US08109319B2
A molding process which comprises mixing together a particulate aggregate, plural kinds of water-soluble binders, a crosslinking agent causing crosslinking reaction with the binders, a phenol resin, and water, agitating the obtained mixture to prepare a bubbled fluid aggregate mixture, filling the aggregate mixture into a molding cavity, and solidifying the aggregate mixture through the evaporation of water from the mixture to give a mold made from the mixture.
US08109318B2
Methods of deploying and stowing a cover coupled to an actuator comprising active material, includes the steps of heating the material with an external heat source, so as to cause a change in physical property and deploying the cover due to the change, and preferably includes accelerating the heating of the material by focusing the energy of the source with a lens or prism, engaging the cover with an input device and retracting the cover upon input, releasing stored energy as a result of the change, or further deploying the cover by use of a ratcheting mechanism, use of a timer for delayed actuation, use of a sensor configured to determine a condition, such as an opened door or the presence of an occupant, interconnecting to a windshield wiper, immersing the actuator in a heated fluid, and conduction heating the actuator through contact with a heated panel.
US08109316B2
A fireproof, heat-insulating slat consists of a pair of slat members having the same structure and disposed in the opposite directions. An enclosed space is formed between the pair of slat members. A first upper shoulder and a first lower shoulder are formed on the top end of the slat from the left to the right, and a second lower shoulder and a second upper shoulder are formed on the bottom end of the slat from the left to the right. An upper hinge and a lower hinge part are formed on the first lower shoulder and the second lower shoulder, respectively, and the upper hinge part and the lower hinge part are bent toward the first upper shoulder and the second upper shoulder, respectively. The enclosed space is filled with a fireproof, heat-insulating material.
US08109314B1
A portable air clamp for use during lamination of substrates is provided. The clamp includes a top clamp plate, a bottom clamp plate and at least one flexible, expandable tube within a housing of the clamp. The top clamp plate is adjacent to a top housing and the bottom clamp plate is adjacent to a bottom housing. An expandable tube or bladder may be disposed in the top housing or the bottom housing. The clamp may also include alignment devices and mechanisms for ensuring proper alignment of the substrates during the laminating procedure. The clamp is adapted to provide uniform pressure along the surfaces of the substrates to be laminated.
US08109313B2
A wallboard finishing roller having an elongated bracket with two ends is provided. Two roller assemblies are attached to the bracket such that the first roller assembly includes a center axis that is perpendicular to a center axis of the second roller assembly. Each roller assembly includes a wheel, a bushing and a shaft such that the wheel is rotatable around the axis of the shaft. The roller assembly is affixed to the bracket by a bracket nut, which is held in place by a bumper.
US08109312B2
Methods and apparatus for applying a patch to an interior surface of a tire, the apparatus comprising a patch holder having the top surface shaped to a contour of the interior surface of the tire, the patch holder comprising a patch receptacle and a plurality of orifices extending there through in fluid communication with a vacuum source, and, an adhesive barrier surrounding the patch receptacle. The steps of a method include placing a patch into a patch receptacle in a tire patch holder, the patch holder having the top surface shaped to a contour of the interior tire surface, directing the patch holder to obliquely contact the interior surface of the tire, and, pressing the patch into substantial adhesive contact with the interior tire surface.
US08109306B2
A luggage piece which provides a slim profile in a closed position and a larger opening in an open position when compared to a similar article without features according to this invention. The luggage piece includes at least one gusset, positioned along a side of the luggage piece, which is folded in the closed position and releases and/or expands in the open position to provide a larger opening and thus greater access to a storage space.
US08109305B1
A log splitter attachment for attaching to a machine such as an excavator or backhoe boom to facilitate splitting of large diameter logs into multiple triangular wedges includes a central portion and an attachment portion coupled to the central portion such that the central portion is designed for attachment to the boom arm of a machine such as a back hoe or excavator. A plurality of planar sections is coupled to the central portion. The planar sections are arranged to extend radially outward from the central portion. A plurality of distal wedge members is provided. Each distal splitting wedge member is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of planar sections. A central wedge splitting member has a plurality of radial wedge portions. The central wedge splitting member is coupled to a base of the central portion.
US08109304B2
A nimble and free moving guide and support apparatus for hand-held cutting devices. The device utilizes vertical support members to maintain contact with a work surface, while a base plate maintains contact with the material to be cut. Above said base plate is mounted a cutting device, such as a router, where the cutting members of said cutting device pass through an opening in said base plate. The nimbleness and free movement of this apparatus are provided by a movement mechanism, such as a ball bearing housed at the end of the vertical support members.
US08109303B1
An automatic depth controlled cutting assembly for a stump grinder includes a cutting assembly operatively attached to a stump grinder for engaging and grinding a stump, an actuating assembly to actuate movement of the cutting assembly relative to the stump, and an automatic depth control system cooperating with the actuating assembly to automatically control a depth of the cutting assembly relative to the stump.
US08109301B1
A refrigerator having a dispenser that includes an outlet and that is configured to dispense content through the outlet and along an output flow path. The refrigerator also includes a detection unit configured to detect user activity that is indicative of a desire to fill a container with content using the dispenser. The refrigerator further includes an optical system that is configured to, in response to detecting the user activity, direct a beam of light along at least a portion of the output flow path of the dispenser to assist a user in positioning a container to receive content dispensed along the output flow path.
US08109296B2
A fluid flow passage structure and a manufacturing method therefor are provided, in which fluid flow passages can be easily produced employing a simple structure and process, while also being suitable for reducing the weight thereof. Wire members having a predetermined pattern are disposed between a first block member and a second block member. Airtight and fluidtight hermetic fluid flow passages are formed between such members, by forming the first block member, the second block member, and the wire members together as an integral structure.
US08109291B2
The invention relates to an arrangement for conveying concrete for the construction of multi-storey concrete buildings. The arrangement comprises a concrete-distributing mast which is height-adjustable on completed parts of the building, for example on storey floors (48′, 48″, 48′″), the mast comprising a supporting column (10), a rotary unit (12) and an arm assembly (14) preferably designed as an articulated boom, and the mast being equipped with a conveying line (16) which is guided over the height of the supporting column (10) to the arm assembly (14) and which is supplied with liquid concrete. To facilitate the handling of the concrete-distributing mast during transportation and during the climbing operation, the invention proposes that the supporting column (10) has at least one channel-shaped surface depression (36, 38) extending in the longitudinal direction of the column, in which depression can be sunk that part of the conveying line (16) which extends over the supporting column (10), and/or an elongate part of the climbing apparatus (52).
US08109289B2
A method includes associating a plurality of valve balancing units with a plurality of valves in a hydronic network. The method also includes adjusting a setting of at least one of the valves using at least one of the valve balancing units to balance the hydronic network. Adjusting the setting could include identifying a differential pressure across a valve and a flow rate of material through that valve. Adjusting the setting could also include comparing the identified differential pressure to a target differential pressure and/or the identified flow rate to a target flow rate. Adjusting the setting could further include instructing an actuator to adjust the setting until the identified differential pressure is within a first threshold of the target differential pressure and/or the identified flow rate is within a second threshold of the target flow rate.
US08109282B2
A rinsing liquid (DIW) is discharged from a rinsing liquid discharge port formed in a blocking member to perform rinsing processing to a substrate surface while a nitrogen gas is supplied into a clearance space, and a liquid mixture (IPA+DIW) is discharged from a liquid mixture discharge port formed in the blocking member to replace the rinsing liquid adhering to the substrate surface with the liquid mixture while the nitrogen gas is supplied into the clearance space. Thus, an increase of the dissolved oxygen concentration of the liquid mixture can be suppressed upon replacing the rinsing liquid adhering to the substrate surface with the liquid mixture, which makes it possible to securely prevent from forming an oxide film or generating watermarks on the substrate surface.
US08109279B2
A hair clip has two body members pivotally coupled together by a spring-biased hinge mechanism. Each body member has a handle section and a hair-gripping section with the hinge mounted between them. The hair clip can have at least one handle-deflecting opening in each handle section to form at least one handle-flexing region where the handle sections can deflect outwardly into a low-profile flexed position. A mechanical stop may be provided to limit inward deflection. The hair clip can also have at least one teeth-deflecting opening in each hair-gripping section to form at least one teeth-flexing region where the hair-gripping sections can deflect into a low-profile flexed position.
US08109277B2
A smoking article includes a tobacco rod adapted to produce mainstream smoke, and a filter having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion. The filter includes a ventilated cavity and a flow restrictor segment having an impermeable insert at least partially surrounded by a tubular segment of an air transmissive material upstream of the cavity. In an embodiment, the tubular segment at least partially defines the cavity.
US08109275B2
A pipe lighter includes a lighter apparatus coupling with an inhaler apparatus. The inhaler apparatus includes a crucible unit coupled with the housing sidewall of the lighter housing and a tubular inhaling guider extended from the crucible unit, wherein the crucible unit has a substance chamber positioned adjacent to a flame opening of the lighter apparatus for retaining a smoking substance in the substance chamber, such that the lighter apparatus is actuated to produce a flame for a combustion of the smoking substance to be smoked and for an inhalation of smoked through the inhaling guider.
US08109273B2
A shoulder immobilizer (20) includes a semi-rigid or rigid orthosis, in the form of an arm support (22), which supports the upper arm, elbow, forearm and wrist of a patient. A bolster (24) is positioned between the patient and the arm support (22). A body strap (26) extends around the patient and attaches to the arm support (22) and/or the bolster (24), holding the arm support and bolster in position against the body of the patient. In embodiments, the shoulder immobilizer (20) may utilize a shoulder strap (28), but such a shoulder strap is not necessary for shoulder immobilization of the patient.
US08109270B2
A dispensing valve with admission pressure compensation and a safety device for maximum pressure limitation of the admission pressure. To accomplish the object, a deformation zone (18), which can be brought into contact with a support surface (14) by the admission pressure by admitting pressure in the direction of a reduction of the active area of the compensating diaphragm (10), is provided in the area of a compensating diaphragm (10).
US08109264B1
A hot water solar heating system includes a solar collector assembly located outside a building, a hot water tank located inside the building and supply and return pipes connecting the tank to the solar collector assembly. Portions of the supply and return pipes are located outside the building and are subject to below freezing temperatures and ice blockages. The system includes resistance heating wires which melt ice blockages in the exterior portions of the supply and return pipes.
US08109256B2
An engine control system comprises a current control module and a solenoid actuator module. The current control module determines a duty cycle based on a desired current through a solenoid of an engine system and a resistance of the solenoid and corrects the resistance based on an actual current through the solenoid. The solenoid actuator module actuates the solenoid based on the duty cycle.
US08109250B2
A glow plug includes: a tubular body (2) having at one of its ends a plug head as well as a fixing zone including elements (12, 13) for being fixed in a bore, an arm (4) mounted on the body (2) of the plug at the end opposite to the plug head, and a pressure sensor (8) sealingly insulated from the corresponding cylinder. The arm (4) is fixed to an elastically deformable tubular zone (17) designed to project inside the cylinder. The pressure sensor (8) is mounted between the arm (4) and a support component (18) fixed inside the tubular body (2).
US08109237B1
An improved automated litter box comprises a motorized comb or rake drive mechanism for removing clumps, a means for cycling the drive mechanism, and a cat proximity sensor for sensing the relative position of a cat about or within said litter chamber. The cat proximity sensor is capable of identifying the location of a cat outside the litter box or litter box or litter chamber. The cat proximity sensor comprises a passive or inductive transmitter for identification for modulating and demodulating a radio frequency (RF) signal; and an antenna for receiving and transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal.
US08109227B2
A tire dressing applicator comprises a support shaft mounted between the ends of a bracket and a plurality of tire dressing applicator foam rollers mounted on the shaft for rotation both with the shaft and in unison with one another and, as necessary when contacting a tire sidewall, relative to the shalt itself to prevent and/or reduce unnecessary roller wear. A drizzle-type system of dressing dispenser pipes drizzles dressing onto the outside surfaces of the rollers and a felt flap spreads the dressing and prevents waste which is characteristic of spray type systems. A quick-release mechanism associated with one end of the roller shaft where it is connected to the bracket permits the shaft to be released for the purpose of replacing worn rollers. Individual rollers are constructed using hard plastic cages which are adhesively bonded in toroidal foam volumes to prevent lateral scrunching or distortion of rollers during use.
US08109225B2
A banner raising apparatus is described for use with a halyard (228) for raising and lowering a banner. The apparatus is mounted to a generally vertical support surface (222) and comprises an upper halyard guide (220) mounted at an upper portion of the support surface and guiding the halyard travelling in a secure halyard passageway. A halyard fastener (218) is operable to releasably fasten the halyard exiting the secure halyard passageway adjacent a lower portion of the support surface, and a secure housing (212) is mounted externally of the support surface adjacent the lower portion, the secure housing configured to contain the halyard fastener and having sufficient internal volume to securely house the halyard of a raised banner. The secure housing is configured to enable access to the halyard. An elongate conduit defining the secure halyard passageway may be mounted externally to the support surface. The secure halyard passageway may be a secure internal cavity defined in the support surface.
US08109222B2
An apparatus is described for fixing floating bodies (1), in particular boats, to a landing body (2) with at least two holding booms (5) which are fixed to respective moorrings (4) by fittings (3) functioning as coupling elements, in each case at one end on the floating body (1) and at the other end on the landing body (2). In order to create advantageous conditions, it is proposed that at least one of the holding booms (5) be fixed, at least at one end, to the respective moorrings by the fitting (3) functioning as a coupling element so as to be rotationally fixed or rotationally resilient about an at least approximately vertical axis (7) with an adjustable and fixable angular offset (α).
US08109218B2
A process for the treatment of waste, the process comprising either a gasification step or a pyrolysis step to produce an offgas and a non-airborne, solid char material; followed by a plasma treatment step. An associated apparatus having a plasma treatment unit which is separate from the gasification unit or pyrolysis unit.
US08109214B2
An apparatus and method for controlling the operation of a screen door system. The apparatus includes a first transceiver adapted to be mounted on a train, a second transceiver adapted to be mounted on either a train platform or a portion of the platform screen door system. The first and second transceivers are configured to communicate with each other such that when a train is stopped at the train platform within a predetermined distance of and adjacent to a door of the platform screen door system, a signal is transmitted from the first transceiver to the second transceiver to open the door. When passenger embarkation and debarkation is complete, a signal is transmitted from the first transceiver to the second transceiver to close the door, and when the door is closed and locked, a signal is transmitted to the train to depart.
US08109213B1
A single multipurpose ammunition projectile/warhead is provided, which has the capability of clearing a variety of different types of hardened targets. The single projectile of this invention may be used for breaching steel reinforced concrete walls; may be used against light armor targets; may be used for defeating bunkers; and may also be used for antipersonnel applications. Huge savings in time, money, inventory and logistics are realized through utilizing only this one multipurpose ammunition against all these types of targets. This multipurpose projectile, among other superb capabilities, is able to puncture an eight inch double steel reinforced concrete wall timed to then have its warhead explode into fragments. This allows fragmentation in a more effective, nearly ideal direction. The projectile warhead of made of extremely thick walled 300M steel; with the projectile center of gravity to be located equidistant between a pair of bourrelets, for increased stability.
US08109208B2
A cheese process vat is disclosed. The cheese process vat includes an enclosure and a shaft assembly, preferably a shaft assembly having a shaft and a plurality of agitator panels arranged on the shaft. The cheese process vat preferably further includes an adjustable shaft seal assembly that adjustably seals the joint between the shaft and the enclosure. Methods of using the respective cheese process vats are also disclosed.
US08109195B1
A gas operated firearm having a gas venting system which configures the carrier key and the gas tube so that a substantial portion of the recoil gas is vented from the gas tube into the cavity defined by a hand guard to reduce fouling and high temperatures associated with conventional venting systems which route gases into the receiver.
US08109193B2
A kit for modifying a bolt carrier group actuating apparatus of a firearm manufacturer-configured with a gas-driven bolt carrier comprises a gas expansion assembly, an operating rod driven bolt carrier and an operating rod. The gas expansion assembly is configured for receiving combustion gases from an as-manufactured OEM gas block of the firearm and for facilitating expansion of said gases for generating a bolt carrier driving force. The operating rod driven bolt carrier includes an operating rod engaging lug. The operating rod driven bolt carrier is configured for being operably engaged within an as-manufactured OEM receiver body of the firearm with the operating rod engaging lug located in a gas tube lug receiving portion of the as-manufactured OEM receiver body. The operating rod is engagable between the gas expansion assembly and the operating rod engaging lug.
US08109188B2
Modified slicing shoes and method for making food product shavings. A conventional slicing shoe for insertion into a slicing head assembly used in conjunction with a centrifugal type slicing machine is modified. The modified slicing shoes comprise a cutting edge having top and bottom ends that protrude towards the interior of a slicing head assembly as a vertex protrudes away from the interior such that the blade is not confined to one plane. In one embodiment, the slicing shoe blade cutting edge and its components comprise a V-shape having an angle that ranges from between about 90° to about 140°. In a second embodiment, the slicing shoe and its components are curvilinear having a curvature ranging from about 1.5 cm to about 2.0 cm. The shape of the blade and its corresponding components allow for the production of snack chips having folded or curled shapes.
US08109185B2
A cutter blade is cut-in by being moved towards a deep part of a notch from one open end of the notch while being moved in a forward direction with respect to an outer periphery of a wafer. Immediately before a blade edge reaches the deep part of the notch, cutting movement of the cutter blade is once stopped, reversely moved to a initial piercing position, and thereafter, the cutter blade is moved towards the deep part of the notch from the other open end of the notch while being moved in a reverse direction with respect to the outer periphery of the wafer.
US08109184B2
The method and device for cutting fresh tissue slices utilizes a vibrating microtome. The vibrating microtome uses a cutting blade that vibrates in a horizontal direction. The microtome has a base, a specimen holder attached to the base, and a diagonal slide carriage and support arm that are supported on the base for movement diagonally with respect to the specimen holder. A vibrating blade support is located on the support arm and moves horizontally with respect to the specimen holder. A cutting blade is mounted on the vibrating blade support and moves in a compound diagonal and vibrating motion with respect to the specimen holder.
US08109179B2
A power tong continuously rotates tubulars for spinning and torquing threaded connections. Continuous rotation is achieved through a rotating jaw having grippers that grip the tubular and continuously rotate with it. Hydraulic and electrical power necessary for actuating the grippers is generated on board. A serpentine belt system turns the motors of the on-board hydraulic power unit and electric generators to supply the grippers with hydraulic and electrical power. The serpentine belt system is driven by a secondary drive mounted on a fixed frame. The rotating jaw is rotatably mounted to the fixed frame and driven during continuous three hundred and sixty degrees of rotation by a primary drive, mounted on the fixed frame. A fixed jaw is also mounted to the frame. Tubular grippers on the fixed jaw grip a first side of a tubular joint. The grippers on the rotating jaw grip the opposite second side of the tubular joint. High torque low-rotational speed applied to the rotating jaw torques the joint. Low torque high-rotational speed applied to the rotating jaw spins the joint.
US08109177B2
Drill bit bodies are provided having one portion formed of one composition and a further portion formed of a different composition. The different compositions provide different functional properties to respective portions of the drill bit body. Methods for forming such drill bit bodies are also provided.
US08109170B2
An umbilical member motion limiting device is provided on a robot which has a forearm, a wrist portion, an operating tool attached to the end of the wrist portion, and the umbilical member connected to the operating tool through the forearm, for limiting the motion of the umbilical member corresponding to the motion of the robot. The motion limiting device comprises a swing portion attached to the wrist portion so as to swing around a swing axis and a limiting portion arranged on the swing portion for limiting the motion of the umbilical member. Thus, the motion limiting device can minimize interference due to surplus length of the umbilical member and avoid contact of the umbilical member with external equipment.
US08109168B2
The invention relates to a converter gearing, comprising a gear rim (7), which is connected to the pivoting axis (6) of a converter box, said gear rim being engaged with at least one drive pinion (8) of the converter gearing (9) and at least one locking device, which can be pivoted to engage with and be disengaged from the toothed gearing of the gear rim, (7) in the form of a locking arm (12) that is positioned on a horizontal shaft (10) and configured with toothed gearing (11). The aim of the invention is to improve said locking device. To achieve this, the shaft (10) of the locking arm (12) is mounted in at least one terminal bearing (13, 13′) and the locking arm (12) can be engaged with and disengaged from the toothed gearing of the gear rim (7) in a non-positive manner, preferably by means of active force elements (14, 14′) in its end regions. In addition, the shaft (10) of the locking arm (12) is mounted in the housing of the converter gearing (9) by means of two eccentric bushes (4, 5), which rotate freely within one another, at each of its ends. The mounting is configured in such a way, that by the independent rotation of the same, an ideal mutual engagement position of the two interacting toothed gearing regions of the locking device (12) and the gear rim (7) can be set.
US08109157B2
A fluid sampling and analysis module for a downhole fluid characterization apparatus configured for operation downhole, within a borehole. The fluid sampling and analysis module comprises a primary flowline for fluids withdrawn from a formation to flow through the fluid sampling and analysis module, a bypass flowline in fluid communication with the primary flowline and a single valve, interconnecting the primary flowline and the bypass flowline, operable to a first position for formation fluids to flow in the primary flowline and to a second position for formation fluids to flow, via the bypass flowline, in the primary flowline.
US08109140B2
A reservoir sampling apparatus (20) is described having at least one probe (26) adapted to provide a fluid flow path between a formation and the inner of the apparatus with the flow path being sealed from direct flow of fluids from the borehole annulus with a heating projector (251) adapted to project heat into the formation surrounding the probe and a controller (253) to maintain the temperature in the formation below a threshold value.
US08109135B2
A cantilever assembly (1) comprises a cantilever (10) having a cantilever tip (11). The cantilever is mounted to a rigid support (12,120,121) and is provided on its back side with an area (110) of a high reflectance material having a boundary (111) sloping towards the support (12). The extensions (c, Δc) of the area (110) and of the boundary (111) towards the support fulfil the condition c/Δc≧1 wherein c denotes the extension of the area (110) of the high reflectance material in the direction towards the support (12), and Δc denotes the extension of the sloped boundary (111) of the area (110) of the high reflectance material in the direction towards the support (12).
US08109131B2
A method and apparatus for measuring a fluid and determining a leak comprising the steps of providing a meter and a meter register coacting with the meter. When a leak is detected, a signal is transmitted from the meter register regarding fluid consumption. The transmitted signal indicates a leak either when the measured flow rate remains a fixed volume over a fixed period of time, or the measured flow rate exceeds a threshold value.
US08109127B2
A device for measurement of entrained and dissolved gas has a first module arranged in relation to a process line for providing a first signal containing information about a sensed entrained air/gas in a fluid or process mixture flowing in the process line at a process line pressure. The device features a combination of a bleed line, a second module and a third module. The bleed line is coupled to the process line for bleeding a portion of the fluid or process mixture from the process line at a bleed line pressure that is lower than the process pressure. The second module is arranged in relation to the bleed line, for providing a second signal containing information about a sensed bleed line entrained air/gas in the fluid or process mixture flowing in the bleed line. The third module responds to the first signal and the second signal, for providing a third signal containing information about a dissolved air/gas flowing in the process line based on a difference between the sensed entrained air/gas and the sensed bleed line entrained air/gas.
US08109124B2
An elongated strap member that is coiled in a box and is bent lengthwise as it is drawn out of the box, providing an economical, light, compact means of connecting multiple structural members without sagging or other disadvantageous deformations between the structural members. The structural members are bridged by strap member. The end of the strap member is bent over.
US08109123B2
A riveting unit is assembled with an electric rivet gun, including a transmission unit, a clamping jaw having a locating portion driven by the transmission unit to be moveable between a first position and a second position, a first sensor detecting whether the locating portion of the clamping jaw is located at the first position, and a second sensor detecting whether the locating portion of the clamping jaw is located at the second position. When the locating portion of the clamping jaw is located at the first position, a blind rivet can be installed in the clamping jaw, and when the locating portion of the clamping jaw is located at the second position, the blind rivet can be ejected, and meanwhile the second sensor can allow the transmission unit to stop the movement of the clamping jaw, thereby preventing the clamping jaw from moving backwards excessively.
US08109120B2
A steam generating device and a washing machine having the same are disclosed. The steam generating device includes a lower housing including a main portion for receiving a heater, and connecting portions extending outwardly from the main portion, the lower housing defining a water chamber for containing water, an upper housing connected to the connecting portions, the upper housing defining a steam chamber for containing steam, a water level sensor for sensing a level of water contained in the water chamber, and a receptacle for protecting the water level sensor. The receptacle has an opening for allowing water to be introduced into the receptacle, and is substantially aligned with an inner surface of the lower housing or is arranged at a position spaced apart from the heater by a longer distance than the inner surface of the lower housing.
US08109117B2
A method and device for bending superposed sheets of glass. The sheets are picked up by a top form furnished with a suction creating an upward airflow blowing over the rim of the sheets, the suction being sufficient to lift and hold the superposed sheets against the top form, then the sheets are pressed between the top form and a full surface solid concave bottom form furnished with openings, the pressing beginning conducted while the suction is not yet finished or is finishing, then the superposed sheets are formed, by suction of the main face of the bottom sheet through the openings of the bottom concave mold, the forming by suction beginning while the pressing is not yet finished, and then the sheets are cooled. Windshields free of optical defects may thus be produced.
US08109116B2
A refrigeration air conditioner includes a first equalizer pipe connecting a bottom portion of a first hermetic vessel, which contains a main compression mechanism and lubricating oil, to a bottom portion of a second hermetic vessel, which contains an expansion mechanism, a sub-compression mechanism, and lubricating oil. A second equalizer pipe connects a side of the second hermetic vessel at a position higher than a minimum oil level to a suction side of the main compression mechanism. The space within the second hermetic vessel is isolated from the expansion mechanism and the sub-compression mechanism, and the pressure within the second hermetic vessel is not dependent upon the pressure within the expansion mechanism and the pressure within the sub-compression mechanism.
US08109102B2
A refrigerant system includes a compressor that has safe operating limits that are also built into a refrigerant system control to protect the compressor. Under certain conditions, these safe operational limits may be changed to allow the compressor to operate beyond the safety limits at least for a period of time.
US08109099B2
A combustion duct for a gas turbine engine has a combustion liner to receive products of combustion, and deliver the products of combustion downstream toward a turbine rotor. An outer housing is positioned radially outwardly of the combustion liner. A flow sleeve is positioned radially intermediate the outer housing and the combustion liner. A chamber radially outwardly of the flow sleeve receives cooling air. A plurality of holes through the flow sleeve deliver cooling air from the chamber against an outer periphery of the combustion liner. A plurality of tabs are associated with at least some of the holes in the flow sleeve. The tabs are positioned to extend radially inwardly on a downstream side of the holes.
US08109086B2
An external combustion engine provided with a main container in which a working fluid is sealed flowable in a liquid phase state, a heater heating part of the liquid phase state working fluid in the main container to make it vaporize, a cooler cooling steam of the working fluid heated and vaporized by the heater so as to make it liquefy, an output part converting displacement of the liquid part of the working fluid caused by a change of volume of the steam into mechanical energy and outputting the energy, an auxiliary container communicated with the main container through a venturi means and having a liquid sealed inside it, an auxiliary heater heating the liquid in the auxiliary container to make it vaporize, a storage container communicated with the auxiliary container and storing the liquid, and a liquid draining means for draining liquid in the auxiliary container into the storage container when the internal pressure of the auxiliary container becomes a first predetermined pressure or more.
US08109075B2
A high voltage propellant isolator includes at least two different types of isolator rings or segments, in alternating lateral arrangement, that direct the flow of propellant, such as xenon gas, in a tortuous path through the isolator.
US08109070B1
Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus for selectively inverting one or more windrows of crop material on the ground as the apparatus is moved in a forward direction, each of the windrows having a lower surface and a generally defined width, the apparatus comprising, a frame for attachment to a vehicle, a first transport mechanism for picking up the crop material of a windrow, moving the crop material in a rearward direction, turning the crop material through a generally horizontal arc and depositing the turned crop material in an inverted condition, the first transport mechanism being movable between a raised non-operating position and a lowered operating position, a second transport mechanism having substantially the same structure and functionality as the first transport mechanism, and a hydraulic control system selectively moving the transport mechanisms between the raised and lowered positions and for driving the transport mechanisms.
US08109069B2
A proportional counterbalance system comprises an electronic controller operatively connected to a proportional hydraulic control valve to substantially continuously and infinitely adjust the backpressure in a fluid return circuit from the lift and lower cylinders of a plurality of cutting units on a mower. The backpressure is infinitely adjusted within a band between a minimum and a maximum backpressure in concert with a varying input parameter to the controller to transfer desired amounts of weight of the cutting units from the ground to the traction vehicle of the mower to enhance traction as needed. A wide variety of input parameters can be used, including a selected operating condition of the mower, a selected environmental condition of the turf surface being mowed, the actual, real time location of the mower on the turf surface, altitude above sea level, and manual input from the operator.
US08109062B2
A machine for closing and sealing cardboard boxes or other packaging cases with random sizes of cases presented. An input gate controls passage of cases onto at least one conveyor that moves the cases through the machine. An input positioning stage centers and squares the case. A measuring station performs a primary measurement of the width and height of the open case. A closing station and tape sealing station are adjusted to the primary case size measurement. The case closing station then closes the case. The side major flaps are closed using a major flap closer with crossed arms pivoted at separated pivot axes. The sealing station has a secondary or closed case measurement detector which more accurately adjusts the tape applicator height. Lateral support heads engage the sides of the case to prevent distortion while tape is applied.
US08109061B2
A tower part for a wind turbine includes at least one wall segment and at least one aperture segment including at least one aperture. The wall segment and the aperture segment are connected and the aperture segment is of a substantially uniform thickness and is thicker than the thickness of the wall segment. The tower part further includes an aperture cover system for covering at least one aperture in a tower part for a wind turbine, including cover plates and attachments for attaching the system to the tower part, where the attachments do not affect the fatigue limit of the tower part.
US08109058B2
A structural insulated panel includes a rigid foam core without thermal bridging. A particular embodiment includes a rigid foam core having first and second faces, a plurality of stud channels being formed on the first and second faces of the rigid foam core, each of the stud channels being formed in the rigid foam core in an L-shape in cross-section. The particular embodiment includes a plurality of studs being insertable into the plurality of stud channels such that one face of each of the plurality of studs being external to the first and second faces of the rigid foam core and substantially flush with a face of the rigid foam core, each of the plurality of studs being fabricated using no more than four bends to produce a stud with a hat channel shape in cross-section.
US08109054B2
Embodiments of the present invention include a construction fastener configured to secure a utility box in a specified position within a wall. The construction fastener includes a front portion, a center portion, and an end portion. The end portion and center portion of the fastener are inserted through the utility box, with part of the end portion extending beyond the back surface of the utility box. The front portion thus rests across a front surface of the utility box. The end portion is secured against the back surface of the utility box and the position of the utility box within the wall is maintained.
US08109053B2
A welded door frame assembly including a hinge jamb joined to a lock jamb via a frame head jamb, all of which are joined with existing studs and an existing wall. The hinge jamb has a bottom end and a top end and includes a door side base, a door contact flange, and a non-door side trim attachment track including one or more fastener holes. A hinge jamb trim piece includes a connector portion configured to be removably retained within the non-door side trim attachment track and is adapted to cover the non-door side trim attachment track, any fastener holes, and any fasteners. Both the lock jamb and frame head jamb include a door side base, a door contact flange, and a connection flange including one or more fastener holes. A lock jamb or frame head jamb trim piece covers the connection flange, any fastener holes, and any fasteners.
US08109049B2
A solar battery module device includes a solar cell module formed by arranging a plurality of solar battery cells; a rack-shaped frame having a substantially rectangular shape supporting an outer-edge portion of the solar cell module by surrounding a whole periphery of the outer-edge portion; and a reinforcing frame that is bridged over between two opposite sides of the rack-shaped frame by forming a predetermined gap between the reinforcing frame and a back surface of the solar cell module, and supports the solar cell module by being brought into contact with the back surface of the solar cell module when the solar cell module is bent. The reinforcing frame is engaged with engagement notches formed on the back surface of the rack-shaped frame.
US08109035B2
A mosquito control trap taking advantage of the normal stages of development for a mosquito. The trap including stagnant water trapped within a container by a weeping platform floating on top of the water. A series of holes in the weeping platform provide exposure of the water to form brood cups in which female mosquitoes lay eggs. In order to develop through the larva and pupa stage the developing insects must enter the larger reservoir of stagnant water, since there is insufficient room in the brood cups. However, the holes are too small to permit escape of the adult mosquito, thus preventing any of the eggs from developing. This device provides a means for controlling mosquitoes without the use of pesticides and is especially suitable for use in lesser developing countries.
US08109034B1
The two reel surf rod (FIG. A) is ideal for an anchor fishing technique that can be used on a dock, pier or jetty. The two reel surf rod (FIG. A) can be used in a normal fashion, if desired, with the removal of the retrieval reel (FIG. A3). The addition of a second reel seat (FIG. A4) to a regular surf rod improves and increases the function of a regular surf rod.
US08109030B2
An aiming device is provided. The aiming device includes an erector tube assembly, a moving plate and a crosshair. The moving plate, disposed on the erector tube assembly, is movable along a direction. The crosshair is disposed on the moving plate. When the moving plate moves, the crosshair moves with the moving plate along the direction.
US08109019B2
A flip-chart comprising at least two sheets bound by a linear attachment spine. The spine is positioned at a substantially vertical angle. The sheets are releasably securable to the spine and to optionally to a chart cover by means of support pegs. The sheets are adapted for writing on both sides thereon, and each sheet is removable from the pad.
US08109018B2
An iron tote includes a soleplate rest, an iron seat, a cord guide, and a wall stand. The soleplate rest defines a soleplate resting surface for the soleplate of an associated iron. The iron seat connects with and projects generally forwardly from the soleplate rest. The iron seat defines a heel resting surface oriented generally normal with respect to the soleplate resting surface. The cord guide connects with the soleplate rest above the iron seat. The cord guide can have a contoured contact surface along which an electrical cord of the associated iron rides during operation of the iron. The wall stand connects with and projects generally rearwardly from the soleplate rest. A method of operating an iron and a kit are also disclosed.
US08109003B2
Pruning shears include a first arm including a first handle and a jaw including a first tab; a first blade including a cutting edge and an ear opposite the cutting edge and having a first through hole wherein the first arm and the first blade are secured together by inserting the first tab into the first through hole; a second arm including a second handle and a joining section; a second blade secured to the joining section; a pivot joint for pivotably securing the first arm to the second arm; and a torsion spring positioned between the first arm and the second arm. The torsion spring exerts an expansion force to push the first arm and the second arm apart from each other.
US08109002B2
A wire stripping knife having a back bar which cooperates with the handle to strip wire. In one form the back bar is a lock back bar to lock the knife in an open orientation, and in yet another form the back bar is biased to a closed orientation when the blade is in an extended orientation.
US08108995B2
A method includes coupling a cylinder head to a cylinder block. A valve member is then moved into a valve pocket defined by the cylinder head such that a first stem portion of the valve member engages an actuator. A first portion of the biasing member is then disposed against a second stem portion of the valve member, the second stem portion being opposite the first stem portion. An end plate is then coupled to the cylinder head such that a second portion of the biasing member engages the end plate.
US08108988B2
A method of manufacturing a laminated iron core using a die, includes punching out iron core pieces from a thin steel sheet material by a first working row, each piece having a spindle hole and a plurality of slot holes of a given configuration. Electrically insulating sheet pieces are punched out from an electrically insulating thin sheet material by a second working row, each piece having a spindle hole and a plurality of slot holes with a configuration similar to, but smaller than, the slot holes of the iron core pieces. Thereafter, the iron core pieces and electrically insulating sheet pieces are stacked such that edges of the slot holes of the electrically insulating sheet pieces extend outwardly beyond edges of the slot holes of the iron core pieces.
US08108975B2
A karabiner including a generally C-shaped body having opposed free ends with a gap therebetween and a gate for closing the gap through constraint. The gate is formed of a wire member located on one free end of the body and includes a shaped free end. The other free end of the body is configured to receive the shaped free end of the gate, and includes a shape that corresponds substantially with the shape of the shaped end of the gate. In one embodiment, the loop is oriented substantially transversely to the plane of the karabiner body, and in another embodiment, the second free end of the body includes a recessed seat. A locking means on the gate or karabiner body is also disclosed.
US08108974B2
Disclosed is a closure for joining at least two pieces of material, especially layers of material (14, 20). Said closure comprises two closure elements (2, 3) which are spaced apart in some sections. The first closure element (2) is provided with at least one fastening means (7) while the second closure element (3) is fitted with an especially central gap (4).
US08108969B2
A checker-equipped door hinge device for vehicle includes: a first bracket fixed to one of a body and a door; a second bracket fixed to another one of the body and the door; a hinge pin connecting the first and second brackets to each other, and allowing the brackets to be relatively rotatable; an inner cylinder connected integrally to the first bracket and disposed coaxially with the hinge pin; an outer cylinder connected integrally to the second bracket and disposed so as to surround the inner cylinder in a manner of being rotatable relative to the inner cylinder; and a checking-force generating mechanism provided between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, the checking-force generating mechanism generating a checking force against the door at a predetermined opening position of the door, wherein an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder are eccentric to each other, so that a thick wall portion having a large distance between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface is formed in the outer cylinder, and the checking-force generating mechanism is provided in the thick wall portion. Thereby the door hinge device can be compact, in which the checking-force generating mechanism can be disposed in the outer cylinder without increasing the diameter of the outer cylinder.
US08108952B2
A controlling apparatus for automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device is provided, including a mat, at least a detection module, and a control module. The detection module is located inside the mat. The control module is electrically connected to the detection module and an automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device, respectively. The mat is placed in front of the toilet. When a user steps on the mat, the detection module and the control module detects the orientation and position of the footprint to determine whether the user is facing or facing away from the toilet and sends control signals to the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to operate accordingly. Also, the detection module can detect the user finishing using the toilet and leaving the mat, a corresponding signal is sent to the automated toilet seat and lid lifting and closing device to close the lid and flush.
US08108947B2
The invention is for a bodysuit for clothing of a human to assist in comfortable wearing of an orthotic brace. Trouserette sections, an elliptical sanitary voiding aperture, and a loincloth with a pelvic girdle flap elongated end releasably joined to a body sleeve provide the wearer with comfort, modesty, and convenience in sanitary voiding. Stretch cotton/spandex knit cloth, externally overlocked seaming, coverstitched stitches, flat zigzag stitchery, and hook and loop tape fasteners enhance quality and comfort in various embodiments.
US08112818B2
A system for identifying a work represented by digital data. This system detects events in data of the content of an unknown work and measures a metric between the events. The system then compares the detected events and metrics from an unknown work with the events and metrics of a known work. If the events and metrics match, the unknown work is identified as a copy of the known work.
US08112809B2
A method for locally activating a DRM engine is disclosed. A preprocessing operation is performed, wherein rights objects are bound with digital content files with a first format. The digital content files with the first format are converted to the digital content files with a second format. The digital content files with the second format file are encrypted and a corresponding decryption key is generated. The encrypted digital content files and the decryption key are stored in a memory device. An application is designed and installed on the electronic device and the memory device is installed to the electronic device. The application is authorized according to the rights objects bound in the digital content files, decrypts the encrypted digital content files using the decryption key, wherein the digital content files with the second format can be recovered from the third format, and activates a DRM engine of the electronic device. The DRM engine binds an IMEI code of the electronic device with the digital content files, enabling the digital content files to only be accessed by the specific electronic device.
US08112803B1
An agent on a network is preconfigured to automatically respond to neighborhood discovery by sending an advertisement having a spoof IPv6 address. A spoof IPv6 address includes a spoof NIC value that is a value that identifies a network interface card not being used on the network. Thus, upon receipt of the advertisement by the infected host computer system, malicious code on the infected host computer system probes the spoof IPv6 address space defined by a network section value of the spoof IPv6 address, the spoof NIC value, and the range of possible values of the assigned host ID value of the spoof IPv6 address. As there are no interfaces within the spoof IPv6 address space except that associated with the agent, propagation of the malicious code is slowed or defeated and connections are directed to the agent.
US08112794B2
A security token access device, a user device such as a computing device or communications device, and a method for managing multiple connections between multiple user devices and the access device. The access device maintains connection information, including security information, for each user device securely paired with the access device. Each time a new user device is paired with the access device, the access device transmits a notification to the user devices already paired to the user device. A user may provide instructions to the access device to terminate a pairing with one of the user devices by overwriting at least a portion of the connection information associated with the designated user device. A user device may further request a listing of all user devices currently paired with the access device.
US08112792B2
A network node provides an Internet service executed in a server for Internet marketplace users. An outer connector receives a request initiated in a user computer, and transmits to the user computer a result from the provider server. The service is requested via an Internet marketplace website on a server connected to the user computer. The outer connector is adapted to change the format of the request and the result for the Internet marketplace. A transformation unit is connected to the outer connector, and adapted to ascertain a provider server for the service based on the request, and addressing the request to the provider server. The node comprises a unit adapted to verify user authorization to access the service, based on an Internet marketplace profile. An inner connector is connected to the transformation unit for transmitting the request to, and receiving the result from, the provider server.
US08112790B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for authenticating a remote service to another service on behalf of a user. A user client authorizes a remote application client to perform one or more actions with a server on behalf of the user client. The user client provides one or more keys to a remote authentication service; receives an identifier of the remote application client, where the remote authentication client is remote from the server; and notifies the remote authentication service that the remote application client is authorized to obtain a response from the remote authentication service regarding a challenge from the server, where the response is based on at least one of the one or more keys stored by the remote authentication service on behalf of the user client. The remote application client provides a challenge that is received from a server that the remote application client is attempting to access for the user client and an identifier of the user client to a remote authentication service and receives a response to the challenge from the remote authentication service, wherein the response is based on one or more keys stored by the remote authentication service on behalf of the user client.
US08112788B2
A new approach to network security includes manipulating an access point such that an initial communication from an external device is passed to a restricted subset of a computing network including a gatekeeper. The gatekeeper is configured to enforce a security policy against the external device before granting access to a less-restricted subset of the computing network. If requirements of the security policy are satisfied, then the gatekeeper reconfigures the access point such that further communication from the external device may be received by elements of the less-restricted subset. Enforcement of the security policy optionally includes performing a security audit of the external device.
US08112785B1
A method for receiving verification that a source is authorized to provide mobile-computing-device policies for a first physical location. The method may include receiving a first mobile-computing-device policy and identifying the first physical location. The method may also include associating the first mobile-computing-device policy with the first physical location and implementing, based on the verification, the first mobile-computing-device policy at the first physical location. Systems and computer-readable media for verifying that a source is authorized to provide mobile-computing-device policies for a first physical location are also disclosed.
US08112784B1
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a television converter device, such as a set-top-box (STB), that includes two or more channel selectors and the necessary control electronics to allow each of the multiple channel selectors to operate independently. STB embodiments of the present invention may be connected to and support one or more TVs. The STB embodiments allow each connected TV to receive television programming independent of what any other connected TVs may be receiving, at a significant cost savings over providing separate STBs for each TV.
US08112778B2
The playback of video content delivered over a wireless network can be controlled by the provision of various control functions that can be actuated by the user. The controlled playback can be implemented on a system level, in which the delivery of the video content is controlled in response to receiving control actuation signals from a receiver device or can be implemented at the receiver device level by storing the video content and controlling the rendering of the content based on user actuations. In either implementation, the playback control can include pausing, stopping, fast-forwarding, rewinding, reversing, fast-reversing and skipping of the video content.
US08112777B2
A data transmission system for minimizing the number of errors during Tx/Rx times of mobile service data under mobile environments, and a data processing method for the same are disclosed. The system additionally codes mobile service data, and transmits the resultant coded mobile service data. As a result, the mobile service data has a strong resistance to noise and channel variation, and can quickly cope with the rapid channel variation.
US08112776B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule and/or listing information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule and/or listing information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule and/or listing information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule and/or listing information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.
US08112761B2
A method for interfacing an application server with a resource can include the step of associating a plurality of Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs) to a plurality of resources, where a one-to-one correspondence exists between EJB and resource. An application server can receive an application request and can determine a resource for handling the request. An EJB associated with the determined resource can interface the application server to the determined resource. The request can be handled with the determined resource.
US08112759B2
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment determine a group associated with a command, wherein the command comprises a resource-allocating command in a logically-partitioned electronic device and determine when to perform the command based on the group. By grouping commands and scheduling the commands based on the group to which they belong, in an embodiment commands may be performed at an appropriate time when their impact on the performance of the logical partitions will be reduced.
US08112756B2
A system comprises a workload evaluator that is operable to receive a representative workload that is representative of competing demands for capacity of at least one shared computing resource. The workload evaluator evaluates the representative workload and computes a metric representing a degree of burstiness of demands present in the representative workload. The metric representing degree of burstiness of the representative workload may be used for estimating an upper bound on quality of service provided by a workload manager to the representative workload. The metric may also be used for evaluating at least one scheduler parameter setting of the workload manager to aid in determining an optimal parameter setting based at least in part on the estimated impact of the representative workload on QoS provided by the workload manager.
US08112747B2
The disclosure provides integrated software for supporting a distributed business application comprising computer readable instructions embodied on media. The integrated support software is operable to automatically monitor the distributed business application for potential incidents. It also facilitates continuous data exchange between the distributed business application and a remote support module based on the automatic monitoring, with the communications in a protocol associated with a plurality of services in the distributed business application and with a plurality of incidents for these services. Upon identification of a potential incident, the software provides integrated incident management in the distributed business application and provides software maintenance management to the distributed business application for one or more identified incidents.
US08112736B2
A method uses a differential voltage response to identify fabrication process defects that would result if an IC design is fabricated (without re-designing to correct such defects). The method uses two stacks, whose respective outputs may be compared by a comparator, and comparator's output used to determine defectivity. In some embodiments, each stack includes a first-type device (e.g. a p-channel device) and at least two second-type devices (e.g. n-channel devices). The first-type device is used as a current source or as a select switch (depending on the mode of operation of the differential voltage defectivity monitoring circuit). One second-type device may be used as a select switch and for back-bias control, while another second-type device may be used as a blocking switch and/or a select switch. The method may use an addressable array of multiple test structures that have digitally multiplexed control lines, in some embodiments.
US08112721B2
An image reproduction device comprises: a thumbnail image read device which reads a thumbnail image file having recorded thereon two or more types of thumbnail images produced based on a stereo image composed of a plurality of images obtained by capturing the identical subject from a plurality of viewpoints; a thumbnail image selection device which selects one thumbnail image to be used for displaying from among the plurality of thumbnail images recorded on the read thumbnail image file; and a thumbnail image reproduction device which causes the selected thumbnail image to be displayed on a display device. Thereby, the device enables to reproduce in a short length of time, an optimum one of different thumbnail images of plural types, or a thumbnail image of a type desired by a user.
US08112704B2
Systems and methods for loading XML documents on demand are described. The system provides a Wrapper class for the XML Document class and the Element class. A user application then utilizes the Wrapper class in the same way that the Element class and Document class would be used to access any element in the XML Document. The Wrapper class loads external components as required. The external component retrieval is completely transparent to the user application and the user application is able to access the entire XML document as if it were completely loaded into a DOM object in memory. Accordingly, each element is accessible in a random manner. In one configuration, the XML document components or external components are stored in a database in a BLOB field as a Digital Document. The system uses external components to efficiently use resources as compared to systems using Xlink and external entities.
US08112700B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a demultiplexer implemented as a nanowire crossbar or a hybrid nanowire/microscale-signal-line crossbar with resistor-like nanowire junctions. The demultiplexer of one embodiment provides demultiplexing of signals input on k microscale address lines to 2k or fewer nanowires, employing supplemental, internal address lines to map 2k nanowire addresses to a larger, internal, n-bit address space, where n>k. A second demultiplexer embodiment of the present invention provides demultiplexing of signals input on n microscale address lines to 2k nanowires, with n>k, using 2k, well-distributed, n-bit external addresses to access the 2k nanowires. Additional embodiments of the present invention include a method for evaluating different mappings of nanowire addresses to internal address-spaces of different sizes, or to evaluate mappings of nanowires to external address-spaces of different sizes, metrics for evaluating address mapping and demultiplexer designs, and demultiplexer design methods.
US08112696B2
A method and apparatus for providing error correction capability to longitudinal position data are disclosed. Initially, data are encoded via a set of even LPOS words and a set of odd LPOS words. The encoded data are then decoded by generating a set of syndrome bits for each of the LPOS words. A determination is then made as to whether or not there is an error within one of the LPOS words based on its corresponding syndrome bits.
US08112691B1
The generation of Fletcher/Alder partial checksums are transformed from a space that requires integer multiplications and additions to a space that requires only integer additions and shifts on a single SIMD pipeline capable processor. This transformation permits the use of Fletcher/Alder checksums on processors where the performance of SIMD instructions are sub-optimal, on CMT processors that support a single SIMD pipeline as well as other processors that can be configured by executing software to implement SIMD operations for a single SIMD pipeline. The implementation of the process with this transformation on a general-purpose computer system transforms that general-purpose computer system into a special-purpose computer system that uses a single SIMD pipeline to generate a Fletcher/Alder checksum. The elimination of integer multiplications in the generation of the partial checksums results in a significant improvement in performance.
US08112685B2
The disclosure describes novel methods and apparatuses for accessing test compression architectures (TCA) in a device using either a parallel or serial access technique. The serial access technique may be controlled by a device tester or by a JTAG controller. Further the disclosure provides an approach to access the TCA of a device when the device exists in a daisy-chain arrangement with other devices, such as in a customer's system. Additional embodiments are also provided and described in the disclosure.
US08112684B2
IEEE 1149.1 Test Access Ports (TAPs) may be utilized at both IC and intellectual property core design levels. TAPs serve as serial communication ports for accessing a variety of embedded circuitry within ICs and cores including; IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan circuitry, built in test circuitry, internal scan circuitry, IEEE 1149.4 mixed signal test circuitry, IEEE P5001 in-circuit emulation circuitry, and IEEE P1532 in-system programming circuitry. Selectable access to TAPs within ICs is desirable since in many instances being able to access only the desired TAP(s) leads to improvements in the way testing, emulation, and programming may be performed within an IC. A TAP linking module is described that allows TAPs embedded within an IC to be selectively accessed using 1149.1 instruction scan operations.
US08112676B2
A method to generate and save diagnostic data in the event of an application error, wherein the method supplies a first computing device comprising a microprocessor and a first computer readable medium and an application encoded in said computer readable medium, wherein said application comprises an error handling module. The method further supplies a second computing device comprising a microprocessor and a second computer readable medium and an error data management module encoded in said second computer readable medium, wherein said error data management module comprises a diagnostic data generating module, wherein said first computing device is in communication with said second computing device. The method executes the application, detects by the error handling module an application error, and detects by the error data management module the application error. The method then receives by the error handling module a completion signal from the error data management module, and provides an error signal from the error handling module to a support center.
US08112672B2
Content requests are debugged in accordance with a presence of a flag in a request to a publisher. A document received from the publisher contains a script to debug requests for content to a content provider. The requests are examined to determine the presence of informational, warning and error conditions. The conditions are written to a debugging user interface.
US08112671B1
A method and apparatus for providing an undoable programming language. More specifically the present invention relates to providing a fully undoable programming language, where the language includes a fully undoable core language portion and a conventional language portion. In an embodiment of the present invention, a method of encoding a general-purpose undoable programming language to enable fully undoable instructions includes encoding a fully undoable core imperative language portion having a plurality of undoable core instructions, each of the plurality of undoable core instructions to perform at least one undoable operation upon execution, and the at least one undoable operation being fully undoable until final termination of a program written using any of the plurality of undoable core instructions. The method also includes encoding a conventional language portion including a plurality of conventional instructions, each of the plurality of conventional instructions to perform at least one permanent operation upon execution, the at least one permanent operation being permanent upon final termination of the execution of the conventional instruction and each of the plurality of conventional instructions being callable by at least one of the plurality of undoable core instructions.
US08112660B2
Example systems and methods associated with router synchronization are described. One example method includes reducing a likelihood that a first network device will be favored over a peer device as a router. This likelihood may be increased after the first network device has received a threshold amount of routing information from the peer device. This may allow the first network device to begin performing non-routing related tasks after it starts up without causing interruption of data streams for which the first network device does not have current routing information.
US08112658B2
An apparatus, program product and method check for nodal faults in a row of nodes by causing each node in the row to concurrently communicate with its adjacent neighbor nodes in the row. The communications are analyzed to determine a presence of a faulty node or connection.
US08112649B2
Technologies are described herein for intentionally allowing errors in a computational system to optimize energy consumption of the computational system. A cost-benefit analysis is performed to identify one or more allowable errors and one or more non-allowable errors in the computational system. The allowable errors may be identified by the cost-benefit analysis as being acceptable errors for optimizing energy consumption with respect to accuracy of the computational system. The non-allowable errors may be identified by the cost-benefit analysis as being unacceptable errors for optimizing energy consumption with respect to accuracy of the computational system. The computational system is transformed from a first state in which the computational system corrects or prevents the allowable errors and the non-allowable errors into a second state in which the computational system allows the allowable errors and corrects or prevents the non-allowable errors.
US08112645B2
A system, that includes: a memory unit adapted to store state duration statistics indicative of possible low power state durations and probabilities associates with the possible state durations; and a power controller, adapted to: receive a request to cause a circuit to enter a next state, and assist in causing the circuit to enter the next state if during a delay period that follows a reception of the request the power controller does not receive a request to cause the circuit to exit the next state; wherein the delay period is determined in response to: (i) the next state duration statistics, (ii) power saving gained from entering the next state; and (iii) power penalty associated with entering the next state and exiting the next state.
US08112643B2
A processing engine fetches one or more lines of software instructions into an instruction cache. Based on the contents of the cache, potentially needed functional units are identified as functional units that are operable to execute at least one software instruction stored within the instruction cache. Unneeded functional units are identified as functional units that are not operable to execute a software instruction stored within the instruction cache. A power increase is initiated for selected ones of the potentially needed functional units that are determined to be in a low power state. A power decrease is initiated for selected ones of the unneeded functional units that are determined to be in an operable power state.
US08112641B2
A system employing power over Ethernet (PoE) technology may include at least one powered device and power sourcing equipment (PSE). The powered device may include a first powered device (PD) subsystem and a second powered device (PD) subsystem that is electrically isolated from the first PD subsystem. The powered device may also include an interface connecting the first PD subsystem and the second PD subsystem. The PSE may be operable to provide power to one or more of the PD subsystems through a link connecting the PSE to the powered device. Also, the first PD subsystem may be operable to receive a communication from and transfer power to the second PD subsystem through the interface while maintaining the electrical isolation.
US08112635B2
A data processing system ciphers and transfers data between a first memory unit and a second memory unit, such as, for example, between a share memory architecture (SMA) static random access memory (SRAM) and a double data rate (DDR) synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). The system includes a ciphering engine and a data-mover controller. The data-mover controller includes at least one register having a field that specifies whether or not the transferred data should be ciphered. If the field specifies that the transferred data should be ciphered, the field also specifies the type of ciphering that is to be performed, such as a third generation partnership project (3GPP) standardized confidentially cipher algorithm “f8” or integrity cipher algorithm “f9”.
US08112632B2
A security device having a knowledge input module obtaining knowledge data and a user data storage module storing user-specific data. A processor performs at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data and the user-specific data. An emitter in communication with the processor emits a signal indicative of the result of the user authorization process.
US08112629B2
A two-party stateless protocol by which a server receives a request from a client, transmits a tamper-resistant challenge to the client, receives a response to the challenge, and validates the response, where each of the challenge and the response contain a copy of the request. If the client responds correctly to the challenge and does not modify the request during the protocol, the server executes the request.
US08112626B1
A method and apparatus to authenticate limited processing-power systems (LPPS) using elliptic cryptography within a well known elliptic curve E, over a well known finite field F((E(F)). The apparatus comprises a random number generator to choose a random value b, of a similar order of magnitude to the order of E(F). The apparatus further comprises a challenge calculator to calculate a value C=bP and send the challenge to the LPPS, where P is a point on the elliptic curve E(F) which was used as a basis for generating a private key, a, for the LPPS. The apparatus further comprising an RFID reader to receive a challenge response, R=aC=abP from the LPPS, and a crypto calculator to calculate bQ, based on a public key, Q, of the LPPS. The apparatus further comprising a comparison logic to authenticate the LPPS if bQ=aC=abP.
US08112615B1
A single cycle RISC CPU. The single cycle RISC CPU includes an instruction decoder configured to perform an instruction fetch and an instruction decode. An arithmetic logic unit is coupled to the instruction decoder. The arithmetic logic unit is configured to perform an instruction execute and produce a resulting data output. A register file is coupled to the arithmetic logic unit. The register file includes a register input and a register output. The register file is configured to provide data for the instruction fetch via the register output and accept the resulting data output via the register input such that the instruction fetch, the instruction decode, and the instruction execute are performed in a single clock cycle.
US08112609B2
A data management apparatus and method. The data management apparatus includes an input unit to receive a request to update information included in a predetermined master BAT (block allocation table) block of a plurality of master BAT blocks; and an update unit to record updated information to the predetermined master BAT block based on the update request.
US08112608B2
Described is a memory system in which the memory core organization changes with device width. The number of physical memory banks accessed reduces with device width, resulting in reduced power usage for relatively narrow memory configurations. Increasing the number of logic memory banks for narrow memory widths reduces the likelihood of bank conflicts, and consequently improves speed performance.
US08112603B2
A method, system, and computer program product for file relocation on a data storage device are provided. The method includes initiating file relocation in response to invoking a cleaner function for a data storage device. The method also includes examining metadata associated with a file on the data storage device to determine an access frequency of the file, and classifying the file as a function of the access frequency. The method further includes relocating the file to a fast region of the data storage device when the file is classified as frequently accessed, and relocating the file to a slow region of the data storage device when the file is classified as infrequently accessed.
US08112600B2
Storage arrangements including: a first storage system including: a first volume which includes a first data area storing data sent from a computer; and a first processor which stores data sent from the computer in the first volume; a second storage system including: a second volume which includes a second data area; a third volume; and a second processor which is configured to store data sent from the first storage system in the second volume; wherein the first processor transfers the data stored in the first data area of the first volume, to the second storage system, and the second processor stores the data in the second data area of the second volume; and wherein in executing a snapshot, the second processor checks and waits until a local copy control flag of the data that is stored in the second data area, is a predetermined value, before executing the snapshot.
US08112595B1
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus comprising a command cancellation channel (CCC) including a plurality of stages, the CCC configured to receive a first memory address of a sequence of memory addresses and a corresponding first modification command, determine that at least a first stage of the plurality of stages includes the first memory address and a corresponding second modification command, and erase the first memory address or cancel the second modification command while shifting the first memory address and the second modification command from the first stage to a second stage. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08112589B2
To ensure efficient access to a memory whose writing process is slow. There is provided a storage device for caching data read from a main memory and data to be written in the main memory, comprises a cache memory having a plurality of cache segments, one or more cache segments holding data matching with data in the main memory being set in a protected state to protect the cache segments from a rewrite state, an upper limit of a number of the one or more cache segments being a predetermined reference number; and a cache controller that, in accordance with a write cache miss, allocates a cache segment selected from those cache segments which are not in the protected state to cache write data and writes the write data in the selected cache segment.
US08112588B2
Some embodiments of a method and an apparatus to improve locality of references for objects have been presented. In one embodiment, an access counter is provided to each of a set of objects in a computing system. The access counter is incremented each time a respective object is accessed. In response to a request to organize the objects, the objects are sorted by their respective counts of access in the access counters.
US08112583B2
A data recording apparatus that writes data on/reads data from a hard disk drive in response to a data-write/read command received from an upper control device is provided. The data recording apparatus includes a command-aggregating device and a command-issuing device. The command-aggregating device is configured to generate an aggregate command by aggregating contents of a plurality of commands under the conditions that the plurality of commands are of the same kind continuously received from the control device and logical block addresses designated by the plurality of commands are consecutive addresses. The command-issuing device is configured to issue the aggregate command generated by aggregating the plurality of commands to a hard disk drive controller that controls the hard disk drive.
US08112577B2
Disclosed are, inter alia, methods, apparatus, computer-readable media, mechanisms, and means for communicating with a memory device, such as by a memory controller, a refresh command at least partially overlapping in time with a read and/or write command. The refresh command typically specifies a group of locations (e.g., a bank) for being at least partially refreshed.
US08112575B2
A file to be read or written is designated and accessed from an access device side to a nonvolatile memory device. In an initialization after start-up of the power source, an empty capacity detector detects empty capacity parameters of a nonvolatile memory with dividing the memory into a plurality of regions. An empty capacity parameter notification part notifies the access device of the empty capacity parameters in a stepwise fashion whenever the empty capacity detector detects an empty capacity. With this, at the time when the empty capacity becomes not less than a capacity required to write file data, the data can be written to the nonvolatile memory without waiting for completion of the initialization, resulting in improvement of a response in the recording.
US08112568B1
The present invention is a system and method for detecting the presence of a cable in a connector. The system may comprise one or more of the following features: (a) a first circuit contact; (b) a second circuit contact; (c) a first capacitive element; (d) an electrical ground; (e) a voltage source; and (f) a logical output. The second circuit contact may be connected to ground. The capacitive element may be driven to ground by connection of the first and second circuit contacts to corresponding cable contacts.
US08112558B2
This is a computer-readable portable storage medium which is used by a computer managing a plurality of frame buffers and which stores a program enabling the computer to execute a process, and the process comprises preparing an area in which data of a valid chain indicating a connection among frame buffers storing valid image data of the plurality of frame buffers and data of a vacant chain indicating a connection among frame buffers storing no valid image data, is stored, on memory and generating/updating data of the valid chain and the vacant chain when valid image data is stored in one of the plurality of frame buffers and storing it in the memory.
US08112555B2
Interrupt frequency control by estimating processor load in the peripheral adapter provides adaptive interrupt latency to improve performance in a processing system. A mathematical function of the depth of one or more queues of the adapter is compared to its historical value in order to provide an estimate of processor load. The estimated processor load is then used to set a parameter that controls the frequency of an interrupt generator, which may be controlled by setting an interrupt queue depth threshold, packet frequency threshold or interrupt hold-off time value. The mathematical function may be the ratio of the transmit queue depth to the receive queue depth and the historical value may be predetermined, user-settable, obtained during a calibration interval or obtained by taking a long-term average of the mathematical function of the queue depths.
US08112550B2
Methods and systems for preserving user attribute data by way of managing and synchronizing redundant storage locations.
US08112549B2
System and method for notifying a user status of communications between a server and the user having one or more user devices in a communication network are disclosed. The system includes a server for communicating with the user, where the server includes a connected-data-set and the one or more user devices share portions of the connected-data-set, logic for monitoring communications between the server and the one or more user devices for a predetermined set of notification conditions, and logic for sending a notification message to the one or more user devices when a notification condition is detected.
US08112548B2
A method and apparatus is directed to provide a clip of content to a remote device, such as a mobile device. The invention enables an end-user to determine content from a networked device, such as a personal computer. The determined content may include content from a webpage, graphic image, audio file, file, and the like. The determined content may be selected using a clip mechanism within a browser, or other application. The clip mechanism may provide a pop-up window, field entry, or the like, that enables entry of an identifier associated with the remote device. The clipped content may then be formatted based on a configuration of the remote device. The formatted clipped content may be transmitted to the remote device using a variety of messaging mechanisms, such as a SMS message, which includes a Universal Resource Locator (URL) to the clipped content.
US08112541B2
A system and method for dynamically building applications for stream processing includes providing processing elements with a flow specification describing each input and a stream description describing each output such that the flow specification indicates a stream or streams which are to be received based on processing information and the stream descriptions indicate the processing information. Processing elements that can be reused are identified by determining equivalence between the processing elements. Processing elements that are new and are not reusable are instantiated in a flow graph. An application is dynamically composed, using the instantiated processing elements by routing available streams to the instantiated processing elements in accordance with the flow specifications.
US08112531B2
An object delivery session, such as a File Delivery over Unidirectional Transport (FLUTE) session, is joined and a description of a plurality of objects provided by the session are provided. The description indicates one or more groupings of the plurality of objects. An interesting object is determined from the plurality of objects. Based on the interesting object and the description of the plurality of objects, one or more of the plurality of objects are identified for downloading.
US08112523B2
A method of facilitating access to services of an IP Multimedia Subsystem network by user terminals located behind an access point to said network. The access point is associated with a subscription to the IP Multimedia Subsystem network. The method comprises including within an Implicit Registration Set defined for said subscription, a wildcarded Public User Identity or Public User Identity sub-domain representative of a range of Public User Identities. At IP Multimedia Subsystem registration of said access point with the IP Multimedia Subsystem network, the Public User Identities contained in the Implicit Registration Set are distributed to a Serving Call Session Control Function allocated to said access point and to a Proxy Call Session Control Function to which said access point is attached.
US08112509B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a method for administering devices. Such exemplary embodiments include receiving a domain state object, identifying an action in dependence upon the domain state object, and executing the action. In many exemplary embodiments, receiving a domain state object includes receiving a signal to download the domain state object from a mobile sensor, and downloading the domain state object from the mobile sensor.
US08112498B2
To provide an easy and simple mapping between objects representing different network systems A and B. In the configuration where data of an object, a system component, is available in another system, it is provided with an intermediate model 102 which is mutually accessible. The intermediate model has an intermediate object 103corresponding to a component. Each system performs mapping to the intermediate object 103 an item of a corresponding component 106 of the system, and transmits data to an mapped item. In addition, the system accesses the intermediate object to obtain data corresponding to the item when component data of the other system is needed.
US08112483B1
In some embodiments, a technique for challenging a message comprises receiving a message, providing a captcha, providing a machine-solvable puzzle, and sending the captcha and the machine-solvable puzzle.
US08112473B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for client-side interacting with a server-side web application in a web-based client-server environment, in which a client-side web browser is used as a user interface for displaying web pages sent by the web application within a browser application frame and for converting events triggered by one or more user actions within said application frame into a request directed to said server-side web application, wherein an executable program object for example a Java Script is used at the client side as a part of the client-side web application user interface.In order to improve the user interface it is proposed to use an additional frame in the browser which communicates with the server and which prevents the displayed document from being reloaded when the server sends its response. Instead, only delta information (50) is displayed within the frame.
US08112472B2
Methods and apparatuses for supporting multiple versions of a web services protocol are provided. A data object is stored in a repository. The data object in the repository is indexed by using a first identifying key conforming to a first web services protocol and is also indexed by using a second identifying key conforming to a second web services protocol.
US08112469B1
An emergency override system includes first and second communication interfaces, a sensor, and a processor. The first communication interface is connected to the second communication interface by a communication line. The sensor is disposed along the communication line and is configured to output signals in response to sensing network data being transmitted on the communication line. The switch is disposed along the communication line and has an open configuration and a closed configuration. The processor is coupled to the switch and the sensor and is configured to control the opening and closing of the switch in response to the signals transmitted by the sensor. The processor provides device control data to the network device over the communication line when the switch is open. The network control data commands the network device to perform a predetermined function in response to a lack of network data being transmitted on the communication line.
US08112468B1
Some embodiments provide a method of performing a mathematical operation on a set of operands. The mathematical operation includes several sub-operations. The method examines several bits of at least one operand at a time and depending on the value of these bits, reconfigures a single logic circuit to perform one of the sub-operations to generate a partial result of the mathematical operation. In some embodiments, the logic circuit is reconfigured by receiving a first set of configuration data that cause the logic circuit to reconfigure to perform a first sub-operation operation and a second set of configuration data that cause the logic circuit to reconfigure to perform a second sub-operation. In some embodiments, the logic circuit receives different inputs based on the value of the bits being examined. In some embodiments, the mathematical operation is multiplication and the sub-operations are addition and subtraction.
US08112467B2
A method and apparatus perform many different types of algorithms that utilizes a calculation unit capable of utilizing the same multipliers for different algorithms. The calculation unit preferably includes a processor that has a plural number of arithmetic logic unit circuits that are configured to process data in parallel to provide processed data outputs and an adder tree configured to add the processed data outputs from the arithmetic logic circuits. A shift register that has more parallel data outputs then the processor's inputs is controlled to selectively output data from the parallel outputs to the data inputs of the processor. A communication device preferably includes the calculation unit to facilitate processing of wireless communication signals.
US08112457B2
A system and associated method for dynamically building a web interface per data collecting rules. An interface module receives a request to perform a business transaction from a caller application. The interface module determines a series of interface screens pursuant to data collecting rules associated with the requested business transaction. The series of interface screens have a subsection which enables a user of the caller application to provide a value of an attribute component of the subsection. The value provided by the user is employed in performing the business transaction. A result of the business transaction is produced to the caller application.
US08112455B2
A method for creating a fort.22 input file is provided that comprises the steps of receiving a plurality of user parameters, the plurality of user parameters comprising one or more meteorological data sources, a defined date range, and a data processing request. Then, the one or more meteorological data sources are read for the defined date range. A properly formatted fort.22 file is prepared based on the reader data. Next, it is determined whether a data processing request is present, and if a data processing request is present, an extension/ramping processing program is performed. Finally, the fort.22 file is outputted to a user.
US08112453B2
A system and method for obtaining information responsive to a legal discovery request directed at an enterprise having a plurality of databases that potentially include information responsive to the legal discovery request, including structured databases and at least one unstructured database. A plurality of taxonomies are provided, each of which describes a structure of one of the structured databases. An ontology is provided that describes data relationships between the databases. A native application is identified, which is configured to access at least one but not all of the databases associated with the enterprise. The native application is modified to include search functionality for accessing all of the databases associated with the enterprise. A request is received from the user, via the modified native application, to search the plurality of databases associated with the enterprise for information responsive to the legal discovery request. Information included in the request, the ontology and the taxonomies are then used to search the plurality of databases associated with the enterprise. A list of search results responsive to the search request is presented with the modified native application. In response to a user selection of a search result from the list, an application required to view the selected search result is automatically launched if the modified native application lacks functionality required to display the selected search result.
US08112450B2
Systems and methods that set priority levels to messaging systems initiated between end points (e.g., two SQL point services) thru service brokers. A priority component can apply priority at a session level to add priority capabilities on top of service brokers, and enable setting priority for all the messages in a session or conversation. Such priority can further affect the order in which messages from different conversations are sent and the order in which they are received.
US08112446B2
A learning system, including a centralized reusable learning object (RLO) repository that provides content to users, and communicates user performance data, via SCORM, to and from any one or more distributed, remote SCORM conformant learning management systems. The learning management system may include one or more pointer SCO's, which may point to a content delivery engine in the RLO repository.
US08112444B2
Strategies are described for validating content transferred over a communication channel using a more effective approach than heretofore provided in the art. A content registration authority is provided which registers the content disseminated by one or more content providers to one or more client devices. A client device which receives content that has been registered can securely consume the content, based on an assumption that a content provider which furnishes the content is entrusted by the content registration authority to provide the content, and without prompting a user of the client device to expressly approve the content provider. In a first solution, the content registration authority registers the content by issuing a certification stamp; in a second solution, the content registration authority registers the content by storing registration information in a central repository. The content may contain instructions which perform operations in the context of an instant messenger application.
US08112441B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that allow for indexing, processing, or both of information from physical media or electronic media, which may be received from a plurality of sources. In embodiments, a document file may be matched using pattern matching methods and may include comparisons with a comparison reference database to improve or accelerate the indexing process. In embodiments, information may be presented to a user as potential matches thereby improving manual indexing processes. In embodiments, one or more additional actions may occur as part of the processing, including without limitation, association additional data with a document file, making observations from the document file, notifying individuals, creating composite messages, and billing events. In an embodiment, data from a document file may be associated with a key word, key phrase, or word frequency value that enables adaptive learning so that unindexed data may be automatically indexed based on user interaction history.
US08112438B2
A first transmitting unit transmits a processing command to a plurality of parallelized database servers. A second transmitting unit integrates data sets transmitted from the database servers in response to the processing command, and transmits an integrated data set to a client. An integrating unit integrates data sets buffered in a buffer unit. A determining unit determines a transmission start or a transmission suspend of the data sets based on a data size in the buffer unit. A third transmitting unit transmits a control command for the transmission start or the transmission suspend to the database servers based on a result of determination by the first determining unit.
US08112436B2
In one embodiment, access a search query comprising one or more query words, at least one of the query words representing one or more query concepts; access a network document identified for a search query by a search engine, the network document comprising one or more document words, at least one of the document words representing one or more document concepts; semantic-text match the search query and the network document to determine one or more negative semantic-text matches; and construct one or more negative features based on the negative semantic-text matches.
US08112434B2
A method, system and computer program product for improving performance of an enterprise service bus. A cache is used to store collections of service objects where each service object includes service meta-data associated with a web service application. The cache may be accessed by the enterprise service bus to service “generic queries” from the client instead of accessing the service registry. Further, the collections of service objects are decomposed into instances of the collections of service objects. These instances of the collections of service objects are stored in the cache which is used by the enterprise service bus to service “direct queries” from the client instead of accessing the service registry. By reducing the number of accesses to the service registry, the network traffic is lessened and the performance of the enterprise service bus is improved.
US08112428B2
A search results page contains images that are organized based on the visual features of those images; images that have common visual features are grouped together using either a folding or a reciprocal election technique. Images that pertain to a particular meaning of a query term are less likely to be scattered across the page. A group of images that have common visual features is represented on the page by a single representative image from that group. Consequently, space for more representative images becomes available on the image search results page. Thus, search results page contains visually diverse representative images; space on the results page is not wasted by repeatedly showing the same image. The initial image search results page also therefore is more likely to contain representative images that otherwise would have occurred too far down a relevance-ranked list to be included within the initial search results page.
US08112427B2
A technique for conducting criminal background investigations addresses the problems of false negatives; false positives; and offense severity. The foregoing problems are managed by pre-scoring records within a data management system and comparing these scores with initial criteria. The resulting values are quickly returned using minimum real-time computational power. A result score is represented by three distinct values or three dimensions which can easily be represented by any 3-D graphical display or easily sorted highest to lowest for each dimension.
US08112421B2
A learning system for a search ranking function model may include a computer program that iteratively refines the model using new queries and associated documents from an unlabeled training set. The unlabeled training set may include a set of queries for which the associated documents have not been labeled as “relevant” or otherwise labeled. The new queries may be selected based on a similarity to and an accuracy of each neighbor from a labeled training set, such as a labeled validation set. Upon selection, the documents associated with the new queries may be labeled. The new queries and their associated documents may be accumulated into a labeled training set, such as a labeled training set, and a refined model may be learned based on the augmented labeled training set. The model may be iteratively refined until it is determined that the model is adequate.
US08112408B2
A method is provided for generating a user-defined function (UDF) on a database engine of a database server. A user-function is sent to the database engine. The user-function includes a relational declaration with application and query logic. When the database engine receives the user-function, the database engine generates a function shell. The UDF processes the relational declaration of the user-defined function. The UDF includes the user-function and the function shell. The function shell returns a final data result of the user-defined function through the shell from the database engine.
US08112399B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code to identify a policy for managing data in a data storage system. Raw data is located in the data storage system for processing to form located data. The located data is aggregated based on the policy to form aggregated data. The aggregated data is stored in the data storage system.
US08112395B2
The intelligent distributed file system enables the storing of file data among a plurality of smart storage units which are accessed as a single file system. The intelligent distributed file system utilizes a metadata data structure to track and manage detailed information about each file, including, for example, the device and block locations of the file's data blocks, to permit different levels of replication and/or redundancy within a single file system, to facilitate the change of redundancy parameters, to provide high-level protection for metadata, to replicate and move data in real-time, and so forth.
US08112393B2
Embodiments are directed towards providing related keywords determined to be relevant to a search term using life-streaming data to identify the related keywords. Relevancy is determined by performing the related keyword analysis when life-stream services have been updated. Related keywords may be identified for a given search term using a combination of an aggregated life-stream analysis, a user profile based analysis, and/or a community based life-stream analysis. Each of these mechanisms identify a subset of updated life-streams or profiles to be analyzed to identify keywords that co-occur within each life-steam along with the given search term. The resulting co-occurring keywords may then be ordered based on a frequency of occurrence for the subset of life-streams. A weighted combination of the identified related keywords may be used to display related keywords to a user for use in modifying a search query.
US08112391B2
A method and system for automatically updating and synchronizing contact center agent skill data maintained in a central agent skill database with a routing system based upon skill-changing events triggered in skill-Impacting systems. Contact center agent skills may be maintained in a skill database for a set of agents. A skill-impacting system (such as an education system, a satisfaction system or a metrics system) may send skill/capability data for an agent. The agent's profile in the skill database may be updated based on the received skill data. Either immediately, when triggered by an event, or at a predetermined interval, a routing system's routing logic may be synchronized with the new data in the agent's profile. When the contact center receives a contact (such as a phone call, an email, a web chat, an instant message, or a fax) from a customer, processing logic in the routing system may select a best-fit agent based on availability and skill data from the agent profiles.
US08112389B2
Multiple atomic “component” database transactions are combined into a single extended transaction through message passing. The multiple component transactions that comprise a single extended transaction may, in combination, perform a single computation. The component transactions may pass messages to each other by writing and reading records to and from one or more databases. The resulting extended transaction may be distributed and/or long-lived.
US08112388B2
A method and apparatus for dependency processing of computer files. An embodiment of a method for dependency processing of computer files includes receiving a data stream input at a scanner component, where the data stream input represents multiple computer files. The data stream input is scanned for data types, where scanning the data stream input includes encountering a definition of a data type; determining whether to process program elements within the data type, and, if there is a determination to process the program elements in the data type, scanning the program elements of the data type to identify usages of the data type. The identified data type definition and data type usages are provided to a listening component.
US08112384B2
The present invention provides a computer-implemented method of problem solving that includes graphically displaying a plurality of concepts, dynamic links between the concepts, and solving a problem based on the displayed concepts and dynamic links. Other embodiments include: a computer-readable medium having instructions thereon for causing a suitably programmed information-processing apparatus to perform a method of the problem solving that includes graphically displaying a plurality of concepts, displaying dynamic links between the concepts, and solving a problem based on the displayed concepts and dynamic links. Still other embodiments include a computerized apparatus that includes a display output unit, a display drive unit that causes a plurality of concepts to be displayed on the display unit, and that causes dynamic links between the concepts to be displayed, and a solution unit that solves a problem based on the displayed concepts and dynamic links, and that displays the solution.
US08112383B2
Various embodiments of the present invention enable functions, procedures, and triggers to be written in any of the .NET languages and executed by the RDBMS. User code can access data from the local or other SQL servers using the SQL Programming Model and both the SqlServer or SqlClient implementations respectively. Moreover, to improve upon the previous extensibility mechanism, a set of APIs (commonly known as “the in-process provider” or “inproc provider”) is utilized to provide efficient and easy to use data access while running inproc, a data access API that is an implementation of the ADO.net programming model.
US08112378B2
A root cause analysis engine uses event durations and gradual deletion of events to improve analysis accuracy and reduce the number of required calculations. Matching ratios of relevant rules are recalculated every time notification of an event is received. The calculation results are held in a rule memory in the analysis engine. Each event has a valid duration, and when the duration has expired, that event is deleted from the rule memory. Events held in the rule memory can be deleted without affecting other events held in the rule memory. The analysis engine can then re-calculate the matching ratio of each rule by only performing the re-calculation with respect to affected rules related to the deleted event. The calculation cost can be reduced because analysis engine processes events incrementally or decrementally. Analysis engine can determine the most possible conclusion even if one or more condition elements were not true.
US08112369B2
Coalitions from interactions and adaptations of cognitive map agents are evolved using an algorithm. A population of agents are seeded with cognitive map variants characterizing different cultures or different affiliations. The algorithm evolves this population by modifying the cognitive maps using a modified Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. The modifications include modification to weights of the cognitive map, and the structure of the cognitive map of the global best (gbest) in the neighborhood is imitated according to a weighted random selection, based on the commonality of the node characteristic in the neighborhood. The end results indicate whether a coalition is possible and what cognitive maps emerge. These results are visualized on a 2D grid and measured with a clustering metric.
US08112362B2
A storage system and a license management method that can simplify license management are proposed. In a storage system in which a first storage apparatus is connected to one or a plurality of second storage apparatuses and the first storage apparatus virtualizes each of the second storage apparatuses, the first storage apparatus checks, based on this license key, which targets the license key input from the outside for setting a predetermined optional function has been issued for, and transmits the license key to the corresponding second storage apparatus when the target to which the license key has been issued is the second storage apparatus, and the second storage apparatus sets the corresponding optional function in its own storage apparatus based on the license key transmitted from the first storage apparatus.
US08112358B2
Systems and methods for authorizing a customer premise equipment (CPE) device to join a network through a network termination unit (NTU). The CPE device can send an encrypted connection request, and an authorization server can decrypt the connection request and provide a network membership key (NMK) associated with the CPE device to the NTU. The authorization server can encrypt the NMK associated with the CPE device using a device access key (DAK) associated with the NTU.
US08112355B1
A method for facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer and a seller in an electronic payment system is provided. An electronic payment system is also described. An invoice is received from the seller and is electronically routed to the individuals in the buyer's organization. Indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer's organization are received from a set of two or more individuals in the buyer's organization. An indication that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice and comments for the seller are forwarded to the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer's organization. A response to the buyer's indication that the invoice is disputed is received from the seller. The response includes an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer. Payment is withheld for the invoice until an indication from the buyer has been received that the buyer has determined that the invoice has been paid. The indication, corrections and comments to the seller may be forwarded to the seller in an electronic mail message.
US08112347B2
A system mitigates the effects of a market spike caused by the triggering and the election of a conditional order in an automated matching system. Conditional orders submitted to a trading engine are evaluated to compare a price of an order to a predetermined price range. Matching of the orders may be delayed when the price of the orders lies outside of the predetermined price range. An opening price to be used by the trading engine is derived and a time interval is used to delay a matching of the orders until the opening price is within a predetermined price range up to a maximum delay time set by a control center. Implied spreads are also removed until other instruments within a trading unit are verified open.
US08112343B1
A high-performance capability assessment model helps a capital markets business meet the challenges of the global marketplace. As a result, the capital markets business can achieve the clarity, consistency, and well-defined execution of core processes that reduce inefficiencies and waste that result from unnecessary process complexity and exceptions. In addition, the high-performance capability assessment model helps the capital markets business to identify specific areas in which improvements may be made, to understand how to make said improvements, and to establish levels of capability along the way to reaching an ultimate capability goal.
US08112332B1
Financial assessment systems, methods and graphical user interfaces are described. Financial information for an individual is received and integrated in a financial plan. A synopsis view of the financial plan is graphically presented. The synopsis view of the financial plan may include one or more financial recommendations for the individual. The recommendations and the synopsis view may be updated in real-time in response to a change in the financial information. The recommendations and the synopsis view may be used by the individual who is the subject of the financial plan or may be used by financial advisors. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08112330B1
A delivery system and method allow a financial institution to provide financial services to a plurality of remote devices and internally within the financial institution to staff terminals using a set of re-usable global components which are modular and are organized into services sets. The system and method operate in sessions and, for instance, employ a dialog component for gathering information from a customer, a rule broker component for providing answers to the various legal and regulatory rules in a particular country, a language man component for selecting appropriate language, a transaction executor component for performing transactions, and a presentation manager component for formatting outputs to the customer. The system and method provide interfaces which can be configured and delivered to the customer in a globally consistent format that is based on the customer's account profile, various languages, various currencies, different legal regulatory requirements, as well as, different sets of business products.
US08112324B2
Collaborative structured tagging enables a community of users to define different types of tags for online content. The diverse tag types provide a non-flat or dimensional tagging data structure that supports navigation and search for content, as well as comparison of the content. In one implementation, the collaborative structured tagging is employed in an item encyclopedia that offers community-authored information on various items in one or more electronic catalogs. In this context, the collaborative structured tagging facilitates comprehensive cross-product comparison and dimensional product navigation.
US08112319B2
A system and method for turning a buyer into a prospective seller in an electronic marketplace. After the buyer enters into a binding agreement to purchase an item, the buyer is provided with an option of re-listing the purchased item for resale. The purchased item is re-listed if the buyer opts to re-list it. An ecommerce listing to sell the purchased item is automatically generated based on the previous listing. The user only needs to provide the selling price to complete the listing. The purchased item can be re-listed in the same marketplace where the item was purchased or in a different marketplace.
US08112313B1
A system and method of broadcasting a tone during an electronic transaction. The system includes a point of sale (POS) unit for receiving credit card information utilized for an electronic transaction, an authorization system for authorizing the electronic transaction by the credit card, and a tone bank for storing a tone. The tone bank associates the tone with the credit card information. The POS unit includes a speaker for broadcasting the tone. The stored tone is retrieved and broadcast at the POS unit in response to utilizing the credit card information for the electronic transaction. The POS unit may optionally broadcast a video clip.
US08112311B2
A device for generating audiovisual display signals, including a first input terminal receiving content signals representative of an audiovisual event, the signals including insertion points indicating the output of an advertisement, a second input terminal receiving ad signals representative of an advertisement, a first buffer storing the ad signals, and a processor converting the content signals into display signals of the event and converting ad signals stored in the first buffer into display signals of an advertisement upon detection of an insertion point.
US08112310B1
An ad placement system provides functionality for users to rate advertisers associated with particular ads they view, and/or to rate particular ads. The ratings supplied by individual users in association with a given advertiser are used by the system to generate an average or other aggregate rating for the advertiser. This aggregate rating is exposed to users in association with the advertiser's ad or ads, allowing users to efficiently take the advertiser's reputation into consideration in deciding whether to click through or otherwise select such ads to access the advertiser's web page or site. For example, in one embodiment, each ad is displayed with a corresponding visual indication of the aggregate rating of the advertiser.
US08112306B2
The systems and methods described herein provide a notification engine that facilitates integration of solutions for performing workforce management, quality monitoring, e-learning, performance management, and analytics functionality. The notification engine facilitates combining quality monitoring/call recording with performance management and e-learning functionality as a unified integrated solution. The combination can be delivered through a single platform and enables users to gain more insight and make smarter decisions faster about sales, service, and overall operations. This takes customer center tools beyond the traditional “suite” approach to a true single workforce optimization platform.
US08112305B2
Systems and methods for distribution-transition estimation of key performance indicator (KPI). Exemplary embodiments include a method including establishing a state-space model in a computer memory, the model for handling measurement errors and modelling errors as noise, wherein time-varying indices have historical data and a correlation with KPI, adaptively estimating parameters related to the time varying indices, and obtaining residuals from the adaptive estimate of the parameters, estimating a probability distribution in order to generate random numbers from the probability distribution, generating random numbers related to the estimated probability distribution, thereby enabling prediction of future indicator distributions through a Sequential Monte Carlo method, providing models to input KPI intensity levels for a scenario level and to predict future values for a plurality of scenarios as point estimates and distributing and synthesizing the point estimation results for the plurality of scenarios based on KPI estimated probability distributions.
US08112296B2
A job profile class is defined that represents a job profile and identifies relationships of the job profile with various entities related to the job profile.
US08112289B2
Disclosed is a method for electronic examination of medical fees, and more particularly to a method for electronic examination of medical fees using a system for electronic examination of medical fees. The system includes a transmit/receive server, a bill examination server, a management terminal and examiner terminals, and communicates with each medical institution server and a national health insurance corporation server. The bill examination server checks any error in medical bills and specifications received from each medical institution server through description inspection, automatic inspection, specialist inspection and computational examination. The bill examination server returns, corrects or adjusts any erroneous bill or specification, or inserts a message into the erroneous bill or specification. The management terminal distributes medical bills and specifications on which computational examination has been completed to the examiner terminals. Each examiner terminal produces a statement of examination adjustment according to the examination results inputted by an examiner during on-screen examination and sends the statement to the bill examination server. Then the bill examination server generates an examination decision file based on the examination results and sends the file to the corresponding medical institution server and simultaneously to the national health insurance corporation server.
US08112286B2
A prediction performance between individual channels of a stereo signal is improved to improve a sound quality of a decoded signal. A first low pass filter LPF interrupts a high-range component of a first channel signal S1, and outputs a first low-range component S1′. A second low pass filter LPF interrupts a high-range component of a second channel signal S2, and outputs a second low-range component S2′. A predictor predicts the S2′ from the S1′, and outputs a prediction parameter composed of a delay time difference t and an amplitude ratio g. first channel encoder encodes the S1. A prediction parameter encoder encodes the prediction parameter. The encoded parameters of the encoded parameter of the S1 and the prediction parameter are then outputted.
US08112281B2
Accelerometer-based orientation and/or movement detection for controlling wearable audio recorders, such as wrist-worn audio recorders, resulting in button-free operation of the audio recorders. Operating a button-free wearable audio recorder does not rely on conventional switches that are often small, difficult to operate, and not very reliable. A wrist-worn audio recorder can use an accelerometer to detect the natural orientation and/or movement of a user's wrist and subsequently activate a corresponding audio-recorder function, for instance recording or playback, without requiring the user to remember to activate the audio-recorder function. In addition, a wearable audio recorder with a vibration mechanism can use this method to remind a user of an undesirable repeated movement, such as restless leg movement. In such applications, and many others, accelerometer-based control of a wearable audio recorder offers significant advantages over conventional means of control, particularly in terms of ease of use and durability.
US08112280B2
Embodiments of the present invention improve methods of performing speech recognition with barge-in. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a speech recognition method comprising starting a synthesis of recorded speech, receiving a user speech input signal providing information regarding a user choice, detecting an initial portion of the user speech input signal, selectively altering the synthesis of recorded speech, and recognizing the user choice.
US08112271B2
Provided is an audio encoding device capable of improving performance of an adaptive codebook and improving quality of a decoded audio. In this audio encoding device, an adaptive codebook cuts out a vector specified by a comparator from adaptive code vectors stored in an internal buffer and outputs it to a filter and a switch. The filter performs a predetermined filtering process on the adaptive sound source signal and outputs the obtained adaptive code vector to the switch. According to an instruction from the comparator, the switch outputs the adaptive code vector directly output from the adaptive codebook to a adjuster when the adaptive codebook is searched and outputs the adaptive code vector output from the filter after being subjected to the filtering process to the gain adjuster when a fixed sound source is searched after the adaptive sound source search.
US08112262B1
The systems and methods described herein can be used to provide virtual service environments. In one embodiment, a virtual service model is generated by detecting one or more transactions, each of which includes a request sent from a requester to a software service and a response sent from the software service to the requester; storing information describing the detected transactions in a virtual service model, where the information describing each transaction includes information identifying a command included in the request and information identifying a response attribute included in the response; and generating information describing an unknown transaction, where the information describing the unknown transaction includes information identifying a first command and information identifying a first response attribute. The first command and the first response attribute are copies of a corresponding command and a corresponding response attribute associated with a corresponding one of the detected transactions.
US08112252B2
A method of verifying operation of at least one wind turbine sensor includes dynamically defining a neighborhood of neighbor wind turbines for a first wind turbine, each neighbor wind turbine including at least one sensor. The method also includes receiving data from at least one neighbor wind turbine sensor and determining a status of at least one sensor of the first wind turbine using the data received from the neighbor wind turbine sensor.
US08112248B2
A system and method to search spectral databases and to identify unknown materials from multiple spectroscopic data in the databases. The methodology may be substantially automated and is configurable to determine weights to be accorded to spectroscopic data from different spectroscopic data generating instruments for improved identification of unknown materials. Library spectra from known materials are divided into training and validation sets. Initial, instrument-specific weighting factors are determined using a weight grid or weight scale. The training and validation spectra are weighted with the weighting factors and indicator probabilities for various sets of “coarse” weighting factors are determined through an iterative process. The finally-selected set of coarse weighting factors is further “fine tuned” using a weight grid with finer values of weights. The instrument-specific finer weight values may be applied to test data sets (or spectra) of an unknown material as well as to the library spectra from corresponding spectroscopic instruments. Instrument-specific weights for each class of samples may also be computed for additional customization and accuracy.
US08112246B2
Light reflected by a sample surface region and a reference surface interfere. A detector senses light intensity at intervals during relative movement along a scan path between the sample surface and the reference surface to provide a series of intensity values representing interference fringes. A data processor receives first intensity data comprising a first series of intensity values resulting from a measurement operation on a surface area of a substrate and second intensity data including a second series of intensity values resulting from a measurement operation on a surface area of a thin film structure. A gain is determined for each thin film of the thin film structure. Substrate and apparent thin film structure surface characteristics are determined on the basis of the first and second intensity data, respectively. The apparent thin film structure surface characteristic is modified using the substrate surface characteristic and the determined gain or gains.
US08112235B2
A State and Topology Processor (STP) may be communicatively coupled to one or more intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) communicatively coupled to a electrical power system to obtain one or more current measurements, voltage measurements, and dynamic topology data therefrom. The STP may receive the measurement data and may determine a current topology and a voltage topology therefrom. A current processor may use the current topology and the current measurements to refine the measurements, perform KCL, unbalance, symmetrical component, and consistency checks on the electrical power system. The voltage processor may use the voltage topology and the voltage measurements to perform similar checks on the electrical power system. One or more alarms may be generated responsive to the checks. The data may be displayed to a user in a display of a human machine interface and/or may be transmitted to a user programmable task module, and/or an external control unit.
US08112231B2
To provide a molecular information providing system that allows the molecular information to be shared by providing high precision information without depending on the format of atomic arrangement notation from a terminal unit.The molecular information providing system of the invention has the terminal units to including molecular structure input/output means, and a molecular information providing apparatus connected via a network to the terminal units and including a database storing a molecular structure, an intermediate representation generated from the molecular structure, and a characteristic decided depending on the molecular structure. The molecular information providing apparatus comprises a coordinate system transforming part for calculating the principal axes of inertia from an atomic arrangement notation specifying the molecular structure, and registering in the database an intermediate representation that is a coordinate transformation of the atomic coordinates into a coordinate system in the directions of the principal axes of inertia, and a retrieval executing part for retrieving the molecular structure stored in the database, employing the intermediate representation.
US08112230B2
A method for determining synergistic effect of a medicine combination including two medicines relating to a disease on the basis of a gene network and medicine-effective genes of each and/or any of said two medicines, comprising: determining a synergy factor (ST1,2) of two medicines on the basis of distribution of medicine-effective genes of two medicines; determining a medicine similarity factor (AS1,2) of two medicines on the basis of similarity between a set of symptoms which two medicines relates to; and, determining synergistic effect of two medicines according to a product of the synergy factor and similarity factor. Proposed is constructing a disease-related gene network, mapping medicine-effective genes onto the network, and determining the synergistic effect of medicines on the basis of the genes. The present invention also relates to medicine composition of sinomenine and honokiol and of sinomenine and luteolin, each with anti-angiogenesis effect and having good synergistic effect.
US08112227B2
Measurements made by a multi-component logging tool in a borehole are inverted to obtain three principal resistivities (or conductivities) and three associated angles of a bi-axially symmetric formation traversed by the borehole.
US08112225B2
A method for collision avoidance for a host vehicle includes the following steps; receiving input data relating to a set of objects external to the host vehicle, wherein an object position (r,Φ), and an object velocity ({dot over (r)}) are associated with each object by a sensor system arranged on the host vehicle, then estimating future trajectories of each external object, while considering influence by the future trajectories of the other external objects.
US08112222B2
Devices, methods, and programs obtain vehicle position information indicating a current position of a vehicle, and based on the vehicle position information, obtain road information including positions and forms of lane markings around the current position of the vehicle. Based on the road information, the devices, systems, and methods determine whether a branch point exists on the road in a forward direction of the vehicle. If a branch point exists, the devices, methods, and programs obtain image information of an area before the branch point, and determine whether no lane marking is imaged or is partly imaged in the image information of the area before the branch point. If there is no lane marking or only a partial lane marking imaged in the area before the branch point, the devices, methods, and programs obtain image information of the branch point including a captured image of a lane marking, and determine a lane in which the vehicle is traveling after the branch point based on an imaging order of the lane marking, a form of the lane marking, a position of the lane marking in the image information of the branch point, and the road information.
US08112221B2
In an in-vehicle navigation apparatus, a present position is detected, an altitude of the present position is acquired from map data, and a temperature inside of a hard disk drive is acquired with a temperature sensor. An atmospheric pressure of the present position is then calculated from the altitude and temperature. When the calculated atmospheric pressure is less than a predetermined atmospheric pressure, it is presumed that a magnetic head cannot be floating against a magnetic disk in the hard disk drive. Access to the hard disk drive is thereby prohibited. Thus, in the hard disk drive of the navigation apparatus, contact between the magnetic head and the magnetic disk is prevented when running a place with a low atmospheric pressure.
US08112218B2
A method for reducing a temperature of an engine component is disclosed. In one example, an air-fuel ratio provided to an engine is adjusted to reduce a temperature of an engine component. The approach may be useful for controlling temperature and emissions from a turbocharged engine.
US08112215B2
A method and controller for operating cruise control in a vehicle having an engine with active fuel management (AFM) is provided. Adaptive scaler values can be determined based on a cylinder deactivation signal and calibrated scaler values. Cruise control commands can be calculated based on the adaptive scaler values. A speed of the vehicle can be controlled based on the cruise control commands.
US08112210B2
Method and system for controlling driving conditions of a land vehicle, with which, if understeering and oversteering driving conditions exist at the same time, measures for generating braking forces and/or driving forces which counteract the understeering driving condition, and measures for controlling braking forces and/or driving forces which counteract the oversteering driving condition are carried out at the same time.
US08112205B2
A motor vehicle power train control device capable of furnishing set signals of torque applied to wheels of the motor vehicle. The control device includes a mechanism to generate a signal representing a limitation of variation in speed of a heat engine integrated in a power train capable of reducing variations that are disturbing with regard to acoustics of the power train, and includes a mechanism to determine an operating point of the power train in an optimal operating range according to the signal that represents limitation of speed. The mechanism for generating the signal that represents a limitation of variation in the speed of the heat engine integrated in the power train is furnished, at an input, by parameters that represent characteristics of the motor vehicle and by parameters that represent the driver's wishes.
US08112200B2
In a motion control system for a vehicle including control means for controlling a yaw moment of the vehicle; first detection means for detecting a longitudinal velocity (V) of the vehicle; second detection means for detecting a lateral jerk (Gy_dot) of the vehicle; and third detection means for detecting a yaw angular acceleration (r_dot) of the vehicle, the yaw moment of the vehicle is controlled by the control means so that a difference between the yaw angular acceleration (r_dot) detected by the third detection means and a value (Gy_dot/V) obtained by the lateral jerk (Gy_dot) of the vehicle detected by the second detection means by the longitudinal velocity (V) detected by the first detection means becomes small.
US08112199B2
The invention relates to a device for controlling the suspension of the body shell of a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the device comprises: a means for measuring the travel (DEB(A)) and travel speed (VDEB(A)) of the right and left wheels on a front and/or rear axle system in relation to the body shell, a means (61, 62) for detecting a wide range of wheel movement when the travel (DEB(A)) and speed values exceed a threshold, and a means (64) for calculating a set value (ERGD) for the shock absorber actuator when a wide range of wheel movement is detected.
US08112196B2
An electronic control unit includes a sensor circuit board 30 which is mounted with sensors 33, 34 for detecting a predetermined physical quantity; a control circuit board 20 which controls an operation of an electric component on the basis of the physical quantity detected by the sensors 33, 34; and a housing 40 which accommodates the sensor circuit board 30 and the control circuit board 20, wherein at least one of the sensor circuit board 30 and the control circuit board 20 is mounted to a circuit board support stepped portion 47 formed in an inner surface of the housing 40 so that the sensor circuit board 30 and the control circuit board 20 are arranged in a layered state.
US08112190B2
A boat control system detects a wire break status in a duplicated communication system. A hull of a boat is provided with a main remote control side ECU and a subremote control side ECU, and the subremote control side ECU communicates with an engine side ECU via the main remote control side ECU. Both of the remote control side ECUs are provided with storage buffers in which communication status confirmation data transmitted between nodes is stored. A broken wire detection section of the engine side ECU starts a determination when a system is started, and broken wire detection sections of both of the remote control side ECUs start a determination when communication status confirmation data is received from another node. Data indicating that communication is in an abnormal status is stored as an initial value in a main remote control data storage buffer.
US08112174B2
A processor including a microarchitecture adapted for invalidating mapping of at least one logical address to at least one absolute address, includes: at least one translation lookaside buffer (TLB) and a plurality of copies thereof; logic for independent indexing of each copy of the TLB; a plurality of comparators, each comparator associated with a respective output of each TLB set output for each TLB port, wherein each of the comparators is adapted for identifying mappings for invalidation; and logic for invalidating each identified mapping. A method and a computer program product are provided.
US08112171B2
A method for positioning substrates in a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate alignment device, a first substrate transport apparatus and a second substrate transport apparatus, includes calibrating the substrate alignment device with a motion of the first substrate transport apparatus, and calibrating a coordinate system of the second substrate transport apparatus with the substrate alignment device.
US08112170B2
A method and system for controlling machining processes are provided. The system includes a computer system communicatively coupled to a database. The computer system is configured to receive data relating to manufactured part processes, identify at least one machining process used to manufacture a part and a parameter of the at least one machining process, receive survey data relating to the manufacturing process parameters used during the at least one machining process, and receive identification data for the manufactured part. The computer is further configured to receive data relating to a design of experiment (DOE), determine an low cycle fatigue (LCF) life distribution, identify process parameters that affect the LCF, and determine an allowable range for each identified process parameters for safe operation. The computer system is further configured to output the process window embodied in a specification associated with at least one of the part and the process.
US08112169B2
A polishing apparatus has a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for pressing a substrate against the polishing surface while independently controlling pressing forces applied to a plurality of areas on the substrate. The polishing apparatus has a sensor for monitoring substrate conditions of a plurality of measurement points on the substrate, a monitor unit for performing a predetermined arithmetic process on a signal from the sensor to generate a monitor signal, and a controller for comparing the monitor signal of the measurement points with the reference signal and controlling the pressing forces of the top ring so that the monitor signal of the measurement point converges on the reference signal.
US08112164B2
A spa control system designed to reduce maintenance cost by providing modular construction for major control functions, with built-in diagnostic capabilities for isolating defective spa components. Multi-colored LEDs on the spaside panel constantly report the status of each component of the spa as well as the status of the functional modules themselves. Each time a component is activated, measurements of operational parameters, such as load currents, are instantly made and evaluated so that the proper LED color can be presented at the spaside. Since major functions such as audio, LED control, wireless, and spa logic are separated into removable modules, repair of the control system requires less time and less skilled personnel. Other design improvements, such as direct monitoring of heater element temperature and the purging of pumps on an as-required-basis, enhance the spa's overall reliability and thus reduce the need for maintenance.
US08112163B2
A system and method of modeling, prediction, optimization and controlling an embedded alarm control having a plurality of independently controlled, manipulated variables, at least one controlled variables and one or more disturbance variables. The method includes determining simultaneously a set number of dynamic moves of the manipulated variables along with steady state values of the manipulated and controlled variables with steady state constraints relating to the manipulated and controlled variables as well as dynamic constraints relating to the manipulated and controlled variables including relating to the disturbance variables. Embedding alarm controls in the simultaneous dynamic control and steady state optimization with varying type of alarming situations and aiding operator in recovery actions. Performing a receding horizon form of control wherein the optimization and control is performed at successive time interval by monitoring and feedback of process responses resulting from the control actions applied at previous time intervals.
US08112161B2
A cochlear implant electrode is described. A basal electrode lead carries electrical stimulation signals from an implant housing to a cochleostomy opening, and a portion of the electrode lead has a periodically recurring lead shape. An apical electrode array at the cochleostomy end of the electrode lead passes into a cochlea scala and includes electrode contacts for applying the electrical stimulation signals to target neural tissue. A portion of the electrode array has a periodically recurring array shape different from the lead shape.
US08112158B2
Wet-tantalum capacitors used in a medical device are charged to and maintained at a maintenance voltage between full energy charges so that deformation in the wet-tantalum capacitor is substantially inhibited.
US08112147B2
A method for generating determination indexes for identifying ECG interfering signals includes acquiring ECG signals to obtain a sequence of data values representing original ECG signals; dividing the sequence of data values acquired during a period of time into groups and collecting all the minimum data values in their respective groups on a statistical basis; determining the minimum and the maximum data values in a minimum set made up of all the minimum data values in their respective groups; and using the difference between the minimum and the maximum data values as a first baseline drift determination index to identify at least one of low frequency interference and irregular interference.
US08112146B2
The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth.
US08112141B2
Embodiments relate to methods and systems for monitoring bioelectric potentials. In some instances, an electrode is applied to a patient's skin. The electrode may be at least partly inserted into the patient's skin, such as by inserting at least part of one or more teeth underneath the skin.
US08112134B2
The superconducting current-limiting device contains at least one coil (61), the conductive track of which is formed from at least one band-shaped superconductor (17), where a holding element (2, 41, 10, 51, 62) is located between adjacent coil windings. The holding element (2, 41, 51, 62) is constructed wider than the superconductor (17) in the axial direction of the coil (61). The holding element (2, 41, 51, 62) further includes a flat strip (11) and an undulating strip (12, 42, 52). The flat strip (11) extends essentially parallel to the band-shaped superconductor (17) at an essentially constant distance (22) therefrom. The undulating strip (12, 42, 52) extends essentially parallel to the flat strip (11), and in the longitudinal direction periodically has regions (15, 43, 53) distant from and regions (13) close to the flat strip (11). The regions (13) of the undulating strip (12, 42, 52) near to the flat strip have a mechanical connection (21) to the flat strip (11). The regions (15, 43, 53) of the undulating strip far from the flat strip have recesses (16) of such a kind that an at least approximately close-fitting mounting of the band-shaped superconductor (17) relative to the flat strip (11) is facilitated.
US08112124B2
A method for rapidly displaying pictures on an electronic device receives an identifier of a picture to be displayed. If processed data of the picture exists in a second memory of the electronic device, the processed data is retrieved from the second memory, and the picture is displayed. Otherwise, if processed data of the picture does not exist in the second memory, raw data of the picture is retrieved from a first memory of the electronic device, and the processed data is generated by encoding the raw data. The generated processed data are stored and the picture is displayed.
US08112117B2
A communication apparatus is provided. A first subscriber identity card camps on a first cell belonging to a first wireless network via a radio transceiver module and stores first contact entries each having a destination address. A second subscriber identity card camps on a second cell belonging to a second wireless network via the radio transceiver module and stores second contact entries each having a destination address. A processor receives an apparatus originated communication request with a destination address, determines whether the received destination address is currently stored in one of the first contact entries of the first subscriber identity card or one of the second contact entries of the second subscriber identity card, and transmits the apparatus originated communication request to the cell that the determined subscriber identity card camps on to establish a wireless communication with a peer device associated with the received destination address.
US08112116B2
One or more functions are exposed by a mobile device to a host connected to the mobile device. A function of the one or more functions is executed at the mobile device in response to a request from the host, wherein the function is associated with a host task. The result of the function is returned to the host.
US08112113B2
A mobile terminal includes a reception unit to receive, from at least one of a plurality of communication systems, an initial beacon containing information for establishing communication according to each of the plurality of communication methods, a request unit to generate a request by use of the initial beacon to transmit the request to the at least one of the plurality of communication systems, and a determination unit to determine, based on information as a response to the request, the communication method and the frequency band, which are to be used in a time zone by the mobile terminal.
US08112105B2
A method, an apparatus and a system for estimating channels are disclosed. A method for estimating channels includes: receiving downlink signals inclusive of reference signals from two or more Access Points (APs), where the relative frequency shift between reference signals sent by different APs is zero; and performing channel estimation according to the reference signals. Another method for estimating channels includes: receiving downlink signals inclusive of reference signals from two or more APs, where for a first AP and a second AP among the two or more APs, a specific time-frequency lattice in the downlink signals sent by the first AP does not include data signal, and the specific time-frequency lattice corresponds to a time-frequency lattice utilized by the second AP to send a reference signal; and performing channel estimation according to the reference signals. The technical solution disclosed herein eliminates the interference between the reference signal and the data signal, enables the UE to estimate the channel value between the UE and the cooperative APs accurately, and improves the UE performance.
US08112103B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, and computer-readable media for mobile device messaging. Mobile device messaging comprises collecting from an originating system information including content data to be sent to the mobile device. One or more short messages are generating for encapsulating the content data. The one or more short messages are formatted to be readable by a web service and the content data is formatted to be readable by the mobile device. The one or more short messages are sent to the web service for delivery to the mobile device.
US08112096B2
A system and method for estimating a location of an unknown Node B in a wireless communication system having a plurality of other nodes and a plurality of location measurement units. A first value may be determined based on a network timing characteristic for one of the nodes, and a second value may be determined based on a network measurement report characteristic from a user equipment (“UE”). An observed time difference of arrival (“OTDOA”) hyperbola may then be calculated based on the first and second values, and a location of the unknown Node B as a function of the OTDOA hyperbola. Therefore, through the combination of a UE network measurement report characteristic and a downlink timing measurement from a location measurement unit, the location of an unknown Node B may be determined.
US08112086B2
A secondary station has a receiver capable of resolving signals received as a plurality of multipath signals from a plurality of base stations during a soft handover process. This capability may, for example, be provided by a Rake receiver. In order to decode and act upon the received signals in a very short period of time, signals arriving after a predetermined time are not processed by the receiver which is able instead to process weaker signals which arrived before the time. Such a secondary station is particularly suitable for decoding and acting upon power control commands included in received signals in a UMTS system, for which a very limited period of time is provided by the UMTS specification. The predetermined time may be the time after which signals are received too late for use in determining the next power control change.
US08112078B2
A system, method and program for enabling a mobile terminal to communicate with a transceiver via two-way radio over a communication network. The mobile terminal receives a first radio communication, converts the first radio communication into first data packets, masks a destination port of the first data packets to appear as a data transfer port of the mobile terminal configured to exchange data with a server, and transmits the first data packets having the masked destination port to the server via the communication network. The mobile terminal receives second data packets, which are converted from a second radio communication transmitted from the transceiver and have a destination port masked to appear as a data receiving port of the mobile terminal configured to exchange data with the server, from the server via the communication network, converts the second data packets to the second radio communication, and outputs the second radio communication.
US08112076B2
The present invention provides safe and secure application distribution and execution by providing systems and methods that test an application to ensure that it satisfies predetermined criteria associated with the environment in which it will execute. Furthermore, by using rules and permission lists, application removal, and a modification detection technique, such as digital signatures, the present invention provides mechanisms to safely distribute and execute tested, or untested, applications by determining whether the application has been modified, determining if it has permission to execute in a given wireless device environment, and removing the application should it be desirable to do so.
US08112074B2
A wireless access point selects its own transmission power for different types of the transmissions. The access point transmits to client devices at reduced power levels, however, periodic beacons and other selected non-beacon transmissions can be transmitted at a high power level to facilitate association by other client devices.
US08112072B2
A system for controlling a communications device is disclosed. A printer prints on a surface visual information relating to at least one operation of the communications device and coded data portions. Each coded data portion encodes a region identifier which uniquely identifies a region on the surface, and a portion identifier which uniquely identifies the coded data portion. A sensing device placed in an operative position relative to the coded data portions, generate indicating data regarding the region identifier and the portion identifier. A computer system receives the indicating data and determines an operation associated with the region identifier and the portion identifier. Finally, the computer system sends one or more commands to the communications device, thereby effecting the at least one operation.
US08112064B2
If a lock request for function of an IC card function section is executed from a locking terminal via a mobile communication network, a lock request detection section 51 detects the lock request. If the lock request is detected in this manner, the function lock section 52 locks the function of the IC card function section by sending a function lock instruction via a wired communication path to the IC card function section. The function lock notification section 53 then notifies the fact that the function has been locked to a locking notification mail communication unit pre-registered in the terminal registration table 23T via the mobile communication network. In this way, since function lock information of a contactless type communication device fitted in a mobile communication terminal is appropriately notified via a mobile communication network, convenience for the user is improved.
US08112061B2
The present invention presents a method for creating a relation between mobiles and a vehicle of a wireless communications network. The vehicle is equipped with an on-board device with wireless communication capability. The present invention also presents an on-board device and a road user server to be used in such wireless communications network. Mobiles in the vehicle are triggered to report their location to the network. When the vehicle reports its location an association between the vehicle and the mobiles having same location information is performed. The triggering signal is sent on control channels triggering all mobiles, including mobiles in idle mode. Profiles of mobile users in a vehicle, based on location information and mobile identities, are retrieved and stored in lists which are forwarded to fore example hospitals and fire departments when an accident occurs.
US08112057B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sampling mixer and a receiver, capable of optimizing a sampling rate of an output signal in response to a fractional band of a modulation band with respect to an RF frequency of the received signal. A sampling mixer of the present invention, includes a history capacitor 6 for integrating a received signal that is converted in terms of current in a continuous time, rotation capacitors 7 to 14 for repeating an integration and a discharge of an input signal, a digital controller 104 for controlling integration periods of the rotation capacitors 7 to 14, and a controlling portion 105 for controlling discharges of the rotation capacitors 7 to 14, wherein the number of the rotation capacitors 7 to 14 connected at a time to a buffer capacitor 15 is switched in answer to a fractional band of the modulation band with respect to a RF frequency. As a result, the decimation ratio of the sampling rate can be varied, and the quantization noise generated in the AD conversion can be reduced.
US08112048B2
Briefly, a method an apparatus of a power management system of a semiconductor device capable of managing a power consumption of the semiconductor device by varying an operating voltage of the semiconductor device according to a voltage value based on a reference number.
US08112046B2
A wearable, one-way transfer device component for use in a communications system that includes a first device coupled to a first communication network that receives and compiles global positioning data corresponding to the physical location of one or more objects, a first serial communication path for transmitting the global positioning data from the first device, the first serial communications path being unidirectional to prevent data from being transmitted to the first device, means for formatting the global positioning data received from the first serial path into a serial communication format, a second serial communication path for transmitting the formatted global positioning data to a second device associated with a second communication network, and a user replaceable means for providing power to the means for formatting the global positioning data.
US08112044B2
A transceiver is provided for wireless communication. The transceiver can include a bias source, a transformer including a primary side and a secondary side, and a switching device. During a receive mode, the primary side of the transformer is configured to receive a first signal from a first port. During a transmission mode, the primary side is configured to transmit a second signal from a second port. The switching device is configured to couple the first port to the bias source during transmission of the second signal and to couple the second port to the bias source during receipt of the first signal. The bias source can be, for example, ground.
US08112042B2
A wireless communication device is disclosed in which signal quality values C[t] of a wireless signal received by the wireless communication device is successively measured at variable time intervals Δt, mean value μ of the successively-measured signal quality values C[t] is calculated, standard deviation σ of the successively-measured signal quality values C[t] is calculated, a determination is made as to whether the signal quality value C[t] at present time satisfies a predetermined inequality which represents that a signal quality value C[t] at arbitrary time lies within k times the standard deviations σ away from the mean value μ, and lengths of the time intervals Δt for the measurement device are controlled based on the determination.
US08112041B2
A method for generating sequences that are nearest to a set of sequences with minimum average cross-correlation is described. Each element of a set of sequences is projected to a nearest constellation point. The set of sequences is converted into a time domain representation. An inverse discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) is performed on the set of sequences. A cubic metric of each sequence of the set of sequences is evaluated. A sequence is removed from the set if the cubic metric exceeds a threshold. A minimum maximum cross-correlation is obtained for the set of sequences.
US08112040B2
Provided are a method for measuring a variable bandwidth wireless channel, and a transmitter and a receiver therefore. The transmitter, includes: a pre-processing unit for performing variable over-sampling and band-limited filtering on an original sequence for measuring the wireless channel according to a pre-determined digital-to-analog (D/A) operation speed and measurement bandwidth, and creating and storing a probing sequence whose frequency is up-converted into a fixed transmitting intermediate frequency; and a real-time processing unit for transmitting a probing signal that the stored probing sequence is converted according to the D/A operation speed to the wireless channel.
US08112039B2
A system and method for providing radar signal detection in a communications system. In an example method, a raw energy detect signal is received and analyzed to determine if the raw energy detect signal contains a valid radar pulse. A bit is stored in a bit sequence storage device such that the bit has a first value if a valid radar pulse was detected or a second value indicating that a valid pulse was not detected. A set of bits in the bit sequence storage device are accessed to determine if a plurality of waveform-indicating locations in the bit sequence storage device includes valid pulses. In another aspect of the invention, a system detects a radar signal in a communications device. The system includes a pulse detector to detect pulses in a raw energy signal having a pulse width within a predetermined minimum and maximum pulse width. The system includes a frequency detector having a bit sequence storage device to store the bits output by the pulse detector. The frequency detector detects whether the detected pulses conform to a waveform type by determining if the bits are stored in the bit sequence storage device in waveform-indicating locations.
US08112037B2
A method and apparatus for facilitating carrying a Bluetooth assistant comprising two detachable parts, with an attachment system in the first part and a rotatable earpiece in the second part. A user can conveniently carry the Bluetooth assistant as a key chain or a clip, and when needed, can detach the second part, rotate an earpiece and use it as a headset. The second part can monitor proximity to a mobile phone when not used as a headset and alarm if the mobile phone is not in proximity. The second part can also serve as a wireless key for unlocking one or multiple doors, personal electronic devices and/or encrypted data. When the user acquires a new lock, the wireless key can be updated to unlock that new lock.
US08112029B1
A method for creating a book using a network, comprising using a processor to create a website to entice a user to become a subscriber. Computer instructions are used to provide a welcome message, provide a security feature to the user, provide a free tour of the service for creating the book, and offer a search tool to browse a dynamic information database containing artwork, text, characters, contact information for artists and authors to provide commissioned work, and rules of usage. The computer instructions also offer viewing of artwork having high viewing frequency, provide a payment selection to become a subscriber, and process payment by the user. A subscriber is then allowed to create a unique book, store selections and work under an account having a secure account number, and print at least a portion of the unique book on a printer owned, controlled, or designated by the subscriber.
US08112025B2
In a cooling device for a printing substrate after passage through a fixing station, a transport path is provided for the printing substrate. A first cooling unit is provided along one side of the transport path. The first cooling unit has a first perforated plate facing towards the printing substrate, a coolant being conducted through the perforated plate. A second cooling unit is provided along an opposite side of the transport path. This second cooling unit has a perforated plate on a surface facing towards the printing substrate. A coolant is conducted through the perforated plate onto the opposite side of the printing substrate. A nip unit for the printing substrate has a nip roll integrated into the second cooling unit such that the nip roll is cooled by the second cooling unit.
US08112024B2
The heat fixing apparatus includes a fixing heater and a pressure roller. The fixing heater has a plurality of resistance-type heat generation layers which are different in heat distribution in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction of conveying a recording material. The recording material P is heated when passed through a fixing nip portion formed between the fixing heater and the pressure roller. The pressurization conditions between the fixing heater and the pressure roller can be changed. The heat fixing apparatus includes a fixing member which adjusts the lengthwise heat distribution of the fixing heater by changing the applied current proportion of the plurality of resistance-type heat generation layers according to the pressurization conditions between the fixing heater and the pressure roller.
US08112021B2
An image forming apparatus that adjusts an inclination angle of a supporting roller for regulating pulling of a belt member serving as an intermediate transfer belt or a recording-material supporting belt. The image forming apparatus changes a method of adjusting an inclination angle of the supporting roller in accordance with a winding angle of the belt member with respect to the supporting roller.
US08112019B2
A developer supply device, comprising: a carrying substrate having electrodes arranged along a developer transport path at predetermined intervals to carry a developer through a traveling electric field, wherein the carrying substrate comprises: a rigid upper carrying substrate formed to stand to carry the developer upward; and a flexible bottom carrying substrate curved to be a semispherical shape and is configured to charge the developer by friction with the developer and to be connected with a lower end portion of the upper carrying substrate so as to form a bottom surface of a developer reservoir portion, and wherein a joint portion of the bottom carrying substrate connected to the lower end portion is overlapped with the lower end portion such that the joint portion carries the developer in a same direction as a direction in which the developer is carried by the lower end portion.
US08112012B2
A printer ROS window cleaning system enforces unidirectional cleaning motion through a passageway formed in the printer housing. A guide has a distal portion that engages a cleaning tool from insertion until a cleaning portion reaches the rear of the passageway. A cleaning tool deflector positioned at the rear of the passageway biases the cleaning tool from the distal portion of the passageway to a proximate portion so that the cleaning portion contacts the ROS window. A unidirectional cleaning feature ensures that the cleaning portion will contact the ROS window during removal of the cleaning tool by preventing re-insertion of the cleaning tool in the proximate portion of the passageway.
US08112010B2
A heating unit heated upon receiving power supplied from an AC power supply, a temperature detecting unit detecting the temperature of the heating unit, a memory storing power energization pattern in which power energization and non-power energization are performed for each percentage of AC power, and a power control unit that determines the percentage of AC power applied to the heating unit based on the temperature and that determines the power energization pattern by referring to the memory are provided. When the power energization percentage is changed, the power control unit changes the power energization pattern after the power energization percentage is changed in accordance with the changed power energization percentage based on the power energization pattern before the power energization percentage is changed and the power energization pattern after the power energization percentage is changed.
US08112009B2
Disclosed are a method of forming images on media in an electrophotographic apparatus, and corresponding electrophotographic apparatus. The method includes measuring a temperature of the media with a sensor after the toner particles have been fused to the media, and controlling a temperature of the heater device with a controller based on the measured temperature of the media, wherein the temperature is controlled to obtain a desired gloss level for subsequent media to be fused.
US08112008B2
An image forming apparatus, which has a plurality of image forming units, comprises a plurality of cartridges adapted to supply developer; a plurality of supply members adapted to supply developer to the image forming units from a plurality of the cartridges; a drive unit adapted to drive a plurality of the supply members; and a control unit adapted to supply developer from a plurality of the cartridges by selectively operating a plurality of the supply members based on the amount of developer accommodated in the cartridges.
US08112007B2
The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus and the like that perform a highly-accurate tone correction in a relatively short time and includes the following: a pattern former, with use of each image forming unit, on a sheet, forming tone patches in the main or sub scanning direction (41k,c,y,m) and aligning markers, which indicate positions of the tone patches, in the same direction as the tone patches (42k,c,y,m); a pattern reader reading the sheet with the tone patches and markers formed thereon; a coordinate determiner determining coordinates of the tone patches in the direction of the aligned tone patches based on the read markers (42k,c,y,m); a density determiner determining densities of the tone patches (41k,c,y,m) read based on the determined coordinates; and an updating part updating the tone correction table based on relationships between the determined densities and tone levels.
US08112006B2
An image forming apparatus that can provide notification, so that maintenance personnel of a manufacturer or the like can be made aware of a usage condition in a case where an unsuitable toner cartridge is intermittently used. The image forming apparatus is equipped with a primary storage section storing specific information concerning a replaceable part, such as a toner cartridge that can be attached or removed from a main body, and a secondary storage section storing information concerning usage of the replaceable part. The specific information is read from the primary storage section in a condition where the replaceable part is attached, and a judgment is made by a judgment section concerning whether the replaceable part is suitable. If the replaceable part cannot be judged as suitable, information concerning the use of the replaceable part is stored in the secondary storage section and notification is provided by a notification section.
US08111999B2
An operational optical transceiver configured to update operational firmware using an optical link of the transceiver. The optical transceiver includes at least one processor and a system memory capable of receiving firmware. The optical transceiver receives an optical signal over the optical link containing the update firmware. The optical transceiver then recovers the firmware from the optical signal. Finally, the optical transceiver provides to the system memory the recovered firmware, which when executed by the at least one processor alters the operation of the transceiver.
US08111991B2
Systems and methods are described for an optiplex. A method includes: conveying a first narrowcast signal to a first optical combiner; conveying a second narrowcast signal to a second optical combiner; tapping into said first narrowcast signal; monitoring a first characteristic of said first narrowcast signal; tapping into said second narrowcast signal; monitoring a second characteristic of said second narrowcast signal; combining a broadcast signal with the first narrowcast signal using the first optical combiner; and combining said broadcast signal with the second narrowcast signal using the second optical combiner. An apparatus includes: a first optical input; an optical splitter connected to said first optical input; a first optical waveguide connected to said optical splitter; a second optical waveguide connected to said optical splitter; a first optical combiner connected to said first optical waveguide; a second optical combiner connected to said second optical waveguide; a second optical input; an optical demultiplexer connected to said second optical input; a third optical waveguide connected to said optical demultiplexer; a fourth optical waveguide connected to said optical demultiplexer; a first tap coupler connected to said third optical waveguide and said first optical combiner; a second tap coupler connected to said forth optical waveguide and said second optical combiner; a first optical signal sensor coupled to both said first tap coupler and a signal processing unit; and a second optical signal sensor coupled to both said second tap coupler and said signal processing unit.
US08111989B2
An optical switch including a first reversible optical circulator and a second reversible optical circulator is provided. Each of the first reversible optical circulator and the second reversible optical circulator respectively has four I/O ports, wherein the four I/O ports are respectively a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, the four terminals sequentially transmit an optical signal in a forward circulation or a backward circulation according to a control signal, and an open end is formed between the first terminal and the adjacent fourth terminal. The open ends of the first reversible optical circulator and the second reversible optical circulator are coupled with each other.
US08111988B1
A method for monitoring wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signal for detecting signal drift of objective signals, including generation of one or more objective signals and a guard signal. The guard signal has a wavelength that is within a range defined by a guard channel. The first and second objective signals and the guard signal are wavelength-division multiplexed to generate a wavelength-division multiplexed signal. The first objective signal, the second objective signal, and the guard signal are assigned to a first multiplexed objective channel, a second multiplexed objective channel, and a multiplexed guard channel, respectively. The wavelength-division multiplexed signal is received by a monitor and then the error rate of the multiplexed guard channel is determined.
US08111986B1
A transmitter for a communications link is tested by using a (software) simulation of a reference channel and/or a reference receiver to test the transmitter. In one embodiment for optical fiber communications links, a data test pattern is applied to the transmitter under test and the resulting optical output is captured, for example by a sampling oscilloscope. The captured waveform is subsequently processed by the software simulation, in order to simulate propagation of the optical signal through the reference channel and/or reference receiver. A performance metric for the transmitter is calculated based on the processed waveform.
US08111969B2
A light guide member capable of guiding light received from at least a first light source and second light source, wherein the first light source is spaced a distance D3 from the second light source. The light guide member may include a first side including a plurality of first grooves extending along a first direction and a plurality of second grooves extending along the first direction, wherein the first grooves may have a first pitch and the second grooves have a second pitch, the first pitch being different from the second pitch.
US08111962B2
An optical fiber connection structure which reduces MPI in the use of an optical fiber with a bend resistance improved by forming holes in the fiber, and a single-mode fiber which reduces MPI are provided. A second cladding portion of a second single-mode fiber 20 includes holes 28, and thus, the second single-mode fiber 20 has low bending loss. A portion of the second single-mode fiber 20 connected to a first single-mode fiber 10a is made solid by filling corresponding portions of the holes 28 over the length L0, and light in a mode LP11 is significantly attenuated in this portion, thereby reducing MPI.
US08111961B2
Adverse hydrogen aging limitations in multiply-doped optical fibers are overcome by passivating these optical fibers using a deuterium passivation process. This treatment essentially pre-reacts the glass with deuterium so that the most active glass sites are no longer available to react with hydrogen in service. Optical fibers of main interest are doped with mixtures of germanium and phosphorus. Optimum passivating process conditions are described.
US08111942B2
There is provided an electronic system including an image capturing device and a comparator coupled to the image capturing device. The image capturing device is operable for capturing a live image. The comparator generates a feedback signal by comparing the live image with a reference image and adjusts at least one setting of the image capturing device by the feedback signal.
US08111934B2
A method and an apparatus to encode a series of quantized coefficients of a transform of a block of image data. The transform is such that 0 is the most likely coefficient amplitude and 1 is the next most likely coefficient amplitude. The method includes forming symbols (called events) from the series of quantized transform coefficients. An event is a run of none or more zero-valued coefficients followed by a run of one of a predefined set of sequences, each sequence in the set being either a single coefficient of amplitude greater than one, or a sequence of 1's and 0's starting with a coefficient of amplitude 1. The method includes forming a codeword for each formed event. Relatively short codewords are formed to represent events that are relatively more likely to occur, and relatively long codewords are formed to represent events that are relatively less likely to occur. In one implementation, each event is a run of none or more zero-valued coefficients followed by one of a predefined set of sequences, each sequence in the set being either a single coefficient of amplitude greater than one, or a sequence of 1's and 0's starting with a coefficient of amplitude 1.
US08111930B2
This invention maintains pixels as a source of a high frequency component such as a character and generates the encoded data having a fixed length for one block. A block generator reads out image data of one block from image data. An extractor extracts a color of a pixel having high frequency component, and generates information identifying pixels of the extracted color and those of non-extracted color. A first encoder lossless-encodes the identification information. A detector detects the data size of the generated encoded data. A substitution unit calculates the average value of colors of the pixels having the non-extracted color, substitutes the color of the pixels having the extracted color by the average value. A second encoder encodes the pixels after the substitution. An adjustment unit adjusts the data size of the encoded data from the second encoder in accordance with the code size detected by the detector.
US08111927B2
Systems, methods and computer program products for shape clustering and applications in processing various documents, including an output of an optical character recognition (OCR) process. Clip images defined in a received OCR output are classified into a plurality of clusters of clip images. Clip images in each of the plurality of clusters are processed to generate a cluster image for each cluster. Shape differences between the cluster images of a first cluster and a second cluster and between the cluster images of the first cluster and a third cluster are used to determine a level of confidence in one or more first OCR character codes assigned to the first cluster.
US08111926B2
An image processing method for deriving text characteristic images from an input image includes: performing a plurality of edge detecting processes upon the input image to generate a plurality of edge images, respectively, and deriving a first text characteristic image according to the edge images. The image detecting processes include: performing a first edge detecting process upon the input image to derive a first edge image according to a first upper threshold and a first lower threshold, and performing a second edge detecting process upon the input image to derive a second edge image according to a second upper threshold and a second lower threshold.
US08111924B2
A remote sensing and probabilistic sampling based method for determining carbon dioxide volume of a forest can correlate aerial data, such as LiDAR, CIR, and/or Hyperspectral data with actual sampled and measured ground data to facilitate obtainment, e.g., prediction, of an accurate forest inventory, and corresponding carbon dioxide volume thereof.
US08111918B2
A method for improving image quality of edge pixels, when separating an image signal into a set of image planes is provided. The method includes searching for a minimum value and a maximum value within at least one predefined neighborhood pixel window centered on a current pixel in the image signal; and conditionally switching the edge pixels to either the minimum value or the maximum value in the foreground and background planes respectively, or to a value of a specified characteristic of the current pixel, based on predetermined criteria. One such predetermined criteria for this conditional switching of the edge pixels comprises comparing the minimum or maximum luminance values in the predefined neighborhood window of the current pixel and their corresponding chrominance values to some predetermined thresholds which are characteristic of the image for the foreground and background planes, respectively.
US08111916B2
A device of gathering statistics of the gray distribution of an image and a method thereof are provided. The device includes a comparing unit, a count unit, a memory unit, and a data allotment unit. The comparing unit determines gray information of a plurality of gray data of the input image, and output a respective count signal accordingly. The count unit includes a plurality of counters. Each counter corresponding to predetermined gray information has a count value. The counters update the count values according to the respective count signals. When the count value exceeds a predetermined value, the count unit outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the predetermined gray information. The data allotment unit updates the statistics of the gray distribution of the image stored in the memory unit according to the pulse signal. The present invention reduces the number of the registers the counters require and decreases hardware costs.
US08111911B2
A method for automatically recognizing Arabic text includes digitizing a line of Arabic characters to form a two-dimensional array of pixels each associated with a pixel value, wherein the pixel value is expressed in a binary number, dividing the line of the Arabic characters into a plurality of line images, defining a plurality of cells in one of the plurality of line images, wherein each of the plurality of cells comprises a group of adjacent pixels, serializing pixel values of pixels in each of the plurality of cells in one of the plurality of line images to form a binary cell number, forming a text feature vector according to binary cell numbers obtained from the plurality of cells in one of the plurality of line images, and feeding the text feature vector into a Hidden Markov Model to recognize the line of Arabic characters.
US08111909B2
Disclosed is a method for designing tooth surfaces of a digital dental prosthetic item existing as a 3D data set using a first 3D model of a preparation site and/or of a dental prosthetic item and a second 3D model, which second model comprises regions which match some regions on the first 3D model and regions which differ from other regions of the first 3D model, the non-matching regions containing some of the surface information required for the dental prosthetic item, wherein at least three pairs (P1, P2, P3) of points (P11, P12; P21, P22; P31, P32) corresponding to each other are selected on the matching region on the first 3D model (A) and the second 3D model (A′), that the positional correlation of the second 3D model with reference to the first 3D model is determined with reference to the at least three pairs (P1, P2, P3), and that portions of the non-matching regions of the first and second 3D models are implemented for designing the tooth surface of the dental prosthetic item taking into consideration the positional correlation of these models relative to each other.
US08111907B2
A method for inspecting geometrical shapes of objects to determine selected dimensions thereof based on data characterizing such objects obtained through stereoscopic photographs taken by a pair of cameras with fields of view intersecting to thereby provide a photographic event measurement volume that includes at least a portion of each of such objects being photographed. The method involves using previously specified procedures to check on the cameras performance consistency in photographing from different positions, preparing the object to be inspected including providing reference point targets thereon, scanning that object with the cameras from different camera pair positions, processing the resulting data to represent the scan basis geometrical shape of the object, and orient it to compare with the dimensional specifications therefor.
US08111905B2
A refined autofocus method provides optimized lighting between iterative autofocus operations, to reliably provide the best possible autofocus Z-height precision. The method includes a quantitative initial focus Z-height determination based on initial focus curve data from initial autofocus images acquired using initial light control parameters. Then, the camera is set at that initial focus Z-height such that well focused images are provided. Refined (optimized) light control parameters are then determined based on at least one respective image acquired using respective light control parameters at that Z-height, such that an image acquired using the refined light control parameters provides a near-optimum value for a contrast-related metric (e.g., a focus metric) at that Z-height. Then, refined autofocus images are acquired using the refined light control parameters and a refined precise Z-height is quantitatively determined base on the resulting focus curve.
US08111904B2
The invention provides inter alia methods and apparatus for determining the pose, e.g., position along x-, y- and z-axes, pitch, roll and yaw (or one or more characteristics of that pose) of an object in three dimensions by triangulation of data gleaned from multiple images of the object. Thus, for example, in one aspect, the invention provides a method for 3D machine vision in which, during a calibration step, multiple cameras disposed to acquire images of the object from different respective viewpoints are calibrated to discern a mapping function that identifies rays in 3D space emanating from each respective camera's lens that correspond to pixel locations in that camera's field of view. In a training step, functionality associated with the cameras is trained to recognize expected patterns in images to be acquired of the object. A runtime step triangulates locations in 3D space of one or more of those patterns from pixel-wise positions of those patterns in images of the object and from the mappings discerned during calibration step.
US08111903B2
A system and method for failure analysis of devices on a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The present invention comprises the use of an inline focused ion beam milling tool to perform milling and image capturing of cross sections of a desired inspection point. The inspection points are located by identifying at least one fiducial that corresponds to an X-Y offset from the desired inspection point. The fiducials are recognized by a computer vision system. By automating the inspection process, the time required to perform the inspections is greatly reduced.
US08111896B2
A process for the automatic recognition of anomalies in anatomical structures, as well as a processing system and a computer program for implementing the process are described, the process comprising the steps of: acquisition (10) of a plurality of two-dimensional images of at least a portion of a patient's body, which are suitable for forming a three-dimensional representation of at least one anatomical structure under observation, segmentation (20) of a region of interest of the three-dimensional representation, potentially bearing the anomalies, selection (30, 40) of the volume image elements (voxels) of the segmented region that are candidates for belonging to anomalies of the anatomical structure represented, on the basis of predetermined morphological parameters, and classification (70) of the voxels as elements suspected of belonging to anomalies or elements not belonging to anomalies, in which the segmentation (20) takes place by progressive growth of the region of interest by aggregation of voxels in accordance with a predetermined criterion of similarity, starting with seed voxels situated within the region of interest, the region growth step comprising a first volume growth stage in which the growth is carried out on the basis of a predetermined global criterion of similarity between voxels in each direction of growth, and a second fine growth stage for the definition of a boundary of the region of interest, in which the growth is carried out on the basis of local similarity criteria for each respective direction of growth.
US08111890B2
An image-constituting element group corresponding to bone areas is selected from among a plurality of image-constituting elements that make up a three-dimensional image model, and CT values originally associated only with the selected image-constituting element group are replaced by values resulting from multiplying the original values by ¼. As a result, a distribution curve 34A denoting a frequency distribution of bone is shifted to a region of CT values that are lower than those of a distribution curve 33 denoting a frequency distribution of blood vessels. An observation image is then constructed by maximum intensity projection on the basis of three-dimensional image data after such signal value replacement.
US08111883B2
A method for implementing per-use licensing for image processing software includes acquiring image data from an image scanner. Processed image data is calculated from the image data using an image processing module. The processed image data is exported. The use of the image processing module is logged in an accounting database when the processed data are exported. Access to the accounting database is provided for account settlement.
US08111871B2
A microphone has a movable diaphragm having a rest position, a stationary portion, and a set of springs movably coupling the diaphragm and the stationary portion. The diaphragm and stationary portion are spaced a first distance when the diaphragm is in the rest position. When not in the rest position, however, the diaphragm and stationary portion are capable of being spaced a second distance, which is greater than the first distance. Despite the change in distance, the diaphragm still is capable of returning the space from the second distance to the first distance when the diaphragm returns to the rest position.
US08111870B2
An electrodynamic transducer includes a frame and contains at least one electric coil which is placed in a static magnetic field and which can move about a rest position in a vertical free space. The coil(s) is wound around and fixed to a mandrel and a return member is used to return the coil-bearing mandrel to the rest position in the absence of an external bias, the straight cylinder defining an inner volume and an outer volume. The magnetic field is produced by outer and inner magnetic structures which each comprise at least one fixed permanent magnet in the form of a ring. The motor does not contain any ferromagnetic or magnetic part between the outer volume and the inner volume. At least the part of the frame that is used to fix the magnets is made from a non-ferromagnetic and non-magnetic material.
US08111864B2
Adapters for use with sound devices and methods for making and using the same. In some embodiments, an example adapter may include an adapter body having a first side, a port or projection extending from the first side, and a second side. The second side is generally configured to be attachable to a sound device such as an earbud or earbud-type of headphone. The projection may include a sleeve attached thereto. The projection and sleeve are generally configured to at least in part extend into the ear canal of a user during use.
US08111863B2
Adapters for use with sound devices and methods for making and using the same. In some embodiments, an example adapter may include an adapter body having a first side, a port or projection extending from the first side, and a second side. The second side is generally configured to be attachable to a sound device such as an earbud or earbud-type of headphone. The projection may include a sleeve attached thereto. The projection and sleeve are generally configured to at least in part extend into the ear canal of a user during use.
US08111855B2
A microphone assembly (10) using in a portable electronic device includes a fixing component (12) detachably fixed to a housing (30) of the portable electronic device, and a main microphone body (14) latched to the fixing component (12). The microphone assembly (10) may be conveniently detached and increases reliability of the housing (30).
US08111850B2
A hearing device wearer is to have improved possibilities of being able to perform a fine adjustment of his/her hearing device according to a basic setting. To this end, each processing value of a multi-channel processing system is standardized, in particular a filter bank, to a respectively associated basic setting value. A fine adjustment of the processing values to the hearing device wearer can now be carried out in relation to the standardized processing values starting from a standardized base line. It is thus possible for the hearing device wearer to implement a standardization of the setting values at any point in time and based hereupon to intuitively perform his/her setting requests.
US08111843B2
A method for synchronizing audio reproduction in collocated end devices is presented. Each of the devices auto-correlates using noise to determine a threshold prior to the antenna receiving an audio signal. When the devices receive a common audio signal, they provide audio outputs. Each device cross-correlates its audio output with the audio outputs of the other devices. The timing of the audio output of each device is then adjusted such that the audio outputs of all of the devices align temporally with the lagging or leading device.
US08111823B2
A method for realizing the universal personal number ring back tone service comprises: determining the ring back tone played according to the called information, and determining the media resources for playing the ring back tone according to the calling information, the media resources information and the said ring back tone information; the said media resource plays the said ring back tone. The present invention also discloses a device and a system for realizing the universal personal number ring back tone service. On the basis of the present invention, UPT users are supported to assign the different ring back tone for each destination number, respectively, and the ring back tone information of each media resource is dynamically updated in accordance with the using situation of the ring back tone, therefore realizing that the UPT ring back tone service utilizes the network resources effectively.
US08111822B1
A system and method for mapping a voice identity to a telephone number includes: one or more phone systems; at least one policy processor coupled to the one or more phone systems; and a voice identity mapping data structure accessible to the at least one policy processor. The voice identity mapping data structure includes: search voice identities transitively mapped to one or more target voice identities, where the voice identity matches a first search voice identity, the first search voice identity is mapped by the policy processor to a first target voice identity according to a first mapping policy, the first target voice identity matches a second search voice identity of a second mapping policy, the second search voice identity is mapped by the policy processor to a second target voice identity according to the second mapping policy, where the voice identity includes a non-phone number voice identity.
US08111819B2
In one aspect, a message server for processing outgoing and incoming electronic messages is provided. The server includes a receiving facility, a transmission facility, an instruction, a checking facility, and a notification facility. The receiving facility receives the electronic messages, including a first electronic message and a second electronic message. The transmission facility sends the electronic messages including the first electronic message. The instruction is allocated to the first electronic message and includes information for sending a notification message. The checking facility checks the second electronic message to determine if the second electronic message is a reply message to the first electronic message. The notification facility sends the notification message in response to the receipt of the reply message.
US08111812B2
To facilitate managing his/her email through a Voice E-mail™ service, a user is allowed to select one or more sets of commands, with which he/she is familiar or prefers, to be emulated when the user interacts with the service. With this selection in place, when a user communicates with an information assistance provider to access the service, the user is identified and the email data and data concerning the selected commands associated with the user are retrieved. The user may then manage the email data using the selected commands during the service.
US08111809B2
Systems, methods, and other modalities are described for (a) obtaining an indication relating to an emission module (which may be dangerous, e.g.) or its user (who may be untrained, e.g.) and for (b) configuring the module or causing an irradiation (for imaging, e.g.) in response to the indication.
US08111800B2
A system and method are provided for determining a frequency ratio in a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit feedback path. The method accepts a reference signal having a predetermined first frequency and a PLL output signal having a non-predetermined second frequency. The reference signal cycles are counted, creating a first binary count. Likewise, the PLL output signal cycles are counted, creating a second binary count. The second binary count is sampled at an interval responsive to the first binary count, and a right-shifted second binary count is supplied as a ratio of the second frequency divided by the first frequency. More explicitly, the sampling is performed when a first binary count sampling threshold of 2n first frequency cycles is reached. Then, the radix point in the second binary count is shifted n number of radix places to the left.
US08111789B2
Aspects of a method and system for channel estimation in a MIMO communication system with multiple RF chains for WCDMA/HSDPA may comprise receiving a plurality of communication signals from a plurality of transmit antennas. A plurality of vectors of baseband combined channel estimates may be generated based on phase rotation of the received plurality of communication signals. A matrix of processed baseband combined channel estimates may be generated based on the generated plurality of vectors of baseband combined channel estimates. A plurality of amplitude and phase correction signals may be generated based on the generated plurality of vectors of baseband combined channel estimates. An amplitude and a phase of at least a portion of the received plurality of communication signals may be adjusted based on the generated plurality of amplitude and phase correction signals, respectively.
US08111784B1
Methods and apparatus for gathering information about the eye of a high-speed serial data signal include sampling each bit of a repeating, multi-bit data pattern at several eye slice locations. For any given eye slice location, each bit in the data pattern is compared in voltage to a base line reference signal voltage to establish a reference value for that bit. Then the reference signal voltage is gradually increased while the voltage comparisons are repeated until for some bit a result of the comparing is different than the reference value for that bit. This establishes an upper value for the eye at the eye slice location. The reference signal voltage is then gradually decreased to similarly find a lower value for that eye slice.
US08111782B2
A data reception apparatus and method for generating and transmitting feedback information in a multi-antenna system using grouped antennas, and a data transmission apparatus and method for transmitting a data stream of a user according to a transmission mode selected depending on the feedback information is disclosed. The reception apparatus generates feedback information depending on maximum channel quality information, an antenna group index associated with the maximum channel quality information, rank information, and remaining channel quality information associated with the rank information, and transmits the feedback information to the transmission apparatus. The transmission apparatus selects one of a multi-user mode and a single-user mode as a transmission mode depending on the feedback information and transmits a data stream of a user via multiple antenna groups or one antenna group, according to the selected transmission mode.
US08111779B2
Embodiments of the disclosure set forth methods for transmitting data in a wireless communication system. Some example methods include converting a data stream to a symbol set and selecting a first plurality of symbols from the symbol set. The first plurality of symbols includes at least a first symbol, a second symbol, a third symbol, a fourth symbol, a fifth symbol, a sixth symbol, a seventh symbol, and a eighth symbol. The methods include generating one or plurality of symbols of a second plurality of symbols based on interleaving two symbols selected from the first plurality of symbols. The methods further include weighting some symbols of the second plurality of symbols and generating a matrix based on symbols selected from the second plurality of symbols and the weighted symbols. The methods also include encoding the data stream based on the matrix.
US08111778B2
To suppress the peak of the orthogonal multiplex transmission signal which is small in deterioration of the quality of the reception signal by generating the cancellation waveform in synchronization with the timing of the symbol of the transmission signal. There is provided a peak suppressing method that suppresses peaks of an orthogonally multiplexed signal whose orthogonality is ensured in given time units, the method comprising: a first step of detecting the peaks of the orthogonally multiplexed signal; a second step of generating a peak cancellation waveform based on the detected peaks of the orthogonally multiplexed signal; and a third step of removing the peak of the orthogonally multiplexed signal from the orthogonally multiplexed signal using the generated peak cancellation waveform. The second step comprises generating the peak cancellation waveform in said time units of the orthogonally multiplexed signal.
US08111755B2
A method and system for low-complexity Slepian-Wolf rate estimator in a hybrid Wyner-Ziv video encoder determines the minimum Slepian-Wolf code rate required to allow correct decoding. The Slepian-Wolf estimator does not assume ideality of source and side-information statistics and does not require the presence of a feedback channel from the decoder to the encoder in order to determine the correct Slepian-Wolf coding rate. Instead, it adapts to the statistical properties of the video steam. The Slepian-Wolf estimator provides very efficient compression performance while avoiding Slepian-Wolf decoding failures.
US08111751B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for encoding a video signal that is formed by a series of successive images. Each image includes several sections, and each section has a set of image values. To encode a particular section of a particular image, the method initially partitions the particular section into several sub-sections. For each of at least two particular sub-sections, the method then computes a statistical parameter regarding the image values of the particular sub-section. The method compares the computed statistical parameters, and based on the comparison, selects an encoding technique from a set of encoding techniques to encode the particular section. In some embodiments, the set of encoding schemes includes a first scheme that encodes the selected section without reference to any other section of any other image, and a second scheme that encodes the selected section by reference to at least one other section.
US08111741B2
The present invention has an object to provide a sampling filter apparatus and a wireless communication apparatus, which are capable of changing a filter characteristic without employing complex waveforms as control signals, and also, capable of performing filtering process operations without performing a decimation, while utilizing a wide frequency space. A sampling filter apparatus 100 includes a controller 140, a plurality of integrators 150 to 154, a plurality of switches 130, 160 to 164, 170 to 174, 180 to 184, and a plurality of voltage/current converters 120 to 123. An inputted current is stored in four pieces of integrators selected among the plurality of integrators 150 to 154 by one clock, and electric charges which have been stored from four preceding clocks up to one preceding clock are added to each other so as to output the added electric charges from the remaining one integrator. When electric charges are stored in the integrators 150 to 154 in each clock, since the inputted current is switched, the electric charges to be outputted can be weighted, and thus, a filter characteristic is changed.
US08111734B2
A device for fast transition from preamble synchronization of a received baseband signal to demodulation of the received baseband signal may include a baseband chip tracking loop to generate an offset tracking value to track any initial chip phase offset and Doppler-caused baseband chip frequency drift associated with the received baseband signal. The device may also include a numerical controlled oscillator to correct any Doppler-caused phase rotation associated with the received signal. The device may additionally include a preamble synchronization unit to detect a preamble of the received baseband signal, and to measure a chip phase offset and a baseband Doppler frequency shift associated with the received baseband signal. The chip phase offset may be used to set an initial chip phase offset value of the chip tracking loop so that the chip tracking loop starts with approximately a zero pull-in error. The baseband Doppler frequency shift may be used to set initial frequency offset values in the chip tracking loop and the numerical controlled oscillator so that both start with substantially near-zero offset errors for substantially immediate demodulation of the received signal. The device may further include an output device to output the data demodulated from the received baseband signal.
US08111724B2
Current may be passed through an n-doped semiconductor region, a recessed metal semiconductor alloy portion, and a p-doped semiconductor region so that the diffusion of majority charge carriers in the doped semiconductor regions transfers heat from or into the semiconductor waveguide through Peltier-Seebeck effect. Further, a temperature control device may be configured to include a metal semiconductor alloy region located in proximity to an optoelectronic device, a first semiconductor region having a p-type doping, and a second semiconductor region having an n-type doping. The temperature of the optoelectronic device may thus be controlled to stabilize the performance of the optoelectronic device.
US08111717B2
A system and method are provided for transporting Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH) tributaries. The method accepts a plurality of PDH tributaries; generates a serial data stream of interleaved PDH tributaries; generates a serial control stream of signals for recovering the PDH tributaries; and, generates a clock signal for timing the data and control streams. The serial data stream of interleaved PDH tributaries is loaded into the payload of a data frame structure. Likewise, the serial control stream is loaded into the payload of a control frame structure. The data bytes of the serial data stream and the control bytes of the serial control stream are both transmitted at the same data rate. That is, there is a control byte generated for each data byte. Thus, the control bytes in the control frame structure are aligned with corresponding data bytes in the data frame structure.
US08111716B2
A data unit for transmitting data in a digital broadcasting system includes a first payload field, and a first byte code field having a value indicating an offset of data in the first payload field with respect to an absent value. A method for formatting the data unit includes: providing data for a payload field for a data unit, wherein the data includes an absent byte value, determining an offset between an absent byte value and other data in the payload field, shifting the data in the payload field by the offset to produce shifted bytes, and inserting a byte code in the data unit, wherein the byte code indicates the offset. A transmitter for transmitting the data units, and a receiver for receiving the data units are also provided.
US08111713B2
An improved communication apparatus for transmitting media between a sending node and a receiving node during a conversation. When network bandwidth is insufficient to transmit a full bit rate representation of time-sensitive media, the sending node generates and transmits a reduced bit rate representation of the media for the purpose of increasing the ability of the recipient to review the media upon receipt and continue the conversation in the real-time mode when the bandwidth on the network is insufficient to support the transmission of the full bit rate representation. The sending node also transmits media that is ascertained as not time-sensitive only when bandwidth in excess of what is needed for time-sensitive media becomes available. When the media ascertained as not time-sensitive is transmitted, the rate of transmission is adjusted at the sending node based on network conditions, the adjusted rate of transmission being set for network efficiency and reliable delivery of the media ascertained as not time-sensitive relative to the timeliness of the delivery of the media ascertained as time-sensitive.
US08111706B2
In a premises gateway device that performs encryption or decryption under the IPsec, the throughput of a processor is varied depending on a type of data to be treated in order to realize reduction in power consumption. In the premises gateway device to which a telephone, PCs, and a home appliance that are pieces of home network equipment are connected and which transmits or receives data using an ISP and an IPsec tunnel via an ONU, an OLT, and a carrier network, relevant home network equipment and a data rate are decided based on the data to be treated. The frequency of a clock to be fed to the processor is varied depending on the information.
US08111704B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for comparing a packet header to a stored packet header, generating a comparison vector based on the comparison, and transmitting the packet from the transmitter without the packet header if the packet header and the stored packet header match. A data portion of the packet may be compressed and transmitted using a different compression technique. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08111701B2
A system and method for prioritizing data packets being communicated over a packet network may include receiving a data packet at a network node. The data packet may include an origination network address, a destination network address, and a data field. A determination may be made as to whether at least one of the origination and destination network addresses is a priority network address. The data field of the data packet may be set to a priority value if at least one of the origination and destination network addresses is determined to be a priority network address. The data field of the data packet may be set to a non-priority value if both the origination and destination network addresses are determined not to be a priority network address.
US08111698B2
In an embodiment of the present invention, a scheduling operation is performed at a lower layer based on upper layer information. In another embodiment of the present invention, an action is performed at an upper layer based on received lower layer information. Also, a scheduling operation may be performed on at least one upper layer data packet at a lower layer based on a lower layer analysis of the upper layer data packet.
US08111694B2
The invention provides an efficient transportation of ESG fragments to a mobile device through the formation of containers. In this sense, a container comprises at least one ESG fragment, but may contain a plurality of fragments. A fragment may be also carried in more than one container. Aspects of the present invention utilize a simple and extensible header structure apart from the fragments independent of the type and format of the individual fragments. In further embodiments, compression is applied over the entire container, including the fragments and any headers. In yet further embodiments, a 3GPP metadata envelope is carried within the container without the need for unnecessary repetition of parameters, such as for example, version, validity time, and identification. In further embodiments, a simplified container system allowing for the updating of previously received fragments is disclosed.
US08111692B2
The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for modifying network traffic. For example, in one embodiment, the method includes receiving a packet at an intermediate network node at a network layer. The method determines at the intermediate network node whether layer injection can be performed at the intermediate network node. If layer injection can be performed at the intermediate network node, the method identifies at least one application or protocol associated with the packet using deep packet inspection. The method determines a routing modification based on the identified application protocol. The method then performs the routing modification on the packet.
US08111690B2
Methods and systems are provided for routing traffic through a virtual router-based network switch. According to one embodiment, a flow data structure is established that identifies current packet flows associated with multiple virtual routers in the virtual router-based network device. When an incoming packet is received by the virtual router-based network device, it is then determined whether the incoming packet is associated with a current packet flow by accessing the flow data structure based on a header associated with the incoming packet. If it is determined that the incoming packet is associated with the current packet flow, then the incoming packet is hardware forwarded via a network interface of the virtual router-based network device without intervention by a processor of the virtual router-based network device, otherwise the incoming packet is forwarded to software on the processor for flow learning.
US08111683B2
In a cellular radio communication system, a base station or a mobile station has a TA (Time Alignment)-range-out detection function, so that when a TA-range-out state that is unable to compensate with a guard interval is detected, the transmission condition of an uplink signal at the mobile station is changed by the mobile station autonomously or by the base station and the mobile station cooperatively.
US08111678B2
A system for communicating with wireless devices. The systems includes radio groups whose MIMO physical sectors overlap. The MIMO physical sectors communicate using different channels. The MIMO physical sectors overlap to form an area of overlap. Each radio group includes directional antennas and radios. Radios are selectively coupled to the antennas. The antennas that are oriented so that the physical sectors of the antennas overlap to operate as MIMO antennas and form the MIMO physical sector for the radio group. The antennas operate as a MIMO antenna.
US08111676B2
In a network comprising a wireless device, a first access point (AP) and a plurality of neighbor APs, a method is provided for reducing the chances of packet loss when the wireless device roams from the first AP to one of the neighbor APs. For example, when the first AP is transmitting a particular packet of a packet stream from to the wireless device, the wireless device begins to move away from the first AP toward at least one of the neighbor APs. The first AP maintains an acknowledgement counter for the particular packet which counts a number of times the particular packet has been transmitted by the first AP without receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) message from the wireless device confirming successful reception of the particular packet from the first AP. The first AP determines whether an ACK message was received for the particular packet, and if not, the first AP determines whether the number of times the particular packet has been sent is equal to a particular number of attempts. If the first AP determines that the number of times is equal to the particular number of attempts, then the first AP forwards the particular packet to the neighbor APs. Any of the neighbor APs which receive the particular packet, can then format the source address field of the particular packet with the MAC address of the first AP, and forward it to the wireless device.
US08111673B2
The present invention provides a new and unique method and apparatus for communicating information between two nodes, points or terminals in a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein multicast diagnostic information is allowed between the two nodes, points or terminals in the wireless LAN network. The two nodes, points or terminals may include an access point (AP) or other suitable network node or terminal and a station (STA) or other suitable network node or terminal in the WLAN.
US08111668B2
In a wireless communication system, there is a method of generating and transmitting signaling information from a user, where user control information may be appended as a header to a data block, and the data block and header may be encoded and transmitted as a signaling message from the user. In a method of scheduling a user for transmitting information, a signaling message, which may include user control information, is received from a user. A scheduling grant message that may include an allocated data rate may be transmitted in response to the received signaling message. The user control information may include one or more of buffer status information of the user, reverse pilot channel transmit power information and data related to a soft handoff (SHO) status of the user.
US08111652B2
A base station comprises a packet classification unit configured to classify packets received/transmitted from/to a plurality of mobile stations into a quantitative guarantee type packet having a request value for communication quality or a relative guarantee type packet not having the request value, and a transmission order controller configured to control a transmission order of the packets for every classified quantitative guarantee type packet and every classified relative guarantee type packet.
US08111651B2
In a wireless network that includes a plurality of nodes, a method of maintaining, by a first node, information regarding communications links between nodes in the wireless network includes: for each communications link that is established with another node, recording an identification of the other node; and for each message received by the first node from the other node through the communications link with the other node, recording a network pathway by which the message has been sent in the wireless network, the network pathway identifying the nodes and the communications links therebetween by which the message has been sent. Another method includes recording, by a server, for each message that is received by the server from the wireless network, a network pathway by which the message has been sent, the network pathway identifying the nodes and the communications links therebetween by which the message has been sent.
US08111649B1
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for routing packets in a network. A router may receive a packet at an input port which originated from a source system and which is destined to a destination system. The packet may include a traffic-management field which enables the source system to influence how the packet is routed through the network without requiring the source system to explicitly specify nodes that the packet should traverse. The router can use the traffic-management field to select an output port from a set of output ports of the router that are associated with different paths to the destination system. Since the traffic-management field's value is set by the source system, it enables the source system to influence how the router selects the output port, thereby enabling the source system to influence how the packet is routed through the network.
US08111643B2
A relay apparatus (100) acting as an access point of wireless LAN watches a packet showing a request of starting communication among the packets to be relayed between terminal apparatuses (101,102) and records the identification information of the terminal apparatus included in the packet. When the number of the terminal apparatuses whose identification information is recorded exceeds a preset upper limit value, the relay apparatus disconnects a communication relating to the latest identification information by transmitting a disconnection command or discarding the packet. With this arrangement, deterioration of streaming communication controlled by an access point (AP) of wireless LAN can be prevented.
US08111640B2
The present invention provides a wireless device for effecting two way wireless transmission, an antenna feed network, and a patch antenna. The wireless device includes an antenna assembly having two inputs accepting two feed signals shifted a feed signal phase difference apart. The antenna assembly receives a radiated signal and produces first and second received signals. First and second reflected feed signals are also produced at the two antenna inputs. A transmitter produces a transmission signal and a receiver receives the radiated signal while the transmission signal is transmitted by the antenna assembly. The antenna feed network interconnects the transmitter port, the receiver port, and the antenna assembly and produces the received signal while effecting substantial cancellation of the first and second reflected feed signals. Additionally, or alternatively, first and second transmission leakage signals at the received signal output substantially cancel each other.
US08111639B2
A radio transmitting apparatus and a radio transmitting method wherein the increase of the guard time in a random access region is reduced to secure the data transmitting region of an upstream line. In this apparatus, when a received signal power estimated by a received signal power estimating part (205) is the higher, a RACH format selecting part (206) selects a RACH format having the longer frame length. Contrarily, when a received signal power estimated by the received signal power estimating part (205) is the lower, the RACH format selecting part (206) selects a RACH format having the shorter frame length. A RACH data part arranging part (207) appropriately selects, in accordance with the selected RACH format, top-priority information, such as terminal identifiers, priority information, such as connection request information or band assignment request information, and non-priority information and arranges RACH data parts.
US08111636B2
The present invention provides a method for simultaneously broadcasting a message to a plurality of end-point devices. More specifically, the present invention receives a request to initiate a teleconference from a subscriber. The plurality of end-point devices is then invited to join the teleconference.
US08111631B2
A system for automatically configuring a device which is compatible with the Technical Report TR-069 of the DSL Forum, said system comprising a first automatic configuration server compatible with the Technical Report TR-069 of the DSL Forum, which is adapted and arranged for communicating with said device and for automatically configuring at least part of the configurable parameters of said device, said device by means of the CPE WAN Management Protocol defined in Technical Report TR-069 of the DSL Forum, wherein said system further comprises a proxy server arranged between said device and said automatic configuration server.
US08111618B2
The need to monitor real time network services has prompted service providers to use new measurement technologies, such as service-specific probes. A service-specific probe is an active probe that closely mimics the service traffic so that it receives the same treatment from the network as the actual service traffic. Service-specific probes are end-to-end and their deployment depends on solutions that address questions such as minimizing probe traffic, while still obtaining maximum coverage of all the links in the network. A polynomial-time probe-path computation algorithm is provided as well as a 2-approximate solution for merging probe paths when the number of probes exceeds a required bound k. The algorithms are evaluated using ISP topologies generated via Rocketfuel. For most topologies, it is possible to cover more than about 98% of the edges using just about 5% of the nodes as terminals.
US08111596B2
A phase error detection apparatus capable of performing offset correction of a tracking error signal accurately even when there is a defect or a non-recorded position on an optical disc. There are provided a phase difference detection circuit (107) which receives two sequences of digital signals, performs phase comparison using a distance between zerocross points of the two sequences of digital signals, and outputs a phase comparison result PCR and a phase comparison completion signal PCC, and an offset control circuit (11) which outputs an offset correction amount for each phase comparison completion signal PCC from the phase difference detection circuit (107), and the offset correction amount Δα is added to the phase comparison result PCR to avoid offset correction in a position where phase comparison is not carried out.
US08111592B2
An optical pickup is provided with a protector which prevents collision between an objective lens and an optical recording medium. The protector includes: a first sheet material which is arranged on an uppermost layer, has durability for abrasion against the collision with the optical recording medium that rotates in high speed, and is softer than a protecting member that protects a recording surface of the optical recording medium; a second sheet material which is provided in lower side than the first sheet material and has elasticity; and a plurality of adhesive sheets to perform adhesion between the sheet materials that form the protector, or adhesion between the lowermost sheet material among the sheet materials and a lens holder which holds the objective lens, or the objective lens.
US08111586B2
An improved electronic device and method provide an improved clock feature that includes a time zone management function which enables multiple times from multiple time zones to be managed by the user. Responsive to a detection that the electronic device has been moved from one time zone to another, a dialog is initiated wherein the user is queried whether a current time on the electronic device should be changed and whether multiple times should be output on the display.
US08111582B2
User-wearable sensor arrays for use with projectile-detection systems, and methods of detecting a projectile with user-wearable sensor arrays.
US08111581B1
A ship's radiated noise monitoring system includes a plurality of arrays of spaced vibration-responsive detectors, the arrays being adapted for location adjacent to the ship's hull in the region of possible noise sources; summing amplifiers for receiving the detectors output signals from respective arrays and providing output signals representative of the average vibration signals received by each array; an analyzer connected to the output of each summing amplifier to perform a spectrum analysis; and computer apparatus to receive the noise spectrum from each array, apply respective weighting factors to the noise spectra and combine the weighted noise spectra to produce a predicted radiated noise spectrum. Preferably each array comprises a regular distritution of nine accelerometers attached to hull frames in groups of three. The system is used in conjunction with sonar equipment to enable self-noise to be monitored to optimise the sonar performance.
US08111576B2
A high-voltage sawtooth current driving circuit and a memory device including the same are described. In the high-voltage sawtooth current driving circuit includes a charge pump circuit configured to output a first voltage, a regulating circuit configured to regulate a second voltage using the first voltage output from the charge pump circuit, and a sawtooth current driver configured to generate a sawtooth current in response to the second voltage regulated by the regulating circuit.
US08111570B2
Embodiments are described for a voltage compensated sense amplifier. One such sense amplifier includes a pair of digit line nodes respectively coupled to a pair of transistors. A first pair of switches are adapted to cross-couple the gates of the transistors to the respective digit line node and a second pair of switches are adapted to couple the gates of the transistors to a voltage supply. The first and second pair of switches are coupled to respective gates of the transistors independent of the pair of transistors being respectively coupled to the digit line nodes.
US08111567B2
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a memory which can efficiently improve a yield by employing a structure which facilitates the use of a spare memory cell. The semiconductor device includes a memory cell array having a memory cell and a spare memory cell, a decoder connected to the memory cell and the spare memory cell, a data holding circuit connected to the decoder, and a battery which supplies electric power to the data holding circuit. The spare memory cell operates in accordance with an output from the data holding circuit.
US08111563B2
A nonvolatile memory device having a plurality of multi-level memory cells, the plurality being at least two, may be programmed by writing a least significant bit for each multi-level memory cell of the plurality of memory cells and, after the least significant bit has been written for each multi-level memory cell of the plurality of memory cells, writing a next significant bit for each multi-level memory cell.
US08111562B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises a first memory cell array having a first plane which is composed of a plurality of blocks each having a plurality of memory cells, a sense circuit which reads data the memory cells, a sequencer which receives control signals from outside, a first address register, and a second address register which receives an output address from the first address register and outputs an address signal in response to an address control signal from the sequencer. In reading from the memory cells, the sequencer reads a page n in accordance with the address stored in the second address register, then transfers an address stored in the first address register to the second address register concurrently with outputting data read from the page n to outside and reads data from an arbitrary page m in accordance with the address transferred to the second address register.
US08111561B2
A bulk bias voltage generating device is configured to generate a first bulk bias voltage in a deep power down mode and a second bulk bias voltage in a normal mode. The first bulk bias voltage comprises an internal voltage level, and the second bulk bias voltage comprises an external voltage level.
US08111560B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a first sense amplifier which senses data on a first line pair and generates a first output signal; and a test unit which senses the data on a first line pair and transfers a second output signal to a second line in response to a test mode signal.
US08111552B2
A plurality of non-volatile storage elements on a common active layer are offset from neighbor non-volatile storage elements. This offsetting of non-volatile storage elements helps reduce interference from neighbor non-volatile storage elements. A method of manufacture is also described for fabricating the offset non-volatile storage elements.
US08111550B2
A memory device and programming and/or reading process is described that programs and/or reads the cells in the memory array with higher threshold voltage resolution than required. In programming non-volatile memory cells, this allows a more accurate threshold voltage placement during programming and enables pre-compensation for program disturb, increasing the accuracy of any subsequent read or verify operation on the cell. In reading/sensing memory cells, the increased threshold voltage resolution allows more accurate interpretations of the programmed state of the memory cell and also enables more effective use of probabilistic data encoding techniques such as convolutional code, partial response maximum likelihood (PRML), low-density parity check (LDPC), Turbo, and Trellis modulation encoding and/or decoding, reducing the overall error rate of the memory.
US08111549B2
The present invention discloses a method of programming an MLC NAND flash memory device comprising: selecting a start value for a program voltage for a lower page; incrementing said program voltage to program said lower page; verifying a threshold voltage; determining said program voltage to achieve a desired value for said threshold voltage; applying an offset to said program voltage; and obtaining a start value for said program voltage for an upper page.
US08111541B2
A method and structure of a bistable resistance random access memory comprise a plurality of programmable resistance random access memory cells where each programmable resistance random access memory cell includes multiple memory members for performing multiple bits for each memory cell. The bistable RRAM includes a first resistance random access member connected to a second resistance random access member through interconnect metal liners and metal oxide strips. The first resistance random access member has a first resistance value Ra, which is determined from the thickness of the first resistance random access member based on the deposition of the first resistance random access member. The second resistance random access member has a second resistance value Rb, which is determined from the thickness of the second resistance random access member based on the deposition of the second resistance random access member.
US08111534B2
Methods, memory devices, and systems are disclosed, such as those for accessing a memory circuit through the use of reduced external pins. With one such system, a single external pin receives a global memory select signal which transmits an access signal for one of a plurality of memory circuits in a system. The memory circuits may be stacked and may also be ranked memory circuits. The global memory select signal may be sent to a counter. Such a counter could count the length of time that the global memory select signal is active, and based on the counting, sends a count signal to a comparator. The comparator may compare the count signal with a programmed value to determine if a specific memory chip and/or port is to be accessed. This configuration may be duplicated over multiple ports on the same memory device, as well as across multiple memory ranks.
US08111531B2
An interleaved soft switching bridge power converter comprises switching poles operated in an interleaved manner so as to substantially reduce turn-on switching losses and diode reverse-recovery losses in the switching pole elements. Switching poles are arranged into bridge circuits that are operated so as to provide a desired voltage, current and/or power waveform to a load. By reducing switching turn on and diode reverse recovery losses, soft switching power converters of the invention may operate efficiently at higher switching frequencies. Soft switching power converters of the invention are well suited to high power and high voltage applications such as plasma processing, active rectifiers, distributed generation, motor drive inverters and class D power amplifiers.
US08111526B2
An optical engine is provided, including an imaging module, a driver module and a connecting unit. The imaging module includes an imaging housing with an imaging space and an imaging unit installed in the imaging space. The imaging housing is made of a conductive material. The driver module includes a driver housing with a driver space and a driver circuit board installed in the driver space. The connecting unit includes at least one of the cables is electrically connected to the imaging unit and the driver circuit board and at least a protruding module protruding from the imaging housing (or the driver housing) to contact with the driver housing (or the imaging housing). The cable is installed in the protruding module made of a conductive material.
US08111525B2
A brace for a circuit board vertically mounted on a motherboard includes a first attachment member capable of attaching to an edge of the circuit board distal from the motherboard; a second attachment member capable of attaching to a side edge of the motherboard; and a rigid support connecting the first attachment member and the second attachment member. The rigid support is shaped such that the circuit board is held substantially perpendicular to the motherboard when the brace is attached. An interference minimization device for minimizing the interference of a circuit board vertically mounted on a motherboard includes an attachment member capable of attaching to the circuit board at an end distal from the motherboard; a mating wall that is substantially parallel to the circuit board and abuts the circuit board when the interference minimization device is attached to the circuit board; and a tapered wall that widens from the distal end of the circuit board towards the motherboard.
US08111524B2
A capacitive interposer, electronic package having the capacitive interposer and electronic device with the electronic package is described. The interposer has a first planar face and a second planar face. An array of upper connections is on the first planar face and opposing lower connections are on the second planar face with conduction paths between each upper connection of the upper connections and a lower connection of the lower connections. At least one power feed-through capacitor is provided. The capacitor has a plurality of parallel plates with a dielectric there between. At least one first external termination is in electrical contact with a first set of alternate parallel plates and at least one second external termination is in electrical contact with a second set of alternate parallel plates. The capacitor is mounted on the first planar face with the first external termination in direct electrical contact with a first upper connection and the second external termination is in direct electrical contact with a second upper connection. At least one upper connection, first external termination and second external termination are arranged for direct electrical contact with element contact pads of a common element.
US08111512B2
A handheld electronic device including a first body, a second body, a linkage mechanism, and a stand is provided. The second body is slidingly disposed on the first body. The linkage mechanism is disposed between the first body and the second body. The linkage mechanism has a driven end and a drive end, wherein the driven end is driven by the first body and the second body. The stand is slidingly disposed between the first body and the second body and is driven by the drive end of the linkage mechanism. When the second body moves away the first body along an operation direction, the drive end drives the stand to move along the operation direction and the stand is exposed by the first body. The handheld electronic device then achieves a standing function through the stand.
US08111509B2
Disconnected slits are disposed between one end of at least one of the first and the second side plates coupled to a retaining pin and a bottom plate of a rack body with an engaging mechanism to form a free end thereby allowing an operation of an insertion of the retaining pin into or a separation thereof from the screw hole to be more convenient by offsetting the free end outward to lengthen a distance between the two opposite retaining pins.
US08111506B2
An electronic device including a first body, a second body, a connecting mechanism, and an input unit is provided. The second body is movably disposed on the first body. The connecting mechanism is disposed in the first body. The input unit is movably disposed on the first body, wherein the connecting mechanism connects the input unit and the second body. When the second body moves from a first position to a second position relative to the first body, the second body drives the input unit to move from a third position to a fourth position relative to the first body through the connecting mechanism.
US08111502B2
An arrangement related to subsea electric power distributing AC-system and adapted for a subsea application. The arrangement is enclosed in a watertight casing. The casing exposes a main power input connection, adapted for watertight co-ordination with a first subsea cable and a main power output connection, adapted for a watertight co-ordination with a second subsea cable. The second subsea cable is adapted for a power supply to an AC-current and AC-voltage adapted device. The arrangement includes interconnected: a voltage regulator connected to the first cable, and a NO-load switching unit connected to the second cable, and a control unit. The control unit is adapted, in a first operative mode, to regulate the output AC-voltage from the voltage regulator towards and to zero, or at least almost to zero, and in a second subsequent operative mode, to bring the NO-load switching unit from an ON-position to an OFF-position or vice versa.
US08111501B2
A method of forming a capacitor includes forming a cylindrical lower electrode structure having an internal support structure on a substrate, forming a dielectric layer on the cylindrical lower electrode structure and the support structure, and forming an upper electrode on the dielectric layer.
US08111499B2
Systems and methods for removing residual charge from a processed wafer are described. Removal of residual charge eliminates de-chucking failure that may break or damage the wafer. Residual charge is removed by applying a reverse polarity discharging DC voltage to an electrode embedded in an electrostatic chuck (ESC) supporting the wafer, and providing an outlet to the residual charge to ground via a lift pin assembly. Lift pin assembly is kept at the same potential with respect to a pedestal of the ESC to avoid sparking during the application of RF power to generate plasma. A residual charge sensor is included to sense and measure the amount of residual charge, so that the parameters of the reverse polarity discharging voltage can be adjusted in a subsequent de-chucking operation.
US08111496B2
An earthing arrangement for a DC electrical system (10), the electrical system (10) comprises a plurality of earthing points (24A, 24B, 24C) and each earthing point (24A, 24B, 24C) is directly and permanently connected to earth (26) by a high impedance connection (28A, 28B, 28C). Each earthing point (24A, 24B, 24C) is selectively connectable to earth (26) in electrical parallel with the high impedance connection (28A, 28B, 28C) by a solid connection (30A, 30B, 30C) and a switch (32A, 32B, 32C). In first mode of operation the switch (32A) between the earthing point (24A) and the earth (26) of only one of the plurality of earthing points (24A, 24B, 24C) is closed.
US08111493B2
Devices, such as mobile devices, may be exposed to short circuit and output overload events. To protect against such events, mobile devices typically include current limit circuits. Some current limit circuits may involve user programmable function. User programmable function may need accurate current limit detectors. One approach to improving resolution and accuracy of current limit detectors using a single resistive device is to magnify the operating current range. Various embodiments of the present invention include devices and methods for detecting pre-programmed current limits.
US08111490B2
Method for protection of a switching device controlled by a control unit, through which an electric drive can be disengaged during the period of an overvoltage surge caused by a load dump in the electrical system of a vehicle, in which the drive current rises to a maximum value in a first slot within the duration of the overvoltage surge and drops in the second slot connected to the first time slot, with the following process steps: recognition of a load dump by recording a limit voltage value in the electrical system by the control unit, disengagement of the electric drive in the event of a load dump at a switching time stipulated by the control unit, which lies after the first time slot.
US08111488B2
A magnetic multilayered film current element includes: at least one magnetic layer; at least one film structure containing a first insulating layer where a first opening is formed, a second insulating layer where a second opening is formed and a conductor disposed between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer under the condition that a distance “A” between the first insulating layer and a portion of the second insulating layer at a position of the second opening is set larger than a closest distance “B” between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer; and a pair of electrodes for flowing current to a magnetic multilayered film containing the at least one magnetic layer and the at least one film structure along a stacking direction of the magnetic multilayered film.
US08111486B2
A head gimbals assembly for a hard disk for use in a thermally assisted magnetic disk recording medium, in which a laser diode is applied so as to record information with high density. The head gimbals assembly for a hard disk having a plurality of suspensions, each of which is provided with a magnetic head positioned adjacent to a corresponding disk surface among the disks so as to record/reproduce information; a head gimbals body having a centrally formed pivot hole which allows the head gimbals body to be fitted in such a manner as to be rotatable in relation to the disks, the suspensions extending from one end of the head gimbals body; a coil rotator provided at the other end of the head gimbals body so as to rotate the head gimbals body about the pivot hole; and a laser assembly having one or more laser diodes and one or more wave guides, the light emitted from any of the laser diodes is guided to a corresponding magnetic head by the wave guides.
US08111478B2
Reducing a spreading of contaminants within a hard disk drive is described. An adhesive is applied to a first side of a desiccant. Then, the desiccant is utilized to cover a component of a hard disk drive, the component comprising a countersink area surrounding a fastener, wherein said fastener is countersunk within the component. The adhesive is then coupled with the component to encapsulate contaminants lying within the countersink area, thereby reducing a spreading of the contaminants within the hard disk drive.
US08111474B2
A magnetic storage apparatus has a reproducing head to reproduce information from a perpendicular magnetic recording medium that is recorded with servo information, eccentricity correction data and read/write data. The apparatus further has a filter part to filter a reproduced output of the reproducing head by filtering the servo information which has a differentiated waveform by a non-differentiating characteristic and by filtering the eccentricity correction data and the read/write data which have rectangular waveforms by a differentiating characteristic, a demodulating part to demodulate the servo information, the eccentricity correction data and the read/write data that are filtered by the filter part, and a servo system to carry out a control process including an eccentricity control based on the servo information and the eccentricity correction data that are demodulated.
US08111466B2
A microlens chip comprises a variable focus fluidic microlens and actuator. The actuator varies the pressure in a fluidic channel in the microlens chip which is coupled to an aperture opening containing the microlens. Applying an electric field to the actuator creates changes in fluid pressure in the fluidic channel, which in turn changes the radius of curvature (i.e., focal length) of the fluidic microlens.
US08111463B2
Microlens sheetings with different types of composite images are disclosed, in which the composite image floats above, in, or below the sheeting, or some combination. One type of composite image may be viewable to the unaided eye or an observer and another type of composite image is viewable only to the aided eye of an observer. Methods for providing such an imaged sheeting are also disclosed.
US08111462B2
A film material utilizing a regular two-dimensional array of non-cylindrical lenses to enlarge micro-images, called icons, to form a synthetically magnified image through the united performance of a multiplicity of individual lens/icon image systems. The synthetic magnification micro-optic system includes one or more optical spacers (5), a micro-image formed of a periodic planar array of a plurality of image icons (4) having an axis of symmetry about at least one of its planar axes and positioned on or next to the optical spacer (5), and a periodic planar array of image icon focusing elements (1) having an axis of symmetry about at least one of its planar axes, the axis of symmetry being the same planar axis as that of the micro-image planar array (4). A number of distinctive visual effects, such as three-dimensional and motion effects, can be provided by the present system.
US08111457B2
A method of manufacturing a screen having a screen substrate provided with a plurality of three-dimensional shape units disposed two-dimensionally on a front side of the screen substrate, includes: forming a first film by applying a first film forming material to be an antireflection film to at least part of surfaces of the three-dimensional shape units among the screen substrate; and forming a second film by applying a second film forming material to be a reflecting film with a predetermined incident angle to the screen substrate, the reflecting film on at least part of the antireflection film.
US08111454B2
Cross-distribution of the output pump power from optical pump units amongst multiple amplifier gain stages even in a single direction of an optical link in an optical communications system. For example, an optical pump unit may output optical pump power that is shared amongst a discrete optical amplification unit and a distributed optical amplification unit (such as a forward and/or backward Raman amplifier). Such sharing has the potential to increase reliability and/or efficiency of the optical communications system.
US08111451B2
A method and system for converting one frequency into another include a MOPA configuration radiating a light at a first frequency which is coupled into a frequency conversion unit. Further included are a control unit operative to monitor the other frequency and a pump unit operative to vary its output power provided that the monitored frequency does not substantially match a reference value stored in the control unit. The output power of the pump unit varies while the master oscillator scans its cavity in search for the desired resonant frequency.
US08111450B1
Rhomb beam splitters are used to implement various optical demodulators, in particular PSK and DPSK demodulators. The parallel beam-splitting and reflective surfaces of the rhomb structure produce reflection and transmission beams that exit the beam splitter parallel to one another and with a relative phase shift determined by the distance between the surfaces. These features afford the advantages of low cost, compactness, easily tunable, and temperature-insensitive optical structures for constructing a variety of optical demodulators.
US08111425B2
An image processing method comprises: a step of acquiring recording characteristic information of the recording elements; a step of obtaining inconsistent density correction information from the recording characteristic information acquired in the characteristic information acquiring step; a step of obtaining inconsistency corrected image data from the inconsistent density correction information and data of the input image; a step of generating inconsistency correction unfit image position information by detecting an inconsistency correction unfit image from data of the input image; a step of obtaining image data having an N number of tones from the inconsistency corrected image data; a step of judging whether non-correctable conditions arise according to the inconsistent density correction information and the inconsistency correction unfit image position information; and a step of alerting a user to an image anomaly according to judgment results given in the image anomaly judgment processing step.
US08111418B2
An image processing system in which a portable terminal and an image processing apparatus are capable of communicating with each other contactlessly, includes: the portable terminal apparatus including: a display; and a transmitter that transmits display information indicating what is currently displayed on the display, to the image processing apparatus over contactless communication, and the image processing apparatus including: a receiver that receives the display information from the portable terminal over contactless communication; a memory that records in advance, display information samples and specified operations for the image processing apparatus, with their connections; and a controller that determines an appropriate operation based on the display information received by the receiver, the display information samples recorded in the memory and the specified operations also recorded in the memory, and makes the image processing apparatus perform that determined operation.
US08111414B2
When information on addition and change of data which is stored in an apparatus and dynamically changes is set as a monitoring target, the information is accumulated in a syndication by an application management interface. Periodically or in response to a request, an update information generation unit reproduces an entry in the syndication as an RSS feed, i.e., XML data complying with the RSS feed standard in accordance with a template, and saves the XML data in an update information storage unit. A computer executes an RSS reader to acquire and display the RSS feed in the update information storage unit.
US08111408B2
A mobile phone device configured for overlaying part of a substrate. The substrate contains a printed hyperlink and coded data identifying a plurality of positions on the substrate. The device includes: a mobile telephone transceiver; an optical sensor for reading the coded data; a processor for generating interaction data using the read coded data; and a touch-sensitive display screen for displaying information based on the interaction data. The displayed information includes a displayed hyperlink corresponding to the printed hyperlink. User interaction with the displayed hyperlink via the touch-sensitive display screen causes display of hyperlinked information on the screen.
US08111392B1
A Raman optical method and apparatus is utilized to automatically and accurately recognize laser power measurements made at a desired illumination sample plane. From such a configuration, the methods and systems disclosed herein, enable the support of multiple optical wavelengths coupled with essential components, such as, but not limited to, filters, objectives, reflectors, etc., to provide the capability of displaying and controlling the optical power at the desired sample plane through storage of power calibration factors that are associated with such components. In particular, the system utilized herein, can recognize the installation of components and recalls stored calibration factors that are associated with such components to ensure an accurate power measurement at the illuminated sample plane.
US08111390B2
Apparatus and methods for detecting residue on a glass substrate and method of use are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substrate support, a sensor, a controller and a peripheral device in communication with the controller. The apparatus measures the height or thickness of a main surface and an edge delete surface of a substrate to determine if film residue is present on the edge delete surface.
US08111387B2
Methods and systems for determining a parameter of a vehicle wheel are provided. The vehicle wheel is mounted on a shaft having an axis of rotation. The method includes projecting a pattern onto the wheel wherein the pattern includes a plurality of discrete optically detectable elements and determining a dimensional parameter of the wheel utilizing at least two of the plurality of discrete elements.
US08111383B1
A method for surveillance of a point on a target. A portable device is obtained, which includes: a laser range finder operable for measuring distances between the laser range finder and a target, an alarm operable for generating a perceptible signal, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured and arranged to receive an initial distance value and subsequent distance measurements from the laser range finder and compare the values wherein an alarm is triggered id the change in the values is within a specified range. Subsequent steps include statically positioning and operating the device to measure the distance to an object comprising a moveable obstruction to an ingress or egress and monitoring the generation of any signal by the device indicative of movement of the object to permit ingress or egress.
US08111382B2
The invention relates to a distance measuring unit (10) for contactless distance measurement, in particular a handheld unit, with a housing (12, 40), which has a housing front side (14), which points in the measurement direction (32), and a housing rear side (16), which faces away therefrom, wherein the housing rear side (16) forms a first reference plane (AA) for the distance measurement, and with at least one measurement stop (5) of a measurement stop element (4), which can be moved out of the housing (12). The invention proposes that the measurement stop element (46) is mounted in the housing (12, 40) in such a way that it moves automatically out of the housing (12, 40) once a locking apparatus (62, 63, 65) has been released and is optionally moved at least into a first (1) or into a second (1) measurement position.
US08111381B2
A positioning apparatus includes a stage movable on a base, an actuator which drives the stage and a driver which supplies current to the actuator. The apparatus further includes a current supply path having a plurality of parallel paths connecting the driver and the actuator. The current supply path includes a plurality of forward electrical wires and a plurality of backward electrical wires. The apparatus also includes a detector which detects a break of the current supply path based on a current of at least one of the plurality of parallel paths. The detector detects a break of the current supply path based on a total current of at least one of the plurality of forward electrical wires and at least one of the plurality of backward electrical wires.
US08111368B2
Exemplary methods and apparatus are provided herein related to display systems. According to one exemplary embodiment, a method of forming a display is discussed that includes providing an embossable material and embossing the embossable material to form a plurality of features including at least one geometric adhesive portion.
US08111367B2
A display device comprises a metallic wiring formed on an insulating substrate, an inorganic insulating film formed on the metallic wiring, an organic resin film formed on the inorganic insulating film, a transparent conductive film formed in a portion on the metallic wiring where the inorganic insulating film and the organic resin film are removed, a connection terminal formed in a region for mounting a driving IC external to the display region on the insulating substrate, and a bump of the driving IC connected to the connection terminal by an anisotropic conductive film in order to supply a signal to the display region. The region for mounting a driving IC includes a region where the inorganic insulating film and the organic resin film are formed on the metallic wiring and a region where the inorganic insulating film and the organic resin film are removed from the metallic wiring.
US08111360B2
A transflective LCD unit includes an array of pixels each including a reflective area and a transmissive area. The LC layer has an effective retardation of λ/4 in the reflective area, and an effective retardation of λ/2 in the transmissive area. A retardation film disposed in the reflective area provides a retardation of λ/2 to the light passed thereby. An angle of θ between the optical axis of the retardation film and the polarized direction of the light is in a range of 0 degree<θ<22.5 degrees.
US08111359B2
An array substrate includes a transparent substrate, an organic insulation layer, a pixel electrode, a reflective layer, a light blocking pattern and a switching part. The transparent substrate includes a reflective window that reflects an ambient light and a transmissive window that transmits an artificial light. The organic insulation layer disposed over the transparent substrate becomes thinner gradually at a boundary between the transmissive window and the reflective window. The pixel electrode is formed in the transmissive region. The reflective layer is disposed over the organic insulation layer of the reflective window. The light blocking pattern is disposed at the boundary between the transmissive and reflective windows to prevent a light leakage. The switching part is electrically connected to the pixel electrode to apply an image signal to the pixel electrode. Therefore, a light leakage occurring at boundary is prevented by the light blocking pattern.
US08111358B2
Scanning signal lines (41) and data signal lines (47) are arranged so as to cross each other, and common signal lines (42) and the scanning signal lines (41) are arranged to be parallel to each other. Moreover, a polarlizer (37) provided to an upper substrate (36) and a polarlizer (38) provided to a lower substrate (30) are arranged such that absorption axial directions (37a) and (38a) cross at an angle that is orthogonal. Moreover, the absorption axial directions (37a) and (38a) are arranged so as to be perpendicular to or parallel to directions in which the data signal lines (47), the scanning signal lines (41), and the common signal lines (42) are extended, respectively. This realizes an improved response speed and an increased transmissivity.
US08111354B2
A backlight unit having a LED light source includes a light guide plate partitioned in areas each having a tapered shape formed of a thick portion and a thin portion. The light guide plate is formed such that a thick portion and a thin portion are repeated at certain intervals, and the repeated thick portions and the repeated thin portions gradually decrease in thickness. The LED light source is attached to a lateral side of each thick portion. Grooves are formed in the light irradiation direction of the LED light source and in a direction perpendicularly intersecting the light irradiation direction. Each of the grooves is formed in an concave shape (V-shape or trapezoid-shape). There is a relation 0.2/30<=W/D<0.1 where D denotes the distance between the light guide plate and a light diffusion plate, and W denotes the width of each of the grooves. An inclination angle θ relative to the center of each of the grooves is between 9 and 15 degrees inclusive.Thus, the backlight unit having the LED light source can utilize an area-partitioned light guide plate which provides an ideal front luminance distribution.
US08111349B2
An image display device of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display panel, a resin frame for attaching the liquid crystal display panel to a front cabinet and a circuit board that are arranged inside a casing. The resin frame is provided with a grounding clamp arranged between the circuit board and the liquid crystal display panel. The grounding clamp establishes electrical connection between a ground pattern formed on the circuit board and a metal plate arranged on the rear surface of the liquid crystal display panel.
US08111343B2
A display substrate includes a plurality of color filters formed on a base substrate, a gate line formed in a trench defined by at least one of the color filters and extended along a first direction, an insulation layer formed on the color filters and the gate line, a data line formed on the insulation layer to be extended along a second direction crossing the first direction, and pixel electrodes formed on the base substrate having the data line formed thereon.
US08111334B2
A signal switching apparatus includes: a video reference input block; a plurality of synchronous signal generating blocks; a plurality of video signal input blocks; a signal processing block; a video signal output processing block; a switching block; and a control block.
US08111329B2
A television receiving system is disclosed, comprising an input terminal, a down-converter, an amplifier, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a demodulator, and an isolation circuit. The input terminal receives an RF signal. The down*converter, coupled to the input terminal, converts the RF signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The amplifier, coupled to the down-converter, amplifies the IF signal. The analog-to-digital converter, coupled to the amplifier, converts the amplified IF signal to digital data. The demodulator, coupled to the ADC, processes the digital data to generate baseband data. The isolation circuit, coupled between the amplifier and ADC, isolates the amplified IF signal from being affected by interference induced by the ADC.
US08111302B2
An apparatus includes an evaluation acquisition unit, a chromaticity value calculation unit, a weight coefficient calculation unit, a histogram analysis unit, an appearance at a light source calculation unit, a white balance coefficient calculation unit, and a white balance operating unit. the evaluation acquisition unit acquires color signal values from image data. The chromaticity value calculation unit calculates chromaticity values from the color signal values. The weight coefficient calculation unit extracts a signal value as a lightness value, and calculates a weight coefficient determined by the lightness value. The histogram analysis unit calculates the center position of a histogram, a histogram multiplication value and a histogram dispersion value. The appearance at a light source calculation unit calculates an appearance at a light source for each color temperature. The white balance operating unit executes a white balance operation with respect to the image data using a white balance coefficient.
US08111297B2
An apparatus takes in a plurality of still image frames, to generate an interpolated image frame. Next, moving addition of the still image frame and an interpolated image frame is performed in time-axis direction, to generate a superimposed image frame. At this time, high spatial frequency components in the superimposed image frame are suppressed strongly as alienation of motion between the still image frames becomes larger. Movie is reproduced by sandwiching these superimposed image frames between the still image frames. As a result of this, the movie reproduction with smooth motion is made possible even from a group of the still images photographed by an electronics still camera and the like.
US08111293B2
A photographic apparatus comprises a movable platform and a controller.The movable platform has an imager and is movable and rotatable on an xy plane perpendicular.The controller calculates an inclination angle of the photographic apparatus, and performs a controlled movement of the movable platform for an inclination correction based on the inclination angle.The controller calculates a first position of the movable platform before the inclination correction.The controller calculates a second position of the movable platform after the inclination correction.The controller determines whether the movable platform should be moved to a third position before moving from the first position to the second position in the inclination correction, on the basis of a positional relationship between the first position and the second position.The third position is a position of the movable platform in an imaging operation by the imager without the inclination correction.
US08111292B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for stably correcting handshake that occurs during a camera panning situation. In the method, movement information is accumulated by a predetermined unit for a predetermined period of time. A regression model is matched to the accumulated movement information so as to determine a situation as one of a panning mode and a handshake mode. Switching is performed between the handshake mode and the panning mode according to the size of a matching factor generated by the matched regression model. Handshake is corrected on the basis of a handshake correcting amount determined according to one of the handshake mode and the panning mode.
US08111289B2
Method for the monitoring of an environment, by procuring, adjourning and storing in a memory, files representing the background space. Programs for processing data obtained from the observation of objects are defined and stored in a memory, for identifying the objects and for determining whether they are dangerous. Parameters, according to which the observation of the controlled space is effected, are determined and stored. Photographic observation of the controlled space or sections thereof, is performed according to the aforesaid observation parameters. The digital data representing these photographs are processed to determine whether possible dangerous objects have been detected, and if so, these objects are classified according to the stored danger parameters.
US08111287B2
A vehicle-operation assist includes a circumferential-state imager for imaging a circumferential state of a vehicle with a camera and generating a circumferential-state image; a synthetic-image generator for generating a synthetic image by superimposing on the circumferential-state image, an assumed-movement pattern of the vehicle performing a predetermined series of driving operations; and a display for displaying the synthetic image. The circumferential-state imager has at least one camera and a camera parameter table for storing characteristics of the camera and generating the circumferential-state image on the basis of the camera characteristics.
US08111282B2
A system and method for teleconferencing and recording of meetings. The system uses a variety of capture devices (a novel 360° camera, a whiteboard camera, a presenter view camera, a remote view camera, and a microphone array) to provide a rich experience for people who want to participate in a meeting from a distance. The system is also combined with speaker clustering, spatial indexing, and time compression to provide a rich experience for people who miss a meeting and want to watch it afterward.
US08111281B2
Methods and associated wireless communication terminals are disclosed that control the display of avatars on communication terminals. A person's portrait characteristics are identified in a video stream from a video source. A portrait command is selected among a plurality of portrait commands that are known to the recipient communication terminal in response to the identified person's portrait characteristics in the video stream. The selected portrait command is transmitted to a recipient communication terminal. The recipient communication terminal can then modify a displayed avatar in response to received portrait command.
US08111274B2
A thermal printer has a thermal head pivotally mounted on a main body frame to pivot toward and away from a platen roller. The platen roller has shaft bearings at opposite ends thereof that are removably inserted in two spaced-apart opposed slots formed in the main body frame to rotatably support the platen roller. First springs bias a pivotal lock arm to a locked position to prevent removal of the shaft bearings from the slots, and second springs bias the thermal head toward the platen roller. Manual pivotal movement of the lock arm to an unlocked position permits removal of the shaft bearings from the shaft. The biasing directions of the first and second springs are parallel, which reduces the stroke distance of the first springs resulting in size reduction of the thermal printer.
US08111272B2
A method for compensating misalignment errors associated with a laser beam in an electrophotographic (EP) device is disclosed. A first value and a second value of a time-of-flight of the laser beam are determined. The second value of the time-of-flight is associated with a current value of SOS time and EOS time of the laser beam. The second value of the time-of-flight of the laser beam is compared with the first value of the time-of-flight. A duty cycle of a fuser of the EP device is monitored. An average value of the duty cycle of the fuser for a predetermined time period is determined. One or more alignment conditions of the laser beam are adjusted based on at least one of the comparisons of the second value and the first value of the time-of-flight of the laser beam, and the determined average value of the duty cycle of the fuser.
US08111268B2
A method and apparatus for down scaling image data is disclosed. One method controls a phase for an M/N filter, where N represents a number of input samples, and M represents a number of output samples. N is greater than M. Another method may switch between an M/N filter and a phase-controlled M/N filter.
US08111264B2
Methods of rendering a view of a scene include steps that specify quality levels of anti-aliasing and texture filtering for predetermined regions of a display, or selected objects within the scene, or both. Methods of processing data for display include steps adapted to process portions of the image according to selected or predetermined anti-aliasing and texture filtering quality levels. Graphics processing equipment includes hardware or software adapted to perform non-uniform anti-aliasing of images according to specified criteria.
US08111263B2
A video display device that allows the color temperature of the signals in white color attributes having high luminance and low chroma saturation to be corrected with high precision is provided with a color temperature correction method so as to visually obtain a desirable white color on display. In some embodiments, the signal processing circuit can include an A/D converter to convert video signals into digitalized signals, a matrix circuit to convert the digitalized signals into luminance signals and at least two color difference signals, a hue conversion circuit to obtain hue signals from the color difference signals, a hue correction circuit to correct hue signals, a chroma saturation conversion circuit to obtain chroma saturation signals from color difference signals, a chroma saturation correction circuit to correct chroma saturation signals and a color temperature correction circuit to perform the color temperature correction on the respective hue and chroma saturation signals.
US08111260B2
Techniques and technologies are provided for binding resources to particular slots associated with shaders in a graphics pipeline. Resource dependencies between resources being utilized by each shader can be determined, and, based on these resource dependencies, common resource/slot associations can be computed. Each common resource/slot association identifies a particular one of the resources to be associated with a particular one of the slots.
US08111258B2
As a virtual plane used when converting a designation point, which is a touched position on a touch panel, into a control point, in a virtual three dimensional space, used for controlling a movement of an object, a first virtual plane is used when a ball is an object to be controlled; a second virtual plane is used when an object to be operated is a dog and an action mode thereof is an attention mode; a third virtual plane is used when the object to be operated is the dog and the action mode thereof is a lick mode; a fourth virtual plane is used when the object to be operated is the dog and the action mode thereof is a rope shake mode; and a fifth virtual plane is used when the object to be operated is the dog and the action mode thereof is a circle mode.
US08111253B2
In a radio access network, techniques for controlling relative usages, by different groups of access terminals in communication with a radio access network, of available power handling capacity of the radio access network, based on information about usages by different groups of access terminals in communication with the radio access network.
US08111250B2
A display for a transport unit. The transport unit includes a trailer that defines a space with at least one zone, and a vehicle that is attachable to the trailer. The vehicle has a passenger compartment and a rear view mirror. A sensor is in communication with the transport unit and senses a parameter of the transport unit. The transport unit also includes a housing that is coupled to the trailer, and that has a display with a screen configured to display the parameter. A controller is attached to the trailer and is in communication with the space. The controller is in electrical communication with the sensor and the display, and the controller is programmed to selectively switch the display between a forward view mode and a mirror view mode based on a relationship between the vehicle and the trailer.
US08111243B2
A method and apparatus to recognize a tap gesture on a sensing device. The method may include detecting a presence of a conductive object on a sensing device, determining a velocity of the detected presence of the conductive object, and recognizing a tap gesture based on the velocity. The velocity may be determined by determining a differential of the capacitance over time on a sensing device. The sensing device may include a plurality of sensor elements to detect the presence of the conductive object, and a processing device may be used to determine the velocity of the presence of the conductive object, and to recognize a tap gesture based on the velocity of the presence of the conductive object.
US08111239B2
Affordable methods and apparatus are disclosed for inputting position, attitude (orientation) or other object characteristic data to computers for the purpose of Computer Aided Design, Painting, Medicine, Teaching, Gaming, Toys, Simulations, Aids to the disabled, and internet or other experiences. Preferred embodiments of the invention utilize electro-optical sensors, and particularly TV Cameras, providing optically inputted data from specialized datum's on objects and/or natural features of objects. Objects can be both static and in motion, from which individual datum positions and movements can be derived, also with respect to other objects both fixed and moving. Real-time photogrammetry is preferably used to determine relationships of portions of one or more datums with respect to a plurality of cameras or a single camera processed by a conventional PC.
US08111232B2
Systems, devices, and methods for reducing direct current bias and/or enabling a simplified manner of polarity inversion in liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, a device may include a processor, a memory device, and a liquid crystal display having a pixel array including rows and columns of pixels. Each pixel of the pixel array may include a pixel electrode separated from a common electrode by a dielectric passivation layer, and may include a transistor to provide a data signal when the transistor is activated. The pixel array is configured such that a neutral amount of direct current bias is generated on the passivation layer when each row of pixels is activated. The common electrodes of certain pixels may be disposed above their respective pixel electrodes, while the common electrodes of certain other pixels may be disposed below their respective pixel electrodes.
US08111225B2
A liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal panel provided with plural gate lines to select a pixel and plural data lines to supply pixel data and a data driver dividing a single frame into plural fields and converting frame data into field data to supply the field data to the data line is provided. When the frame data has a tone change, the data driver performs correction to data of an odd-number field of the frame in a same direction as an increase/decrease direction of the tone change of the frame data, and performs correction to data of an even-number field of the frame in an opposite direction to the increase/decrease direction of the tone change of the frame data.
US08111221B2
A display panel device includes a luminescence element and a capacitor. A driving transistor includes a gate that is connected to a first electrode of the capacitor. A first switch is connected to the first electrode of the capacitor for setting a reference voltage to the first electrode of the capacitor. A data line supplies a data voltage to a second electrode of the capacitor. A second switch is connected between the data line and the second electrode of the capacitor. A wiring is connected to a first electrode of the luminescence element and the second electrode of the capacitor for interconnecting a first power line and the first electrode of the luminescence element with the second electrode of the capacitor, the second switch, and the data line. A third switch is connected in series with the driver between the first electrode of the luminescence element and the first power line.
US08111219B2
A pixel including an OLED, the pixel including a first transistor coupled between a data line and a first node, the first transistor being turned on by a low signal on an i-th scan line, a second transistor coupled between a first power source and a fifth transistor, a third transistor coupled between the gate electrode of the second transistor and an electrode of the second transistor that is coupled to the fifth transistor, the third transistor being turned on by a low signal on an (i−1)-th scan line, a fourth transistor coupled between a first reference voltage and the first node, the fourth transistor being turned on by the low signal on the (i−1)-th scan line, a storage capacitor coupled between the first node and the second node, and a compensator controlling a voltage of the second node corresponding to degradation of the OLED.
US08111213B2
A driving method of a plasma display device including a plurality of first electrodes divided into a plurality of groups including first and second groups, a plurality of second electrodes, and a plurality of third electrodes that intersect the plurality of first and second electrodes, may include dividing one frame into a plurality of subfields, each subfield including a reset period, an address period and a sustain period so as to be driven by a time division method, supplying a scan pulse and a scan reference voltage to the first group during a first address period in the address period, supplying a compensation pulse to at least one of the first and second groups during an address compensation period in the address period, and supplying the scan pulse and the scan reference voltage to the second group during a second address period in the address period.
US08111203B2
Disclosed is an antenna apparatus, including: a support member; a drum which is rotatably supported by the support member and whose outer circumference corresponds to faces of polygonal column; a case which covers the support member and the drum and which has a hole along a circumference direction of the drum; an antenna rod which extends from the outer circumference of the drum in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the drum toward an outside of the case through the hole of the case, and polyhedral faces which are provided inside the case and which are to be fitted into the outer circumference of the drum.
US08111190B2
A navigation apparatus and a navigation-related information display method acquire a plurality of orbit data from a plurality of GPS satellites, pinpoint the current geographical position of the apparatus according to the orbit data and distance data on the distances from the plurality of GPS satellites, display the acquiring progress level until completely acquiring a plurality of orbit data sufficient for pinpointing the current geographical position, count the remaining effective time of the plurality of orbit data acceptable for pinpointing the current geographical position and display the remaining effective time by means of a level mark that is provided with a gradation.
US08111188B2
To provide a smaller radar system having a simple structure with as small number of component parts as possible at a lower cost as compared to conventional ones. A radar system 1 including a 3 dB coupler 5 having four terminals, and a pulse generator 8. A first terminal 51 of the 3 dB coupler 5 is supplied with an output signal from a high frequency oscillator 2 while a second terminal 52 of the 3 dB coupler 5 is connected to a transmitting and receiving antenna 4. Third and fourth terminals 53 and 54 of the 3 dB coupler 5 are connected to two-state devices 6, 7, respectively, which are in impedance mismatched only for a predetermined period of time to totally reflect the signal from the 3 dB coupler 5 and are in impedance matched during the time period other than the predetermined time to direct a signal from the 3 dB coupler 5 to a subsequent electronic circuit. The pulse generator 8 causes the two-state devices 6, 7 to be impedance mismatched at the time of transmission and causes the two-state devices 6, 7 to be impedance matched at the time of reception.
US08111186B2
A weather radar system for improving output of potential lightning and hail weather conditions. An exemplary system includes a processor that receives and stores the weather radar reflectivity values into a three-dimensional buffer, receives an outside air temperature value, and determines freezing level based on the received outside air temperature value. The processor generates lightning icon(s) when a reflectivity value stored at cell(s) of the three-dimensional buffer above determined freezing level is greater than a first threshold amount. Also, the processor adds 1.6 km to the determined freezing level and generates hail icon(s) when a reflectivity value stored at cell(s) at the determined freezing level plus 1.6 km are greater than a second threshold amount. The display device displays the hail and lightning icons when an altitude value that corresponds to the cells associated with the generated lightning icons has been selected for display.
US08111185B2
A universal remote control device (100) is provided which is able to operate different electronic devices such as television sets, recorders, set top boxes, and audio systems. The universal remote control device (100) is provided with a database (10) in which control data collected from a plurality of individual physical remote control units (2) is stored in a structured manner. To enable the memory storing the database (10) to be kept small, repetitious and/or redundant control data is omitted. In addition, the database structure uses a hierarchical structure and inheritance. The control data of a physical remote in memory may be stored, therefore, in part in a child physical remote and also in one or more parent or grandparent virtual remotes. Such a structure enables control information which is common to a number of remotes to be stored in just a single occurrence.
US08111179B2
A rearview assembly includes a mounting structure for attaching to a vehicle. The mounting structure includes a housing that has a rearview element disposed inside for providing a driver of the vehicle with a view to the rear of the vehicle. The rearview assembly also includes a continuously variable slope delta encoder module in or on the mounting structure configured to generate a feedback signal. The rearview assembly also includes a pre-processing module on or within the mounting structure. The pre-processing module is configured to process a source signal and the feedback signal from the continuously variable slope delta encoder module, and to provide a pre-processed signal to the continuously variable slope delta encoder module based on the value of the source signal and the feedback signal.
US08111168B2
A smoke detector comprises a first housing to face an area in which to detect smoke, a second housing secured to the first housing, electronics to detect smoke within the area, and a flameproof barrier positioned between the first and second housings.
US08111167B2
The invention relates to a level indicator (100) for measuring the fill level of a container, with an electronic control and evaluation system (132, 232) and an interface (133, 233), that are positioned in a housing (131, 231); a sensor unit with a sensor and attachments; a signal cable (110, 210) for connecting the electronic control and evaluation system (132, 232) and the sensor unit; and a connecting device (120, 240), which produces both a mechanical connection between the sensor unit and the housing (131, 231) of the electronic control and evaluation system (132, 232), and an electrical connection between the interface (133, 233) of the electronic control and evaluation system (132, 232) and the signal cable (110, 210), such that both the mechanical and electrical connections produced by the connecting device (120, 240) are separable. The invention also relates to a process for assembling a level indicator (100) having a control and evaluation unit (130).
US08111163B2
Methods for manufacturing and application of RFID built-in cable, and dedicated RFID reading systems
Disclosed is a cable identifying system for accurately discriminating one cable from another on site over a long period of time, the system enabling a cable layer or a cable user, when laying out an RFID built-in cable, to do without manually writing any information in the RFID tags built in the cable. One cable having RFID tags built therein can be accurately realized. The individual ID's of the RFID tags are read and stored in a storage apparatus. When a part of the cable is cut, the ID's of the RFID tags nearest to the both end of the cable are read out, and the ID-related data of the RFID tags in the cut-out cable are recorded on a desired medium or electronic information medium.
US08111161B2
A method of monitoring a rotor blade of a turbine engine that includes a plurality of blades mounted to a rotor shaft, comprising: a) securing a RFID tag that includes an antenna to at least one of the rotor blades; b) securing a RFID reader on a stationary surface on the turbine engine in operational proximity to the RFID tag; and c) during operation of the turbine engine, monitoring the RFID tag with the RFID reader.
US08111150B2
Aspects and embodiments of the present invention provide a system for obtaining, processing and managing data from an implanted sensor. In some embodiments, a patient or other persons can use a flexible antenna to obtain data from the implanted sensor. The flexible antenna includes at least one transmit loop and at least one receive loop. The transmit loop is adapted to propagate energizing signals to the implanted sensor. The receive loop is adapted to detect a response signal from the implanted sensor. The transmit loop includes a capacitor formed by a discontinuous area. The capacitor is adapted to allow the loop to be tuned. The flexible antenna can communicate with a patient device that collects the data from the implanted sensor, creates a data file and transmits the data file to a remote server over a network. A physician or other authorized person may access the remote server using an access device.
US08111142B2
A non-contact ID tag writing apparatus capable of applying high-speed writing to a non-contact ID tag is realized. With a plurality of antennas (221 to 223) arranged along the direction in which tags (11) are transported, one antenna applies writing to one of the tags while the tags pass through the coverage area of the antenna. The antennas apply the writing to the respective tags different from one another, whereby the writing can be applied to all the tags in a row.
US08111137B2
An RFID tag reader/writer having a high degree of stability of communication with only a desired RFID tag. The frequency of a carrier wave to be transmitted from the RFID tag reader/writer is set on the basis of a resonance frequency of an antenna of the RFID tag located within a predetermined nearby communication area, which resonance frequency changes due to mutual coupling between the antenna of the RFID tag and an antenna of the RFID tag reader/writer. According to this setting, the RFID tag located within the nearby communication area has a high degree of sensitivity, and the RFID tag located outside the nearby communication area has a low degree of sensitivity, so that it is possible to effectively prevent an interference between the communication of the RFID tag reader/writer with the selected RFID tag and the communication of the reader/writer with the other or non-selected RFID tag.
US08111129B2
A resistor and design structure including a pair of substantially parallel resistor material lengths separated by a first dielectric are disclosed. The resistor material lengths have a sub-lithographic dimension and may be spacer shaped.
US08111124B2
An inductance element is not interfered by peripheral circuits when mounted on a wiring board by forming a closed magnetic path. The inductance element has a small reduction of an inductance value when a direct current is superimposed, and thus has excellent direct current superimposition characteristics. The temperature coefficient of the magnetic permeability of a ferrite sintered body which constitutes a magnetic core can be positive. The temperature coefficient of the magnetic permeability of a soft magnetic resin provided as an external covering to cover a coil and to fill a space between flange sections of the magnetic core is permitted to be −30 ppm/° C. or less.
US08111121B2
The invention relates to an actuator comprising a leaf spring attached to a carrier in at least one point of attachment, means for providing a magnetic field and means for guiding the magnetic field so as to provide a magnetic flux loop. A movable part of the leaf spring is movable relative to the means for providing the magnetic field. The actuator further comprises a drive core attached to the movable part of the leaf spring, which is incorporated in the flux loop, for imparting the relative movement to the movable part. The drive core is so positioned that the magnetic properties of the flux loop are changed under the influence of said relative movement for gearing the magnetic force on the drive core and the spring force of the leaf spring to each other.
US08111114B2
A tunable MEMS filter is disclosed, having a substrate with first and second isolated substrate areas. First and second anchor points are coupled to the substrate. A base is coupled to the first and second anchor points by first and second coupling beams, respectively. A dielectric layer is coupled to the base. An input conductor is coupled to the at least one dielectric layer. An output conductor is coupled to the at least one dielectric layer.A method of tuning a center frequency and a bandwidth of a MEMS resonator filter is also disclosed. A first bias voltage is adjusted between a base layer and input and output conductor layers. A second bias voltage is adjusted between the base layer and isolated substrate areas. The center frequency and the bandwidth are determined until the adjustments to the bias voltages provide a desired center frequency and a desired bandwidth.
US08111110B2
A low-noise voltage controlled oscillator is provided, to improve a phase noise characteristic and widen a frequency variable range. The low-noise voltage controlled oscillator is configured so that an oscillation element and a capacitor 2 are connected in series between a collector C and an emitter E of a transistor 1, capacitors 3 and 4 are connected in series between the collector C and the emitter E, an electrical potential between the capacitors 3 and 4 is applied to a base B of the transistor 1; a one-port circuit 6 is provided between the collector C and the capacitor 4; and a capacitor for correction 5 is connected in parallel with the capacitors 3 and 4. The one-port circuit 6 includes a tuned circuit provided with a variable capacitor adjusting a capacity thereof smaller and an inductor adjusting a value of inductance larger so as to set a value of impedance relatively large.
US08111105B1
An amplifier circuit comprising: a MOSFET amplifier circuit; a BJT amplifier circuit; a MOSFET switch circuit arranged for switching between the MOSFET amplifier circuit and the BJT amplifier circuit to implement different gain modes of the amplifier circuit.
US08111101B2
A digital pre-distortion system which can provide the flexibility to model the highly non-linear distortion associated with High Efficiency RF Power Amplifiers while through a novel implementation of a least squares estimation process allows an implementation well suited for an FPGA application where limited resources and in particular memory resources are available.
US08111099B2
A multi-channel audio playback apparatus including a channel interface, a first switching amplifier and a second switching amplifier is provided. The channel interface is used to receive multi-channel digital data and generate first channel digital data and second channel digital data. The first switching amplifier is used to convert the first channel digital data into a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal according to a first reference signal with a first frequency. The second switching amplifier is used to convert the second channel digital data into a second PWM signal according to a second reference signal with a second frequency. The second frequency is different from the first frequency.
US08111094B2
A sample and hold circuit is disclosed that provides longer hold times. An analog multiplexer circuit is also disclosed that exhibits low switch leakage. The analog multiplexer circuit comprises a shared node, a plurality of input circuits, a control input for selecting one or more of the plurality of input circuits, and an amplifier coupled to the shared node. Each input circuit comprises an input node, a primary input switch for selectively coupling an input to the input node, and a secondary input switch for selectively coupling the input node to the shared node, wherein the secondary input switch comprises one or more transistor switches. The parasitic drain and source diodes of one or more transistor switches in secondary input switch in a selected input circuit are coupled to a voltage that is distinct from an input signal of the selected input circuit. For input circuits not selected, the parasitic drain and source diodes of secondary input switch transistor switches are coupled to an output of the amplifier.
US08111091B2
Examples of systems and methods are provided for tracking-and-holding an input signal. The system may produce a pair of differential voltage outputs responsive to a pair of differential voltage inputs. The system may couple, in response to a clock signal, an input amplifier circuit to an output circuit or decouple the input amplifier circuit from the output circuit. The system may couple the input amplifier to an electrical ground. The system may track values of a pair of differential voltage outputs when a switching circuit is in a closed position and to hold the values of the pair of differential voltage outputs constant when the switching circuit is in an open position.
US08111090B2
A comparator apparatus for comparing a first and a second voltage input includes a pair of cross-coupled inverter devices, including a pull up device and a pull down device, with output nodes defined between the pull up and pull down devices. A first switching device is coupled to the first input and a second switching device is coupled to the second input, with control circuitry configured for selective switching between a reset mode and a compare mode. In the reset mode, the first and second voltage inputs are coupled to respective output nodes so as to develop a differential signal thereacross, and the pull down devices in each inverter are isolated from the pull up devices. In the compare mode, the voltage inputs are isolated from the output nodes, and the pull down devices in each inverter are coupled to the pull up devices to latch the output nodes.
US08111089B2
A logical building block and method of using the building block to design a logic cell library for CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon) ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) is disclosed. Different logic gates, built with the same building block as described in this invention, will have the same schematics of transistor connection and also the same physical layout so that they appear to be physically identical under optical or electron microscopy. An ASIC designed from a library of such logic cells is strongly resistant to a reverse engineering attempt.
US08111081B2
The present invention is a method for evaluating a silicon wafer by measuring, after fabricating a MOS capacitor by forming an insulator film and one or more electrodes sequentially on a silicon wafer, a dielectric breakdown characteristic of the insulator film by applying an electric field from the electrodes thus formed to the insulator film, the method in which the silicon wafer is evaluated at least by setting an area occupied by all the electrodes thus formed to 5% or more of an area of a front surface of the silicon wafer when the one or more electrodes are formed. This provides an evaluation method that can detect a defect by a simple method such as the TDDB method with the same high degree of precision as that of the DSOD method.
US08111076B1
This invention is concerned with a method for measuring the canopy rehydration pulse during the period of water application. During the rehydration process water leaks from the trunk xylem tubes into the sapwood extraxyllary region. A water content sensor in this region monitors the magnitude and timing of this leakage water thereby giving a measure of the magnitude and timing of the upward flow of water. The rehydration pulse is quantified by a sequence of measurements of sapwood water content: an initial measurement of water content just prior to water application, then measurement of water content during water application. The difference between the values obtained in the two measurements yields a measure of the leakage water in the extraxyllary region and, in turn, the magnitude and timing of the rehydration pulse. Determination of the onset and termination of the rehydration pulse is used to optimize the duration of water application.
US08111075B2
Electronic circuit for the detection of a capacitive variation on two distinct contact capacitors, (C1, C2), comprising means able of squaring the signals generated by a conventional pulse generator and filtered by two filters (R1, C1-R2, C2), wherein the respective capacitors (C1, C2) are the same said contact capacitors which are connected to a respective terminal to a common ground (G); said means are also able to generate respective signals formed of trains of squared pulses, to compare said two signals and to provide an output signal depending on the result of said signals comparison. Said output signal depends on the phase difference between the pulses of said two trains of squared pulses.
US08111070B2
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes an imaging condition acquisition unit and an imaging unit. The imaging condition acquisition unit acquires at least one of optimum amplitude and optimum phase of a radio frequency transmission signal so as to reduce a deviation of data in at least one region of interest set in an object. The imaging unit acquires image data by imaging according to an imaging condition including at least one of optimum amplitude and optimum phase.
US08111067B1
A patient is examined by magnetic resonance imaging in different positions relative to gravity by moving the patient relative to the magnet, and the acquired data is compared to show differences in anatomy due to differences in patient position. Individual data elements or groups of plural data elements representing particular locations in one set of image data can be compared with data elements associated with the same locations in another set of image data, to yield a set of comparison image data elements. The comparison data set can be used to detect difference caused by differences in position of the patient.
US08111060B2
A more precise and cost effective means than previously commercially available for measuring alternating currents up to 100 amperes in the frequency range from direct current to 100 kilohertz can be measured with precision approaching 0.001% employs a shield around a resistive network. The shield is electrically isolated from the resistive network, but acts as a heat sink to draw heat generated by the resistive network away, promoting fast stabilization times. The shield also provides electrical shielding from outside interference allowing the geometric arrangement of elements in the resistive network to minimize induced inductance and capacitance.
US08111055B2
A method of controlling a direct current (“DC”) chopper controller having a switch and a storage choke in which the choke has a current dependent on the switching of the switch on and off includes the following. A current variable derived from one of the time averaged value of the current of the choke and the peak value of the current of the choke is determined. A switching frequency for synchronizing the turning on and off the switch is calculated as a function of the current variable and on whether the current variable exceeds a current threshold. The switching frequency is determined to be a predetermined low frequency if the switching frequency is lower than the low frequency and is determined to be a predetermined high frequency if the switching frequency is greater than the high frequency. The switch is switched on and off in accordance with the switching frequency.
US08111048B2
A double fed synchronous generator motor which is coupled to a reversible pump-turbine and operated while switched to a power generating operation mode or a pumping operation mode, is equipped with a controller for controlling the double fed synchronous generator motor so that power output from the double fed synchronous generator motor is coincident with an instruction value and the rotating speed is set between upper and lower limit values of the rotating speed by changing exciting current. In the power generating operation mode, the lower limit value of the rotating speed is varied by active power output from the double fed synchronous generator motor, and when the active power is small, the lower limit value of the rotating speed is set to a smaller value than that when the active power is large.
US08111043B2
Streetlights along streets and in parking lots are often suitably located for a vehicle to park in immediate proximity. An electric vehicle charging system and method allows the power supply previously dedicated to the streetlight to be used for electric vehicle recharging whenever the streetlight is not lit. In some embodiments, if the total of the current drawn by the electric vehicle charging and the lit streetlight is less than the rating of the streetlight power supply, then charging may continue even while the streetlight is lit. Further, if an electric vehicle so charging offers a utility-interactive inverter, then upon demand the electric vehicle may be available to supply power back to the electric grid.
US08111029B2
A method for determining a direction of rotation for an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The motor is configured to rotate a blower and the method comprises rotating the blower using the ECM and determining if the resulting blower rotation is indicative of the desired direction of rotation for the blower.
US08111026B2
An ECU activates a shutdown permission signal and provides it to an AND gate when a shutdown signal is inactive. Thus, when an abnormality sensing device does not sense an abnormality, the ECU always keeps the shutdown permission signal active. The AND gate performs logical AND between a signal provided from the abnormality sensing device and the shutdown permission signal to provide the shutdown signal to inverters. When a limp-home run permission signal becomes active while the shutdown signal is active, the ECU inactivates the shutdown permission signal.
US08111012B2
A method and firmware for controlling an inverter voltage includes steps of receiving as input a digitized feedback signal representative of an inverter voltage that varies with frequency according to a transfer function, calculating a frequency of a digital switch control signal in firmware in an inverter voltage microcontroller by the transfer function from the digitized feedback signal to adjust the inverter voltage to a set point value, and generating the digital switch control signal having the calculated frequency by firmware in the inverter voltage microcontroller as output to generate the inverter voltage at the set point value.
US08111006B2
A light emitting diode driving apparatus 10 of the present invention includes: a driving voltage generating section 11 for generating a driving voltage Vout of an LED; a driving current control section 12 for PWM controlling driving currents iW1 to iW3 that flow through the LED; and a monitor voltage generating section 13 that monitors the driving voltage Vout, and that generates a monitor voltage Vm during an OFF period of the driving current by superposing on a predetermined reference voltage Vref, which is used as a standard, a voltage corresponding to a difference occurring in the driving voltage Vout during the OFF period. The driving voltage generating section 11 performs feedback control of the driving voltage Vout such that feedback voltages VW1 to VW3 are equal to the reference voltage Vref during an ON period of the driving current, and the driving voltage generating section 11 performs feedback control of the driving voltage Vout such that the monitor voltage Vm is equal to the reference voltage Vref during an OFF period of the driving current Vout.
US08111005B2
In a voltage supply module and a backlight assembly having the same, a converter is disposed on a first face of a board and converts basic voltage into driving voltage. A capacitor includes at least one first electrode connected to an output line of the converter and at least one second electrode disposed to be spaced apart from the first electrode along a direction substantially parallel with the first face. A plurality of the second electrodes are disposed on the board between the first electrodes. The first and second electrodes form a ballast capacitance.
US08111004B2
A system and method for color navigation through a CIELAB color space with coordinates hue (H), lightness (L), chroma (C), with intervals ΔH, ΔL, ΔC such that the perceptual color difference AE1Nv, defined according to the formula: AZW =^{AL)2+{fc(H)−ACf+[AH)2, is constant for steps in direction C and L and for steps in direction H along boundary of color space. fc(H) is a proportionality factor between 0 and 1 depending on hue. For hue values between red (H1) and green (H2), fc(H) =1. For hue values between green (H2) and blue (H3), the proportionality factor fc(H) is set to a constant value foB such that Nκ,GB(fGB) differs less than 50% from NH,RG—For hue values between blue (H3) and red (H1), the proportionality factor fc(H) is set to a constant value fβR such that N^BR^BR) differs less than 50% from NH,RG—.
US08110997B2
A LED drive circuit equipped with oscillator 18, up/down counter 20, and DAC 22 in order to drive multiple LEDs 10(1)-10(m) in a block. Up/down counter 20 carries out count-up/down operations in sync with clock CLK sent from oscillator 18 during the ramping up/down of pulse-lighting of the LEDs. DAC 22 converts counter count value DN into analog voltage signal VDAC and supplies it to the gate terminal of NMOS transistor 14 via low-pass filter 28 and buffer amplifier 24.
US08110988B2
A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp is disclosed for powering a small and bright bulb with a diameter of a few millimeters. The lamp is contained within a high dielectric constant material which guides the microwaves to the bulb, provides heat isolation to the drive circuit, contains the microwaves, provides structural stability and ease of manufacturing and allows efficient energy coupling to the bulb when used as a dielectric resonant oscillator.
US08110984B2
An organic light-emitting diode comprising a substrate, an organic light-emitting layer arranged between a first electrode and a transparent and semi-reflecting second electrode with a multilayer structure subdivided into: a first silver-based metallic layer in contact with the organic light-emitting layer, a second aluminum-based metallic layer, and a third dielectric layer, wherein the second metallic layer is inserted between the first metallic layer and the third dielectric layer of the transparent second electrode, the organic light-emitting layer comprises a doped sub-layer in contact with the first metallic layer of the transparent second electrode, and the thickness of the third dielectric layer is adjusted to limit the absorption by the first and second metallic layers of the light emitted by the diode.
US08110979B2
An inorganic electroluminescence device including a first electrode and a second electrode disposed apart from each other, and a dielectric material layer disposed between the first and second electrodes. The dielectric material layer has a micro-tubular shape, and a light emitting layer is filled in the dielectric material layer.
US08110974B2
An electron beam generating apparatus (1a) includes an electron gun (2), a vacuum container (3), a frame material (11), and a window material (13). The electron gun (2) has a filament (7) from which an electron beam (EB) is emitted. The vacuum container (3) holds the filament (7). The frame material (11) has an electron passing hole (11c) through which the electron beam (EB) passes, and is detachably attached to the vacuum container (3). The window material (13) is bonded (brazed) to the frame material (11) so as to airtightly stop up the electron passing hole (11c), and allows the electron beam (EB) to penetrate therethrough.
US08110970B2
A light-emitting device utilizing gaseous sulfur compounds is provided. This device includes a first substrate with an energy transmission coil disposed thereover, a dielectric barrier layer embedding underneath the energy transmission coil, a sealant wall circling around the dielectric barrier layer, a second substrate disposed against the first substrate and supported by the sealant wall, and a high-frequency oscillating power supply connected to the energy transmission coil. Normally the second substrate is a transparent substrate. Between the first and second substrates thereby defines an inner chamber, wherein a gaseous reactant comprising an inert gas and a sulfur-containing gas is filled. While powering up, the energy transmission coil induces an electromagnetic field within the inner chamber between the two substrates as causing decomposing/regenerating process cycles of sulfur molecules to lighting up the light-emitting device.
US08110969B2
The invention relates to the electrotechnical industry. Said invention makes it possible to reduce the production cost of, and improve the quality of, gas-discharge reflector lamps. The inventive gas-discharge reflector lamp comprises a light bulb and a burner arranged on current leads into the bulb. At least one half of the bulb's internal surface is coated with a reflective layer in such a way that a plane crossing the parallel edges thereof is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the burner. The bulb is embodied in the form of an ellipsoid. In the area delimited by the bulb neck and dome, the transversal edges of the reflecting layer are located on the cross-sections where the bulb neck and dome gradually transform into the ellipsoidal section, The plane passing through the longitudinal edges of the reflecting layer are located from the bulb axis at a distance H and falls in the range of 0.04-0.11 of the bulb maximum diameter D. The burner is positioned in such a way that, on the cross-section passing through the center of the bulb ellipsoid, the ratio between a distance I from the burner axis to the closest surface of the reflecting layer and a distance L from the burner axis to the edge of the reflecting layer located on the longitudinal section ranges from 0.56 to 0.68. A least one current lead is arranged between the burner and the reflecting layer on the longitudinal plane of symmetry.
US08110966B2
Piezoelectric frames are disclosed that include a tuning-fork type piezoelectric vibrating piece. The vibrating piece has at least a pair of vibrating arms that extend in a longitudinal direction (e.g., Y-direction) from a first end edge of a piezoelectric base, and at least one excitation electrode on the pair of vibrating arms. Respective supporting arms extend in the longitudinal direction, outboard of each vibrating arm. The vibrating piece is surrounded by and attached to a frame portion also made of piezoelectric material. A pair of connecting portions connects the supporting arms to the frame portion. The connecting portions extend from respective supporting arms to the frame portion in a direction that intersects the longitudinal direction. The connecting portions are connected to the frame portion at designated locations that are more than 50% of the designated length of the vibrating piece from the second end edge of the base.
US08110958B2
An electric motor has a rotor, a stator encompassing the rotor, at least one bearing bracket, and a rotor cover. The rotor cover has at least one cover cap extending from the bearing bracket to at least the front face of the stator, which faces the bearing bracket. The invention also relates to a rotor cover for an inner rotor motor, having at least one cover cap and cover fins adjoining the cover cap. The cover cap has a tapering portion from the side where the cover fins are mounted. The cover fins have a length corresponding to at least half of the length of the stator of the electric motor.
US08110956B2
The side wall of a motor casing is formed into a quadrangular shape such that four flat side portions, and arcuate corner portions located at respective corners are continuously joined together. A field magnet having a quadrangular external shape is formed such that four flat side portions, and four arcuate corner portions located at respective corners are continuously joined together. The arcuate corner portions of the motor casing and the arcuate corner portions of the field magnet extend along respective circles having a center located at the center of a motor shaft, and the central angles of the arcuate corner portions fall within a range of 15° to 35° inclusive. The field magnet is press-fitted or bonded into the motor casing such that the corner portions of the field magnet come into close contact with the corner portions of the motor casing.
US08110955B2
The magnetic bearing device contains soft-magnetic rotor disc elements, which radially engage inside one another, and soft-magnetic stator disc elements. These elements are, on their sides facing one another, provided with annular tooth-like projections that are opposite one another on either side of an air gap. In addition, magnetic field generators for generating a magnetic flux oriented in an axial direction between the disc elements are assigned to the rotor disc elements or to the stator disc elements.
US08110953B2
A motorized chuck-bearing group for a printing machine, powered by a brushless motor, comprises a casing housing a stator coil and a rotor, controlled both in velocity and activation times by a control circuit comprising an encoder device, in which a shaft supports permanent magnets in a peripheral arrangement, the shaft being coupled, internally of the casing, to the encoder device and extending outside the casing such as to support a chuck which rotates an object to be printed.
US08110946B2
An uninterruptible power supply with an input terminal and an output terminal, a main switch connected to the input terminal, an input filter circuit connected to the main switch, a rectifier circuit connected to the input filter circuit, a main capacitor connected to the rectifier circuit, a switching device connected to the capacitor and the output terminal, a voltage boost circuit connected to the capacitor and a battery input terminal, a slope control circuit connected to the voltage boost circuit, a slope selection circuit connected to the slope control circuit, and a control board connected to the slope selection circuit, where the control board has a central processing unit and memory.
US08110944B2
The invention provides a switching circuit and a power converter having a built-in power source for a conduction control terminal even if they have a single-arm structure. In the switching circuit having a switching device and a conduction control terminal power source capacitor, a negative terminal of the capacitor is connected to a reference voltage terminal of a main power source and to the gate terminal selectively through a half-bridge circuit and a positive terminal of the capacitor is selectively connected to a positive terminal of the main power source and to a source terminal of the switching device through a half-bridge circuit. The capacitor is charged when the positive terminal is connected to the main power source and discharges when the negative terminal is connected to the gate terminal and the positive terminal is connected to the source terminal and applies voltage to the gate terminal of the switching device.
US08110943B2
An energy-saving power socket with slave power supply, especially a power socket having plural receptacles, with power supply of part of the receptacles depending upon a working condition of a master receptacle of primary load that the slave receptacles are turned off when an electric appliance which takes electricity from the primary load receptacle stops working, primarily connects an end of an electronic control circuit to a manual switching device, an end of which is connected to the slave receptacles. When the control circuit operates, the slave receptacles will be guided to supply electricity, depending upon the working condition of the master receptacle. In addition, the control circuit does not consume electricity while not working.
US08110940B2
A control and monitoring system power supply is described that receives a single power input and distributes power to two distinct segments of a control and monitoring system network. The power supply includes a single power input configured to receive AC from a power source and at least partially convert the AC power to an operable voltage for a network device. Further, the power supply includes dual power output drivers that share power from the single power input and distribute the power to distinct network cable segments. Each of the dual power output drivers is separate and common grounded with respect to the other.
US08110936B2
The present invention provides a power transmission apparatus for wind power generation and a wind power generator using the same. The power transmission apparatus includes a first magnetic member which is provided around a rotating shaft of an impeller, and a second magnetic member which is provided around a rotor shaft of a generating unit. The second magnetic member is disposed at a position facing the first magnetic member such that similar poles of the first and second magnetic members face each other. Thus, when the impeller is rotated by wind, the rotor shaft of the generating unit is rotated by magnetic repulsive force between the first magnetic member and the second magnetic member. Thereby, the rotating force of the impeller is transmitted to the generating unit.
US08110924B2
In a DC-DC converter, a multilayer wiring layer is provided on a silicon substrate, and a control circuit configured to control an input circuit and an output circuit is formed in the silicon substrate and the multilayer wiring layer. Moreover, a sealing resin layer covering the multilayer wiring layer and a connecting member connected to an uppermost wiring of the multilayer wiring layer, penetrating the sealing resin layer and having an upper end portion protruding from an upper surface of the sealing resin layer are provided. The upper end portion of the connecting member is formed from a protruding electrode. Horizontal cross-sectional area of the connecting member connected to terminals of the output circuit is larger than horizontal cross-sectional area of the connecting member connected to terminals of the control circuit.
US08110923B2
An improved manufacturing method of a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes preparing a semiconductor substrate having an integrated circuit together with connection pads. The method also includes forming a dielectric film on the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming connection wires having a predetermined pattern on the dielectric film such that the connection wires are electrically connected to the connection pads. The method also includes forming a surface resin layer to partially cover the connection wire. The method also includes forming a metal film over the exposed connection wires. The method also includes forming a display unit having through holes to present identification information in a region corresponding to the center area of the semiconductor substrate on the surface resin layer. The forming of the metal film and the forming of display unit are carried out simultaneously.
US08110920B2
A mounting substrate for a processor includes a die side and a land side with a processor footprint configured on the die side. The processor footprint is coupled to at least one processor interconnect and a microelectronic die is embedded in the mounting substrate. The microelectronic die is coupled to the processor interconnect and communication between a processor to be installed on the processor footprint is in a rate between 10 Gb/s and 1 Tb/s.
US08110918B2
A flexible substrate used in a semiconductor package, a method of manufacturing the same, and a semiconductor package including the flexible substrate. A circuit pattern forming region is formed in an insulating substrate with a dented shape and a circuit pattern formed of a metallic material is formed in the circuit pattern forming region.
US08110909B1
A semiconductor package including top-surface terminals for mounting another semiconductor package provides a three-dimensional circuit configuration that can provide removable connection of existing grid-array packages having a standard design. A semiconductor die is mounted on an electrically connected to a circuit substrate having terminals disposed on a bottom side for connection to an external system. The die and substrate are encapsulated and vias are laser-ablated or otherwise formed through the encapsulation to terminals on the top surface of the substrate that provide a grid array mounting lands to which another grid array semiconductor package may be mounted. The bottom side of the vias may terminate and electrically connect to terminals on the substrate, terminals on the bottom of the semiconductor package (through terminals) or terminals on the top of the semiconductor die. The vias may be plated, paste-filled, filled with a low melting point alloy and may have a conical profile for improved plating performance.
US08110901B2
Vertical field effect transistor semiconductor structures and methods for fabrication of the vertical field effect transistor semiconductor structures provide an array of semiconductor pillars. Each vertical portion of each semiconductor pillar in the array of semiconductor pillars has a linewidth greater than a separation distance to an adjacent semiconductor pillar. Alternatively, the array may comprise semiconductor pillars with different linewidths, optionally within the context of the foregoing linewidth and separation distance limitations. A method for fabricating the array of semiconductor pillars uses a minimally photolithographically dimensioned pillar mask layer that is annularly augmented with at least one spacer layer prior to being used as an etch mask.
US08110896B2
A capacitor components embedded substrate structure comprises a substrate, capacitor components, a first and second dielectric layers, and a circuit layer. The substrate includes a first surface, a second surface, and a hole penetrating the first and the second surfaces. The capacitor components whose surface is pretreated with a roughness process is received in the hole of the substrate, such that at least one surface of the capacitor components is disposed with a plurality of electrode pads. The first and the second dielectric layers are formed on the surface of substrate and the surface of the capacitor components respectively such that the capacitor components are secured in position in the hole of the substrate. The first and the second dielectric layers have a plurality of openings to expose the electrode pads of the capacitor components. The circuit layer is formed on the surface of the first and second dielectric layers, and a conductive structure is formed in the opening of the first and second dielectric layers for electrically connecting the circuit layer to the electrode pads of the capacitor components. The present invention further provides a method for fabricating a capacitor components embedded substrate structure. The capacitor components embedded substrate structure and the method for fabricating the same of the present invention reinforces the bonding strength between the capacitor components and the substrate, reduces substrate package sizes, and allows circuit layout design to be more flexible.
US08110893B2
A fuse element utilizing a reaction between two layers by feeding current is manufactured. A fuse element including a first layer formed of an oxide or a nitride and a second layer that becomes high resistant by nitridation or oxidation, in which the first layer and the second layer are in contact with each other, is manufactured. For example, the fuse element is manufactured by using indium tin oxide for the first layer and aluminum for the second layer. By generating joule heat by applying voltage to the first layer and the second layer, oxygen in the indium tin oxide enters the aluminum, which changes the aluminum into aluminum oxide that presents an insulating property. The fuse element can be manufactured by a similar process as that of forming a TFT.
US08110892B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips; and a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs) including first TSVs and redundant TSVs and configured to commonly transfer a signal to the plurality of stacked semiconductor chips. At least one of the semiconductor chips includes a plurality of repair fuse units configured to store defect information as to at least one defect of the TSVs; and a plurality of latch units allocated to the respective TSVs and configured to store a plurality of signals indicating at least one TSV defect and outputted from the plurality of repair fuse units.
US08110889B2
In one embodiment a method for fabricating a compound nitride semiconductor device comprising positioning one or more substrates on a susceptor in a processing region of a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) chamber comprising a showerhead, depositing a gallium nitride layer over the substrate with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the MOCVD chamber by flowing a first gallium containing precursor and a first nitrogen containing precursor through the showerhead into the MOCVD chamber, removing the one or more substrates from the MOCVD chamber without exposing the one or more substrates to atmosphere, flowing a chlorine gas into the processing chamber to remove contaminants from the showerhead, transferring the one or more substrates into the MOCVD chamber after removing contaminants from the showerhead, and depositing an InGaN layer over the GaN layer with a thermal chemical-vapor-deposition process within the MOCVD chamber is provided.
US08110888B2
High voltage semiconductor devices with high-voltage termination structures are constructed on lightly doped substrates. Lightly doped p-type substrates are particularly prone to depletion and inversion from positive charges, degrading the ability of associated termination structures to block high voltages. To improve the efficiency and stability of termination structures, second termination regions of the same dopant type as the substrate, more heavily doped than the substrate but more lightly doped than first termination regions, are positioned adjoining the first termination regions. The second termination regions raise the field threshold voltage where the surface is vulnerable and render the termination structure substantially insensitive to positive charges at the surface. The use of higher dopant concentration in the gap region without causing premature avalanche is facilitated by only creating second termination regions for regions lacking field plate protection.
US08110881B2
A MRAM cell structure includes a bottom electrode; a magnetic tunnel junction unit disposed on the bottom electrode; a top electrode disposed on the magnetic tunnel junction unit; and a blocking layer disposed on the top electrode, wherein the blocking layer is wider than the magnetic tunnel junction unit for preventing against formation of a short circuit between a contact and the magnetic tunnel junction unit.
US08110877B2
A contact to a source or drain region. The contact has a conductive material, but that conductive material is separated from the source or drain region by an insulator.
US08110873B2
A high voltage transistor that includes a substrate where an active region is defined, a first impurity region and a second impurity region in the active region and a third impurity region between the first and second impurity regions, and a first gate electrode on the active region between the first impurity region and the third impurity region and a second gate electrode on the active region between the second impurity region and the third impurity region.
US08110868B2
A semiconductor component having a semiconductor body is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor component includes a drift zone of a first conductivity type, a drift control zone composed of a semiconductor material which is arranged adjacent to the drift zone at least in places, a dielectric which is arranged between the drift zone and the drift control zone at least in places. A quotient of the net dopant charge of the drift control zone, in an area adjacent to the accumulation dielectric and the drift zone, divided by the area of the dielectric arranged between the drift control zone and the drift zone is less than the breakdown charge of the semiconductor material in the drift control zone.
US08110866B2
Disclosed herein are non-volatile memory devices with asymmetric source/drain junctions and a method for fabricating the same. According to the method, a gate stack is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and impurity ions are implanted at a predetermined angle to form a source/drain junction in the semiconductor substrate. Thermal treatment of the semiconductor substrate forms an asymmetrically disposed source/drain junction between adjacent gate stacks.
US08110861B1
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for fabricating a MIM capacitor in a semiconductor die includes a step of depositing a first interconnect metal layer. The method further includes depositing a high-k dielectric layer comprising AlNX (aluminum nitride) on the first interconnect layer. The method further includes depositing a layer of MIM capacitor metal on the high-k dielectric layer. The method further includes etching the layer of MIM capacitor metal to form an upper electrode of the MIM capacitor. According to this exemplary embodiment, the first interconnect metal layer, the high-k dielectric layer, and the layer of MIM capacitor metal can be deposited in a PVD process chamber. The method further includes etching the high-k dielectric layer to form a MIM capacitor dielectric segment and etching the first interconnect metal layer to form a lower electrode of the MIM capacitor.
US08110856B2
A solid-state imaging device having a high sensitivity and a structure in which a miniaturized pixel is obtained, and a method for manufacturing the solid-state imaging device in which an interface is stable, a spectroscopic characteristic is excellent and which can be manufactured with a high yield ratio. The solid-state imaging device includes at least a silicon layer formed with a photo sensor portion and a wiring layer formed on the front-surface side of the silicon layer, and in which light L is made to enter from a rear-surface side. The thickness of the silicon layer 4 is 10 μm or less.
US08110851B2
A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device 100 includes a GaN substrate 10, of which the principal surface is an m-plane 12, a semiconductor multilayer structure 20 that has been formed on the m-plane 12 of the GaN-based substrate 10, and an electrode 30 arranged on the semiconductor multilayer structure 20. The electrode 30 includes an Mg layer 32, which contacts with the surface of a p-type semiconductor region in the semiconductor multilayer structure 20.
US08110834B2
A three-dimensional semiconductor device includes a vertical channel pattern on the substrate, a plurality of cell gate patterns and a select gate pattern stacked on the substrate along the sidewall of the vertical channel pattern, a charge storage pattern between the vertical channel pattern and the cell gate pattern and a select gate pattern between the vertical channel pattern and the select gate pattern. The select gate pattern has a different work function from the cell gate pattern.
US08110833B2
A display device includes: a transparent substrate; gate electrodes which are stacked on the transparent substrate; semiconductor films which are stacked above the gate electrodes and constitute thin film transistors together with the gate electrodes; source electrodes and drain electrodes which are formed above the semiconductor films; an insulation film which is stacked between the source electrodes and the semiconductor films and between the drain electrodes and the semiconductor films; and contact holes which are formed in the insulation film so as to connect the source electrodes and the drain electrodes with the semiconductor films. The semiconductor film includes a connection region which is positioned at least below the contact hole and is connected with the source electrode, and a connection region which is positioned at least below the contact hole and is connected with the drain electrode, and impurities are implanted into the connection regions.
US08110832B2
An electro-optical substrate, including: a transparent substrate; a first light-shielding layer arranged on a first surface of the transparent substrate, in at least part of a region surrounding an opening in plan view; a first insulating layer arranged in a position facing the transparent substrate with the first light-shielding layer interposed therebetween, the first insulating layer having a refraction index n and a layer thickness t measured in nanometers, and covering at least part of the first light-shielding layer; a semiconductor layer, arranged in a position facing the transparent substrate, with the first light-shielding layer interposed therebetween, containing part of a thin film transistor, the thin film transistor including a channel region which is, in plan view, positioned within the first light-shielding layer, a corner edge of the first light-shielding layer and a corner edge of the channel region having a distance Lc therebetween in nanometers, the distance Lc satisfying relational expression 1: nt2<244Lc; a gate insulating layer covering the channel region; a gate electrode arranged in a region facing the channel region, with the gate insulating layer being interposed therebetween; a second insulating layer arranged to a position covering at least the gate electrode; and a second light-shielding layer provided in a position facing the semiconductor layer with the second insulating layer interposed therebetween, so as to cover at least the channel region.
US08110829B2
A thin film transistor (TFT) for a liquid crystal display device includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, an active region including a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer interposed within the first semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact layer formed on the active region, wherein the source and drain electrodes are formed on the ohmic contact layer.
US08110817B2
A probe array includes a probe-carrying substrate and a base member. The probe-carrying substrate has first and second principal surfaces extending parallel to each other, and a plurality of probe carriers carrying probe molecules. The base member has a reference surface extending parallel to a fluorescence-receiving surface, and a seating surface supporting the probe-carrying substrate and extending in a direction other than a direction parallel to the reference surface. The probe carriers each have a plurality of surfaces forming different angles with respect to the fluorescence-receiving surface, the plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and uprising surfaces extending from the bottom surface. Accordingly, the plurality of surfaces have different sensitivities, realizing a wide dynamic range.
US08110812B2
A method for detecting nitrogenous materials within an object by means of Gamma-Resonance Absorption (GRA), including placing on one side of an object a target containing 13C for bombardment with a proton beam of approximately 1.75 MeV energy, to produce a source of 9.172 MeV gamma-rays for scanning the object, reading from the gamma-ray detector the total and the non-resonant attenuations of the incident photon flux, and deriving from the attenuations the net resonant attenuation and the spatial distribution thereof; wherein scanning the object includes: I. performing a rapid pre-scan to classify the overall gamma-ray-attenuation regime and locate regions of high physical density, in which longer scanning times might be required; II. performing a full scan to identify and locate regions that contain nitrogenous materials; and III. performing a plurality of scans in same or different segments to establish presence of explosives.
US08110811B2
Devices and methods are disclosed which relate to the calibration and quality assurance of motion tracking enabled radiation therapy machines. A phantom, capable of mimicking human breathing through inflation and deflation of the lungs, houses an independently moving target (tumor) that detects the amount of radiation received from the radiation therapy machine. This amount can be compared with a desired amount to determine if adjustment or repositioning is necessary. The servo-mechanism(s) of the motion tracking enabled radiation therapy machine(s) are adjusted in comparison of detected versus programmed motion of the respiring phantom having incorporated independently moving target that incorporated radiation dose detector(s). In the invention, motion tracking and irradiation mechanisms of the radiation therapy machine are adjusted to calibrate with reference to performance specifications of the radiation therapy machine.
US08110806B2
A solid-state photomultiplier is provided for use in imaging detectors. The solid-state photomultiplier includes a plurality of microcells configured to detect impinging photons. Each of the plurality of microcells further includes a photodiode coupled to a common electrode through a quenching resistor and configured to convert the impinging photons into electrical signals, and an impedance device coupled in parallel with the quenching resistor so as to reduce overall quenching impedance at high frequency. Further, techniques are provided for implementing low impedance device with controllable value to the SSPM for optimized timing resolution.
US08110803B2
This invention relates to optical sighting apparatus systems, and to methods for visualization and for identifying remote target surface areas without physical contact for the purpose of measurement and/or of treatment of the remote surface. An arrangement of projected light beams indicates the position and size of the target surface in relation to a measurement detector or treatment device, so that the device is accurately directed to the target. In a preferred arrangement separate laser beams form a light distribution indication or brightness pattern at the target and the device is sighted toward the pattern on the target surface area.
US08110797B2
A method of enhanced speciation of both positive and negatives species in an analyte is disclosed. The method can include producing a first analyte solution comprising an analyte composition and an effective amount of silver triflate, and analyzing the first analyte solution with an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer. The method can also include producing a second analyte solution comprising a portion of the analyte composition and an effective amount of a compound of formula I, and analyzing the second analyte solution with an electrospray ionization mass spectrometer. The compound of formula I is [NX+][OH−], where X is a linear, branched, or cyclic C1-C10 alkane; an aryl; a heterocyclic aromatic; or a heterocyclic moiety.
US08110796B2
The production and use of silicon microcolumn arrays that harvest light from a laser pulse to produce ions are described. The systems of the present invention seem to behave like a quasi-periodic antenna array with ion yields that show profound dependence on the plane of laser light polarization and the angle of incidence. By providing photonic ion sources, this enables enhanced control of ion production on a micro/nano scale and direct integration with miniaturized analytical devices.
US08110780B2
To provide a photo-irradiation type heat treatment apparatus that eliminates the adverse influence of a light transmitting window on the temperature distribution of an article to be treated without losing the original function of a reflecting mirror a photo-irradiation type heat treatment apparatus in which heat treating of an article is performed by irradiating the article with light emitted from multiple filament lamps through a light transmitting window, by providing the apparatus with a reflecting mirror having an opening at its central area so that cooling air can pass therethrough and by providing an air permeable reflector so as to cover the opening in the reflecting mirror.
US08110772B1
A system and method of multi-pass computer controlled narrow-gap Electroslag welding allowing a faster vertical rate of rise at a much lower voltage, and that includes welding selected narrow-gaps within segments of a weld cavity between heavy plate steel workpieces and attendant control of the heat transfer depth penetration from the weld puddle to the workpieces according to a pre-determined profile resulting in a smaller heat affected zone and smaller grain structure in the weld metal.
US08110758B2
A mode dial device is set in an electrical device. The mode dial device includes a rotary member and a pressure detection module. The rotary member includes a main body, a shaft portion connecting the main body and the electrical device, and a contact portion located at the bottom of the main body with an inclined surface. The pressure detection module is electrically coupled to the electrical device and located under the rotary member. The pressure detection module includes a button portion which is movable vertically. The button portion contacts the contact portion. When the rotary member is rotated, the contact portion pushes the button portion of the pressure detection module. The pressure detection module outputs a signal according to a moving distance of the button portion.
US08110756B2
An electronic device includes a housing and a positioning portion. The housing includes a first member secured to the housing and a second member secured to the first member. The positioning portion is configured to position the second member at a predetermined position relative to the first member when the second member is secured to the first member in an assembly process of the electronic device.
US08110743B2
An electrical box cover including a housing and a hood pivotally attached to the housing and moveable between an open and closed position. The housing includes a base wall adapted to be attached to an electrical box. The base wall is surrounded by an outwardly extending side wall. The side wall includes a first opening defined by an edge. A guard having an opening formed therein is insertable over the first opening and securable to the side wall.
US08110742B2
A temporary protective cover for an electrical box having an open front end. In some embodiments of the invention, the cover is constructed for attachment directly to a circular type electrical box and includes a circular plate of plastic having a pair of flexible wings for use in securing the cover to the electrical box and a pair of punch-outs for use in securing the cover to the electrical box. In some other embodiments of the invention the cover is constructed for attachment to a circular plaster ring which can be attached to a commercial type circular electrical box and include a pair of flexible wings for use in securing the cover to the plaster ring and a pair of punch-outs for use in securing the cover to the plaster ring.
