purchase processes that correspond to article types, setting phases appropriate to the purchase processes, determining time slots suitable for contacting targets for each phase, and selecting ContactPoints that produce a high advertising effect, for each phase, on the basis of ContactPoint power for each phase calculated on the basis of a ContactPoint potential index, a ContactPoint-wise contact rate index, a ContactPoint/mood affinity index, and the like.
US07644005B1

The invention concerns a probabilistic method and automatic control (3) for preventing and regulating an interruption of a multistage and multilink industrial production glow, to optimise said production flow while controlling industrial impact resulting from random chained stress, and applications to factory noise and value at risk of a clearing house. The invention consists in regulating production by means of a probabilistic automatic control (3) with action loop (5) and feedback loop (6). Industrially speaking, said regulating automatic control (3) can be electronically produced by means of a programmed and cabled computer. The action loop (5) of the automatism (3) consists of an inductive probabilistic simulator (11) evaluating the chaining of random stresses in the production chain leading to a probabilistic measurement of the industrial impact I(r) resulting, on the basis of the adjustable level of an industrial stock parameter (r). The method used in the action loop (5) of the automatic control (3), is of the type called “Value at Risk” or “VaR”. The feedback loop (6) of the automatic control (3) adjusts in course of time (t) the industrial action parameter (r) to an extremal value, maintaining said estimator of VaR effect (p,T(r)) below its authorised nuisance level M. This is aimed at making the industrial production level F(r) extremal but nevertheless at a level compatible with the respect of regulatory or stock out conditions. The method and device of the invention can be advantageously used in numerous industries whether manufacturing, financial, agricultural where risks of pollution and other risks resulting from random chained stress need to be controlled.
US07644002B2

An encoder uses multi-pass VBR control strategies to provide constant or relatively constant quality for VBR output while guaranteeing (within tolerance) either compressed file size or, equivalently, overall average bitrate. The control strategies include various techniques and tools, which can be used in combination or independently. For example, in a first pass, an audio encoder encodes a sequence of audio data partitioned into variable-size chunks. In a second pass, the encoder encodes the sequence according to control parameters to produce output of relatively constant quality. The encoder sets checkpoints in the second pass to adjust the control parameters and/or subsequent checkpoints. The encoder selectively considers a peak bitrate constraint to limit peak bitrate. The encoder stores auxiliary information from the first pass for use in the second pass, which increases the speed of the second pass. Finally, the encoder compares signatures for the input data to check consistency between passes.
US07644001B2

Coding an audio signal wherein values of first parameters, which represent aspects of the audio signal at a first instant are calculated to obtain first calculated values and values of second parameters, which represent the aspects of the audio signal at a second, later, instant, are calculated to obtain second calculated values, wherein the number of the first parameters and the number of the second parameters differ. The values of the subset of the second parameters are coded based on a difference of this subset and a subset of the first calculated value associated with substantially a same particular portion of the frequency range. Thus the differentially coded values of the second parameters are obtained by coding the difference of the values of second parameters and first parameters which are associated with substantially the same frequency sub-range.
US07643997B2

The present invention relates to a handheld analysis instrument for assaying a medically significant sample. The instrument comprises a measuring device for measuring the concentration of an analyte in the sample, an output device for outputting measurement results. The output device has both an acoustic signal output device for outputting the measurement results through nonverbal acoustic signals and also a wireless interface for communicating with an external speech output unit.
US07643996B1

An Enhanced analysis-by-synthesis Waveform Interpolative speech coder able to operate at 4 kbps. Novel features include analysis-by-synthesis quantization of the slowly evolving waveform, analysis-by-synthesis vector quantization of the dispersion phase, a special pitch search for transitions, and switched-predictive analysis-by-synthesis gain vector quantization. Subjective quality tests indicate that it exceeds MPEG-4 at 4 kbps and of G.723.1 at 6.3 kbps.
US07643992B2

This invention relates to a method of automatic recognition for limited speech and its correlative system and device. The main technical content is: Establish the relationship between the voice file and the identification information for a limited range of speech, and then insert the identification information into the voice file, or replace the content of the voice file with the identification information. After the transmitter sends the modified voice file, the receiver receives the modified voice and distinguishes the identification information in the voice. It then extracts the corresponding speech in the predetermined relationship using this identification information. The benefits of the embodiment of this invention include: a lower-cost method for automatically recognizing limited speech; high efficiency speech recognition, no need to wait for the voice file to finish to complete speech recognition; and lastly, a high recognition hit-rate or accuracy rate.
US07643990B1

Portions from time-domain speech segments are extracted. Feature vectors that represent the portions in a vector space are created. The feature vectors incorporate phase information of the portions. A distance between the feature vectors in the vector space is determined. In one aspect, the feature vectors are created by constructing a matrix W from the portions and decomposing the matrix W. In one aspect, decomposing the matrix W comprises extracting global boundary-centric features from the portions. In one aspect, the portions include at least one pitch period. In another aspect, the portions include centered pitch periods.
US07643986B2

A translation device for translating a document has an image analysis unit and a translation unit. The image analysis unit determines a word and an abbreviation of the word. The translation unit translates the word and generates a new abbreviation based on the translated word.
US07643985B2

Architecture that interacts with a user, or users of different tongues to enhance speech translation. A recognized concept or situation is sensed and/or converged upon, and disambiguated with mixed-initiative user interaction with a device to provide simplified inferences about user communication goals in working with others who speak another language. Reasoning is applied about communication goals based on the concept or situation at the current focus of attention or the probability distribution over the likely focus of attention, and the user or user's conversational partner is provided with appropriately triaged choices and, images, text and/or speech translations for review or perception. The inferences can also process an utterance or other input from a user as part of the evidence in reasoning about a concept, situation, goals, and/or disambiguating the latter. The system's best understanding of the question, need, or intention at the crux of the communication can be echoed back to the user for confirmation. Context-sensitive focusing of recognition and information gathering components can be provided based on the listening, and can employ words recognized from prior or current user utterances to further focus the inference.
US07643983B2

A technique for emulation of a data storage system. The invention allows the level of services to be provided by a data storage system to be specified in terms of the level of services provided by another storage system. In one aspect, a performance characterization of a data storage device to be emulated is obtained (e.g., by experimental techniques). A specification of a workload is also obtained that includes a specification of a plurality of data stores for the workload. The data stores are assigned to an emulation data storage device according to the performance characterization and according to the specification of the workload such that sufficient resources of the emulation data storage device are allocated to the workload to meet the performance characterization of the data storage device to be emulated. The emulation data storage device is then operated under the workload. Quality-of-service (QoS) control may be performed so as to provide a degree of performance isolation among the workloads.
US07643980B2

An electromagnetic field analysis apparatus includes an information input device configured to input information as to wirings and components of an analysis object and a modeling device configured to generate a simulation model of the analysis object based on the inputted information as to wirings and components of the analysis object. A model simplification device simplifies the simulation model into a simplified simulation model by dividing the analysis object according to the simulation model into a plurality of cells and thinning out, when a plurality of elements are included in a cell, the plurality of elements.
US07643974B2

One embodiment of the invention provides a method for optimizing a variety of aspects of pipeline operations by using a genetic algorithm. Generally, the genetic algorithm is used to evolve a population of feasible solutions over successive generations until a termination condition is satisfied. Each solution specifies a feasible operational state of the pipeline system. Over successive generations existing solutions are modified, and an identified solution in the population is removed at each successive generation. Over repeated generations, the solutions in the population improve. Once an optimized production solution is generated, an optimized pressure solution may be generated using a direct pressure optimization process.
US07643969B2

A method for providing decision support includes using a programmed computer to input a regression model specification, and to repeat the input a plurality of times to obtain and store a plurality of regression model specifications. The method further includes using the programmed computer to analyze selected regression model specifications to determine at least one of common variables and functions of common variables, to thereby determine a reduced-redundancy request for input of variables, when a plurality of the stored regression model specifications are selected for use.
US07643958B2

An automated system for validating Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus adapters or PCI-X bus adapters has a computer, motherboard, a PCI-X bus and isolated test slot for operatively coupling a PCI/PCI adapter under test through the PCI-X bus to the motherboard. The isolated test slot is adapted and arranged to minimize degradation of data flow on the PCI-X bus such that a PCI-X adapter, mounted in the isolated test slot, can negotiate a required operating rate greater than PCI operating rates. It can be configured as a low profile slot in a low profile computer system, such as a 2U low profile system. A method for validating the PCI/PCI-X bus adapters includes operatively coupling the bus adapter under test to the motherboard, negotiating to the required operating rate and testing the functionality of the adapter. The operating rate of the bus adapter can be verified to ensure the PCI/PCI-X bus adapters are tested at required PCI/PC-X rates.
US07643956B2

A method and apparatus for monitoring and adjusting an analog signal of an operating circuit. The apparatus includes a control circuit, an analog-to-digital converter, and a comparator. The control circuit has an analog generator for generating the analog signal and an adjusting circuit for adjusting the strength of the analog signal. The analog-to-digital converter receives the analog signal and converts the analog signal to a digital signal. The comparator then compares the value of the digital signal to a predetermined value and generates a comparator signal. The adjusting circuit then receives the comparator signal and adjusts the strength of the analog signal based upon the value of the comparator signal. The method includes generating the analog signal, converting the analog signal to a digital signal, comparing the value of the digital signal to a predetermined value and adjusting the strength of the analog signal.
US07643950B1

A system and method is disclosed for minimizing power consumption of a sensor unit that is capable of detecting an object. Main circuitry operates the sensor unit in a high power mode of operation when the sensor unit detects an object. Low power control circuitry operates the sensor unit in a low power mode of operation when the sensor unit does not detect an object within a pre-determined period of time. The low power control circuitry also comprises a counter to periodically determine when to restore the sensor unit to a high power mode of operation. One advantageous embodiment of the sensor unit is a fingerprint sensor unit for detecting a finger to obtain fingerprint information.
US07643945B2

A method of enhancing acoustic pump data for monitoring of pump condition in operation. The enhancement may be in the form of a substantial reduction in the amount of data to be processed by firmware to a much more manageable level. This may be achieved through pre-filtering of acquired acoustic data, computing frequency momentum, and by application of a median filter to the acoustic data. Regardless, a thresholding technique that uses features vector including but not limited to double-threshold derived from statistics of enhanced amplitudes, may be employed whereby enhanced acoustic data is boiled down to a series of potential acoustic events of particular widths. These widths may represent a duration of each acoustic event and be checked for correlation with the speed of the operating speed of the pump. Acoustic events that correlate with an operating speed of the pump may represent an unhealthy condition of the pump such as where the width is about the duration of one half of a cycle of the pump and a leaky pump valve presents itself for this same period of time.
US07643943B2

Methods, systems and equipment useful for monitoring in vivo activities of CCI-779 or other drugs. Numerous drug activity genes can be identified by the present invention. The expression profiles of these genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells are modulatable by CCI-779 or other drugs. Therefore, these genes can be used as surrogate markers for detecting or monitoring drug activities in vivo.
US07643942B2

Method for conducting an efficient and interpretable controlled-source electromagnetic reconnaissance survey for buried hydrocarbons. While a part of the survey area is being set up for measurement and data are being acquired, data from a nearby part of the survey area, surveyed just previously, are being rapidly processed and analyzed (110). If the analysis shows resistive anomalies of interest in a portion of a survey area, a fine-grid survey is quickly designed for that portion, and that survey is conducted next before moving source and receivers to a more distant part of the survey area.
US07643939B2

A navigation system for a vehicle is described that includes an inertial measurement unit, a positioning unit, and a processing unit. The inertial measurement unit configured to provide a first set of data relating to operation of the vehicle and the positioning unit is configured to provide a second set of data relating to operation of the vehicle. The processing unit is configured to receive the data sets provided by the inertial measurement unit and the positioning unit and the processing unit comprises an error processing device. The error processing device is programmed with time updating error states and measurement updating error states relating to the data sets received by said processing unit and is configured to iterate both the time updating error states and the measurement updating error states based on a first criteria and iterate only the measurement updating error states based on a second criteria.
US07643938B2

A hydraulic excavator periodically measures its current location at predetermined time intervals by the GPS device in an inoperative state where its engine key is in the off position and sends the current location data and time data to a management server by a main controller and communicator. The management server receives the periodically sent location data at its communicator and successively stores it in its memory. The current location data and the measurement time data to provide a location confirmation service by a location information provider. Changes in location can be confirmed on a map, the movement of the hydraulic excavator can be tracked, and assistance can be given for confirmation of location and prevention of theft.
US07643934B2

A method and a control system for positioning a mine vehicle. Measurement of a distance travelled by the mine vehicle is based on monitoring rotation of a wheel. In the invention, an error caused in the distance measurement by wear of the wheel is compensated for automatically when the distance value obtained from monitoring is corrected by a correction factor. The value of the correction factor is updated at predetermined intervals during use.
US07643933B2

An overturn prevention control device includes a bicycle robot capable of freely laterally inclining, an angular velocity sensor mounted on the bicycle robot such that a detection axis thereof extends in a substantially longitudinal direction of the bicycle robot, a motor mounted on the body such that a rotating shaft thereof extends in a substantially longitudinal direction of the body, a rotation sensor that detects a rotational position or a rotational speed of the motor, and an inertial rotor coupled to the rotating shaft of the motor. The overturn prevention control device corrects inclination of the bicycle robot by rotating the inertial rotor using the motor and by utilizing a reaction torque occurring when the inertial rotor is rotated. The overturn prevention control device further includes an inclination angle estimating portion arranged to estimate an inclination angle relative to a balanced state.
US07643928B2

A system and method for controlling the speed of a turbine engine, the turbine engine being operative to provide power to a primary load. When a decrease in the power requirement of the primary load is detected, at least a portion of the power generated by the turbine engine is redirected to a secondary load, thereby maintaining the speed of the turbine engine below a rated maximum speed. In the example of a turbine-powered train in which the turbine engine provides power to electric traction motors driving the wheels of the train, when a wheel spin is detected, at least a portion of the power generated by the turbine engine is diverted from the respective electric traction motor to rheostats for conversion to heat.
US07643925B2

A method for determining when in the course of a shift event an on-coming clutch gains torque capacity is provided. The method includes closed-loop controlling an off-going clutch to maintain a predetermined slip threshold by generating an off-going clutch pressure command, causing the on-coming clutch to engage during the closed loop control of the off-going clutch, generating a first derivative with respect to time of the off-going clutch pressure command, and using the first derivative to determine when the on-coming clutch gained torque capacity. A neural network method is preferably employed in analyzing the first derivative to locate a transition in the rate of commanded pressure indicative of off-going clutch release. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.
US07643922B2

A turning behavior control device for vehicle has a left and right wheel driving force adjustment mechanism for adjusting a difference in driving force between right and left, a braking force adjustment mechanism for adjusting a difference in braking force between the wheels, an auxiliary steering mechanism for adjusting a steering angle of the wheels, a vehicle velocity sensor, a steering wheel sensor, and a yaw rate sensor for detecting the behavior of a vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the foregoing mechanisms based on the vehicle velocity, the steering angle, and the yaw rate detected by the sensors. The control unit operates the front wheel auxiliary steering mechanism before operating at least one of the left and right wheel driving force adjustment mechanism and the braking force adjustment mechanism.
US07643920B2

A seat-belt pretensioner arrangement comprises a pretensioner (7) and a control system (3-6) to control the tension applied to a seat-belt by the pretensioner (7). The control system (3-6) controls the pretensioner (7) in response to at least the rate of change of steering angle (δ′). A first processor (4) provides an output indicating a desired level of force to be applied to the seat-belt determined from the steering angle and the velocity of the vehicle. A second processor (5) provides a corresponding output indicative of a desired force level, determined from the rate of change of steering angle (δ′) and the velocity of the vehicle (vx). A selector (6) selects the highest of the two force levels, and provides an appropriate signal to the pretensioner (7).
US07643919B2

A crash sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The crash sensor arrangement includes a first set of sensors (3,4) comprising a respective sensor on each side of the vehicle. Each sensor (3,4) is an accelerometer and has a predetermined sensing axis (5,7). Each sensor (3,4) is mounted on the vehicle (1) close to the outer skin of the vehicle and at a first longitudinal position such that the sensing axis (5,7) of each sensor (3,4) makes a predetermined angle to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1). The predetermined angle is between 30° and 60°, or between −30° and −60°. The sensing axes (5,6) are mirror symmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1), so that at said first longitudinal position, there are said two respective sensors (3,4), the sensing axes of the two sensor extending in different directions.
US07643918B2

There is disclosed an apparatus for controlling a vehicle equipment device. The apparatus permits a reduction in the cost of manufacturing a vehicle in which the apparatus is installed. The apparatus also enables easy and precise switching between normal mode and delivery mode. The apparatus has a delivery decision unit and control change unit. The decision unit makes a decision as to whether the vehicle is in the delivery mode. If the decision unit determines that the vehicle is in the delivery mode, the control change unit changes the controlled contents of the vehicle equipment device from normal mode to delivery mode. The decision unit makes the aforementioned decision according to whether a backup power supply is applied to a clock device.
US07643917B2

A vehicle multimedia system includes a display that displays a hierarchically structured menu. The hierarchically structured menu may have a main menu, a plurality of submenus, and menu items. The multimedia system provides a memory for storing information identifying a menu or menu item, and a memory control unit for writing information related to a menu item upon a user's selection of the menu by an operating element or by automatic return to a main menu, and displaying the information as selectable menu items identified by the information.
US07643898B2

A decision is made as to whether a fabric to be knitted is tubular or flat, and density is corrected such that knitting-start density is smaller and knitting-end density is larger for a tubular fabric. Knitting-start density is larger and knitting-end density is smaller for a flat fabric. A variable density section is provided between the end part and the central part of the fabric thus correcting the density gradually. Stitches at the end part of the fabric are prevented from becoming uneven as compared with the stitches in the central part without requiring additional hardware.
US07643892B2

A simulation that integrates historical data and real-time data as a test or simulation tool can capture an entry that relates to a desired output as function points. A determination can intellectually be made as to which activities can achieve the desired output. The activities can be process steps that can represent a workflow that can be automatically implemented by an MES Appliance or other enterprise components. If a simulation reveals that the desired output might not be achieved, a change to one or more function points can be analyzed in an attempt to achieve the desired result. This change can be input into a simulation tool through a feedback loop, for example. Another simulation can performed on the modified data until a determination is made that the desired output can be achieved.
US07643888B2

A control apparatus which generates control information on the basis of control target information from a control target, controls the control target by using the generated control information, and transmits the control information to an off-system control apparatus, includes a single common memory which stores both the control target information from the control target, and the transmitted control information.
US07643884B2

A surgical needle assembly for penetrating soft and hard tissues of a patient includes a handle assembly removably coupled to the needle assembly. The needle assembly is electrically coupled to an electrical signal source. The surgical tool includes an electrically conductive portion in communication with an un-insulated distal end of the needle assembly, and an insulated portion extending from the distal end to the handle assembly.
US07643878B1

Techniques are provided for estimating optimal atrioventricular pacing delay values for use in pacing the ventricles based on features of an intracardiac electrogram (IEGM) signal. Briefly, atrioventricular pacing delay pacing values are set based upon the location of atrial repolarization events within the IEGM. In one example, the end of an atrial repolarization is identified, then the interval from the atrial depolarization to the end of the atrial repolarization is measured. The atrioventricular pacing delay is then set by subtracting an offset value from that interval so as to time delivery of V-pulses prior the end of atrial repolarization. In this manner, atrioventricular pacing delay values are set based only IEGM signals and hence can be set to optimal/preferred values by the device itself without requiring surface electrocardiogram (EKG) signals and Doppler echocardiography or other cardiac performance monitoring techniques.
US07643873B2

Exercise data apparatus for use on the body of a user during exercise, includes an electrocardiogram detector for detecting electrocardiogram data of the user during exercise; an attachment device for attaching the electrocardiogram detector onto the chest of the user; a motion detector for detecting body motion data indicative of steps of the user during exercise; a processor for calculating exercise data based on the electrocardiogram data detected by the electrocardiogram detector and the body motion data detected by the motion detector, the exercise data including at least one of heart rate, speed and distance, and calorie consumption of the user; and an output device for informing the user of the exercise data calculated.
US07643866B2

A method is disclosed for producing a computed tomography display of tissue structures by applying a contrast medium. A contrast medium is applied to a patient for better visualization of the tissue structure to be examined. An X-ray scan is performed during the presence of the one contrast medium, and computed tomography 2- or 3-dimensional pictures are subsequently reconstructed from the X-ray scan data obtained. In the method, absorption data are measured for at least two different energy spectra, a computed tomography intermediate image is reconstructed per energy spectrum, and the distribution of the one contrast medium in the tissue is determined from the different energy-specific absorption behavior between tissue and contrast medium.
US07643862B2

A method of performing a surgery is provided including a surgical navigation system having a tracking system, computer and monitor placed outside of a sterile field. An input pad and a tracking array attachable to a surgical instrument or bone are placed into the sterile field along with a probe having a probe array. The tracking array and the probe array are acquired by the tracking system and a virtual mouse is activated by positioning the probe relative to the input pad, thereby causing a mouse input to the computer with the virtual mouse.
US07643860B2

A portable instrument for measuring a physiological quantity arranged to contact with the surface of organic tissue includes, essentially arranged in the same plane: an illumination device including at least one light source with an illumination surface for subjecting a portion of organic tissue to light emission in at least one wavelength range; and a detection device distant from the illumination device for detecting intensity of light emission produced by the illumination device after propagation in the organic tissue. The illumination device includes an optical element forming a guide coupled to the at least one light source for guiding light emission from the source by total internal reflection in a substantially parallel direction to the surface of the organic tissue and for distributing light emission into several illumination zones on the surface of the organic tissue over a substantially broader area than the illumination surface of the light source.
US07643856B2

A mobile communication device (100) uses a local wireless transceiver (108) to establish an asynchronous link (202) with a remote audio processor (110) which is typically operated in a low power mode and that maintains an association between the mobile communication device and remote audio processor. When the mobile communication device receives an incoming call page (210), the mobile communication device initiates a synchronous link with the remote audio processor, and responds to the incoming call page at a time when the call will be connected only after the synchronous link is established.
US07643845B2

A transmission power control device is provided that includes: a transmission loss calculator that calculates a transmission loss in the electric wave transmission path between a mobile station and each base station; and a transmission power control information determiner that determines which transmission power control information is to be used in a transmission power control operation at the mobile station, based on transmission power control information transmitted from each base station to the mobile station and the transmission loss in the transmission path between the mobile station and each base station calculated by the transmission loss calculator. This transmission power control device may further include an autonomous controller that increases transmission power from a current value in accordance with predetermined characteristics, regardless of transmission power control information from another communication device, when reception signal quality has become lower than a predetermined quality level. With this structure, after synchronization with a signal from the base station is established at the mobile station, the transmission power is controlled to increase from the initial value in accordance with the predetermined characteristics, regardless of the transmission power control information transmitted from the base station.
US07643844B2

A method of managing radio resources and a Node B implementing the same are provided. If the total radio resources used in a cell exceed target radio resources signaled by an RNC, uplink rates are equally allocated to primary UEs and non-primary UEs by controlling the signal strengths of the primary and non-primary UEs.
US07643841B2

A method of operating a network node that controls a component of a wireless communications network is described. The network component has a receiver with at least one receiver structure that can assume two or more states, including a first state corresponding to an enhanced receiver performance and a second state corresponding to a reduced receiver performance and a reduced power consumption. The method comprises determining a network condition and, in dependence of the network condition, generating a performance control signal that aims at controlling the state of the receiver structure, and transmitting the performance control signal to the network component. The invention is further directed the performance control signal generated by the network node and the network component which the network node intends to control.
US07643838B2

An integrity protection count synchronization method (200) initiates (210) a new connection when a user equipment (UE) is already in connected mode with a network. If new security keys are pending, the UE sends (250) a START value of zero in an initial direct transfer message. If no new security keys are pending, the UE sends (240) a non-zero START value based on a Universal Subscriber Interface Module (USIM). Sending a START value of zero when new security keys are pending at the UE forces the network's COUNT-I integrity count value to match the zero COUNT-I value at the UE, which prevents call set-up failure due to inability to pass an integrity protection security check.
US07643831B2

In a mobile telephone system, a call routing equipment such as an SMS Router (18) receives a routing information request signal (SRI_SM) indicative of a communication such as a text message intended for a mobile terminal (10), and returns a routing information response signal (False Response) indicative of the SMS Router (18) instead of being indicative of the intended mobile terminal (10). This allows processing (Copy sent via TCP/IP) of the resulting text message (MTForwardSM) by the SMS Router (18), such as archiving of the text message, sending the text message to an email address, and/or forwarding the text message to an alternative destination.
US07643828B2

A method and apparatus for a communication system provide for fast link setup for a mobile station by transmitting a request message, transmitting an assignment message from the base station to the mobile station, and transmitting a notification message from the base station to a base station controller. The mobile station transmits an indication message to the base station controller indicating a successful completion of acquiring the data packet channel. The base station controller processes the indication message for message integrity and security feature. A portion of the available communication resources at the base station is allocated for an immediate response to the request message for acquiring a data packet channel.
US07643826B2

A mobile care engine system is provided for delivering customer care to mobile devices, comprising. The mobile care engine system compares profile data from a mobile device with reference data and highlights any inconsistencies between the data, so that the device can be optimized. The inconsistencies are preferably determined using rule-based processing, and are automatically highlighted on the device display itself, or on a display of a customer service representative interface. Optionally, the system allows for corrective patches or settings to be sent to the device.
US07643821B2

A method and device for providing brochures to interested parties using cellular communication devices such as cellular telephones, cellular enabled digital devices and the like. An access number which may be contacted by a cellular communication device is provided in an advertisement of an item, the access number being a short code, telephone number or the like. An active seeker device continuously receives messages sent to the access number, then a database of information is consulted and an informational message sent to the caller. The informational message may be an SMS text message, a photograph of the item, an opt-in message to receive further information, and combinations thereof. Items may include any object or estate commonly advertised for sale or lease, such as real estate, vehicles, consumer products and the like.
US07643813B2

A diversity switch combiner for use in systems for receiving multi-carrier wideband signals is arranged to determine, during a guard interval, which antenna provides the strongest carrier, for each of a plurality of carrier frequencies. A switch is then operated to select, for the subsequent symbol, that antenna which provides the greatest number of strongest carriers.
US07643812B2

A single-path enhanced-algorithm digital automatic gain control (SDAGC) integrated receiver is presented. The SDAGC has a front-end RF/IF reception/processing block and associated RF/IF AGC, which outputs to a single ADC. Output from the ADC is split into two TDM and one COFDM signal pathways, each with a respective DAGC. The TDM DAGCs are controlled according to TDM post-power signals, while the COFDM, DAGC is controlled according to COFDM post- and pre-power signals. An IF Gain Decision block determines the RF/IF gain based upon the respective gains of the TDM and COFDM DAGCs. A Gain Distributor block then distributes the total gain of the system across the RF/IF AGC and the various DAGCs. To save power, the COFDM pathways may be disabled if the COFDM pre-power signal falls below a threshold value.
US07643808B2

A first and a second signal (base band and local oscillator), respectively modulated to a first and a second frequency, are mixed to deliver an output signal at a frequency obtained by combining the first and second frequencies. The mixing is accomplished through a variable resistance stage controlled by the second signal and connected between a first and a second potential to deliver the mixed output signal. A control stage is configured to drive the resistance variation of the variable resistance stage according to the first signal.
US07643806B2

A network search method for a mobile communication terminal is disclosed. In one example embodiment, a mobile communication terminal employing a Digitally Controlled Crystal Oscillator (DCXO) performs a network search method including the act of searching for a frequency using a value stored in an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) mode.
US07643804B2

A transmitter includes a detection element to determine when a current power requirement of a communication link is less than the standard transmit power. The current power requirement may be determined by a current operation condition of the communication link, for instance. The transmit power of the transmitter may be set to be less than the standard power in any of a variety of ways. For example, a center tap voltage of the transmitter may be reduced. In another example, a class of operation of the transmitter may be changed. In yet another example, the transmitter may include a current mirror having a plurality of diode-connected transistors coupled in parallel, thereby reducing the current at output terminals of the transmitter. Reducing the current at the output terminals decreases the output power of the transmitter, which may reduce the power consumed by the transmitter.
US07643795B2

The invention relates to a remotely controllable vibrator, which comprises a receiver interface, a microcontroller connected with the receiver interface and a resonator device controlled by the microcontroller. The receiver interface is a Bluetooth interface which is provided for a bidirectional wire-free signal transmission between the vibrator and an external Bluetooth apparatus. The vibrator is remotely controllable and remotely programmable by way of its Bluetooth interface. In addition, the invention relates to a device for remote control of a vibrator, comprising a vibrator, which is provided with a Bluetooth interface, and a second Bluetooth apparatus, wherein the second Bluetooth apparatus is provided for generating remote control signals and/or remote programming signals for the vibrator.
US07643777B2

A toner cartridge can be attached to and detached from an apparatus main body. The toner cartridge includes an outer housing having a substantially rectangular upper cross section and a substantially semi-circular lower cross section, and an inner housing that is disposed inside of a lower portion of the outer housing and that has a cylindrical shape with an opening formed at its side surface, the inner housing being rotatably supported in the lower portion of the outer housing, and at the opening a bridging portion being formed along a longitudinal direction of the inner housing.
US07643775B2

In a method for control of circulation speed of an endless belt arranged in a printer or copier, the endless belt is directed over at least two rollers where the belt is driven with a preset first circulation speed via at least one of the rollers as a driven roller. Various load states act on the endless belt in successive operating phases during a printing or copying process, and via said various load states the belt being braked with different strengths so that a slippage is generated at least between the belt and the driven roller. A braking force acting directly on the endless belt is generated. Braking force is controlled such that a substantially constant slippage is generated between the driven roller and the belt based on the operating phases so that the endless belt is braked to a second circulation speed.
US07643765B2

An image forming apparatus charges the surface of a photosensitive member to a predetermined potential. A current detector detects a charging current when the charging bias is applied. A storage stores a target charging current value when the photosensitive member is charged to a required potential. A usage acquiring portion acquires information relating to usage of the charging roller. A bias corrector performs first and second corrections. The first correction compares a charging current value with a stored target charging current value and determines a new charging bias based on the comparison. The second correction determines whether usage of the charging roller is a predetermined first amount or a greater amount based on acquired usage information, and when the usage is the greater amount, changes the target charging current value in accordance with the usage amount and obtains a new charging bias based on the changed target charging current value.
US07643764B2

A method of monitoring one or more patches in an image-processing device comprised of photoreceptor, a controller, and a sensor, includes obtaining specular readings and diffuse readings from the one or more patches and computing values received from the readings. In addition, the one or more patches are from about 0.1 mm to equal or less than the field of view of the sensor where each patch size, location, and approximate value is known; and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) is automatically conducted from the known size, location, and approximate value of each patch.
US07643738B2

An imaging device, such as a digital camera, has a mechanism for compensating an image blur caused by hand jiggling and is capable of consecutively shooting, through one operation of a shutter operation section (36), frames of an image in a state where the mechanism (20) is operational and in a state where the mechanism is not operational.
US07643735B1

A deer scent spreading apparatus includes an inner container positioned in an outer container. A peripheral wall of the inner container is spaced from a peripheral wall of the outer container. A cover is removably attached to the outer container and covers an opening defined by an upper edge of the outer container. A fluid is positioned between the outer and inner containers. A liquid scent configured to attract deer is positioned within the inner container. The fluid is heated to heat the liquid scent. A wicking member is attached to a bottom side of the cover and is positioned to be extended into the inner container. A tether is attached to the cover and extends upwardly away from a top side of the cover. The wicking member is at least partially removed from the inner container to disperse by evaporation the liquid scent absorbed therein.
US07643732B2

At least one text subtitle stream is recorded on a recording medium. Each text subtitle stream includes a dialog style segment defining a set of region styles and at least one dialog presentation segment. Each dialog presentation segment contains at least one region of dialog text and being linked to at least one of the set of region styles. The dialog style segment further defines a set of user control styles for each region style. Each user control style is selectable by a user and is configured to change at least one of region presentation properties specified by a corresponding region style.
US07643729B2

A recording medium having recorded thereon, a plurality of picture information sets, presentation time values each of which is associated with the corresponding one of the picture information sets, picture information record marks each of which is associated with the corresponding one of said presentation time values, clip information specifying what position on the recording medium is associated with each of said presentation time values, and reproducing order specifying information specifying in what order the picture information sets are to be reproduced.
US07643712B2

The invention relates to an optical device which can increase the spread of a beam diameter in the depthwise direction by a simple configuration in comparison with that by prior art devices. The optical device includes a substrate, an optical path formed on the substrate, and a diffraction propagation region, provided between the optical path and an end face of the substrate, for propagating light emitted from the optical path with diffraction. The diffraction propagation region includes a first groove, formed therein, adapted to block part of components of the propagated light in a depthwise direction of the substrate.
US07643710B1

A method and apparatus for efficient coupling between a silicon photonic chip and an optical fiber is described. In one embodiment, an apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention includes: a first optical waveguide having a first end to optically couple to a first external device and a second end, the second end having a taper with a tip at the second end, a second optical waveguide optically coupled to the taper of the first optical waveguide, having a taper with a tip at a second end, and a third optical waveguide optically coupled to the taper of the second optical waveguide, the third optical waveguide to optically couple to a second external device having a larger cross-sectional area than the first external device.
US07643707B2

Provided is a lighting apparatus capable of uniformly and efficiently lighting a spatial light modulator. The lighting apparatus includes: a light source for outputting laser light; a multimode optical fiber in which the laser light outputted from the light source propagates through an internal core whose lateral cross section is a substantially polygonal outer diameter shape; and spatial light modulator for producing an image with illumination light from the multimode optical fiber. In the lighting apparatus, the laser light is outputted from the light source and is propagated to the multimode optical fiber in which an outer diameter shape of the lateral cross section of the core is a substantially polygonal shape, whereby the spatial light modulator can be uniformly and efficiently lighted.
US07643698B2

An improved sharpening technique sharpens an image using diffusion rather than a Gaussian blur in the smearing phase. After an appropriate radius or number of passes is determined for the pixels of an image, a diffusive process is applied to the image in the smearing phase to generate a blurred image. The values of each pixel in the original image are differenced with the values of each corresponding pixel in the blurred image. The difference may be weighted by input from a user. The resulting value is added to the original image and a sharpened version of the original image is created.
US07643689B2

The present invention intends to provide an encoded data conversion method for speeding up conversion processing by eliminating re-encoding processing when predetermined data is inserted into encoded data. The encoded data conversion method is a conversion method for converting encoded image data comprising: a step of decoding encoded image data; and a step of inserting a code for eliminating re-encoding of subsequent data after the predetermined data.
US07643688B2

Systems and methods of reducing artifacts in compressed images are described. In one aspect, spatially-shifted forward transforms of the input image are computed to generate respective sets of forward transform coefficients. Nonlinear transforms are applied to the forward transform coefficients of each set. Inverse transforms of the sets of nonlinearly transformed forward transform coefficients are computed to generate respective intermediate images. Respective measures of local spatial intensity variability are computed for pixels of each of the intermediate images. An output image is computed with pixel values computed based at least in part on the computed measures of local spatial intensity variability.
US07643673B2

Data-driven guarded evaluation of conditional-data associated with data objects is used to control activation and processing of the data objects in an interactive geographic information system. Methods of evaluating conditional-data to control activation of the data objects are disclosed herein. Data-structures to specify conditional data are also disclosed herein.
US07643670B2

There is disclosed a method apparatus for image processing of e.g. MRI images. A method and apparatus is disclosed enabling one to determine if an image contrast/intensity change of a chosen point within an imaged subject volume (e.g. a lesion) is an artefact of motion in the imaged subject. An apparatus and method for fast visual assessment of the imaged subject volume's alignment quality (within a time-sequence of images) is provided, and an interactive display tool enabling effective use of this method is provided.
US07643664B2

The present invention comprises a system and method for analyzing trabecular bone structure. A means for scanning the trabecular bone using a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scanner generates bone image data, which is then processed including correcting, deshading and reducing noise in the image data.
US07643657B2

A key frame representative of a sequence of frames in a video file is selected. The sequence of frames is divided into shots, sequences of frames captured by a single continuous operation of the camera, by detecting shot boundaries. Shot boundaries are detected by measuring changes in motion activity between frames using measures of pixel intensity and histogram differences between frames. The most interesting shot in the sequence of frames is selected using measures of motion activity, spatial activity, skin pixel color and shot length. The key frame is selected in the most interesting shot using measures of spatial activity and motion activity.
US07643642B2

The invention concerns an accessory (112) for coupling to a portable electronic device (110). The accessory includes an interface (120) for coupling to the portable electronic device, an identifier (124) in which the identifier generates at least in part a parameter and at least one speaker (128). Only if the accessory contains more than one speaker, the parameter generated at least in part by the identifier causes an audio amplifier (148) that drives one of the speakers to be activated. In addition, the parameter generated at least in part by the identifier can cause the audio amplifier to be deactivated if the accessory contains only one speaker.
US07643638B2

A system for generating pseudorandom codes using a register which contains an identification of the code tree leg of the desired code and a counter which outputs a successive binary sequence. The output from the counter is bit-by-bit ANDed with the output of the register, and those outputs are XORed together to output a single bit. As the counter is sequenced, each count results in a different bit that is output from the XOR gate, resulting in the desired code.
US07643634B2

An integrated circuit is embodied on a monolithic substrate and incorporates a tuning module of the direct sampling type that is able to receive satellite digital television analog signals composed of several channels, as well as several channel decoding digital modules connected at the output of the tuning module so as to deliver respectively simultaneously several streams of data packets corresponding to several different selected channels.
US07643627B2

Exemplary embodiments relate to methods, systems, and storage mediums for providing self-provisioning telephony services. The method includes receiving a request for the self-provisioning telephony services from a caller of a telecommunications service provider. The method also includes prompting the caller to provide information for facilitating implementation of the self-provisioning telephony services. The method further includes implementing the self-provisioning telephony services, without human intervention from a telecommunications service provider, in response to information received as a result of the prompting. The self-provisioning telephony services include activating an account for a new telephone number, modifying an account for an existing telephone number, retrieving a forgotten personal identification number, and canceling an account for an existing telephone number.
US07643626B2

The inventors provide herein methods for the decomposition of initial Filter Criteria (iFCs) into user-independent, global data and user specific data. In various embodiments of the present invention, the approach is based on Trigger point templates that represent families of trigger points, which are able to be instantiated to real trigger points by adding missing user specific data. Trigger point templates are specified at service deployment time and are instantiated to real trigger points and complemented with the other iFC components to form complete iFCs at the time of service subscription. It is demonstrated that the trigger point methods of the present invention facilitate the storing, provisioning and downloading of initial filter criteria and are beneficial in terms of at least storage and run-time efficiency.
US07643625B2

According to the various embodiments of the present invention, an outbound call to a number on an emergency call list may change the incoming call controls to a telephone. In particular, methods of altering incoming call controls after a call has been placed to an emergency number comprises steps of performing a first modification of a first call control related to a first incoming calling number, and performing a second modification of the first call control related to the first incoming calling number after a predetermined period of time. Systems for altering incoming call controls after a call has been placed to an emergency number are also disclosed.
US07643624B2

A method for remote accessing a multi-line residential telephone system. Using a first remote telephone, a calling party dials a telephone number associated with a first telephone line of the multi-line residential telephone system. After a predetermined number of unanswered rings at the first telephone line of the multi-line telephone system, the multi-line telephone system prompts the calling party to input a code. After a successful verification of the code, the multi-line telephone system connects the first remote telephone with a second telephone line of the multi-line telephone system so that the calling party receives a dial tone over the second telephone line. The calling party then dials a terminating telephone number associated with a second remote telephone to establish communication with a called party of the second remote telephone.
US07643617B2

Telephone test sets include a telephone test set housing and at least one lead that extends away from the telephone test set housing. The lead is configured to be coupled to a telephone line. A light source, a data port and/or a display are integrated with the telephone test set housing. The light source is configured to project light away from the telephone test set to illuminate an area adjacent the telephone test set. The data port is configured to receive a data jack operatively associated with a communications device. The display is configured to display identification information associated with the telephone line. Related methods and systems are also provided.
US07643608B2

In a method for checking for leakage from tubular batteries, when tubular batteries are fed with their respective axial centers aligned in parallel to each other to pass through a leakage check mechanism, a sealed end face of the tubular batteries is irradiated with an X-ray. In accordance with the result of analysis on whether the incident fluorescent X-ray entering a detector contains a fluorescent X-ray associated with an electrolyte component, it is determined whether the tubular batteries have leaked. A length of a detection window of the detector in a direction of feed of the tubular batteries is set to be less than a spacing between the tubular batteries. A length of the detection window oriented orthogonal to the direction of feed is set to be greater than an outer size of the cross-sectional shape of the tubular batteries oriented orthogonal to their axial center.
US07643599B2

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus used to detect phase error information between edges of an input data signal and a clock signal for use at ultra-high frequencies and where linear phase error information is required. This invention extends the usefulness of a given integrated circuit logic technology to twice the frequency range of application while maintaining the desired linear phase error measurement operation. Flip flops are used to sample the data input signal with the clocking signal and processing is done separately for rising and falling data edges. Analog recombination of phase error information from both edges is then done in a fashion that is not limited by the integrated circuit speed. This invention overcomes limitations of prior methods in that it operates in data applications, provides linear phase error information at very high phase-error bandwidth and can operate at the same maximum speed as the flip flop and logic process technology will allow by operating on bit cells that are a full 1-bit minimum rather than half-bit cells.
US07643589B2

Enhanced performance is achieved by combining channel coding with the space-time coding principles. With K synchronized terminal units transmitting on N antennas to a base station having M≧K receive antennas, increased system capacity and improved performance are attained by using a concatenated coding scheme where the inner code is a space-time block code and the outer code is a conventional channel error correcting code. Information symbols are first encoded using a conventional channel code, and the resulting signals are encoded using a space-time block code. At the receiver, the inner space-time block code is used to suppress interference from the other co-channel terminals and soft decisions are made about the transmitted symbols. The channel decoding that follows makes the hard decisions about the transmitted symbols. Increased data rate is achieved by, effectively, splitting the incoming data rate into multiple channels, and each channel is transmitted over its own terminal.
US07643588B2

The method is for estimating the fading coefficients of a plurality of transmission channels on which signals to be sent, generated as a function of a sequence of symbols, are transmitted according to a particular modulation, e.g. AM-PSK modulation. The fading coefficients are estimated by using estimations of the transmitted symbols obtained in advance, thus obtaining DC components of the received signal by coherent demodulation locked to the phases of the transmitted AM-PSK signals, and processing these DC components. The method may not require the choice of a stochastic distribution model of the channel fading, thus it remains efficient even when the channel characteristics vary significantly. Moreover, the method works correctly even if the received stream is disturbed by inter-symbolic interference (ISI) and/or by multi-path fading.
US07643587B2

A frequency offset correcting unit estimates frequency offsets in a preamble period, corrects digital received signals by the estimated initial frequency and further corrects them by residual frequency signals. A receiving weight vector computing unit computes receiving weight vector signals by using LMS algorithm. Based on the error vectors or receiving weight vector signals derived by LMS algorithm, the frequency offsets contained in corrected received signals are also estimated and are outputted as the residual frequency signals. A multiplier weights the corrected received signals with the receiving weight vector signals. An adder sums up outputs of the multiplier so as to output a synthesized signal.
US07643586B1

A receiver baseband processor comprises a channel estimator that generates a channel estimate from a received symbol. A phase demodulator receives the channel estimate from the channel estimator and selectively rotates the phase of the received symbol. A decoder comprises a branch metric calculator that computes a plurality of branch metrics based on the channel estimate and selectively phase rotated received symbol. A most-likely symbol estimator estimates a clean symbol based on the plurality of branch metrics.
US07643585B2

A method for correcting a soft decision value includes: demodulating a reception signal, which is coded by an error correction code and modulated in order to represent one or multiple bits with one symbol; generating the soft decision value, which is used in decoding of the error correction code; multiplying the soft decision value by a weight factor to correct the soft decision value; estimating an amplitude of the reception signal in every predetermined measurement time period; and variably setting the weight factor in a symbol unit in accordance with an estimating result so that a corrected soft decision value approaches to a predetermined amplitude range.
US07643583B1

In a high-precision signal detection apparatus and method for a high-speed receiver, signal detection occurs asynchronously of the incoming data. A comparison clock is generated by an oscillator whose effective capacitance is varied by a second, lower speed oscillator connected to the capacitance. This prevents the asynchronous sampling that occurs in a zero-crossing position in the incoming data from remaining in that position in subsequent sampling cycles, so that a valid signal is not missed by the detector.
US07643573B2

A data acquisition system includes a programmable gain amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter, a filter, and control circuitry. The programmable gain amplifier is operatively connected to receive an analog input signal on its input and generates an amplified signal on its output in accordance with gain control signals. The analog-to-digital converter is operatively connected to receive the amplified signal from the amplifier and generates a digitized signal on its output. The filter is operatively connected to receive the digitized signal from the converter and generates a filtered digital signal on its output. The control circuitry is operatively connected to the amplifier and to the converter and is also responsive to the gain control signals for dynamically adjusting power between the amplifier and converter when the gain control signals are changed.
US07643571B2

A communication system including a first device transmitting a modulated signal and a second device receiving the modulated signal. The second device can include a first demodulator and a second demodulator. The first demodulator can receive the modulated signal, produce a first demodulated output, and implement a first demodulation technique. The second demodulator can receive the modulated signal, produce a second demodulated output, and implement a second demodulation technique. The second demodulation technique can differ from the first demodulation technique. The second device can also include an error detection module that can perform bit error detection based on the first demodulated output and the second demodulated output.
US07643570B2

On the transmitting side, a decision is made as to whether to add pilot symbols which are separate from basic pilot symbols, to frames, based on the propagation path state, and when symbols are added, control symbols comprising information relating to the additional pilot symbols are generated, and frames comprising basic pilot symbols, control symbols, additional pilot symbols, and data symbols are assembled and transmitted. On the receiving side, control symbols included in the received frames are demodulated, and a judgment is made as to whether additional pilot symbols are included in the received frames based on the control symbol information, and if additional pilot symbols are included, the additional pilot symbols are used to estimate the propagation path, and the propagation path estimation value is used to demodulate data symbols.
US07643565B2

A portable terminal communicates with a plurality of base stations by use of an OFDM signal. The portable terminal includes a communication unit sending and receiving the OFDM signal to and from the base stations, a switching timing detector, and an OFDM signal controller. The switching timing detector detects switching timing at which handover and a normal state are switched therebetween. The OFDM signal controller changes a guard time length of the OFDM signal upon detecting the timing by the switching timing detector.
US07643561B2

Data coding and entropy coding are performed with interconnection, and grouping is used to enhance coding efficiency. The present invention includes the steps of obtaining a pilot reference value corresponding to a plurality of gains and a pilot difference value corresponding to the pilot reference value; and obtaining the gain using the pilot reference value and the pilot difference value.
US07643559B2

For the purpose of coding or decoding motion information in a picture with a small overhead, a coding method of performing compression coding of a moving picture by motion compensated prediction is configured to have a motion compensated prediction step (processing by motion detector 2, motion compensator 5, spatial predictor 9, etc.) of performing the motion compensated prediction while assigning one or more motion vectors (e.g., up to two motion vectors) in units of sub-blocks obtained by sub-dividing each of macroblocks resulting from division of each frame of the moving picture; and an assignment information coding step (processing by variable length encoder 23 and others) of outputting information about an assignment situation of the one or more motion vectors to the sub-blocks in a multiplexed form on a bitstream.
US07643542B2

Acquisition method for a localization receiver, in particular for a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. It involves the calculation of an interpolated Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) spectrum (S′) of correlated signals in which the frequency lines corresponding to half-integer values of the frequency resolution defined by the FFT are obtained by a combination of both amplitude and phase values of the FFT spectrum (S).
US07643539B2

A technique for arranging a receiver device (20) includes equally spacing adjacent rake receivers (26-30) within an observation window (OW). A disclosed technique for updating an observation window includes changing the position of one of the rake fingers (24, 30) while maintaining a position of other ones of the rake fingers. The disclosed technique for arranging rake fingers in a receiver device (20) does not depend on searching and tracking channel conditions and reduces computational complexity without sacrificing receiver performance.
US07643526B1

A light emitting device with a μ-cavity including a first spacer of single crystal dielectric material and an active area including single crystal erbium dielectric material positioned on the first spacer. The erbium dielectric material and the single crystal dielectric material of the first spacer are substantially crystal lattice matched at their juncture. A second spacer of single crystal dielectric material is positioned on the active area. The erbium dielectric material and the single crystal dielectric material of the second spacer are substantially crystal lattice matched at the second surface. The high-κ erbium dielectric provides a high gain κ-cavity that emits increased amounts of light in either spontaneous or stimulated modes of operation.
US07643521B2

A system for using a pulsed laser beam to process materials includes a selector for varying the pulse repetition rate of the laser beam. Also included is a control unit for identifying an optimal pulse repetition rate that is compatible with the required pulse energy level for processing the material. Variations in the pulse repetition rate can be made during a procedure pursuant to either pre-programmed instructions, or in response to closed loop feedback controls.
US07643519B2

Embodiments of apparatuses, articles, methods, and systems for pre-processing and packetizing data for transmission in accordance with a transmission protocol are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07643498B2

A private dialing plan for the communication of packetized voice on a packet-based network using a signaling protocol such as Q.931 to establish, maintain and release switched connections over the network. The dialing plan uses a “telephone number” based on a conventional 10-digit telephone number, such as the user's regular telephone number. A leading single digit consisting of a “0” or a “1” is added in front of the conventional telephone number. A leading “0” indicates that the desired call is to be directed to the called party's on-network computer by means of the Internet, while a leading “1” indicates the call is directed through a special gateway to the called party's conventional telephone.
US07643497B2

An intermediation apparatus is designed to interconnect at least one service provider and at least one user by using a non-Internet channel. The apparatus includes an intelligent connection management unit for recognizing an incoming protocol and for selecting an outgoing protocol and an outgoing communications channel by referring to databases. A protocol conversion unit controlled by the management unit interconnects a service provider using a channel that implements a first communications protocol and a user using the non-Internet channel that implements a second communications protocol. The non-Internet channel is advantageously a wireless communications channel.
US07643488B2

Customer Traffic may be segregated using customer provisioned IPSec VPNs implemented using group security association for IPSec tunnels, by causing the CE network element to implement multiple VRFs for the several VPNs, each of which may be used for a different segment of the customer's traffic. The CE network element may implement a single MPBGP peering session with the GCKS/RR for all VPNs, and may establish secure data channels for each of the VPNs based on the group security associations for each of the VPNs. Although a common MPBGP peering session may be used, routing information for the several VRFs may be separated by applying per-VRF import policies at the CE, so that each VPN only has access to routes intended to be advertised to that VPN.
US07643487B2

A system and method for delivering the magic packet to wake up a node in a remote subnet are disclosed. A method includes receiving a message generated by a source node located on a first subnet at a switching device located on a second subnet, where the message includes an address associated with a target node. The switching device determines if the target node is located on the second subnet by comparing the address to a plurality of network addresses included in a memory of the switching device. The message is communicated to the target node if the address matches one of the network addresses in the memory and is used to wake up the target node.
US07643484B2

A computer system of a federation coupled to a network including a server having an internal address associated with a first subnet and a network abstraction and isolation layer rules-based federation and masquerading (NAIL RBFM) interface that interfaces the server with the network. The NAIL RBFM interface transforms the internal address between the first subnet and a second subnet for intra-federation communications. The NAIL RBFM interface performs transform and inverse transform operations to convert between internal and external addresses of intra-federation network traffic. The operations may be performed on source and destination addresses, and may be configured in any of several manners, such as modifying at least one bit of an address, replacing at least one octet of an IP address, substituting a prefix of an address, replacing an entire address, etc.
US07643483B2

A system and method for using a hop limited cast for Internet egress point selection. One aspect of the present invention includes a computer-implemented method. The computer-implement method includes casting an Internet egress announcement to a network. The announcement has a range associated therewith. A list is then created with discovered Internet egress points within the range. Another aspect of the present invention includes an egress mesh node with an Internet egress point. The egress mesh node is configured to cast an Internet egress announcement to a range of the network.
US07643481B2

A network switch for switching packets from a source to a destination includes a source port for receiving an incoming packet from a source, a destination port that contains a path to a destination for the packet, and a programmable counter unit for counting a number of packets of selected packet types which are received by the switch.
US07643468B1

A data-center network architecture. The data-center network architecture incorporates a front end having an aggregation layer exhibiting integrated service-module intelligence. A server farm connects the front end with a storage network. In a specific embodiment, the aggregation layer includes plural interconnected multilayer switches incorporating service-module intelligence implemented via one or more service modules. Plural layer-2 switches communicate with the plural multilayer switches. The server farm includes one or more servers that are dual homed or multihomed with the plural layer-2 switches. The storage network includes plural interconnected multilayer directors and one or more Fibre Channel hosts using Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) that interface one or more data-storage devices to the server farm.
US07643466B2

A high-speed wireless data system for providing services for either a public wireless network terminal or a private wireless network terminal, the system comprising: a base station for assigning an Unicast Access Terminal Identifier to each of terminals of the public wireless network and the private wireless network through a wireless channel to provide services of the high-speed wireless data system for each of the terminals; a base station controller for controlling implementation of different authentications for the terminals, assignment of an Unicast Access Terminal Identifier to each terminal, management of a session for each terminal, and data transmitted or received by each terminal; a private authentication system including an authentication database for authenticating the private wireless network terminal; a data location register including service information of the public wireless network terminal and information for receiving services from the private wireless network of the private wireless network terminal; and a hub for intermediating data between the base station, the base station controller, and the private authentication system, the hub discriminating between private wireless network services and public wireless network services by means of Unicast Access Terminal Identifiers received from the terminals.
US07643462B2

A receiver allows a user to select received data before de-spreading or symbol data after de-spreading according to various factors when data is simultaneously received via multiple channels and to store the selected data, reduces the capacity of the storage memory, and enhances the degree of freedom of the timing of de-spreading processing. Storing the received data in the storage memory not in the form of symbol data produced after de-spreading but in the form of received data before de-spreading. This reduces the capacity of the storage memory and enhances the degree of the freedom of the timing of the de-spreading process.
US07643455B2

A method for assigning IP addresses to mobile IP nodes in heterogeneous networks including checking, using an interface administration module of the mobile node, the mobile node for available physical network interfaces, generating a lookup table with the available and configurable physical network interfaces, linking the interface administration module to one of the available physical network interfaces, accessing the heterogeneous networks via a permanent virtual IP network interface generated in the mobile node, the generated permanent virtual IP network interface being linked to the current network via the interface administration module, and updating, during a change of the physical network interface of the mobile node, the link of the permanent virtual IP network interface to the network based on the lookup table.
US07643453B2

Embodiments of legacy compatible spatial multiplexing systems and methods are disclosed. One method embodiment, among others, comprises receiving long training symbols and cyclic shifted long training symbols corresponding to legacy preamble portions of packets corresponding to first and second transmit signals, receiving long training symbols and inverted cyclic shifted long training symbols corresponding to spatial multiplexing portions of packets corresponding to first and second transmit signals, and combining the symbols corresponding to the first and second transmit antennas to estimate the respective channels.
US07643447B2

A mobile node moves from a first IP (Internet Protocol) network to a second IP network in a network system in which the first IP network capable of executing communication in accordance with both first and second kinds of IPs and the second IP network capable of executing communication in accordance with only the first kind of IP are connected with each other. When the mobile node communicates a message with other nodes on the first network after its movement accordance with the second kind of IP, a header for the movement containing both home and foreign addresses of the first kind in IP is added to a header containing home and foreign addresses in the second kind of IP, and put to the message, is added. The message to which the movement header is thus added is used for the communication between a first mobile agent on the first network and a second mobile agent on the second network, or between the mobile node and the first mobile agent.
US07643445B2

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing an interoperable communications system including a plurality of otherwise disjunct communication systems each including at least one communications device. The system includes a plurality of system interface controllers each coupled to one of the communication systems and a common network for connecting the communication system and associated communications devices to the common network. A controller is coupled to each of the system interface controllers. The system interface controller being operable in response to commands from an authorized controller wherein the connection between each of the communication systems and the common network is controlled by a controller associated with, and authorized to control each communication system. The system provides an interoperable communications system between the otherwise disjunct systems wherein the communications devices for each system coupled to the common network are in communication therebetween.
US07643444B2

Aspects of a method and system for parsing bits in an interleaver for adaptive modulations in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) wireless local area network (WLAN) system are provided. The interleaver may assign at least one binary bit of information, among a plurality of binary bits of information to be transmitted, to one of a plurality of spatial streams based on a current modulation type. A subsequent binary bit of information, among a plurality of binary bits of information to be transmitted, may be assigned to a subsequent one of the plurality of spatial streams based on the current modulation type and/or a subsequent modulation type. The interleaver may assign at least one additional bit of information, among the plurality of binary bits of information to be transmitted, to one of a plurality of spatial streams based on the current modulation type and/or the subsequent modulation type.
US07643431B2

There is disclosed methods, a computing device, a storage medium, and an apparatus for testing a network. Received packets may have two or more packet group identification fields. The packet group identification fields may be combined to generate a packet group number. The packet group number may be generated by first masking unused bits of the packet group identification fields and then concatenating the unmasked bits. Test statistics may be measured, accumulated, and stored for one or more packet groups comprising packets having the same packet group number.
US07643430B2

According to the present invention, methods and apparatus are provided for determining components of a round trip time (RTT). A source node sends data to a destination node. The destination node inserts a timestamp into an acknowledgment and sends the acknowledgment back to the source node. The source node determines the RTT from its own measurements and estimates reverse path delay by comparing timestamps to expected timestamps. Considerations for destination node timestamp speed differences are provided.
US07643428B1

A method, and graphical user interface are provided for monitoring the status and forecasting the exhaust date of communications links. Initially, data ports are monitored corresponding to one or more communications links over a period of time. Next, utilization statistics are polled and stored in a database. Thereafter, an average and a rate of change are calculated using the utilization statistics. Based on these calculations, a date of exhaustion can be forecasted. The user interface further provides a user the ability to monitor the status and select multiple communications links to ensure data is flowing properly.
US07643426B1

A path in a network is selected by selecting candidate overlay paths between two nodes in the network based on a static network metric determined for each of a plurality of overlay paths. A time sensitive network metric is determined for each of the candidate overlay paths, and a path is selected from the candidate overlay paths based on the time sensitive network metrics.
US07643423B2

Dynamic allocation of communication channels among communication units (CU) in a communications system. Dynamic channel allocation employs a reservation set for reserving channels and an allocation set corresponding to the reservation set for receiving allocated channels. The reservation set and the allocation set are changed dynamically as a function of network parameters to control the dynamic channel operation. Reservation set information is broadcast downlink to multiple users to reserve an allocation set of uplink radio resources for specific ones of the users. The system uses a modification of the packet data channel (PDCH) of a GPRS/EGPRS or EDGE system which employs an Uplink Status Flag (USF) on each PDCH downlink radio block. The downlink reservation set information is commonly received by all users in the group of users. Allocation delay, bandwidth efficiency and other system parameters are optimized.
US07643418B1

A method for use in a network device that uses a proportional/integral/derivative (PID)-type algorithm to compute one or more flow control parameters intended to achieve a target rate for a data flow.
US07643416B2

An approach for adaptively providing network performance enhancing functions in a secure environment, such as a virtual private network, is disclosed. Traffic, for example, Internet Protocol (IP) packets, is received for transport over an access network (e.g., satellite network). Next, characteristics (e.g., latency) of the access network are determined. A connection (which supports the performance enhancing functions) is selectively established based on the determined characteristics for transport the received packets over the access network. An encrypted tunnel is provided over the established connection to transmit the received packets.
US07643413B2

A method and apparatus for scheduling the transmission of cells onto an network, or other packet switching network, is disclosed. The central feature of the scheduling mechanism is a quality of service engine (QoS Engine) which accelerates the processing of packets in a packet switching networks, such as an ATM network, by assisting the accurate pacing of many ATM virtual circuits. The QoS Engine allows the concurrent support of a wide variety of port speeds, traffic classes using different priorities and traffic parameters. quality of service engine (QoS Engine) works in conjunction with a network processor (NP) to allow it to maintain software flexibility, and for it to achieve accurate pacing.
US07643409B2

A computer network includes a core network connected with first and second Ethernet access domain networks, each of Ethernet access domain networks including a user-facing provider edge (u-PE) device, a primary network-facing provider edge (n-PE) device, a redundant n-PE device, and a plurality of aggregation provider edge (Agg-PE) devices providing connectivity between to the u-PE device and the primary and redundant n-PE devices, the Agg-PE devices running a spanning-tree protocol (STP) algorithm. A primary data path is provided along with first and second redundant data paths that include first and second redundant pseudowires (PWs), respectively, connected across the core network, the first and second redundant data paths being blocked by the STP algorithm when the primary data path is available, the STP algorithm unblocking either the first or second redundant data path in response to a failure of the primary data path. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).
US07643406B2

A system and method for sharing a forward link time slot are disclosed. Information being sent to each user sharing a time slot in a 1× evolution data only (1×EV-DO) frame is assigned a number of Walsh codes and allocated an amount of transmit power. The total amount of transmit power used by a base transceiver station for a time slot is divided among the users. The number of Walsh codes and amount of transmit power assigned to each user sharing a time slot can be based upon the RF conditions being experienced by the user.
US07643404B2

A MIMO OFDM system includes a plurality of space-time encoders for encoding respective data blocks with independent space-time codes. The transformed data block signals are transmitted by a plurality of transmit antennas and received by a plurality of receive antennas. The received data is pre-whitened prior to maximum likelihood detection. In one embodiment, successive interference cancellation can be sued to improve system performance. Channel parameter estimation can be enhanced by weighting the channel impulse response estimates based upon a deviation from average.
US07643401B2

Disclosed is an optical information recording medium having a printable region on a label surface which is extended to a clamping area, and label information such as a name of a manufacturer is printed in the clamping area. The optical information recording medium includes a substrate having label information pits serving as non-recording and non-reproducing pits that are formed in the clamping area and a reflective layer laminated on the label information pits, and a dummy substrate to be attached to the substrate through an adhesive layer formed on the reflective layer. The multiple label information pits are formed substantially in an entire region of the clamping area to display the label information which emerges by linking portions where the label information pits are not formed.
US07643399B2

The data structure includes a navigation area of a computer readable medium storing navigation data associated with a data stream representing a portion of at least one reproduction path. The navigation data includes indication information, and the indication information indicates whether the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths or the data stream represents a single reproduction path. If the indication information indicates the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths, the navigation data includes path number information and an indicator associated with each reproduction path. The path number information identifies a number of the multiple reproduction paths, and each indicator indicates a file associated with the associated one of the multiple reproduction paths.
US07643397B2

The present invention relates to an optical recording media including two or more information layers, at least one of the information layers including a writable recording film. In the optical recording media, at least one information layer has protrusions and recesses that permit tracking and at least another one information layer is substantially flat.
US07643390B2

A write-once optical recording medium, a method for allocating a defect management area of the write-once optical recording medium, and a method for allocating a spare area of the write-once optical recording medium are provided. A method of managing defects on a write-once optical recording medium having at least one recording layer includes the steps of allocating at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size to said optical recording medium, respectively, recording defect management information on the at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and the at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size; and using the at least one temporary defect management area having a fixed size and the at least one temporary defect management area having a variable size is provided herein.
US07643383B2

An optical disk having a dual layer layout includes two recording layers each having a data area for recording information. An optical information recording apparatus handles the two data areas of the two recording layers of the optical disk as a single continuous data area and divides the continuous data area into plural divided areas such as sessions and fragments. The optical information recording apparatus then records data on each of the sessions or fragments corresponding to the divided areas.
US07643382B2

When carrying out magnetization, annealing, and initialization of a recording film by applying a laser beam to the recording film while rotating an optical recording medium 10 by a motor 11, light of a strong visible-light lamp 15 is projected as parallel light to a reflecting mirror 14 via a lens 16 so as to apply light reflected by the reflecting mirror 14 to an area wider than a spot of the laser beam on the medium 10 for heating. At that time, a control unit 18 controls an intensity of the strong visible-light lamp 15 to raise a temperature of the medium 10 to a temperature of 80° C. or higher and a softening point of a substrate or lower, for example.
US07643374B2

Techniques for displaying sonic logging data that provide highly reliable, visual quality-control (QC) indicators. One aspect herein is directed to a display of sonic logging data corresponding to a slowness frequency analysis (SFA) projection log.
US07643367B2

Disclosed herein is a semiconductor memory device which prevents the voltage of a select bit line from being reduced due to the action of coupling capacitance between the select bit line and a non-select bit line, reduces current consumption, and enables high speed reading of bit lines. The semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory banks, a plurality of second bit lines, a plurality of selector circuits, a voltage supply circuit. Each of the memory banks includes a plurality of first bit lines, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of memory banks which are installed between the first bit lines and the word lines. The voltage supply circuit holds non-select bit lines of the first bit lines at the GND level at all times.
US07643365B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit able to operate by different power supply voltages resulting from fluctuations in production, provided with a process monitor circuit for obtaining a grasp of a delay characteristic corresponding to the conditions of a production process, a memory circuit for storing data concerning an extent of process variation acquired by the process monitor circuit, and a power supply voltage control circuit for adaptively controlling the power supply voltage in accordance with the extent of process variation acquired by the process monitor circuit and stored in the memory circuit, and a test method for guaranteeing the operation of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
US07643361B2

A redundancy circuit in a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a comparison signal receiving unit to receive a plurality of comparison signals and a fuse enable signal in parallel, wherein the comparison signals are generated by comparing a plurality of row address signals to a plurality of fuse address signals; and a redundancy control signal generating unit for providing a redundancy control signal by controlling an output signal path of the comparison signal receiving unit in response to a signal level of a row address enable signal. The comparison signal receiving unit receives the plurality of the comparison signals and the fuse enable signal while the row address enable signal is activated.
US07643356B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a pad for receiving an external signal through a first external pin, a reference voltage pad for receiving an external reference voltage through a second external pin, an internal reference voltage generator configured to generate an internal reference voltage using an external voltage in response to a reference voltage select signal, a reference voltage supply unit for generating the reference voltage select signal in response to a plurality of select signals, and selecting one reference voltage between the external reference voltage and the internal reference voltage to output the selected one as a reference voltage, a buffer for converting an output signal of the pad into an internal voltage level on the basis of the reference voltage, and a signal selector for controlling an internal signal to be inputted/outputted through the reference voltage pad in response to the plurality of select signals.
US07643352B2

A method for erasing flash memory comprises the steps of: setting a critical ending condition; simultaneously erasing selected multiple sectors of the flash memory; stopping simultaneous erasing if one of the selected multiple sectors meets the critical ending condition; and erasing the remainder of each of the selected multiple sectors sequentially.
US07643329B2

An asymmetric Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) cell is provided. The SRAM cell comprises first and second storage nodes, drive transistors and access transistors. The first and second storage nodes are configured to store complementary voltages. The drive transistors are configured to selectively couple each of the first and second storage nodes to corresponding high and low voltage power supplies, and maintain a first logic state through a feedback loop. The access transistors are configured to selectively couple each of the first and second storage nodes to corresponding first and second bit-lines and maintain a second logic state through relative transistor leakage currents. A method for reading from and writing to the SRAM cell are also provided.
US07643324B2

A content Addressable memory (CAM) for performing search operations using variable width search data, said CAM comprising a plurality of arrays of CAM cells, each coupled to a respective sub-search data bus, the sub-search buses being confined to form a main search data bus, to which is applied the search data; selector circuits receiving match line signals from respective CAM arrays, the match line signals being indicative of the results of a search and comparison formed in the associated CAM array, the selector circuit being responsive to a mode selection signal for selecting one or more of said match line output signals to be switched to a priority encoder and multiple match resolver (PE-MMR), wherein in a first mode the match line output signals are switched to said PE-MMR and in a second mode groups of match line output signals from selected arrays are switched to said PE-MMR.
US07643320B2

In one embodiment, a load connected to power sourcing equipment (PSE) compatible with a Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard is characterized to determine whether the load corresponds to a valid powered device (PD). A switching signal having a first frequency is generated on the isolated side and used to generate an electrical current through the isolated-side primary coil of a power transformer in the PSE. A first voltage measurement, corresponding to a first line-side voltage across the transformer's secondary coil, is generated on the isolated side, e.g., using an isolated-side auxiliary transformer coil. The load is characterized based on the first voltage measurement and the first frequency. To compensate for voltage offset, a second voltage measurement can be generated corresponding to a second frequency of the switching signal, where the load is then characterized based on the first and second voltage measurements and frequencies.
US07643318B2

A topology for a three-phase, wye-connected H-bridge converter allowing continued operation when one H-bridge phase has failed by bypassing the failed H-bridge, increasing dc-bus voltage to provide the required output load voltage, and decreasing switching frequency to reduce power losses in semiconductor switches. In normal operation, the dc-bus voltage is operated at a lower voltage, improving the reliability of power semiconductor devices. When an H-bridge is bypassed, the dc-bus is operated at a higher voltage but lower effective switching frequency, reducing semiconductor losses, allowing the converter to put out more current with the same temperature rise in the power switches.
US07643310B2

A shielding device (10) and method are provided. The shielding device (10) includes a frame (21) and an enclosure (22). The enclosure (22) includes a cover portion (221) and a first peripheral wall (222) connecting to the cover portion (221). The frame (21) includes a second peripheral wall (21) and a plurality of guiding sheets (215) connected to the second peripheral wall (211). The first peripheral wall (222) is detachably received in the frame (21). A gap (23) is formed between the first peripheral wall (222) and the guiding sheets (215), used to detach the enclosure (22) from the frame (21).
US07643294B2

A heat dissipating apparatus includes a heat spreader (20) for thermally connecting with a heat generating electronic component, a heat sink (10) thermally connected with the heat spreader, and a heat pipe (30) thermally connecting the heat sink with the heat spreader for transferring heat from the heat spreader to the heat sink. The heat pipe includes an evaporation section (31) attached to the heat spreader, two semicircular condensation sections (33, 34) thermally engaging with the heat sink, and two connecting sections (35, 36) each interconnecting a corresponding condensation section and the evaporation section.
US07643285B2

A storage apparatus has a cabinet stored with an array of memory mediums, a power supply unit housed at the bottom of the cabinet, a fan provided immediately under the top surface of the cabinet and immediately above the memory mediums, and a partition member provided insides the cabinet and configured to partition a first cooling path from mixing with a second cooling path inside the cabinet. The first cooling path of first external air for cooling the memory mediums starts at an inlet on a side surface of the cabinet and ends at the top surface of the cabinet to discharge the first external air out of the cabinet form the top surface. The second cooling path of second external air for cooling the power supply unit ends at the top surface of the cabinet and discharges the second external air out of the cabinet at the top surface.
US07643283B2

An adaptive dock for use with media players of varying form factors is provided by an arrangement in which a device connector is located on a moveable sled that is located in the dock's base unit. A device-specific dock insert is arranged for removable engagement with the base unit to allow the base to have applicability to different media players by using the appropriately configured insert. The insert includes a device receiving space having an opening that is located to expose the media player's accessory connector. The insert further includes an actuator that slidably engages with a cam that is located on the sled to impart a lateral motion to the sled as the insert is placed downward into the dock's base unit so as to align the device connector on the sled with the opening in the insert.
US07643282B2

An electronic apparatus has: a housing with a surface partially formed by a removably attachable lid; and a main-body connector disposed adjacent to an opening to be covered by the lid. A hard disk unit is removably inserted into the opening of the housing of the electronic apparatus. The hard disk unit has a unit connector to be mated with the main body connector. The hard disk unit includes an insulation sheet disposed between a circuit board and a support fitting. A part of the insulation sheet is extended and bent to spread on the rear surface of the support fitting so that connection between the connectors can be released when the extended part of the insulation sheet is pulled.
US07643281B2

A storage controller of the present invention reduces maintenance work by the user by irreplaceably mounting the respective component parts inside an enclosure. A plurality of disk drives, which comprise a spare drive, and repair slots are arranged in close proximity in a matrix on the front side inside the enclosure. A backboard is disposed rearward of the respective disk drives. A plurality of control boards are arranged rearward of the backboard by being stacked one atop the other. A plurality of disk drives and a plurality of batteries respectively stacked one atop the other are arranged on the one side of the respective control boards. A plurality of power devices stacked one atop the other are arranged on the other side of the respective control boards. A plurality of cooling fans are arranged in the center part of the enclosure. The respective parts are affixed to the enclosure so as to be irreplaceable under normal circumstances.
US07643277B2

An exemplary electronic device (30) includes a main body (40) and two support legs (43). The main body has two sloping slide portions (415) formed at two adjacent corners thereof. A depth of each sloping slide portion increases from one end to the other end. Each support leg are movably connected to one corresponding sloping slide portion, such that a height of the support leg relative to main body is capable of being changed when the support leg moves relative to the main body.
US07643276B2

A display apparatus including a display main body that displays an image thereon and a base member, the display apparatus further including a lifting unit which includes a guide frame that stands on the base member and a lifting member coupled with the guide frame to move with the display main body, a pivoting unit which is provided between the display main body and the lifting member and supports the display main body to pivot around a pivot axis in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, and a locking unit which includes a moving member that is lifted together with the display main body and moves with a pivoting operation of the display main body, and a locking projection provided on the guide frame to limit one of the pivoting operation and the lifting operation of the display main body by limiting the moving member from moving. With this configuration, the display apparatus can limit a display main body from moving downward while remaining pivoted, and from pivoting while remaining in a lowered position close to the base member.
US07643273B2

A control device of connection studs of a computer includes a plurality of hexagonal grooves which are punched at different distances on a base plate of a computer casing. The groove is provided with a through-hole, hexagonal heads of a set of studs are loosely fitted into the hexagonal grooves, and rods of the studs are loosely transfixed into the through-holes, in order to screw with a circuit board of different size, such that a number of studs to be actually used for screwing can be effectively controlled, and an interference from the unnecessary studs, the circuit board, or other parts can be prevented.
US07643272B2

Embodiments of a fastener and a display of a portable computer using the same and methods thereof can reduce a thickness, cost or weight of a display panel. The fastener can include at least a pair of columns spaced apart from each other, a connection for connecting the pair of columns, and first and second catching jaws that can be formed on different portions of the fastener (e.g., lateral sides) such that a part to be coupled can be caught thereto. The first and second catching jaws can be separated by a prescribed height. A front and rear case of a display of a portable computer include a catching hook and the fastener, respectively, so an inverter or the like can be secured in the display.
US07643271B2

An electrical junction box is configured to be attached to a vehicle. The box includes a container that has a front opening and a cavity located behind the front opening. A cover is movably attached to the container, so it can be moved into a closed position covering the front opening. A socket, to which an electrical supply cable can be removably connected, is fixed to the container beside the front opening. Breakers are secured to the container within the cavity. Each breaker has an input terminal and an output terminal. Each input terminal is electrically connected to the supply cable via the socket. Electrical distribution lines connect the breakers' output terminals to components of the vehicle that are outside the cavity.
US07643264B2

A power supply controller includes detection circuits that are provided so as to correspond to a plurality of load circuits performing an operation by power output from a power supply circuit and that detect an overcurrent condition of load currents of the respective load circuits; and a control unit controlling a predetermined operation of the power supply circuit so as to change the amount of power output from the power supply circuit in accordance with detection outputs of the detection circuits.
US07643261B2

There is provided a semiconductor device capable of supplying an analog input signal higher than or equal to an operating power supply voltage. An electrostatic discharge protection circuit corresponding to the analog input signal is provided for an external terminal that is supplied with an analog input signal generated with a first power supply voltage. A voltage divider resistor divides the analog input signal passing through the electrostatic discharge protection circuit into a voltage corresponding to a second power supply voltage lower that the first power supply voltage. An input circuit operating on the second power supply voltage receives the analog input signal divided by the voltage divider resistor to form an internal analog signal. There are provided first and second unidirectional elements. The first unidirectional element passes current from the input circuit's input terminal to the second power supply voltage. The second unidirectional element passes current from a circuit ground potential to a first circuit's input terminal.
US07643254B2

A free magnetic layer of a tunnel-effect type magnetic sensor is formed on an insulating barrier layer made of Mg—O, and the free magnetic layer includes an enhancement layer, a first soft magnetic layer, a non-magnetic metal layer, and a second soft magnetic layer, which are laminated in that order from the bottom. For example, the enhancement layer is formed of Co—Fe, the first and the second soft magnetic layers are formed of Ni—Fe, and the non-magnetic metal layer is formed of Ta. The average thickness of the first soft magnetic layer is formed in the range of 5 to 60 Å. Accordingly, a high resistance change rate (ΔR/R) can be obtained.
US07643252B2

A head suspension prevents a read element from electrostatic discharge damage without employing a static electricity remover, and at the same time, secures the frequency characteristics of a write signal. The head suspension has a load beam to apply load to a slider that writes and reads data to and from a hard disk, a flexture made of a conductive thin plate attached to the load beam, to support the slider, write wires connected to the slider and formed on an insulating base layer that is made of flexible resin and is formed on the flexure, and coating made of conductive flexible resin to discharge static electricity. The coating is formed over the read wires and is extended to the surface of the flexure.
US07643249B2

A holding portion, on which a slider having a magnetic element for recording and/or replaying is held is provided on a second supporting portion of a supporting member, in which conductive patterns are formed. A plurality of fixing portions are formed in the holding portion and when the slider is sandwiched between the plurality of fixing portions, the slider is electrically connected with the conductive patterns.
US07643243B2

Dampers are interposed between plural surfaces of an information storage device and facing surfaces of an electronic device to reduce shocks and vibrations applied to the information storage device mounted inside the electronic device. Each of the dampers includes portions contacting the electronic device, and portions contacting the information storage device, wherein the two portions are set apart on a plane from each other. Each of the dampers includes a flat platelike body part having a first surface facing the electronic device and a second surface facing the information storage device, a plurality of protrusions protruding from predetermined positions of the first surface of the body part and contacting the electronic device, and a plurality of second protrusions protruding from the second surface of the body part and contacting the information storage device, the plurality of second protrusions being set apart on a plane from the plurality of first protrusions.
US07643239B2

Embodiments of the present invention reduce the written-in run-out in servo data written to a storage medium. A set of servo controllers are evaluated and the controller having the best expected performance among the set is selected and employed. One embodiment of the present invention is a servo controller configured to select and employ a controller having a least amount of expected written-in run-out among a set of controllers. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method comprising a step for applying a set of controllers; and selecting a controller from the set of controllers with a least expected amount of written-in run out. Another embodiment of the present invention is a system comprising a servo controller for employing and selecting a disk controller that has a least expected amount of written-in run-out among a set of controllers.
US07643237B2

A media storage device which reads and writes data from and to a storage medium using a head prevents in advance data loss due to thermal relaxation of data recorded on the storage medium. Management information is created, in units of received write commands, for holding the recording areas on the storage medium of the write data and signal quality information; the management data is stored in a management table, and signal quality is measured, updated, and used in re-recording judgements, in write command units. Thermal relaxation state management can be performed in write command units; thermal relaxation processing is simple, and moreover degradation of recorded data due to thermal relaxation can be detected accurately, and data loss can be prevented.
US07643229B2

An optical system includes a negative refraction lens and a compensating element. The negative refraction lens is a flat plate formed by a material exhibiting negative refraction, and a surface on which light is incident and a surface from which the light is emerged are formed to be flat and parallel. The compensating element is an optical element which makes light incident at a predetermined angle, emerge at another predetermined angle. A light ray is emitted from an object point on an object plane, and reaches an image point on an image plane after being refracted twice by a negative refraction lens. The light ray is reflected by the compensating element, then refracted at an emergence-side pupil, and reaches the image point upon being reflected once again by the compensating element.
US07643221B2

A zoom lens comprises a first lens unit that does not move for zooming and that has a positive refractive power, a second lens unit that is configure to move to an image side during zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end and that has a negative refractive power, a third lens unit that is configured to reduce image plane variation due to zooming, and a fourth lens unit that does not move for zooming. The fourth lens unit comprises a fourth-F unit, a fourth-B1 unit, and a fourth-B2 unit. The average Abbe number of positive lens and negative lenses in the fourth-B1 unit and the average Abbe number of positive negative lenses in the fourth-B2 unit are set appropriately.
US07643216B2

The invention is directed to an objective, particularly for telescope-type stereomicroscopes. The objective comprises two lens groups, a first lens group and a second lens group. The first lens group, which faces the object plane, has a positive refractive power and comprises a plurality of lenses of which at least two form a cemented component. The second lens group, which is on the image side, has a negative refractive power and comprises a collecting cemented component and a diverging lens. The objective is characterized in that the following conditions B1 and B2 are met:where DAP represents the diameter of the exit pupil of the objective and ω1 represents the maximum field angle.
US07643214B2

There is provided an optical device, having a light transmitting substrate (20) including at least two major surfaces parallel to each other and edges; optical means (16) for coupling light into the substrate by internal reflection and at least one reflecting, surface (22) located in the substrate which is non-parallel to the major surfaces of the substrate (20) characterized in that the optical means (16) for coupling light into the substrate is a partially reflecting surface, wherein part of the light coupled into the substrate (20) passes through the partially reflecting surface (16) out of the substrate and part of the light is reflected into the substrate (20).
US07643213B2

Ellipse-shaped microlenses focus light onto unbalanced photosensitive areas, increase area coverage for a gapless layout of microlenses, and allow pair-wise or other individual shifts of the microlenses to account for asymmetrical pixels and pixel layout architectures. The microlenses may be fabricated in sets, with one set oriented differently from another set, and may be arranged in various patterns, for example, in a checkerboard pattern or radial pattern. The microlenses of at least one set may be substantially elliptical in shape. To fabricate a first set of microlenses, a first set of microlens material is patterned onto a support, reflowed under first reflow conditions, and cured. To fabricate a second set of microlenses, a second set of microlens material is patterned onto the support, reflowed under second reflow conditions, which may be different from the first conditions, and cured.
US07643201B2

An electrochromic mirror includes a transparent electrode film, an electrochromic film formed at one thickness direction side of the transparent electrode film, a light reflective film that reflects light that has transmitted through the transparent electrode film and the electrochromic film, a lithium ion transmissive film provided between the electrochromic film and the light reflective film, an electrically conductive film provided at the one thickness direction side of the transparent electrode film and at a side of the light reflective film opposite from the lithium ion transmissive film, and an electrolytic solution that comprises lithium ions and is enclosed between the light reflective film and the electrically conductive film. The lithium ion transmissive film transmits lithium ions and imposed diffusion of silver from the side of the light reflective film to the side of the electrochromic film.
US07643200B2

An exterior reflective mirror element suitable for a vehicle includes a transparent glass substrate having a reflector and a visual indicator display disposed to the rear of the substrate. The visual indicator display may be part of a blind spot detection and display system of the vehicle wherein the visual indicator display is actuated to emit light responsive to a detection by a blind spot detection detector of the equipped vehicle of an overtaking vehicle in a side lane adjacent the side of the equipped vehicle. The visual indicator display includes at least a first indicator at a first location to the rear of the exterior reflective mirror element. A first portion of the reflector may be at least partially removed at the first location in order to establish an at least partially transmissive first portion of the exterior reflective mirror element at the first location.
US07643199B2

High-aperture-ratio devices comprise active-matrix elements and interferometric modulators and methods of making thereof. The active-matrix element may be positioned behind the interferometric modulator with respect to incident light. In some embodiments, components of the active-matrix element may be formed on a first substrate, while components of the interferometric modulator may be formed on a second substrate, and the substrates may then be attached.
US07643197B2

A method of manufacturing an oscillator based on etching a monocrystal silicon substrate, the method including a mask forming step for forming, on the monocrystal silicon substrate, an etching mask having a pattern with a repetition shape comprised of a plurality of mutually coupled oscillators each including a torsion spring between a supporting base plate and a movable member, an etching step for etching the monocrystal silicon substrate while using the etching mask as a mask, to form on the monocrystal silicon substrate a repetition shape comprised of a plurality of corresponding mutually coupled oscillators, and a dicing step for determining a width of the movable member and the supporting base plate of each of the oscillators in the repetition shape, which width is effective to determine a resonance frequency of the individual oscillators required when these are used as oscillators, and for cutting by dicing the movable member and the supporting base plate between adjoining oscillators, at the determined width.
US07643196B2

Presented herein are systems, methods and devices relating to miniature actuatable platform systems. According to one embodiment, the systems, methods, and devices relate to controllably actuated miniature platform assemblies including a miniature mirror.
US07643192B2

A system and method are used to pattern light using an illumination system, an array of individually controllable components, and a projection system. The illumination system supplies a beam of radiation. The array of individually controllable elements patterns the beam. The array of individually controllable elements comprises mirrors having first and second steps on opposite edges. The projection system projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of an object. In various examples, the object can be a display, a semiconductor substrate or wafer, a flat panel display glass substrate, or the like, as is discussed in more detail below.
US07643188B2

A method of recording an exposure pattern in a recording layer of a holographic mask, using an original reticle that has the exposure pattern formed therein, the recording method comprising: illuminating a first recording light and a first reference light to the recording layer simultaneously, the first recording light being illuminated through an original reticle placed opposite to the holographic mask with a first gap therebetween, the first reference light being illuminated to the recording layer at a first incident angle; and illuminating a second recording light and a second reference light to the recording layer simultaneously, the second recording light being illuminated through the original reticle placed opposite to the holographic mask with a second gap therebetween, the second gap being different from the first gap, the second reference light being illuminated to the recording layer at a second incident angle.
US07643185B2

A method for tone calibration and an apparatus using the same are provided. The method for tone calibration includes outputting a reference patch of a predetermined color and a plurality of sample patches having different tone levels of constant intervals of the color, receiving an input of identification information of any one of the sample patches, and generating a lookup table, which is obtained by reflecting a distortion level of the reference patch, in accordance with the input identification information.
US07643182B2

In one embodiment, a method of processing image data for compression is provided, wherein the image data represents an image and includes a plurality of image data values, each image data value representing an appearance characteristic of a pixel of the image. In one embodiment, the method includes determining a variance between n image data values, comparing the variance to a variance threshold to determine whether the variance meets a preselected condition relative to the variance threshold, and if the variance meets the preselected condition, then changing at least one of the n image data values to reduce the variance.
US07643165B2

When information is entered to make reservation with a PC for a desired function to be executed and conditions therefor among a plurality of functions of a multi-function machine, the multi-function machine displays marking information and the like for the purpose of selecting the function on the touch panel, and when the operator operates the corresponding marking information, the condition information is read from the PC, and the conditions are set in a way that allows the job to be executed with these conditions.
US07643163B2

A data processing apparatus includes one or a plurality of input portions, one or a plurality of output portions, a plurality of compressing/expanding devices which compress data-to-be-outputted included in a job inputted from any one of an input portions and expand the compressed data-to-be-outputted, and a job discrimination portion which discriminates whether the job inputted from any one of the input portions is not required to be outputted without delay. Depending on a discrimination result of the job discrimination portion, a controller controls operation assignment of a plurality of compressing/expanding devices and activates assigned compressing/expanding devices for the job.
US07643161B2

An inter-device media handler is configured to handle a print job in a print system having two or more media processing devices, such as a printer and a laminator. A sensor is configured to sense orientation of media buffered between the first media processing device and the second media processing device. A calculator module is configured to receive input from the sensor and to use the input to determine whether the media will stay within a working range of the second media processing device while the job is processed by the second media processing device.
US07643160B2

A spool file modifying device employed in a print server is connected with a printer. Further, the print server and at least one external terminal are interconnected. A spool file representing a print job that is instructed at the external terminal is converted into print data adaptable to the printer. The spool file modifying device includes a font data extracting system that extracts font data included in the spool file, a registering system that registers the extracted font data with the print server, and a modifying system that modifies the spool file to create a modified spool file in accordance with modifying information included in the spool file. The modified spool file is converted into the print data using the extracted font data, and then transmitted to the printer.
US07643156B2

A new and novel sensor having a simple structure with high detection sensitivity. The sensor (S1) includes the following from measuring light (L1) input side in the order listed below: a first reflector (10) having semi-transmissive and semi-reflective properties; a translucent body (20); and a second reflector (30) having perfect reflection properties, or semi-transmissive and semi-reflective properties. The first reflector (10) and/or second reflector is brought into contact with a specimen, and the average complex refractive index varies with the specimen. Absorption properties for absorbing light having a particular wavelength are produced by these components, the properties of the measuring light (L1) are changed by the optical properties including the absorption properties, the output light (L2) is outputted from the first reflector (10) and/or second reflector (30), and the physical properties of the output light (L2) that vary according to the optical properties are detected.
US07643145B2

The present invention relates to the detection of optical sensors by means of measurement of information relative to the signal intensity and signal modulation phase shift. The proposed method employs the use of CMOS and/or CCD imager and illuminations with different wavelengths. The system is able realize a contactless measurement of a phase shift to curse on a gas concentration an distance.
US07643144B2

An adjusting unit for making positional adjustment of the optical axis adjustment mask, based on the observation by the one optical unit, such that the reference mark at the one location or the other location and the optical axis adjusting alignment mark corresponding positionally thereto are superposed, and for making optical axis adjustment of the other optical axis, based on the observation by the other optical unit, such that the reference mark at the one location or the other location and the optical axis adjusting alignment mark corresponding positionally thereto are superposed.
US07643131B2

A spatial information detection device is provided, which is capable of, even under the condition that an environmental light having intensity fluctuations exists in a target space, projecting a light intensity-modulated with a predetermined modulation signal from a light emitting source into the target space, receiving light from the target space with a photodetector, and detecting spatial information of the target space from a change between the light projected from the light emitting source and the light received by the photodetector. This device has a smoothing unit configured to integrate, over a predetermined integration period, a fluctuation component in a prescribed phase zone of the modulation signal with respect to an electric charge amount generated by receiving the environmental light in the electric charge amount generated at the photodetector by receiving the light from the target space, thereby smoothing the fluctuation component.
US07643124B2

A liquid crystal is provided, which can be used in a liquid crystal display (LCD) to provide an LCD exhibiting a good transmittance. The liquid crystal according to the invention has the following properties: (i) a dielectric anisotropy (Δ∈) ranging from about −2.5 to about −5; (ii) a splay elastic constant (K11) ranging from about 1.1×10−11 N to about 1.6×10−11 N; (iii) a bend elastic constant (K33) ranging from about 1.1×10−11 N to about 1.6×10−11 N; and (iv) Δ∈, K11 (N) and K33 (N) conforming to the following equation: K 11 + K 33  10 × Δ ⁢ ⁢ ɛ  < 1.28 × 10 - 12 . A liquid crystal material combination is also provided which comprises the liquid crystal according to the invention above mentioned and a polymerizable monomer.
US07643123B2

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having a liquid crystal area defined within a display area by a sealant, and a non-display area formed in an outer part of the display area, and at least one bubble trap arranged in the outer part of the sealant within the non-display area and patterned to have a concave surface facing toward outside of the non-display area.
US07643117B2

There is provided a liquid crystal panel, in which a color shift in an oblique direction is small even when observed from any azimuth angle of 0° to 360°, and the viewing angle in the horizontal direction is wide. A liquid crystal panel according to the present invention includes: a liquid crystal cell; a first polarizer placed on one side of the liquid crystal cell; a second polarizer placed on the other side of the liquid crystal cell; and a first optical compensation layer and a second optical compensation layer placed between the first polarizer and the second polarizer, wherein: the first optical compensation layer is placed between the first polarizer and the liquid crystal cell; a slow axis direction of the first optical compensation layer is substantially perpendicular to an absorption axis direction of the first polarizer; the first optical compensation layer has a refractive index profile of nx>ny≧nz; the first optical compensation layer includes a retardation film (A) which contains a polyvinyl acetal-based resin and whose in-plane retardation value (Re[750]) at a wavelength of 750 nm is larger than an in-plane retardation value (Re[550]) at a wavelength of 550 nm; the second optical compensation layer is placed between the first optical compensation layer and the second polarizer; and the second optical compensation layer has a refractive index profile of nx=ny>nz.
US07643116B2

In a retardation film (c plate) for canceling the optical effect of a liquid crystal layer, the optical effect of the liquid crystal layer which is represented by Δnd/λ increases as the wavelength λ of incident light decreases. Accordingly, in order to cancel this effect, a negative retardation needs to be reduced as the wavelength of incident light increases. In a retardation film (a plate) for rotating the direction of polarization of light, an in-plane retardation needs to be increased as the wavelength λ of incident light increases. It is preferable that both of these retardation films be placed. However, compared to known technologies, light leakage can be suppressed even using only any one of the retardation films.
US07643111B2

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device and its fabrication method are disclosed. Specifically, a fabrication method in which polyhedral spacers are implemented on a substrate through an ink jet method are used for an LCD device. The spacers have the polyhedral shape to increase their contact area with two substrates, and include a surface processed layer for strengthening a bonding force in its bonding with an alignment film formed on the two substrates. The spacers have a polyhedral shape for maintaining the cell gap between the substrates.
US07643109B2

There are provided a substrate which has solved an unsatisfactory adhesion problem of a seal part in a liquid crystal cell comprising a retardation layer provided on the inner side of the cell, and a liquid crystal cell using the substrate. A color filter substrate includes a substrate 11, and at least a black matrix layer 12, a color filter layer 13, and a retardation layer 14 stacked on the substrate 11. The black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 are stacked on the substrate it while providing a margin around the periphery of the substrate 11. The retardation layer 14 is stacked on the black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 in a larger area than the area where the black matrix layer 12 and the color filter layer 13 are stacked. The substrate 11 in its margin, where neither the black matrix layer 12 nor the color filter layer 13 is stacked, is a predetermined seal area.
US07643097B2

A multiple-TV display channel setting method for synchronously a setting mapping relation between display channels and transmission channels to a first TV and a second TV is disclosed. The method includes setting the mapping relation between the display channels and the transmission channels to the first TV, allowing the first TV to display audio/video (A/V) signals transmitted over one of the transmission channels according to one of the display channels, wherein the display channel is mapped by the mapping relation onto the transmission channel; and transmitting the mapping relation to the second TV so that the second TV displays the A/V signals transmitted over the transmission channel according to the mapped display channels.
US07643095B2

An image display device controls a screen luminance to an appropriate value in response to switching of a display mode, thereby displaying each of television broadcast program images and graphic user interface images (including an electronic program guide, and a variety of setting menus) in an easy-to-see and power-saving manner. The image display device switches between a mode of displaying the television image and a mode of displaying the graphic user interface image. In response to the mode switching instruction, the device controls variably luminance intensity of a backlight source, thereby providing a screen luminance appropriate for each mode.
US07643091B2

An adaptive compensation system for aspect ratio conversion. Video information, intended for her first aspect ratio display, e.g. the standard NTSC aspect ratio, is processed to determine additional information that can enable that video to be displayed and fill a wider aspect ratio screen. The processing can be a calculation which calculates, for example, texture, color and/or brightness of the edge portions, and automatically calculates video information to match the texture, brightness or color. The processing can be a database lookup, which automatically looks up likely portions from a database. The processing can also be an adaptive determination of what vertical portions of the image can be stretched without affecting the viewability, and then an adaptive stretching of different portions by different amounts.
US07643085B2

An image pickup apparatus of the present invention is a portion of the image pickup portion is exposed on a first surface of the casing. The apparatus includes: a holding frame disposed on a second surface, which is the rear surface of the first surface of the casing, wherein the image pickup portion is held by the holding frame, and the holding frame is fixed to a third surface adjacent to the second surface. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of components, and to eliminate the need for the step of attaching the double-faced tape, and the step of attaching the cover ring to the front panel.
US07643084B2

A lighting control apparatus of a photographing apparatus comprises a lighting device and a signal supplying processor. The lighting device illuminates a photographic subject by receiving one of a sine wave signal, and a half-wave rectification wave signal, a saw wave signal, and a triangle wave signal in the exposure time. The signal supplying processor supplies one of the sine wave signal, the half-rectification wave signal, the saw wave signal, and the triangle wave signal, to be received, to the lighting device, in the exposure time.
US07643077B2

In order to provide a photoelectric conversion apparatus, which is an apparatus excellent in reading speed, high S/N, high tone level, and low cost, the photoelectric conversion apparatus has a photoelectric conversion circuit section comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, switching elements, matrix signal wires, and gate drive wires arranged on a same substrate in order to output parallel signals, a driving circuit section for applying a driving signal to the gate drive wire, and a reading circuit section for converting the parallel signals transferred through the matrix signal wires to serial signals to output them, wherein the reading circuit section comprises at least one analog operational amplifier connected with each of the matrix signal wires, transfer switches for transferring output signals from the respective matrix signal wires, output through each amplifier, reading capacitors, and reading switches for successively reading the signals out of the reading capacitors in the form of serial signals.
US07643076B2

An image scanning device divides an image scanning element group into a plurality of areas and an image signal is output for every area. The device includes a plurality of charge integrating units respective provided in each of the plurality of areas for integrating charges output from plural image scanning elements and outputting the charges thus integrated as an integrated charge, an integrated charge selecting unit for selecting any one or more integrated charges from the plural integrated charges and outputting the integrated charges thus selected, a charge accumulating unit for accumulating and combining any one or more integrated charges output from the integrated charge selecting unit; and an image signal outputting unit for converting the composite charge accumulated in the charge accumulating unit to an image signal and outputting the image signal.
US07643075B2

When a saturation flag of HDR-RAW data accumulated in a BRAM data accumulating section 19 is “1” and a saturation flag of HDR-RAW data accumulated in an input data accumulating section 18 is “0,” i.e., when a pixel being in a saturated state no longer attains the saturated state, the HDR-RAW data accumulated in the input data accumulating section 18 are recorded to BRAN 10 instead of the HDR-RAW data recorded that far. Therefore, the image data of the pixel within the second image is recorded, and it is not necessary to arrange the delay element. As a result, manufacture cost can be reduced by the amount for arranging the delay element.
US07643074B2

The difference between the output of a k-signal nonlinear low-pass filter (8g) and the output of an h-signal nonlinear low-pass filter (8r) is added (44) to the value of the h-th pixel signal (h(i, j)) at the pixel position of interest to obtain the k-th pixel signal (k(i, j)) at the pixel position of interest. Accurate pixel interpolation can be performed with good noise immunity, even at locations where the color signals are uncorrelated.
US07643049B2

When manufacturing a recording medium, a material layer 12 formed on a substrate 11 that composes the recording medium is exposed to a laser beam in accordance with a recording pattern. The material layer 12 has a predetermined reflectivity for the laser beam 13 so as to produce return light for the laser beam 13. By detecting this return light, the focusing of the laser beam on the material layer is adjusted. By doing so, a laser beam can be easily and accurately focused on a material layer during a process in which a laser beam is shone, in accordance with a recording pattern, onto a material layer formed on a recording medium or a production plate used when manufacturing a recording medium.
US07643044B2

The present invention provides for a compact, portable POS terminal through the use of a compact printer that utilizes a thermal printer with fan-folded paper. The POS terminal also accommodates contactless instrument readers and optionally includes features for electronic signature capture, user display interaction, multi-tasking capabilities, check reading and age and identity verification.
US07643037B1

Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for presenting computer-generated characters. The method defines several frames for a character and sequentially presents the frames. Each frame depicts a particular representation of the character. Also, at least two of the frames provide different representations of the character. Some embodiments provide a method for applying effects to computer-generated characters. This method applies an effect to the computer-generated characters by first generating an effect script. It then selects the generated effect script to apply to the computer-generated characters.
US07643036B1

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for presenting color samples in a color chart. The color chart includes an arrangement of multiple color samples that include colored areas representing colors in a color space. Color samples in the arrangement are associated with one or more color identifiers that uniquely identify the colors represented by the corresponding color samples. A gamut identifier identifies a color gamut relative to the colors represented by the color samples in the arrangement. A gamut mapping is provided to map a color from outside the color gamut to a color inside the color gamut.
US07643027B2

Creating an explicit feature used for construction of a computer-aided design model includes recognizing that model features form an implicit feature, presenting variations of the implicit feature, selecting one of the variations of the implicit feature, and creating the explicit feature. The explicit feature produces geometry that gives rise to the selected variation of the implicit feature. The computer-aided design model is constructed by generating the explicit feature after generating the model features that form the implicit feature.
US07643022B2

Panel source driver circuits include a first data register and a second data register. A common data demultiplexer coupled to the first and second data registers is configured to provide control data from a first input of the demultiplexer to the first data register and control data from a second input of the demultiplexer to the second data register in a first operation mode and to provide control data from the second input to the first data register and control data from the first input to the second register in a second operation mode responsive to an operation mode select signal. A first decoder is coupled to an output of the first data register that is configured to select one of a plurality of first voltages having different levels responsive to the output of the first data register and to output the selected first voltage. A second decoder is coupled to an output of the second data register that is configured to select one of a plurality of second voltages having different levels in response to the output of the second data register and to output the selected second voltage.
US07643014B2

A voltage is generated after a touch screen is touched, and the voltage is transformed into a digital signal for detecting a touch point which the touch screen is touched. A touch sensing system includes a first switch having a first node coupled to a first voltage source, a second switch having a node coupled to a second voltage source, a first resistor coupled between the first switch and the second switch in a series connection, a comparator having a first input node coupled to a second node of the first switch, a successive approximation register (SAR) having an input node coupled to an output node of the comparator, and a simulation circuit. An output voltage of the simulation circuit is continuously adjusted by the comparator and the simulation circuit to transform the voltage generated on the touch screen into a digital signal.
US07643006B2

A gesture recognition method includes detecting multiple pointers in close proximity to a touch surface to determine if the multiple pointers are being used to perform a known gesture. When the multiple pointers are being used to perform a known gesture, executing a command associated with the gesture. A touch system incorporating the gesture recognition method is also provided.
US07643004B2

An apparatus for driving a liquid crystal display includes a picture quality improving unit that extracts a brightness component from first data, analyzes the brightness using the extracted brightness component, and generates second data having a contrast in accordance with the analyzed brightness. The contrast of the second data is extended from that of the first data. A timing controller rearranges the second data to supply the second data to a data driver. A backlight supplies the light to a liquid crystal panel in accordance with a driving current. An inverter supplies the driving current to the backlight.
US07642998B2

A display apparatus and an assembly of a driving circuit for the display apparatus having a display device, a film carrier with a lead to transfer a signal for driving the display device, and a bus board to supply a signal to the lead. A dummy lead is provided along the outside of each of an input side outer lead and an output side outer lead of the film carrier. A predetermined voltage is applied to the dummy leads. The predetermined voltage value is set to a value so as not to stationarily cause a DC bias for the voltage of the outer lead on the outside.
US07642996B2

A method of driving an organic electroluminescent device comprising a phosphorescent light emitter having an excited state emission decay time τ, which method comprises applying to the organic electroluminescent device a series of electrical pulses of duration td, such that the ratio td/τ is less than or equal to 0.1, at a frequency which is less than 1/τ.
US07642993B2

A method for driving a plasma display panel having a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a plurality of third electrodes provided in a direction crossing the first and second electrodes while one frame is divided into a plurality of subfields, the plurality of first electrodes being divided into a plurality of groups each including a first group and a second group, and the plurality of second electrodes being biased at a first voltage during a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period. During the address period, a second voltage is selectively applied to a plurality of first electrodes included in the first group. A third voltage lower than the second voltage is selectively applied to a plurality of first electrodes included in the second group.
US07642970B2

An antenna device is provided which is capable of operating in a wider band of frequencies (in a plurality of transmitting and receiving frequency bands), achieving an excellent gain, maintaining non-directivity of vertically polarized waves in each of the transmitting and receiving frequency bands, and saving space. The antenna device includes the first antenna 101 being a chip-type antenna operating in a GSM band, second antenna 102 being a pattern antenna operating in DCS and PCS bands, third antenna 103 being a layer-stacked antenna operating in an UMTS band, all being mounted on a substrate 100. The second antenna 102 is connected to a line 105 extending from a power feeding port 104 connected to the first antenna 101. A gap is interposed between the second antenna 102 and third antenna 103 wherein the second antenna 102 is capacitively coupled to the third antenna 103 on the substrate 100 with no antenna switch being provided.
US07642969B2

A mobile communication terminal and an internal multi-band antenna are described. The internal antenna is formed on a substrate and has a first pattern and a second pattern. Both patterns may be formed on one side of the substrate, or one pattern may be formed on each side of the substrate. The first pattern and the second pattern have different widths. The terminal may be of any type such as a folding type terminal, a slider-type terminal, or a bar type terminal.
US07642933B2

Disclosed are methods in a slider form factor device, and slider form factor devices, for ignoring a key depression when there is a change in the position of a first housing relative to a second housing that occurs between the key depression and the release of the key depression. The method may include detecting a key depression of the first housing, detecting a change in the position of the first housing relative to the second housing, and detecting a release of the key depression. The method may further include ignoring the key depression when there is a change in the position of the first housing relative to the second housing that occurs between the key depression and the release of the key depression.
US07642923B2

A sensor for detecting position and/or movement in space and/or for detecting fluid-properties comprising at least one transmitter and at least one receiver which are enclosed by a fluid, characterized in that the at least one transmitter generates cyclic fluid density fluctuations and the at least one receiver detects the change in transit time and/or the phase shift and/or the frequency change and/or the amplitude change.
US07642919B2

Signalling and localisation device for an individual in the sea, includingan ultrasonic wave transmitter constituting an individual alarm unit carried by the individual in the sea designed to transmit carrier waves of primary signals; a surface surveillance means arranged on the surface of the sea and provided with: a submersed antenna capable of picking up the primary signals transmitted by individual alarm unit; means of transmitting secondary ultrasonic signals, these transmission means: means capable of calculating the position of individual alarm unit as a function of the ultrasonic signals received in response to secondary ultrasonic signals and of converting this information into the coordinates of a global positioning system; a unit for transmitting radio waves capable of sending signals representing these coordinates to a mobile or fixed alarm processing centre equipped with a radio receiver.
US07642918B2

Embodiments according to the present invention comprised RFID tags comprised of components disposed on a flexible conformal substrate. The substrate may be substantially transparent or opaque and the components may be comprised of organic electronic components. Components and circuits may be manufactured using thin-film deposition processes or by deposition of metal-containing inks using inkjet technology. Exemplary use of an embodiment according to the present invention is as a component in an on-vehicle radio-frequency (RF) automated toll system.
US07642916B2

An RFID bridge antenna is positioned between a tag antenna associated with a tag and a reader antenna associated with a reader. The bridge includes at least two RF antenna elements spaced apart from one another and coupled together by an electrical conductor. The first RF antenna element is located proximate to the tag antenna and the second RF antenna element is located proximate to the reader antenna. An electromagnetic carrier signal transmitted by the reader antenna is received by one of the RF antenna element and retransmitted to the tag antenna by the other RF antenna element, increasing the distance over which the tag can communicate with the reader. Where the tag is attached to a packaged object, the RFID bridge antenna may be included in the package to allow wireless data communication between the tag and a reader. The reader may also be located external to the package. For example, one of the RF antenna elements may be attached to a label on the package, allowing data stored in the tag to be extracted by the external reader. The object may be a module, also known as a customer replaceable unit (CRU), and the tag may be configured as a customer replaceable unit monitor (CRUM).
US07642905B2

An electronic device (40) includes a transmitter substrate (43) for generating information to be measured by a sensor (50) arranged in a partitioned space (10) which is partitioned by a tyre (1) and a rim wheel (2), a signal line (45) extended from the transmitter subs/rate (43)to outside of the partitioned space (10) and passing through an inner side of an air valve (30) provided at the rim wheel (2), the signal line (45) being formed by a core wire (45a) made of a conductor and a coaxial cable (45b) covering that core wire (45a), and an antenna (47) for transmitting radio waves containing the information (such as information of the tyre 1) generated by that transmitter substrate (43), the antenna (47) being connected to the signal line (45) and positioned outside the air valve (30).
US07642901B2

When an ignition switch is turned on to display an image on a display apparatus, the display apparatus first displays a needle image of meter images and a warning indicator image. Out of the meter images, the display apparatus displays the needle image for a specified time period (e.g., 0.2 seconds), and then displays a dial image. After displaying the dial image for a specified time period, the display apparatus displays a navigation image. The specified time period may be set to 0.5 through 1.0 second, for example, long enough to visually check or recognize display of the meter image and the warning indicator image. Accordingly, it is possible to visually check the meter image and the warning indicator image while the navigation image is not displayed.
US07642891B2

A planar inductance, such as for monolithic HF oscillators, has planar spiral windings, each with two loops, where each winding is in the form of an “eight” with cross-conductors carrying current in the same direction and running between two loops.
US07642888B2

An electric reactor of controlled reactive power is formed by a magnetic core, and at least one primary winding to which a main current is supplied to generate a main magnetic flow on the magnetic core. The reactor also includes at least a generator of the magnetic distortion field to which a control current is supplied to generate a field of magnetic distortion on the magnetic core. The magnetic distortion field is opposed to the main magnetic flow generating a distortion of the latter, achieving a change in the magnetic core reluctance and in this way a change in the reactive power of consumption of the reactor. In addition, a method is described to adjust the reactive power in an electric reactor.
US07642886B2

An operating device for an electric hob has an operating element for performing operating functions, which is rotatable and rests in a removable manner on a support. The operating element is configured to be shape-variable, such as being compressible, such that it can be pressed onto the support. Upon approaching the support, a control indication is detected for initiating a further operating function of the electric hob as a consequence of the detection of said approach. In one embodiment, the underside of the operating element is made from elastic foam material.
US07642881B1

A circuit including: at least one radio frequency microstrip conductor; and, a least one vanadium oxide region electrically coupled to the at least one radio frequency microstrip conductor; wherein, the at least one vanadium oxide region is substantially conductive in a first temperature range, and substantially non-conductive in a second temperature range.
US07642879B2

An impedance matching apparatus 3 calculates a forward wave voltage Vfo and a reflected wave voltage Vro at an output terminal 3b, based on a forward wave voltage Vfi and a reflected wave voltage Vri at an input terminal 3a, on information on variable values of variable capacitors VC1, VC2 acquired in advance through measurement, and on a T parameter of the impedance matching apparatus 3 corresponding to the information on the variable values of variable capacitors VC1, VC2. The impedance matching apparatus 3 calculates an input reflection coefficient Γi at the input terminal 3a corresponding to the information on the variable values of the variable capacitors VC1, VC2, based on the forward wave voltage Vfo, the reflected wave voltage Vro and the T parameter. The impedance matching apparatus 3 selects the lowest absolute value out of absolute values |Γi| of the input reflection coefficients corresponding to the variable values of the variable capacitors VC1, VC2, and adjusts the impedance of the variable capacitors VC1, VC2 based on the lowest value.
US07642877B2

A self-oscillating pulse-width modulator comprises an input, an output and a control loop. The control loop comprises a forward branch and a feedback loop. The forward branch is connected between the input and the output and comprises a comparator and a delay element. The feedback loop loops back to the input a feedback signal which depends on an output signal present at the output. The phase shift of the open control loop is 180° at the frequency of an oscillation to be generated by the modulator. At least a part of the phase shift is realized in the forward branch by means of the at least one delay element.
US07642874B2

An oscillator circuit may be used with controller circuits that are designed to operate with crystals, with no modifications to the pinout or firmware of the controller circuit. In some embodiments, the oscillator circuit includes an enable input that is responsive to low-amplitude transitions, which may be coupled to and driven by the crystal output signal of the controller circuit. When transitions are present on the crystal output signal, the oscillator circuit enables its clock output signal. When the controller circuit disables its crystal output signal, the oscillator circuit no longer detects transitions on the crystal output signal coupled to the oscillator circuit enable input, and disables the clock output signal.
US07642871B2

A surface acoustic wave oscillator includes: a cross-coupled circuit including first and second active elements differentially connected to first and second output terminals; first and second surface acoustic wave elements having different resonance frequencies and connected to the cross-coupled circuit in parallel; a first variable capacitance circuit including a first variable capacitance element and changing the resonance frequency of the first surface acoustic wave element; and a second variable capacitance circuit including a second variable capacitance element and changing the resonance frequency of the second surface acoustic wave element, wherein the first surface acoustic wave element is connected to the first variable capacitance circuit, the second surface acoustic wave element is connected to the second variable capacitance circuit, and oscillating outputs from combining outputs of the first and second surface acoustic wave elements are outputted by the cross-coupled circuit.
US07642870B2

A device and method for generating an adjustable chaotic signal are provided. The chaotic signal generation device includes a plurality of triangle pulse train generators which generate a plurality of triangle waves having different frequency cycles, an adder which adds the triangle waves output from the triangle pulse train generators and outputs a noise signal, and a frequency modulator which converts the noise signal to a certain frequency band to output a chaotic signal. Accordingly, the power consumption and cost are reduced and the manufacture of the chaotic signal generation device is simplified due to the components integrated on an IC. Also, a plurality of users can use wireless communications in a particular wireless communications area.
US07642867B2

A ring oscillator circuit having an odd plurality of inverter stages (i.e., 2N+1 stages). In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, only one of the inverter stages is operated in response to a variable input voltage, while the remaining inverter stages are operated in response to a highly filtered constant input voltage. The inverter stages that operate in response to the constant input voltage oscillate at a base frequency. The inverter stage that operates in response to the variable input voltage causes the frequency of the output signal to deviate from the base frequency by an amount determined by the variable input voltage. In this manner, the variable voltage inverter stage implements frequency control for the ring oscillator. The gain of the ring oscillator circuit is reduced by a factor of (2N+1) with respect to the gain of a conventional ring oscillator.
US07642865B2

A multiple phase clock circuit includes a multiple stage voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and multiple clock dividers. The VCO is operative at a frequency ‘N’ times higher than the required output frequency and generates ‘M’ equally spaced outputs having different phases but same frequency which are sent to multiple clock dividers. A modified Johnson counter is used as a clock divider. Each counter divides the frequency of the clock signal by N. As a result, each of the M outputs of the VCO are divided into N outputs, thereby making a total of ‘M×N’ equally spaced outputs. These output clock pulses have same frequency but different phases. A sequential logic is provided within the device for enabling the Johnson counters as soon as the VCO starts giving output, thus maintaining the sequence of the output of the Johnson counters.
US07642864B2

A ring oscillator has an odd number of NOR-gates greater than or equal to three, each with first and second input terminals, a voltage supply terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminals of all the NOR-gates are interconnected, and each of the NOR-gates has its output terminal connected to the second input terminal of an immediately adjacent one of the NOR-gates. During a stress mode, a voltage supply and control block applies a stress enable signal to the interconnected first input terminals, and an increased supply voltage to the voltage supply terminals. During a measurement mode, this block grounds the interconnected first input terminals, and applies a normal supply voltage to the voltage supply terminals. Also included are an analogous NAND-gate based circuit, a circuit combining the NAND- and NOR-aspects, a circuit with a ring oscillator where the inverters may be coupled directly or through inverting paths, and circuits for measuring the bias temperature instability effect in pass gates.
US07642859B2

A power amplifier includes an amplification circuit, an input stage matching circuit, and an output stage matching circuit. The amplification circuit amplifies an input signal in each frequency band by an active element common to the signals in plural types of frequency bans, and outputs the amplified signal. The input stage matching circuit is disposed on an input side of the active element, and performs an impedance-matching between an output impedance of a circuit which supplies the signals of the plural types of frequency bands and an input impedance of the active element. The output stage matching circuit is disposed on an output side of the active element, and performs an impedance-matching between an input impedance of a circuit which receives the signals of the plural types of frequency bands outputted from the active element and an output impedance of the active element.
US07642841B2

A voltage-insensitive circuit includes a second circuit, and a biasing means for providing a constant bias current to the second circuit, the bias current being insensitive to power fluctuations of the voltage-insensitive circuit.
US07642839B2

A current consumption prevention apparatus includes a first current supply unit for transferring charges from a capacitor connected to a first inverter group to a capacitor connected to a second inverter group, and a second current supply unit for transferring charges of the capacitor connected to the second inverter group to the capacitor connected to the first inverter group. The current supply units are operated complementarily.
US07642830B2

A delay locked loop includes a storage element coupled to a data bus and produces a data synchronization signal. A phase detector receives a data clock signal and the data synchronization signal and produces a delay control signal. A first delay circuit produces a signal which is delayed relative to the data clock signal according to the delay control signal. A second delay circuit receiving the delayed signal produces a control signal coupled to a control input of the storage element by delaying the delayed signal an amount which causes the control signal to have a predetermined duty cycle.
US07642821B2

A method for synchronizing a clock signal with a reference signal is disclosed. One embodiment has a first synchronization part which has a bit pattern having a particular clock period, a pause whose length is a multiple of this clock period plus a fraction of the clock period, and a second synchronization part having the particular clock period. The method includes generating a phase difference signal which is proportional to a phase difference between the clock signal and the reference signal, filtering the phase difference signal and providing a filtered phase difference signal, driving a digital oscillator in such a manner that the frequency of the clock signal is changed on the basis of the filtered phase difference signal, the phase of the clock signal within a clock period being corrected by a value corresponding to the fraction of the clock period at an end of the pause in the reference signal.
US07642820B2

A triangle wave generator with function of spreading frequency spectrum is provided. The triangle wave generator includes a switch control circuit, a current generator, an integrator, and a spread spectrum control circuit. The switch control circuit provides an internal clock and a switch control signal. The current generator is coupled to the switch control circuit and provides charge current according to the switch control signal. The integrator is coupled to the current generator and provides a triangle wave signal. The spread spectrum control circuit is coupled to the switch control circuit and the current generator for providing a current control signal according to the internal clock.
US07642816B2

A transconductor to convert an input voltage to an output current, includes: a primary transconductance stage to provide the output current from the input voltage and a driving current; an adaptive transconductance stage coupled in series with the primary transconductance stage to generate the driving current from the input voltage; and a bias circuit coupled to provide a primary bias voltage to the primary transconductance stage and an adaptive bias voltage to the adaptive transconductance stage.
US07642814B2

The leakage compensation circuit includes: a replica circuit of a circuit to be compensated, the replica circuit provides a replica leakage current equal to a leakage current of the circuit to be compensated; an amplifier having a first input coupled to the replica circuit and a second input coupled to a node to be compensated; a first resistance coupled between an output of the amplifier and the replica circuit; a second resistance coupled between the output of the amplifier and the node to be compensated; and wherein the replica leakage current is subtracted from the node to be compensated.
US07642806B2

A magnetic test apparatus, in accordance with one embodiment, comprising a rotor coupled to a drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft is mechanically coupled to a drive system; a stator coupled to at least one brush holder; at least one brush held by the brush holder, wherein the brush is held in contact with the rotor; a housing for supporting the rotor and the stator; and a magnet for providing a magnetic field in the vicinity of the at least one brush.
US07642805B1

A short detection circuit to detect a short condition in a backlight module, wherein the backlight module comprises a WLED circuit having a first terminal connected to an output voltage and second terminal connected to a driver IC. The short detection circuit comprises: a PMOS, a NMOS, a load and a detection module. The gate of the PMOS receives a first voltage and the source of the PMOS connects to the second terminal; the gate of the NMOS receives a reference voltage, the drain of the NMOS connects to the drain of the PMOS and the source of the NMOS connects to a detection terminal. The voltage of the detection terminal becomes a high state when the WLEDs have a short condition; and the detection module is connected to the detection terminal, when the voltage of the detection terminal becomes a high state, the detection module detects a short condition.
US07642791B2

In one embodiment, an interposer is made of a flexible, non-electrically conductive material with electrically conductive paths formed therein to substantially correspond with a pattern of electrical contacts of an electronic component and with a pattern of electrical contacts of an interface to be coupled to the electronic component.
US07642788B2

An AC/DC voltage measuring instrument is operable in a DC mode, an AC mode, or an automatic mode. In the DC mode, an input terminal is coupled directly to an analog-to-digital converter, which generates a digital output signal indicative of the amplitude of the received signal. In the AC mode, the input terminal is coupled to an RMS circuit through a capacitor. The RMS circuit generates an output signal having an amplitude indicative of the RMS amplitude of the received signal, and this output signal is coupled to the analog-to-digital converter. In the automatic mode, the input terminal is also coupled to the RMS circuit, but it is coupled to the RMS circuit without being coupled through the capacitor. The input terminal is coupled to the RMS circuit through an amplifier, and a calibration procedure is used to compensate for any offset of the amplifier.
US07642783B2

A nuclear magnetic resonance(=NMR) probehead, comprising N basic elements (10a, 10b, 10c), where N≧2, wherein each basic element (10a, 10b, 10c) comprises a measurement sample (11) and a resonator system (12a, 12b, 12c), and wherein the N resonator systems (12a, 12b, 12c) of the N basic elements (10a, 10b, 10c) are coupled to each other, is characterized in that a coupling network for the N resonator systems (12a, 12b, 12c) is provided, with which the totality of the N resonator systems (12a, 12b, 12c) can be operated in one identical, coupled mode during transmission and reception, wherein the coupling network comprises a shared receiver circuit for the totality of the N resonator systems (12a, 12b, 12c). With the inventive NMR probehead, a better signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved in the case of lossy samples than with probeheads according to the prior art.
US07642782B2

A magnetic resonance imaging system includes a coupling compensation processor (70) for compensating induced magnetic coupling between n individual coil segments (38) of a coil arrangement (36). An adjusted signal determining device (74) determines an adjusted input signal for each of the n individual coil segments of the coil arrangement (36). A transmitting system (54) creates RF pulses in accordance with the determined adjusted input signals and transmits the RF pulses to corresponding coil segments such that the transmitted RF pulses compensate for coupling between the coil segments (38) in the digital domain.
US07642775B2

An MR method determines local relaxation time values (T1, T2) of an examination object (5). First, two or more MR images (3, 4) of the examination object (5) are recorded, each with different time parameter sets (TR1, TE1, TR2, TE2) of an imaging sequence. MR images (6, 7) of a phantom are likewise recorded using the same time parameter sets (TR1, TE1, TR2, TE2) of the imaging sequence. The phantom has a known spatial distribution of relaxation time values (T1, T2). The local relaxation time values (T1, T2) of the examination object (5) are determined by comparing image values of the MR images (3, 4) of the examination object (5) with image values of the MR images (6, 7) of the phantom and by assigning image values of the MR images (6, 7) of the phantom to relaxation time values (T1, T2) according to the known spatial distribution of relaxation time values (T1, T2) of the phantom.
US07642772B1

A non-contact apparatus and method for measuring of the leakage current and capacitance of p-n junctions in test structures within scribe lanes of IC product wafers is disclosed. The apparatus comprises of a light source optically coupled with a fiber to a transparent electrode at the end of the fiber, which is brought close to the p-n junction under test. The ac signal generated from the test p-n junction is captured by this transparent and conducting coating electrode. The leakage current of a test p-n junction is determined using the frequency dependence of junction photo-voltage signal and reference signals from a p-n junction with low leakage current and known capacitance.
US07642767B2

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus used to the measure duty cycle of a clocking waveform utilizing minimal hardware and achieving high accuracy. This invention utilizes digital sampling of the signal to be measured at a rate that can be significantly lower then the clocking frequency of the signal to be measured. It accomplishes broad-band, multi-frequency use by using a time-varying frequency for the sampling clock to make sure that the sampling clock is asynchronous with the frequency of the clocking signal to be measured. The average ratio of the sampled ones (or zeros) as compared to the total number of samples is then computed to derive the measurement of duty cycle.
US07642761B2

A power supply circuit includes a standard voltage generator; a regulator to control an output voltage, and to be capable of being switched ON/OFF; a capacitor in parallel between the standard voltage generator and the regulator; a discharging circuit including a first switch and a second switch configured to discharge electrical charges from the capacitor via the second switch while the regulator is in an OFF state; and a starting controller configured to transmit a signal for controlling the first switch and the second switch. The first switch is connected in series between the standard voltage generator and the regulator. The second switch has one end connected to a connection node between the first switch and the regulator, and has another end connected to a ground. When the first switch is in OFF state, the second switch is turned to ON state while the regulator is in OFF state.
US07642759B2

Circuits and methods for paralleling voltage regulators are provided. Improved current sharing and regulation characteristics are obtained by coupling control terminals of the voltage regulators together which results in precise output voltages and proportional current production. Distributing current generation among multiple paralleled voltage regulators improves heat dissipation and thereby reduces the likelihood that the current produced by the voltage regulators will be temperature limited.
US07642757B2

A system and method for operating a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) connected to a SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) are disclosed. The UPFC automatic operation system receives power system data from the SCADA system, automatically determines UPFC's optimum operation conditions according to power system states. The system includes: a UPFC acting as a serial/parallel FACTS to control variables of a power system; a SCADA for periodically acquiring line data of the power system and state data of the UPFC; and an upper controller for analyzing data received from the SCADA, and determining an UPFC's optimum operation mode for each power system condition and UPFC's optimum set-point control commands.
US07642747B2

A battery pack provided with a current cut-off device connected in series with batteries, a tamper detector to detect tampering and issue a tamper signal, and a control circuit connected to the tamper detector. If the tamper detector detects tampering with the battery pack, the control circuit switches the current cut-off device off to shut off current to the batteries, or it issues a tamper signal.
US07642746B2

Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a battery core pack having a plurality of unit cells, especially a plurality of cylindrical batteries, which are connected with each other by connecting members. According to the present invention, the structure of the battery core pack can be easily modified by merely changing the combination of the connecting members without manufacturing additional connecting members. Consequently, common use of the connecting members is possible.
US07642739B2

A speed direction corrector determines whether a speed Vp corresponding to a manipulated variable Up generated by a position controller is larger than a target speed Vt set in a target speed setting register (Vp>Vt). If Vp≦Vt, the manipulated variable corresponding to the target speed Vt is corrected to the manipulated variable Up to produce a new manipulated variable Uf. If Vp>Vt, a manipulated variable corresponding to the target speed Vt is set to the new manipulated variable Uf as is. As above, in a deceleration section where Vp≦Vt, the manipulated variable of a position control is reflected in the manipulated variable of a speed control. Combined use of the speed control and the position control becomes possible without a need to execute a complicated process in which the manipulated variable is regulated at the time of switching from the speed control to the position control.
US07642733B2

A light emitting device driving circuit, includes: a switch device, a comparator, a driving module, a time counting circuit and a compensation module. The switch device is turned on or off according to a control signal for controlling a driving current flowing through the light emitting device. The comparator generates a comparison result according to a reference voltage and a feedback voltage corresponding to the driving current. The driving module generates the control signal according to the comparison result. The time counting circuit controls the driving module to turn on the switch device after the switch device turns off for a predetermined time. The compensation module detects a turn on time for the switch device and a delay time between the feedback voltage reaching the reference voltage value and the control signal varying correspondingly, and adjusts the reference voltage according to the turn on time and the delay time.
US07642732B2

A dielectric barrier discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes twenty-four dielectric barrier discharge lamps, and a ballast circuit for lighting the twenty-four dielectric barrier discharge lamps which includes a DC power supply, an inverter circuit, a step-up transformer, and a lighting lamp number detecting circuit. The lighting lamp number detecting circuit detects the number of normally lighting dielectric barrier discharge lamps based on a first peek appearing right after polarity change of an approximate rectangular wave provided from the step-up transformer. When the detected number is less than a predetermined value, the operation of the ballast circuit is controlled to be stopped.
US07642729B2

When an APC selection signal FA is set to H level to start an APC operation, a monitor voltage VA is immediately generated from a monitor voltage generating circuit 16A, and an error voltage VEA corresponding to the difference between the monitor voltage VA and a reference voltage VP is output from an error amplifying circuit 18A. However, until the monitor voltage VA reaches the vicinity of the reference voltage VP, a S/H circuit 20A is held in a hold mode, and a laser diode LDA is driven at a switching current ISA with the same current value as before the APC operation start. After the monitor voltage VA reaches the vicinity of the reference voltage VP, the S/H circuit 20A is switched to a sampling mode, and a feedback control operation of a closed loop is started.
US07642723B2

A vehicular lamp lighting circuit includes a control unit configured to control an electric current that flows to a light source unit. The control unit has an electric current supply section configured to output the electric current to the light source unit, a switching controller configured to compare, with a reference voltage, and to control, by switching, the electric current that is outputted from the electric current supply section, an output current detection section configured to detect the electric current that flows into the light source unit, and a voltage transform circuit configured to transform an electric potential difference that arises from the electric current that flows into the output current detection section into a difference voltage and to output the difference voltage thus converted to the switching controller.
US07642721B2

A high pressure discharge lamp can be used in a vehicle lighting device as a light source in place of a halogen lamp, and can be driven with a reduced starting voltage while being miniaturized. A gas is filled in a space between an arc tube and an outer tube of the high pressure discharge lamp, the gas being capable of dielectric barrier discharge, to reduce the starting voltage. A metal conductor is arranged in the space between the arc tube and the outer tube to stabilize the starting voltage and perform other functions. The metal conductor can also serve as a lead line. Accordingly, high voltage portions of the lamp are not exposed outside of the outer tube. This can reduce the entire size of the high pressure discharge lamp such that a housing for a headlight using a halogen lamp can be used for this type of high pressure discharge lamp.
US07642718B2

A plasma display panel having a reduced number of address electrodes to decrease power consumption while maintaining the same resolution is disclosed. First and second address electrodes are assigned to a pixel comprising three sub-pixels which are near one another. The first address electrode is assigned to two of the three sub-pixels and the second address electrode is assigned to the remaining sub-pixel. As a result, address electrode capacitance is reduced, and accordingly, cross-talk, power consumption, instantaneous power, and heat generation decrease significantly while maintaining the same display resolution.
US07642710B2

A pixel structure electrically connected to a scan line, a data line and a power line is provided. The pixel structure includes a current control unit, a pixel electrode and a redundant active device. The current control unit is electrically connected to the scan line, the data line and the power line. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the current control unit. The redundant active device is electrically connected to the pixel electrode and the current control unit, and the redundant active device is electrically insulated from the power line. Moreover, an organic electro-luminescence displaying unit and a repairing method thereof are further provided.
US07642702B2

To provide an electron source including: a wiring board having: a substrate provided with a groove on its surface; a first conductive member which is arranged along the groove in the groove; and a second conductive member which is arranged above the first conductive member crossing the first conductive member; and an electron-emitting device which is arranged on the wiring board and is electrically connected to the first conductive member and the second conductive member; wherein a particle is arranged between the first conductive member and an inner wall of the groove.
US07642693B2

A thin film made of a wurtzite structure compound is manufactured by a reactive sputtering using a metal material as a target, and a nitrogen gas or oxygen gas as a reactive gas. By optimizing film-forming conditions when manufacturing the film, it is possible to obtain a wurtzite thin film whose polarization directions of crystal grains are aligned in a uniform direction. There is provided a laminate including a first wurtzite crystalline layer made of a wurtzite crystalline structure compound is formed in advance between a substrate and a functional material layer that is a ground. Thus it is possible to improve the crystallinity and crystalline orientation of a second wurtzite crystalline layer on the functional material layer.
US07642672B2

The effects of power supply resistance and internal resistance drop are measured at any time in the interior or other strategic areas of an IC device during steady-state operation, and the results of managed internal voltage regulation are fed back from at least one point, but preferably from several or more points throughout the power grid of the IC. Thus, stability of voltage regulation on an IC including at least one integrated voltage regulator is dynamically controlled with voltage regulation that is managed to effectively provide a ‘secondary’ voltage regulation of the output of one or more voltage regulators to provide a desired voltage output result on one or more portions of a power grid. The management may be implemented in an IC having a singular power grid with respect to a particular supply voltage, or in an IC having multiple power grid structures (e.g., one in each quadrant, etc.).
US07642667B2

A synchronous machine has a stator in which grooves are provided at the inner or outer periphery in mutually spaced relationship to receive a stator winding. The synchronous machine may be in the form of a ring generator used in a wind power installation, for example. In order to provide a stator having a winding, in which the susceptibility to trouble as a consequence of the high loading on the generator is substantially reduced, the stator winding is wound without interruption continuously throughout.
US07642665B2

A portable genset with an engine driving a generator mounted to a frame and positioned within an enclosure. The enclosure includes front and rear hoods that are hingedly mounted adjacent opposite ends of the genset. The hoods may be hinged open to permit access to either of the engine or the generator. The genset may also include a tongue with a hitch mounted an outer end permitting the genset to be towed. The tongue may be movable between an extended position and a generally vertical position.
US07642664B1

This disclosure relates to transient energy systems for supplying power to a load substantially instantaneously on demand. Transient energy systems may include a flywheel coupled the rotor of an induction motor generator. One embodiment of the disclosure refers to systems and methods for reducing loads on a bearing in a transient energy system. In another embodiment, the disclosure refers to an induction motor generator that is optimized for high power transient power generation, yet low power motor operation. Yet another embodiment of the disclosure refers to using a flywheel as a drag pump to cool components of a transient energy system. In yet another embodiment, a slip control scheme is discussed for regulating a DC bus. In yet a further embodiment of the disclosure a method is provided for reducing unnecessary turbine starts by making turbine start a function of the rotational velocity of a flywheel.
US07642657B2

A MEMS apparatus has a MEMS device sandwiched between a base and a circuit chip. The movable member of the MEMS device is attached at the side up against the circuit chip. The movable member may be mounted on a substrate of the MEMS device or formed directly on a passivation layer on the circuit chip. The circuit chip provides control signals to the MEMS device through wire bonds, vias through the MEMS device or a conductive path such as solder balls external to the MEMS device.
US07642655B2

In order to form an aluminum system wiring that does not peel off on an insulating film containing fluorine and to improve the reliability thereof, a semiconductor device according to the present invention includes an insulating film (14) containing fluorine formed on a substrate (11), a titanium aluminum alloy film (17a) formed on the insulating film (14) containing fluorine, and a metallic film (17b) comprising aluminum or an aluminum alloy formed on the titanium aluminum alloy film (17a).
US07642654B2

A multilayer wiring structure of a semiconductor device having a stacked structure is arranged to restrain reliability degradation due to stress applied to the region of wiring between opposite upper and lower plugs. The rate of overlap of contact surface between upper plug and wiring on contact surface between lower plug and wiring, is small to the extent that no void is generated. The multilayer wiring structure is produced such that no grain boundary is contained in the region of wiring between upper and lower plugs. The difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the material of wiring and the material of upper and lower plugs, is small to the extent that no void is generated.
US07642653B2

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an element formed in the substrate, an insulation film formed on the substrate, wiring layers, and an electrode pad. The wiring layers are multilayered and electrically coupled to the element through the insulation film. The electrode pad is electrically coupled to a top wiring layer of the wiring layers. The top wiring layer is configured to be a top wiring-electrode layer that doubles as an electrode layer disposed under the electrode pad. The electrode layer of the top wiring-electrode layer is disposed directly above the element. The electrode pad and the electrode layer are multilayered to form a pad structure.
US07642652B2

A barrier layer and a copper film are successively formed on a silicon oxide film including a groove for wiring in the silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film, both formed on a semiconductor substrate. Thereafter, the barrier layer and the copper film are removed from outside of the groove for wiring, thereby forming a wiring. Tungsten is selectively or preferentially grown on the wiring to selectively form a tungsten film on the wiring. After the formation of the copper film, a treatment with hydrogen may be performed. After the formation of the wiring, the semiconductor substrate may be cleaned with a cleaning solution capable of removing a foreign matter or a contaminant metal. After the formation of the wiring, a treatment with hydrogen is carried out.
US07642636B2

A stack package may include a plurality of individual packages arranged in a stack. Each individual package may have a circuit substrate disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of a semiconductor chip. Through bonding wires, a lower circuit substrate may be electrically connected to the semiconductor chip, and an upper circuit substrate may be electrically connected to the lower circuit substrate. An upper package in the stack may be mechanically and electrically connected to the upper circuit substrate of a lower package in the stack through conductive bumps. The semiconductor chip may be surrounded by the upper and the lower circuit substrates, and molding resins. The individual packages may have the same conductive bump layout.
US07642625B2

A thermal stress resistance evaluating method of a semiconductor device includes: forming a test circuit on a corner of each of unit regions arranged on a wafer in an array arrangement; forming a TEG chip by dicing a TEG chip region which is determined by grouping at least two of the unit regions in a predetermined shape; assembling a packaged TEG chip from the TEG chip; and executing a temperature cycling test on the packaged TEG chip by using the test circuit on the TEG chip. According to such a configuration, by adjusting the predetermined shape, the packaged TEG chip of various sizes can be formed in accordance with the design of the product chip size.
US07642616B2

A method used during semiconductor device fabrication comprises forming at least two types of transistors. A first transistor type may comprise a CMOS transistor comprising gate oxide and having a wide active area and/or a long channel, and the second transistor type may comprise a NAND comprising tunnel oxide and having a narrow active area and/or short gate length. The transistors are exposed to a nitridation ambient which, due to their differences in sizing, results in nitridizing the tunnel oxide in its entirely but only partially nitridizing the gate oxide. Various process embodiments and completed structures are disclosed.
US07642596B2

An insulated gate field effect transistor has a drain region (2,4), a body region (6) of opposite conductivity type and a source region (8) and an insulated gate (14) extending laterally over the body region (6), defining a channel region (30) extending in the body region (6) from a source end adjacent to the source region (8) to a drain end adjacent to a drain end part (26) of the drain region (4). A conductive shield plate (22) is provided adjacent to the drain end for shielding the gate. Embodiments include a shield plate extension (32) extending over the drain region from the shield plate (22) towards the gate (14).
US07642595B2

There are provided a nonvolatile semiconductor memory of a structure in which electric signals from peripheral circuits are reliably transferred to control gates via word lines even if contact holes cannot be opened accurately above the word lines, and a method of fabricating the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Plural word lines and plural bit lines are disposed on a semiconductor substrate, and there are memory cells at intersecting portions of the word lines and the bit lines. At contact portions of the word lines and metal wires of an upper layer, polysilicon regions, which include the contact portions, are formed beneath a polysilicon forming the word lines, as an etching stop layer at a time of forming contacts.
US07642592B2

An integrated circuit comprises a memory device including an isolation layer for defining an active area of a substrate, a tunnel oxide layer formed on the active area, a floating gate formed over the active area and the isolation layer, an inter-gate dielectric layer formed on the floating gate, and a control gate formed on the inter-gate dielectric layer. The integrated circuit also includes a high and low voltage transistors.
US07642589B2

A field effect transistor includes a vertical fin-shaped semiconductor active region having an upper surface and a pair of opposing sidewalls on a substrate, and an insulated gate electrode on the upper surface and opposing sidewalls of the fin-shaped active region. The insulated gate electrode includes a capping gate insulation layer having a thickness sufficient to preclude formation of an inversion-layer channel along the upper surface of the fin-shaped active region when the transistor is disposed in a forward on-state mode of operation. Related fabrication methods are also discussed.
US07642587B2

A flat panel display device including a first region having an organic light emitting diode and a thin film transistor and a second region having a capacitor is disclosed. The capacitor comprises first, second, and third electrodes, where the area of a third capacitor electrode is reduced, thereby ensuring a distance between a first power voltage line and the third capacitor electrode. The total area of the capacitor is compensated by increasing the area of the first capacitor electrode. Thus, the area of the third capacitor electrode is reduced while the total capacitance of the capacitor is maintained, thereby preventing a dark spot caused by a short circuit between the first power voltage line and the third capacitor electrode.
US07642576B2

A rotational micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) having a piezo-resistor sensor is provided. The rotational MEMS device includes a pair of torsion springs that support a stage, four resistors, at least one of the resistors being formed along a center axis of the torsion springs, and electrical signal cables connected to the four resistors, wherein at least one of the torsion springs is formed in a <100> direction on an n-type silicon substrate having a (100) plane, and the resistors formed on the at least one of the torsion springs are formed in a <110> group direction.
US07642568B2

A semiconductor device including a substrate-driven field-effect transistor with a lateral channel and a parallel-coupled Schottky diode, and a method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the substrate-driven field-effect transistor of the semiconductor device includes a conductive substrate having a first contact covering a substantial portion of a bottom surface thereof, and a lateral channel above the conductive substrate. The substrate-driven field-effect transistor also includes a second contact above the lateral channel and an interconnect that connects the lateral channel to the conductive substrate operable to provide a low resistance coupling between the first contact and the lateral channel. The semiconductor device also includes a Schottky diode parallel-coupled to the substrate-driven field-effect transistor. A first and second terminal of the Schottky diode are couplable to the first and second contacts, respectively, of the substrate drive field-effect transistor.
US07642565B2

A radiation-emitting semiconductor component has a high p-type conductivity. The semiconductor body of the component includes a substrate, preferably an SiC-based substrate, on which a plurality of GaN-based layers have been formed. The active region of these layers is arranged between at least one n-conducting layer and a p-conducting layer. The p-conducting layer is grown in tensile-stressed form. The p-doping that is used is preferably Mg.
US07642557B2

A light emitting device is disclosed including a primary light source having a defined emission photon energy output, and, a light emitting material situated near to said primary light source, said light emitting material having an absorption onset equal to or less in photon energy than the emission photon energy output of the primary light source whereby non-radiative energy transfer from said primary light source to said light emitting material can occur yielding light emission from said light emitting material.
US07642555B2

A semiconductor device packaged in three dimensions comprises a first thin film device, a second thin film device, and a third thin film device, each of the first, second, and third thin film devices comprising a first insulating film, a first electrode formed over the first insulating film, a second insulating film formed over the first electrode, first and second thin film transistors formed over the second insulating film, wherein the first thin film transistor is connected to the first electrode through a first contact hole, a third insulating film formed over the first and second thin film transistor, a second electrode formed over the third insulating film, wherein the second electrode is connected to the second thin film transistor through a second contact hole, and a fourth insulating film formed over the third insulating film and the second electrode.
US07642551B2

A wafer-level package includes a semiconductor wafer having at least one semiconductor chip circuit forming region each including a semiconductor chip circuit each provided with test chip terminals and non test chip terminals, at least one external connection terminal, at least one redistribution trace provided on the semiconductor wafer, at least one testing member, and an insulating material. A first end of the redistribution trace is connected to one of the test chip terminals and a second end of said redistribution trace is extended out to a position offset from the chip terminals. The testing member is provided in an outer region of the semiconductor chip circuit forming region, and the second end of the redistribution trace is connected to the testing member.
US07642533B2

The present invention provides a reliable, high-repetition rate, production line compatible high energy photon source. A very hot plasma containing an active material is produced in vacuum chamber. The active material is an atomic element having an emission line within a desired extreme ultraviolet (EUV) range. A pulse power source comprising a charging capacitor and a magnetic compression circuit comprising a pulse transformer, provides electrical pulses having sufficient energy and electrical potential sufficient to produce the EUV light at an intermediate focus at rates in excess of 5 Watts. In preferred embodiments designed by Applicants in-band, EUV light energy at the intermediate focus is 45 Watts extendable to 105.8 Watts.
US07642532B2

Disclosed is an improved aperture design for improving critical dimension accuracy and electron beam lithography. A pattern may be created on a reticle by passing an electron beam through a first aperture having a first shape comprising an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, a vertical edge, an upper bevel, and a lower bevel, wherein a portion of the electron beam is projected onto a second aperture. The portion of the electronic beam is passed through the second aperture having a second shape, wherein the second shape is the first shape rotated horizontally by 180 degrees, and an overlapped portion of the first and second aperture is exposed on a surface of the reticle to create a pattern.
US07642530B2

An ion implantation apparatus includes an ion irradiation unit. The ion irradiation unit irradiates a plurality of areas of a target substrate with ion beams each of which reaches the substrate at corresponding one incident angle. An incident angle measuring instrument measures the incident angle of each of the ion beams. A controller is provided with information from the incident angle measuring instrument and controls the ion irradiation unit in accordance with the information so that a difference among incident angles is set to within ±0.1°.
US07642528B2

A portable electronic device (10) has a customizable housing (20) where a “skin” (22, 72) is provided, wherein the texture and/or color can be changed by a consumer. The portable electronic device (10) is positioned within an apparatus (41, 51, 61) providing a power source for supplying radiant energy such as heat and/or light to the material. The method of customizing a housing (20) encasing electronics of a portable electronic device (10) includes treating the skin (22, 72) within the housing (20) with heat and/or light, and thereby creating at least one of a texture and a color within the skin (22, 72).
US07642526B2

The present invention discloses direction correcting apparatus and method thereof for a movable radiation inspecting system having a moving device. The direction correcting apparatus comprises: a direction detecting device for detecting a moving direction of the moving device and generating a detecting signal indicating the moving direction; a direction control device for controlling the moving direction of the moving device; and a control unit for calculating a deviation value between the moving direction and the predetermined direction based on the detected signal received from the direction detecting device, and the direction control device is driven according to the deviation value to correct the moving direction to the predetermined direction. The direction correcting apparatus according to the present invention can automatically control the movable radiation inspecting system to move linearly in a predetermined direction during working, which enhances automatic control degree, and has a simple structure with installing easily and reduced cost. And it also does not influence the normal running of the inspecting system on a road while not inspecting.
US07642523B1

A stage for processing a substrate, especially useful for vacuum applications, has a recess just large enough to hold a substantially flat substrate and a chuck or holder, but not much more. The perimeter of both top and bottom of the stage has air bearing surfaces separated from the recess by differentially pumped grooves and seal lands. The air bearing lands are guided between two reference surfaces and the seal lands, being substantially coplanar, create a resistance to flow between the bearings and the recess. On the other side of one of the reference plates mounts the radiation source or process. The opposite reference plate may have a large aperture, non-contact pumping port. This improves vacuum capability and stage precision. The stage may operate in a vacuum environment itself or can provide multiple stages moving between processes or inspection steps within the same tool or process sequence.
US07642506B2

A phantom for use in measuring characteristics of a digital radiography imaging system has at least one substrate having a patterned foil layer. The pattern in the foil layer being defined by a plurality of apertures within which the substrate is exposed.
US07642499B2

This image sensor includes a charge increasing portion for increasing the quantity of charges, a first electrode for applying a voltage regulating a region adjacent to the charge increasing portion to a prescribed potential, a second electrode provided adjacently to the first electrode for applying another voltage increasing the quantity of charges in the charge increasing portion, a first wire formed on a prescribed layer for supplying a signal to the first electrode and a second wire formed on a layer different from the prescribed layer for supplying another signal to the second electrode.
US07642493B2

A light sensor for recording the position of a light source includes a photo detector and a light modulator. The light modulator is configured to modulate the quantity of light hitting the photo detector based on an incident angle (α) of the light from the light source on the sensor.
US07642491B2

An aircraft 1 with a spiral inducing assembly 2 which is capable of inducing the aircraft to travel in a continuous spiraling motion without the aircraft rolling. A ramjet 6b is attached to a tube 3 that is able to rotate around the encircled part of the fuselage. The ramjet 6b is able to rotate in a pivoting manner on the rotate-able tube 3 with respect to the rotate-able tube 3, thereby changing their pitch relative to the longitudinal axis of the rotate-able tube 3. Ramjet 6b is smaller than another ramjet on the right side of the tube 3. The difference in size between the ramjets makes the ramjet 6b exert a weaker force on the rotate-able tube 3 than the ramjet on the right side when the ramjets are rotated in the same direction. The imbalance between the rotational forces thus causes the rotate-able tube 3 to rotate. A fin 6c is also able to cause the rotate-able tube 3 to rotate during flight. When rotated, the ramjets would exert a lateral force on the rotate-able tube 3. Thus, as well as forcing the rotate-able tube 3 to rotate, the ramjets would also push the rotate-able tube sideways. But as the rotate-able tube is pushed sideways, it rotates, and hence the lateral direction of push constantly revolves, causing a spiraling motion of the aircraft when in flight.
US07642490B2

A single ply paper product including a paper substrate having a first surface and a second surface and including a web of fibers sufficiently refined to have a Canadian Standard Freeness value of greater than about 100 cm3 according to TAPPI standard test T 227, and having a weight of between about 20 lbs./3,000 ft.2 and about 45 lbs./3,000 ft.2; and a fluorochemical in an amount of at least 800 parts per million.
US07642487B2

An integrated welder, generator and hydraulic unit that includes a housing that at least partially contains components of a welder, generator and a hydraulic pump. An engine, an electric current generator, and a hydraulic pump are at least partially mounted in the housing. The electric current generator is at least partially connected to the engine to be at least partially driven thereby. The hydraulic pump can be at least partially powered by the electric current generator or the fuel powered engine during the operation of the engine. The integrated welder, generator and hydraulic unit can also include an air compressor.
US07642485B2

A laser beam processing machine comprising a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a laser beam application means for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the chuck table, and a processing-feed means for moving the chuck table and the laser beam application means relative to each other, wherein the chuck table comprises a body and a workpiece holding member disposed on the top surface of the body, and the workpiece holding member is made of a material which transmits a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength.
US07642482B2

A laser crystallization apparatus and a crystallization method with a high throughput are provided. Laser light having a predetermined light intensity distribution is irradiated to a semiconductor film to melt and crystallize, wherein a irradiation position is positioned very quickly and with a high positional accuracy, thereby forming the semiconductor film having a large crystal grain size. A laser crystallization apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a laser light source, a phase shifter modulating laser light to give a predetermined light intensity distribution, marks provided on the substrate, a substrate holding stage moving in a predetermined direction, mark measuring means measuring a time at which the mark passes a predetermined position, and signal generating means generating a trigger signal indicating the irradiation of the laser light based on the measured time.
US07642478B2

A device for controlling a circuit-breaker intended for opening and closing this electric power cut-off device comprising a mobile contact, this control device comprising a motor with a rotary output shaft and being connected to power supply means and actuating means transforming the output displacement of the motor into a displacement of the contact, this device also comprising a mechanical spring arrangement involved in opening and closing the contact. The actuation means include a set of jointed elements providing the connection of the rotary shaft and of the ring, and, in the closed position of the contact, the set of jointed elements is near a dead centre position, a so-called open dead centre, the opening spring being only able to drive it towards the open position upon moving past this dead centre during opening.
US07642477B2

A button fixing mechanism for fixing a button (50) to a base (20) of an electronic device includes a top panel (30) of the base, a shelf (40) attached to the top panel, and a pair of resilient members (60). The button includes a pair of shafts (53) extending outwardly from sidewalls (51) thereof. The shelf includes an oblong slot (42) defined therein, and a pair of tabs (422) extending beside the oblong slot and each defining a pivoting hole (423) therein. The button is extended through the oblong slot, with the shafts received in the pivoting holes of tabs. The resilient members are separately attached to the top panel and engage two ends of the button.
US07642476B2

A push-button arrangement and a push-button. The push-button comprises a fastening sleeve portion having a press portion at a first end thereof and a fastening member at a second end thereof for connecting the push-button to a fastening hole in a fastening plate. The outer surface of the fastening sleeve portion is provided with at least one conical sealing surface and the fastening hole, correspondingly, with a conical counter surface.
US07642471B2

A non-metallic electrical box, composed of a hard and durable plastic material, molded and shaped into a housing of two sections, that when installed onto a wall stud, becomes a receptacle for installing an electrical switch, outlet or other electrical device in the first section, and the second section, being that part of the box that attaches to the stud, becomes a cavity or channel by which other unrelated wiring can pass through the box along the center line of the stud in a neat and more efficient and direct manner, as opposed to the currently acceptable practice of looping the wires around the box.
US07642468B2

To improve reliability of interlayer connection of a multilayer wiring board. Plural metal conductor pattern layers are formed on a base material made of thermoplastic resin. Then, high melting metal containing copper, low melting metal containing tin, and binder resin are packed into a via hole. Subsequently, predetermined heat and pressure are applied. Then, while half-melted metal mixture droplets of the low and high melting metals and melted binder resin are phase separated from each other, the surfaces of the conductor patterns that face the openings of the via and the low melting metal are alloyed with each other to form an alloy layer as well as the high and low meting metals are alloyed with each other to form a columnar-shaped interlayer connection part. As a result, an intermediate layer is formed between the outer surface of the columnar-shaped interlayer connection part and inner surface of the via hole.
US07642464B2

A liquid dispensing system equipped with a modular cord set for powering an electrically-operated dispensing module of the system. The cord set includes a plug removably inserted into receptacle extending through a manifold of the system. The manifold heats and supplies liquid to the dispensing module. When the plug is positioned in the receptacle, electrical contacts on the plug are coupled with corresponding electrical contacts on the dispensing module. The cord set and dispensing module can be independently disconnected from the manifold without disturbing each other.
US07642463B2

Transparent conductors with nanowires having silver oxide complexes and methods for fabricating such transparent conductors are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a transparent conductor comprises a substrate and a transparent conductive coating disposed overlying the substrate. The coating comprises silver nanowires at least a portion of which has a silver oxide complex formed on or within surfaces thereof.
US07642458B2

An enclosure for an electrical receptacle includes walls having one or more recesses for receiving associated electrical conductors. The recesses may be covered by at least a first membrane enclosing the recess. The conductors may be manually inserted through the membrane wherein the membrane and/or the recess is self-sealing to automatically encapsulate the girth of the associated electrical conductors.
US07642457B2

The present invention is directed to a protective shutter assembly for use within a cover assembly of an electrical wiring device. The assembly includes a frameless shutter sub-assembly movable between a closed position and an open position. The frameless shutter sub-assembly is configured to move from the closed position to the open position in response to engaging at least one plug blade having a predetermined plug blade geometry. A spring member is disposed within the frameless shutter sub-assembly. The spring member is configured to bias the frameless shutter sub-assembly in the closed position. At least one retainer element is disposed in the frameless shutter sub-assembly. The at least one retainer element being configured to retain the spring member within the frameless shutter sub-assembly. At least one registration member is disposed on the frameless shutter sub-assembly, the at least one registration member being configured to position and align the protective shutter assembly within the cover assembly.
US07642449B2

A structural building component for a residential or light commercial building includes a PV laminate and a plastic frame disposed at least around the PV laminate. The plastic frame includes a first electrical connector for communication with the PV laminate and receptive to electrical connection with a contiguous PV laminate. The first electrical connector is configured to facilitate electrical and mechanical connection with the contiguous PV laminate and the frame includes a means for facilitating attachment to the building structure.
US07642444B2

For each of a plurality of music pieces, a storage device stores respective tone data of a plurality of fragments of the music piece and respective musical character values of the fragments. Similarity determination section calculates a similarity index value indicative of a degree of similarity between the character values of each of the fragments of a main music piece and the character values of each individual fragment of a plurality of sub music pieces. Each of the similarity index values calculated for the fragments of each of the sub music pieces can be adjusted in accordance with a user's control. Processing section processes the tone data of each of the fragments of the main music piece on the basis of the tone data of any one of the fragments of the sub music pieces of which the similarity index value indicates sufficient similarity.
US07642440B2

A percussion instrument in which at least one drum board can be folded on a main board for easy and compact storage of the instrument. At least one arm having a free end and a proximal end is mounted at its proximal end to a part fixed relative to the main board so that the free end can be displaced in position. The drum board is mounted to the free end of the arm and changeable between an unfolded configuration suitable for a musical performance and a folded configuration suitable for storage by being configured to be unfoldable from and foldable to the main board via the arm.
US07642439B2

An electronic drum 30 comprises a hollow body part 10 having an opening side, a drum head stretched over the opening side of the hollow body part 10 and having a stroked surface, an elastic cushion part 40 arranged to touch with a reverse side of the stroked surface of the drum head 30, a vibration absorber 43 that is arranged inside the body part 10 and absorbs a vibration transmitted from the body part 10, and a sensor 41 that is arranged in the vibration absorber 43 to touch with the elastic cushion part 40 and outputs a result of detecting a stroke on the drum head 30 transmitted by the elastic cushion part 40. The drum head 30 is made of a lamination of a plurality of elastic films and has a plurality of holes 30h pierced thorough all layers of the laminated films.
US07642438B1

A novelty noisemaker assembly and its associated method of assembly. The noisemaker assembly has a bellows for manually producing a flow of air. Air from the bellows passes through a sound generator that produces sound energy as the air passes. The sound energy from the sound generator passes into a pitch control chamber. A plurality of slots are formed in the sound generator. A secondary object is coupled to the end of the pitch control chamber. The secondary object obstructs the pitch control chamber. Consequently, the slots in the side of the pitch control chamber provide the only exit port for the flow of air created by the bellows and the sound energy created by the sound generator.
US07642434B2

A rice cultivar designated CL171-AR is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of rice cultivar CL171-AR, to the plants of rice CL171-AR, to methods for producing a rice plant produced by crossing the cultivar CL171-AR with itself or another rice variety, and to methods for controlling weeds in the vicinity of plants of rice cultivar CL171-AR, which comprises increased resistance to acetohydroxyacid synthase-inhibiting herbicides. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar CL171-AR with another rice cultivar.
US07642429B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV300532. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV300532, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV300532 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV300532 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV300532.
US07642427B1

Basically, this invention provides for an inbred corn line designated G07-NPXA5599, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line G07-NPXA5599 with plants of another corn plants. The invention relates to the various parts of inbred including culturable cells. This invention also relates to methods for introducing transgenic transgenes into inbred corn line G07-NPXA5599 and plants produced by said methods.
US07642419B1

According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated RJS30001. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety RJS30001, to the plants of soybean RJS30001 to plant parts of soybean variety RJS30001 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety RJS30001 with another soybean plant, using RJS30001 as either the male or the female parent.
US07642418B1

According to the invention, there is provided a novel soybean variety designated XB26L08. This invention thus relates to the seeds of soybean variety XB26L08, to the plants of soybean XB26L08 to plant parts of soybean variety XB26L08 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing plants of the soybean variety XB26L08 with another soybean plant, using XB26L08 as either the male or the female parent.
US07642413B2

A soybean cultivar designated 7243182 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 7243182, to the plants of soybean 7243182, to plant parts of soybean cultivar 7243182 and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar 7243182 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars and plant parts derived from soybean variety 7243182, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 7243182 and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar 7243182 with another soybean cultivar.
US07642403B2

The invention provides novel molecular genetic markers in soybean, where the markers are useful, for example, in the marker-assisted selection of gene alleles that impart disease-resistance, thereby allowing the identification and selection of a disease-resistant plant. The markers also find use in positional cloning of disease-resistance genes.
US07642398B2

An elasticized web has a gatherable substrate and a multi-strand elastic yarn affixed to the gatherable substrate at a plurality of fixation locations. So that the yarn can be affixed to the substrate without the use of an adhesive, the yarn is subjected to forces to create partial delamination of the yarn at the fixation locations and a portion of the gatherable substrate is caused to pass between the thus delaminated strands of the multi-strand elastic yarn. The elasticized web of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in disposable absorbent articles.
US07642394B1

Systems and methods for recycling waste and reclaiming beneficial and useful compositions such as organic solvents comprises a shredder, operating in an inerted or anaerobic atmosphere, which shreds the waste into smaller pieces that are fed into and indirectly heated in an anaerobic desorption unit so as to vaporize at least one organic compound associated with the waste. A vacuum means is used to transfer the organic compound vapors from the desorption unit to a water quench condensing unit that operates to produce a mixed organic compound liquid stream. The liquid organic compound and water stream is then processed in an oil and water separator. The water is separated and can be reused in the system for quenching gas vapors or inerting the desorption unit. The water-free mixed organic compound liquid stream is then fed into a multi-stage packed distillation column separating organic compound according to boiling points to produce products such as organic solvents.
US07642393B2

A method of removing at least benzene from a hydrocarbon stream comprises concentrating aromatics in the hydrocarbon stream by passing the hydrocarbon stream through a membrane unit having at least one membrane to produce a permeate stream and a retentate stream, wherein the permeate stream is aromatics rich relative to the hydrocarbon stream; and extracting aromatics after concentrating using a selective aromatics extraction solvent in an extraction unit to produce an extract stream, wherein the extract stream is aromatics rich relative to the permeate stream.
US07642386B2

The invention relates to a process for producing an alcohol from fats and oils, including: step 1 of reacting starting fats and oils with water to produce a reaction product containing a glycerin unit, and step 2 of subjecting the reaction product obtained in step 1 to a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a catalyst in the coexistence of water in an amount of 0.5 mole or more relative to 1 mole of the glycerin unit contained in the reaction product.
US07642377B1

Systems and methods for producing urea are provided. A method for producing urea can include exchanging heat from a syngas comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a urea solution comprising urea and ammonium carbamate. The heat transferred can be sufficient to decompose at least a portion of the ammonium carbamate. In one or more embodiments, the syngas can be reacted with liquid ammonia to provide a carbon dioxide lean syngas and an ammonium carbamate solution. The ammonium carbamate solution can be heated to a temperature of about 180° C. or more. At least a portion of the ammonium carbamate in the heated ammonium carbamate solution can be dehydrated to provide the urea solution.
US07642372B2

Preparation of an aliphatic carboxylic acid having (n+1) carbon atoms, where n is an integer up to 6, and/or an ester or anhydride thereof may be achieved by contacting an aliphatic alcohol having n carbon atoms and/or a reactive derivative thereof with carbon monoxide substantially in the absence of the halogens or derivatives thereof at a temperature in the range 250-600° C. and at a pressure in the range 10 to 200 bars, in the presence of a catalyst consisting essentially of a mordenite which has, as framework elements, silicon, aluminum and one or more of gallium, boron and iron, and which has been ion-exchanged or otherwise loaded with copper, nickel, iridium, rhodium or cobalt.
US07642362B2

Compounds represented by the general formula (1) wherein R1 and R3 are each independently hydrogen or a carboxyl group and R2 and R4 are each independently hydrogen or a hydroxyl group, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which exhibit semaphorin-inhibitory activity and are useful as preventives or remedies for neuropathic and neurodegenerative diseases are provided.
US07642352B2

Disclosed are processes for making 2,3 disubstituted indole compounds such as compounds of general formula I comprised of the steps of a) reacting a bromoindole compound (i) with a dialkoxyl C1-5 borane in the presence of a ligand, a palladium catalyst and a base to make a compound of general formula (ii); or alternatively reacting compound (i) with a trialkyl magnesiate reagent, followed by treatment with a borate; b) reacting the product of step a with a R2-Hal where R2-Hal is defined herein.
US07642347B2

The present invention provides chimeric regulatory elements constructed from gene regulatory element polynucleotide molecules isolated from the Zea mays genes fructose 1-6 bisphosphate aldolase (FDA), pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), or ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activase (RUA), useful for expressing transgenes in plants. The invention further discloses compositions, polynucleotide constructs, transformed host cells, transgenic plants and seeds comprising the chimeric gene regulatory molecules, and methods for preparing and using the same.
US07642344B2

Methods and compounds, including compositions therefrom, are provided for determining the sequence of nucleic acid molecules. The methods permit the determination of multiple nucleic acid sequences simultaneously. The compounds are used as tags to generate tagged nucleic acid fragments which are complementary to a selected target nucleic acid molecule. Each tag is correlative with a particular nucleotide and, in a preferred embodiment, is detectable by mass spectrometry. Following separation of the tagged fragments by sequential length, the tags are cleaved from the tagged fragments. In a preferred embodiment, the tags are detected by mass spectrometry and the sequence of the nucleic acid molecule is determined therefrom. The individual steps of the methods can be used in automated format, e.g., by the incorporation into systems.
US07642341B2

The present invention relates to a method for providing molecules that are capable of inhibiting angiogenesis, comprising the steps of providing a range of molecules; testing whether these molecules can prevent interaction between JAM-B and JAM-C; testing the positive molecules for their ability to block angiogenesis in vivo; and selecting molecules that are positive in the angiogenesis test as angiogenesis inhibiting molecules. The method may further comprise the step of isolating or producing the angiogenesis inhibiting molecules. The invention further relates to the angiogenesis inhibiting molecules thus provided and produced, to their use in the treatment of cancer, to therapeutical compositions comprising them. In a particular embodiment the invention relates to monoclonal antibodies, in particular MAb H33, to soluble JAM-C and JAM-B and to small molecules.
US07642339B2

The invention is related to phosphorus substituted anti-viral inhibitory compounds, compositions containing such compounds, and therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds, as well as to processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds.
US07642335B2

An aromatic polycarbonate having a high refractive index and good processing and mechanical properties is provided. The aromatic polycarbonate comprises a thiodiphenol monomer and a biphenyl monomer. The refractive index of the polycarbonate may be greater than 1.670.
US07642333B2

An anhydride and resorcinol latent catalyst system for a phenolic resole resin provides a resin having long pot life and long shelf life, yet cures quickly thereafter.
US07642324B2

Ligands, compositions, and metal-ligand complexes that incorporate heterocycle-amine compounds are disclosed that are useful in the catalysis of transformations such as the polymerization of monomers into polymers. The catalyst have high performance characteristics, including higher comonomer incorporation into ethylene/olefin copolymers, where such olefins are for example, 1-octene, propylene or styrene. The catalysts also polymerize propylene to form isotactic polypropylene.
US07642323B2

This invention provides a method for preparing, in high purity and high yield, heterobifunctional derivatives of poly(ethylene glycol) or related polymers. A chromatographic purification step is not necessary in the method. In accordance with the method of the invention, an intermediate polymer having a formula of W-Poly-OH is provided bearing a removable group W at one terminus. The intermediate polymer W-Poly-OH is first altered by modifying the OH group to a first functional group X, followed by the removal of W to generate a second hydroxyl group. The latter hydroxyl group may then be further converted to a second functional group Y, thus providing the desired heterobifunctional derivative.
US07642320B2

Novel stabilizers that are comprised of known polymer additive moieties chemically bound to hyperbranched and/or dendritic polymers or copolymers, and novel stabilizers comprised of known polymer additive moieties chemically bound to amphiphilic copolymers exhibit superior permanence in an organic substrate as well as high surface affinity.
US07642319B2

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having at least one layer which includes a polymer composition containing at least 50 wt % of an acid polymer and at least 0.5 wt % of a polylactic acid, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total polymeric weight of the polymer composition. At least 70% of the acid groups of the acid polymer are neutralized by a cation source or a metal salt thereof.
US07642317B2

A second-order modified block copolymer which can be obtained by reacting a first-order modified block copolymer with a second-order modifier, wherein the first-order modified block copolymer comprises a base block copolymer and a functional group-containing first-order modifier group bonded to the base block copolymer, wherein the base block copolymer comprises at least one polymer block comprised mainly of vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer units and at least one polymer block comprised mainly of conjugated diene monomer units, and wherein the second-order modifier has a specific functional group which is reactive to the functional group of the first-order modifier group of the first-order modified block copolymer. A second-order modified block copolymer-containing polymer composition comprising the second-order modified block copolymer as well as a thermoplastic resin and/or a rubbery polymer.
US07642315B2

Disclosed herein is a polycarbonate copolymer comprising A) a structure derived from a dihydroxy alkylene oxide compound selected from the group consisting of formula (1a) and formula (1b): H-(E-X)l—OH  (1a) H-(E-X-E)l-OH  (1b) wherein E and X are different and each and independently are selected from the group consisting of formula (2a) and formula (2b): —(OCH2CH2)m—  (2a) —(OCHRCH2)n—  (2b) wherein R is a C1-8 alkyl group; l, m, and n are integers greater than or equal to 1; and wherein the weight average molecular weight of the total amount of the structures corresponding to formula (2b) in the copolymer is between 100 and 2,000 g/mol; and B) a structure derived from a dihydroxy aromatic compound, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the structures of A) and B).
US07642314B2

The present invention relates to polymers polymerized sequentially or in stages and having multimodal molecular weight distributions. The polymers according to the invention can advantageously be present in aqueous emulsion or latex form and can advantageously be used in paint compositions and other coating applications.
US07642309B2

The present invention provides increased stain resistance, tannin blocking, adhesion, and various other properties. A composition in accordance with the principles of the present invention comprises at least two binders, nanoparticle pigment, and pigmentary titanium dioxide. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a coating on a substrate wherein the coating has two binders, nanoparticle metal oxide pigment, and pigmentary titanium dioxide. Various additives may be included to formulate paint as known in the art.
US07642301B2

Disclosed are poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid) compositions comprising a poly(hydroxyalkanoic acid), an ethylene ester copolymer, and an aliphatic carboxylic acid amide.
US07642293B2

An apparatus and method of producing methanol includes reacting a heated hydrocarbon-containing gas and an oxygen-containing gas in a reactor; to provide a product stream comprising methanol; and transferring heat from the product stream to the hydrocarbon-containing gas to heat the hydrocarbon containing gas. After removing methanol and CO2 from the product stream, unprocessed hydrocarbons are mixed with the hydrocarbon containing gas fro reprocessing through the reactor.
US07642281B2

This invention provides a method of treating a subject suffering from a cognitive impairment or a cognitive disorder which comprises administering to the subject an amount of an indolone compound effective to treat the subject's cognitive impairment or disorder.
US07642277B2

Disclosed herein are compounds of formula Ar1—X—W—Ar2 wherein Ar1 and Ar2 represent aryl groups characterized generally as aromatic heterocycles (e.g. imidazolyl or tetrazolyl) or carbocycles (e.g. phenyl or naphthalenyl); the aryl groups are optionally substituted or fused with other heterocycles or carbocycles; the aryl groups can bear substituents such as alkyl, halo or O-alkyl. X is a heteroatom, a valence bond or an optionally substituted divalent methylene, and W represents a spacer; typical spacers include divalent alkylene or alkylene-amido, -amido or -oxy radicals, which may optionally be substituted (e.g. hydroxyl or oxo). A typical compound is a derivative of 2-(N-napthalenyltetrazolylthio)-N-(2-nitrophenyl)acetamide. The compounds have inhibitory activity against Wild Type and single or double mutant strains of HIV.
US07642275B2

Compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, kits and methods are provided for use with histone deacetylases (HDACs) that comprise a compound of the formulae: wherein the variables are as defined herein.
US07642272B2

There are disclosed compounds of the formula I a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate of the compound, which exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing said compounds.
US07642271B2

An aqueous, stable, sterile pharmaceutical composition of the thrombin inhibitor argatroban in a solution containing an acid to solubilize the argatroban, substantially free from dehydrated alcohol is described, as well as a method for its preparation.
US07642269B2

The present invention provides novel pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, processes for the preparation thereof, and compositions comprising the same. The pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridine derivatives or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof of the present invention have excellent proton pump inhibition effects and possess the ability to attain a reversible proton pump inhibitory effect.
US07642258B2

Disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising brimondine and timolol for topical ophthalmic delivery and a method of treatment comprising administering said composition when indicated for glaucoma and associated conditions such as elevated intraocular pressure in the eyes of humans.
US07642256B2

Compounds of formula (I) and salts are provided: along with pharmaceutical compositions, uses in treating a disease or condition mediated by a reduction or imbalance in glutamate receptor function such as schizophrenia or cognition impairment.
US07642254B2

A compound of formula I: and isomers, salts, solvates, chemically protected forms, and prodrugs thereof, wherein: R1 and R2 together form, along with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, an optionally substituted nitrogen containing heterocyclic ring having from 4 to 8 ring atoms; and R3 is selected from hydroxy and —NRN1RN2, where RN1 and RN2 are independently selected from hydrogen, optionally substituted C1-7 alkyl groups, optionally substituted C3-20 heterocyclyl groups and optionally substituted C5-20 aryl groups, or together form, along with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, an optionally substituted nitrogen containing heterocyclic ring having from 4 to 8 ring atoms, and its use in inhibiting ATM.
US07642251B2

The invention encompasses compounds of formula I as well as compositions and methods of using the compounds. The compounds have activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are useful in treating those infected with HCV.
US07642248B2

A process is described for the delivery of a therapeutic polynucleotide to limb muscle tissue suffering from or potentially suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. The polynucleotide is inserted into a mammalian limb vessel such as an artery. Delivery efficiency and distribution is enhanced by combining injection of a solution containing the polynucleotide with the use of an externally applied cuff.
US07642242B2

The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides having sequence similarity to GDNFR and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.
US07642241B2

The invention relates to glucagon-related peptides and their use for the prevention or treatment of disorders involving the large intestine. In particular, it has now been demonstrated that GLP-2 and peptidic agonists of GLP-2 can cause proliferation of the tissue of large intestine. Thus, the invention provides methods of proliferating the large intestine in a subject in need thereof. Further, the methods of the invention are useful to treat or prevent inflammatory conditions of the large intestine, including inflammatory bowel diseases.
US07642240B2

The present invention provides bioconjugates comprising a sulfated polysaccharide such as alginate sulfate and hyaluronan sulfate and at least one bioactive polypeptide capable of binding a sulfate group of said sulfated polysaccharide. The bioactive polypeptide can be a heparin-binding polypeptide and/or a positively-charged polypeptide. Also, provided are delivery systems and methods for sustained release of said bioactive polypeptide(s) using said bioconjugates.
US07642234B2

The present disclosure provides a method of inhibiting angiogenesis within a tissue of interest by providing either intact or nicked β-Glycoprotein 1 (β2GP1) to cells associated with the tissue. The presence of β2GP1 inhibits angiogenesis within the tissue, in part by preventing neovascularization into the tissue. The disclosure also provides a method for treating tumors by providing β2GP1 to the tumor.
US07642231B2

The invention provides a novel amino acid, neo-tryptophan, as well as polypeptides containing this novel amino acid such as neurotensin analogs. In addition, the invention provides neo-tryptophan derivatives, serotonin-like neo-tryptophan derivatives, and polypeptides containing such derivatives. The invention also provides methods for making neo-tryptophan, neo-tryptophan derivatives, serotonin-like neo-tryptophan derivatives, and compositions containing these compounds. Further, the invention provides methods for inducing a neurotensin response in a mammal as well as methods for treating a mammal having a serotonin recognition molecule.
US07642226B2

Generally speaking, the present invention is a water-soluble copolymer film comprising a hydrolyzed copolymer of vinyl acetate and a second monomer, the resultant polyvinyl alcohol copolymer having a degree of hydrolysis, expressed as a percentage of vinyl acetate units converted to vinyl alcohol units, of from about 90% to 100%. The second monomer is preferably selected from the group of monomers having carboxylate functionality or sulfonate functionality. The resulting water-soluble copolymer film is disclosed for use in making pouches to contain a unit dose of liquid detergent, such as a liquid laundry detergent. However, it is an aspect of the copolymer film that film solubility is not significantly affected adversely by the detergent. Such film produces pouches having a greater storage shelf-life over prior art water-soluble film.
US07642225B2

A cleansing cosmetic composition comprising; i) a cationized silicon delivery system selected from one or more of a) a cationized fatty alkyl silicone copolymer; b) a cationized dimethiconol complex and c) a cationized high viscosity lower alkyl silicone fluid with or without cationized silicone gum blend; and ii) detergent active. Also disclosed is a cationized silicone delivery system comprising: a) 15-50 parts of a cationized fatty alkyl silicone copolymer; b) 5-50 parts of a cationized dimethiconol complex; and c) 1-50 parts of a cationized high viscosity lower alkyl silicone fluid with cationized silicone gum blend.
US07642222B1

The present invention provides articles including a base substrate including a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure layer thereon; and, a buffer layer upon the oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure layer, the buffer layer having an outwardly facing surface with a surface morphology including particulate outgrowths of from 10 nm to 500 run in size at the surface, such particulate outgrowths serving as flux pinning centers whereby the article maintains higher performance within magnetic fields than similar articles without the necessary density of such outgrowths.
US07642216B2

Ligands, compositions, and metal-ligand complexes that incorporate heterocycle-amine compounds are disclosed that are useful in the catalysis of transformations such as the polymerization of monomers into polymers. The catalyst have high performance characteristics, including higher comonomer incorporation into ethylene/olefin copolymers, where such olefins are for example, 1-octene, propylene or styrene. The catalysts also polymerize propylene to form isotactic polypropylene.
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