US07827977B2
The present invention provides for a collapsible locking slingshot having a quick-release interchangeable band replacement safety system. The present invention also includes a self-centering, open-pocket slingshot pouch and a unique dual-tapered band. The slingshot collapses into a lockable case, improving the slingshot's safety, and enhancing the protection and longevity of the slingshot's components. The slingshot incorporates a unique shoot-over design in which the arms generally are parallel to the shooter's arm during operation.
US07827976B2
A tube unit of a spark plug for an engine that is used for mounting the spark plug in a cylinder head, may include a spark plug tube including a hollow tube body inserted in an interior mounting hole of the cylinder head, wherein a lower end of the hollow tube body that a gasket is coupled thereto is mounted at an upper end of a penetration hole formed at a lower deck, and a compression bolt engaged to the interior mounting hole of the cylinder head at an upper end of the hollow tube body so as to apply compression force to the hollow tube body and generate surface pressure to the gasket for sealing a gap disposed between the hollow tube body and the penetration hole while the compression bolt is engaged to the interior mounting hole of the cylinder head.
US07827974B2
The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, particularly a motor vehicle, wherein the nitrogen content in an intake air flow (1) suctioned from the ambient air is reduced before delivering the air flow to at least one combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine (7) in order to produce a nitrogen-reduced combustion air flow whose oxygen content is higher than that of the suctioned air flow. According to the invention, the suctioned air flow (1) is run past or along at least one porous solids body (5) in at least one partial area of the intake air flow path (3), the size of the pores of said solids body being designed in such a way that the quantity of nitrogen molecules drawn off from the intake air flow (1) through the porous solids wall (5) is larger than the quantity of oxygen molecules drawn off from the oxygen or nitrogen molecules of the intake air flowing past the porous solids body (5) in order to form the nitrogen-reducing and oxygen-enriched combustion air flow that is supplied to the at least one combustion chamber (7) as main partial gas flow (8) and at least one nitrogen-enriched and oxygen-reduced secondary partial gas flow (9) which is not delivered to the at least one combustion chamber (7).
US07827961B2
A pump is provided for pumping two or more different fluids. The pump comprises a body having a longitudinal bore and at least first and second inlets selectively communicating with and providing passage to the bore via non-return valves. A plunger is mounted for reciprocation within the bore and at least one piston is also mounted for reciprocation within the bore so as to permit at least one type of fluid to pass into the bore through one or both inlets.
US07827958B2
In a gas exchange valve actuating device having a lever for transmitting a drive movement to at least one gas exchange valve of an engine braking control unit of an internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine includes a compact braking control unit which is coupled to the valve operating lever for controlling actuation of the gas exchange valves in a braking mode of engine operation.
US07827949B2
A variable valve timing control apparatus employs a five-blade vane member fixedly connected to a camshaft end and rotatably disposed in a phase-converter housing formed integral with a sprocket driven by an engine crankshaft. Five phase-retard chambers and five phase-advance chambers are defined by five blades of the vane member and the housing, for creating a phase change of the vane member relative to the housing. A circumferential width of each of a first pair of blades, located on both sides of a first blade having a maximum circumferential width, is dimensioned to be less than a circumferential width of each of a second pair of blades, circumferentially spaced apart from the first blade rather than the first pair. The circumferential width of each of the second pair of blades is dimensioned to be less than the maximum circumferential width of the first blade.
US07827936B1
A bird feeder that includes a bird feed holder having open top and bottom ends, a plurality of feeding ports disposed in a sidewall defining the holder, a plurality of perches each associated with an inlet of an associated feeding port and a removable base for engaging with the bottom end of the holder, the removable base having a closed position for sealing the bottom end of the holder so as to retain the bird feed therein and an open position in which the base is removed from the holder to enable access to the bottom end of the holder. One embodiment has a manually operated latch member supported by the base and supported for radial engagement so as to enable releasable securing of the removable base to the holder. In another embodiment a manually operated latch couples to a main body portion, the latch being supported for rotation with respect to the main body portion to releasably secure the base assembly to the housing. Also disclosed is a feeder support apparatus.
US07827933B2
A combination of a teat cup and a flexible milk tube is shown. The flexible milk tube has a main duct and a plurality of secondary ducts for discharging milk from the teat cup and for applying vacuum in the teat cup. The main duct is confined by a duct wall extending around the main duct. The secondary ducts are included in the duct wall of the main duct. By including the plurality of secondary ducts in the duct wall of the main duct the flexible milk tube as a whole has a smaller cross-section than that of the known milk tube. The plurality of secondary ducts no longer need separate duct walls forming separate tubes either connected or not with the flexible milk tube comprising the main duct. This results in space saving.
US07827927B2
An anchoring system for a watercraft vessel, the anchoring system including an anchor bracket configured to be mountable on the watercraft vessel; a sleeve attached to the anchor bracket, the sleeve having an aperture disposed longitudinally therethrough; a sliding tube inserted through the sleeve, the sliding tube being at least partially hollow and having a first end and a second end, a rod having a first end disposed within a sliding tube lumen and a second end having a floor contacting tip; the floor contacting tip operable to penetrate the bottom of a creek, lake, river or ocean flat and a retraction member connected to the rod. The retraction member is configured to retract the rod into the sliding tube and retract the sliding tube through the sleeve.
US07827907B2
Micro-protrusions, which constitute a diffractive microstructure, are produced by embossing the surface layer of a substrate by an embossing member having microgrooves in such a way that the cross-sectional area of a produced micro-protrusion is substantially smaller than the cross-sectional area of the microgroove producing said micro-protrusion. Thus, the embossing pressure is small, the risk of adhesion is reduced, it is possible to use a low embossing temperature, and microstructures may be produced at a high speed. Furthermore, the same embossing member may be used for producing a low microstructure, a normal microstructure, and a high microstructure.
US07827902B2
A piston made of a nitride-forming base alloy for a reciprocating internal combustion engine is disclosed. The piston includes a piston upper part having a plurality of peripheral piston ring grooves, each piston ring groove having two groove flanks, one of the piston ring grooves being closest to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine than the remaining piston ring grooves, the groove flanks of at least the one of the piston ring grooves being hardened using a boundary layer, the piston upper part including an external surface which includes the hardened groove flanks, and a wear and correction protection layer coating at least the external surface, the wear and correction protection layer includes a nitration layer. The nitration layer is generated by converting the nitride-forming base alloy by one of plasma nitration and plasma nitro-carburization in at least one of a nitrogen atmosphere and a nitrogen-carbon atmosphere.
US07827898B2
A hard armor composite includes a rigid facing and a ballistic fabric backing. The fabric backing is carried by the facing, and includes an array of bundled high-performance fibers. The fibers have a tensile strength greater than 7 grams per denier and a denier per filament ratio of less than 5.4.
US07827897B2
The present invention concerns a ballistic protection against objects such as projectiles from fire arms, alternatively scatter from for example hand grenades. The protection comprises an enclosure (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) adapted so that the object (10) can penetrate the enclosure (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) in at least one area (2); at least one intermediate layer (3) comprising granules (27) arranged within the enclosure (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9), which intermediate layer (3) and enclosure (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) are arranged to decelerate said object (10). The invention is further characterized in that: the granules (27) are movable arranged with respect to each other; the space in the intermediate layer (3) that is not occupied by granules (27) is filled by a gas medium to enable contact between adjacent granules (27); the granules (27) have mechanical properties so that a granule (27) is crushed and spread in the intermediate layer (3) when it is hit by an object (10), at the same time as adjacent granules (27) are subjected to impulses with a subsequent energy dissipation so that the object and fragments thereof remains in the protection with a reduced risk for ricochets.
US07827889B2
A sensing mechanism (12) for detecting user contact with an active portion (26) of the power tool (10) is provided. In addition, a safety mechanism (14) for preventing prolonged user contact with the active portion (26) of a power tool (10) is provided. The safety mechanism (14) is configured to actuate upon receipt of a signal from the sensing mechanism (12). According to a first aspect, the safety mechanism (14) is arranged to rapidly displace the active portion (26) away from a user extremity. Alternatively, according to a second aspect, the safety mechanism (14) is arranged to rapidly urge an extremity of the user away from the active portion (26) of the power tool (10).
US07827888B2
A C-shaped clip 54 is set on the outer periphery of a shaft section 21 of a guide member 2. Part of the C-shaped clip 54 is held between a front edge of a clamp member 3 and the shaft section 21 by gripping a lever 4. In this case, the C-shaped clip 54 is held slantwise to situate the lower end thereof in front. Then, the shaft section 21 of the guide member 2 is inserted into a piston pin installation hole 51 of a piston. In this manner, the lower end of the C-shaped clip 54 is first fitted into an annular groove 53. If the shaft section 21 is further driven to advance while releasing the lever and releasing the holding condition by the clamp member 3, the rest of the C-shaped clip 54 is pushed into the annular groove 53 by a step section between the shaft section 21 and a joint section 22.
US07827885B2
An driver extension wrench having a pair of elongate housing members with openings at opposing ends of the housing members, with a plurality of interior posts at a predetermine spacing. The openings have sockets with exterior gear teeth. Gears are mounted on each of the posts and cooperate with each other and the sockets so that rotational force applied to the first opening is transmitted through the gears to the second opening to be applied to a fastener.
US07827883B1
A cutting die is formed by scanning a laser beam along a path corresponding to a blade pattern, and introducing a selected powder to build up an integral blade of high grade, and hard-to-wear material on the relatively softer die body. The final blade shape is machined or produced by EDM or milling. Further hardening by heat treatment is optional. Other heat sources and cladding materials could be used.
US07827880B2
The invention provides a steering column assembly for a vehicle. The steering column assembly includes a steering column operable to adjustably support a steering wheel in the vehicle. The steering column assembly also includes a locking bracket adjacent to the steering column and moveable along a path for collapsing movement. The steering column assembly also includes a locking member supported in two-way movement by the locking bracket between a first position and a second position spaced from one another. In the first position, the locking member locks the locking bracket and the steering column member together. When the locking member is in the second position, the steering column member is moveable relative to the locking bracket. The steering column assembly also includes at least one quick release bolt engaged with the locking bracket to selectively fix the locking bracket with respect to the vehicle. The at least one quick release bolt is selectively divisible into at least two portions independently of the collapsing movement of the locking bracket along the path.
US07827868B2
A jack assembly, for use in a materials testing system, utilizes both a cam and a resilient push block. The cam, having an progressive eccentric, is situated between the push block and a jaw housing and located partially within a corresponding shallow channel in each such that both channels effectively straddle the cam. The channels accommodate axial rotation of the cam. The push block is formed of a material with an appropriate modulus of elasticity such that bending moments, particularly at ends of the push block and resulting from axial rotation of the eccentric to its top dead-center position, cause the channel in the push block to elastically deform and increasingly and sufficiently deflect against and around the eccentric, thus increasingly pinching the eccentric and securely locking the cam, push block and specimen grip in their proper positions.
US07827867B2
A pressure sensing device comprising a base element for fastening the pressure sensing device provided with a connecting duct for feeding a pressurized fluid. The pressure sensing device has a support member that extends along a plugging direction and is fitted with a plug-in connector section configured to be plugged into a complementary plug-in connector. The support member is connected to the base and is equipped with a pressure duct that is connected to the connecting duct, and encompasses a receiving hole which extends perpendicular to the plugging direction and communicates with the pressure duct. The pressure sensing device includes a pressure sensor element that is inserted into the receiving hole such that one of the surfaces of the pressure sensor element is exposed to pressure from the pressure duct, and is connected to contact elements for transmitting signals.
US07827861B2
A system and method for correcting wind speed and direction data collected by a sodar or lidar apparatus for the orientation and/or position of the apparatus. There are sensors mounted to the sodar or lidar apparatus that detect the orientation and position of the apparatus. Software is used to adjust in situ the calculations of wind speeds and directions in three dimensions for deviations from some nominal orientation. Software and data structures can be used to cause the inclusion of the orientation and position of the system with the collected data.
US07827856B2
In a roughness scanner comprising a scanning arm with a scanning needle mounted at one end thereof, a skid carrier having an end supporting a skid with the scanning arm extending along the skid carrier in spaced relationship therefrom, the skid has at one side a guide late including an opening through which the scanning needle extends and a space formed above the guide plate which space is open at least at one side thereof down to the guide plate, so that any liquid collected by the needle and moving upward into the space above the guide late can flow again out of that space.
US07827853B2
A weld testing assembly for testing the integrity of weld used to secure a nozzle to a vessel and the like comprises a pair of plates or discs positioned on either end of the nozzle and a generally coaxially extending annular body having a diameter smaller than the nozzle stem. The assembly creates a sealed area with a small volume whereby a weld test can be efficiently conducted.
US07827838B2
A tooling method for calibrating a partially formed metal part in an electro-hydraulic forming tool. The method includes loading a partially formed metal part onto a forming surface of a die. The part is then clamped onto the forming surface and the part is pulsed with a high rate energy pulse to overcome a spring-back effect in the part. The EHF calibration tool includes a punch to which a part is held by clamps while a capacitive discharge circuit is discharged through electrodes provided in the tool. Upon discharge of the capacitive discharge circuit through the electrodes, a high rate energy pulse is applied through a liquid to calibrate the part.
US07827833B2
A drum type washing machine including a tub installed in a cabinet is disclosed. The drum type washing machine includes a drum performing washing, a motor rotating the drum, bearing housings having bearings to support a rotation shaft, a suspension connected to the bearing housings and the cabinet to mitigate vibration generated during rotation of the drum, a bracket installed to the bearing housings to form the rear side of the tub, and a gasket installed between the bracket and the tub to seal the tub and to prevent vibration from being transmitted from the bracket to the tub. Volumes of the tub and the drum can be easily increased without increasing the volume of the cabinet. Even when the volume of the washing machine is changed, only one of the tub and the bearing housings, which is not applicable to the drum type washing machine having the changed washing capacity, is selectively replaced. Thus parts can commonly used in various drum type washing machine having different volume.
US07827830B2
Disclosed herein is a washing machine that includes a lifter capable of removing foreign matter from water while agitating laundry. The washing machine includes a tub containing water supplied from an outside source, a drum disposed inside the tub, a lifter body mounted to the drum; a filtering unit disposed in the lifter body to collect foreign matter from wash water as it circulates within the machine, and a water supply part guiding the water being introduced from the tub to the filtering unit of the lifter
US07827801B2
A transition (200) for a gas turbine engine (100) comprises a transition wall (201) comprising cooling channels (213L, 213R, 223L, 223R) that are adapted to pass a cooling fluid, such as compressed air from a compressor (102) during operation of the gas turbine engine (100) so as to cool combusted hot gases passing through the transition (200). For each cooling channel (213L, 213R, 223L, 223R), respective entry ports (212L, 212L, 222L, 222R) and exit ports (214L, 214R, 224L, 224R) are arranged so as to obtain a performance improvement based upon pressure differentials between the respective entry and exit ports. In various embodiments, a scoop (220) is associated with an entry port (222L, 222R) so as to establish a more elevated pressure differential in the respective cooling channel (223L, 223R). An entry port (330a-h) may be positioned offset relative to a lower-positioned exit port (340a-h) so as to so minimize or eliminate intake of heated airflow from a respective nearby exit port (340a-h). Such offset positioning may be based on the airflow paths and cooling requirements at selected high-temperature operating conditions.
US07827792B2
This invention reduces the fuel consumption of the modern day power plant by lowering the main steam condenser operating pressure. The main steam condenser is a heat exchanger located in the power plant steam system for condensing steam. The main steam enters the main steam condenser, flowing around the tubes with the coolant flowing thru the tubes, condensing the steam. This invention replaces the present condenser once thru cooling water system with a refrigerant cooling system. The much lower normal temperature and greater high heat absorption rate of the refrigerant, lowers the main steam condenser operating pressure much below that of the present cooling water system. The lower condenser pressure increases steam flow, extracting more energy from the steam, increasing the plant-operating efficiency. This invention combines the conventional steam cycle with the conventional refrigeration cycle. The refrigerant compressor is driven by the main steam turbine which creates the binary cycle.
US07827791B2
Disclosed herein are various systems and methods for producing mechanical power from a heat source. The system may include a heat recovery heat exchanger, a turbine, a condenser heat exchanger, and a liquid circulating pump, etc. In other embodiments, a desuperheater or an economizer, or both, may be employed. In one illustrative embodiment, the system comprises a first heat exchanger adapted to receive a fluid from a heat source and a working fluid, wherein, when the working fluid is passed through the first heat exchanger, the working fluid is converted to a vapor via heat transfer with the fluid from the heat source, at least one turbine adapted to receive the vapor, and an optional economizer heat exchanger adapted to receive exhaust vapor from the turbine and the working fluid, wherein a temperature of the working fluid is adapted to be increased via heat transfer with the exhaust vapor from the turbine prior to the introduction of the working fluid into the first heat exchanger. The system further comprises a condenser heat exchanger that is adapted to receive the exhaust vapor from the turbine after the exhaust vapor has passed through the optional economizer heat exchanger and a cooling fluid, wherein a temperature of the exhaust vapor is reduced via heat transfer with the cooling fluid, and a pump that is adapted to circulate the working fluid to the optional economizer heat exchanger.
US07827789B2
A linear-free piston Stirling machine comprising a displacer and a power piston. A rod is attached at one end to the displacer, extends through the power piston and is mounted to the casing at its opposite end via a spring. A resilient stopper at the opposite end is arranged to contact the engine casing if the displacement of the displacer exceeds a predetermined limit.
US07827784B2
An exhaust gas control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an exhaust gas purification catalyst device provided in an exhaust passage for the engine; an HC adsorption portion, provided in the exhaust passage, which adsorbs hydrocarbon in exhaust gas; a passage switching portion that selectively closes/opens a second passage bypassing the HC adsorption portion using an intake pipe negative pressure in the engine so that the exhaust gas flows in a first passage provided with the HC adsorption portion, or in the first passage and the second passage; and a control portion that controls the negative pressure so that the second passage is closed, when a predetermined condition is satisfied at the time of start of the engine. The control portion executes at least one of a control that advances the valve timing of an intake valve, and a control that reduces the opening amount of a throttle valve.
US07827774B2
A windrow merger has a frame supporting first, second and third pickup assemblies, with the two outside pickup assemblies foldable between an extended use position and a retracted travel position. Each of the pickup assemblies includes a reversible conveyor providing multiple windrow merging configurations. The pickup assemblies are interchangeable and aligned to define an unobstructed pickup face.
US07827773B2
A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header with a header frame, a cutterbar assembly attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center draper that delivers crop material to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers that deliver crop material to the center draper. The harvesting header is operable to flex and thereby follow an uneven terrain.
US07827762B2
A cover segment for an aesthetic cover assembly includes a cover wall and at least one joint element. An aesthetic cover assembly includes two or more cover segments. The joint elements of the cover segments have a common profile and are secured along the corresponding cover wall in an opposite facing relation. A method of assembling a cover assembly is also included.
US07827756B2
A metal stud for use in a metal building wherein the studs are secured to horizontally extending and vertically spaced-apart girts which are either C-shaped or Z-shaped. A metal stud is generally C-shaped and includes a base wall portion and opposite side wall portions with upper and lower ends. The lower ends of the side wall portions each have slot formed therein wherein which are adapted to receive a wall portion and flange of a girt. The upper end of the stud has a tab which extends upwardly therefrom to enable the tab to be secured to a girt. The stud may also be used in the roof system of the building.
US07827755B2
Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling.
US07827749B2
A panel, in particular a floor panel, has a core of a wooden material, in particular MDF or HDF, or a wooden material/plastic mixture. A pattern is arranged on a visible side. The visible side is provided on at least one side edge (I, II) with a chamfer running at an angle α hereto and a length (L). The angle α of at least one of the chamfers varies over the length (L).
US07827747B2
A footing form for supporting posts or other upright structural members of buildings and the like includes a primary web, and a plurality of structural webs extending upwardly from the primary web. The webs include structural webs that extend radially outward from a center portion of the base web, and a plurality of ring-like concentric webs that provide additional structural support. The webs form a plurality of upwardly-opening pockets, and apertures through the base web provide for drainage of water and the like from the upwardly-opening pockets. The footing form may have a one-piece molded construction. The footing form provides sufficient support to thereby eliminate the need for concrete or the like to support the posts.
US07827742B2
A removable covering for surfaces includes, in principle, tiles consisting of bases made of a plastic material and top plaques joined to the bases, the bases incorporating male and female anchoring elements along their edges which fit together for attaching one tile to another. The anchoring elements are located in the joints between tiles and the anchoring elements are arranged alternatingly along the entire outer edge of the bases, at least by pairs of anchoring elements, one male and the other female, on each side of the edge of the plastic base. The anchoring elements are separated by a distance which is twice the distance between each end anchoring element and the nearest adjacent vertex of the corresponding base. It will thus be possible to place and anchor one tile assembly in relation to another in as many positions as the number of sides of the tiles.
US07827739B2
The present invention provides wind flow bodies for use with a structure for decreasing the carrier wing effect on the structure by the formation of turbulence or reducing the dynamic pressure by deflecting the wind flow. The invention further provides a method for securing the composition of a structure against the onslaught of heavy winds, whereby zones, which are suitable for the formation of a critical carrier wing effect during heavy wind flow are identified on the structure, and the position of a wind flow body for generating turbulence for dampening the carrier wing effect, is then determined. Further zones are identified which are suitable for the formation of the dynamic pressure, and the operating position of a wind flow body is then determined for deflecting the corresponding wind flow for reducing the dynamic pressure.
US07827731B2
A fishing lure having a reusable and interchangeable lure body is generally disclosed. The lure body can be changed without having to cut and retie the fishing line to the fishing lure. The fishing lure has two separate components that can be interchanged: the weighted hook and the lure body. A fishing line can be tied to the weighted hook. Different lure bodies can be affixed to the weighted hook to be fished.
US07827727B2
A night sight includes a notched bottom portion, permitting the use of a large objective lens for maximized light gathering capability while also permitting the night sight to be mounted with its center line relatively close to the center line of the barrel of the weapon with which it is used. This configuration permits the night sight to be mounted so that its center line is the same as the center line of a daytime telescopic sight used in conjunction with the night sight. The night sight includes a focusing assembly having decreased sensitivity to tilt or decenter, and a collimator mounted within a spherical bearing so that the collimator may be precisely aligned during assembly of the night sight. The night sight thereby ensures that an image viewed through the night sight appears to originate from the same angle as that with which the image entered the objective lens, and further resists a need to compensate for parallax during aiming.
US07827725B1
A scope assembly includes an elongated viewing scope and a scope mount adapter. The viewing scope has first and second opposite ends, and at least one externally-threaded mounting post located between the opposite ends. The scope mount adapter includes a first connector having an internal screw thread mating with the external thread of the mounting post and a second connector designed for releasably engaging an accessory mounted to the scope.
US07827723B1
A riflescope includes an objective lens component slidably supported on a guide track oriented perpendicular to an optic axis of the objective lens component for lateral, non-pivoting movement of the objective lens component in or along a plane perpendicular to the optic axis. Movement of the objective lens component shifts an image of a target in the field of view relative to an aiming mark displayed in the riflescope. In a preferred embodiment, a transparent optical window is fixedly mounted forwardly of the objective lens element and sealed to the riflescope housing.
US07827719B2
A firearm with reversible backstrap and method of use. The firearm in one embodiment includes a frame defining a grip and a cavity therein, and a backstrap insert that is removably positioned in the cavity. The insert includes first and second backstrap grip surfaces that are each respectively disposed on opposite portions of the backstrap insert, such as a front portion and a rear portion in one embodiment. Preferably, the second backstrap grip surface is different than the first grip surface in some characteristic, such as thickness, profile or shape, material of construction, surface texture, etc. In one embodiment, the position of the insert may be reversed in the frame to selectively reverse the orientation of the first and second grip surfaces between front-facing and rear-facing in some embodiments to provide a user with a choice of grip surfaces. In some embodiments, this allows the user to change the grip depth of the firearm.
US07827709B2
An article is selected and spread from a load of articles. A first clamp moves along a run to remove an article. By changing orientation of the run, articles may be removed from different locations. A second clamp rotates while holding the article. The rotation generally flattens out the article. A third clamp grabs a portion of the article and further spreads the article. This process may detangle or untwist the article. The untwisted article is dragged over a belt. The belt adjusts the amount of overhang on each side. A plate lifts a resulting edge. The article is clamped at that edge and dragged over a roller. The roller moves into contact with a conveyor. The conveyor conveys the article to find a leading edge. The article is then conveyed in a spread position.
US07827707B2
Improved shoe inserts (22, 56, 63) are provided which are designed for placement within the toe regions (37, 52, 64) of shoes (34, 50, 62) to provide enhanced comfort to the shoe wearers. The inserts (22, 56, 63) are preferably cut from initial pillow-shaped bodies (20) to give the custom-designed inserts (22, 56, 63). The inserts (22, 56, 63) are designed to substantially occupy the distal end of the shoe toe region and present a proximal toe-engaging face that substantially spans the cross-sectional dimension of the toe-region. The inserts (22, 56, 63) are preferably formed of heat-sensitive, viscoelastic, polyurethane foam material.
US07827701B2
A template for assisting a person with drawing and cutting two-dimensional shapes is disclosed. In one embodiment the template is a substantially planar member spaced apart surfaces. The template is formed in a selected shape having a handle disposed on one surface and a skid-resistant member disposed on an opposite surface. The handle and the skid-resistant member facilitate holding the template stationary in respect of a writing surface while tracing the shape of the template. In another embodiment the template includes two members formed in substantially matching shapes. A plurality of magnets is employed to secure the two members in substantial alignment having a material disposed therebetween. The outer edges of the two members provide a guide for cutting a piece of the material in a shape conforming to the shape of the template.
US07827698B2
Orientation-sensitive signal output, in which a neutral position of a device is automatically determined in relation to at least a first axis, an angular displacement of the device is measured about at least the first axis, and shaking of the device is detected. A selection of the first control is received, and an output signal is output based at least upon the selection and the angular displacement or based upon detecting the shaking of the device.
US07827691B2
A method for manufacturing a nozzle plate, which has a nozzle hole, includes radiating of a plurality of laser beams. The method further includes applying of the plurality of laser beams to at least one axial end surface of a plate member substantially throughout an inner circumferential periphery, which defines a boundary between a small hole defining the nozzle hole and the plate member.
US07827689B2
A new, faster and more efficient process to replace heating walls and ceilings in coke oven batteries. Thus, when replaced, at least one heating wall is constructed of thermally stable non-expanding large size modular cast modules from end to end and the ceiling adjacent the heating wall is constructed of thermally stable non-expanding large modular cast blocks.
US07827685B2
A seal and method of making seals utilises folds in order to form creases in a length of material such that the creases reinforce individual seal elements or surfaces whilst perforations or slots in a seal edge allow air leakage from one side of the seal element or surface to the other. Thus, air pressurisation can take place between spaced seal elements or surfaces and this allows air flotation or riding of a rotating component relative to a static housing component. The perforations are typically graduated from the seal edge in order to provide the best pressurisation and air-riding effect for proximity or gap control between the sealing edge and the rotating component surface. The slots effectively provide flexibility to the sealing edge such that the seal component emulates a brush seal.
US07827661B2
A machining system includes a support configured to retain an article, such as a rotor disk, having an area, such as a surface of a slot in the disk. A cutting tool, for example, a broach, is movable relative to the support to cut the area. A heating member, such as a laser, is configured to locally heat the area of the article. In one example, the cutting tool includes a body having a cutting edge. The heating member is supported by the body and is configured to provide heat adjacent to the cutting edge. The cutting edge cuts the locally heated area while the area is still heated.
US07827658B2
A method is provided for manufacturing an actuator device including a substrate, a vibration plate, lower electrode, and a piezoelectric element having a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode. The vibration plate is formed by forming an insulating film comprised of a columnar crystalline zirconium layer whose surface has an average crystal grain size of about 20 to 50 nm on one surface the substrate, and then thermally oxidizing the zirconium layer into a columnar crystalline zirconium oxide layer whose surface has an average crystal grain size of about 20 to 50 nm. The zirconium layer shows an XRD pattern having a (002) plane peak with an FWHM of 0.4 or less. The piezoelectric element is formed on the lower electrode.
US07827655B2
A hinge for folding container comprises an inner hinge, an outer hinge and a locking device for locking the inner and outer hinge. Wherein, the inner hinge and the outer hinge are pivotally connected by a pivot pin, the outer hinge comprises at least two outer hinge plates provided in parallel, and the inner hinge comprises at least two inner hinge plates provided in parallel. Compared with the prior art, without changing the standard operating hole, the hinge for folding container disclosed by the present invention can widen the transverse width of the inner hinge, and so that the rigidity of the inner hinge is effectively enhanced. Therefore, the hinge according to the present invention can be applied to any types of folding container, especially the folding container mounted with an independent corner post.
US07827649B2
A cleaning apparatus includes an elongate rod defined by a proximal end portion having a first linkage member and an opposed distal end portion. The first linkage member is pivotally coupled to a second linkage member of a cleaning head. There is a biasing assembly that is coupled to the elongate rod and to the cleaning head, which tensions the cleaning head to a maximum pivotal excursion relative to the cleaning rod.
US07827645B2
A floor maintenance machine is provided. The machine can be used to clean hard or soft floors. A cleaning fluid is dispensed by a dispensing system containing at least two reservoirs, one for a diluting bulk fluid and another for cleaner concentrate. The dispensing system effects both a controlled ratio of bulk fluid to cleaner concentrate and the rate of cleaning solution dispensed for cleaning.
US07827640B2
Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for making a shoe outsole and to shoe outsoles made using such techniques. In one such technique, a sheet of composite material is produced by extruding a base material together with a sheet of fabric material. The sheet of composite material is then cut into an outsole component, and a shoe outsole is fabricated using the outsole component.
US07827634B2
A system and method for a bed transport. The system may include a drive system configured to couple to a bed frame and to provide powered movement of the bed frame. The system may also include a substantially vertical control arm and a control handle coupled to the control arm. The system may also comprise a switch on the control handle, and the switch may be configured to control a function of the drive system.
US07827632B2
A bariatric hospital bed with full feature capability to enhance the care and treatment of bariatric patients. Among the features are fully adjustable and retractable siderails, bed raise-and-lower features, head-up and leg-down features for converting to a seated position, as well as Trendelenburg and reverse-Trendelenburg features. An integral scale assembly and radioluscent capabilities with a built'in X-ray tray are also provided together with redundant, easy-access controls in a pendant as well as in both siderails. An improved footboard is also provided for use as both a foot-rest and a step.
US07827623B2
A wearing article (4 to 4D) includes a main body (5 to 5D) having a front part (P), a back part (Q) and a crotch part (R) coupling the front part (P) and the back part (Q). The main body (5A to 5D) includes a pair of waist edges (T) opposed to each other and a pair of leg edges (S) opposed to each other. A shirring (15) is so formed in a substantially widthwise middle portion of the crotch part (R) of the main body (5 to 5D) as to shorten a space between the front part (P) and the back part (Q). A ratio of the length (L1) of the crotch part (R) along the forward and backward direction (X) to a length (L2) between the pair of waist edges (T) is 1:15 to 1:2.
US07827619B1
A removable resistant garment includes a garment, a zipper flap, a safety flap and a rear mounted zipper. The garment includes an abdomen section and two leg sections. The garment may also include two arm sleeves. A rear of the abdomen section is preferably split down substantially a middle thereof. One of the two leg sections may also be split the entire length thereof. A zipper is used to joint a slit in the abdomen and one of the leg sections. One end of the zipper flap is attached to one side of the abdomen slit and the other end is removably attachable to the other side of the abdomen slit. One end of the safety flap is attached to the one side of the abdomen slit and the other end is removably attachable to the other side of the abdomen split. The safety flap covers the zipper flap.
US07832012B2
A method for detecting malicious programs, the method includes determining whether an object is suspicious, opening the suspicious object in a disposable, secure, single purpose VM (virtual machine) session and detecting indications of malicious behavior when the suspicious object is opened within the VM session.
US07832008B1
In one embodiment, local software code present in a computer system enables real-time detection of whether the computer system is properly protected against malicious attacks from harmful software. For example, software code such as one or more agents executing in the computer system support real-time protection validation based upon detection of the behavior of the computer system (as opposed to mere detection of the presence of resources or applications in the computer system). In response to detecting that the computer system or an application accesses or provides a particular type of resource and should be protected via one or more appropriate protection policies, if the computer system is not already protected, an agent of the computer system can provide immediate remediation (e.g., a security measure) to temporarily protect the computer system until the appropriate protection policy can be activated to protect the computer system against malicious software threats.
US07831995B2
Method, system, and computer code for implementing security and privacy policy in a web application having an execution environment in which a representation of each object handled by the execution environment accommodates data and an associated tag. An inbound tagging rule is established for tagging inbound objects according to a respective source of each of the inbound objects. A tag is assigned to an object being operated on by the execution environment based on the inbound tagging rule. A security/privacy rule is established for performing security/privacy actions on outbound objects according to a respective tag of each of the outbound objects. A security/privacy action is performed on the object being operated on by the execution environment based on the security/privacy rule.
US07831993B2
Information from a database containing weather and sports information is customized to the needs of specific broadcaster customers in an editing procedure that is remote in location from the customers. Selected information is formatted and integrated with suitable graphics in the editing procedure to produce a plurality of individualized data streams that are ready for on-air broadcast. Those data streams are transmitted to an Internet web site for on-call customer access, and a customer may then broadcast the data stream as it is received from the web site.
US07831991B1
A method and system for performing chaincast communication to multiple communication systems (e.g., computer systems) within a system of coupled electronic devices (e.g., the Internet). The present invention provides a system wherein a broadcast source communicates primary broadcast information (e.g., encoded audio radio content, encoded audio/video television content, etc.) to a first group of electronic devices. The first group of electronic devices can be instructed by a chaincast manager to then communicate (e.g., forward or re-transmit) the broadcast information to other electronic devices which devices can also be instructed to communicate to more devices, etc., thereby reducing the bandwidth requirements of the communication channel between the broadcast source and the first group of electronic devices. The chaincast manager, coupled to the Internet, is used to track and manage which devices are forwarding broadcast information to which other devices. The chaincast manager is also used to monitor the packet rates between the electronic devices. In response to the packet rates falling below a pre-determined threshold value, the transmission re-routes communications to provide better communication load sharing across the system. The chaincast communication system may also include a number of secondary broadcast servers for broadcasting secondary information content (e.g., advertisement, emergency information, community information, etc.) to be rendered independently of the primary broadcast information content.
US07831990B2
An encoding system includes a video coding layer (VCL) to generate slices when encoding multimedia data, a generic adaptation layer (GAL) to create, from the slices, a set of GAL units having a format that is generic to various transport systems, and a network adaptation layer (NAL) associated with a specific transport system to map the set of GAL units to the format of the specific transport system.
US07831988B2
A selecting apparatus is disclosed which includes a selecting unit for selecting an input source from a plurality of sources, a switching unit for switching content data in the input source selected by the selecting unit, an operating unit made up of a plurality of operating elements constituting the single integral operating unit, and a controlling unit for controlling the switching unit to switch the content data if a predetermined operating element among the operating elements constituting the operating unit is operated, the controlling element further controlling the selecting unit to execute the input source selection if another predetermined operating element among the constituting elements is operated.
US07831986B2
A high-density recording medium including a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being a light incident surface at a normal mounting condition, a clamping area, an information area including a recording layer provided adjacent to the second surface, a transition area extending between the clamping area and the information area, the transition area being defined from an end position of the clamping area to a beginning of the information area, and a slope being formed in the transition area on the first surface. Further, the slope is formed from the end position of the clamping area to a position placed at least a predetermined distance ahead of the start position of the information area, and a gap as a non-slanted area extends between the information area and a closer end of the slope thereto.
US07831983B2
An optical disk device with release, with the optical disk device including a main unit which having an optical pickup unit to recording/reproducing data on/from an optical disk, wherein the main unit is lifted/lowered for coupling/uncoupling the optical disk on/from a turn-table, a main slider including a rack connected by a gear to a driving source and moving linearly to lift/lower the main unit, and a releasing unit, when a pin is inserted in the optical disk device, to disengage the gear from the rack and allow the main slider to move manually. Thus, the optical disk can be manually unloaded from the optical disk device.
US07831982B2
Various techniques for processing service operations and for developing a service interface in a service oriented data architecture are provided. When processing a service request, a first service implementation is executed in a first operation mode. The first service implementation calls at least one second service implementation, which is executed in a second operation mode. When developing a service interface, at least one aggregated service object and at least one aggregated service operation are defined, the aggregated service operation using the aggregated service object such that the aggregation structure of the aggregated service operation matches the aggregation structure of the aggregated service object.
US07831981B1
Various embodiments of systems and methods for providing external device support for a device driver abstraction layer are disclosed. Some embodiments of a method may involve: accessing attribute information associating each of several keys with a respective device attributes, where each of the keys identifies a respective device; and configuring an interface to a device driver for communication with a device dependent on which device attributes the attribute information associates with the key that identifies the device. Configuring the interface may configure the interface to include one or more of interface features. Each of the interface features may support a respective device attribute.
US07831979B2
A processor comprises memory circuitry and processing circuitry coupled to the memory circuitry. The processing circuitry is operative to retrieve from the memory circuitry an interrupt polling instruction which causes selection of an active enabled interrupt and generation of an interrupt vector for the selected active enabled interrupt. In conjunction with the selection and generation operations, an execution context of a program thread is stored in the memory circuitry, the stored execution context being utilizable to resume the program thread at an appropriate time subsequent to interruption of that thread.
US07831975B2
This invention provides a method and an apparatus for allocating resources between applications efficiently and flexibly to permit exclusive, conflict-free resource usage.When an application APP1 is using a resource, a resource manager (ResMan) may receive a resource acquisition request from an application APP2 (in step S5). The resource manager then determines whether the applications APP1 and APP2 are in conflict with one another about resource usage (in step S6). An acquisition-denied notice is returned to the application APP2 of a lower priority (in step S7). On receiving a request to be notified of release of the resource from the application APP2 (in step S9), followed by the receipt of a notice saying that the resource has been released from the application APP1 (in step S11), the resource manager checks to see if there is any other conflicting request for the resource (in step S15). With no such request detected, the resource manager issues a resource acquisition complete notice to the application APP2 (in step S16).
US07831973B2
Each task #1, #2 registers signal handlers belonging thereto in a signal-handler table through a handler registering section in an OS, and registers itself and the priority thereof in a task/handler priority table through a task registering section. When a signal is generated, a signal notifying section specifies a signal handler corresponding to the signal and the priority thereof by referring to the signal-handler table, and a task/handler selecting section selects a task or signal handler having a highest priority in the task/handler priority table. A task executing section executes the selected task and a signal-handler executing section executes the selected signal handler.
US07831971B2
A method and apparatus for depicting grid availability at various times and for illustrating a simulation of the way in which a grid project will be executed based on grid availability. In addition, the affects of introducing new nodes into the grid may be determined and the affects on the simulated behavior of the grid with regard to the running of a grid project may be depicted using the graphical user interface. From this information, a user may determine the optimal time to initiate processing of a grid project by the computing grid.
US07831969B2
A method of installing a device driver for a system including a multifunction device, a first terminal device and a second terminal device. The multifunction device is connected to the first terminal device. The first and second terminal devices are connected through a network. The first terminal device is installed with first and second device drivers respectively for first and second functions of the multifunction device. According to the method, when the second device is set to connect with the multifunction device through the first terminal device with respect to the first function, the first device driver is installed in the second terminal device with the second device driver installed as a part of the first device driver. When the first device driver installed in the second terminal device is initialized, and the second device driver is also initialized.
US07831966B2
An automated patch detection notification process detects the effects and impacts of application patches on application objects, including but not limited to custom code when applied to the Enterprise Platform Delivery (“EPD”) software platform. It detects and notifies any and all affected parties that a patch, once installed, may overwrite or otherwise affect application objects that are dependent on the software application code that was patched. A list of files/objects that are of concern to the EPD group is assembled. This list names which objects that we would like notification if and when a patch touches it. A snap shot of the EPD software application platform is taken before and after a patch is applied. These snap shots are used to compare and comprehend the changes with the list of objects provided by the EPD team. Once a potential impact has been detected, an e-mail is sent to the responsible parties.
US07831964B2
Automatic program conversion method: An analysis step analyzes the number of times that first instruction pattern information elements appear in an old source program; an analysis results output step outputs the analysis results; an instruction pattern conversion step converts old source program descriptions that correspond to the first instruction pattern information elements analyzed to appear a specified number of times or more, so as to correspond to second instruction pattern information elements; a new program output step outputs a new program resulting from the old source program converted in the instruction pattern conversion step; and an input receiving step receives user-entered manual input regarding the descriptions in the old source program that correspond to the first instruction pattern information elements analyzed to appear less than the specified number of times, so that such descriptions are modified for a new source program. Thus, program migration is achieved efficiently, reducing bugs.
US07831962B2
Techniques for testing subsystems on a platform for a software application are provided. A test application receives instructions for calling platform dependent subsystems directly. The instructions can be designed to fully test the capabilities of the subsystems. Once the instructions are executed, the results of the subsystems can be analyzed for platform certification, performance, reliability, and/or characteristics.
US07831952B2
An apparatus, method, and program for designing a semiconductor device having a storage unit configured to a differential signal library for use in generation of a design data of a differential signal cell that receives or outputs differential signals. The apparatus includes a logic synthesis unit performing logic synthesis based on the differential signal library configured to the storage unit. The apparatus generates a netlist design data of the differential signal cell that receives or outputs the differential signals.
US07831950B2
Disclosed is a method including a step for selecting a component, a step for preparing a timing database including terminal information, input/output attribute and AC specifications of the component selected, a step for creating a circuit diagram from circuit design information, a step for extracting connection information and performing timing verification, when component connection has been determined, a step for performing layout design including the placement and routing of the components, a step for extracting wiring lengths of a data line and a clock line for the components from a net list and the layout information to derive the wiring delay time of the data and clock lines, a step for checking, from the wiring delay time derived, whether or not a timing constraint for the component is met.
US07831943B1
A method of determining validity of slice packing for a programmable device can include identifying a slice topology for a slice, identifying a circuit fragment assigned to the slice, and generating a set of Boolean equations describing conditions for mapping the circuit fragment to the slice according to the slice topology. The method further can include determining whether a solution to the set of Boolean equations exists and indicating whether the slice is validly packed according to whether a solution for the set of Boolean equations is determined.
US07831941B2
A methodology for obtaining improved prediction of CA resistance in electronic circuits and, particularly, an improved CA resistance model adapted to capture larger than anticipated “out of spec” regime. In one embodiment, a novel bucketization scheme is implemented that is codified to provide a circuit designer with considerably better design options for handling large CA variability as seen through the design manual. The tools developed for modeling the impact of CA variable resistance phenomena provide developers with a resistance model, such as conventionally known, modified with a new CA model Basis including a novel CA intrinsic resistance model, and, a novel CA layout bucketization model.
US07831935B2
A method of reducing static power consumption in a low power electronic device. The electronic device including one or more power islands, each power island including: a local storage capacitor coupling a local power grid to a local ground grid; and a functional circuit connected between the local power grid and the local ground grid; a global storage capacitor coupling a global power grid to a global ground grid, each local ground grid connected to the global ground grid; one or more switches, each switch selectively connecting the global power grid to a single and different corresponding local power grid; and a power dispatch unit adapted to open and close the one or more switches.
US07831934B2
Embodiments described herein provide for a portable computer with a contact-sensitive display having a user-interface that is configurable through user-contact with the display. An active input area may be provided that is configurable in appearance and functionality. The contents of the active input area, its functionality, and the manner in which it is oriented, particularly with respect to a left or right handedness, are described herein.
US07831929B2
The invention provides a method, system, and program product for controlling a display on a computer-aided design (CAD) data editing screen, whereby commands more likely to be utilized are preferentially displayed.
US07831920B2
A computer implemented method for gathering user feedback of one or more units of hypermedia content. Notice is made available to a user explaining a preestablished mapping between (1) at least one prescribed aspect of an operation of performing a predefined SELECT function to feedback objects and (2) user-indicated opinion of content units. Feedback objects comprise predetermined types of display objects provided to depart content units for different content units. Responsive to a user positioning a cursor upon a feedback object of a current content unit and performing the SELECT function, user-indicated opinion of the current content unit is ascertained by applying the preestablished mapping to the prescribed aspect of how the SELECT function was performed. Storage is initiated for a machine-readable record of the ascertained user-indicated opinion.
US07831917B1
One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which a server computer sends to a plurality of client devices associated with computer users in an online discussion information corresponding to: a map, an icon for a meeting spot to be overlaid on the map, a plurality of icons representing at least some of the computer users in the online discussion, to be displayed at a same time as the map, and an icon to initiate online communications between a respective client device and a computer associated with the meeting spot. The server receives a request to initiate online communications between the computer associated with the meeting spot and at least one client device in the online discussion; and initiates online communications between the computer associated with the meeting spot and the at least one client device in the online discussion.
US07831916B2
There is provided a method of creating a digital stream contents to be distributed via a network from an input stream signal such as a video signal and an audio signal with a simple operation. A new moving image file is created every time a “NEW” button is clicked at such as a point where scenes of an image switch, and a moving image data from such point until the “NEW” button is clicked again is stored in the moving image file. Further, a speaker name and a slide file name of each scene may be obtained from a file which is prepared separately, and recorded in an administration file in relation with a corresponding moving image file name and a time code. The moving image file may however be a single file which is not separated for every scene.
US07831910B2
Provides methods, apparatus, and systems for computer aided authoring. Included are: a method for browsing an electronic document, an apparatus for aided authoring, an electronic document browser, a method for retrieving an electronic document, a system for retrieving electronic documents, a method for subscribing and publishing an electronic document as well as a system for subscribing and publishing electronic documents. An example method for computer aided authoring includes: generating one or more topic summaries based on an electronic document while a writer is writing said electronic document, wherein the reliability of the topic summary is ensured by the writer; and saving said topic summary information in correspondence with said electronic document.
US07831909B2
A document is displayed which is formed from a page in which field areas containing data of a plurality of types of records are laid out on the basis of the template. The sizes of the field areas in the template are calculated on the basis of the amounts or sizes of data of the data fields for each record, and the layout of the calculated field areas in the template is determined. The change amount of the field area after the layout is determined is calculated. On the basis of the calculated change amount, the order of records which form a document to be displayed is changed to display the records.
US07831906B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for providing collaborative event media content that include creating, in dependence upon original media content, a structured document, where the structured document includes one or more structural elements, and creating a grammar for the collaborative event media content, where the grammar includes grammar elements each of which includes an identifier for at least one structural element of the structured document. In typical embodiments, creating a structured document includes inserting in the structural document structural element identifiers for the structural elements.
US07831896B2
A method of preparing data for transmission. The method includes providing a block of data, generating a plurality of first dimension code words including first dimension forward error correction FEC elements, the elements of each code word may be used interchangeably to reconstruct a data portion of the block corresponding to the code word, defining a plurality of second dimension source words formed of the generated elements and generating for at least two of the defined second dimension source words, different numbers of parity elements.
US07831895B2
The universal forward error-correction coding system provides adjustable code rates and coding gains to greatly benefit the design of many modern digital communications (data storage) systems. The channel encoding and decoding methods are universal such that a single encoder and a single decoder can be used to implement all the forward error-correction codes of different code rates. This universal forward error-correction coding system also includes a novel systematic code generation procedure that has the capability of generating many classes of codes that provide the best balance between coding gain performance and implementation complexity.
US07831892B2
A decoder includes at least one programming input for a plurality of programmable reduced-state trellis parameters. A programmable device is connected to the at least one programming input and implements a reduced-state maximum likelihood decoder that is operable for processing a continuous phase modulated (CPM) signal and returning up to N bits that were transmitted based on a maximum likelihood and current winning super-state and corresponding survivor full-state. The programmable device calculates the path metrics for every super-state and determines a best path based on the reduced-state trellis parameters.
US07831887B2
Method and apparatus for using long FEC codes in a content distribution system is described. One aspect of the invention relates to encoding frames of content. Each frame is partitioned into un-coded bits and bits to be encoded. For each frame, an FEC code is applied to the bits to be encoded to generate a codeword. Groups of bits from the codeword are divided among a plurality of channels. Symbols formed from the groups of bits and the un-coded bits are mapped to a constellation for each of the plurality of channels. The symbols are modulated across a respective plurality of bonded channels for transmission.
US07831879B2
A solution for generating functional coverage bins for testing a device is disclosed. A method includes: receiving information of a failing test generated from a random simulation performed on the device; tracing a first sequence of signal events that happened in the failing test; correlating the signal events to coverage bins to generate a sequence of coverage bins; creating cross coverage event sequence bins based on the sequence of coverage bins; and outputting the created coverage event sequence bins for testing the device.
US07831877B2
In some embodiments, a chip includes first and second scan chain segments each including registers and multiplexers to provide to the registers scan input signals during scan input periods and captured output signals during a capture periods. The chip also includes circuitry to provide first and second test clock signals to the registers of the first and second scan chain segments, respectively, wherein the second test clock signal is provided by a different signal path in the circuitry during the scan input periods than during the capture periods, and during the scan input periods the second test clock signal is skewed with respect to the first test clock signal. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07831876B2
A test system tests a circuit. Compressed scan data subsets are stored, one at a time, in a memory of the test system. The multiple compressed scan data subsets correspond with multiple scan chains in a function block of the tested circuit. Transmission of the compressed scan data subset from the memory to the tested circuit is controlled by the test system. The test system receives a compacted test output subset from the tested circuit and provides a test system output that indicates a presence of any errors in functioning of the tested circuit.
US07831861B1
Techniques for efficient restoration of granular application data are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for restoring one or more portions of application data comprising virtualizing one or more backup files of the application data into a specified staging area, running a recovery process for the one or more backup files, virtualizing the one or more backup files and the one or more recovery files, instantiating an instance of an application utilizing the virtualized one or more backup files and the virtualized one or more recovery files, and recovering one or more portions of the application data.
US07831860B2
A system for testing redundancy and hot-swapping capability of a redundant power supply includes a power switch fixture, a system under test (SUT), and a computing device. The power switch fixture includes a processor, an alternating current (AC) source, a first relay, a second, and two AC outputs. The processor is configured for controlling the AC source to output voltage to the two AC outputs by switching one of the first and the second relay on and the first and the second relay off, so as to ensure that one of the first power supply and the second power supply is operable to provide power to the SUT. The SUT includes a redundant power supply that includes a first power supply and a second power supply. The computing device includes a test control unit for testing redundancy and hot-swapping capability of the redundant power supply.
US07831857B2
A method of recovering from an operating system crash or failure in a first memory. Upon detecting the crash or failure, a second memory provided as auxiliary memory to the first memory and being of equal size to the first memory is initialized, the operating system is booted in the second memory, content of the first memory is dumped to a dump storage device, and the first memory is prepared for use as auxiliary memory.
US07831856B1
In one example, a method of detecting timing errors in a configuration of a programmable logic device (PLD) includes performing a timing analysis on the PLD configuration. The PLD configuration is adapted to configure the PLD to perform a data transfer between a first clock domain synchronized by a first clock signal received by a double data rate (DDR) block of the PLD configuration and a second clock domain synchronized by a second clock signal received by the DDR block. The method includes calculating a slack value associated with the data transfer using a first delay associated with the first clock signal, a second delay associated with the second clock signal, and a time constraint associated with the data transfer. The first delay and the second delay are provided by the timing analysis. The method includes determining whether the PLD configuration satisfies the time constraint based on the slack value.
US07831855B2
Systems and methods are provided to generate a reset signal, such as to facilitate synchronization. In one embodiment, a system to generate a reset signal includes an offset generator that provides an offset clock signal having a frequency offset relative to a frequency of an input clock signal. A reset generator generates the reset signal in response to detecting a periodic phase shift between the offset clock signal and the input clock signal.
US07831854B2
The invention relates to an embedded system, and in particular, to an embedded system capable of compensating setup time violation. An embedded system comprises a serial flash and an access circuit. The serial flash further comprises an input pin and an output pin. The access circuit further comprises a processor, a shift register, a serial flash controller, and a time compensator. The input pin receives an adjusted input signal and the output pin sends an output signal. The processor controls the operation of the access circuit. The serial flash controller enables an operational clock of the access circuit. The time compensator compensates a timing of the output signal by referring to the operational clock. The shift register converts data in parallel form to serial form.
US07831842B2
A heat generation amount estimation unit acquires the number of sub processors currently in operation, acquires the current operating frequency, and estimates the amount of heat generation after a period Δt. A temperature control unit estimates the temperature after the period Δt based on the current temperature input from a temperature sensor and the amount of heat generation estimated, and compares it with a predetermined threshold temperature. If the predetermined threshold temperature is reached, the temperature control unit acquires the number of sub processors available in parallel after the period Δt from a task management unit, and consults a performance table to determine which operation point to shift to. A sub processor control unit and a frequency control unit switch to the number of sub processors in operation and the operating frequency accordingly. The performance table lists possible operation points in order of performance.
US07831836B2
A password recovery technique includes generating words by sequentially selecting a character for each character position of the word from a character string. The order of the characters in the character string is individually selected for each position of the word. Each sequentially generated word may be entered until the password is determined.
US07831834B2
A method and system directed to the communication of the trust characteristics of electronic messages using visual and audio postmarks. The postmarks may represent a particular trust level on a continuum that can range from suspicious to trusted. A message system may determine the baseline trust level of a message and assign a postmark to the message. The postmark can communicate the trust level of the message to a user without requiring the message to be opened or read. In one embodiment of the invention the user can create rules and filters to classify messages by trust level.
US07831829B2
A system is provided that uses identity-based encryption to support secure communications. Messages from a sender to a receiver may be encrypted using the receiver's identity and public parameters that have been generated by a private key generator associated with the receiver. The private key generator associated with the receiver generates a private key for the receiver. The encrypted message may be decrypted by the receiver using the receiver's private key. The system may have multiple private key generators, each with a separate set of public parameters. Directory services may be used to provide a sender that is associated with one private key generator with appropriate public parameters to use when encrypting messages for a receiver that is associated with a different private key generator. A certification authority may be used to sign directory entries for the directory service. A clearinghouse may be used to avoid duplicative directory entries.
US07831827B2
A method of passing validated information along a series of entities, the series of entities including a source entity, a series of at least one intermediate entity, and a target entity, wherein each of the entities shares a validation parameter with its immediately neighboring entity or entities in the series, the method comprising the steps, commencing in the source entity, of: (a) in the current entity, generating a validation code for the information, the validation code being based on the validation parameter shared between the current entity and the next entity in the series; (b) outputting the validation code; c) receiving the validation code in the next entity in the series and making that entity the current entity; (d) verifying the information via the validation code in the current entity using the validation parameter required to verify it; (e) repeating steps (a) to (d) until the last intermediate entity in the series has output the validation code it generated; and (f) receiving the validation code in the target entity and verifying the information via the validation code and the validation parameter required to verify it.
US07831826B2
A method and system for distributing and enforcing security policies is provided. A firewall agent executing at a host computer system that is to be protected receives security policies for the enforcement engines responsible for enforcing the security policies on the host computer system. A security policy has rules that each provide a condition and action to be performed when the condition is satisfied. A rule also has a rule type that is used by the distribution system to identify the security components that are responsible for enforcing the rules. To distribute the security policies that have been received at a host computer system, the firewall agent identifies to which enforcement engine a rule applies based in part on rule type. The firewall agent then distributes the rule to the identified enforcement engine, which then enforces the rule.
US07831819B2
Method and apparatus for a filter micro-code accelerator are described.
US07831815B2
A data processing apparatus is provided comprising a processing unit for executing instructions, a cache structure for storing instructions retrieved from memory for access by the processing unit, and profiling logic for identifying a sequence of instructions that is functionally equivalent to an accelerator instruction. When such a sequence of instructions is identified, the equivalent accelerator instruction is stored in the cache structure as a replacement for the first instruction of the sequence, with the remaining instructions in the sequence of instructions being stored unchanged. The accelerator instruction includes an indication to cause the processing unit to skip the remainder of the sequence when executing the accelerator instruction.
US07831810B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for transferring data between a receiver chip and a transmitter chip. The system includes a set of data path circuits in the transmitter chip and a set of data path circuits in the receiver chip coupled to a shared data channel. In addition, the system includes a set of asynchronous control circuits for controlling corresponding data path circuits in the transmitter chip and receiver chip. Upon detecting the transition of a control signal for an asynchronous control circuit in the transmitter chip, the asynchronous control circuit is configured to enable a transfer of data from the corresponding data path circuit in the transmitter chip across the data channel to a corresponding data path circuit in the receiver chip, and generate a control signal to cause a next asynchronous control circuit to commence the transfer of a data signal.
US07831801B1
A direct memory access (“DMA”)-based multi-processor array architecture that may be implemented in a single integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of processing units. A first processing unit and a second processing unit of the plurality of processing units are topologically coupled via a first DMA block. The first DMA block includes a first dual-ported random access memory and a first decoder. A multiple-processor array is provided by topologically coupling the first processing unit and the second processing unit via the first direct memory access block.
US07831796B2
A method is disclosed for dynamically allocating main memory among applications. The method includes maintaining a first list and a second list, each list having a plurality of pages, maintaining a cache memory module having a selected size, and resizing the selected size by adaptively selecting the first or second list and adding pages to the selected list to increase the selected size and subtracting pages from the selected list to decrease the selected size.
US07831793B2
A data storage system (10) that receives a data set from a software module (18A-D) includes a first tier storage device (240), a second tier storage device (242), a redundancy reducer (21) and a migration engine (28). The first tier storage device (240) has a first effective storage capacity and the second tier storage device (242) can have a second effective storage capacity that is greater than the first effective storage capacity. The redundancy reducer (21) subdivides the data set into a plurality of data blocks (20) and reduces the redundancy of the data blocks (20). The migration engine (28) moves one or more of the data blocks (20) between the first tier storage device (240) and the second tier storage device (242) based on a migration parameter of the data block (20). The first tier storage device (240) can store data in a random access manner and the second tier storage device (242) can store data in a random or sequential access manner. The first tier storage device (240) has a first I/O bandwidth, and the second tier storage device (242) can have a second I/O bandwidth that is less than the first I/O bandwidth. The first tier storage device (240) has a first access time to data, and the second tier storage device (242) can have a second access time to data that is lengthier than the first access time to data. The data storage system (10) can also include a third tier storage device (238) used for retired data blocks (20).
US07831790B2
A universal memory device is presented that provides adaptability to existing hardware and software environments. The memory can “mimic” existing memory technology combining the advantages of integrating all memory capacity into one single technology and still providing the implicit protections and access characteristics known from the different existing memory technologies. The memory device comprises a memory having low-latency, rewritable, non-volatile memory cells, a profile storage unit connected with the memory and comprising access information allocated to a set of request information elements (request profile), such that the access information indicates whether an access request to said memory, the access request having the request profile, is to be allowed or rejected, and an access control unit communicating with the profile storage unit and the memory, and adapted to allow or reject an incoming access request in dependence on the access information allocated to the request profile of the access request.
US07831786B2
It is not uncommon for two or more wireless-enabled devices to spend most of their time in close proximity to one another. For example, a person may routinely carry a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a portable digital audio/video player, or a cellphone and a PDA, or a smartphone and a gaming device. When it is desirable to increase the memory storage capacity of a first such device, it may be possible to use memory on one or more of the other devices to temporarily store data from the first device.
US07831784B2
A system and method of managing purgeable memory objects includes a LIFO and/or FIFO queue for volatile memory objects, which can be emptied at a rate that matches the speed of a page queue.
US07831780B2
A computer system utilizes subsystem supplemental memory resources to implement operating system supplemental disk caching. A main system processor (e.g., a central processing unit) processes information associated with main system functions. A bulk memory (e.g., a hard disk) stores the information. A main system memory (e.g., a main RAM) caches portions of the bulk information. A subsystem supplemental memory (e.g., a graphics subsystem RAM) provides storage capacity for subsystem operations (e.g., graphics operations) and supplemental storage for portions of said bulk information associated with main system functions (e.g., functions performed by the main system processor). Information (e.g., main system information) cached in the subsystem supplemental memory can be accessed by the main system processor directly.
US07831776B2
A home agent allocates trackers to each of a plurality of caching agents, monitors each caching agent's usage of the allocated trackers, and determines whether a caching agent under-utilizes or over-utilizes them. In the case of under-utilization, the home agent retrieves at least one tracker from the allocation to the caching agent. In the case of over-utilization, the home agent allocates more trackers to the caching agent.
US07831773B2
A method and system of managing data access in a shared memory cache of a processor are disclosed. The method includes probing one or more memory addresses that map to a subset of the shared memory cache and sensing a plurality of events in the one or more memory addresses. Cache utilization information is then obtained by reading a hardware performance counter of the processor. The hardware performance counter is incremented based on the occurrence of the plurality of events. Based upon the cache utilization information, an occurrence of one of the plurality of events is reduced.
US07831772B2
A method for temporarily storing data objects in memory of a distributed system comprising a plurality of servers sharing access to data comprises steps of: reserving memory at each of the plurality of servers as a default data cache for storing data objects; in response to user input, allocating memory of at least one of the plurality of servers as a named cache reserved for storing a specified type of data object; in response to an operation at a particular server requesting a data object, determining whether the requested data object is of the specified type corresponding to the named cache at the particular server; if the data object is determined to be of the specified type corresponding to the named cache, storing the requested data object in the named cache at the particular server; and otherwise, using the default data cache for storing the requested data object.
US07831770B2
A method and related computer program product for combining resources of multiple RAID controllers and managing them as a single entity, comprising searching the RAID controllers for the most appropriate version of the firmware to be executed, determining whether a more appropriate version of the firmware was previously loaded into system memory, unloading inappropriate versions of the firmware, loading the most appropriate version of the firmware and initializing all RAID controllers as a commonly managed entity having combined resources.
US07831766B2
A system and method for pre-allocating space on a storage medium is described. In some cases, the system receives two or more data items to be stored on a storage medium, pre-allocates a single, contiguous block of space on the medium, and stores the two or more data items within the single, contiguous block of space.
US07831764B2
Provided is a storage system having a storage device including memory drives formed of the non-volatile memory, a group is constituted by the memory drives whose number is larger than the number of memory drives necessary to provide the memory capacity, the divided storage areas are managed in each of segments that includes at least one of the divided storage areas, the data storage area or the temporary storage area is allocated to the divided storage areas, upon receiving a data write request, the data storage area in which the write data is written and the segment are specified, the updated data is written in the temporary storage area included in the specified segment, the temporary storage area in which the data is written is set as a new data storage area, and data stored in the data storage area is erased and set as a new temporary storage area.
US07831756B1
The present invention is directed to a housing unit, which allows an electronic device such as a portable digital audio player to be substantially hermetically sealed within an audio device. The electronic device is controllable by a user while housed with the housing unit. The audio device is able to be used in a vehicle such as a car, a camper, or a boat or in other common consumer products.
US07831749B2
Roughly described, method for managing data transmission between a host subsystem and a network interface device, in which the host writes data buffer descriptors into a DMA descriptor queue, and the network interface device writes completion events to notify the host when it has completed processing of data buffers. Each of the completion event descriptors notify the host of completion of data transfer between the NIC and one or more of the data buffers, and can also embed a queue empty notification inside the completion event.
US07831746B2
A system and method of transferring data of unknown length in a computer system includes providing an embedded device having a processing apparatus and a DMA engine, the processing apparatus processing the data and the DMA engine transferring the data from the embedded device to a component in the computer system, determining whether information from the embedded device is an address value or a data value, programming the DMA engine with the address value if the information is the address value, and transferring the data value to the address value in the component if the information is the data value.
US07831736B1
Systems and methods for providing VLAN support in an iSCSI environment are disclosed. The systems and methods support associating multiple SCSI routing components in a storage router with multiple VLANs. Target devices on a storage area network are thus only present on the VLAN associated with the SCSI routing component that maps the target devices.
US07831732B1
A system is disclosed for masking errors that may occur during a delay of a client connecting with a server on a network. A connection utility requests a connection with the server. The connection utility determines if a timeout error occurred. If the timeout error occurred, a first browser page presented by the client is displayed to indicate a connection is being made. A browser page presented by the server is displayed when the connection is made.
US07831723B2
An electronic document for describing a service proposed by a server computer of a communication network, comprises a first part adapted to describe messages exchanged between computers of the communication network and a second part adapted to comprise information relating to the transmission of messages over the communication network.The second part comprises two sub-parts, a first sub-part being adapted to comprise information on a format for representing messages and a second sub-part being adapted to comprise information on a communication protocol implemented for the transmission of the messages over the communication network.
US07831717B2
Connectivity information sharing in a smart space having a multiplicity of radio access technologies
An apparatus and method for storing and maintaining in a smart space device connectivity information of devices of the smart space including a plurality of disparate radio access technologies. The connectivity information is propagated to at least one other device of the smart space and is used for selecting an optimal distribution route for information to be shared in the smart space. Technologies such as NoTA, BillBoard and Whiteboard can be used.
US07831711B2
A method and system for monitoring traffic in a data communication network and for extracting useful statistics and information is disclosed.
US07831704B2
A method of managing a machinery monitoring system is provided. The machinery monitoring system includes a database of at least one rule set, the rule set including at least one rule expressed as a relational expression of a real-time data output relative to a real-time data input, the relational expression being specific to a plant asset. The method includes importing data representative of a rule set into the machinery monitoring system, applying the at least one rule set to a specific plant asset wherein the at least one rule set is configured to locate the data input using at least a portion of the relative path information, determining a data output of the at least one rule set using the at least one relational expression and the data input, and transmitting the data output to at least one of the machinery monitoring system and the plant monitoring and control system.
US07831700B2
A distributed path computation element based system in a multi-layer network. The system comprises at least one higher-layer path computation element, and at least one lower-layer path computation element, adapted to provide dynamic multi-layer path computations; at least one higher-layer traffic engineering database, and at least one lower-layer traffic engineering database, adapted to provide multi-layer traffic engineering label switched paths, while maintaining layer-specific traffic engineered database in a distributed fashion; and at least one path computation element agent, adapted to provide static optical layer path provisioning, and reconfiguration of optical layer label switched paths in cooperation with the at least one lower-layer path computation element.
US07831694B2
Automatic discovery of configuration or identification information published by a local computer (publisher) connected to electrical monitoring devices in a power monitoring system and to a server that determines whether to approve data packets sent by the publisher. The publisher attempts to send a data packet including identification information to the server, which throws an exception with error code(s) indicating which information is missing in order for the server to approve the pending data transfer. The publisher interprets the error code(s) and sends back to the server the missing information, which may be identification information, configuration information, or both. This process of the server throwing an exception and the publisher attempting to send data packets or configuration information again may iterate more than once until the server approves the publisher, the device, and all topic information associated with the device and accepts the data for storage in the server database.
US07831692B2
A method of generating a list of target devices to be configured in communication with a server is provided. A first list of target devices to be configured is created. At least one target device having an associated network address is identified and the first list of target devices is modified using the addressed target device. A modified list of target devices is then generated. Programs and systems of generating a list of target devices to be configured are also provided.
US07831690B2
A media appliance metaphor (111) for adding a media function to a Web page (34) downloaded at a processor platform (24) includes a software device of a graphic representation representing a real world counterpart for display in connection with the Web page (34). The metaphor (111) is formed by a server system (26) as a service response (162, 176, 186) in response to information provided by the processor platform (24) to the server system (26).
US07831687B2
In a storage system, a server apparatus and a storage apparatus are provided, while the server apparatus is connected via a LAN to one, or plural sets of computers so as to accept an access request of file data issued from the computers, whereas the storage apparatus is connected via a wide area network to the server apparatus so as to store thereinto the file data. A communication between the computers and the server apparatus is carried out by employing a network file protocol, whereas a communication between the server apparatus and the storage apparatus is performed by employing a block device protocol. The server apparatus and the storage apparatus are connected via the respective security protecting apparatus to the wide area network.
US07831685B2
Features extracted from network browser pages and/or network search queries are leveraged to facilitate in detecting a user's browsing and/or searching intent. Machine learning classifiers constructed from these features automatically detect a user's online commercial intention (OCI). A user's intention can be commercial or non-commercial, with commercial intentions being informational or transactional. In one instance, an OCI ranking mechanism is employed with a search engine to facilitate in providing search results that are ranked according to a user's intention. This also provides a means to match purchasing advertisements with potential customers who are more than likely ready to make a purchase (transactional stage). Additionally, informational advertisements can be matched to users who are researching a potential purchase (informational stage).
US07831684B1
A method for a computer system includes receiving a search request from a first user, determining a user identifier associated with the first user, determining a plurality of user identifiers associated with the user identifier within a social network, determining a first plurality of search request results of a plurality of users associated with the plurality of user identifiers, determining a list of results to the search request in response to the search request and to the first plurality of search request results, and providing the list of results to the first user as a response to the search request.
US07831683B2
An image retrieval system has a network server, at least one client terminal and a data archive of a multiuser file management system, spatially separated from server and client, of a file server. A reduced data stream is now transmitted between server and client and includes a header for transmitting address and meta information with an additional data field that includes an access key to the bulk data stored in the external data archive. This reduces the data volume to be transmitted during image retrieval, and thus reduces the network utilization in the transmission of the data stream occurring between server and client. As a result of this, the time period required to transfer the modified data stream between server and client terminal is correspondingly short.
US07831682B2
Techniques are described for managing access of executing programs to non-local block data storage. In some situations, a block data storage service uses multiple server storage systems to reliably store copies of network-accessible block data storage volumes that may be used by programs executing on other physical computing systems, and at least some stored data for some volumes may also be stored on remote archival storage systems. A group of multiple server block data storage systems that store block data volumes may in some situations be co-located at a data center, and programs that use volumes stored there may execute on other computing systems at that data center, while the archival storage systems may be located outside the data center. The data stored on the archival storage systems may be used in various ways, including to reduce the amount of data stored in at least some volume copies.
US07831678B2
The electronic control apparatus includes at least two microcomputers at least one of which is always supplied with electric power and configured such that, when rewriting of control software of these microcomputers are performed, control software of the microcomputer always supplied with electric power is rewritten after control software of the other microcomputer is rewritten. The electronic control apparatus has a configuration which makes it possible to correctly and reliably rewrite the control software for each of these microcomputers in succession.
US07831668B2
A terminal and computer program product allow a user of a communication device to quickly reply to a received email message using any one of several different communication methods. Communication identifiers, such as email addresses and telephone numbers, are automatically retrieved from anywhere in the received email message and the retrieved communication identifiers are matched to the user's contact list. A list is then generated comprising those contacts for which the extracted communication identifiers match the communication identifiers from the contacts and also comprising the extracted communication identifiers if the extracted communication identifiers do not match the communication identifiers from any contacts. This list is displayed to the user who can then select one or more contacts and/or communication identifiers. The use can then choose to reply to those selected using any one of the available communication methods.
US07831665B2
In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiment, a multifunction communication system comprises a scanner and a multifunction device that processes data received from the scanner. The multifunction device comprises a user interface that allows a user to enter commands to configure at least one functional aspect of the multifunction device, wherein the user is presented with a logical progression of steps that inquire of the user information that is needed to complete an email function. An authentication component communicates with the user interface that requires a user to enter a valid username and password via the user interface to access specific functionality of the multifunction device. An email component facilitates sending one or more email messages that contain data received from the scanner. A receiving component that receives at least one email message from the multifunction device.
US07831664B2
A system for providing group accessibility is provided. A representative resource list management system includes a group management system operable to store a resource list for a user, and a service manager operable to detect a status of a contact associated with the resource list. The resource list includes at least one group, said at least one group including a plurality of contacts. The service manager is operable to update accessibility of the at least one group in response to at least one of the plurality of contacts being accessible on a network. Methods and other systems for resource list management are also provided.
US07831660B2
The present invention relates to a network system providing a wireless website and method for providing and connecting the wireless website using the same, the network system including a contents providing system using a mobile terminal including at least one terminal device receiving contents information for the wireless website through a wired means or a wireless means, thereby transmitting the contents information or connecting to the wireless website, a macro server storing the wireless website created by using the contents information inputted from the terminal device, wherein the macro server includes scripts corresponding to the created wireless website, a database for storing information of the wireless website in a table form, and phone page information for displaying the wireless website, and an execution server searching the database so as to provide contents corresponding to each wireless website, in accordance with a connection of the terminal device. Herein, by creating and providing the wireless website including scripts, database, and phone page information, a wireless website user may use the contents more easily and may also move to different wireless websites with more simplicity.
US07831659B2
A data providing system of the present invention is provided with an image acquiring device, an area extracting device, a data storing device, and a data providing device. For each image data acquired by the image acquiring device, a storage destination specifying area is extracted by the area extracting device, storage destination is specified by a storage destination specifying device, and the image data is stored at the storage destination by the data storing device.
US07831658B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for showing different landing page designs to a user. One method includes displaying an advertisement on a starting page to a user interacting with a client, the advertisement having a hyperlink to an instrumented landing page; in response to the user selecting the advertisement, downloading the instrumented landing page to the client, the instrumented landing page having one or more sections, each section having a corresponding plurality of alternative versions; choosing in the client a combination of one alternative version for each of the one or more sections; generating in the client a landing page variant, each section of the landing page variant being the corresponding alternative version of the section defined by the combination; notifying a server that the instrumented landing page was reached; notifying the server which combination was chosen; and displaying the landing page variant to the user.
US07831654B1
Disclosed are systems and methods to communicate information to an employee using an electronic display area. The electronic display area may include a variety of placements in an employment area, a call center, and/or a mobile device. An employer may communicate information to the employee through any or all the display areas based on attributes of the display placement, the employee, and the employee location.
US07831643B1
A method of accessing a shareable computer file includes receiving a request to access the shareable computer file, retrieving a file ID from a stub file corresponding to the shareable computer file, retrieving a file name from a database corresponding to the file ID, accessing the shareable computer file if a user has not modified the shareable computer file, and accessing a modified copy of the shareable file stored in the stub file if the user has modified the shareable computer file. A database is generated in operating system space or accessed using the operating system, and includes file IDs and their corresponding file names for shareable computer files. The stub file is generated locally to correspond to the shareable computer file, and includes a modified copy of the shareable computer file if the shareable computer file has been modified, and a link to the shareable computer file if the shareable computer file has not been modified. If the shareable computer file has not been modified, a read-only operation retrieves any of file contents, file position and file size from the shareable computer file. File attributes relating to the shareable computer file can be retrieved from the stub file. The database is provided by the operating system for use by a Virtual Private Server.
US07831641B2
A NAS switch provides large file support to a file server in a decentralized storage network such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) storage network. For example, files greater than 2-GB can be stored on a 32-bit commodity file server. The NAS switch sits in the data path of a client on the front end and a commodity NAS file server on the back end. A segmentation module in the NAS switch stores large files as separate data chunks in the file server. To do so, the segmentation module stores a directory file handle, which points to a directory containing the data chunks, in place of the large file. The segmentation module can also store a large file/chunk directory association in a migration cache. A reconstruction module processes client requests concerning large files by issuing requests to specific data chunks. For example, in a read operation, the reconstruction module calculates chunk numbers to determine which file to read and offsets to determine which byte to read within a chunk.
US07831638B2
A method and system for migrating data to a build-to-order computing system is provided. The method comprises storing an image at a remote site. The image comprises data stored on a computing system. An order is received to provide a second computing system to a customer. Access to the image is provided to the second computing system such that the second computing system can store the image.
US07831629B2
The relationships between physical data store schema, object model, and end-user property may be encoded in the source of the object model using attributes. Reflection may be used to build the table of those relationships so that changes to the relationships between those three layers can be easily and quickly made without impacting higher levels in the software stack.
US07831628B1
The present invention, known as, a Building Department Integrated Solution (BDIS), provides a new method and system of municipality building information management in a municipality's building department by providing a management tool that provides accuracy and improves efficiency in the processes. The present invention enables users to compile, access, provide and deliver accurate, relevant, secured and required building department data to building officials and/or homeowners/contractors. The present invention enables users to transmit plans, request inspections and retrieve inspection results along with any issued certifications via a network. Inspectors also retrieve and schedule inspection requests via the network. Upon completion of the inspection, inspectors may transmit inspection results and initiate issuance of certificates of completion via the network.
US07831627B2
A dependency network is created from a training data set utilizing a scalable method. A statistical model (or pattern), such as for example a Bayesian network, is then constructed to allow more convenient inferencing. The model (or pattern) is employed in lieu of the training data set for data access. The computational complexity of the method that produces the model (or pattern) is independent of the size of the original data set. The dependency network directly returns explicitly encoded data in the conditional probability distributions of the dependency network. Non-explicitly encoded data is generated via Gibbs sampling, approximated, or ignored.
US07831620B2
The present invention generally relates to data processing, and more specifically to executing a query against a partitioned database. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method of managing execution of a query against a partitioned database having a plurality of data partitions. The method comprises issuing a query for execution against each of the plurality of data partitions. Then, it is determined whether a complete query result is returned for the query before execution of the query has completed against each of the plurality of data partitions. If so, execution of the query is terminated on at least one of the plurality of data partitions.
US07831619B2
A method of and system for submitting inquiries to members of an organization determine if there is a pending inquiry to be submitted to the member. If there is a pending inquiry to be submitted to the member, the system displays the pending inquiry to the member. The system permits the member to logon to said server if the member responds to said inquiry. The system may allow the member to defer responding to the inquiry and permit the member to logon to the server without responding to the inquiry. If deferral of response to the inquiry is not allowed, the system will deny the member access to the server if the member fails to respond to said inquiry.
US07831616B2
Systems and methods enable remote (or “off-campus”) users complete authorized access to full-record content of 3rd-party databases subscribed to by the user's institution. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system that acts as a transparent conduit between the user and a remote database, managing relevant session/context information without the user's awareness and without the need for users to install plug-ins or configure browser proxies.
US07831606B2
Memory architecture provides capabilities for high performance content search. The architecture creates an innovative memory that can be programmed with content search rules which are used by the memory to evaluate presented content for matching with the programmed rules. Content search rules include of regular expressions which are compiled to finite state automata (FSA) and further include of patterns of strings a first set of which are compiled to a compressed signature database and a second set of which are compiled into FSAs. The finite state automata are then programmed in Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM) programmable FSA rule blocks and the compressed signature database is programmed in the PRISM signature search engines for evaluating content with the content search rules. A compiler compiles the content search rules for evaluation by PRISM memory. When the content being searched matches any of the rules programmed in the Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM), action(s) associated with the matched rule(s) are taken.
US07831605B2
Integrated management of local and remote media files. A playlist of media files adapted for rendering by a media player application are located in either a local media library stored at the computer or a remote media library accessible by the computer via a data communication network or both. Media player operations may be performed on the playlist. A first identifier identifies each of the media files in the playlist and a second identifier represents a source of each of the media files in the playlist. A streaming locator defined by the first and second identifiers locates each of the media files in the playlist in the local media library and then in the remote library.
US07831603B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for transmitting a requested media file through a network. A master controller of a server partitions the media object. The master controller of the server then assigns a segment of said partitioned media object to a file partition handler for transmission over the network to a client that requested the media object. The file partition handler transmits the segment over a user datagram protocol port through the network to a client. The master controller then assigns a second segment of said partitioned media object to the file partition handler when the original segment is transmitted successfully to the client. The segmentation of the media object is determined in response to the availability of file partition handlers and the conditions specified by the client.
US07831601B2
A method is provided for enabling a user to search for documents that the user has previously viewed on its local machine. The method may rely upon three main system components: the desktop integration module, the index module, and the graphical user interface module. The desktop integration module is an application which monitors documents with which the user interacts for predetermined events, and obtains content data and metadata from the monitored documents. The index module indexes the content data and metadata received from the desktop integration module. The graphical user interface module then permits a user to utilize the desktop integration module and index module by allowing a user to search for a document.
US07831598B2
A data recording and reproducing apparatus and a method of generating metadata are provided. The data recording and reproducing apparatus includes: a signal processor capturing images, processing the captured images to generate image data, and generating an image file that includes the image data; a speech recognition unit recognizing speech and converting the speech into text data; and a controller using the text data to generate metadata and adding the metadata to the image file. Accordingly, at a time when images are recorded, metadata is generated as management information corresponding to image contents by using an image contents recording apparatus. Therefore, reliable metadata corresponding to the image contents can be generated.
US07831590B2
Techniques for partitioning indexes are provided. A predefined data type associated with a column of a database table is acquired. Column value statistics for the column are acquired. The values are analyzed to produce multiple partitions for the values. Each partition includes each of the values and each partition includes multiple groupings of the values. Also, each grouping of a particular partition includes a subset or range of the values. Furthermore, each grouping of a partition includes a same distribution for the values as other groupings of that partition. Each partition represents a potential partitioning index for the column and its values.
US07831588B2
A method for processing a search query having a plurality of search terms for searching for documents includes segmenting the query to identify two or more units, expanding the query by selecting one or more substitutable units for at least one unit in the query, and calculating a substitution probability for each substitutable unit. For each substitutable unit, a co-occurrence probability is calculated with each of the remaining units in the search query. An occurrence probability is then calculated for each substitutable unit, and a score is calculated based on the combination of the substitution probability, the co-occurrence probability, and occurrence probability. The documents are ranked in an order determined by the score.
US07831586B2
A computer-implemented system and method for keyword extraction and contextual advertisement generation are disclosed. The system in an example embodiment includes a keyword extraction service to receive from a consumer application a request for activation of a keyword extraction service via an application programming interface, the request including an identity of a content source, the request further including an identification of a particular extraction process to be used by the keyword extraction service on the identified content source; determine if the keyword extraction service has already processed the identified content source and retained extracted keywords in a data store; extract keywords from the identified content source using the particular extraction process identified in the request; and make the extracted keywords accessible to the consumer application.
US07831580B2
The invention discloses a system and method for promoting information or knowledge sharing among users registered to a computer network by allowing an information or knowledge owner to locate or directly access private information, to publish information for direct access by knowledge requesters, or to broker information or knowledge with an information or knowledge requester. This invention also discloses a system and method which allow an organization to develop and manage a reward system based on the frequency of an information or knowledge owner's contribution to information or knowledge sharing and the frequency of an information or knowledge requestor's use of shared knowledge.
US07831578B2
An apparatus for file system management includes a non-volatile storage device, a volatile memory device, and a processing unit. The non-volatile storage device stores a file containing actual file content. The volatile memory device storing physical file handle context comprises a pointer to the beginning of the actual file content. The processing unit receives a virtual file generation request with a physical file handle corresponding to the physical file handle context, and mapping information of a segment of the actual file content, and generates a virtual file name including the physical file handle and the mapping information.
US07831571B2
A method and system for anonymizing selected content in a document, by receiving as input a document comprising content; assigning user access privileges to identified users based on an access control policy, the access control policy for the user based on a context and a set of pre-defined named entities stored in a repository; identifying named entities in the document; comparing the pre-defined set of named entities based on a context with named entities in the document; concealing the named entities identified in the document matching with the pre-defined set of named entities; and providing as output a document, wherein the set of pre-defined named entities have been concealed based on the identified user access.
US07831569B2
A method, apparatus, and program product are provided for preserving a query plan cache on a backup system having a dataspace containing a copy of data and a copy of a query plan cache from a production system. An update is initiated of at least a portion of the copy of the data on the backup system with a portion of the data on the production system. A merge is initiated of updated query plans in the query plan cache from the production system with corresponding query plans in the copy of the query plan cache on the backup system. Objects are correlated in the updated query plans in the copy of the query plan cache with the updated copy of the data on the backup system.
US07831557B2
A transfer apparatus includes: a storage section configured to store a plurality of content data; a communication section configured to communicate with external equipment; and a control section configured to control the communication section in such a manner as to transfer content data from the storage section to the external equipment. The control section detects from the external equipment a logical node retaining content data of the same type as that of the content data to be transferred and, based on the result of the detection, designates a transfer destination before transferring the content data to the external equipment.
US07831556B2
A method for differential rendering a portal page that includes a plurality of page elements (10, 12, 14) and refreshing the portal page. The method includes providing a complete portal page (20, 22). A request for the portal page is then sent and/or received (28). The request can represent user events. In a next step, page elements (10, 12, 14) of the portal page to be updated are identified (30, 31) on the basis of the user events. A page delta is then calculated (32), wherein each page element (10, 12, 14) is associated with a refresh policy depending on the semantics of the respective page element (10, 12, 14). The page delta can include the markup elements of the page elements to be updated. Next the page delta is transferred (34) to the existing portal page and merged (40) with the existing portal page.
US07831552B2
A system and method for querying file system content. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device. The file system may be further configured to perform in-band detection of a file system content access event and to responsively generate a given metadata record. The system may further include a query system configured to query the given metadata record.
US07831546B2
A method for providing data collection from a client at a data collection mechanism, the method includes collecting from a first client a first portion of data using a first data collection mechanism using at least a portion of a first script comprising one or more queries for information to the first client. The method also includes associating with a second client the first portion of data that was collected from the first client. The method further includes collecting from the second client a second portion of data using at least some of the first portion of data and a second script comprising one or more queries for information to the second client.
US07831544B1
A mechanism to collate, interpret, target or view communication items retained by an organization is presented. Such a mechanism can be used as an aid in identifying communication items (e.g., documents) during electronic discovery, as well as discovery of communication chains. Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system, apparatus and computer program product for storing communication data, generating a people map data structure using the communication data, generating an evidence map data structure using the communication data, and coupling the people map data structure and evidence map data structure.
US07831537B2
System, method, and program storage device for adaptive generation of problem determination decision procedures are provided. The decision procedures may be used, for example, for isolating problems and determining solutions to the problems in complex systems, such as IT systems and consumer electronics products. In one aspect, an optimal decision procedure is generated from an universal representation of system states and actions.
US07831533B1
Methods and systems for grouping video frames. The video frames may be from a multiplexed stream of video frames from a plurality of video sources. In some embodiments video frames are grouped by determining if the video frames share meaningful modes for values representative of features of the video frames.
US07831532B2
Precomputation and transmission of time-dependent information for varying or uncertain receipt times
A system that facilitates analyzing time-related data comprises an interface component that receives a packet of information that includes a plurality of predictions and timing information associated therewith. A time-analysis component communicatively coupled to the interface component compares the timing information associated with the plurality of predictions with a current time and makes a determination relating to output of at least one of the plurality of predictions based at least in part upon the comparison.
US07831526B1
The invention comprises an article and method for transforming a complex or large decision tree having multiple variables; multiple values for each variable; and, multiple outcomes for each combination of variables and their associated values, into a compact, efficient graphical representation to provided enhanced ease of use and interaction by a human user. More particularly, the invention comprises a computationally efficient method for transforming an input decision tree into an optimal compact representation by computing a particular ordering of variables in the decision tree that first leads to a Directed Acyclic Graph, or “DAG,” with a minimum number of nodes. The method then converts the DAG into an exception-based DAG, or “EDAG,” with exactly one exception, having an optimal, minimum number of nodes with increased comprehensibility for a user.
US07831515B2
A method and system for subscription-based, entitlement-driven license key generation and distribution for digital goods allows digital goods vendors to manage rights of customers having maintenance contracts or subscriptions. Rights management includes the ability of the vendor to specify upgraded license rules and automatically update entitlements for all customers having current contracts and/or subscriptions, as specified by the upgraded license rules. Upgrades and accompanying license keys are proactively offered to customers without requiring additional sales transactions.
US07831514B2
In a storage system, a judgment is made as to whether respective programs installed in storage regions assigned to a plurality of channel control portions exchanging data input/output requests based on designated filenames with information processors connected to the storage system through a network are licensed or not. When a decision is made that the respective programs are licensed, the programs installed in the channel control portions in the storage system are managed to be controlled to be enabled to be used.
US07831512B2
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide an electronic marketplace that matches units of content from secondary content providers with suitable vacancies from primary content providers. Vacancies may constitute, or be included in, any digital transmission containers, such as a television or radio programming, web pages, and the like. Specifically, the electronic marketplace automatically matches content offered by secondary content providers with vacancies offered by primary content providers thus filling the vacancies in these containers through a real-time content trading, placement, and distribution system. To do so, attributes associated with the vacancies and with units of secondary content are used to trade and match suitable vacancies with suitable content. This invention enables both secondary content owners and vacancy owners (primary content providers) to obtain the full commercial benefit of their secondary content and containers.
US07831503B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for minimizing the total expected execution cost of securities trades through a real-time analysis and optimization process incorporating: (1) the currently offered share price and liquidity in the securities markets; (2) execution costs as input in real-time by executing brokers; (3) expected price improvement based on current and recent trading data; (4) time required to execute an order by an executing broker; and (5) the current rate of change in the share price of a security during the time required to execute the transaction. Based on these factors, the invention ranks, in dollars and cents per shares, brokers from lowest to highest expected total execution cost. The initiating party to the securities transaction can route the order(s) to the executing brokers with the lowest expected total execution costs to minimize the total execution cost.
US07831487B2
Systems, methods and program products for monitoring a purchase order are disclosed. The method includes developing one or more timelines for a purchase order. Each timeline includes events in delivery of one or more items in the purchase order from a supplier to a store. The method also includes determining if an event in a timeline has occurred or will occur on schedule, and generating an activity based on the determination.
US07831482B2
A method and apparatus for facilitating user registration in a network-based transaction facility are described. According to one embodiment, a user associated with a registration process in the network-based transaction facility is identified, and a verification rating is assigned to the user based on the accuracy of the registration information submitted by the user during the registration process. If the verification rating exceeds a predetermined threshold, the user is registered with the network-based transaction facility.
US07831475B2
A remote ordering system is provided using an electronic menu having a series of input devices corresponding to various menu items aligned with the input devices, and a wireless transmitter to send selected menu items to a receiving device for processing. A display to show selected menu items, an alpha-numeric keyboard, a non-cash payment device, and a printer for receipts are also contemplated for increased functionality.
US07831473B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for crediting an account. An advertisement is received, and the advertisement includes an account number that uniquely identifies an account associated with the advertisement. The advertisement is presented at the communications device. A request for credit is sent including the account number and a device number that uniquely identifies the communications device. The request seeks credit for presenting the advertisement.
US07831471B2
The present invention concerns an all-inclusive virtual tour website that features virtual tours of real estate properties. The present invention further concerns methods for allowing real estate related businesses to advertise on the website while complying with applicable guidelines. The present invention further allows various product and service vendors to advertise on the website. The present invention also provides information about various neighborhoods, civic, and other important information to potential home buyers. The present invention also contemplates lead generation services, such as generating loan application information, which may then be provided to lending institutions for bidding or sale. The present inventor also concerns related software, business methods, and Internet websites, platforms or other portals.
US07831468B1
A system for customizing benefits to be made available from benefit providers to financial account holders through their account providers, wherein a promotional enterprise gathers and segments appropriate information in a central server system for use by participant groups, including financial account holders, their account providers, benefit providers, and credit bureaus. Appropriate information is gathered on account holders, with permission, regarding their marketing practices and cross-selling and up-selling mechanisms using their purchasing patterns and behavior. This information is stored in the server system for use in offering account holders enhanced benefit selections in accordance with specific rules that generate free upgrades, fee-based offers, and other cross-sell/up-sell promotions based on the account holders' interests, and which afford product profit opportunity and other pre-determined factors to the participant groups. A knowledge base of account holders is provided tied in directly to both automated and live on-line account holder services and can afford management tools for reporting, measuring, and evaluating suggestions to an account holder's complete portfolio.
US07831464B1
Techniques for dynamically representing distributed information are disclosed. According to one embodiment, metrics for deployed resources in a predefined environment (e.g., an enterprise) is designed. The metrics includes at least various logic and data sources and is deployed as one or more Metrics Definition Packages (MDP), wherein data sources are used for calculating such metrics. The metrics is defined in terms of the data sources and their associated meta-data, but has no dependency upon specific external systems that are eventually used to populate the data sources when the Metrics Definition Package is executed. The metrics results from the execution of the Metrics Definition Package in accordance with the deployed resources (e.g., storage space, and security means) are represented in what is referred to as a Scorecard Definition Package (SDP) that is designed to represent the metrics results in a dynamic and comprehensible manner.
US07831461B2
A method for remotely participating in a listener survey includes receiving survey questions on an infotainment system, where the survey questions are at least partly displayed on a display portion of the infotainment system; transmitting to the survey provider a user input response to at least one of the survey questions; and receiving tabulated survey results of the survey, the results being at least partly displayed on the display portion of the infotainment system. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program and a system including a mechanism for practicing the above method are also disclosed.
US07831457B2
Enterprises procure a large number of licenses of a large number of software packages. Software package inventory is one of the high cost items in these enterprises. It is necessary to contain this recurring expenditure on software packages by optimally utilizing the procured licenses. Disclosed is a system and method for maximizing software package license utilization. The system includes components for enabling managers of an enterprise to describe their need for software packages in project plans and users to use the software packages based on such plans. Further, the system also manages unplanned demands to use software packages and maintains a near-optimal inventory of licenses of software packages.
US07831449B2
A system for providing medical providers with medical records accessible from a mobile terminal in one embodiment comprises reformatting the information in a medical record database to be used with large, ergonomic icons allowing easy transitions between pages of information in the medical record. Docking stations or wireless networks may enable the mobile terminal to access the medical records. Thus, the medical provider may have bedside access to the information in the medical records to make informed decisions about treatment regimens.
US07831436B2
An apparatus for decoding audio data that is capable of reducing the amount of calculations that are performed during the arithmetic decoding of an audio signal coded by bit sliced arithmetic coding (BSAC) to improve the performance of a decoder and a method thereof are provided. According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of calculations that are performed during the arithmetic decoding of an audio signal in the BSAC to 1/16 of the amount of calculations of the conventional full search method
US07831430B2
A unified web-based voice messaging system provides voice application control between a web browser and an application server via an hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) connection on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The application server, configured for executing a voice application defined by XML documents, selects an XML document for execution of a corresponding voice application operation based on a determined presence of a user-specific XML document that specifies the corresponding voice application operation. The application server, upon receiving a voice application operation request from a browser serving a user, determines whether a personalized, user specific XML document exists for the user and for the corresponding voice application operation. If the application server determines the presence of the personalized XML document for a user-specific execution of the corresponding voice application operation, the application server dynamically generates a personalized HTML page having media content and control tags for personalized execution of the voice application operation; however if the application server determines an absence of the personalized XML document for the user-specific execution of the corresponding voice application operation, the application server dynamically generates a generic HTML page for generic execution of the voice application operation. Hence, a user can personalize any number of voice application operations, enabling a web-based voice application to be completely customized or merely partially customized.
US07831428B2
A speech segment is indexed by identifying at least two alternative word sequences for the speech segment. For each word in the alternative sequences, information is placed in an entry for the word in the index. Speech units are eliminated from entries in the index based on a comparison of a probability that the word appears in the speech segment and a threshold value.
US07831425B2
A computer-implemented method of indexing a speech lattice for search of audio corresponding to the speech lattice is provided. The method includes identifying at least two speech recognition hypotheses for a word which have time ranges satisfying a criteria. The method further includes merging the at least two speech recognition hypotheses to generate a merged speech recognition hypothesis for the word.
US07831424B2
A method is presented which reduces data flow and thereby increases processing capacity while preserving a high level of accuracy in a distributed speech processing environment for speaker detection. The method and system of the present invention includes filtering out data based on a target speaker specific subset of labels using data filters. The method preserves accuracy and passes only a fraction of the data by optimizing target specific performance measures. Therefore, a high level of speaker recognition accuracy is maintained while utilizing existing processing capabilities.
US07831415B1
A method of testing input signals coupled to a circuit for performing a predetermined function is disclosed. The method comprises coupling input signals to inputs of the circuit by way of programmable interconnects; controlling the paths of the input signals within the circuit from the inputs to an output of the circuit; maintaining the states of the input signals coupled to the inputs of the circuit and routed to the output of the circuit; and testing output signals of the circuit to determine whether the correct input signals were provided to the inputs of the circuit by way of the programmable interconnects. A device having programmable logic which enables testing of input signals is also disclosed.
US07831414B2
An apparatus, a cognitive radio, a processor, a method, and a machine-readable medium for detecting a presence of a signal in a communication channel are disclosed. An apparatus includes a processor configured to select one or more peak samples of two or more fields of a sampled signal and configured to determine one or more absolute values of the one or more peak samples of the two or more fields. In addition, the processor is configured to superimpose the one or more absolute values of the one or more peak samples of the two or more fields. The processor is further configured to combine the one or more absolute values that fall within a predetermined window to produce a peak value and configured to compare the peak value with a threshold to determine a presence of a signal in the communication channel.
US07831410B2
A centralized diagnostics management tool is disclosed that facilitates centralized monitoring of distributed components of a supervisory process control and manufacturing information application. The centralized diagnostics management tool includes a diagnostics management console shell that is customized according to a set of software modules that interface to data sources to populate views supported by the console shell. The console shell includes a set of view templates including controls for manipulating graphically displayed representations of data rendered by the distributed components. The console shell also includes an interface for exchanging requests and data with an extensible set of software modules that provide data links to ones of the set of distributed components. The software modules also define the customizable portions of the view rendered by the console shell.
US07831401B2
Generally, a DC/DC converter and its associated devices and processes are presented herein. The DC/DC converter may be a switched mode converter that includes a plurality of switching devices that couple between the first and second power supply rails. A transformer is coupled to the switching devices such that the switching devices exchange electrical energy through the transformer. A rectifier is coupled to the transformer to rectify the waveform from the transformer into a substantially DC output. The DC/DC converter also includes clamp diodes to relieve voltage stress on rectifier diodes. Resistors may be coupled in series with the clamp diodes to reduce a reset time of the DC/DC converter and thereby prevent catastrophic failure of the power supply during load transients. Additionally, the DC/DC converter may be configured with a power outage detection device that monitors gate drive signals of the converter.
US07831398B2
According to the present invention, a method is provided for sensing a fluid flow within a pipe having a lengthwise axis to determine a parameter of the fluid flow. The method includes the following steps: a) providing an array of more than two ultrasonic sensors, each sensor having a transmitter and a receiver; b) disposing the transmitter and receiver of each sensor orthogonally relative to the lengthwise axis of the pipe; c) receiving ultrasonic signals using the receivers, which received signals result from initial signals transmitted from the transmitters of the ultrasonic sensors; d) processing the received signals from each sensor by projecting the received signals against a sine function and a cosine function, high pass filtering the projected signals, and using the high pass filtered projections to create an arrival vector within a complex plane, wherein the high pass filtered arrival vector is a rectified frequency doubled signal; and e) determining the parameter of the fluid flow using the arrival vector.
US07831388B2
An accurate positioning system installed in a vehicle is disclosed to include a GPS, a Gyro sensor, a vehicle speedometer, and a controller. When the GPS outputs a next GPS coordinates, the controller calculates a next reference coordinates subject to the azimuth signal outputted from the Gyro sensor and the vehicle speed signal outputted from the vehicle speedometer and calculates the distance between the next GPS coordinates and the next reference coordinates, and then assigns the GPS coordinates to be the next accurate coordinates for output when the distance between the next GPS coordinates and the next reference coordinates surpasses a reference distance, or assigns the next reference coordinates to be the next accurate coordinates for output when the distance between the next GPS coordinates and the next reference coordinates is smaller than or equal to the reference distance.
US07831383B2
A highlight display flag is assigned to a link datum having undergone addition or modification when road map data are updated. A road corresponding to a link datum assigned with the highlight display flag is displayed in a highlight display form. When the highlight display form for the corresponding road is determined to be unnecessary in consideration of (i) an elapsed time period posterior to the update or (ii) a cumulative display time period, the highlight display form is returned to a usual display form.
US07831381B2
A mechanism of rating, ranking and/or filtering landmarks located in a predefined geographic area is provided. More particularly, the subject mechanisms can facilitate rating landmarks and related criteria (e.g., points of interest (POI)) associated therewith. Thus, the mechanisms can facilitate intelligent rendering of landmark choices to users. The subject innovation facilitates rating the landmarks by analyzing items and entities in proximity to each landmark. A popularity index rating represents a sum of the number of POIs, number of commonly named entities and number of access routes to the landmark. Accordingly, this popularity index rating can allow users to rank, filter and sort landmarks in the order of popularity or interest thus maximizing available sightseeing time.
US07831379B2
Method and system to alert drivers to driving related information thought controlling information displayed on one or more roadside displays. The displayed information may related to traffic flow, road conditions, emergencies, and any other type of information. Optionally, the displayed information may be determined at least in part of data collected from onboard the vehicles.
US07831373B2
A method for operating an internal combustion engine in which at least one secondary fuel injection is carried out, and a device for implementing the method. The level of the motor oil of the internal combustion engine is ascertained, which is compared to a first threshold value for the maximum possible oil level. If a threshold is exceeded, a warning signal is provided. Preferably an oil-dilution signal, which is a measure for the quantity and/or the volume of the oil dilution input into the motor oil of the internal combustion engine by the at least one secondary fuel injection, is taken into account when ascertaining the oil level.
US07831372B2
In a fuel injection control method of an engine which an intake air flow rate is estimated by a predetermined calculating method, using data on detected intake pipe pressure and engine rotating speed, a fuel injection time is determined by a predetermined calculating method, using the intake air flow rate, and a deviation from a target engine rotating speed, and an injector driving signal is outputted by a fuel injection control device, the fuel injection time is obtained by adding a battery voltage fluctuation correction time, and a transient correction injection time which corrects a deviation from the target engine rotating speed, which is obtained by a predetermined calculating method, to a basic injection time obtained by a predetermined calculating method.
US07831370B2
An apparatus is provided to control injection of fuel into an engine with a combustion engine. The fuel is injected into the combustion chamber as a preliminary sub injection and a main injection following the preliminary sub injection. The preliminary sub injection repeats one or more times and is less in an amount of the fuel than the main injection. The apparatus comprises acquisition means and a control unit. The acquisition means acquires a parameter showing at least one of a state of an exhaust gas exhausted from the cylinder after the combustion of the fuel and a constituent of the exhaust gas. The control unit includes variably setting means for variably setting a mode of the preliminary sub injection depending on the parameter acquired by the acquisition means.
US07831369B2
There is provided a method and executable code for controlling operation of a vehicle. The vehicle control occurs during ongoing operation subsequent to deactivating an internal combustion engine which is effective to generate vehicle tractive torque. The method comprises: monitoring conditions external to the vehicle, and, restarting the internal combustion engine when the monitored external conditions indicate an imminent opportunity to move the vehicle in a forward direction.
US07831360B2
The present invention relates to a system for classifying vehicle occupants, which enables an airbag to be deployed only for an occupant corresponding to a specific type or a specific condition. The system includes a detector installed in a vehicle seal and adapted to sense variation in current occurring when an occupant is seated in the seat and a controller for determining whether the occupant is seated and which type of occupant is sitting, using a current value measured by the detector, and transmitting a result of determination to an airbag control unit. The system reduces the likelihood of erroneous occupant classifications.
US07831354B2
The present invention features a system and method for estimating body states of a vehicle. The system includes at least two sensors mounted to the vehicle. The sensors generate measured vehicle state signals corresponding to the dynamics of the vehicle. A signal adjuster transforms the measured vehicle states from a sensor coordinate system to a body coordinate system associated with the vehicle. A filter receives the transformed measured vehicle states from the signal adjuster and processes the measured signals into state estimates of the vehicle, such as, for example, the lateral velocity, yaw rate, roll angle, and roll rate of the vehicle.
US07831353B1
A vehicle control system includes a steering mechanism adapted to be operatively connected to associated wheels of a vehicle. A position sensor is operatively connected to the steering mechanism to generate a signal representative of a position of the steering mechanism. A filter device receives the steering position signal and generates a filtered output. The electronic control unit is operable to generate a control signal based at least in part upon the filtered steering position signal. A vehicle control subsystem is in communication with the electronic control unit and is responsive to the control signal. A vehicle system is controlled by monitoring the position of a steering mechanism of a vehicle, determining a rate of change of the position of the steering mechanism, filtering the rate of change, comparing the filtered rate of change to a threshold value, and controlling a vehicle system based upon the comparison.
US07831347B2
A method and system for in-vehicle notification of a failed message delivery for use with a vehicle email notification system in which triggers are used to initiate the generation and transmission of email messages that provide diverse types of dynamic vehicle information to the owner or other authorized subscriber. The email notifications are triggered by different events, some of which are independent of the vehicle (e.g., a monthly trigger), and others of which occur at the vehicle, such as a mileage or low oil life trigger. The notification system builds and sends to the subscriber an email message that contains the dynamic vehicle information and identifies any detected vehicle condition for which action is needed. If delivery of the email fails, a call is placed to the vehicle to inform the driver or other occupant of the failed attempt so that corrective action can be taken.
US07831344B2
In a throttle valve control device, an engine required output setting section sets an engine required output corresponding to an accelerator opening degree by means of selecting a characteristic which is varied depending on a road surface friction coefficient or by means of interpolation calculation based on a road surface friction coefficient. An engine required torque setting section sets an engine required torque based on an engine speed and the engine required output. A throttle opening degree setting section sets a throttle opening degree based on the engine speed and the engine required torque and outputs a signal corresponding to the throttle opening degree to a throttle motor.
US07831324B2
By coordinating a process regime of a process module for sample substrates used in a previously performed metrology process, an increased degree of measurement information may be obtained. For this purpose, the coordination may be based on a sampling ruleset related to the process module, wherein the previously selected sample substrates may be appropriately sequenced through the process module to increase the probability for complying with the associated sampling ruleset. Furthermore, the enhanced process coordination may be advantageously combined with randomization steps, thereby providing a “pseudo randomization,” in which sample substrates are intentionally positioned, while the remaining substrates may be randomized for decoupling related process steps.
US07831311B2
An implantable lead has a lead body construction designed to accommodate loading forces exerted on the lead body during patient movement. The lead body is sufficiently stretchable to resist forces that could otherwise cause lead failure, axial migration of the electrodes, anchor damage, or tissue damage. The lead body may include a variety of features that reduce the axial stiffness of the lead without significantly impacting the operation and structural integrity of lead components, such as electrodes, conductors and insulators.
US07831309B1
Intraocular and periocular implantation devices based on one or more implantation electronic chips for implantation within the eye to include a bipolar MOS circuit that is DC biased at or near a natural electrical ground potential of the eye. Described examples include retinal prosthesis devices and techniques that use bipolar MOS electronics.
US07831308B2
The present invention relates to a neural stimulation delivery device to deliver electrical and/or chemical stimulation to target sites in the central and peripheral nervous system. The device generally includes a tubular body defining a plurality of ports along the longitudinal axis thereof, a plurality of delivery structures insertable in the body, and a control mechanism in communication with the plurality of delivery structures to independently move each of the plurality of delivery structures through a respective one of the plurality of ports with respect to each other of the plurality of delivery structures. The ability of each delivery structure to be independently moveable through a respective port allows each delivery structure to be selectively advanced or retracted independent of the movement of another delivery structure.
US07831301B2
Continuous remote monitoring of patients based on data obtained from an implantable hemodynamic monitor provides an interactive patient management system. Using network systems, patients are remotely monitored to continuously diagnose and treat heart-failure conditions. A screen displayable summary provides continuous feedback and information to physicians, patients and authorized third parties. The quick look summary includes various sites and presentation tailored to match the patients' and physicians' needs. The quick look summary further includes intelligent features that understand and retain the user's interests, preferences and use patterns. Patients, physicians and other caregivers are seamlessly connected to monitor and serve the chronic needs of heart-failure patients in a reliable and economic manner.
US07831290B2
A localization mechanism, or fixture, is used in conjunction with a breast coil for breast compression and for guiding a core biopsy instrument during prone biopsy procedures in both open and closed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines. The localization fixture includes a three-dimensional Cartesian positionable guide for supporting and orienting an MRI-compatible biopsy instrument, and, in particular, a sleeve to a biopsy site of suspicious tissues or lesions. A z-stop enhances accurate insertion, prevents over-insertion or inadvertent retraction of the sleeve. The sleeve receives a probe of the MRI-compatible biopsy instrument and may contain various features to enhance its imagability, to enhance vacuum and pressure assist therethrough, etc.
US07831282B2
A system includes fobs and sensors each of which has a wireless transceiver, a processor and a battery powering the transceiver and processor. A server includes a processor and wireless transceiver, both of which are mains-powered. A fob processor timer repetitively causes its processor to enter a normal mode from a sleep mode, cause the transceiver to enter a powered state from a reduced power state, and send a wireless message from its transceiver to the server transceiver to request data therefrom. A sensor processor timer repetitively causes its processor to enter a normal mode from a sleep mode, cause the transceiver to enter a powered state from a reduced power state, read an analog or digital input, and send a wireless message based upon the read input from its transceiver to the server transceiver to provide data thereto. Each of the timers times asynchronously with respect to other timers.
US07831276B2
The present invention relates in general to portable processor based devices that provide computing, communication or entertainment functionality. More particularly, the present invention pertains to portable processor based devices operable while being held in its user's hand and providing communications, organizer and/or entertainment functions, such as cellular telephones, palm-sized organizers, and MP3 players, and to portable processor based devices providing general computing capabilities, such as laptop or handheld personal computers (PCs). More specifically, the present invention relates to systems that detachably mate a plurality of portable processor based devices to provide their combined functionality in an integrated structure.
US07831271B2
A communication system, for example UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), comprises a base station and a plurality of mobile stations. In normal operation the mobile station continuously makes uplink transmissions on certain spread spectrum channels (DPDCH, DPCCH). The maximum allowed power (Pmax) for these uplink transmissions is specified. However there are occasions when for example receiving packet data from the base station, the receiving mobile station has to transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) or a Non-acknowledgement (NACK) at a power level specified by the base station. In order to keep the transmit power of the mobile station within the maximum allowed power, the total power required to transmit an ACK or NACK in parallel with the continuous uplink signals is determined and if this exceeds Pmax then at least the power DPDCH and DPCCH channels are scaled to allow sufficient power for the transmission of an ACK or NACK. The power scaling is carried-out based on the power required for whichever one of ACK or NACK requires the most power. This avoids reducing the amount of time available to a mobile whether an ACK or NACK should be transmitted.
US07831268B2
Methods, systems, devices, and computer program products route communication based on an urgency priority associated with a sender of the communication. The method involves receiving incoming communication, identifying the sender, determining an urgency priority designation associated with communication, and routing the incoming communication according to routing instructions associated with the urgency priority designation. Prior to receiving the incoming communication, the method may further involve receiving a selection to configure routing of communication based on one or more urgency priority designations, rendering urgency priority options and routing options that provide routing instructions, receiving routing instructions associated with each urgency priority designation, and receiving and recording the urgency priority designation associated with the sender. Still further, the method may involve offering the sender routing options based on the urgency priority designation and receiving a selection of one of the routing options from the sender.
US07831267B2
A computer readable medium, method and user device for a user interface functionality for SMS and SMS-like message conversations is provided. A group of individual SMS messages is treated as a single entity by the SMS conversation UI, the SMS conversation history UI saves space by including the SMS editor within the conversation history panel, and displays a pop-up display with useful information regarding the SMS message being edited.
US07831265B1
A system for a mobile wireless communications device configured to stream video to a peer device over a mobile wireless network, the device configured to increase the radio channel capacity between the wireless communication devices and the network to allow faster video encoding and transmission. The video transmitting device receives measurements on radio conditions related to the radio channels carrying the video and determines if the radio conditions can support an increased channel capacity. If so, the transmitting device sends a request to the network to increase capacity on the radio channels. If the network determines that the other resources transporting the video can support an increase in traffic resulting from an increase in the radio channel capacity, then the network sends orders to carry out a radio channel capacity increase.
US07831260B2
The present invention provides a method and system for controlling an illuminating device on a mobile electronic device comprising determining in a global position of the device in real-time, determining a state of at least one light condition currently affecting ambient light at the global position and adjusting the intensity of the illuminating device in response to the state of the at least one light condition. Light conditions include weather conditions and a position of the sun at a particular global position. A mobile electronic device having a geographically dependent illuminating device is also provided.
US07831253B2
Method and system for error handling in wireless communication networks. According to an embodiment, the present invention provides a method of providing wireless services. The method includes providing a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network includes a wireless device, a first access network and a second access network. The first access network includes a first data associated with the wireless device. The method also includes sending a first request for service by the wireless device to the second access network. The method additionally includes determining by the second access network whether the second access network has a second data for serving the wireless device. Also, the method includes sending a second request by the second access network to the first access network if the second access network does not have the second data. The second request is associated with serving the wireless device.
US07831252B2
A method to be executed by a UE (user equipment) is proposed, for said UE in P2P communication mode to perform cell handover, comprising steps of: detecting downlink signals of the active cell in which said UE is camping and its adjacent cells (S205); judging whether there exists a suitable cell whose link performance is a predefined value higher than that of said active cell (S209), according to the detecting result; sending a detection report message to a network system (S210) to start a judging procedure of said network system if there exists said suitable cell, and said judging procedure deciding whether said UE and another UE in P2P communication can handover into said suitable cell to continue P2P communication.
US07831250B2
An approach to integrate a wireless data network canopy into the high-capacity fixed FttX (Fiber-to-the-Premises/Curb/Neighborhood) network at intersection points throughout the overlay rather than interconnecting them as two disparate networks in order to provide a plurality of data containing video, audio, voice communications, broadcast radio programming, and data both fixed and mobile. This approach is applicable to active networks. Considerations must still be made for security.
US07831249B2
Test device (1) is for use in a test system for checking transmission procedures in a mobile telephony network. The test device (1) comprises a mobile telephone (2) configured such that it is able to communicate with a subscriber identification module (SIM). Furthermore, the test device (1) has a SIM simulation processor (4) associated locally with the mobile telephone (2), to prepare a SIM simulation which may be connected to other components of the test system. The test device (1) also has a physical SIM card (10) connected to the SIM simulation processor (4) such that the mobile telephone (2) is able to selectively communicate with the SIM simulation or with the physical SIM card (10). A test device (1) is thus provided, the use of which allows a greater flexibility of the SIM data used in the test process.
US07831245B1
Wireless user equipment in possession of a user can be identified (e.g., by its telephone number) based upon observations or knowledge of another such user. Information associated with one of a first user and second user, such as a telephone number, can then be provided to the other. For example, a first user who observes a second user may wish to know the number of the second user's mobile phone without asking the second user for his or her number. The second user's number can be determined by estimating the location of the second user based upon the first user's location and the first user's observations about the second user, and identifying any user equipment at the estimated location.
US07831242B2
A voice notifying service system and a service providing method are provided for a mobile terminal, wherein the voice notifying service system includes a mobile communication system and a mobile terminal for forming a communication channel with the mobile communication system, transmitting voice information, the voice information including a voice and a notifying function for playing the voice, to the mobile communication system, transmitting time information to the mobile communication system specifying the time at which the voice information is to be transmitted to the mobile terminal, and playing the voice information when received from the mobile communication system at the time specified in the time information.
US07831236B2
Methods and apparatus for use in securely provisioning a mobile communication device in a wireless local area network (WLAN) having a plurality of wireless access points (APs) are described. In one illustrative method, a provisioning procedure is performed between the mobile communication device and the WLAN via the provisioning wireless AP while the mobile communication device is positioned within a provisioning radio frequency (RF) coverage region of the provisioning wireless AP. However, the provisioning RF coverage region is otherwise confined so that a plurality of other mobile communication devices of the WLAN are restricted from access therefrom during the provisioning procedure. The provisioning RF coverage region may be confined by providing the provisioning wireless AP within a secured room, by providing an electromagnetic shield around the provisioning wireless AP, or both, as examples.
US07831235B2
A system and method for implementing situation-related actions in a mobile electronic device such as a mobile telephone. The mobile electronic device is programmed with a definition of at least one triggering event, as well as a definition of at least one response activity that is to occur if the at least one triggering event is detected. The present invention involves the monitoring of the mobile electronic device for the occurrence of the at least one triggering event. Upon detecting that the at least one triggering event has occurred, the at least one response activity is initiated.
US07831229B2
An FM receiver including an FM antenna that receives continuous wavelength signals, where the FM receiver is coupled to the FM antenna and operable to alter a center frequency of a gain profile of the FM antenna. The FM receiver includes a low noise amplifier module that is coupled to amplify the continuous wavelength signal to produce an amplified RF signal therefrom. A down conversion module is coupled to mix the amplified RF signal with a local oscillation to produce an information signal. A filter module is coupled to filter the information signal to produce a filtered information signal. A demodulation module is coupled to capture audio information from the filtered information signal. A signal monitoring module is coupled to monitor the FM signal quality of a received continuous wavelength signal. The signal monitoring module produces a signal quality indication therefrom. An antenna control module produces a signal value based upon the signal quality indication, wherein the signal value operates to alter the center frequency of a gain profile of the FM antenna.
US07831227B2
A power amplifier for use in a transmitter includes a first transistor having an input, a first node and a second node, a second transistor having an input, a first node and a second node and a digital to analog conversion module. The input of the first transistor is coupled to receive a first input, while the input of the second transistor is coupled to receive a second input. The second nodes of the first and second transistors provide an output of the power amplifier. The digital to analog conversion module is coupled to control current through the first and second transistors.
US07831226B2
An impedance matching system, a network analyzer having the same, and an impedance matching method thereof are disclosed. The system includes a signal extractor to extract an output signal and an input signal having at least a portion of an electric current outputted through a load and at least a portion of an electric current inputted through the load, respectively, a processor to process the output signal and the input signal extracted from the signal extractor, a comparator to compare a phase and an amplitude of the output signal with a phase and an amplitude of the input signal, respectively, a coefficient calculator to calculate a reflection coefficient using the comparative result provided from the comparator, and a circuit controller to generate a signal for controlling a matching circuit, which matches the phase and the amplitude of the output signal with the phase and the amplitude of the input signal, respectively, so as to ensure the reflection coefficient to have a predetermined value.
US07831221B2
An amplifier includes an RF power amplifier and a predistortion circuit coupled to the power amplifier. The predistortion circuit affects an input path of an RF input signal to the power amplifier. The predistortion circuit is operable for detecting a level of an input signal and generating a delay in the input path based on the input signal level. This enables predistortion correction of a new distortion term AM/DM, in addition to the well known AM/AM and AM/PM terms. The new AM/DM term represents the distortion that is caused by the delay modulation of the input signal as a function of the envelope power variation within the input signal.
US07831220B2
Methods and systems to calibrating a transmitter for I/Q imbalance and local oscillator feed-through include generating a test tone, frequency up-converting the test tone, monitoring one or more features of the up-converted test tone, and adjusting one or more features of the transmitter in response to the monitoring. The monitoring optionally includes monitoring a beating of the envelope of the up-converted test tone. In an embodiment, a first harmonic of the up-converted test tone is monitored for local oscillator feed-through (LOFT). Alternatively, baseband data inputs to the transmitter are disabled, and LOFT is measured by measuring power at the transmitter output. A second harmonic of the up-converted test tone is monitored for gain and phase imbalances. The adjusting optionally includes adjusting a gain imbalance, adjusting a phase imbalance, and/or adjusting DC offsets. The adjusting optionally includes an iterative refinement process. Such a refinement process optionally includes performing a first monitoring, applying a set of relatively coarse settings to the one or more features in the transmitter, monitoring the beating resulting from each of the coarse settings, selecting the coarse setting corresponding the smallest beating, applying a set of relatively fine settings centered around the selected coarse setting, wherein the fine settings are more closely related to one another than are the coarse settings, monitoring the beating resulting from each of the fine settings, and selecting the fine setting corresponding the smallest beating.
US07831202B2
A satellite communications system includes a plurality of feeder link antennas, a primary satellite, and an auxiliary satellite. The feeder link antennas are substantially co-located relative to one another. The primary satellite is configured to receive information over a plurality of return service links from radioterminals, to communicate a first portion of the information over at least one return feeder link directly to a first one of the feeder link antennas, and to communicate a second portion of the information over at least one inter-satellite link. The auxiliary satellite is spaced apart from the primary satellite, and configured to receive the second portion of the information from the primary satellite via the at least one inter-satellite link, and to communicate the second portion of the information across at least one return feeder link to a second one of the feeder link antennas.
US07831196B2
A method of grading an essay using an automated essay scoring system is provided. The method comprises the steps of deriving a set of predetermined features from the essay, wherein the predetermined feature set comprises one or more features that are independent from the test prompt, scoring the feature set with a scoring equation, wherein a multiple regression analysis with graded essay data produces weights for the scoring equation, generating a raw score for the essay; and processing the raw score for the essay into a score category based on an adaptive cutoff algorithm. Also provided is a method of generating a model in which to grade essays, wherein the data used to generate the model is independent from the test prompt or essay topic.
US07831194B2
An image forming apparatus includes a laser scanning unit that irradiates a light. A photoconductive medium forms thereon an electrostatic latent image using the light from the laser scanning unit. A developing roller transfers a developer onto the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductive medium to develop the electrostatic latent image. A transferring roller forms a transfer nip in tight contact with the photoconductive medium and transfers the developer attached on the photoconductive medium onto a paper passing through the transfer nip. A paper supplying part stacks the paper thereon. A pickup roller picks up the paper stacked on the paper supplying part. A paper edge sensor senses a top edge of the paper picked up by the pickup roller. The paper picked up by the pickup roller is directly supplied toward the transfer nip. A paper moving path is reduced, thereby minimizing the whole size of the image forming apparatus. Also, the number of parts is reduced, thereby decreasing material costs.
US07831186B2
A pressurizing member includes an elastic member having a uniform elastic modulus of K=EA/t, where E is a Young's modulus, A is an area of the nip portion, and t is a thickness of the elastic member in the direction of application of load. A supporting member that supports the pressurizing member has an entering portion, an exit portion, and a center portion between the entering portion and the exit portion. The thickness of the center portion in a direction of application of load is larger than thicknesses of the entering portion and the exit portion in the direction of application of load so that the supporting unit has a convex portion.
US07831183B2
A developing roller comprising: a shaft comprising an aluminum alloy; and a coating layer directly formed on a periphery of the shaft, the coating layer comprising a conducting agent and a binder comprising a resin, wherein the aluminum alloy comprises 0.2 to 0.8% by mass of silicon and 0.05 to 1.5% by mass of maganese, based on the total mass of the aluminum alloy.
US07831181B2
In an embodiment, a reducing plate that dams up a part of a developer scraped up by a blade is provided. The reducing plate suppresses swell of the developer held up by a discharge mixer from fluctuating according to the rotation of the blade. Fluctuation in an excess developer discharged from a discharge port is suppressed and replace a deteriorated carrier in a development container with a new carrier little by little.
US07831180B2
A printer includes a toner cartridge coupling section. A toner agitation member is located adjacent the toner cartridge coupling section and is operable to engage a surface of a toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is located in the toner cartridge coupling section. An actuator is operable to actuate the toner agitation member.
US07831179B2
A liquid separator is a device for separating and extracting a dispersoid and a dispersion medium from a liquid sample containing the dispersoid and the dispersion medium. The liquid separator has a liquid storage container capable of storing the liquid sample; an electrode roller including a rotary shaft, arranged to touch the liquid sample in the liquid storage container, capable of conveying the liquid sample along the outer circumferential surface thereof and rotatable about the rotary shaft; a separating member held in contact with the electrode roller for separating the dispersion medium from the liquid sample being conveyed along the outer circumferential surface of the electrode roller; and a collecting member for collecting the dispersion medium from the outer circumferential surface of the electrode roller at a position downstream of the contact position with the electrode roller and the separating member in a rotating direction of the electrode roller.
US07831172B2
The present invention also includes a method of remanufacturing a printer cartridge, the printer cartridge comprising printer cartridge components fastened together by a pin, the method comprising the steps of providing a device, the device comprising a shaft configured to apply pressure to the pin; a drive means for driving the shaft against the pin; and applying pressure to the pin using the device.
US07831171B2
A printer cartridge fastener comprising a curved portion adapted to grasp a printer cartridge overhang; a main body connected to the curved portion, the main body comprising a first side connected to the curved section; and a second side positioned opposite the first side; and an elongate portion connected to the second side of the main body, the elongate portion configured to abut to a printer cartridge portion positioned substantially perpendicular to the overhang.
US07831170B2
In one embodiment, a toner cartridge of the invention is installed in an image forming apparatus, and includes a toner storage container that has a toner discharge port, and a toner discharge roller disposed inside of the toner storage container so as to block the toner discharge port. An inner wall of the toner storage container faced by the toner discharge roller is provided with a curved region that has a curvature that matches a curvature of the toner discharge roller.
US07831165B2
Provided is a fixing device including: a first mode which is a combination mode of the heating of the heating belt and the rotation stop of the heating belt and a second mode which is a combination mode of the heating of the heating belt and the rotation of the heating belt are set; at the time of returning of the heating belt for an image forming operation from non-heating and non-rotation of the heating belt, the heating belt is controlled by the first mode and the heating belt is then controlled by the second mode transitioned from the first mode; and when a temperature of the heating belt becomes equal to or larger than a mode transition reference temperature which is set on the basis of a predetermined condition, the transition from the first mode to the second mode is performed.
US07831163B2
Provided is a heat device which heats and fixes a developed image onto a recording material while nipping and conveying the recording material bearing the developed image by a nip portion, in which even when a turn-on duty ratio between at least two heat generation members provided to a heat source is switched in a direction in which a maximum amount of possible heat generation is decreased, in order to suppress generation of a fixing failure of the developed image formed on the recording material due to a shortage of electric power, in a case where the turn-on duty ratio of a second heat generation member to a first heat generation member is switched, at a predetermined timing, in a direction in which the maximum amount of possible heat generation is decreased, with respect to the at least two heat generation members provided to the heat source, it is set as a condition that a turn-on ratio of the first heating member at the timing is smaller than a predetermined value.
US07831162B2
The present invention is an image forming apparatus containing an image holding body, a developer holding body for holding developer that forms a developer image by being affixed to the electrostatic latent image formed on the image holding body, a transfer unit for transferring the developer image to a medium, a fusion apparatus for fusing the transferred developer image onto the medium, an idle time judgment process section for making a judgment as to whether an idle time, from when printing is completed to when printing is initiated, of the image forming apparatus is long, and a surface potential setting process section for changing and setting a surface potential of the image holding body to a reference value at which fogging is not generated in a case where the idle time is long.
US07831147B2
This invention provides a new architecture for a communication system between head-ends and end-users which expands bandwidth and reliability of the communication system. A mux-node receives communication signals from a head-end and forwards the received communication signals to one or more mini-fiber nodes. The connection to the head-end is via a small number of optical fibers and the connections to each of the mini-fiber nodes may be via one or more optical fibers that may provide full duplex communication. The head-end may communicate with the mux-node using digital or digital and analog signals. The mini-fiber nodes may combine the signals received from the head-end with loop-back signals used for local media access control prior to forwarding the signals to the end-users. Upstream data are received by the mini-fiber nodes and transmitted to the mux-node. The mux-node may route upstream communication signals received from the mini-fiber nodes as downstream signals to other mini-fiber nodes also connected to the mux-node without head-end interaction.
US07831146B2
A bidirectional optical network, in which an incoming/downstream modulated optical signal(s) of a particular wavelength may carry content from a headend to a subscriber. An incoming/downstream unmodulated continuous wave optical signal(s) from the headend is time-shifted (i.e., time delayed with respect to just received incoming/downstream optical signal(s)), collected, modulated and sent back as return/upstream optical signal(s) from the subscriber to the headend. The return/upstream optical signal(s) may have the same wavelength or a slightly shifted wavelength relative to incoming/downstream optical signal(s). Wavelength, bandwidth, subscriber priority and service (content) provider may be fixed, dynamically, or statistically assigned. A modulated marker optical signal(s) is sent along with a modulated data optical signal simultaneously in a different plane. The modulated data optical signal(s) can therefore be securely delivered to a subscriber(s) according to the marker identification. Furthermore a device can be constructed from a group of components comprising an integrated tunable laser-modulator, a wavelength converter, a cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router, a photonic bandgap cyclic arrayed waveguide grating router, a burst enabled detector in order to electro-optically connect network elements, processors and chipsets on a printed circuit board.
US07831143B2
An electronic device includes an operation member which is arranged within a range where a particular finger of right hand gripping the electronic device in a vertical orientation reaches and in which assigned functions can be customized, a storage unit adapted to store information on a first function and a second function which are set in the operation member as the assigned functions, an orientation information obtaining unit adapted to obtain information on an orientation related to the electronic device, a function assignment control unit adapted to assign the first function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in a horizontal orientation and assign the second function to the operation member when it is determined based on the information on the orientation that the electronic device is in the vertical orientation.
US07831141B2
A mobile device comprises a network communication system such as a wide area network mobile telephony system, a camera for capturing a digital photograph, and a photograph management application. The photograph management application receives the digital photograph, obtains an information record comprising information related to the digital photograph; and associates at least a portion of the information related to the digital photograph with the digital photograph. The information record may be obtained from local sources such as a contact directory or from a remote directory server.
US07831139B2
A camera module includes a barrel for receiving at least a first lens, an actuator, and a holder. The actuator includes an annular stator and a carrying member. The stator is connected to the barrel and defines a plurality of spaced parallel inner branches in an inner side thereof. The carrying member is received in the stator and defines a through hole therein for receiving at least a second lens. The carry member defines a plurality of spaced parallel outer branches in the outer sidewall thereof. The outer branches are alternately interleaved between the inner branches and have a voltage thereacross for driving the carrying member to move forward and backward. The holder is connected to the barrel and configured for receiving the barrel and the actuator.
US07831135B2
A method of operating a bake plate disposed in a semiconductor processing chamber having a face plate opposing the bake plate includes providing a temperature control signal to the bake plate and measuring a face plate temperature associated with the face plate. The method also includes determining a difference between the face plate temperature and a predetermined temperature and modifying the temperature control signal provided to the bake plate in response to the determined difference.
US07831125B2
A wall-mount distribution arrangement including a termination arrangement, a splicing arrangement, and a splitter arrangement. Each of the termination, splicing, and splitter arrangements being located within an interior of a wall-mount enclosure of the distribution arrangement. The arrangement further including a pivoting panel located within the interior of the wall-mount enclosure. The termination arrangement being mounted to a first side of the panel, one of the other of the splicing arrangement and the splitter arrangement being mounted to a second side of the panel.
US07831122B2
The purpose of present inventions is to provide an optical control device having a single-mode waveguide in the optical control device having the ridge waveguide, and to stably manufacture and provide the optical control device having the single-mode waveguide with high precision even when the substrate is a thin plate with the thickness of 10 μm or less. An optical control device having a substrate 1 formed with an optical waveguide, in which the substrate is a thin plate with a thickness of 10 μm or less, at least a portion of the optical waveguide is configured as a ridge waveguide 21, a trench 20 having a width of 10 μm or less is formed on both sides of at least portions of the ridge waveguide, and a taper waveguide section (area B) continuously changes a light propagation mode of the waveguide between a single-mode and a multi-mode by continuously changing the width or depth of the trench. Additionally, it is desirable that the taper waveguide section is disposed at least in one of a light input section and a light output section, and light propagating through the waveguide is in the single-mode in a section in which the taper waveguide section is disposed.
US07831118B2
In a CWDM optical transmission system of the present invention, in place of an optical signal of at least one wave among a plurality of optical signals corresponding to a CWDM system, a DWDM light output from an additional light transmission unit of a DWDM system is given to a multiplexer via a variable optical attenuator, and multiplexed with the optical signals corresponding to CWDM, to be sent out to a transmission path. At this time, the total power of the DWDM light sent out to the transmission path, is attenuated by the variable optical attenuator, so as to be approximately equal to the power per one wavelength of the CWDM light. On an optical reception terminal, the light propagated through the transmission path is demultiplexed by a demultiplexer, and the DWDM light corresponding to the additional wavelengths is amplified by an optical amplifier and thereafter, received by an additional light reception unit. As a result, the addition of optical signals in the CWDM system can be realized at low-cost, while avoiding the reduction in transmission quality.
US07831117B1
An N-nary photonic transistor (PT) based on a heterojunction optical semiconductor microstructure is presented. The PT has one control signal input, one data signal input, and one output. The lights for each input can be one of the wavelengths within the N number (N-nary) of predetermined lightwaves. The output light of the PT is determined by the inputs in accordance with the switching function of the PT. The PT can be used to construct either N-nary digital logic gates or binary Boolean logic gates. For the N-nary system, both the wavelength domain and intensity domain of the lights are used which forms a two dimensional logic system. An optical AND gate, which can be used as either N-nary or binary, is constructed using the current photonic transistor, which is also presented herein.
US07831114B2
In a method and system for providing dispersion compensation in an optical system, there is coupled into the optical system at least one pathway into which there is connected a tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating, each such grating providing a respective tunable amount of dispersion. At least one respective DGD element is connected into the respective pathway for each such grating. The set of all such respective DGD elements in a given pathway introduces a bias differential group delay DGD(bias) having an absolute value that, for at least one tuning value of the grating, is substantially equal to differential group delay introduced by the grating.
US07831113B1
An optical pulse position modulator includes a substrate with parallel first and second sides, the substrate including a first waveguide channel and a parallel second waveguide channel orthogonal to the first and second sides, a linear chirped grating orthogonal to and upon the first and second waveguide channels, and at least a first electrode along the first waveguide channel to apply a voltage modulation thereto. A first optical circulator has a first port coupled to a pulsed optical carrier signal, and a second port coupled to the first waveguide channel on the first side of the substrate, and a second optical circulator has a fourth port coupled to the third port of the first optical circulator, and a fifth port coupled to the second waveguide channel on the second side of the substrate. An output of the second waveguide channel is a position modulated optical pulse signal.
US07831111B2
A method and apparatus for, in response to receiving a request, retrieving digital images that are associated with one or more keywords and which are similar to a digital image is provided. The request may be processed using a keywords index and a content index, and optionally, a session index that references data about what digital images users have viewed together in a session. A category associated with the identified digital image may also be used in processing the request, e.g., the category associated with the identified digital image may change the weight placed on various content attributes used in comparing the content of the identified digital image to other digital images. After the set of requested digital images are determined, request data, that identifies the set of requested digital images, may be sent to the requestor.
US07831106B2
A portable, lightweight digital imaging device uses a slit scanning arrangement to obtain an image of the eye, in particular the retina. The scanning arrangement reduces the amount of target area illuminated at a time, thereby reducing the amount of unwanted light scatter and providing a higher contrast image. A detection arrangement receives the light remitted from the retinal plane and produces an image. The device is operable under battery power and ambient light conditions, such as outdoor or room lighting. The device is noncontact and does not require that the pupil of the eye be dilated with drops. The device can be used by personnel who do not have specialized training in the eye, such as emergency personnel, pediatricians, general practitioners, or volunteer or otherwise unskilled screening personnel. Images can be viewed in the device or transmitted to a remote location. The device can also be used to provide images of the anterior segment of the eye, or other small structures. Visible wavelength light is not required to produce images of most important structures in the retina, thereby increasing the comfort and safety of the device. Flexible and moderate cost confocal and fluorescent imaging, multiply scattered light images, and image sharpening are further functionalities possible with the device.
US07831096B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for representing a tool or implant in an image. Certain embodiments provide a user interface system for displaying a representation of a tool or implant with respect to an image. The system includes a processor configured to establish a surface boundary for a region of interest depict in the image and configured to determine a position of the tool or implant with respect to the surface boundary, and a display configured to dynamically display the image and the representation to a user. The processor generates a representation of the tool or implant based on the position with respect to the surface boundary. A portion of the tool or implant inside the surface boundary is depicted in the representation with a degree of transparency compared to a portion of the tool or implant outside the surface boundary.
US07831091B2
A pattern matching system, comprising a receiver, a comparison block, a calculation block, an output block, a ratio reading block, and a controller, is provided. A likeness value indicates how much a first and second image accords to each other. The receiver receives first and second image signal corresponding to the first and second images as an area signal. The comparison block compares the signal levels of the area signals corresponding to the pattern areas at the relatively same location of the first and second images. The calculation block calculates the likeness value. The ratio reading block reads a amplification ratio by which the first and second image signals are amplified. The controller changes the type of the signal components of the area signal used for the comparison by the comparison block and the calculation of the likeness value by the calculation block.
US07831090B1
A method for registering multiple 3D point sets by determining optimal relative positions and orientations of the 3D point sets. Initial values are determined for the rotation matrices corresponding to the relative orientations of reference frames of the 3D point sets. A registration error cost function is optimized on a product manifold of all of the rotation matrices to determine optimal values of the rotation matrices. The optimal values of the rotation matrices are used to determine optimal values for translation vectors corresponding to the relative positions of the reference frames of the 3D point sets. The 3D point sets are registered on a common reference frame using the optimal rotation matrices and the optimal translation vectors.
US07831087B2
A method for visual-based recognition of objects is described. Depth data for at least a pixel of an image of the object is received, the depth data comprising information relating to a distance from visual sensor to a portion of the object visible at the pixel. At least one plan-view image is generated based on the depth data. At least one plan-view template is extracted from the plan-view image. The plan-view template is processed by at least one classifier, wherein the classifiers are trained to make a decision according to pre-configured parameters.
US07831086B2
An image processing apparatus for obtaining an image in accordance with a user's viewpoint. Original image data of an object, captured at arbitrary points on a curved surface, is stored. Considering a straight line connecting a viewpoint and a point on the object, an intersection of the straight line and the curved surface will be identified. When the object is viewed from the viewpoint, a pixel value corresponding to a light ray directed from the point on the object to the viewpoint coincides with a pixel value corresponding to a light ray directed from the point on the object to the intersection on the curved surface Ω, and this pixel value of the intersection exists in the original image data. That is, the pixel value for the point on the object as viewed from the viewpoint can be obtained from original image data captured at the intersection on the curved surface.
US07831082B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for the calibration of a tracked imaging probe for use in image-guided surgical systems. The invention uses actual image data collected from an easily constructed calibration jig to provide data for the calibration algorithm. The calibration algorithm analytically develops a geometric relationship between the probe and the image so objects appearing in the collected image can be accurately described with reference to the probe. The invention can be used with either two or three dimensional image data-sets. The invention also has the ability to automatically determine the image scale factor when two dimensional data-sets are used.
US07831077B2
A method for generating an image of a region of interest of a subject includes obtaining a set of magnetic resonance (MR) data for the region of interest. In addition, photographic data for at least one surface of the region of interest is obtained, for example, from a database or by using a camera for photographing the region of interest. An image is generated by using the set of MR data to generate a depiction of at least one structure of the region of interest and by using the photographic data to generate a depiction of at least one surface of the region of interest.
US07831074B2
The present invention is directed to a method for populating a database with a set of images of an anatomical structure. The database is used to perform appearance matching in image pairs of the anatomical structure. A set of image pairs of anatomical structures is received, where each image pair is annotated with a plurality of location-sensitive regions that identify a particular aspect of the anatomical structure. Weak learners are iteratively selected and an image patch is identified. A boosting process is used to identify a strong classifier based on responses to the weak learners applied to the identified image patch for each image pair. The responses comprise a feature response and a location response associated with the image patch. Positive and negative image pairs are generated. The positive and negative image pairs are used to learn a similarity function. The learned similarity function and iteratively selected weak learners are stored in the database.
US07831065B2
A method for motion estimation of sequences of images is proposed, wherein for consecutive frames (f1, f2) respective corresponding consecutive Fourier transformed frames (F1, F2) are determined, and wherein motion parameters for translation, rotation and/or for scaling are derived based on a phase relationship between said respective corresponding consecutive Fourier transformed frames (F1, F2), and in particular based on translational, rotational and/or scaling properties of the Fourier transforming process.
US07831064B2
A position calculation apparatus calculates a positional relationship between an image pickup device, which is for taking an image of first and second imaging targets, and at least one of the first and second imaging targets. The position calculation apparatus obtains a first size, which indicates a size of a target image of the first imaging target in the image taken by the image pickup device, and a second size which indicates a size of a target image of the second imaging target in the image taken by the image pickup device. Then, based on the first and second sizes, the position calculation apparatus calculates the positional relationship between the image pickup device and the first and second imaging targets.
US07831053B2
This invention relates to a system (10) and method for matching one or more microphones. A first and second microphone (110, 210) communicates, respectively, a first and second microphone signal to an amplitude compensating means (16) adjusting amplitude of the first microphone signal in accordance with amplitude of the second microphone signal. The amplitude compensating means (16) communicates an adjusted first microphone signal (100) and the second microphone signal (200) to a phase matching means (18) comprising a correction filter means (113) receiving the adjusted first microphone signal (100). The correction filter means (113) comprises a low-pass filter means (111), which is controlled in accordance with a subtraction between the first microphone signal output (102) and the second microphone signal (200), and a high-pass filter means (112), which is controlled in accordance with a comparison between the first microphone signal output (102) and the second microphone signal (200).
US07831044B2
A data processing device of the invention has an ID creator unit (300) which adds ID information which is set by a CPU and the number of sectors, and outputs a result of the addition as ID information; a scramble SEED value table (103) which produces an initial scramble SEED value, by using the ID information which is outputted from the ID creator unit (300); a normal scramble filter (104) which produces a scramble SEED value (402) for data to be transferred; a frame jumping scramble filter (301) which holds a scramble SEED value of a jumping destination (401) in preparation for jumping; and a selector (105) which selects one of the scramble SEED value (401) and the scramble SEED value (402) and outputs the selected value to the normal scramble filter (104). Accordingly, the data processing device can perform a scrambling process and a de-scrambling process, without depending on the reliability of the data being transferred.
US07831041B2
An image forming apparatus includes a reader for reading image data from a document. An inherent information storage stores information inherent to the image forming apparatus. An encryption key generator generates an encryption key based on the inherent information in the inherent information storage, and an encryptor encrypts the image data read by the reader based on the encryption key to generate encryption data. An acceptor accepts an image formation designation to form an image on a recording sheet. A decryption key generator generates a decryption key based on the inherent information in the inherent information storage if the image formation designation is accepted by the acceptor. A decryptor decrypts the encryption data based on the decryption key to acquire the image data, and an image forming section forms the image on the recording sheet based on the data acquired by the decryptor.
US07831039B2
Circuitry for encrypting at least a part of an input data flow and generating a tag based on the input data flow with the same ciphering algorithm and the same key including a first ciphering branch arranged to encrypt the at least part of the input data; a second ciphering branch arranged to generate the tag; and a single key schedule unit arranged to receive the key, to generate at least one sub-key based on the key and to provide the at least one sub-key to the first and second ciphering branches.
US07831028B2
A system for collecting caller information comprises an interexchange switch adapted to extract caller information associated with a call directed to a telephone number, the interexchange switch further adapted to forward caller information to a server manager, the server manager adapted to forward caller information to a server. The server stores the caller information and parses campaign information from the caller information. The system accumulates the campaign information and forwards the campaign information over the Internet. The server manager may be adapted to execute a script. The script may include executing an option selected from the group consisting of: recording the call, activating voicemail, recording a lost lead capture, requesting the caller's name, and forwarding the call.
US07831027B2
A system extension for a billing system adapted to generate customer bills associated with the delivery of telecommunications products and services, wherein the billing system includes software instructions adapted to be executed on a computer server platform, a database for storing product configuration data for a plurality of product offerings and charging tariffs attached to the product offerings, and a user interface allowing a user to interact with and configure portions of the system, the system extension comprising: an editable derived attributes table that identifies a unit charge rate for tariffs attached to product offerings; and a charge calculation function for calculating a charge for a tariff attached to a particular product offering based on the unit charge rate identified in the derived attributes table for the tariff.
US07831020B2
The present invention relates to an X-ray tube, having a structure for realizing improvement of a magnification factor of a magnified transmission image, and an X-ray source that includes the X-ray tube. The X-ray tube includes: a target housing unit, housing an X-ray target; and an electron gun housing unit, one end of which is mounted to a side wall portion of the target housing unit. The electron gun housing unit is disposed so that a tube axis thereof intersects a tube axis of the target housing unit. The electron gun housing unit holds an electron gun while a center of an electron emission exit of the electron gun is shifted more toward an X-ray emission window side, disposed at one end of the side wall portion of the target housing unit, than the tube axis of the electron gun housing unit.
US07831004B2
In a synchronous detection circuit, an interpolation circuit regulates an interpolation calculation coefficient based on phase shift information when carrying out interpolation calculation processing over a digitally converted received signal. A sampling circuit samples interpolation data using a recovered clock as a reference and two clocks having phases which are advanced and delayed with respect to the recovered clock. A phase shift detecting circuit monitors a phase shift using three sampling data output from the sampling circuit and outputting phase shift information to the interpolation circuit when detecting a predetermined phase shift. A demodulating circuit performs demodulation processing using the data subjected to the sampling with the recovered clock output from the sampling circuit. Where a synchronous shift is detected, the interpolation circuit performs regulation to match a timing having a maximum signal-to-noise ratio and the recovered clock based on the amount of the phase shift.
US07831000B2
A method for time synchronization in a distributed control system includes the steps of: when a sync is received from a master-side, confirming both a reception time point of the corresponding sync and a compensation time point of a previous frequency, and determining if a result obtained by confirming the two time points corresponds to a preset Frequency Compensation Interval (FCI); performing only a time offset compensation operation when the result obtained by confirming the two time points does not correspond to the preset FCI; and performing both time offset and frequency compensation operations when the result obtained by confirming the two time points corresponds to the preset FCI.
US07830999B2
An apparatus for generating a clock signal of a semiconductor memory includes a first shifting unit that outputs first shifting signals using at least one periodic signal, a control signal generating unit that outputs multiplexing control signals using an inverted clock signal, a second shifting unit that outputs second shifting signals using at least one of the periodic signals, a correcting unit that outputs correction signals having an intermediate phase between the phase of the first shifting signals and the phase of the second shifting signals on the basis of a bias signal applied thereto, a combination unit that combines the first shifting signals and the correction signals to output combined signals, a multiplexing unit that selectively outputs the combined signals on the basis of multiplexing control signals, and a driving unit that drives the clock signal and the inverted clock signal based on the output of the multiplexing unit.
US07830991B2
A digital signal processing-based receiver architecture performs automatic gain control (AGC) for a frequency hopping spread-spectrum communications receiver that may be subjected to one or more sources of interference or jamming. Rather than set the AGC gain at a fixed, best hoped for value, and then attempt to rely on decoding or interleaving to interpolate lost or degraded data, the present invention, through repeated but aperiodic transitions or hops across a plurality of frequency bins of interest, develops a gain profile for the plurality of frequency bins, and uses the gain profile to adjust, on a hop-by-hop basis, the gain for the channel/bin to which the receiver is listening, so as to maintain the average aggregate input signal power at an optimal ADC loading factor.
US07830988B2
A MIMO decoder, which is capable of changing a search area of a transmission signal vector in accordance with a change in a channel matrix, includes: a generalized inverse vector matrix calculation unit for calculating a generalized inverse matrix of Moore-Penrose derived from a channel matrix indicative of a radiowave propagation environment; a search area limiting processing unit for performing weighting for each eigenvector calculated from the channel matrix in inverse proportion to a square root of an eigenvalue corresponding to the eigenvector, and determines the search area of the transmission signal vector centered at the generalized inverse matrix solution of Moore-Penrose based on the weighted result; and a most likelihood estimation unit for searching for a transmission signal vector by use of a most likelihood estimation based on the search area determined by the search area limiting processing unit.
US07830981B2
A method and system for minimizing power consumption in a communication system is provided. The method may include adjusting the supply voltage of a linear amplifier, which may be used for amplifying a RF signal, in proportion to the envelope of the baseband of the RF signal. The signals may correspond to a variety of communication protocols. For example, WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUDPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WiMAX, OFDM, UWB, ZigBee, and BlueTooth. The baseband signal may be delayed by a number of samples before being input into the amplifier. The envelope may be measured by evaluating a plurality of I and Q samples from the baseband signal. The number of samples may be calculated by measuring the intermodulation distortion at the output of the amplifier. The supply voltage may be generated by a switching regulator. The method may also include adjusting a bias voltage of the amplifier in proportion to the envelope of the baseband signal, where the bias voltage may control the gain of the amplifier. The bias voltage may also be generated by a switching regulator.
US07830972B2
A method for transmitting control signals in a multi-carrier system. A method for arranging pilots in a transmitting side which transmits and receives data using a plurality of sub-carriers includes acquiring transmission data to be transmitted to a receiving side, processing data of a specific region among the transmission data in accordance with hidden pilots for channel estimation of the receiving side, allocating specific radio resources exclusively for the transmission data and dedicated pilots for channel estimation of the receiving side.
US07830968B1
A digital receiver for processing one of a packetized input data stream and a digitized standard definition input signal is provides a delay in the processing of the standard definition audio input signal to maintain synchronism with the processing of a corresponding standard definition video signal.
US07830965B2
Multimedia data having a first resolution is transmitted and supplemental data is separately transmitted. When combined with the multimedia data having a first resolution, the supplemental data provides the multimedia content at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution. The multimedia data having a first resolution is received and the supplemental data is separately received. The multimedia data having a first resolution and the supplemental data are combined, to provide the multimedia content at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution. The multimedia data having a first resolution may be transmitted, received and played using streaming, while the supplemental data may be transmitted, received and played by downloading. Digital rights management schemes may be applied to the multimedia data having a first resolution and/or to the supplemental data.
US07830963B2
Techniques and tools are described for decoding jointly information. For example, a decoder decodes a variable length [“VLC”] signaled at macroblock level that jointly represents a transform type signal level, transform type, and subblock pattern. The decoder decodes one or more VLCs signaled at block level, each jointly representing a transform type and subblock pattern. The decoder may select between multiple VLC tables for the VLCs signaled macroblock level and/or block level.
US07830962B1
Integrated imaging and GPS network monitors remote object movement. Browser interface displays objects and detectors. Database stores object position movement. Cameras detect objects and generate image signal. Internet provides selectable connection between system controller and various cameras according to object positions.
US07830954B2
Various embodiments are disclosed relating to a wireless transceiver. In an example embodiment, a method of compensating for phase imbalance and amplitude imbalance between corresponding in-phase signals and quadrature-phase signals includes providing a plurality of test tones of various frequencies to a receiver and determining, for each of the test tones, a respective phase imbalance and a respective amplitude imbalance between an in-phase (I) signal and a quadrature-phase (Q) signal of the test tone. The example method also includes determining a set of filter coefficients based on the determined phase and amplitude imbalances of the plurality of test tones and applying the set of filter coefficients to a plurality of filters. In the example method, a phase imbalance between an I signal and a Q signal of a received wireless signal is compensated for using a first filter of the plurality of filters. Further, an amplitude imbalance between the I and Q signals of the received wireless signal is compensated for using a second filter of the plurality of filters.
US07830952B2
The computational complexity required for interference suppression in the reception of wireless communications from multiple users is reduced by sharing information among the users. In some situations, information indicative of a statistical characteristic of the interference is shared among the users. Delays used to produce the interference statistic information are determined based on rake finger delays employed by the users. In some situations, a parameter estimate that is used to calculate combining weights for the users is shared among the users.
US07830951B2
Provided herein are systems and methods for achieving long integration of an input signal by compensating the frequency and phase of each sample of the input signal. In an embodiment, a Numerical Controlled Oscillator (NCO) of the receiver is modified to include a variable control input that allows the output frequency of the NCO to be adjusted based on a rate of change of frequency. The rate of change of frequency may be estimated based on the relative velocity of a satellite to the receiver computed from satellite orbit parameters or ephemeris. The rate of change of frequency may also be estimated based on frequency measurements of previous samples. The modified NCO may be used as a carrier NCO or code NCO of the receiver to provide frequency and phase compensation of each sample of the input signal.
US07830950B2
For processing a sequence of samples of a signal, it is assumed that the signal comprises a carrier that is modulated by a code composed of a sequence of chips. A method of wiping-off an influence by the carrier on the sequence of samples and downsampling the sequence of samples (step 105; step 205; step 301) is shown, as well as utilizing the downsampled sequence of samples as a new sequence of samples for further processing (step 108; step 209; step 302). Also shown are a corresponding processing component 72, a corresponding electronic device 71, a corresponding system, a corresponding software program code and a corresponding software program product.
US07830949B2
Embodiments of the present invention include techniques for performing cross correlations. In one embodiment the present invention includes a cross correlation system for use in a communication system comprising a wireless receiver receiving a signal including a first sequence of data values and converting the first sequence of data values into a sequence of digital data values, the wireless receiver further comprising a plurality of cross correlators that each receive the digital data values and cross correlate the digital data values with a corresponding plurality of different binary reference patterns, wherein if the first sequence of data values correlates with one of said plurality of binary reference patterns, one of said cross correlators generates a peak. In one embodiment, the cross correlators are partitioned into stages. In another embodiment, the received data values are loaded into a memory that is shared by the cross correlators to reduce hardware requirements.
US07830946B2
A novel method and apparatus for suppressing ASE and parasitic oscillation modes in a high average power laser is introduced. Such an invention, as disclosed herein, uses diffraction gratings to increase gain, stored energy density, and pumping efficiency of solid-state laser gain media, such as, but not limited to rods, disks and slabs. By coupling predetermined gratings to solid-state gain media, such as crystal or ceramic laser gain media, ASE and parasitic oscillation modes can be effectively suppressed.
US07830937B2
It makes possible to inject a current into the current confinement region substantially uniformly. A surface emitting type optical semiconductor device includes a semiconductor active layer provided above a substrate; a first and second reflecting mirror layers sandwiching the semiconductor active layer to form an optical cavity in a direction perpendicular to the substrate; a plurality of current confinement regions provided in the second reflecting mirror layer so as to be separated by an impurity region having impurities; a semiconductor current diffusion layer provided on the second reflecting mirror layer so as to cover the current confinement regions; and an electrode portion which injects a current into the semiconductor active layer. The electrode portion comprising a first electrode provided on the semiconductor current diffusion layer so as to surround the current confinement regions and a second electrode provided on an opposite side of the substrate from the semiconductor active layer.
US07830934B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling bandwidth in a multi-portion laser system comprising a first line narrowed oscillator laser system portion providing a line narrowed seed pulse to an amplifier laser system portion, may comprise utilizing a timing difference curve defining a relationship between a first laser system operating parameter other than bandwidth and the timing difference and also a desired point on the curve defining a desired timing difference, wherein each unique operating point on the curve corresponds to a respective bandwidth value; determining an actual offset from the timing difference at the desired point on the curve to an actual operating point on the curve; determining an error between the actual offset and a desired offset corresponding to a desired bandwidth; modifying the firing differential timing to remove the error between the actual offset and the desired offset.
US07830932B2
An internal resonator type SHG light source includes a pump light source which emits a pump light; a solid-state laser which absorbs the pump light and which emits a fundamental wave; an output mirror provided so as to face the solid-state laser, which forms a resonator together with the solid-state laser; a wavelength conversion element provided in the resonator, which converts the fundamental wave into a harmonic wave; a detector which detects a temperature of the wavelength conversion element; and a rotating unit which changes an incident angle of the fundamental wave on the wavelength conversion element by rotating the wavelength conversion element, wherein the rotating unit rotates the wavelength conversion element according to the temperature of the wavelength conversion element as detected by the detector.
US07830928B2
All-optical quasi-phase matching (QPM) uses a train of counterpropagating pulses to enhance high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in a hollow waveguide. A pump pulse enters one end of the waveguide, and causes HHG in the waveguide. The counterpropagation pulses enter the other end of the waveguide and interact with the pump pulses to cause QPM within the waveguide, enhancing the HHG.
US07830918B2
A method of network communication includes employing a communication network protocol stack with a plurality of independent communication layers providing a plurality of different corresponding services. A plurality of circular communication buffers are employed. A buffer manager is employed for the circular communication buffers, the buffer manager being independent of the independent communication layers. One of the circular communication buffers is requested from the buffer manager by one of the independent communication layers. A plurality of different operations are provided in the buffer manager to read first data from or write second data to such one of the circular communication buffers for a number of the independent communication layers.
US07830917B2
A radio LSI is provided that is not to cause a delay in sending acknowledgement data. A latch circuit provided in a sending/receiving section latches frame control information out of data being received. A decoder decodes the frame control information to decode a data length and structure of an address field. Furthermore, a latch circuit latches the address-field data of the reception data according to the decoded address-field information. A comparing circuit compares a content of a register entered with an address of the opposite-of-communication completely prepared data to be sent, with a source address of the data being received, to determine a setting/resetting of frame pending in acknowledgement data. A content of the determination is sent to a data-link section. This provides information required for acknowledgement data before completely receiving data, thus eliminating the possibility to cause a delay in sending acknowledgement data.
US07830915B2
Responsibility can be established for specific copies or instances of copies of digitized multimedia content using digital watermarks. Management and distribution of digital watermark keys (e.g., private, semiprivate and public) and the extension of information associated with such keys is implemented to create a mechanism for the securitization of multimedia titles to which the keys apply. Bandwidth rights can be created to provide for a distributed model for digital distribution of content which combines the security of a digital watermark with efficient barter mechanisms for handling the actual delivery of digital goods. Distributed keys better define rights that are traded between transacting parties in exchanging information or content. More than one party can cooperate in adding distinguished watermarks at various stages of distribution without destroying watermarks previously placed in the content. Additionally, the amount of information which any one party must divulge to another party can be minimized, and “downstream” parties can be prevented from compromising or otherwise gaining control of watermarks embedded by “upstream” parties.
US07830908B2
In one embodiment, a method includes inserting a packet containing an interpolated timestamp into a burst media stream. The insertion is responsive to a channel change request. The burst media stream includes a series of cached frames.
US07830904B1
An internal network provides dynamically allocated bandwidths of up to 1.544 megabits/sec total over existing physical mediums such as twisted pairs. A line interface device connects to a local exchange carrier via a mux-demux unit that multiplexes communication signals for multiple channels of the internal network onto a single telephone line connection to the local exchange carrier. The line interface device allocates bandwidth amongst connected modem devices within the internal network according to device bandwidth needs. The modem devices are connected to each other and to the line interface device over the existing physical medium, for internal network transmission. Thus, high speed communications may be obtained without costly new physical medium installations. In this way, high connectivity may be obtained in a premises without large cost outlays.
US07830896B2
A router for routing data from a client through load-balancing nodes to a selected load-balanced server among a plurality of servers in a network involves: receiving, at a last load balancing node associated with a selected server among the plurality of servers, a first packet of a server reply to a request from the client; storing identifiers of ingress interfaces on which the packet arrives, in a send path list for server load balancing, as the first packet of the server reply is routed from the last load balancing node to the client using hop-by-hop decisions; receiving subsequent packets of the client request; and forwarding the subsequent packets to the selected server only on a route that is defined by the send path list and without hop-by-hop routing decisions. Packet flows are routed from the same client to the same server without hop-by-hop routing decisions or repeated load-balancing decisions.
US07830894B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for establishing a connection between a first and a second communication device. The first communication device supports separate voice and data channels and is arranged for sending a pair of a first and second establishment requests, the first request being sent via the data channel and the second request being sent via the voice channel. The system comprises a proxy for receiving the first request via the data channel, and a gateway for receiving the second request via the voice channel. The gateway is arranged to forward the received request to the proxy and the proxy is arranged to forward the earliest received request of the pair of requests to one of a plurality of call control servers for processing.
US07830886B2
A boundary node router determines whether a received packet includes a SIP message and a REGISTER message, and, if so, adds its router identifier to a REGISTER message which includes a user identifier and a user terminal identifier, sent from a user terminal, and sends the message to a SIP server. The SIP server has a user management table which stores the user terminal identifier, the router identifier of a router which serves the user terminal, and a predetermined Quality of Service type, in association with each user identifier. The SIP server extracts a user identifier, a user terminal identifier, and a router identifier from a received REGISTER message, and updates the user terminal identifier and the router identifier corresponding to the extracted user identifier, to the extracted user terminal identifier and the extracted router identifier.
US07830882B2
A system bus may be used as an inter-switch communications link to transfer packets between virtualized interfaces on different virtualized network interface controllers that are accessible by a plurality of virtual machines. The inter-switch communications link may also be used for advanced power management through the use of intelligent packet redirection when virtualized interfaces are lightly utilized.
US07830871B2
For carrying out communication with the use of an IP address, prefix information is extracted from a router advertisement, the prefix information is registered and managed; and a predetermined number of prefixes are selected from the prefix information registered and the IP address is generated therefrom.
US07830870B2
The router of the invention comprises a routing table and an NAT table, which comprises an internet routing field for recording an address where a routing path to a WAN is stored, an intranet routing field for recording an address where a routing path to an LAN is stored, and a routing flag field for recording information indicating whether the NAT table stores an address where a routing path to a destination address is stored. When receiving a packet to a destination address, the router checks whether the NAT table records the address where a routing path to the destination address is stored. The router transmits the packet based on the routing information of the NAT table if the result is positive. If the result is negative, the router selects a routing path to the destination address from the routing table and transmits the packet base on the selected routing path.
US07830865B2
A method for providing supplementary services in a packet voice network. The method includes the steps of receiving a list of information elements from a sending station and then inserting the list into a call control message. The message is inserted in such a manner as to ensure that any supplementary services information included in the information elements is preserved. In addition locally significant messages are included in a globally significant message so any supplementary services information in the locally significant messages is preserved. After the supplementary services information is preserved, the messages are sent to a receiving station. A network device operable to provide this functionality is also discussed.
US07830861B2
In order to provide a single common cost-efficient architecture for real time communication services for audio, video, and data over internet protocol, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) system and architecture is provided by placing border elements (BEs) at the interface boundaries between the access network the user devices use and the VoIP infrastructure. The BEs use SIP protocol as the access call control protocol over any access networking technologies, for example, IP, Ethernet, ATM, and FR, and provides all services transparently to the end users that use SIP-enabled devices.To enable a scalable system, the SIP BEs are decomposed into separate communicating entities that make the SIP BE scalable and provide new capabilities not previously available by a self-contained SIP BE. Further, multiple levels of decomposition of a SIP BE can be provided by the present invention supporting a flexible and scalable SIP BE design that further improves system efficiencies and cost advantages as compared to use of single integrated border or edge elements. Further, a scalable SIP BE, made up of a plurality of physical entities for optimization of a large scale design, acts as a single integrated functional entity to logically execute a set of functions at the border of a VoIP infrastructure.
US07830844B2
A mobile communication device is able to communicate with wireless local area network and with a cellular network. A communication system is able to route a communication session between the mobile communication device and another communication device either by way of the wireless local area network or the cellular network. The communication system is able to trigger the mobile communication device via the cellular network to search for and attempt to connect to the wireless local area network. The mobile communication device, in response to reception of signaling via the cellular network, is able to activate a wireless local area network interface of the mobile communication device and to establish a connection to the wireless local area network.
US07830825B2
The present invention discloses a method for implementing multicast services, which includes: preset a mapping relation between a multicast user address and a multicast group address; acquire a request packet sent by the multicast user who requests to join in the multicast group; determine whether the multicast group address in request packet is the same as that corresponding to the multicast user in the established mapping relation according to the multicast user address and multicast group address carried in the request packet. If yes, allow the multicast user to join in the multicast group. Otherwise, prohibit the multicast user from joining in the multicast group. The present invention can open the preset multicast resources to the preset multicast user with speed and pertinence. At the same time, it limits the maximum number of multicast groups that each multicast user is allowed to join in, which can effectively control multicast service bandwidth and further protect the network equipment.
US07830816B1
A method of maintaining a communication service is disclosed. The method comprises providing a communication path from a customer premises equipment (CPE) in a customer network to a port of a router located in a communication service provider network, wherein the port is allocated to the CPE, and wherein the customer network is different from the communication service provider network. The method also comprises determining a connectivity of the communication path from the CPE to the port of the router and determining an interface status of the port located on the router. The method also comprises determining a quality of service (QoS) of the communication path from the CPE to the port located on the router. Determining the connectivity and QoS of the communication path and determining the interface status of the port are initiated from the CPE.
US07830815B1
A method and apparatus for measuring and extracting proximity in networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present method receives a network from a user for analysis and extraction of a smaller proximity sub-graph. The method computes a candidate sub-graph and determines at least one Cycle Free Escape Conductivity (CFEC) proximity of at least two nodes in accordance with the candidate sub-graph. The method then extracts and presents a proximity sub-graph that best captures the proximity.
US07830807B2
A fault isolation system and method. A hierarchical numbering system is applied to devices within a subscriber network. The number system comprises a continuously concatenated string that provides a relative location of each active device with a subscriber network. The numbering system provides “genealogical” information about network devices and their location with the network and facilitates the correlation of non-responsive CPE data with faults in network devices.
US07830802B2
According to the method for preventing IP multicast data stream from overloading the communication system by distinguishing multiple services, when a multicast data packet ‘packet (key)’ with its key value being ‘key’ reaches the forwarding layer, if it doesn't find the matching multicast route entry or matching multicast forwarding entry, and it satisfies the requirement of multicast protocol Assert state machine, then it searches for current-limiting policy list L (type, key) according to the key, and applies the searched current-limiting policy to multicast forwarding and packet up-sending. If it finds the matching multicast route entry and the protocol requests sending the multicast data packet to the protocol processor, the new multicast forwarding entry P_M(key) is formed with the current-limiting policy of distinguishing the service type(key), and P_M(key) is used to forward and up-send. The above-mentioned three current-limiting types may be used separately or combined freely.
US07830800B1
Systems and methods for processing media streams for transport over a network based on network conditions. An integrated circuit comprises a media processing unit coupled to receive feedback from a network processing unit. The media processing unit converts a media stream from a compressed input stream to a compressed output stream such that the compressed output stream has characteristics that are best suited for the network conditions. Network conditions can include, for example, characteristics of the network (e.g., latency or bandwidth) or characteristics of the remote playback devices (e.g., playback resolution). Changes in the network conditions can result in a change in the conversion process.
US07830795B2
A self-correcting bandwidth request/grant protocol in a broadband wireless communication system. The protocol uses a combination of incremental and aggregate bandwidth requests. Stations primarily transmit incremental bandwidth requests to their associated base stations, followed by periodic transmissions of aggregate bandwidth requests. Risks are reduced that a base station erroneously issues duplicate bandwidth allocations to the same station for the same connection. Race conditions that may have occurred using only aggregate bandwidth requests are eliminated. Use of periodic aggregate bandwidth requests that express the current state of respective connection queues provides a “self-correcting” property.
US07830777B2
A system for selectively enabling or disabling an optical device, such as an optical disc, includes an optical blocking material bonded or otherwise integrated into the optical device. In a specific embodiment, the optical blocking material includes a dye, such as an energy-sensitive dye. The optical blocking material is initially applied to the optical device during production using a spin coating or other suitable technique. An area of the optical device that will prevent a function of the device is then masked, and sufficient energy is applied to the unmasked area to activate the optical blocking material of the unmasked area while leaving the masked area unactivated. In a specific embodiment, the masked area corresponds with a lead-in area of an optical disc. The optical blocking material of the masked area remains non-transparent to disable the optical device until a second application of energy at a retail location.
US07830759B2
An objective lens drive includes a lens holder holding first and second objective lenses and moved at least in a focusing direction substantially parallel to optical axes of the objective lenses and in a tracking direction orthogonal to the focusing direction; a support supporting the lens holder movably at least in the focusing and tracking directions; a first adjusting unit provided between the first objective lens and the lens holder and adjusting a tilt of the first objective lens in a direction about an axis in a first direction being any direction in a plane orthogonal to the focusing direction; and a second adjusting unit provided between the second objective lens and the lens holder and adjusting a tilt of the second objective lens in a direction about an axis in a second direction being in a plane orthogonal to the focusing direction and substantially orthogonal to the first direction.
US07830751B2
A method for displaying events in a plurality of calendar systems. The Custom Calendar System Program (CCSP) herein allows a user to create a custom calendar system by changing the length and names of the year, month, week, or day of any calendar system. The Event Conversion Program (ECP) herein translates the date for an event into a generic date and stores the event with the generic date. When the user changes the displayed time period or calendar system, the Display Program (DP) herein displays the new calendar system and/or time period and determines which events occur on the displayed time period. The DP translates only the events which occur in the displayed time period into the displayed calendar system dates and displays those events on the displayed calendar. A date caching file allows the invention to minimize the number of translation calculations.
US07830750B2
A system and method for calibrating an acoustic detector. The method includes the steps of simultaneously transmitting an acoustic signal and an electromagnetic signal to an acoustic detector, receiving both signals, calculating a timing difference between the reception of the acoustic signal and electromagnetic signal, and setting a first time threshold used to determine if a glass panel is broken using the calculated difference and storing the first time threshold. A sensitivity level is also set based upon the determined timing difference. A unique key signature in the acoustic signal and electromagnetic signal is detected and matched with a stored signature to determine whether the signals are from a calibration signal. The timing difference is only calculated if both signals are calibration signals.
US07830745B2
A method and system model of the formation and rock matrices in a well site. A microseismic event from a hydraulic fracture in a well bore is recorded at a monitoring well site. The S-coda wave window of the microseismic event is identified. Q-factors for a set of frequencies within the S-coda wave window are then identified.
US07830742B2
A memory cell accessing method may include receiving an input address, determining whether the input address has been accessed at least a predetermined number of times, and converting a memory cell enabled by the input address when it is determined that the input address has been accessed the predetermined number of times or more.
US07830729B2
A memory device that, in certain embodiments, includes a memory element coupled to a bit-line and a quantizing circuit coupled to the memory element via the bit-line. In some embodiments, the quantizing circuit includes an analog-to-digital converter having an input and output and a digital filter that includes memory. The input of the analog-to-digital converter may be coupled to the bit-line, and the output of the analog-to-digital converter may be coupled to the digital filter.
US07830723B2
A NROM memory device includes an array of memory cells and first and second bit lines. The first and second bit lines are coupled to opposite sides of the memory cells. During an erase operation, one of the sides of the memory cells receives a positive voltage and the other side couples to a common node or a limited current source. Methods are also disclosed that can easily screen for marginal memory cells based on a threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells.
US07830720B2
A method of programming a non-volatile memory device includes receiving data to be programmed into memory cells of the memory device, programming the memory cells with the data, and selectively performing one of a plurality of program verify operations based on a current program loop number to determine whether the memory cells have been successfully programmed. For example, one of a wired-OR pass/fail check operation and a Y-scan pass/fail check operation may be performed according to the current program loop number. Related methods and devices are also discussed.
US07830719B2
An apparatus and method of accessing a memory by determining available power, and accessing a number of bits of the memory in parallel, wherein the number of bits accessed in parallel is based at least in part on the available power.
US07830717B2
A method for performing erasing operation in a nonvolatile memory device includes the steps of applying an erasing voltage to P-wells of a selected memory cell block which is composed of a plurality of strings in each of which a plurality of memory cells and side memory cells are connected in series; performing soft programming operation by applying a soft programming voltage to word lines of the selected memory cell block; and programming the side memory cells by applying a programming voltage to the side memory cells.
US07830715B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including an element region which is surrounded by an element isolation insulation layer, a transistor including a gate electrode which is provided on the element region, and a source region and a drain region which are provided in the first element region, a first auxiliary wiring layer and a second auxiliary wiring layer which extend in a channel length direction and are provided on the element isolation insulation layer such that the first transistor is interposed between the first auxiliary wiring layer and the second auxiliary wiring layer, and a control circuit which sets, while the first transistor is in an ON state, the first auxiliary wiring layer and the second auxiliary wiring layer at a first voltage of the same polarity as a gate voltage of the first transistor that is in the ON state.
US07830711B2
A data writing method is disclosed. In a memory system comprising a NAND flash memory and a controller which controls the memory, the memory system storing data provided from a host to the NAND flash memory, the data writing method comprises a steps of specifying a column address in which a column failure which has occurred in the NAND flash memory by the controller, and a step of, during writing into the NAND flash memory, writing data of a first logic level into a memory cell which corresponds to the specified column address regardless of write data provided from the controller.
US07830701B2
Circuitry and methods for restoring data values in non-volatile memory are disclosed. An integrated circuit includes a memory access circuit and a sensing circuit configured to sense a data signal during a read operation to at least one two-terminal non-volatile cross-point memory array. Each memory array includes a plurality of two-terminal memory cells. A plurality of the memory arrays can be fabricated over the substrate and vertically stacked on one another. Further, the integrated circuit can include a margin manager circuit configured to manage a read margin for the two-terminal memory cells substantially during the read operation, thereby providing for contemporaneous read and margin determination operations. Stored data read from the two-terminal memory cells may have a value of the stored data restored (e.g., re-written to the same cell or another cell) if the value is not associated with a read margin (e.g., a hard programmed or hard erased state).
US07830697B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes at least one memory cell which comprises a diode and a metal oxide antifuse dielectric layer, and a first electrode and a second electrode electrically contacting the at least one memory cell. In use, the diode acts as a read/write element of the memory cell by switching from a first resistivity state to a second resistivity state different from the first resistivity state in response to an applied bias.
US07830671B2
The invention relates to the casings for portable communications devices. In particular the invention provides a casing formed from precious materials.
US07830669B2
A contact bank, which can be terminated, or is terminated, at least one terminal module serving for signal communication and being adapted to allow telecommunications lines to be connected therewith, or at least one supplementary module, of a telecommunications distribution point, which is connected to a terminal module, whereby the contact bank further is mountable or mounted in the telecommunications distribution point, includes: (a) a plurality of tapping contacts directly and permanently electrically connected to the contacts of the module in the terminated condition of said contact bank; (b) a smaller number of outlet contacts than of tapping contacts; (c) a plurality of remote-controllable switches for selectively electrically connecting said outlet contacts to said tapping contacts; and (d) a control device for controlling the plurality of switches.
US07830668B2
A power supply unit for a mobile computerized device includes a housing having a handle, a battery positioned within the housing, and a detector configured to detect user interaction with the handle. The power supply unit may comprise a removable power supply unit for a mobile computerized device, having a detector generating a signal in response to detecting user interaction with the handle.
US07830666B2
An MMC/SD core unit includes a PCBA in which all passive components and unpackaged IC chips are attached to a single side of a PCB opposite to the metal contacts. The IC chips include, for example, a controller chip and a flash memory chip, or a single-chip (combined controller/flash memory) chip. Multiple flash IC chips are optionally stacked to increase storage capacity. The IC chip(s) are attached to the PCB by wire bonding or other chip-on-board (COB) technique. The passive components are attached by conventional surface mount technology (SMT) techniques. A molded housing is then formed over the IC chips and passive components such that the device has a uniform thickness. The MMC/SD core unit is then inserted or otherwise mounted in an eternal casing to provide a finished MMC/SD device.
US07830659B2
A blocking device adapted in a blade server and a blade server are provided. The blade server includes a chassis and a plurality of blocking devices. The chassis includes an opening, a plurality of connecting interfaces and a plurality of convection holes. The connecting interfaces are placed in parallel to connect respective CPU blades. Each convection hole corresponds to a connecting interface. Each of the blocking devices corresponds to a convection hole and includes two blocking plates and a pushing object. The two blocking plates block the convection hole and include a hinge and a torsion spring. When a CPU blade is connected to the connecting interface, the pushing object displaces to make the two blocking plates rotate about a respective hinge to expose the convection hole. When the CPU blade is removed, the torsion springs make the two blocking plates rotate back to block the convection hole.
US07830655B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a chassis, a housing, a communication unit, and a holder. The chassis includes a conductive portion. The housing, in the chassis, has structure to hold a first storage device. The housing is configured to house the first storage device or a second storage device that requires structure to hold it to be conductive. The communication unit is configured to be located between the chassis and the first or second storage device. The communication unit includes a communication module and a case made of a nonconductive material to ensure the wireless communication function of the communication module. The holder made of a conductive material is provided to the case to hold the second storage device in the housing. The holder includes a fixing portion to fix the second storage device and a conducting portion electrically connectable to the conductive portion.
US07830654B2
A screw-less fastening device is used for fastening a peripheral into a housing. The peripheral and the housing respectively have a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole. The screw-less fastening device includes a body and a fastening bracket. The interior of the body has two track slots and two plugging slots. The track slot includes a first slanted surface and a second slanted surface. The body slides between a first location and a second location. The fastening bracket is assembled in the body, and includes a base portion, two contacting portions and two plugging portions. The contacting portions are located in the track slots, and contact the first slanted surface and the second slanted surface. The two plugging portions are located in the plugging slots.
US07830653B2
A computer device fixing apparatus includes: a main body part, having a containing part; an adjusting mechanism; and a connection mechanism, by which the main body part is connected with the adjusting mechanism revolvably; wherein the computer device fixing apparatus is for fixing a computer device of a first size when the adjusting mechanism is located in the containing part, and the computer device fixing apparatus is for fixing a computer device of a second size when the adjusting mechanism is not located in the containing part. The adjusting mechanism can be utilized to compensate for the height difference between two sizes of computer devices if the computer device of a first height has a larger height than the computer device of a second height, thereby two computer devices with different sizes can be fixed by the same computer device fixing apparatus.
US07830651B2
A notebook includes a host, a monitor, a power source, a system switch, a system button, a monitor switch, and a monitor button. The power source is used for supplying electric power to the host and the monitor. The system button is configured for controlling the system switch to power on or power off the host. The monitor button is configured for controlling the monitor switch to power on or power off the monitor when the host is turned on.
US07830649B2
A ballast with multilateral lead wires is provided for supplying a power for fluorescent lamps. The ballast comprises a lid and a longitudinal container for containing a ballast circuit for processing an input power and generating a lamp power supply to one or more of the lamps. The circuit includes an input connector mounted on an edge of the circuit for receiving input power wires and an output connector mounted on the opposite edge of the circuit from the input connector for connecting one or more sets of output lead wires. The lid is tightly fastened over the container and has two opposite edgewise basins with access openings for the wires to the input and output connectors.
US07830644B2
Methods of producing polycrystalline and single crystal dielectrics are disclosed, including dielectrics comprising CaCu3Ti4O12 or La3Ga5SiO4. Superior single crystals are manufactured with improved crystallinity by atomic lattice constant adjustments to the dielectric and to the substrate on which it is grown. Dielectric materials made according to the disclosed methods are useful for manufacture of energy storage devices, e.g. capacitors.
US07830642B2
A disc apparatus which can judge accurately whether or not a spindle motor is at fault due to a short circuit is provided.A disc apparatus (1) includes a spindle motor (3) which rotates a disc (2), a differential operational amplifier (5) which successively detects output voltages of the spindle motor (3), and a failure judgment unit (10) which calculates an average voltage of the plural output voltages and judges whether or not the spindle motor (3) is at fault in accordance with the average voltage and the output voltages. When counting number of occurrences of a specific state which indicates that one of the two output voltages detected successively is larger than the average voltage and other of the two output voltages is smaller than the average voltage, the failure judgment unit (10) judges that the spindle motor (3) is at fault. Consequently, the failure judgment unit (10) can rapidly and accurately judge the failure in the spindle motor (3) without the influence from the unexpected change of the output voltages.
US07830639B2
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide achieve an increase of storage capacity and thinning down of a disk drive by reducing effects from an error in an assembly position of a ramp. A data storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a head, a ramp, a load beam, and an actuator. The ramp includes a portion onto which the head is retracted from a surface of a medium. The load beam includes a head support portion that supports the head and a tab disposed more on the side of a leading end than the head support portion. The tab has a leading end that slides over, while being in contact with, a sliding surface of the ramp. The actuator includes the load beam and loads and unloads the head.
US07830629B2
An exemplary prism sheet includes a transparent main body. The transparent main body includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface are on opposite sides of the transparent main body. The first surface defines a plurality of micro-depressions. Each micro-depression forms four inner sidewalls connected with each other. A transverse width of each inner sidewall progressively decreases with increasing distance from the first surface. The second surface defines a plurality of parallelogram microstructures. Each parallelogram microstructure defines four adjacent triangular pyramid depressions.
US07830628B2
The present invention relates to auxiliary detachable accessories associated with portable image capture and storage devices. Enhancements provided by the accessories include protective coverings for the integrated displays and integrated lenses, as well as the use of auxiliary conversion lenses that can be selectively attached to such devices to assist a user in enhancing in addition to creating artistic accentuations to the images.
US07830611B2
A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a manipulator for reducing rotationally asymmetric image errors. The manipulator in turn contains a lens, an optical element and an interspace formed between the lens and the optical element, which can be filled with a liquid. At least one actuator acting exclusively on the lens is furthermore provided, which can generate a rotationally asymmetric deformation of the lens.
US07830605B2
A longitudinal interference fringe pattern projection lens with a lens body is provided. The lens body includes a lens first surface that has two convex portions or two concave portions that extend in parallel to each other in a constant direction and have the same shape, and a lens second surface. Laser light passing through one convex or concave portion interferes with laser light passing through the other convex or concave portion to form a longitudinal interference fringe pattern.
US07830599B2
A projection-type display apparatus and a display method thereof are disclosed, the projection-type display apparatus including a coated portion which is formed on a surface of a substrate, and which scans a video onto a screen, and a patterned portion which is formed on another surface of the substrate in a serrated pattern, wherein the serrated pattern is formed on the substrate according to the surface area of the patterned portion and the depth of the serrated pattern. A serrated pattern is formed on a substrate forming a reflective portion to reflect a video on a screen, so the cooling surface area of the substrate is increased, thereby compensating for distortions in video scanned onto the screen.
US07830592B1
The present invention relates to a process for manufacturing a brightness enhancement structure comprising micro-reflectors. The process comprises forming an array of micro-structures by embossing; and depositing a metal layer over the surface of the micro-structures. The present invention also relates to a process for manufacturing a display device comprising micro-reflectors. The present invention further relates to a display device comprising micro-reflectors.
US07830591B2
An active-matrix circuit board includes a substrate including an avoided portion in a predetermined region thereof, one or more first pixel electrodes disposed around the avoided portion on the substrate, second pixel electrodes disposed on the substrate, pixel-driving circuits disposed on the substrate to drive the first and second pixel electrodes, wiring lines disposed on the substrate and connected to the pixel-driving circuits, and bypass line portions provided in the wiring lines so as to bypass the avoided portion. The first pixel electrodes are larger than the second pixel electrodes and have such a shape as to extend toward the avoided portion. The bypass line portions are disposed under the first pixel electrodes.
US07830588B2
An Interferometric Modulator (IMod) is a microelectromechanical device for modulating light using interference. The colors of these devices may be determined in a spatial fashion, and their inherent color shift may be compensated for using several optical compensation mechanisms. Brightness, addressing, and driving of IMods may be accomplished in a variety of ways with appropriate packaging, and peripheral electronics which can be attached and/or fabricated using one of many techniques. The devices may be used in both embedded and directly perceived applications, the latter providing multiple viewing modes as well as a multitude of product concepts ranging in size from microscopic to architectural in scope.
US07830585B2
In any manufacturing sequence for making a lithium ion-switching device, lithium has to be introduced at some stage into the device. An electrode inside the device is filled and depleted with lithium through an ion conductor at every use cycle of the device. Prior-art methods to introduce the lithium are: direct sputtering of lithium on the electrode, or electrochemically loading the electrode in an electrochemical cell, or indirectly loading the electrode after an ion conductor has been deposited on top of the electrode and still other methods. The inventive method disclosed makes such a separate lithiation step obsolete. The lithium is introduced at the same time as the ion-conductor is put on the electrode. This can be achieved by using an oxygen super-stoichiometric compound for the electrode.
US07830582B2
An electrochromic display is disclosed which comprises an array-side substrate (10) in which a pixel electrode (15) and an electrochromic layer (30) are formed, a color filter-side substrate (50) in which a counter electrode (53) and an electrochromic layer (54) are formed, and an electrolytic layer (80) injected between the array-side substrate (10) and the color filter-side substrate (50). By forming a partition wall (23) on the periphery of the pixel electrode (15) and the electrochromic layer (30), there can be prevented short-circuits between pixel electrodes (15) and short-circuits between electrochromic layers (30) between adjacent pixels, thereby realizing an electrochromic display with higher precision.
US07830579B2
Mediums that are arranged opposite to an elemental-image display unit, that form two lens arrays having different principal planes together with substrates, and that switches a polarization direction of incident light corresponding to applied voltage, thereby making lens effect of either one of the lens arrays effective are included. By controlling the polarization direction synchronizing with a display timing of images to be displayed on the elemental-image display unit, the lens array to be effective is switched at each display timing, and images having different near or far direction are alternately displayed on the elemental-image display unit.
US07830573B2
Methods create images viewable under different selected angles on optical storage devices and other photosensitive surfaces and optical storage devices with super-imposed images. Generally, a photosensitive surface is exposed with multiple diffraction patterns creating super-imposed images. These diffraction patterns create super-imposed images on the photosensitive surfaces, which can be read by either a human or a computer.
US07830571B2
An improved approach for managing a document having a plurality of versions is provided. For example, a scanned version of an edited hardcopy of the document is received from an image capture device and uploaded to an electronic database. The scanned version of the hardcopy of the document is linked to a previous electronic version of the document in the database as an update of the previous electronic version. A grouping of a plurality of electronic versions of the document is maintained in the database.
US07830567B2
A color conversion device for color-converting an input image signal in an input color reproduction region of a source device, in a predetermined color space, by mapping the input image signal into an output color reproduction region of a destination device in the predetermined color space, comprising: a calculation portion for calculating a mapping destination in the output color reproduction region of a pre-specified characteristic point in the input color reproduction region; a correction portion for correcting the output color reproduction region such that a region including a saturation higher than the calculated mapping destination is eliminated; and a mapping portion for mapping the input image signal into the corrected output color reproduction region, is provided.
US07830562B2
There is provided an image input device in which a carriage mounted with an image sensor and three types of light source is moved in a sub-scanning direction of a document by a motor and the document is read in a line sequential manner. The image input device includes a controller controlling a driving of the motor, an operation of the image sensor, and lighting and extinguishing operations of the light source; and a detecting unit outputting an edge signal to the controller when detecting a movement of the carriage corresponding to one sub-scanning line. The controller is configured to sequentially light and extinguish the three types of light source whenever receiving the edge signal from the detecting unit so as to sequentially read out electric charge stored in the image sensor during the lighting period of the respective light source; and discard the electric charge stored in the image sensor during an intervening period before receiving a subsequent edge signal.
US07830561B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a lensless optical device for acquiring an image. The device can include a light attenuating layer having a plurality of elements, where transmittance of each of the plurality of elements is controllable, and an image detector disposed at a distance from the light attenuating layer, the image detector configured to acquire an image with light that passes through the light attenuating layer. The device also can include a light attenuating layer controller configured to simultaneously control transmittance of each of the plurality of elements independent of each other. Methods of detecting and tracking an object in a scene are also disclosed.
US07830560B2
An adaptive digital ramp current control system comprises a digital current ramp controller configured to digitally ramp a current level supplied to at least one light emitting diode (LED) according to a predetermined ramp profile, the ramp profile comprising at least one intermediate current level step between a minimum current level and a maximum current level.
US07830552B2
A scaling system and method for scaling a bitonal image that has print density control. A system for scaling a bitonal image is provide that includes: a polarity detection system for detecting a polarity of the bitonal image; a pixel reduction system that generates a scaled image by reducing pixel pairs down to single scaled pixels by selectively applying either a normal or reverse set of pixel reduction rules, wherein an applied set of pixel reduction rules is determined based on a detected polarity; and a line density control system that allows the scaled image to be made lighter or darker by changing the applied set of pixel reduction rules.
US07830545B2
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an optical unit adapted to irradiate image exposure light to an image carrier comprises a frame containing optical parts arranged therein and having an opening, and a cover adapted to cover the opening. The cover can be fixed by fixing members to the frame at three points in a first plane including the opening. The cover can further be fixed by fixing members to the frame at a second plane positioned on the frame and being adjacent to the first plane and at a third plane positioned on the frame and being not parallel to the second plane. Thus, an optical unit can be obtained which has high rigidity while, when the cover is attached to the opening, maintaining satisfactory flatness of the cover in a plane including the opening.
US07830541B2
A method for providing a secure fax confirmation page from a facsimile capable device having a user interface includes receiving documents, in the form of a fax job, to be transmitted by the facsimile capable device. After receipt of a recipient's fax number, a determination is made as to whether secure fax confirmation has been selected from the user interface. A passcode is received prior to scanning of the documents. The interface displays a fax job list, which identifies whether a secure fax confirmation page is associated with individual fax jobs. Upon selection of a confirmation page by the operator, the facsimile capable device prints a secure fax confirmation page.
US07830540B2
A communication system including a transmission apparatus configured to transmit output data and a reception apparatus configured to receive the output data. The reception apparatus includes an output unit configured to execute an outputting procedure based on the output data, an abnormal state notification unit configured to transmit abnormal state notification data to the transmission apparatus, and a retransmission requesting unit configured to transmit retransmission request data if the outputting procedures is not executed normally. Further, the transmission apparatus is provided with an output data transmitting unit configured to transmit the output data to the reception apparatus, a transmission terminating unit configured to terminate transmission of the output data if the abnormal state notification data is received from the reception apparatus, and an output data retransmitting unit configure to transmit the output data requested by the retransmission requesting unit to the reception apparatus when the retransmission request data is received.
US07830527B2
A pulsed laser system includes a modulator module configured to provide pulsed electrical signals and a plurality of solid-state seed sources coupled to the modulator module and configured to operate, responsive to the pulsed electrical signals, in a pulse mode. Each of the plurality of solid-state seed sources is tuned to a different frequency channel separated from any adjacent frequency channel by a frequency offset. The pulsed laser system also includes a combiner that combines outputs from each of the solid state seed sources into a single optical path and an optical doubler and demultiplexer coupled to the single optical path and providing each doubled seed frequency on a separate output path.
US07830526B2
A method and an apparatus for optical frequency measurement, using one or two frequency-stabilized mode-locked laser combs operating at different repetition rates to mix with a laser under measurement (LUM) respectively so as to generate two beat frequencies. The ordinal comb number where the beat frequency is generated is determined by measuring the ordinal comb number difference where the two beat frequencies are generated at different repetition rates so as to obtain the frequency of the LUM. The ordinal comb number difference is measured by using a dispersion device to offer an approximate ordinal comb number or by operating a mode-locked laser at three different repetition rates.
US07830525B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide adapters for use in posterior imaging systems. The adapters include lens set configured to adapt the posterior imaging system to operate as an anterior imaging system. Related optical coherence tomography systems and anterior imaging systems are also provided herein.
US07830524B2
An optical tomograph is equipped with: a light source unit for emitting a plurality of light beams, the wavelengths of which are swept within different predetermined wavelength bands respectively with the same period; light divider which divides each light beam into a measuring light beam and a reference light beam; light beam combiner which combines reflected light beams, which are the measuring light beams reflected by a measurement target when the measuring light beams are irradiated thereon, with a reference light. An interference light detector detects an interference light beam, which is formed by the reflected light beam and the reference light combined by the light beam combiner, for each of the light beams as an interference signal. A tomographic image processor generates a tomographic image of the measurement target employing the plurality of interference signals detected by the interference light detector.
US07830508B2
Method and assembly for determining the presence of soot particles in a gas stream such as in the air. To prevent the disturbing effect of salts and the like that may be deposited on soot particles, it is proposed to introduce the soot particles into water as a suspension. The salts concerned dissolve in the water and have no effect when determining the change in optical properties resulting from the presence of the soot particles. This determination comprises in particular a light transmittance measurement. The presence of the soot particles can be determined after the gas stream is first passed through a filter, as a result of which a particle size distribution can be determined.Suspension of the soot particles can be achieved by subjecting these to a stream of steam, whereby the steam condenses on the soot particles and then causes these to precipitate out of the gas. The various processes can be expedited by using a cyclone.
US07830507B2
A system and method are provided for imaging a test substrate having a test surface that is configured to enable spectroscopic detection of one or more chemical or biological species, wherein the test surface includes a testing site disposed thereon according to a predetermined spatial pattern. The test substrate is provided in an image plane or a Fourier Transform plane of a sensor. The invention provides high throughput and high spectral resolution.
US07830501B2
A surveying method using a the video total station comprises placing the video total station on a first platform, recording a first image of scenery, placing the video total solution on a second platform disposed at a distance from the first platform, measuring the distance from the first platform and recording a second image of the scenery. Three-dimensional coordinates of objects contained in the images are determined by a photogrammetric analysis of the images based on the measured distance. Further, orientations of the video total station can be recorded when taking the images and when measuring the distance.
US07830498B2
A contact lithography apparatus, system and method use a hydraulic deformation to facilitate pattern transfer. The apparatus, system and method include a spacer that provides a spaced apart proximal orientation of lithographic elements, and a hydraulic force member that provides the hydraulic deformation. One or more of the lithographic elements and the spacer is deformable, such that hydraulic deformation thereof facilitates the pattern transfer.
US07830490B2
A liquid crystal display comprises a lower substrate, multiple seal patterns formed on the lower substrate and including spacers and sealant, and an upper substrate sealed by the multiple seal patterns. Spacers of one seal pattern, formed on wiring, of the multiple seal patterns comprise conductive spacers so that conductivity is improved while a cell gap between two substrates is stably maintained by sealing the substrates using a conductive seal pattern and a seal pattern for maintaining the gap. Furthermore, the liquid crystal display is capable of maintaining a cell gap between the two substrates more stably by forming black matrices on a front surface of the substrate in a pixel region of the liquid crystal display, thereby relieving a bump on the upper substrate.
US07830488B2
A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a gate line formed on the first substrate; a data line intersecting the gate line; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and to the data line; a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin firm transistor, including first and second sub-electrodes, and overlapping with a portion of the data line; a storage electrode line formed on the first substrate, disposed between the first and second sub-electrodes, and including an overlapped portion with the pixel electrode; a second substrate arranged facing the first substrate; a common electrode formed on the second substrate and including a cutout corresponding to the first and second sub-electrodes; and a liquid crystal layer formed between the common electrode and the pixel electrode.
US07830487B2
Provided is a liquid crystal display that includes a first substrate, a second substrate opposite to and facing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the first substrate includes a common electrode, the second substrate includes gate lines disposed on an insulating plate, first and second data lines insulated from and intersecting the gate lines and receiving complementary data signals, a first thin film transistor connected to the first data line, a second thin film transistor connected to the second data line, a first pixel electrode connected to an output terminal of the first thin film transistor, and a second pixel electrode connected to an output terminal of the second thin film transistor, the first pixel electrode has two or more interconnected sub-pixel electrodes, the second pixel electrode has two or more interconnected sub-pixel electrodes, and the sub-pixel electrodes of the first pixel electrode are interdigitated with the sub-pixel electrodes of the second pixel electrode.
US07830477B2
A liquid crystal display device includes; a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate and having a common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer, the first substrate including; a plurality of pixels, a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode, a color filter including a first sub color filter, a second sub color filter and a third sub color filter, each sub color filter including a different color, and a shield electrode receiving a common voltage and disposed substantially parallel to the data line along a boundary between adjacent pixels on the color filter, wherein the color filter disposed below the shield electrode comprises a convex region which protrudes toward the second substrate, the plurality of pixels comprise a first pixel having the first sub color filter, a second pixel having the second sub color filter and a third pixel having the third sub color filter, and the third sub color filter forms the convex region.
US07830476B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first thin film transistor having an active layer, a gate electrode with a double conductive layer structure overlapping the active layer with a gate insulating film there between, a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to the active layer through first and second contact holes which penetrate an interlayer insulating film on the gate insulating film; a pixel electrode having a double layer structure, including a first transparent conductive layer and a second conductive layer, formed on the gate insulating film, wherein a portion of the first transparent conductive layer is exposed through a first transmission hole, which penetrates the interlayer insulating film; a luminescence layer on a portion of the pixel electrode; and a common electrode on the luminescence layer.
US07830472B2
The invention relates to a blue composition for a color filter to realize an image having a high color purity corresponding to the emission wavelength of an improved LED backlight, a color filter and a color image display device.
US07830458B2
In a television having a memory storing a plurality of central frequencies of channels, a method for scanning a single video carrier channel includes: (A) entering a channel; (B) providing a frequency correction, which is set to zero in initialization; (C) reading a central frequency of the channel from the memory as a target frequency of the channel; (D) determining if a TV channel exists at the target frequency; recording the target frequency as a frequency of the channel when the TV channel exists, and otherwise executing step (E); (E) adding a predetermined frequency difference to the frequency correction to thereby obtain an updated frequency correction; (F) setting the target frequency to a value of the central frequency plus or minus the updated frequency correction when the updated frequency correction is not greater than a predetermined frequency bound, and executing step (D).
US07830456B1
A system and method for frequency conversion in a frequency-conversion receiver is disclosed. The frequency-conversion receiver receives input RF signals carrying multiple channels. The frequency-conversion receiver converts the input RF signals to a wide IF band. The IF band is further processed by dividing the IF band into one or more frequency segments or by selecting a wideband frequency segment from the IF band. The wideband frequency segment or the one or more frequency segments are further down-converted, filtered and amplified to provide desired output IF signals, based on the number of channels required in the output IF signals.
US07830442B2
A lidar pulse is time resolved in ways that avoid costly, fragile, bulky, high-voltage vacuum devices—and also costly, awkward optical remappers or pushbroom layouts—to provide preferably 3D volumetric imaging from a single pulse, or full-3D volumetric movies. Delay lines or programmed circuits generate time-resolution sweep signals, ideally digital. Preferably, discrete 2D photodiode and transimpedance-amplifier arrays replace a continuous 1D streak-tube cathode. For each pixel a memory-element array forms range bins. An intermediate optical buffer with low, well-controlled capacitance avoids corruption of input signal by these memories.
US07830433B2
An amplification type solid state imaging device in use includes at least a light-receiving portion 10 formed by arranging on a semiconductor substrate 7 one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally a plurality of pixels that convert incident light to signal charge and output electric signals corresponding to the amount of the signal charge, a reader for reading out sequentially the electric signals from the respective pixels, a noise rejection circuit 11 for suppressing spurious signals for the electric signals read out by the reader, and a first light-shielding layer 1 positioned on the upper part of the light-receiving portion 10 so as to restrict entry of light into parts other than photoelectric conversion portions 10a of the pixels. Furthermore, a second light-shielding layer 2 for restricting entry of light into the noise rejection circuit 11 is provided on the upper part of the noise rejection circuit 11.
US07830427B2
A solid-state image pickup element is disclosed which includes: a semiconductor substrate at which a plurality of element rows, in which a plurality of light-receiving elements are aligned along a vertical direction, are disposed in parallel along a horizontal direction; a plurality of color filters disposed in a predetermined color pattern at a light incident side of the semiconductor substrate; and a plurality of transfer paths transferring charge accumulated in the respective light-receiving elements of corresponding element rows. The sequence of lining-up in the horizontal direction of the element rows and the vertical transfer paths corresponding to the element rows at divisional regions, which are divided at a border line that runs along the vertical direction and includes a position corresponding to an optical axis of light incident from an optical unit on the semiconductor substrate, are opposite to one another. Also disclosed is an image pickup device using the solid-state image pickup element.
US07830424B2
Driver current in digital retinal image transfer is significantly reduced for retinal cameras for reducing heat-induced dark current and resultant haze. In one embodiment line drivers are used whose current draw does not depend on data rate or frequency to eliminate the problem of high data rates creating high driver current draw. In a second embodiment the 14-MHz clock driver is inhibited by interrupting its free-running clock pulse input until such time as one wishes to output a picture from the retinal camera, at which time the clock driver draws only a quick burst of current. The result is much lower overall clock driver current draw, less heat, less dark current and less haze.
US07830418B2
Red-eye correction on a region of a digital image includes adjusting luminance of the region by generating a statistical measure of the luminance in the region, and computing an adjusted luminance based on the statistical measure according to a viewing condition.
US07830410B2
A feature extracting unit obtains sensor data from a plurality of sensors to calculate each feature. When an event determining unit determines the occurrence of an event based on each feature, a display data constructor generates remote-controller display data for displaying the event, and controls a remote-controller display device to display the remote-controller display data. When a user decision is input from a user input if based on this display, a control unit controls the sensors to be turned ON or OFF. When an infrared sensor detects an abnormality, a microwave sensor whose power consumption is small after the infrared sensor is turned ON. When the microwave sensor detects an abnormality, a video camera and a microphone are turned ON, and the microwave sensor is turned OFF. A communication unit wirelessly transmits an image signal captured by the video camera and an audio signal processed by the microphone. Then, if the infrared sensor does not detect an abnormality, the video camera and the microphone are turned OFF. With this arrangement, power consumption can be suppressed. The present invention is applied to, for example, a security system, for example, for monitoring outside a vehicle by a video camera disposed in the vehicle when the vehicle is parked.
US07830408B2
A system and method for providing captioning in a conference. In an illustrative embodiment, the method includes establishing a conference between a first participant and a second participant. The conference exhibits an exchange of a first type of media between the participants. A user option is provided to augment the conference with a second type of media corresponding to the first type of media. The second type of media is then generated based on one or more conference parameters in response to the signal. In a more specific embodiment, the second type of media is automatically generated. The first type of media is provided approximately concurrently with the second type of media. The second type of media, which may represent text captions, is then selectively provided to one or more participants in the conference based on predetermined preferences.
US07830395B2
Graphics resources are virtualized through an interface between graphics hardware and graphics clients. The interface allocates the graphics resources across multiple graphics clients, processes commands for access to the graphics resources from the graphics clients, and resolves conflicts for the graphics resources among the clients.
US07830385B2
A system for controlling a rendering engine by using specialized commands. The commands are used to generate a production, such as a television show, at an end-user's computer that executes the rendering engine. In one embodiment, the commands are sent over a network, such as the Internet, to achieve broadcasts of video programs at very high compression and efficiency. Commands for setting and moving camera viewpoints, animating characters, and defining or controlling scenes and sounds are described. At a fine level of control math models and coordinate systems can be used make specifications. At a coarse level of control the command language approaches the text format traditionally used in television or movie scripts. Simple names for objects within a scene are used to identify items, directions and paths. Commands are further simplified by having the rendering engine use defaults when specifications are left out. For example, when a camera direction is not specified, the system assumes that the viewpoint is to be the current action area. The system provides a hierarchy of detail levels. Movement commands can be defaulted or specified. Synchronized speech can be specified as digital audio or as text which is used to synthesize the speech.
US07830384B1
A method and system for driving a graphical object based on a performance of an actor in a video stream. A plurality of key frames are selected in a calibration video stream, allowing animation control values to be defined, in accordance with artistic intent, for each of a set of control variables, corresponding to each of the key frames. Features of the actor in the calibration video stream are parameterized so as to obtain a vector of values of parameters for each frame of the calibration video stream, and, then, an array of distance vectors is derived, characterizing a distance between each pair of vectors of values of parameters among the video stream frames. The space of distance vectors is mapped into the set of control variables according to a mapping operation which is then applied to distance vectors derived from an actual performance video stream to obtain a time sequence of animation control values. Finally, an animation is created on the basis of applying the sequence of animation control values to the graphical object.
US07830377B1
Systems and methods for using a single tool for the creation and modification of solids and surfaces
Systems and methods for creating and editing 3D solids and surfaces in an intuitive manner are described. A single tool infers the most-likely correct action based on its context to a particular geometry case. The single modification tool predicts a user's intended modification, and performs the predicted modification without recording related history information. The method includes receiving a selection of the at least one CAD object. The method also includes the tool automatically predicting the user's intended type of modification to the at least one CAD object based on the type of the at least one CAD object and the at least one CAD object's relationships with the geometry of at least one surrounding CAD object. The tool can performing multiple types of modifications, and the modification is selected from the multiple types of modifications, without explicit commands from the user directing the type of modification to be performed.
US07830375B2
Constraint schemes for use in the computer simulation and animation of cloth, clothing and other materials helps to prevent clothing from excessive stretching, bunching up in unwanted areas, or “passing through” rigid objects during collisions. Several types of constraint systems are employed, including the use of skinned vertices as constraints and axial constraints. In these schemes cloth simulated vertices are generated for the material using a cloth simulation technique, and skinned vertices are generated for the material using a skin simulation technique. One or more of the cloth simulated vertices are compared to the corresponding skinned vertices. The cloth simulated vertices are modified if they deviate from the corresponding skinned vertices by more than a certain amount. Vertical constraints are also employed, which involve generating a first set of vertices for the material using a cloth simulation technique, comparing a vertical component of each of the first set of vertices to a lower limit for each of the first set of vertices, and for each vertical component that falls below the lower limit, modifying the vertical component to be equal to the lower limit.
US07830367B2
A touch panel is capable of obtaining a stable connection resistance without requiring fitting accuracy at the time of the connection to an external terminal, and a protective panel for a display window of an electronic device using the same. The analog type touch panel includes a touch side substrate and a non-touch side substrate each having resistive films provided on opposed inner surfaces thereof.Through-holes are formed at the periphery of the non-touch side substrate. A connecting part for electrically connecting electrodes of the resistive films to an external terminal includes a conductive paste is injected into the through-holes and a rivet is inserted into each of the through-holes from the lower surface side so that a head of the rivet 14 forms flat connecting electrodes for connection to the external terminal on the lower surface of the non-touch side substrate.
US07830361B2
A haptic interface system is presented including manipulating a haptic controller having an accelerometer; programming a video system processor for responding to moving the accelerometer of the haptic controller; and activating a haptic response device by the video system processor for updating the haptic controller including heating, cooling, illuminating, or a combination thereof.
US07830359B2
Methods and systems for using a foot-based interface to interact with a computer are described. An application program from a plurality of application programs is executed on an operating system of a personal computer. The application program is configured to receive user input via a foot-based interface. Further, user input is received from the foot-based interface and mapped into a command. Moreover, the command controls an application program function. Also, the command is executed and an output corresponding to the execution of the command is generated. Additionally, the output is displayed to the user.
US07830356B2
A surface light source using LEDs is provided. The surface light source includes a substrate having a plurality of divided regions, a plurality of red, green and blue LEDs arranged on each divided region in a predetermined arrangement structure, and a plurality of LED driving units each having red, green and blue LED driving circuits for respectively driving the red, green and blue LEDs. Identical color LEDs in each divided region are interconnected in series. The series connections of the red, green and blue LEDs in one divided region are respectively connected to the series connections of the red, green and blue LEDs in one or more other divided regions in parallel. The parallel connections of the series connections are connected to corresponding color LED driving circuits.
US07830353B2
A method for transmitting control signals of a liquid crystal display is provided. The LCD includes a timing controller. The method packs the control signals of the timing controller into a control packet which comprises a header field and a control item having a control field and a data field. The header field indicates the start of the control packet, the control field records a type of an event, and the data field records a parameter of the event. The control packet is transmitted on one or a limited number of transmission lines.
US07830346B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel with color washout improvement. In one embodiment, the LCD panel includes a common electrode, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixels formed by the plurality of data lines crossing the plurality of scanning lines, each pixel comprising two or more sub-pixels, each sub-pixel comprising a sub-pixel electrode, a transistor electrically coupled to a corresponding scanning line, a corresponding data line and the sub-pixel electrode, a liquid crystal capacitor electrically coupled between the sub-pixel electrode and the common electrode, and a storage capacitor, wherein at least one of the storage capacitors of the two or more sub-pixels is electrically coupled between its corresponding sub-pixel electrode and a scanning line immediately prior or next to the corresponding scanning line, and the rest of the storage capacitors of the two or more sub-pixels each is coupled between its corresponding sub-pixel electrode and the common electrode.
US07830344B2
There is provided a liquid crystal display including a panel using a liquid crystal material having spontaneous polarization, such as ferroelectroic liquid crystal (FLC), having a faster response time suitable to display dynamic images. The FLC has the disadvantage caused by the incomplete memory effect at during driving for displaying “black” in several frames, where the light transmittance is preferably desired zero. The panel in the display are driven signals so that the driving signals are applied across the picture element, where the signals are positively or negatively offset to reference voltage of the panel.
US07830341B2
An organic electroluminescence (EL) display device wherein pixel defects are reduced with a minimum increase in the number of thin film transistors used is to be provided. The organic EL display device has: a plurality of power supply lines each for supplying a current to one or another of pixel circuits disposed in an area surrounded by image signal lines and scanning lines; a plurality of split organic EL elements connected in parallel, each connected to one or another of the pixel circuits; a first thin film transistor of which the gate electrode is connected to the signal lines, the source electrode is connected in parallel to the anodes of the plurality of split organic EL elements, and the drain is connected to the power supply lines, and which controls the total amperage to be supplied during the light emitting period to the plurality of split organic EL elements with signals captured from the signal lines; and a plurality of second thin film transistors each disposed between the first thin film transistor and one or another of the split organic EL elements to control the current supplied to each of the split organic EL elements from the first thin film transistor.
US07830334B2
Image exhibiting method of exhibiting an image of mixed reality space is provided. A three-dimensional visual-field area of an observer in the mixed reality space is calculated, a virtual visual-field object representing the visual-field area is generated, and the virtual visual-field object is superimposed on the image of the mixed reality space to be exhibited.
US07830332B2
A multi-display (e.g., dual-display) driving circuit includes a first display driving circuit configured to receive a first display signal and a second display signal from an external source (e.g., CPU) through a first interface, and to drive a first display panel in response to the first display signal and to output the second display signal through a second interface of the first display driving circuit. The second display signal is transmitted via the second interface to a second driving circuit configured to drive a second display panel. Therefore, the complexity of the wiring (e.g., through a hinge of a folding phone, and between a CPU and first and second displays) of the multi-display device may be reduced, and the electromagnetic interference (EMI) characteristics of the multi-display device may be enhanced.
US07830330B2
Regarding an antenna configuration (1) preferably provided for a telecommunication device and comprising a first resonator structure (6) and second resonator structure (RS) being capacitive coupled with the first resonator structure (6) it is suggested to provide the antenna configuration (1) with a control electrode (2) and a switching stage (3), said control electrode (2) by means of the switching stage (3) being switchably connected to ground (G) and said switching stage (3) enabling to change capacitive coupling of the two resonator structures (6, RS) and thus to change the resonance frequency of the antenna configuration (1) and making possible to switch between a first frequency range and a second frequency range for enhancing the bandwidth and achieving improved matching of the antenna configuration (1).
US07830327B2
A low cost and multi-featured antenna is disclosed. The antenna employs a radiating element mounted to a ground plane and having first and second branches spaced above the ground plane forming a generally L shaped planar radiating structure. The antenna can be either linear or circular polarization, and can be either single band or dual band, and only one feeding port is needed to obtain circular polarization. The antenna can be easily applied to various frequency bands.
US07830326B2
Provided herewith a multi-band antenna comprising a grounding element lying in a first plane and comprising two longitudinal sides, a radiating element spaced apart from the grounding element and comprising a first radiating arm having a first length and a second radiating arm having a second length being about equal to the first length, a connecting element lying in a second plane and electrically connecting the grounding element and the radiating element; a feeding line comprising an inner conductor for feeding signal and an outer conductor electrically connecting to the grounding element; and a coupling radiating element extending vertically from the grounding element and comprising a first radiating portion lying in a third plane and a second radiating portion being perpendicular to the third plane.
US07830318B2
An antenna system, with a loop antenna and a loop current, is provided for transmitting an electromagnetic signal through a medium. The loop antenna has an E field transducer that generates an E field, and an H field transducer that generates an H field. The E and H fields are orthogonal in space and have at least one of a magnitude and phase relationship that is matched to an intrinsic impedance of a medium to generate a propagating wave. In an insulating medium the loop current lags an E field plate voltage by 90° to produce in phase E and H fields. In a conductive medium current is applied to the loop with a 135° phase lag with respect to a voltage across the E field plates. The H field is generated by the current component and leads current by 90°.
US07830312B2
Embodiments of wireless antenna array systems to achieve three-dimensional beam coverage are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07830309B2
A portable location device for use in a location system, the device comprising a transmitter for transmitting ultra-wideband signals, a receiver for receiving non-ultra-wideband signals and a control unit coupled to the receiver for controlling the operation of the device in dependence on the received non-ultra-wideband signals.
US07830303B2
Integrated correlation values (I and Q integrated correlation values) between each of I and Q signals obtained from a received signal and a code replica are calculated by a coherent integration process performed by a correlation process circuit section 32. A coherent integration enhancement circuit section converts a phase angle θ of each of the I and Q integrated correlation values (IQ coordinate values) into a double angle, and further integrates the converted I and Q integrated correlation values (IQ coordinate values) to calculate I and Q enhanced integrated correlation values. An incoherent integration circuit section performs an incoherent integration process on the I and Q enhanced integrated correlation values. A coherent integration time T1 of the correlation circuit section is set to be 20 ms or less, and an integration time T2 of the coherent integration enhancement circuit section is set to be longer than 20 ms.
US07830292B2
A readout circuit of an imager that enables analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to be shared between columns of the imager is provided. Groups of ADCs share a single block of memory for storing signals processed by the ADCs. The ADCs process signals received from one group of columns of pixels and, at a different time, the ADCs process signals from another group of columns of pixels. While one of the signals processed from a column is being stored in a first memory bank, signals previously processed and stored in a second memory bank are being readout of the storage locations and provided downstream for further processing.
US07830288B2
Reference network embodiments are provided for use in pipelined signal converter systems. The network embodiments are fast and power efficient and they generate low-impedance reference signals through the use of at least one output transistor, a diode-coupled transistor coupled to the output transistor, and a controller. The controller is configured to provide a backgate voltage to the diode-coupled transistor to thereby establish a substantially-constant output current. The controller is further configured to provide a gate voltage to the output transistor to establish a reference voltage.
US07830283B2
A method and apparatus for encoding a set of integers is described. The largest power of two integer is determined based on a size of the set of integers with an integer encoder. A code table is constructed using the largest power of two integer. A uniform coding is constructed with values from the code table. A string “1” is prepended to each code from the code table. The string “1” is appended to a string “0” from the code table.
US07830272B2
A multi-master serial bus that connects multiple utility monitoring devices with multiple remote electronic display units. The display units include an I2C microprocessor with an integrated LCD controller for controlling an LCD display and a set of buttons for changing what is displayed on the LCD display. They also include an I/O to I2C driver for sending button key presses to the remote monitoring device, which communicates the requested data to be displayed back to the display unit via the multi-master serial bus. Each remote electronic display unit has a unique address assigned to it, and when a user input is detected on the I2C bus by the utility monitoring device, the controller in the utility monitoring device sends monitored data to the detected address for display on the remote electronic display unit.
US07830271B2
An audio-coordinated visual indicator device reducing vehicle operator distraction associated with using a communications device during vehicle operation. The visual indicator being placed within the operator's field of view and provides a synchronized visual display associated with the output from the communication device. Providing an apparent visual anchor for the incoming sound freeing up the operator's mental resources, reduces distraction and allows greater attention to be placed on operation. Comprising of a receiver; a visual indicator connected to an output of the receiver having an attribute that varies according to the received signal from the communication device.
US07830264B2
The present invention provides a removable electronic tag housing. The housing includes a base for supporting the electronic tag. A cover is removably attachable to the base and defines between the cover and the base a passageway for accommodating an elongate member. The base includes a deflectable latch for locking engagement with the cover. The cover includes an access opening adjacent the latch for insertion of a removal tool thereinto to release the latch permitting detachment of the cover from the base.
US07830261B2
A shielded antenna system is provided for reading from and/or writing to an RFID transponder wherein the energy radiated from the antenna system has a narrow beam width so that only one RFID transponder in a record member along a web of record members, each having an RFID transponder, is read from and/or written to without affecting or being affected by any other RFID transponder along the web.
US07830252B2
The present invention is an ASIC-controlled alarm unit. The ASIC circuit performs all the necessary control functions to provide audible and visual signaling when used with external horn and strobe circuits.
US07830250B2
Beacon generators transmit wireless beacon signals for use in tracking an object. Among other things, a wireless beacon signal from a particular beacon generator contains information identifying a power supply voltage associated with that beacon generator. A tracking device associated with the object receives one or more of the beacon signals. The tracking device measures the signal strength of a received beacon signal, and the tracking device identifies the power supply voltage associated with the beacon generator that transmitted the received beacon signal. The tracking device or an external component, such as a control unit, can use the identified signal strength and the identified power supply voltage to determine the location of the object. As a particular example, signal strengths and power supply voltages associated with at least three beacon signals can be used to identify the location of the object.
US07830246B2
An occupant sensor with a complex arrangement of antenna or a simple single antenna determines a charge or discharge characteristic of the antenna. By determining the change in voltage or current of the antenna as a function of time, any occupant may be detected or characterized. The sensor restricts air bag activation or is used for another purpose. The same or different occupant sensor is used for seat belt warnings. A seat belt latch sensor determines whether a seat belt is being used. The occupant sensor determines whether the seat belt should be used. A driver is warned when a seat belt should be used by an occupant, but is not.
US07830241B2
A resistor structure embedded in a multi-layer circuit board and manufacturing method thereof are provided. Resistive material is coated on any layer among the multi-layer circuit board, and two symmetric electrodes are formed in the geometric center of the resistive material area. The two electrodes are disposed in the resistive material layer and are covered by the resistive material. And the two electrodes are led out from respective bores at the central position of the resistive electrodes, for connecting to any other metal layer. This resistor structure can avoid the unstable resistance when the coated resistor is operated at high frequency, and also avoid the formation untrimmed edges during coating that affects the precision of resistance.
US07830236B2
An inductor that includes end core pieces and a plurality of center block core pieces between the end core pieces that define a plurality of gaps. The end core pieces are made of an amorphous alloy to provide good magnetic field properties and the center core pieces are stamped magnetic sheets forming a laminate structure to provide ease of manufacturability. In one non-limiting embodiment, the end core pieces are an amorphous iron alloy and the center core pieces are stamped silicon-iron.
US07830229B2
A coaxial resonator includes a core of dielectric material. A through-hole defines respective openings in the top and bottom surfaces of the core. The top surface further defines at least first and second metallized regions surrounding the through-hole opening and an unmetallized region therebetween. The first metallized region defines a resonator pad. An isolated metallized region on at least one of the side surfaces defines an input/output electrode. In one embodiment, one of the metallized regions on the top surface and the electrode define interdigitated fingers on the top surface. In another embodiment, the pad defines outwardly projecting corner ears and both the second metallized region and electrode define fingers protruding between the ears. In a further embodiment, the electrode extends across at least two of the side surfaces.
US07830228B2
RF and microwave radiation directing or controlling components are provided that may be monolithic, that may be formed from a plurality of electrodeposition operations and/or from a plurality of deposited layers of material, that may include switches, inductors, antennae, transmission lines, filters, and/or other active or passive components. Components may include non-radiation-entry and non-radiation-exit channels that are useful in separating sacrificial materials from structural materials. Preferred formation processes use electrochemical fabrication techniques (e.g. including selective depositions, bulk depositions, etching operations and planarization operations) and post-deposition processes (e.g. selective etching operations and/or back filling operations).
US07830226B2
A film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) filter and a duplexer are disclosed. At least one series resonator is positioned between an input port for inputting a frequency signal and an output port for outputting a frequency signal, at least two shunt resonators respectively positioned between the input and output ports and a ground, a first trimming inductor connects the at least two shunt resonators and the ground, and a second trimming inductor is positioned between the at least two shunt resonators.
US07830223B2
High-speed communication links are improved by having differential pairs of traces in a connector pinfield on layers of a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) to straddle respective rows of reference (ground) pins rather than the respective rows of signal vias. Thus, a desirable increase in the size of each an anti-pad to surrounding each signal via pad can be incorporated without forcing tracing of adjacent differential pairs closer to one another, and thus increased cross talk is avoided. Thereby, 50 ohm or close to 50 ohm impedance for each signal via is achieved. Spacing and routing between traces of each differential pair are advantageously adjusted for skew compensation and impedance optimization utilizing three dimensional computational electromagnetic tools.
US07830222B2
A non-reciprocal circuit device capable of preventing and minimizing disturbances in magnetic field distribution in a ferrite to thereby improve insertion loss characteristics and isolation characteristics includes a ferrite to which a DC magnetic field is applied by permanent magnets and first and second center electrodes disposed on the ferrite. A conductive material is embedded in a recess provided in an end surface of the ferrite that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first and second principal surfaces of the ferrite, and the first and second center electrodes are electrically connected to the conductive material to define a circuit. Opening portions of the recess facing the first and second principal surfaces are arranged such that the opening portion at a downstream side of a direction of application of the DC magnetic field by the permanent magnets is larger than the opening portion at an upstream side thereof.
US07830220B2
A modulator arrangement includes a power amplifier which receives a carrier signal and has a current control input and a voltage supply input. The modulator arrangement further includes a supply voltage modulator having an output coupled to the voltage supply input and an input coupled to the data input and a bias current modulator with an output coupled to the current control input and an input coupled to the data input. A control unit is provided which has a power control output coupled to the supply voltage modulator and to the bias current modulator to control the supply voltage modulator and the bias current modulator depending on a power control signal.
US07830216B1
A frequency-control circuit, which is configured to receive a first signal having a first untuned frequency from a first oscillator, and to alter one or more pulses of the first signal to tune an output frequency of an output clock signal to have an average frequency at the desired target frequency. In some embodiments, the frequency-control circuit receives a signal from a single oscillator to generate a calibrated, precise, and temperature-stable clock.
US07830214B2
An adjustable chaotic signal generator using pulse modulation for UWB communications, and a chaotic signal generating method thereof are provided. The chaotic signal generator for UWB communications includes a plurality of pulse generators which generates pulses of different frequencies; at least one combiner which combines the pulses generated at the pulse generators; and a plurality of local oscillators which receives signals from the combiner, respectively, and generates a chaotic signal by increasing the received signals to different frequency bands. Accordingly, a plurality of users can conduct the radio communications in a specific wireless communication range at the same time by generating the chaotic signal that can be split to the multiple channels. Also, the chaotic signal generator is structured using devices integratable on an integrated circuit.
US07830212B2
A phase locked loop, voltage controlled oscillator, and phase-frequency detector are provided. The phase locked loop comprises a phase-frequency detector (PFD), a loop filter (LF), a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), and a 3-stage frequency divider. The PFD receives a reference signal and a feedback signal to determine phase and frequency errors. The LF), coupled to the phase-frequency detector, filters the phase and frequency errors to generate a control voltage. The VCO, coupled to the loop filter, generates a VCO output signal according to the control voltage. The 3-stage frequency divider, coupled to the voltage controlled oscillator, divides the frequency of the VCO output signal 3 times to generate the feedback signal.
US07830211B2
An input inductor or input inductive network is used to improve the performance of circuits working in discrete time domain, especially a sample and hold circuit. Input series inductors resonate with the capacitance at the input of the sample and hold at high frequencies to extend its bandwidth. At high frequencies, the inductors act as high impedance chokes between the termination resistor and the capacitors and thus also improve the input reflection of the chip.
US07830210B2
Provided is an amplifier device including a J-FET, a bipolar transistor, a first resistor and a second resistor. The amplifier device has a configuration in which a gate of the J-FET is connected to one end of an ECM and one end of the first resistor, a drain of the J-FET is connected to an input terminal of the bipolar transistor, a high-potential side of the bipolar transistor is connected to one end of a load resistor, the other end of the first resistor is grounded, a source of the J-FET and a low-potential side of the bipolar transistor are connected to one end of the second resistor, the other end of the second resistor is grounded, and an output voltage is drawn from the high-potential side of the bipolar transistor.
US07830201B2
An internal voltage control apparatus capable of reducing current consumption and a semiconductor memory device using the same includes an enable signal generating unit for generating an enable signal in response to an active signal and an internal voltage driving unit driven by the active signal and the enable signal, wherein the internal voltage driving unit drives an internal voltage by comparing the internal voltage and a reference voltage and then generating first and second driving signals, and wherein the enable signal generating unit receives the second driving signal and then determines enablement of the enable signal.
US07830198B2
A mixer device includes a differential circuit, a transconductance circuit, and a selecting circuit. The differential circuit receives a differential input signal and generates a differential output signal. The transconductance circuit is coupled to the differential circuit, receives a plurality of radio frequency input signals, and determines to mix at least one of the radio frequency input signals with the differential input signal according to an enable signal. The selecting circuit receives a control signal and generates the enable signal according to the control signal.
US07830195B2
In a method of generating clock signals for a level-sensitive scan design latch, at least one test input signal is transmitted to a plurality of splitter leaves. Once the test input signal is stabilized at each of the splitter leaves, generating a shaped oscillator clock signal having a predetermined pattern of pulses from a central root is generated. At the plurality of splitter leaves, the test input signal is logically combined with the shaped oscillator clock signal, thereby generating a first latch clock signal and a second latch clock signal. The logically combining action includes applying a delay of less than one clock cycle to the shaped oscillator clock signal to generate a delayed oscillator clock signal; logically combining the delayed oscillator clock signal with a second signal so as to generate the first latch clock signal; and logically combining the shaped oscillator clock signal with a third signal so as to generate the second latch clock signal.
US07830192B2
A delay circuit comprising a delay measurement unit, a delay mapping unit and a map delay module. The delay measurement unit generates a mapping table according to a reference signal and a reference clock signal. The delay mapping unit generates a mapped delay selection signal according to an input selection signal and at least a mapping value from the mapping table. The map delay module delays an input data signal to generate an output data signal according to the mapped delay selection signal.
US07830189B2
A DLL (delay locked loop) circuit includes a first variable delay circuit, a pair of second variable delay circuits and a first synthesis circuit. The first variable delay circuit outputs signals of different delayed time values from each of first and second clock transitions. The pair of second variable delay circuits receive the signals from the first variable delay circuit, and the first synthesis circuit synthesizes output signals of the pair of second variable delay circuits to output the resulting synthesized signal. Each of the pair of second variable delay circuits includes a pair one-shot pulse generating circuits that generate one-shot pulses from the signals from the first variable delay circuit, a pair latch circuits, and a second synthesis circuit. The second synthesis circuit receives the set outputs of the latch circuits to output a signal which is a synthesis at a preset synthesis ratio.
US07830179B2
Provided is a logic gate device capable of performing multiple logic operations by using a single logic gate circuit. The multi-functional logic gate device includes a pull-up switching unit having input switches of a first group being respectively connected to multiple input terminals and selection switches of the first group connected to either a selection terminal or a logically inverted selection terminal, the pull-up switching unit electrically connecting the input switches of the first group in series or in parallel between a power source and an output terminal according to logic levels of the selection terminal and the inverted selection terminal. The multi-function logic gate includes a pull-down switching unit having input switches of a second group being respectively connected to multiple input terminals and selection switches of the second group connected to either the selection terminal or the inverted selection terminal, the pull-down switching unit electrically connecting the input switches of the second group in parallel or in series between the output terminal and a ground terminal according to the logic levels of the selection terminal and the inverted selection terminal. The connection of the input switches of the second group is complementarily opposite to the connection of the input switches of the first group.
US07830173B2
An integrated circuit including a programmable logic array with a plurality of logic cells and programmable interconnections to receive input signals and to perform logical functions to transmit output signals. The integrated circuit may also include megacells comprising a plurality of functional blocks receiving inputs and transmitting outputs. The integrated circuit may also include a programmable interconnections subsystem to cascade the megacells. The megacells are coupled to the programmable logic array.
US07830170B2
A logic gate comprises a first switch, a second switch, a data network and a keeping circuitry. The first switch is adapted to connect a logic node to a first potential responsive to a transition of an enabling signal. The second switch is adapted to connect the logic node to a second potential via an electrical path responsive to a transition of the enabling signal. The data network is serially connected within the electrical path. The keeping circuitry comprises third and fourth switches serially connected between the logic node and the first potential and being controllable separately from each other, the third switch being adapted to be closed in case a potential on the logic node assumes the first potential and to be opened in case the potential on the logic node assumes the second potential.
US07830161B2
The invention relates particularly to methods and apparatuses for characterizing water-in-oil or invert emulsion fluids for use in drilling well bores in hydro-carbon bearing subterranean formations. A fluid stability measurement method is described. The method includes placing a sample of an emulsion in a gap between electrodes, disturbing the sample, measuring the electrical stability of the sample, and establishing a relationship between electrical stability and time since the sample was disturbed.
US07830160B2
A capacitive touch sensor is provided having sensing path for setting a color parameter to a desired value within a range, the color parameter being color hue, color saturation or color temperature. The sensor includes a sensing element having a sensing path, a terminal connecting the sensing element to a sensing channel, and a processor configured to interpret a signal indicative of a capacitance of the terminal. The processor has a first mode configured to set a parameter to a desired value. The desired value is related to a first position of an object sensed along the sensing path and a range of parameter values mapped to a length of the sensing path. A second mode adjusts the parameter based on a displacement of the object along the sensing path.
US07830159B1
A method for calibrating a capacitor mismatch error between a sampling capacitor and a feedback capacitor in a switched capacitor circuit includes sampling a fixed input voltage onto the sampling capacitor during a sampling phase of the switched capacitor circuit; placing the switched capacitor circuit in a hold/amplification phase of the switched capacitor circuit; providing a pair of level shift voltages alternately to the first plate of the sampling capacitor; generating a pair of output voltages at an output terminal of an amplifier where the pair of output voltages are a function of the sampled fixed input voltage, amplified by the amplifier and level shifted by the pair of level shift voltages and the pair of output voltages resemble output voltages in normal operation of the switched capacitor circuit; and comparing the pair of output voltages with respective corresponding ideal output voltages values to determine the capacitor mismatch error.
US07830157B2
Capacitance measuring circuits and methods apply electrical charge pulses to ramp voltage signals across a voltage threshold, and use the number of pulses to determine the capacitance. Capacitances at multiple locations can be measured by storing a pulse counter value in a register associated with each voltage signal channel as that voltage signal crosses the threshold. Effects of electrode resistance on the capacitance measurements can be mitigated by using charge pulses to ramp the voltage signals and waiting for signal quiescence between pulses.
US07830156B2
A method for measuring a velocity of a conductor pressing on a capacitive sensor. The method includes: sampling a capacitance of a sensing electrode at each preset time; providing a threshold value; and determining the velocity of the conductor pressing on the capacitive sensor according to a specific period, wherein the specific period is defined as a period of time ranging from the time when the capacitance reaches the threshold value to the time when the capacitance reaches a peak value.
US07830154B2
An electrical continuity tester adaptor for attaching to a conventional continuity tester comprising first, second and third members. The first member is operably configured to engage a female F-type connector. The second member is operably configured to engage a female RJ series type connector. The third member includes a plurality of electrical connections and a printed circuit board to facilitate the electrical connectivity between the first and second members.
US07830153B2
The disclosure relates to a circuit arrangement for preventing overloading of magneto-inductive flowmeters. The disclosure can protect the amplifiers which are connected downstream thereof or the electronic evaluation system from overloading. To this end, the signal input circuit is provided with additional voltage-limiting diodes disposed downstream of the impedance converters so that eventual voltage tips are prevented during modulation in the downstream amplifiers of the evaluation electronics.
US07830130B2
This invention relates to control techniques and controllers for resonant discontinuous forward power converters (RDFCs).A method of controlling a resonant discontinuous forward converter (RDFC), said converter including a transformer with primary and secondary matched polarity windings and a switch to, in operation, cyclically switch DC power to said primary winding of said transformer, said converter further having a DC output coupled to said secondary winding of said converter, said method comprising: sensing a primary winding signal during an on period of said switch, said primary winding signal representing a current in said primary winding; comparing said sensed primary winding signal with a threshold value; and controlling one or both of an on and off duration of said switch in response to said comparison.
US07830124B2
A battery monitor circuit. The circuit includes a control module, a resistive load having a resistive value between a first and a second terminals and a part of that resistive value between the first and an intermediate terminals, a switch configured to couple the full load between circuit input and a common potential in response a pulse signal, a first comparator having inputs separately coupled to a voltage reference and the intermediate terminal, a second comparator having inputs separately coupled to the voltage reference and an input potential, a latch, a detection module having input coupled to second comparator output, and an alarm module. The latch is configured to latch a value at output of first comparator to another input of the detection module in response to the pulse signal; if input potential is less than a preselected magnitude, detection module output is configured to activate the alarm module.
US07830123B2
The invention relates to control of a battery, permitting a reduction in the number of components of the battery. The battery comprises several modules (2a, . . . , 2n), each module comprising a charge limiting circuit (4). When a module is detected as defective, the charge limiting circuit (4) carries out a command for the discharge of said defective module, by formation of a short-circuit path. The battery can subsequently be used without functional hindrance by the defective module.
US07830121B2
A battery pack having a secondary battery; a measurement unit measuring a terminal voltage and a current of the secondary battery; a protection unit preventing the secondary battery from being overcharged when the terminal voltage measured by the measurement unit is equal to or higher than an overcharge detection voltage; and a control unit receiving the terminal voltage and current measured by the measurement unit, the control unit having a first mode and a second mode in which current is less consumed than the first mode. A voltage in a range of from a full charge voltage to less than the overcharge detection voltage is defined as a voltage threshold. The control unit changes from the first mode to the second mode when a state in which a transition requirement is satisfied lasts for a predetermined period of time.
US07830120B2
The present invention relates to a battery protection circuit for protecting a plurality of batteries connected in series. The battery protection circuit includes: a controller for monitoring the batteries and outputting control signals based on predetermined conditions associated with the batteries; a first N-channel MOSFET and a second N-channel MOSFET coupled in a common-drain configuration in a low-side path, wherein at least one of the first and second N-channel MOSFETs turns off in response to the control signal received from the controller when at least one of the predetermined conditions is detected; and a gate protection circuit for preventing gate-to-source voltages of the first and second N-channel MOSFETs from exceeding a predetermined gate-to-source voltage level.
US07830116B2
Mobile electronic equipment incorporating an induction coil and a battery; and a battery charger cradle for recharging the battery in the mobile electronic equipment. Regarding the charger cradle, a bottom surface of a mounting portion is curved in a U-grooved shape, and a primary coil is incorporated inside the U-grooved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to a power source. Regarding the mobile equipment, its rear surface placed on the mounting portion of the charger cradle is curved to match with the U-grooved bottom surface, and the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface. When the mobile equipment is placed on the mounting portion of the charger cradle, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil which are electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery in the mobile equipment is recharged by the electric power induced to the induction coil.
US07830114B2
A flex circuit interface for inductively charging a power source includes a flex circuit having a primary-portion and at least one folding portion. A device contact and a battery contact are disposed on a folding-portion. A secondary coil is disposed on the flex circuit for receiving inductively transferred power. A secondary receiving circuit is also disposed on the flex circuit. The secondary receiving circuit is in communication with the secondary coil to receive power from the coil. The flex circuit includes a battery contact and at least one pass-through contact. The battery contact is in communication with the secondary circuit for delivering power to the battery.
US07830102B2
A light source driving device for driving a light source module (22), includes a power stage circuit (20), a transformer and resonance circuit (21), a current balancing circuit (23), a feedback control circuit (25) and an fault detecting circuit (24). The power stage circuit converts received signals to alternating current (AC) signals. The transformer and resonance circuit converts the AC signals to electrical signals. The current balancing circuit balances current flowing through the light source module. The fault detecting circuit comprises a plurality of inputs (a1), (a2n (n=1, 2, 3, . . . , n)) and an output (b1). One of inputs is connected to one input of the current balancing circuit, other inputs are connected to outputs of the current balancing circuit, and the output outputs a fault signal. The feedback control circuit is used for controlling output of the power stage circuit.
US07830101B2
In one embodiment, an electrical system having an LED array, a first current source connected to provide a first current to the LED array, a current-sense resistor connected to the LED array, a second current source connected to provide a second current to the current-sense resistor, a control processor, and a voltage sensor adapted to provide a corresponding sensor signal to the control processor, wherein the control processor is adapted to control the first and second current sources based on the sensor signal. The first current source having a diode with first and second sides, an inductor connected between a first reference voltage source and a first side of a diode, a capacitor connected between a second side of the diode and a second reference voltage, and a transistor connected between the first side of the diode and the second reference voltage.
US07830079B2
A light emitting device includes a package having a recessed portion defined by a bottom surface and a side surface and a light emitting element mounted on the bottom surface of the recessed portion, in which the package has fibrous fillers, and at least some of the fillers are projected outwards through the side surface and coated with a reflection film made of metal.
US07830078B2
A field emission backlight module has a field emission structure with cathode and anode provided on the same plane, so that electrons directly penetrate an independently provided fluorescent powder layer to produce light. The light is emitted uniformly without the need of the conventional optical membrane. Since the light produced by the fluorescent powder layer is not blocked by the anode, the problem of charge accumulation on the fluorescent powder layer is avoided, and it is not necessary to use expensive light-transmittable conducting glass as the anode. With the cathode and the anode located at the same plane, it is not necessary to use a precision spacer to adjust the distance between the cathode and the anode, enabling the module to be manufactured at reduced cost and high good yield. When the color sequential displaying method is adopted, expensive color filters required in the conventional LCD may be omitted.
US07830077B2
A light-emitting device according to the present invention includes: first insulators (4) arranged so as to face each other; an emitter (2) arranged between the first insulators; a second insulator (5) functioning as a base for the first insulators and the emitter; an electrode (6) arranged to face, or contact with, the first insulators partially; another electrode (10) contacting with the second insulator and interposing the second insulator between the electrode and itself; and a light-transmitting substrate (8) that faces the second insulator with the first insulators interposed somewhere and with the emitter interposed elsewhere. If the first insulators are extended to reach the light-transmitting substrate on a cross section including the first and second insulators, the emitter and the light-transmitting substrate, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the emitter to the combined cross-sectional area of the first and second insulators and the light-transmitting substrate is defined so as to fall within a predetermined range.
US07830074B2
An oscillator having a quartz resonator, and a base wafer containing active electronics, wherein the quartz resonator is bonded directly to the base wafer and subsequently hermetically capped.
US07830073B2
A perovskite oxide is represented by a general formula ABO3 A represents at least one kind of metal element forming an A site, B represents at least one kind of metal element forming a B site. The B site includes at least one kind of metal element B1 selected from an element group consisting of the IV group elements and at least one kind of metal element B2 selected from an element group consisting of the V and VI group elements, and at least a part of the metal element B2 is of the 0 to +4 valence.
US07830070B2
An ultrasound atomization apparatus including an ultrasound transducer, a horn attached to the distal end of the transducer, a chamber within the horn that receives a fluid to be atomized, a radiation surface, and a channel leading from the chamber to the radiation surface. Vibrations produced by the transducer travel down the horn to the radiation surface. The vibrations induce the release of energy into the fluid to be atomized as it travels through the horn's internal chamber and exits the horn at the radiation surface. Controllably increasing the kinetic energy of the fluid, energy emitted into the fluid assists and/or drives fluid atomization. Assisting and/or driving fluid atomization by utilizing vibrations to increase the kinetic energy of the fluid, the ultrasound atomization apparatus can preserve a desired spray pattern when changing environmental conditions would otherwise destroy the spray pattern and/or reduce atomization.
US07830068B2
An actuator includes a first beam, a first fixed part, a second beam, a first connective part, and a first fixed electrode. The first beam extends from a first fixed end to a first connective end, and the first fixed part connects the first fixed end and the substrate and supports the first beam above a main surface of the substrate with a gap. The second beam extends from a second connective end to a first action end and is provided in parallel to the first beam, and has a first division part divided by a first slit extending from the first action end toward the second connective end. The first connective part connects the first connective end and the second connective end and holds the second beam above the main surface of the substrate with a gap. The first fixed electrode is provided on the main surface of the substrate being configured to be opposed to a part of the first division part on a side of the first action end.
US07830064B2
Disclosed are a motor and a drum washing machine having the same. The motor includes external stators and internal stators, which are respectively disposed in a ring shape and are separated from each other in a radial direction, and rotors, which are disposed in a ring shape and are rotatably installed between the external stators and the internal stators such that the rotors are rotated due to interaction with the external stators and the internal stators, thus being capable of generating a high rotary force while maintaining a uniform length in an axial direction.
US07830060B2
An electric motor comprising a rotor having plural magnetic poles in the circumferential direction; and a stator whose teeth are disposed opposite to the periphery of the rotor, with an air gap interposed between the rotor and the stator, wherein the coil conductors are wound on the stator so that two stator magnetic poles may be formed by two coil units of a phase wound around stator teeth within the range of 360 electrical degrees subtended by the magnetic poles of the rotor; each of the two coil units forming the stator magnetic poles spans an electrical angle less than 180 electrical degrees; the two coil turns forming the two stator magnetic poles are laid out so that they may not overlap each other; and the coil conductors are so wound that the adjacent stator magnetic poles exhibit opposite magnetic polarities.
US07830056B2
An energy-saving magnetic bearing device with no bias current for making the relation between the excitation current and the magnetic force of the electromagnet linear is provided. In a magnetic bearing device for supporting a rotor 1 serving as the magnetic piece in a levitating state allowing free rotation at a specified position by the magnetic force of a pair of electromagnets 2, 3, the electromagnets 2, 3 are constituted to interpose the rotor 1 and face each other. A driver 204 is a PWM (pulse width modulation) type driver for controlling the excitation current in the electromagnets 2, 3 by modulating the pulse width of a voltage driven at a specified carrier frequency fc, and includes a resonator means for electrically resonating at a frequency equal to the carrier frequency fc. When an excitation current flows in either one of the pair of opposing electromagnets 2, 3, then the other magnet is regulated so that the DC component in the electromagnet excitation current is zero, and a voltage is applied via the resonator means to the electromagnet whose DC component in the excitation current is discharged to zero.
US07830046B2
A stage assembly (220) that moves a work piece (200) along a first axis includes a stage base (236), a guide bar (238), a device table (240) that retains the work piece (200), a mover assembly (242), and a damper (225). The damper (225) can be a passive, electromagnetic damper that passively dampens movement of the guide bar (238) relative to the stage base (236) along a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis. The damper (225) can include a magnet array (356) and a conductor (366) that is positioned in a magnetic field that surrounds the magnet array (356). With this design, relative movement between the guide bar (238) and the stage base (236) along the second axis induces the flow of current in the conductor (366) and eddy current damping. The damper (225) can include a first damper subassembly (252A) that is coupled to the guide bar (238) and a second damper subassembly (252B) that is coupled to the stage base (236).
US07830045B1
A safety disconnect system for a cellular antenna array on a support structure includes an enclosure mountable to a support structure. A fixed connector secured within the enclosure has contacts connected to conductors of at least a first digital data and control cable. A moveable connector within the enclosure includes corresponding contacts connected to conductors of a second digital data and control cable. The two connectors are selectively mated to engage the contacts of the two connectors. When the connectors are mated, transceivers within a base transceiver station (BTS) receive signals from a base station controller (BSC) and transmit RF energy via an array of antennas. A gripping handle secured to the moveable connector has a size and configuration selected to be grasped by a gloved hand to move the moveable connector away from the fixed connector in a rapid and safe manner to disable further transmissions by the transceivers.
US07830037B2
The invention provides control of an electric load receiving power from a grid. The frequency of the grid is detected and used to determine a stress level on the grid. A high frequency detection is indicative of too little a load for the electrical power being supplied to the grid and, therefore, a low stress condition. A high stress condition may exist if there is too much load for the power being supplied to the grid. Adjustment of the power consumption of the load is prevented if the high and/or low stress states is determined. If a critical high or low stress condition is determined, the load is either prevented from consuming power completely or the load is set to a maximum power consumption state, respectively. The benefits of the invention are increased if the device is combined with a load controller which operates to control power consumption based on grid frequency and a variable, which, for the particular load, is to be kept within controlled limits.
US07830031B2
The invention relates to a protection system for an electric generator of a wind turbine comprising at least one current path from the non drive end of the generator shaft to a ground potential, and at least one alternating current path from the drive end of the generator shaft to the ground potential. The invention also relates to a wind turbine and use hereof.
US07830027B2
The invention relates to inter-level realignment after a stage of epitaxy on a face (31) of a substrate (30), comprising the production of at least one initial guide mark (32) on the face of the substrate, this initial guide mark being designed so as to be transferred, during epitaxy, onto the surface of the epitaxied layer (36). The initial guide mark (32) is produced in such a way that, during epitaxy, its edges create growth defects that propagate as far as the surface of the epitaxied layer (36) to provide a transferred guide mark (37) on the surface of the epitaxied layer (36) reproducing the shape of the initial guide mark (32) and in alignment with the initial guide mark.
US07830014B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.
US07830002B2
An active-matrix device includes a device substrate including a plurality of pixels formed thereon, each pixel having a separate control electrode, a plurality of chiplets having at least first and second corresponding chiplets disposed at different locations over the device substrate, a plurality of wires formed over the device substrate, each wire being connected to a connection pad and to a different pixel control electrode, and wherein the shape of at least one of the wires connecting a connection pad for the first chiplet is different from the shape of at least one of the wires connecting a corresponding connection pad for the second chiplet.
US07829998B2
A semiconductor wafer contains a plurality of die with contact pads disposed on a first surface of each die. Metal vias are formed in trenches in the saw street guides and are surrounded by organic material. Traces connect the contact pads and metal vias. The metal vias can be half-circle vias or full-circle vias. The metal vias are surrounded by organic material. Redistribution layers (RDL) are formed on a second surface of the die opposite the first surface. The RDL and THV provide expanded interconnect flexibility to adjacent die. Repassivation layers are formed between the RDL on the second surface of the die for electrical isolation. The die are stackable and can be placed in a semiconductor package with other die. The RDL provide electrical interconnect to the adjacent die. Bond wires and solder bumps also provide electrical connection to the semiconductor die.
US07829991B2
An apparatus package for high-temperature thermal applications for ball grid array semiconductor devices and a method of packaging ball grid array semiconductor devices.
US07829989B2
An electronic package for containing at least a top packaging module vertically stacked on a bottom packaging module. Each of the packaging modules includes a semiconductor chip packaged and connected by via connectors and connectors disposed on a laminated board fabricated with a standard printed-circuit board process wherein the top and bottom packaging module further configured as a surface mountable modules for conveniently stacking and mounting to prearranged electrical contacts without using a leadframe. At least one of the top and bottom packaging modules is a multi-chip module (MCM) containing at least two semiconductor chips. At least one of the top and bottom packaging modules includes a ball grid array (BGA) for surface mounting onto the prearranged electrical contacts. At least one of the top and bottom packaging modules includes a plurality of solder bumps on one of the semiconductor chips for surface mounting onto the prearranged electrical contacts. The laminated board of the bottom packaging modules further has a thermal expansion coefficient substantially the same as a printed circuit board (PCB) whereby a surface mount onto the PCB is less impacted by a temperature change.
US07829983B2
There is provided a semiconductor device adopting, as a layout of pads connected to an external package on an LSI, a zigzag pad layout in which the pads are arranged shifted alternately, which can avoid occurrences of short-circuiting of wires, an increase in chip size due to avoidance of short-circuiting, propagation of power supply or GND noise due to reduction in IO cell interval, and signal transmission delay difference due to displacement of pad positions. In a semiconductor device wherein plural pads on a semiconductor element which are connected to function terminals on an external package are arranged in two lines along the periphery of the semiconductor element, an arrangement order of the plural pads on the semiconductor element is different from an arrangement order of the function terminals on the external package.
US07829977B2
A low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) substrate includes a plurality of substrate units and at least one cutting pattern. The cutting pattern is disposed between neighboring two of the substrate units. A semiconductor package including the LTCC substrate is also disclosed.
US07829967B2
The present invention relates to a resin for optical-semiconductor-element encapsulation containing a polyimide which is produced by imidizing a polyimide precursor obtained by subjecting 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride or maleic anhydride, an aliphatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride, and an aliphatic diamine compound to a condensation polymerization reaction. The resin of the invention has excellent heat resistance and excellent light-transmitting properties. In addition, the present invention also relates to an optical semiconductor device containing an optical semiconductor element encapsulated with the resin.
US07829965B2
A structure and method for increasing the sensitivity of pixel sensors by eliminating a gap space formed between adjacent microlens structures in a pixel sensor array. Advantageously, exposure and flowing conditions are such that adjacent microlens structures touch (are webbed) at a horizontal cross-section, yet have a round lens shape in all directions. Particularly, exposure and flowing conditions are such that each touching microlens structure is formed to have a matched uniform radius of curvature at a horizontal cross-section and at a 45 degree cross-sections.
