US08380262B2
A slide phone includes a first body, a main sheet, a second body, a pair of lever, a keypad, and a pair of supports. The main sheet is mounted on the first body. The second body is slidably installed on the main sheet and capable of moving relative to the first body. When the slide phone is closed, the second body forms a receiving space together with the first body. The levers are positioned to opposite sides of the first body. The keypad is mounted on the levers and can be accommodated in the receiving space when the slide phone is closed, and can be lifted by the levers to be substantially coplanar with an upper surface of the second body when the slide phone is opened. The pair of supports is mounted on the first body adjacent to the lever correspondingly.
US08380251B2
A system for communicating information facilitates wireless communication between electronic devices. The system includes a transceiver provided in a vehicle. The transceiver communicates with an electronic device located external to the transceiver using a Bluetooth communications standard.
US08380247B2
A wireless mobile phone is equipped to operate in an unauthenticated and an authenticated mode of operation, depending on whether a user has been authenticated. In one embodiment, the wireless mobile phone includes a number of sensors to enable a user's heart beat profile to be captured and be used for authentication. In one embodiment, authentication is performed by comparing the real time captured heart beat profile against a reference heart beat profile. In one embodiment, the reference heart profit is retrieved from an identity card. The wireless mobile phone further includes a reader to retrieve the reference heart beat profile from the identity card.
US08380244B2
A technique for communication with a local area network (LAN) via a wireless connection determines whether a first short-range, high-speed, wireless communication path is available and connects to the LAN using a longer range, lower speed wireless communication path if the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path is not available. The low-range, high-speed wireless communication path is a wireless communication path is a wireless LAN connection such as an IEE 802.11-compliant wireless LAN and the long-range, low-speed wireless communication mode is a cellular CDMA-type connection. Determining whether the first IEEE 802.11 mode is available can be done by detecting a beacon signal, or transmitting a probe request message and detecting a probe response message in response to the probe request, indicating the presence or availability of the short-range, high-speed wireless communication path. Alternatively, the availability of short-range, high-speed wireless communication path can be detected by simply detecting activity on it.
US08380242B2
Systems for audio and video communication used in a mobile electronic device are provided. An embodiment of a system comprises a display object generation unit, an acoustic object generation unit and a transport unit. The display object generation unit repeatedly generates display objects corresponding to intensity of light sensed by an image sensor module of the mobile electronic device. The acoustic object generation unit repeatedly generates acoustic objects corresponding to sound signals detected by a microphone of the mobile electronic device. The transport unit simultaneously transports the generated display and acoustic objects to a computer host when the mobile electronic device operates as a webcam.
US08380240B2
This invention measures the propagation delay τ1 between the user equipment and a first cooperating unit and the propagation delay τ2 between the user equipment and a second cooperating unit. These propagation delays are used to compute a timing advance amount to the user equipment to enable coordinated multi-point reception. In a first embodiment one cooperating unit receives a function of the propagation delay, computes the timing advance amount and transmits a timing advance command to the user equipment. In a second embodiment a central unit performs these operations.
US08380239B2
A method and system for controlling the transmitting power of an antenna is provided, the system including a detecting device directly receiving signals from the antenna, the detecting device configured to obtain a voltage standing wave ratio of the antenna; and a control device coupled to the detecting unit. The control device includes a monitoring unit configured to calculate a real transmitting power value of the antenna based on the voltage standing wave ratio; a comparing configured to compare the real transmitting power value with an expected power value to generate an error value; and an adjusting unit configured to output a power adjusting signal for controlling the transmitting power of the antenna based on the error value.
US08380230B2
Various embodiments of systems, methods, computer devices, and computer software for providing an integrated SMS/WAP advertisement are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a system for providing SMS-sponsored WAP advertisements. One such system comprises a short messaging service (SMS) application server and a web server. The SMS application server is configured to send a short message service (SMS) message to a mobile terminal that has an embedded link to a wireless access protocol (WAP) site. The embedded link includes a predetermined parameter identifying an advertiser associated with the SMS message. The web server is configured to receive a request for the WAP site. If the request includes the predetermined parameter, it is determined that the request originated from the SMS message and the WAP site is provided to the mobile terminal with an advertisement associated with the advertiser.
US08380221B2
A configuration device for configuring a wireless device within a wireless cell can include a receiving unit configured to receive a request message from a wireless device within a wireless cell. In addition, the configuration device can include a first processing unit configured to determine location information of the wireless device, and a second processing unit configured to determine a communication capacity of the wireless device, and to estimate a communication requirement based on the request message. Furthermore, the configuration device can have a transmitting unit configured to transmit optimal information to the wireless device with respect to the request message.
US08380218B2
The present invention is related to an apparatus and method for determining the location of a communication device within a wireless network in order to provide a geolocation functionality to the communication device participating under an access protocol of a wireless local-area network (WLAN) infrastructure such as IEEE 802.11 or Hiperlan. The apparatus comprises at least two transponder units for communicating with the communication device when the communication device is situated in a coverage area of the wireless network and a processing unit for deriving the location of the communication device within the coverage area in dependence on information received from the transponder units.
US08380217B2
An access point management facility manages use of an access point configured for IP-based communications in a telecommunications system. The facility allows for the establishment of one or more static and/or dynamic parameters for limiting use of the access point for IP-based communications. The facility monitors traffic on the access point and determines whether any requests for use of the access point complies with the parameters for limiting use. The facility then denies or redirects a request for use of the access point if otherwise permitting the request would not comply with the parameters for limiting use of the access point.
US08380213B2
A method for causing a user agent to release at least one of uplink and downlink semi-persistent communication resources in a mobile communication system, the method comprising the steps of, at the user agent receiving a downlink communication via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), using a semi persistent scheduling radio temporary network identifier (SPS-RNTI) assigned to the device to decode a control message on physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) which may include downlink control information (DCI) in a plurality of DCI fields arranged in a DCI format and where the data from the at least one of the DCI fields is identical to a fixed SPS release value, releasing at least one of the uplink and down link semi-persistent communication resources.
US08380212B2
A base station apparatus and method of transmission of dynamic feedback channel information in a MIMO system. The base station apparatus includes a first channel state information receiving unit to receive a first channel state information; a receiving terminal selection unit to select at least one receiving terminal to receive data from among a plurality of terminals; a quantization length determination unit to independently determine a second quantization length of the selected receiving terminal; a quantization length transmission unit to transmit the second quantization length to the selected e receiving terminal; a second channel state information receiving unit to receive second channel state information from the selected receiving terminal; and a data transmission unit to transmit data to the selected receiving terminal using a plurality of transmission antennas of a base station based on the second channel state information.
US08380209B1
When a caller initiates a call to a mobile terminal that is served by visited switch, information is provided to the caller based on the temporary directory number assigned to the mobile terminal by the visited switch. The information provided to the caller may relate to the location of the mobile terminal, include call processing options for the caller, or a combination thereof. When call processing options are provided, the caller may select an option and have the call processed accordingly. For example, the call processing options may include being routed to voicemail, a third party, or the originally called party. Other criteria may be used to assist in selecting the information to provide to the caller, such as the identification of the caller, the time, date, or differences in time zones between the home and visited networks.
US08380208B2
A terminal device (1) is provided with: a trigger judging section (6) judging whether an event trigger for performing handover from a macrocell to a CSG cell has occurred or not; a first measurement result reporting section (7) transmitting a first measurement result report which includes the PCI of a CSG cell for which an event trigger has occurred, to an eNB; a CGI detecting section (9) detecting the CGI of the CSG cell for which the event trigger has occurred, on the basis of measurement setting information transmitted from the eNB; and a second measurement result reporting section (10) transmitting a second measurement result report which includes the detected CGI, to the eNB. When event triggers have continuously occurred, a report transmission controlling section (13) controls transmission of the measurement result reports on the basis of the reception qualities of the CSG cells to reduce the frequency of transmission of the measurement result reports. Thereby, it is possible to control waste of wireless resources and prevent communication interruption from frequently occurring.
US08380204B2
A method for computer-aided mapping of system information medium access control protocol messages onto a plurality of transport channels for transmission using an orthogonal frequency division multiple access method, wherein a scheduling of system information data packets information in the context of the mapping on a transport channel of the plurality of transport channels is carried out dependent on the type of the system information.
US08380198B2
A system and method for handoff are provided. A mobile station performs a make-before-break handoff of a control channel between a serving and target base station and a break-before-make handoff of a traffic channel between the serving and target base stations. The traffic channel handoff is performed after the control channel handoff has completed.
US08380189B2
A method is described for handling services in a service providing network. The network comprises a serving network node connected to one or more application servers. The method comprises the steps of a first terminal comprising one or more services, preferably VoIP services, sending a registration message to the serving network node associated with the user terminal; providing the serving network node in response to the registration message, with service routing information associated with the first terminal, the service routing information arranged to prevent registration of the first terminal to services residing on the application servers and corresponding with one or more services in the first terminal.
US08380184B2
A mobile device assists installation of an outdoor broadband unit on a customer premises. The device identifies one or more cell towers, associated with a broadband carrier, within a horizon of the customer premises. The device recognizes a connection with the outdoor broadband unit and receives, from the outdoor broadband unit and at multiple locations around the customer premises, RF signal readings of each of the one or more cell towers. The device provides, to a user, an indication of one or more optimal installation locations, based on the RF signal readings, for the outdoor broadband unit.
US08380182B2
An apparatus including a processing system configured to determine an imbalance indicator from each sector in an active set; and boost overhead power based on the imbalance indicator from each of the sectors. A method for performing the process is also disclosed herein.
US08380162B2
Systems and methods are provided for notifying an extended group of persons that a person has requested assistance from a private response center. In one example, an electronic communication is received from the first person, requesting assistance. One or more potential assisting persons are automatically identified as being in position to render assistance to the first person. An electronic message is sent to the one or more potential assisting persons indicating that the first person has requested assistance. The potential assisting persons may be identified based at least in part on their proximity to the first person, for example based on their interaction with the same cell of a cellular communications network, or based on global positioning system data. The electronic message may contain other information, such as information about the first person. In this way, the original caller may be assisted more quickly than would otherwise occur.
US08380155B1
Aspects of the disclosure can provide a second order low pass filter. The second order low pass filter can work in current domain, and have high linearity for in-band signals and out-of-band signals. The second order low pass filter can include a MOS transistor having a gate terminal, a current input terminal and a current output terminal, a first capacitor coupled between the current input terminal and a ground connection and a second capacitor coupled between the gate terminal and the current input terminal.
US08380147B2
A power amplifier circuit can be linked to an antenna arrangement of a communication system for transmission of ASK RF data signals. The power amplifier circuit includes an amplifier core with several cascode amplifier cells in parallel. Each cascode amplifier cell is composed of three NMOS transistors in triode mounting between an output terminal connected to the antenna arrangement, and an earth terminal. A first transistor of each cascode amplifier cell is controlled by a carrier frequency signal, whereas a second transistor of each cascode amplifier cell is controlled by a smoothing control loop in order to modulate data to be transmitted on carrier frequency by amplitude shift keying. The smoothing control loop is provided for generating an increasing gate voltage for the second transistors on the basis of an increasing current ramp from a first minimum current value to a second maximum current value during a “0” to “1” data transition. The smoothing control loop is provided for generating a decreasing gate voltage for the second transistors on the basis of a decreasing current ramp from the second maximum current value to the first minimum current value during a “1” to “0” data transition for shaping the envelope of ASK RF data signals to be transmitted.
US08380146B2
A device includes: an input for receiving an RF input signal having a signal format selected among a plurality of signal formats, including at least one signal format to be linearly amplified, and at least another signal format be amplified in saturation; at least a first and a second output; a first amplification path from the input to the first output that includes a first amplifier that operates in a linear amplification mode with respect to the RF input signal; a second amplification path from the input port to the second output that includes the first amplifier, and a second amplifier that operates in saturated amplification with respect to the RF input signal; and a path selection device that selectively passes the RF input signal through the first amplification path or the second amplification path in response to the selected signal format of the RF input signal.
US08380144B1
Systems and methods for providing digital predistortion to compensate for a non-linearity of a power amplifier in a dual-band transmitter are disclosed. In one embodiment, a first baseband signal is tuned to a first intermediate frequency to provide a first intermediate frequency signal. Likewise, a second baseband signal is tuned to a second intermediate frequency to provide a second intermediate frequency signal. The first and second intermediate frequency signals are combined to provide a combined intermediate frequency signal. The combined intermediate frequency signal is then predistorted to compensate for the non-linearity of the power amplifier in the transmitter to thereby provide a predistorted signal. In one embodiment, a separation between the first and second intermediate frequencies and/or a sampling rate for predistortion is minimized based on a target intermodulation order for the predistortion.
US08380142B2
An electronic device, e. g. a measuring transducer, has an interface circuit for communicating with and receiving power from a two-wire line, said interface circuit has a modulator connected to the two-wire line and responsive to an information signal for modulating the current in the two-wire line according to the information signal, and further has a controllable switching type DC-to-DC converter for extracting power for the electronic device from the two-wire line. To reduce energy losses, the DC-to-DC converter is designed to be controlled by said information signal and to perform the function of the modulation means.
US08380122B2
A wireless repeater includes a channel estimation block to estimate a feedback channel between the antennas of the repeater using frequency domain channel estimation. The repeater includes a pilot signal blanking circuit to blank out a selected number of samples of the pilot signal to improve the accuracy of the channel estimation. In another embodiment, the repeater replaces T samples of the pilot signal with a cyclic prefix.
US08380121B2
The invention provides a system and method for efficiently measuring and reporting performance relative to established learning outcomes for students, professors, classes, courses and programs. The invention provides an evidence-based approach to measuring student achievement and increasing educator accountability. Using associations between learning content, assessment content, and learning outcomes, the invention facilitates measurement of student achievement, content effectiveness, and teaching effectiveness, through reporting of student, class, teacher, course, and institution performance relative to set outcomes in an on-line educational environment.
US08380116B2
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus comprising a cleaning unit with a blade holder that rotates about a pivot point, the cleaning blade is coupled to the blade holder and is positioned to chisel excess toner from a photoreceptor surface. Geometrical changes produce a blade having a plurality of slanted surfaces at the working end of the blade one at an obtuse angle, in the range of 93 degrees to 97 degrees, and a second at an acute angle that forms an offset point between the cleaning edge and the intersection of the two angles. A double cut allows for improvement in the cleaning tip stiffness using the first cut, while the second cut increases the contact width and improves the pressure distribution at the working edge.
US08380115B2
A lubricant applicator rotatable at multiple different linear velocities, including a rotatable lubricant applying member to scrape a lubricant and to apply the lubricant to a surface of an image carrier rotatable at multiple different linear velocities. Any given linear velocity of the lubricant applying member satisfies a relation of n1/N1>n2/N2> . . . nx/Nx, where N1, N2, . . . Nx (N1
US08380111B2
With a structure in which gear trains 5, 6 of a developer supply container 1 are locked by a locking member 7, and the gear trains 5, 6 receive a drive from a gear 12 of a developer receiving apparatus 10, thus accomplishing automatic setting rotation of developer supply container 1, when the developer supply container 1 is once dismounted and then remounted, the locking member 7 is in a non-locking position, and therefore, the setting rotation of the developer supply container 1 cannot be effected automatically.With inserting operation of the developer supply container 1, an inducing portion 7c of the locking member 7 is pushed and raised by a guide portion 10j provided in a groove portion of the developer receiving apparatus 10, so that locking member 7 effects its locking operation. Therefore, upon completion of the insertion of the developer supply container 1, the gear trains 5, 6 are locked by the locking member 7, and therefore, the setting rotation of the developer supply container 1 can be properly effected.
US08380110B2
A drive transmission device includes: a driving member configured to rotate by a first electric current and having an attracting portion configured to generate magnetic force by a second electric current; a driven member having an attracted portion, the attracted portion facing the driving member and configured to be attached to the attracting portion by the magnetic force, so that the driven member integrally rotates with the driving member when the attracting portion is coupled to the attracted portion; and a controller configured to control the first electric current and the second electric current, the controller configured to apply the first electric current and then the second electric current.
US08380106B2
A bearing plate for rotably supporting a photoconductor drum having a center shaft according to one exemplary embodiment includes a body having a first side, a second side, and an edge surface between the first and second sides. A center hole extends through the body for rotably receiving an end of the center shaft and positionally referencing an outer surface of the photoconductor drum to a center axis of the center hole. A support arm extends from the body in a non-radial direction. The support arm has a mounting surface for receiving an additional component positionally referenced to the center axis. An assembly for use in an image forming device according to one embodiment includes a photoconductor drum having a center shaft and a pair of substantially identical bearing plates mounted on opposite ends of the photoconductor drum. The bearing plates are translated from one another and have identical orientations.
US08380104B2
A replacement unit includes a bottom member and a guide groove. The bottom member is supported at one of plural support members. The guide groove provided at the bottom member, is guided by plural protrusions provided at the support member and disposed in a row, and extends in an installation direction along which the replacement unit is installed in a device body from sideward of the device body.
US08380101B2
A photosensitive member unit detachably mountable to each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses including a voltage supplying mechanism adapted to different commercial power sources. The photosensitive member unit includes a photosensitive member on which an electrostatic image is to be formed; a resistor configured and positioned to generate heat so as to heat said photosensitive member by energization; and a plurality of contact portions, configured and positioned to be selectively connectable to the voltage supplying mechanism, including a first contact portion and a second contact portion which are connected to both ends of said resistor and including a third contact portion connected so as to divide the resistor into two branches. At least one of the contact portions used for supplying a voltage to the resistor is common to different commercial power source voltages.
US08380097B2
An image forming apparatus includes a transfer roller that can be separated from an intermediate transfer belt. When an operational mode is switched from a multicolor mode to a mono-color mode, the image forming apparatus changes a rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to a level slower than a rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to be set in the multicolor mode to transfer a toner image to the intermediate transfer belt, then separates a first transfer member from the intermediate transfer belt, and after the first transfer member is separated from the intermediate transfer belt, the image forming apparatus increases the rotational speed of the intermediate transfer belt to a rotational speed to be set in the mono-color mode to transfer the toner image to the intermediate transfer belt.
US08380094B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes a toner image carrier that carries a toner image, a toner image detection sensor that detects a reference toner image on the toner image carrier, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature in the apparatus, and storage section for storing a correlation between each temperature and a drive value for the toner image detection sensor, in which calibration of the toner image detection sensor is performed by acquiring a corresponding drive value from the storage section based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and driving the toner image detection sensor at the acquired drive value.
US08380085B2
A method of processing data is provided that includes receiving a plurality of binary electronic signals and generating an optical signal by a number of lasers that is equal to or greater than the number of binary electronic signals. The optical signal is generated at one of a plurality of intensity levels, and each intensity level represents a particular combination of bit values for the plurality of binary electronic signals. The optical signal is converted into an electronic signal having the plurality of intensity levels. An apparatus for processing data is provided that includes a plurality of lasers configured to emit light at a plurality of frequencies, and a plurality of modulators configured to receive a plurality of binary electronic signals and to modulate the light emitted by the lasers. An apparatus for transmitting data is provided that includes a photo receiver and an electronic signal generator.
US08380083B2
An optical system for providing all-optical up-conversion of a baseband signal including an all-optical up-converter responsive to baseband signals to provide corresponding dual sideband signals about a suppressed optical carrier, said dual sideband signals each having the same polarization direction, being phase locked, having the same optical power and having a fixed frequency spacing; and an optical filter for filtering the carrier signals and providing wavelength division multiplexed signals without optical carriers. In a preferred embodiment, the all-optical up-converter includes an intensity modulator for generating two pump lightwaves that are carrier suppressed in response to the intensity modulator receiving a laser light source and being driven by an RF signal, wherein the intensity modulator is DC biased at a null point, an optical combiner for combining the baseband signal and the two pump lightwaves, a nonlinear medium for four wave mixing the baseband signal and two pump lightwaves to generate the baseband signal and corresponding dual sideband signals, and an optical interleaver for removing the baseband signal and two pump lightwaves to provide said sideband signals about the suppressed optical carrier.
US08380081B2
A method and apparatus for allocating resources of a Visible Light Communication (VLC) terminal in a VLC system. The VLC terminal receives a beacon message from a base station, coordinates time synchronization with the base station, searches for an available wavelength channel, constructs available wavelength channel information, and transmits an initial access request using a basic time slot channel and a basic wavelength channel. The base station considers the available wavelength channel information and a current channel allocation condition, allocates an appropriate channel, and transmits channel allocation information to the VLC terminal. The VLC terminal and the base station communicate data with each other using an allocated time slot channel included in the channel allocation information and an allocated wavelength channel included in the channel allocation information.
US08380076B2
An optical transmission system having an optical source, an optical dispersion compensation filter optically connected to the optical source, and a control system. The optical source generates a modulated optical signal having an optical spectrum and a value of dispersion robustness. The optical dispersion compensation filter has at least two cascaded optical resonators and a periodic transfer function rigidly translatable in the frequency spectrum to obtain translation in frequency of the transfer function without a substantial change in shape, and characterized by a free spectral range. The control system acts on the optical dispersion compensation filter in order to rigidly translate the transfer function along the frequency spectrum in first and second positions in the frequency spectrum. The translation of the transfer function between the first and the second positions is smaller than the free spectral range.
US08380074B2
A system is disclosed. The system includes a first optical transceiver having a first set of transmitters and a first set of receivers and a second optical transceiver having a second set of transmitters coupled anti-symmetrically to the first set of receivers of the first optical transceiver and a second set of receivers coupled anti-symmetrically to the first set of transmitters of the first optical transceiver.
US08380073B2
An optical transceiver implemented with a tunable LD is disclosed. The tunable LD is installed within a TOSA (Transmitter Optical Subassembly). The optical transceiver provides two circuit boards arranged in the up-and-down relation. The TOSA is primarily connected to the second board but signals to drive the tunable LD are carried on an FPC board directly connected to the first board that mounts a driver circuit for the tunable LD.
US08380066B2
A network including nodes configured to provide auto-discovery and those that do not are provided in a network. The nodes that do not provide auto-discovery may be provided as end points or terminating nodes in the network. A path or circuit identifier is entered into a database at those nodes and communicated to a network management system. The network management system compares the path identifiers, and, if the two match, the network management system designates the nodes associated with the path identifiers as terminating nodes. A path through the network connecting these nodes can then be determined and monitored. In addition, fiber connection information may further be stored at each node and communicated to the network management system, such that links along the path can also be identified by the network management system. Thus, path determination and monitoring in a network including non-auto-discovering nodes can thus be obtained.
US08380064B2
A device and method for depolarising the total field of a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal is provided. A polarization maintaining multiplexor combines a plurality of optical signals to form a polarized multiplexed signal. The multiplexed signal is then passed through a differential group delay (DGD) element adapted to modify the polarization state of one or more optical source signals within the multiplexed signal and thereby to at least partially depolarise the multiplexed signal.
US08380060B2
Method and apparatus for full-resolution light-field capture and rendering. A radiance camera is described in which the microlenses in a microlens array are focused on the image plane of the main lens instead of on the main lens, as in conventional plenoptic cameras. The microlens array may be located at distances greater than f from the photosensor, where f is the focal length of the microlenses. Radiance cameras in which the distance of the microlens array from the photosensor is adjustable, and in which other characteristics of the camera are adjustable, are described. Digital and film embodiments of the radiance camera are described. A full-resolution light-field rendering method may be applied to light-fields captured by a radiance camera to render higher-resolution output images than are possible with conventional plenoptic cameras and rendering methods.
US08380059B2
A focus adjusting apparatus comprises a focus operating unit for generating a focus command signal for driving a focus lens according to an operating amount of the focus operating unit; a focus driving unit for driving the focus lens in response to the focus command signal from the focus operating unit; a focus position detecting unit for detecting a position of the focus lens; a focus detecting unit for detecting whether or not in-focus is achieved or detecting deviation amount from in-focus position; and an operation sensitivity determining unit for determining a focus operating sensitivity of the focus operating unit, wherein the operation sensitivity determining unit determines the focus operating sensitivity and the position of the focus lens, and wherein the focus driving unit drives the focus lens according to the focus operating sensitivity.
US08380055B1
A replacement anode assembly for a hot water heater or storage tank includes an anode body formed from an anode material, a magnet mechanically coupled to a first end of the anode body, and a grounding wire electrically coupled to the anode body.
US08380035B2
A fiber optic telecommunications device includes an enclosure defining an interior. A first fiber optic adapter is provided at the enclosure. A spool is provided at an exterior of the enclosure. A fiber optic cable, which includes a first optical fiber, is wrapped around the spool. A first fiber optic connector is mounted at a first end of the first optical fiber. The first end of the first optical fiber is positioned within the interior of the enclosure. The first fiber optic connector is inserted within the first fiber optic adapter. The enclosure and the spool are configured to rotate in unison about a common axis when the fiber optic cable is unwound from the spool.
US08380034B2
A splice tray (100) to hold a splice holder device (180) configured hold both a mechanical splice and a fusion splice, each having a different shape. A splice holder device (180) includes a first splice channel and second splice channel. Each splice channel includes one or more flexible arms spaced along a length of the splice channel to provide a resistance against a housing of the splice. Also, each channel includes one or more base supports and one or more upper stops. The flexible arms extend from a channel wall at an angle to provide force components in orthogonal directions.
US08380032B2
Included are a semiconductor device unit in which a semiconductor optical amplifier and a first semiconductor photo detector being configured to monitor a part of an input light input to the semiconductor optical amplifier or a part of an output light output from the semiconductor optical amplifier are integrated on a mutually same substrate, and a passive waveguide unit connected to the semiconductor device unit and in which a first passive waveguide being configured to cause the input light to be input to the semiconductor optical amplifier or to cause the output light to be output from the semiconductor optical amplifier and a second passive waveguide branching from the first passive waveguide and being configured to cause a part of the input light or a part of the output light to be input to the first semiconductor photo detector are provided on a mutually same substrate.
US08380022B2
A mounting structure includes an optoelectronic interconnection module that includes electrical interconnection lines, optical interconnection lines, optical semiconductor device and electrical connection terminals, a mounting board that includes electrical interconnection lines and electrical connection terminals on a main surface and on which the optoelectronic interconnection module is mounted, and a connection member that electrically connects, adheres and fixes the electrical connection terminals and the electrical connection terminals. The optoelectronic interconnection module comprises a circuit area on which the optical semiconductor device is mounted and electrical connection terminals are formed and an interconnection area that is formed in a region other than the circuit area and in which the optical interconnection lines and electrical interconnection lines are formed, and the electrical connection terminals are formed on the interconnection area side rather than the optical semiconductor device.
US08380021B2
A system for making temperature and pressure measurements distributed over a distance comprises a plurality of Bragg grating measurement points disposed in an optical fiber with a predetermined spacing between adjacent Bragg grating measurement points and a substrate with the optical fiber disposed thereon, at least a portion of the optical fiber being wrapped around the substrate with at least one predetermined wrap angle, wherein the predetermined wrap angle and predetermined spacing are selected to enable a temperature measurement signal to be distinguished from a bending measurement signal, wherein the substrate has a first coefficient of thermal expansion greater than a second coefficient of thermal expansion of the optical fiber and wherein the substrate comprises a hollow tube portion and a solid rod portion, each having optical fiber disposed thereon.
US08380019B2
In a method and system for providing dispersion compensation in an optical system, there is coupled into the optical system at least one pathway into which there is connected a tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating, each such grating providing a respective tunable amount of dispersion. At least one respective DGD element is connected into the respective pathway for each such grating. The set of all such respective DGD elements in a given pathway introduces a bias differential group delay DGD(bias) having an absolute value that, for at least one tuning value of the grating, is substantially equal to differential group delay introduced by the grating.
US08380017B2
In an optical waveguide device, in a cross direction intersecting an extension direction of waveguide sections, one or more bridge portions of a ground electrode closer to a center of stress distribution of a stress due to a support member, and one or more bridge portions of a ground electrode farther from the center of stress distribution are formed with different shapes. The structure of the ground electrodes is devised so that a stress negating the difference in stress characteristics between the plurality of waveguide sections, generated by the stress applied from the support member to a substrate, is applied from the ground electrode to the substrate.
US08380012B2
A document digitizing method digitizes and automatically indexes documents in printed form. The method includes optically scanning the document, forming and storing a digitized image file from the optically scanned document, optically recognizing characters in the optically scanned document, and forming and storing a text file of the optically recognized characters in document. A retrieval method for retrieving the digitized image file for a document includes searching the text files to identify any having a selected text string and providing access to the digitized image files that correspond to those text files. The digital image file and the text file together represent a digitized document data structure that combines a digital image of a document with a text file of optically recognized characters in the digital image.
US08380010B2
A method resizes input images by first constructing a grid graph. The grid graph includes one node for each pixel in the input image, and adjacent nodes in the grid graph are connected by arcs. Each arc is directed and has an associated cost. A cut is applied to the arcs of the grid graph using a cost function. A seam of pixels is determined from the cut so that coordinates of the pixels in the seam enforce monotonicity and connectivity constraints. Then, the input image is resized according to the seam to produce an output image while minimizing a change of energy in the output image when compared with the input image.
US08380009B2
A system and method is provided which rescales a received image to an optimal size to undergo an optical character recognition (OCR) process. The system includes an optimal size determination component that determines an optimum size for the image such that processing time of the received image is minimized without affecting accuracy. The optimal size determination component determines the optimum size of the image based at least in part on a dominant interline spacing of text and a dominant text height. The system also includes a rescaling component that resizes the received image to the determined optimum size.
US08380008B2
Upon enabling an automatic cropping feature, a computer-implemented method for cropping a plurality of images retrieves a number of images to process among the plurality of images, and selects an image from the plurality of images to determine a set of crop values for the image until the set of crop values for each image have been determined. Determining a set of crop values for an image includes scanning the image from a first side to an opposing side to determine for each scan line of the image an amount representing a degree of color variation among the pixels for that scan line. The amount determined for each scan line is then compared to a threshold value until a crop value for a first area of the image can be determined.
US08380005B1
System and method for image composition using non-destructive editing model and fast gradient solver
Systems and methods for interactive image compositing may integrate image searching using visual search criteria (e.g., color, composition, tonal distribution, or lighting effects), non-destructive image compositing, and high-performance rendering using a fast gradient solver to provide an efficient workflow for users. An image compositing application, executable by a CPU and/or GPU, may employ a sketch-and-refine approach, whereby a user draws a rough perimeter around an object of interest in an image and (following an initial application of the fast gradient solver to a lower-resolution version of the image) receives a preview of how it would fit into a composition. The fast gradient solver may differentiate between the object and its background by applying artificial intelligence techniques and/or dependent on user-supplied hints. In a second stage, the fast gradient solver may refine the solution for a final rendering of the composite image by operating on successively higher-resolution versions of the image.
US08380004B1
Embodiments of this invention relate to matching object images, such as face images. In an embodiment, a method matches object images from a set of object images to a root object image. A set of object image lists ordered according to the relative similarity of the object images is received. Each face in the set of object images is at the origin of one of the object image lists. On a computing device, at least one element from each of the object image lists is applied to an object extraction data structure. Also on a computing device, a range of object images in the object image list is determined according to elements flagged within the object extraction data structure having a particular pattern. The range of object images matches the root object image.
US08379999B2
The present invention includes methods, circuits, devices, apparatuses and systems for analyzing, characterizing and/or rating the composition of images. Further embodiments of the present invention include methods, circuits, devices, apparatuses and systems for providing instructive feedback or automatic corrective actions, relating to the quality of the composition of an image, to a user of an imaging device (e.g. digital camera, camera phone, etc.)—Optionally while the user is preparing to acquire an image, i.e. in real time. Embodiments of the present invention may further include methods, circuits, devices, apparatuses and systems for extracting image composition related rules based on analysis of composition parameters of rated images.
US08379992B2
A computer-aided image interpretation method and a device thereof to easily obtain an accurate image interpretation result are provided. An automatic classification means of the image interpretation device performs automatic classification by one of spectral characteristics, radiometric characteristics, diffuse characteristics, textures and shapes, or combinations thereof and accumulates data to an interpretation result database, for plural features of the same kind obtained by interpreting a remote sensing image obtained with an observation sensor. A means for extracting candidate of modification of interpretation result extracts the candidate of modification of interpretation result by comparing likelihoods that are the automatic classification results. A reinterpretation is performed for the candidate of modification of interpretation, and an interpretation result database is updated by an interpretation result update means. As a result, modification of the interpretation work can be efficiently performed.
US08379991B2
A method for determining a difference between a reference image and a further image of a pattern, the method including determining a reference imaging function; determining parameters of a difference function representative of a difference between the reference imaging function and a further imaging function; calculating a difference between the reference image and the further image of the pattern based on the difference function and the determined parameters.
US08379977B2
A method for removing color fringe is presented. First, detection and correction of color fringe are performed on an original-size image and a small-size image respectively, so as to generate respective corrected images and corresponding color fringe maps. Then, the corrected small-size image and its corresponding color fringe map are enlarged to the same resolution as the original-size image. Finally, the two corrected images are blended according to the respective corresponding color fringe maps.
US08379973B2
A color processing apparatus includes a memory, a color-difference-accuracy calculating unit, an invertibility-accuracy calculating unit, and an output unit. The memory stores a patch set including patch colors. The color-difference-accuracy calculating unit calculates, as a color-difference accuracy, a color difference between a measured color value, which corresponds to a target color, and a predicted value, which is predicted from the target color using a color conversion model generated from the patch set and measured color values corresponding to the patch colors. The invertibility-accuracy calculating unit calculates, as an invertibility accuracy, a difference between the target color and a predicted target color that is predicted from the predicted value using a model with which transformation is performed in a direction opposite to a direction of transformation using the color conversion model. The output unit outputs the color-difference accuracy and the invertibility accuracy.
US08379972B1
Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for removing unwanted background color from a border region surrounding a foreground object in an image in order to composite the foreground object of the image with a new background image are described. Embodiments of color decontamination for image compositing may accept an image and an alpha matte corresponding to the image as input. In some embodiments, estimated foreground colors are determined for pixels in a border region between the foreground and the background of the input image. In some embodiments, the input image may be created by down-sampling a higher resolution image and pixels with estimated foreground colors may be up-sampled. In some embodiments, a composite image may be created based on the input image, the alpha matte, the estimated foreground colors of pixels in the border region and a new background image. In some embodiments, a texture preserving luminance blending operation may be performed using the estimated foreground colors for pixels in the border region to create refined foreground colors for pixels in the border region. In some embodiments, a composite image may be created further based on the refined foreground colors for pixels in the border region. In some embodiments, parameters controlling the creation of a composite image may be set in response to user input.
US08379967B1
A system for controlling a swarm that includes a plurality of autonomous objects may include a processing system and a controller. The processing system may compute the primitives to be applied to each pair of objects in the swarm, and may combine the primitives to generate higher-level primitives. The processing system may generate a graph of the computed primitives, and identify the cliques in the graph. The controller may cause the primitives to be applied between each pair of objects in the swarm, and cause each object to maximize its respective set of primitives so as to induce the desired group behavior. The controller may detect the desired group behavior in the swarm by monitoring the primitives computed by the processing system and the cliques identified by the processing system.
US08379965B2
A defect classification apparatus of the present invention includes a design unit and a diagnosis unit. In the design unit, a model creation unit combines a defect template in a template storage unit with a teaching image to create a defect model, and a classification class setting unit calculates feature amounts of a defect in the defect model and sets a classification class of the defect. The relation between the feature amounts of the defect and the classification class is stored in a storage unit. In the diagnosis unit, a feature amount calculation unit calculates feature amounts of defects from a captured inspection object image of the substrate, and a classification unit classifies the defects of the substrate into classification classes from the relations between the feature amounts of the defects and the classification classes in the storage unit based on the calculated feature amounts of the defects.
US08379957B2
A system and method for segmentation of anatomical structures in MRI volumes using graph cuts is disclosed. In this method, a template is registered to an MRI brain volume. The template identifies seed points of anatomical brain structures, such as the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem, in the MRI brain volume. Any or all of the anatomical brain structures can be segmented using graph cuts segmentation initialized based on the seed points identified by the template. It is possible to segment each of the anatomical brain structures by performing a hierarchical three-phase segmentation process including brain/non-brain segmentation, cerebrum/cerebellum and brain stem segmentation, and cerebellum/brain stem segmentation.
US08379953B2
A method is disclosed for creating computed tomography recordings of a patient with metallic components. In at least one embodiment, the method includes scanning the patient by use of an x-ray tube detector system, with at least one sinogram being compiled; determining the detector signal data, which was attenuated by the metallic components in the patient; deleting the detector signal data, which was influenced by metallic components; determining the beam tracks in the sinogram at least of the volume elements, which are struck by beams which are attenuated by the metallic components and which cross the beam track of the deleted detector signal data in the sonogram; determining a minimal measurement value on each beam track respectively; adding together the minimal measurement values of the beam tracks to obtain the measurement points of the deleted detector signal data crossed by these beam tracks in the sonogram; and using this at least one sinogram determined in this manner to reconstruct computed tomography recordings of the patient without a metallic component, and displaying the reconstructed computed tomography recordings of the patient with metallic components.
US08379946B2
In a method of a magnetic resonance system and a method and computer-readable storage medium for the operation thereof to acquire magnetic resonance image data of an examination subject, wherein magnetic resonance system has a number of subsystems and a control device, a number of adjustment measurements to adjust at least one subsystem for making a medical diagnostic data acquisition are implemented through the control device. In these adjustment measurements, an adjustment volume associated with the appertaining adjustment measurement is taken into account that encompasses at least one region of a body containing the examination subject. For this purpose, markings established by the control device within image data of the examination subject and characterizing the spatial occupation (position and orientation) and/or a dimension of the examination subject are determined. Based on these markings the spatial occupation and extent of an adjustment volume for an adjustment measurement are determined automatically by the control device.
US08379943B2
The present invention is a high-performance fingerprint image-processing method that use a composite filtering approach to perform the image enhancement through a combination of linear filtering and rhombus filtering after obtaining the determination for the fingerprint direction of fingerprint instead of the image enhancement performed in the frequency domain of the prior art; and then a binarizing step will follow to demonstrate the minutiae for image enhancement, also, the composite filter applied in the present invention can truly perform the image enhancement and mend the broken lines mainly focusing on each point in different fingerprint direction; furthermore, the present invention can use a filtering mask with a very low mask coefficient; thus, the filtering time and memory space can be significantly saved while the time spent and storage space occupied for image enhancement can be lessened largely.
US08379942B2
When a shutter key is operated, characteristic data is acquired. A determination is made as to whether the characteristic data has been acquired, and face image shooting processing is executed when the characteristic data has been acquired. File generation processing is executed in which a format of a face registration file is generated and the characteristic data and image data are written into the format of this face registration file, thereby generating a single face registration file.
US08379941B2
One embodiment of the present invention envisions providing requester with a computer program for a remote computer equipped with a digital photo camera. The computer program controls the camera and prevents alterations to an image taken with the camera. The unaltered image of a portrait photograph of the requester is transmitted from the remote computer to the verifier's server computer. The image of the portrait photograph of the requester may further be used to verify the requester by comparing the image to the photographs from other sources.
US08379940B2
Robust human authentication using holistic anthropometric and appearance-based features and boosting
A new robust human authentication system, device, and instructions, embeddable in a physical and tangible computer readable medium, for determining if at least one test image obtained using an imaging device matches at least one training image in an enrollment database, are disclosed. This invention applies the concepts of appearance (PCA or PCA+LDA) and holistic anthropometrics that include head, face, neck, and shoulder linear and non-linear geometric measurements. The appearance (“eigen”) coefficients and holistic anthropometric measurements selected may be used as feature vectors. A boosting algorithm ranks features as “weak learners” and combines their outputs for “strong” recognition.
US08379938B2
A gradation correction characteristics evaluation device includes: a histogram creation unit that creates a histogram based upon pixel values indicated at pixels constituting an input image; and an evaluation unit that evaluates gradation correction characteristics, which is used to correct gradation of the image, based upon the histogram of the image having been created by the histogram creation unit and the gradation correction characteristics.
US08379937B1
The present invention is a method and system to provide a face-based automatic ethnicity recognition system that utilizes ethnicity-sensitive image features and probabilistic graphical models to represent ethnic classes. The ethnicity-sensitive image features are derived from groups of image features so that each grouping of the image features contributes to more accurate recognition of the ethnic class. The ethnicity-sensitive image features can be derived from image filters that are matched to different colors, sizes, and shapes of facial features—such as eyes, mouth, or complexion. The ethnicity-sensitive image features serve as observable quantities in the ethnic class-dependent probabilistic graphical models, where each probabilistic graphical model represents one ethnic class. A given input facial image is corrected for pose and lighting, and ethnicity-sensitive image features are extracted. The extracted image features are fed to the ethnicity-dependent probabilistic graphical models to determine the ethnic class of the input facial image.
US08379930B2
A distance measuring system includes a light source module, an image capturing device, a signal processing unit, a selecting unit, and a distance calculating unit. The light source module is configured for emitting a first and a second infrared light beams in an asynchronous manner. The first infrared light beam has a same intensity with the second infrared light beam. The image capturing device is configured for capturing images of the first and second infrared light beams reflected by a measurement object. The signal processing unit is configured for analyzing the images of the first and second infrared light beams reflected by the measurement object to determine intensities thereof. The selecting unit is configured for selecting one of the first and second reflected infrared light beams whichever has a greater intensity. The distance calculating unit is configured for calculating a distance to the object from to the distance measuring system.
US08379917B2
A technique is provided for recognizing faces in an image stream using a digital image acquisition device. A first acquired image is received from an image stream. A first face region is detected within the first acquired image having a given size and a respective location within the first acquired image. First faceprint data uniquely identifying the first face region are extracted along with first peripheral region data around the first face region. The first faceprint and peripheral region data are stored, and the first peripheral region data are associated with the first face region. The first face region is tracked until a face lock is lost. A second face region is detected within a second acquired image from the image stream. Second peripheral region data around the second face region are extracted. The second face region is identified upon matching the first and second peripheral region data.
US08379915B2
A method of extracting objects from a video includes the identification of regions to be tracked, tracking the regions across several frames, calculating motions of the regions, and identifying new regions to be tracked. Regions of a selected frame of the video that are appropriate for tracking are selected. Tracking of the identified regions is then performed across frames subsequent to the selected frame of the video. Motions of the identified regions are calculated, and new regions for tracking are identified.
US08379910B2
An image signature creating method includes: creating a map by partitioning a still image using rings defined by concentric circles radially spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval and radial lines circumferentially spaced apart from each other by a predetermined angle, the center of the still image being that of the concentric circles; and creating an image signature from the created map on the basis of distribution of pixels in regions defined by the rings and the radial lines. Accordingly, distribution of illegal contents is prevented and interrupted by search for and discrimination of a still image illegally deformed by a copying of or an intended attack on the still image.
US08379907B2
An electroacoustic transducer includes a frame defining a hollow space, and an elastic member mounted on the frame. The elastic member includes a circular plane lamina and a plurality of elastic arms extending outwardly from a circumference of the circular plane lamina. A diaphragm includes a vibrating film mounted with the circular plane lamina, and an edge damper integrally formed with an outer periphery of the vibrating film. A voice coil is attached below the vibrating film and electrically connected to the circular plane lamina. At least two through holes are formed between an outer periphery of the circular plane lamina and an inner side of the voice coil for balancing the air pressure of the air below the diaphragm.
US08379899B2
An electro-acoustical transducer comprising DC atmospheric pressure equalization vents for equalizing pressure in both chambers therein. The sound port of the transducer may be sealed by a sound conducting member preventing gas flow there through. The transducer may have a single vent extending in a plane of a side portion, which vent may have a meandering path or may comprise tapering portions or cavities defining acoustical properties thereof.
US08379891B2
Sound signals to be output from a loudspeaker array are modified by a plurality of filters designed according to an unconstrained optimization procedure to improve overall performance (e.g., power, directivity) of the loudspeaker array. More particularly, respective filters are configured to receive a signal to be output to a plurality of loudspeakers. Upon receiving the signal, the respective filters individually modify the received signal according to the results of the unconstrained optimization procedure and then output the individually modified signals to respective loudspeakers. The unconstrained optimization procedure takes into account manufacturing tolerances and individually enhances the signal output to each of a plurality of individual loudspeakers within an array to achieve an overall improvement in performance. In one example, a speaker system utilizes the unconstrained optimization procedure to enable a user to hear an output sound clearly, while adjacent people experience the output sound at lower volume, if at all.
US08379889B2
A method of operating a hearing device is disclosed, the method comprising the steps of: sensing an acoustic signal and providing an input acoustic signal, sensing a magnetic signal and providing a input magnetic signal, selecting one of the input acoustic signal and the input magnetic signal as an information signal, wherein the input magnetic signal or the input acoustic signal is selected as the information signal after a signal detection process has determined a probability being above a preset value, said probability being indicative of a presence of audio information in the input magnetic signal or the input acoustic signal, respectively, and processing the information signal and providing an output signal to a user of the hearing device. In addition, corresponding hearing devices are also disclosed.
US08379887B2
A vibrating electrode plate that senses a sound pressure faces a counter electrode plate to constitute a capacitance type acoustic sensor. In the counter electrode plate, acoustic perforations are opened in order to pass vibration, and plural projections are provided on a surface facing the vibrating electrode plate. An interval between the projections is decreased in a region where the vibrating electrode plate has high flexibility to easily generate local sticking with the counter electrode plate. The interval between the projections is increased in a region where the vibrating electrode plate has low flexibility to hardly generate local sticking with the counter electrode plate. The projections thus arranged prevent firm fixing of the vibrating electrode plate to the counter electrode plate and interruption of vibration of the vibrating electrode plate.
US08379881B2
A silicon based capacitive microphone includes a first printed circuit board, a second printed circuit board far away from the first printed circuit board, a transducer electrically mounted on the first printed circuit board, a controlling chip electrically mounted on the second printed circuit board, a connecting member located between the first and second printed circuit boards.
US08379880B2
An example of a method of correcting an audio level of a stored program asset comprises retrieving a stored program asset having audio encoded at a first loudness setting. Dialog of the audio of the asset is identified, a loudness of the dialog is determined and the determined loudness is compared to the first loudness setting. The asset is re-encoded at a second loudness setting corresponding to the determined loudness, if the first loudness setting and the second loudness are different by more than a predetermined amount. The determined loudness is preferably a DIALNORM of the dialog. The asset may be stored with the re-encoded loudness setting. The method may be applied to programs as they are being received from a source, as well. Aspects of the method may also be applied to programs to be provided by a source. Systems are also disclosed.
US08379879B2
An active noise reduction system is provided for receiving an audio input signal and a noise interference signal and calculating an audio broadcasting signal according to a Feedback Filtered-X Least-Mean-Square (FFXLMS) algorithm, wherein the FFXLMS algorithm optimizes a (convergence factor) μ so as to decrease the numbers of divisions operated by the active noise reduction system and increase the operation speed of the active noise reduction system.
US08379872B2
A talk-through system for hearing protectors such as headphones, helmets, earplugs and the like, in which separate left and right microphones are controlled by separate left and right switches. The microphones allow ambient sound to be heard by the wearer of the hearing protector, and normally the wearer hears audio from both microphones in the appropriate ears. Pushing a switch causes the audio from the ear on which the switch is mounted to be enhanced and, preferably, switched to both ears. Various arrangements of control logic are provided such that activation of a switch can cause changes in audio processing.
US08379868B2
The present invention provides a frequency-domain spatial audio coding framework based on the perceived spatial audio scene rather than on the channel content. In one embodiment, time-frequency spatial direction vectors are used as cues to describe the input audio scene.
US08379857B1
A method to enable the secure distribution of encryption keys so as to facilitate private communication between users in an unsecured communication network is provided. Such a method may also provide a way to detect an unauthorized access of an encryption key so as to mitigate or prevent any loss of confidential information during communication.
US08379856B2
Technologies are generally described for a hardware cryptographic unit that employs hardware public physically unclonable functions. A source computer can encrypt a message using a simulation of a hardware cryptographic unit. The encrypted message can then be sent to a destination computer. The destination computer can then use the hardware cryptographic unit to decrypt the message. The source computer can use a simulation of the hardware cryptographic unit to transform an input value into a simulation output. The simulation output can be transmitted from the source computer to the destination computer where all possible input values can be rapidly run through the hardware cryptographic unit until the output of the hardware cryptographic unit matches the simulated output. The input value that generated the matching output is now a shared secret between the source computer and destination computer without ever having been transmitted in the clear over the communication channel.
US08379855B2
A method including generating a plurality of convergence layer protocol data units in a packet-switched telecommunications system protocol stack; ciphering the plurality of convergence layer protocol data units using a ciphering sequence number; transferring the plurality of ciphered convergence layer protocol data units to a link layer of the packet-switched telecommunications system; discarding at least one ciphered convergence layer protocol data unit at the link layer and generating a link layer protocol data unit from at least one of the ciphered convergence layer protocol data units that has not been discarded; and transmitting the link layer protocol data unit and information relating to the discarding for a peer link layer.
US08379841B2
An encryption technique is disclosed for encrypting a data segment comprising a plurality of data blocks, wherein the security and throughput of the encryption is enhanced by using blockwise independent bit vectors for reversible combination with the data blocks prior to key encryption. Preferably, the blockwise independent bit vectors are derived from a data tag associated with the data segment. Several embodiments are disclosed for generating these blockwise independent bit vectors. In a preferred embodiment, the data tag comprises a logical block address (LBA) for the data segment. Also disclosed herein is a corresponding decryption technique as well as a corresponding symmetrical encryption/decryption technique.
US08379840B2
An apparatus including a guide track member for a first part, a guide pin for a second part and a first biaser. The first and second parts being for a portable electronic device and the guide track member including first and second guide track portions. The apparatus is configured such that the guide pm travels within the respective guide track first and second portions to provide respective first and second bistable configurations of the apparatus in which the first and second parts are held in relative positions to one another. The first biaser is configured to apply a lateral force to the guide pin to cause it to travel along the first portion of the guide track when moving from the first bistable configuration to the second bistable configuration and to apply a lateral force to the guide pin to cause it to travel along the second portion of the guide track when moving from the second bistable configuration to the first bistable configuration. The transition between the bistable configurations is provided by relative movement of the first and second parts in the same direction.
US08379833B2
The present invention provides a system, method, and computer program product for automatically detecting any unnecessary repetition by customers of specific types of information in a multi-channel (e.g., self-service application, IVR system, live agent center) customer service session. For each channel used in the customer service session, the information provided by the customer in the channel is recorded in a log, transcription, or other record. The record(s) for the customer service session are subsequently parsed for specific types of information provided by the customer. From the parsed records, specific types of information provided by the customer in two or more channels during the customer service session are identified. In one embodiment, the results are analyzed to determine if providing such information in two or more channels is redundant, and, if so, this is counted as a redundancy.
US08379831B2
This disclosure details the implementation of methods, systems and computer program products for a customer satisfaction engine (CSE). Embodiments of the CSE allow callers to key in customer satisfaction data using a rating system and/or to change customer service representatives (CSR) during the course of a customer service call rather than after the call has ended. Caller generated ratings may be stored in a database in association with the respective CSR profile for later access, analysis, and/or review. CSE embodiments may also allow customers to log in to a website and view operations made by the CSR as a service call progresses. CSE systems may provide for improved customer service and allow companies improved efficiency, monitoring and reporting of CSR performance.
US08379819B2
Improved indexing of telephony sessions is achieved by:(a) receiving, during the recording of the telephony session or during a playback of the recording, an indication including parameters which identify a discrete segment of the recording as being of interest; and(b) storing, in an index associated with the recording of the session, an identifier which identifies that discrete segment of the recording.
US08379818B2
A method and system is disclosed for presenting differentiated calling party identifiers representative of a calling party to various called parties based on the identifier information for a particular called party. The differentiated calling party identifier that is conveyed to a called party may be selected from a list of calling party identifiers associated with the calling party. The system receives an indication of an attempt to initiate a call by a calling party which includes identifier information indicative of the called party, determines a calling party identifier to be conveyed to the called party based on the identifier information indicative of the called party and causes an appropriate calling party identifier to be conveyed in association with the initiated call.
US08379812B1
Methods are disclosed of assisting a user of a telephone device to manage their account with a telephone service provider. The method includes a step of displaying to the user a graphical display of current charges on their account together with an indicia indicating a spending limit associated with the account. The graphical display is designed such that the proximity of the sum of the current charges to the spending limit is displayed. The method further includes providing a display feature whereby the user can change the display to further display the current charges for the account, in addition to a charge for service by the telephone service provider which has not yet been incurred, such as for example the next monthly service charge. The graphical display of the spending limit gauge can take a variety of forms, such as bar graphics, or pie-chart. In one embodiment, the displays are presented on the display of a wireless telephone.
US08379811B2
A system and method for transmitting communication data of a fixed line phone include acquiring the communication data of the fixed line phone, writing the communication data into a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The system and method further include establishing a communication between the fixed line phone and a handheld device using the RFID tag and a RFID reader of the handheld device, and transmitting the communication data in the RFID tag to the RFID reader.
US08379808B2
The present invention is a computer system and method that manages connections between one or more data network interfaces and one or more phone interfaces. A manager process, running on a computer system having both data and phone network interfaces, receives one or more telephone calls from one or more users over one of the phone interfaces and than accesses one or more profiles associated with each of the users. These profiles have one or more service identifiers and one or more interactive response agent (IRA) identifiers associated with the respective user. A menu of the service identifiers is presented to the user. The system then looks up an agent address of one of the IRAs that is associated with the service identifier selected by the user from the menu and establishes a session with the associated IRA. Having done this a two-way communication with the associated IRA occurs during the session. In this communication, the IRA is capable of passing information to the system from one or more application servers to which the IRA is connected over one or more data networks.
US08379807B1
Ways of presenting a custom greeting to a user who retrieves a voicemail that was left by a caller are disclosed. In one embodiment, a voicemail server facilitates storing a voicemail in connection with an identifier that is associated with a calling device that was used by a caller in an attempt to call the user. A user-specific name is automatically retrieved based on the identifier. This name can be retrieved from the user's mobile device or from a remote address book. When the user retrieves his or her messages, the voicemail server presents a custom announcement introducing the message, where the custom announcement is based on the name retrieved.
US08379806B2
A system and method for representing call content in a searchable database includes transcribing call content to text. The call content is projected to vector space, by creating a vector by indexing the call based on the content and determining a similarity of the call to an atomic-class dictionary. The call is classified in a relational database in accordance with the vector.
US08379802B2
A system and method for improving voice recognition processing at a server system that receives voice input from a remotely located user system. The user system includes a microphone, a processor that performs front-end voice recognition processing of the received user voice input, and a communication component configured to send the front-end processed user voice input to a destination wirelessly over a network. The server system includes a communication component configured to receive the sent front-end processed user voice input, and a processor configured to complete voice recognition processing of the sent front-end processed user voice input.
US08379800B2
Detecting at least one of an echo detector and a noise detector based on analysis of audio streams transmitted to and received from each endpoint of a conference. When certain characteristics of the respective audio streams for a given endpoint are classified as significant against certain criteria, a determination is made as to whether that endpoint is a source of echo and/or noise. Subsequent actions are taken to alert users and/or prevent broadcast of impaired signals.
US08379798B2
An X-ray tube anode target assembly having a support shaft connected to a pivot assembly and a movable anode target surface disposed at one end of the support shaft. A first drive assembly is operably arranged with respect to the support shaft to provide oscillatory motion to the anode target about a first axis substantially parallel to the support shaft and drive cylinder operably arranged with respect to the contact element to provide a pivoting motion to the support shaft. A second drive assembly is operably arranged with respect to the drive cylinder to provide an oscillatory motion to the drive cylinder, the second drive cylinder having a cam portion to provide linear motion to the support shaft parallel to the first axis. The target surface is maintained at a substantially constant angle of impingement and maintains a substantially fixed distance from a cathode during target motion.
US08379792B2
According to the present invention, a subject is prompted to take breaths that are different at least in depth, and the subject's motion associated with respiration is captured. A timing when the subject is scanned is controlled according to the captured motion of the subject associated with respiration. A two-dimensional detector formed like a two-dimensional plane detects an X-ray beam having passed through the subject. Data is collected from the two-dimensional detector to acquire volume data on the subject.
US08379787B2
Spread spectrum clock generators. A phase lock loop generates an output clock according to a first input clock and a second input clock, a delay line is coupled between the first input clock and the phase lock loop. A modulation unit provides a modulation signal to control the delay line thereby modulating phase of the first input clock, such that frequency of the output clock generated by the phase lock loop varies periodically.
US08379782B2
The described method characterizes scattering objects in a wireless channel. The present invention determines non-equally spaced path delays and Doppler parameters for a plurality of scattering objects in a wireless channel. More particularly, a frequency-to-time transform applied to a plurality of OFDM pilot samples received over a plurality of OFDM symbol periods generates a set of non-equally spaced path delays and a set of associated complex delay coefficients. Further, a time-to-frequency transform applied to the complex delay coefficients determined for one path delay over multiple OFDM symbol periods generates a set of Doppler parameters comprising a plurality of non-equally spaced Doppler frequencies and their corresponding scattering coefficients for that path delay.
US08379773B2
A method and apparatus for channel estimation based on extracting channel information, including noise spectral density, from a received signal, and advantageously exploiting that information for improved channel estimation accuracy. One embodiment is directed to a method of generating channel estimates in a wireless communication receiver, for processing a received communication signal. The method includes generating first channel estimates from a set of pilot observations obtained from the received communication signal, using a first channel estimation process that is not dependent on knowledge of channel statistics. The method further includes estimating channel statistics and a noise variance from the first channel estimates, and generating second channel estimates from the set of pilot observations, the estimated channel statistics, and the estimated noise variance, using a second channel estimation process that is dependent on knowledge of the channel statistics.
US08379770B2
System for converting a radiofrequency signal SRX so as to recover encoded information carried by the signal SRX, includes generating elements arranged to generate a signal SLO, mixing elements (3) arranged to generate a signal SRX-LO by mixing the signal SRX with the signal SLO, an analog/digital converter arranged to convert the signal SRXLO into a digital signal SRX-LO-Num, a device generating an error correction digital signal SCor, the device being arranged so that the signal SCor reflects the phase gap between the phase of the signal SLO and a phase setpoint, the phase setpoint being the phase of an ideal signal S0, ideal for recovering the encoded information carried by the signal SRX, combining elements arranged to generate the signal S0′-Num by combining the signal SRX-LO-Num with the signal SCor. A system for converting a digital signal so as to send a radiofrequency analog signal carrying the information of the digital signal is also described.
US08379763B2
A wireless communication device includes: a channel matrix estimating unit estimating a channel matrix including channel response elements between antennas; a phase error estimating unit estimating a phase error in a received signal on the basis of a decoding result of encoded and transmitted information symbols of a preamble of a received packet; and a waveform equalizing unit equalizing a waveform of data symbols of the received packet using the channel matrix. Original channel response elements are derived by removing an error of an estimated channel value due to the phase error estimated by the phase error estimating unit from the channel response elements of the channel matrix supplied from the channel matrix estimating unit, and the waveform equalizing unit equalizes the waveform of the data symbols using the channel matrix including the original channel response elements.
US08379761B2
A transmitter comprises a channel encoder to encode data bits; a modulator to modulate the encoded data bits, wherein the modulator selects one of a first modulation scheme and a second modulation scheme for each of a plurality of time slots; wherein, for each time slot, the channel encoder: includes a prefix and a suffix at the beginning and end, respectively, of the encoded data bits corresponding to the respective time slot, the prefix and the suffix being selected based on the selected modulation scheme for the respective time slot; and passes the prefix, the encoded data bits, and the suffix to the modulator; wherein, for each time slot, the modulator: modulates the prefix, the encoded data bits, and the suffix received from the channel encoder according to the selected modulation scheme for the respective time slot; and applies a window function to the prefix and the suffix.
US08379757B1
Systems and techniques relating to wireless local area network devices include a method involving generating a baseband signal indicative of one or more symbols, modulating the baseband signal at a carrier frequency to produce a modulated signal, transmitting the modulated signal via a wireless channel, and providing a clock signal to control, in the baseband signal, a duration of the one or more symbols. Providing the clock signal can include selectively using a first clock frequency to generate a first baseband signal having a first bandwidth. Providing the clock signal can include selectively using a second, lower clock frequency to generate a second baseband signal having a second, lower bandwidth. The second clock frequency can be used to extend a wireless communication range of the wireless channel.
US08379756B2
A method for multiplexing a control information stream, and a data information stream comprised of systematic symbols and non-systematic symbols in a wireless mobile communication system is described. The multiplexing method includes mapping the data information stream to a resource area, so that the systematic bit symbols are not mapped to a specific resource area where the control information stream is to be mapped, and mapping the control information stream to the specific resource area.
US08379755B2
An RF transmitter filter for use in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The filter includes a waveform detector to detect a power level of a transmitted data stream on a symbol-by-symbol basis. The filter also includes a processor to select a combination of filter parameter values according to the power level. The RF transmitter filter selects and adjusts filter parameters (i.e., number of taps or filter length, word length, coefficient quantization, sampling rate, tap delay, sampling bits, etc.) based on signal waveform characteristics. The adjustments limit the transmitted bandwidth and allow transmitted signals to meet an emission mask, while still enabling a receiver to recover the correct sample values of transmitted symbols. The filter further includes a reconfigurable digital filter to filter the transmitted data stream according to the combination of filter parameters.
US08379752B2
Embodiments include methods for determining synchronization/pilot sequences (SPS) to be utilized in conjunction with transmissions by antennas of a multiple-antenna transmitter. The SPS include pilot signals that are positioned at subcarriers that are orthogonal in frequency with subcarriers at which pilot signals of other antennas are positioned. The pilot signals may be unevenly spaced across the in-band subcarriers. The multiple-antenna transmit system generates a plurality of wireless signals, each of which may include an SPS having synchronization information in a first plurality of in-band subcarriers and the pilot signals in a second plurality of in-band subcarriers. The wireless signals are simultaneously radiated over a wireless communication channel using a different antenna. A receiver receives channel-affected versions of the wireless signals, and produces a corrected signal by applying corrections to the received signal based on estimated channel perturbations within the received signal.
US08379751B2
A method of transmitting data to a receiver, wherein the data is transmitted using a plurality of sub-carriers, is provided. The method provided includes determining, for each sub-carrier and for each of a plurality of combinations of the sub-carrier and an antenna of a plurality of antennas to be used for transmitting the data, a transmission characteristic of a transmission of the sub-carrier using the antenna; and selecting, for each sub-carrier, an antenna of the plurality of antennas to be used for the transmission of the sub-carrier based on the transmission characteristic of the transmission of the sub-carrier between the antenna and the receiver.
US08379750B2
The signaling amount in selecting a plurality of beams is reduced in pre-coding to thereby enhance the throughput. To select a plurality of beams when the pre-coding is applied, when notification of a beam number is provided in a feedback signal from a user equipment 102 as a reception station to a radio base station 101 as a transmission station, a superior beam number having a high quality rank with small time variation is bound up and fixed for a predetermined time period and notification of only a inferior beam number is provided within the time period. For example, to select three beams from six beams, first, notification of the superior two beam numbers (beam numbers ‘b’ and ‘c’) is provided and the superior beam numbers are fixed for a predetermined time period and then notification of only the inferior one beam number (beam number ‘e’) is provided within the predetermined time period for reducing the signaling amount for providing beam number notification.
US08379749B2
A transmitter includes multiple transmit antennas, a conversion unit configured to generate multiple signal sequences corresponding to a predefined frequency bandwidth from one or more transmission streams associated with any of the transmit antennas, a precoding unit configured to weight the signal sequences with a precoding matrix selected from a codebook including multiple predefined precoding matrices, and a transmitting unit configured to convert an output signal from the precoding unit into a number of signals corresponding to the number of transmit antennas and transmit the converted signals from the transmit antennas. The precoding unit applies distinct precoding matrices to different signal sequences, and an association between the distinct precoding matrices and the different signal sequences is determined through open-loop control being independent of a feedback from a receiver.
US08379740B2
A signal processor for processing a digital input signal including samples sampled at a sampling frequency, the signal processor comprising a plurality of filters arranged to divide the digital input signal into a first signal in a first frequency band below a first cut-off frequency, and a second signal in a second frequency band above a second cut-off frequency; first frequency shifting circuitry arranged to shift the second signal to a frequency band below the first cut-off frequency; decimation circuitry arranged to decimate the first signal and the shifted second signal; and processing circuitry arranged to process the decimated first and second signals.
US08379728B2
A method of determining an adaptive early skip indication (ESI) threshold during block motion compensation encoding of digital video data is disclosed. The method includes setting an ESI threshold minimum value below which no degradation in the block motion compensation encoding occurs; setting an ESI threshold maximum value above which degradation in the block motion compensation encoding is considered unacceptable; determining that a processor load state of the processor during block motion compensation encoding is one of an overloaded state, a normal loaded state, and an under loaded state; when the processor load state is determined to be in an overloaded state, increasing the adaptive ESI threshold to a value below the ESI threshold maximum value thereby decreasing a number of macroblocks in the digital video data that are block motion compensation encoded; when the processor load state is determined to be in a normal loaded state, maintaining the adaptive ESI threshold at its current value; and when the processor load state is determined to be in an under loaded state, decreasing the adaptive ESI threshold to a value above the ESI threshold minimum value thereby increasing a number of macroblocks in the digital video data that are block motion compensation encoded. A block motion compensation encoding devices is also disclosed that implements the method above. A computer readable medium is also disclosed that stores instructions, which when executed by a processing unit, performs the method above.
US08379727B2
Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method and apparatus for scalable motion estimation. One embodiment of a method for performing motion estimation includes setting a target complexity for a macroblock of a source frame and performing motion estimation for one or more partitions of the macroblock until the target complexity is met.
US08379726B2
A coding apparatus includes: a storage section that stores information for coding an image area to be currently coded in a direct prediction mode that predicts motion information of an image area to be coded by referring to motion information of a previously coded image area; a deriving section that derives motion information of the image area in the direct prediction mode by referring to the information stored in the storage section; a selecting section that selects a prediction mode for coding the image area to be coded, in accordance with the motion information derived by the deriving section; and a determining section that determines information necessary for the deriving section to derive motion information of an uncoded image area, from coding information applied in the prediction mode selected by the selecting section to the image area to be coded, and stores only information determined necessary into the storage section.
US08379725B2
A motion-vector searching method is provided. The motion-vector searching method includes the steps of: reading out observed processing blocks and reading out reference processing blocks; concurrently computing partial evaluation values for each of a plurality of position vectors; obtaining a total evaluation value for each particular one of the position vectors; and finding the motion vector as an optimum position vector determined by comparison of the total evaluation values each obtained for one of the position vectors with each other.
US08379722B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for achieving improved video coding efficiency through the use of Motion Vector Predictors (MVPs) for the encoding or decoding of motion parameters within the calculation of the motion information in B pictures and/or P pictures. Certain exemplary methods and apparatuses selectively apply temporal and/or spatial prediction. Rate Distortion Optimization (RDO) techniques are also applied in certain methods and apparatuses to further help improve coding efficiency.
US08379716B2
A method, apparatus, and system for providing distributed source coding techniques that improve data coding performance, such as video data coding, when channel errors or losses occur. Errors in the reconstruction of the data is eliminated or reduced by sending extra information. Correlation between a predicted sequence and an original sequence can be used to design codebooks and find the cosets required to represent the original image. This information may be sent over another channel, or a secondary channel.
US08379702B2
In one embodiment, a transmission line pre-emphasis circuit includes a primary signal path generating a primary differential output current indicative of a digital data stream and a secondary signal path including a pulse shaping stage incorporating a network and a scaling stage. The pre-emphasis circuit generates an overshoot pulse with variable pulse width. In another embodiment, a transmission line pre-emphasis circuit includes a primary signal path generating a primary differential output current indicative of a digital data stream and one or more secondary signal paths incorporating a network implementing a specific transient response. Each of the secondary signal paths includes a scaling stage and a shaping stage each with programmable bias current. The scaling stage can be configured before or after the shaping amplifier. The pre-emphasis circuit generates an overshoot signal with variable amplitude and/or variable width.
US08379700B2
The present invention features a digital data communications system for transmitting a voice or digital data between a terminal mounted in a vehicle and an external server, including a MDOV modem configured to modulate the digital data to include frequency characteristics of vowel and consonant of the voice; and a transceive module configured to transceive the modulated signal through a voice channel.
US08379695B2
An apparatus and a method for selecting a receiver for demodulating a reception signal at a reception end having a plurality of receivers are provided. The method includes determining, a mean and a standard deviation of Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs) of the receivers are determined, estimating a Doppler frequency, determining a statistical value of a modulation order of subframes received in advance, determining SNR estimation values of the receivers based on the determined mean and standard deviation of the receivers, the estimated Doppler frequency, and the determined statistical value of the modulation order of the received subframes, selecting one receiver having a largest SNR estimation value among the determined SNRs of the receivers, and demodulating a reception signal using the selected receiver.
US08379690B2
A wireless receiver receives a signal obtained by multiplexing a plurality of signals that include a synchronization signal that is spread using a non-orthogonal code not orthogonal to a code for spreading other signals other than the synchronization signal. Then, in a case when the signals other than the synchronization signal are the target signals for decoding, the wireless receiver performs despreading with respect to the received signal using the synchronization signal and estimates the signal amplitude of the non-orthogonal code. Subsequently, the wireless receiver eliminates the spread synchronization signal from the received signal using the estimated signal amplitude of the non-orthogonal code and using the synchronization signal. Eventually, the wireless receiver performs despreading and demodulation with respect to the signal having the spread synchronization signal eliminated therefrom and decodes the target signals for decoding.
US08379688B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus, comprising a transceiver configured for OFDM transmissions in frequency-contiguous, hopping, sub-channels.
US08379676B1
This document describes tools useful in relaying a data stream from a data device to a network tunnel, such as by injecting in-band control messages without impacting a data rate. For example, the tools may receive data packets on a first link and then relay the data packets to a data device on a second link. While doing so, the tools may periodically free an amount of link time by reducing the length of the relayed data packets by reducing the length of a header of each data packet. The tools may then consume the freed link time by sending a control message on the second link to the data device.
US08379671B2
A technique for extracting a control channel from a received signal includes storing interleaved control channel elements of the received signal in a control channel region of a memory. First addresses for first elements that are included in a first control channel are then generated using a first circuit. Finally, the respective first elements are read, using a second circuit, from the control channel region of the memory according to the generated first addresses to provide the first control channel in a deinterleaved form.
US08379670B2
This method allows the transmission of coded data representing a sequence of digital images. A predetermined quantity of this data is stored in a buffer before transmission over a communication network. The method comprises a step of determining a subset of data in the buffer to be transcoded, as a function of at least one quantity representing the bandwidth available for the communication network.
US08379668B2
Disclosed embodiments allow media players and other electronic devices that operate under a first protocol to control the media capture devices that operate with a second protocol which may not be configurable to communicate with the first protocol. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a network device may store and/or render content within a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network and/or assist in content delivery for a DLNA device on a network. In another embodiment of the disclosure, a media capture device uses the Internet Protocol.
US08379667B2
A broadcast receiving terminal, which implements a service executing method, includes a receiver operable to receive an application, a recording medium, and a service executer operable to execute a service that uses one or more resources in a service execution environment intended for the service. The terminal also includes an associater operable to associate the service execution environment with resource set information indicating the one or more resources used by the service, when the application requests the service executer to execute the service, and a storager operable to store, into the recording medium, a plurality of service execution environments together with the associated resource set information that are associated by the associater. The terminal further includes a resource manager operable to provide, to a selected service, one or more resources indicated in the resource set information in the associated service execution environment, in the recording medium, stored by the storager.
US08379663B2
This method includes: judging, for each certain combination of the source and destination nodes, for which the number of time slots to be allocated is equal to or greater than 1, whether or not certain time slots exist that are capable of forming a route from the source node to the destination node by unused links; for each certain combination judged, at the judging, that the certain time slots exist that are capable of forming the route by the unused links, identifying, for each certain time slot, a shortest route among routes formed by the unused links, calculating an evaluation value from the number of hops in the shorted route, an allocated priority associated with a corresponding certain combination and the number of used links in the corresponding certain time slot; and identifying a maximum evaluation value among the evaluation values.
US08379661B2
Methods and systems for customer premise equipment (CPE) to reverse the upstream speed and downstream speed of a network connection (e.g., ADSL connection) are described. The CPE is communicating with a network device via the network connection. Originally, the CPE's downstream speed with the network device significantly exceeds the CPE's upstream speed with the network device. A speed reversal signal is forwarded from the CPE to the network device. The signal requests the network device to reverse the CPE's downstream speed and upstream speed with the network device. The network device retrains the CPE. The CPE communicates with the retrained network device with an upstream speed that significantly exceeds the downstream speed.
US08379658B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for temporarily deferring transmission of frames to a destination in a data switch. When a request for transmission of a frame to the destination port is received, the congestion status of that destination is determined. If the destination is congested, the frame is stored in a deferred queue. When the status of a destination changes from congested to non-congested, the deferred queue is examined to see if any deferred frames can now be forwarded to their destination. While examining the deferred queue, incoming frames are placed on a backup queue. When the deferred queue is fully analyzed, the backup queue is emptied by either sending those frames to their destination or storing the frames in the deferred queue. While examining the deferred queue, the congested states of the destinations are not allowed to change from congested to non-congested.
US08379649B2
An extranet direct route allowing extranet forwarding to a directly linked device is written in a layer 2-layer 3-integrated forwarding table. The procedure of introducing a layer 3 address-to-layer 2 address correspondence relation table entry into the layer 2-layer 3-integrated forwarding table searches the layer 2-layer 3-integrated forwarding table with a layer 3 address of the correspondence relation table entry and a layer 3 interface as search keys to retrieve any forwarding entry relating to an extranet direct route as a forwarding destination. The procedure subsequently extracts a VRF of each retrieved forwarding entry and introduces the correspondence relation table entry for the extracted VRF into the layer 2-layer 3-integrated forwarding table.
US08379647B1
A device may reserve a slot for a received packet in a packet ordering queue (POQ), convey the packet to one of a plurality of threads for processing, obtain the packet from the one of the plurality of threads after the packet has been processed, organize the packet in the POQ in accordance with a position of the reserved slot, and release the packet from the POQ if the reserved slot is a head of the POQ.
US08379639B2
Apparatuses, methods, and other embodiments associated with packet identification are described. One example apparatus includes a packet selection logic to identify packets associated with a data stream. The example apparatus may also include a set of packet classification logics. A packet classification logic may generate a signal as a function of whether an attribute associated with the packet matches an attribute associated with packets generated by a tested application.
US08379613B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for providing layer-2 connectivity through a non-routed ground segment network, are described. A system includes a satellite configured to transmit data packets. The system further includes a non-autonomous gateway in communication with the satellite. The non-autonomous gateway is configured to receive the data packets from the satellite at layer-1 (L1) of the OSI-model, generate a plurality of virtual tagging tuples within the layer-2 packet headers of the plurality of data packets. The non-autonomous gateway is further configured to transmit, at layer-2 (L2) of the OSI-model, the virtually tagged data packets. Each of the packets including a virtual tagging tuple and an entity destination. The system further includes a L2 switch in communication with the non-autonomous gateway. The L2 switch configured to receive the data packets and transmit the data packets to the entity based on the virtual tuples associated with each of the data packets.
US08379603B2
Briefly, according to embodiments of the invention, there is provided a wireless communication system and a method to receive by a base station from a first mobile station a first chain of data symbols transmitted by at least two antennas and having a first transmit diversity, to receive from a second mobile station a second chain of data symbols transmitted by at least two antennas and having a second transmit diversity. Both first and second chains of data symbols are transmitted from the first and second mobile stations at the same time, modulated according to an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme and encoded by a space time block codes scheme.
US08379595B2
A method and apparatus for securing a quality of service (QoS) of data communication is provided. The method of securing the QoS of data being received by a mobile terminal at a reception side that performs a handover from a first network to a second network comprises generating a packet including information about the second network, transmitting the packet to a transmission side, and selectively performing the handover according to whether a packet including information in response to the packet is received. When a reception side performs a handover, a transmission side can be informed of information about the second network via the exchange of packets between the reception side and the transmission side, thereby securing a QoS of the data transmission.
US08379591B2
Provided is a sequential allocation method which can reduce mutual correlation between different sequential groups while maintaining a number of sequential groups. ST101 sets a sequence length Nb=31 corresponding to an RB number m=3 and a sequence number ub=1. In a first bandwidth from 3RB to 5RB, ST 105 selects a ZC sequence in which a difference from ub/Nb is u/N which is the nearest to 0. In a second bandwidth of 6RB or above, ST106 selects a plurality of sequences in which the difference from ub/Nb is u/N which is near to 0 and 0.5.
US08379586B2
Described herein are methods and apparatus for a communications system of radio coexistence on Television White Spaces band in which a radio coexistence enabler associated with a Television Band Device in a Television Band Device Network mastered by a radio coexistence enabler of a master type, sending a request as a client to a radio coexistence manager to receive information of at least one locally available radio resources, available device-to-device connections and nearby access networks from the coexistence manager to establish a connection based on the devices availability and which received information is without control of the coexistence enabler of a master type.
US08379582B2
A path selection method for use in a communication system is provided. The system includes at least three communication apparatuses, a particular one of said apparatuses being operable to transmit and/or receive a communication signal along at least two different communication paths, each said path being either a single-link path extending from the particular apparatus to another said apparatus directly over a single communication link therebetween, or being a multi-link path extending from the particular apparatus to said other or another said apparatus indirectly via one or more intermediate said apparatuses over a plurality of consecutive such links link-by-link along the path, and at least one said path being such a multi-link path. The method includes, for each link along at least the or one of the multi-link paths, obtaining link-suitability information indicative of the suitability of the link concerned for transmission and/or reception. The method also includes, for at least the or said one of the multi-link paths, combining the link-suitability information for each link of the path concerned so as to generate path-suitability information indicative of the suitability of the path concerned for transmission and/or reception. Furthermore, the method includes selecting one of said paths for transmission and/or reception in dependence upon said path-suitability information.
US08379573B2
Provided is a network mobility management apparatus for providing mobility in a proxy mobile Internet Protocol (IP) network of mobile nodes which configure a mobile network. The network mobility management apparatus includes an address generation unit and a communication unit. The address generation unit transmits a router request message to a mobile access gateway of a proxy mobile IP network to be accessed by the mobile nodes, and receives a router advertisement message containing a home network prefix to generate an address. The communication unit transmits a proxy binding update message containing the home network prefix and an identification code of the mobile node to the mobile access gateway when the router request message is received from the mobile node, and includes the mobile home network prefix, which is contained in a proxy binding response message received from the mobile access gateway and is for the mobile node, in the router advertisement message to transfer the mobile home network prefix to the mobile node.
US08379570B2
A method for performing a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) operation by a connected mode User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system. The method includes waking up at a wake-up timing, and determining whether an incoming data indication is received from a Node B; reestablishing uplink synchronization upon receipt of the incoming data indication; and waking up after sleeping for a time from the incoming data indication reception timing, receiving a transmission resource allocation message from the Node B, and receiving downlink data over allocated transmission resources.
US08379569B2
A simple and low cost architecture for a distribution network is provided for coupling wireless local area network (“wireless LAN”) signals between geographically distributed access points and centrally located internetworking devices. The distribution network eliminates complexities involved with the deployment of such systems in the past, which have typically required the computer network-compatible wiring to be extended to each access point directly from an internetworking device such as a repeater, bridge, router, or gateway. The distribution network makes it economically efficient to deploy wireless local area networking equipment in locations where wired network infrastructure is not readily available. In particular, any convenient existing physical wiring, such as may be provided by the existing optical transport cabling of a fiber optic network, is used as a physical layer transport medium to carry the wireless local area network signals between the access points and centrally located network hub equipment.
US08379562B2
The present application generally relates to a public address system, and more particularly, to a paging relay controller within the public address system and methods thereof. In an illustrative embodiment, the paging relay is configured through a dynamic host configuration protocol server. After configuration, the paging relay can process incoming network streams. The paging relay can receive an incoming network stream from a source typically in the form of a unicast stream. The stream can be transported over a wide area network that commonly does not support multicast transmissions. After receiving the unicast stream, the paging relay converts the unicast stream into a multicast stream. The paging relay then rebroadcasts the multicast stream over a local area network to local subscribing devices. In one embodiment, the paging relay can also convert the unicast stream to line level audio for transmission to an analog system via the RCA phono port.
US08379556B2
A method and an apparatus for managing power of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) module in a portable terminal are provided. In the method, the WLAN module is operated according to a Power Save Mechanism (PSM). Whether the portable terminal operates in a sleep state is determined. At least one of a beacon interval and a Delivery Traffic Indication Map (DTIM) interval of the PSM is changed depending on whether the portable terminal operates in the sleep state.
US08379555B2
A method of awaking a communication device operating in a sleep mode for a wireless network interface card includes continuously sending a plurality of coupling packets to maintain coupling between the communication device and a remote communication device, receiving a wireless packet from the remote communication device, determining a packet type of the wireless packet according to a packet format corresponding to a wake-up packet, and controlling the communication device to leave the sleep mode when the wireless packet is determined to be the wake-up packet.
US08379545B2
A method for exchanging channel information between a transmitter and a receiver each including antennas. A request frame including a first preamble, second preamble, and channel information feedback request is transmitted to the receiver, wherein the first preamble is transmitted from one of the antennas of the transmitter, the second preamble is transmitted from each of the antennas, and the channel information feedback request is transmitted from the one of the antennas. The request frame is received at the receiver, and the channel information feedback request is detected by a decoding based on the first preamble. Channel information is estimated using the second preamble, and a notification frame including the estimated information is constructed and transmitted to the transmitter.
US08379541B2
An information platform system, the configuration thereof is able to change flexibly to meet the needs of the customers, and able to use a single adapter for multiple uses, wherein multiple general-purpose processing modules and dedicated processing modules for processing disks and external networks are connected to one another with switching hubs via respective adapters, and the platform system includes a management module having a system identifier management table specifying system type of the general-purpose processing modules, a functional set management table managing a functional set to be included by the general-purpose processing module of each system identifier, and the configuration management table managing the combination of the general-purpose processing modules and dedicated processing modules, and the management module selects a functional set from multiple functional sets, installs the selected functional set into a general-purpose processing module and an adapter, and manages the system configuration comprising of a general-purpose processing module and a dedicated processing module.
US08379536B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure present techniques for generating a downlink control information (DCI) message which may be transmitted with a particular organization of a downlink control channel and techniques for receiving the same. The DCI message may support uplink enhancements such as single-user multiple input multiple output (SU-MIMO) and clustered DFT-S-OFDM, and may limit blind decoding operations at a user equipment.
US08379532B2
A web-server communicates wireless networking performance data that reflects the true user experience of a mobile device operating in a particular location and operating on a particular wireless network.
US08379523B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting a digitally encoded video image in real time via a data network wherein the video image is digitally encoded using a compression algorithm having a variable bit rate, e.g., JPEG2K, to provide an encoded data stream, the encoded data stream is fed into a buffer of known size, and the data is read from the buffer via a streamer with a controllable bit rate to provide a bit stream at a desired stream bit rate for transmission via the network. The bit rate of the encoded data stream from the encoder is monitored by a predictor and predicts a future bit rate of the encoded data stream; and, the bit rate of at least one of the encoder and the streamer is adjusted to provide the desired streaming bit rate.
US08379516B2
A grid router for routing packets and a network containing the same. The router comprises ingress units (IE), mailbox units (MU), and egress units (EU) connected in a structure of succeeding layers, said layered structure being segregated such that units in a given layer are connected only to a subset of units in a succeeding layer, wherein said grid router comprises a hashing unit for using a hashing function to direct incoming packets through said layers, and wherein said hashing function is configured to reinforce said segregation by directing packets arriving at a given unit in one layer only to units of a corresponding subset in said succeeding layer.
US08379515B1
A system, apparatus, and method are directed towards managing traffic over a network by imposing temporal delays in acknowledgments (ACKs). A Traffic Management Device (TMD), interposed between two network session end-points monitors a buffer of relayed packets. If the contents of the buffer exceed a threshold value, delays are imposed on sending of acknowledgements. If the buffer contents exceed the threshold, and the buffer's contents are increasing, the delays may be increased. If the buffer's contents are about at steady state, the acknowledgement delays may be decreased, or maintained at a current delay status. In one embodiment, if the sender is sending packets at a rate above a receiver's ability to receive the packets, and the sender appears not to be decreasing its rate of transmission, an explicit congestion notification echo (ECE) may be sent to the sender.
US08379513B2
A method and apparatus for recovering from a controlled failover of a BGP speaker is provided. A user sends, to a network element, a request to switch a designation of an active Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) speaker of the network element from a first BGP speaker to a second BGP speaker. After receiving the request, the network element pauses operation of a transport for BGP. Routing data, which describes a state of a first routing information base (RIB) maintained by the active BGP speaker, is transferred from the first BGP speaker to the second BGP speaker. Thereafter, the first BGP speaker may instruct the second BGP speaker to become the active BGP speaker. After the second BGP speaker becomes the active BGP speaker, the second BGP speaker resumes operation of the BGP transport.
US08379499B2
A recording and reproducing area and a reproduction-only area are formed by wobbling a groove formed in a spiral fashion to form a track to be tracked on a disk. The recording and reproducing area has address information recorded by wobbling of the groove and information recorded and reproduced by phase change marks on the track formed by the groove where the address information is recorded. The reproduction-only area has prerecorded information recorded by wobbling of the groove.
US08379493B2
A driving member for a timepiece movement comprises two superimposed coaxial barrels (1, 11) coupled in series, each barrel including a spring provided in a cylindrical housing rotatingly mounted on a common shaft (20). The respective housings (2, 12) of the barrels are positioned opposite each other and do not include a lid, and the springs (7, 17) are separated only by a separation washer (26) or a gap. This arrangement can be used for increasing the height (H) of the springs, and thereby the amount of energy and the power reserve of the watch for an identical global volume of the driving member, or for reducing the total height of the driving member. Such a driving member is particularly intended for watches with a high power reserve.
US08379479B2
According to the system of the present invention, data (DQ) signals are outputted/received between a controller 100 and a memory 200 based on a data strobe signal sent out from the controller 100. The data strobe signal is independently and completely separated from a clock signal. The data strobe signal has a frequency different from a clock signal. Therefore, the memory 200 is not required to generate a read data strobe signal from the clock signal nor to send the read data strobe signal in synchronization with the clock signal.
US08379476B2
A semiconductor memory device for reducing ripple noise of a back-bias voltage, and a method of driving the semiconductor memory device include a word line driving circuit and a delay logic circuit. The word line driving circuit enables a sub-word line connected to a selected memory cell to a first voltage, and disables the sub-word line of a non-selected memory cell to a second voltage and a third voltage, in response to a sub-word line enable signal, a first word line driving signal, and a second word line driving signal. The delay logic circuit controls the semiconductor memory device so that an amount of charge of the sub-word line that is introduced to the third voltage is greater than an amount of charge of the sub-word line that is introduced to the second voltage by changing a transition point of time of the sub-word line enable signal with respect to a transition point of time of the first word line driving signal, during the disabling of the sub-word line.
US08379467B2
Integrated circuit for performing test operation of static RAM bit and for measuring the read margin, write margin, and stability margin of SRAM bits with operational circuitry that includes effects of the SRAM array architecture and circuit design. In addition, the integrated circuit has a built-in self-test circuit for measuring the read margin, write margin, and stability margin of SRAM that excludes the effects of SRAM array architecture and circuit design.
US08379466B2
A memory system has a first memory having an array of memory cells that includes a redundant column. The redundant column substitutes for a first column in the array. The first column includes a test memory cell. The array receives a power supply voltage. The test memory cell becomes non-functional at a higher power supply voltage than the memory cells of the array. A memory controller is coupled to the first memory and is for determining if the test memory cell is functional at a first value for the power supply voltage. This is useful in making decisions concerning the value of the power supply voltage applied to the array.
US08379464B2
A semiconductor device includes a booster circuit and a detector. The booster circuit is configured to boost an input voltage and output an output voltage, and the detector is configured to output the output voltage, which is output from the booster circuit, and control the booster circuit to generate a plurality of different voltages in accordance with an operating mode.
US08379463B2
Various embodiments of a bit line precharge voltage generation circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a bit line precharge voltage generation circuit may include a voltage division block for dividing an internal voltage to generate a first division voltage and a second division voltage, wherein a level of the second division voltage is higher than a level of the first division voltage; a pull-up amplification block for comparing the level of the first division voltage with a level of a bit line precharge voltage on a bit line precharge voltage line, to raise the level of the bit line precharge voltage; and a pull-down amplification block for comparing the level of the second division voltage with the level of the bit line precharge voltage to lower the level of the bit line precharge voltage.
US08379452B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array in which a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells are arrayed, and a program voltage generator that switches current supply amount based on the number of memory cells that are programmed at the same time, among the plurality of memory cells. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device further includes a selection circuit that selects, among the plurality of memory cells, one or more memory cells that are programmed, to flow a current outputted by the program voltage generator.
US08379437B2
Methods and apparatus are provided that include reading a plurality of sets of program pulse tuning instructions from a memory page, the memory page including a plurality of memory cells; and creating a plurality of program pulses in accordance with the plurality of sets of program pulses to program the plurality of memory cells. The plurality of sets of program pulse tuning instructions may be different from one another in at least one respect.
US08379432B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes first and second intersecting wires; a electrically rewritable memory cell disposed at each intersection of the first second wires, including a variable resistor for memorizing a resistance value as data in a nonvolatile manner and a rectifying device are connected in series; and a control circuit which applies a voltage necessary for writing of data to the first and second wires. The control circuit precharges a non-selected second wire to a standby voltage larger than a reference voltage prior to programming a variable resistor connected to selected first and second wires by supplying the reference voltage to a non-selected first wire and the selected second wire, applying to the selected first wire a program voltage for programming of the selected variable resistor and applying to the non-selected second wire a control voltage which prevents the rectifying device from turning ON.
US08379419B2
A soft-stop overvoltage protection circuit, into which a soft-stop overvoltage detection voltage proportional to a direct current output voltage is input, reduces the output of a multiplier in accordance with the soft-stop overvoltage detection voltage when the soft-stop overvoltage detection voltage exceeds a first threshold value. An overvoltage protection circuit, a second threshold value higher than the first threshold value being set, compulsorily turns off a switching element by outputting an overvoltage detection signal when the soft-stop overvoltage detection voltage exceeds the second threshold value. The soft-stop overvoltage protection circuit compulsorily increases the output of a voltage error amplifier circuit on the output voltage decreasing. When the output of the voltage error amplifier circuit increases suddenly, and the output voltage rises excessively, the soft-stop overvoltage protection circuit decreases the output of the multiplier, thus curbing the rise of the output voltage.
US08379417B2
A power conversion system and a DC link choke therefore are presented, in which a continuous core structure is provided with first and second legs around which four or more windings are located, with one or more shunt structures providing a magnetic flux path between intermediate portions of the first and second legs.
US08379416B1
A power conversion system includes a power transformer for receiving AC power at a first voltage from an input side and for delivering AC power at a second voltage to an output side. A power converter is also included in the power conversion system wherein the power converter includes an input side converter on the input side and an output side converter on the output side coupled through a plurality of DC links. A converter controller in the power converter provides control signals to the input side converter and the output side converter for regulating an active power and a reactive power flow through the power converter. Each of the input side converters and the output side converters includes at least two power converter transformers coupled between respective power converter bridges coupled to the plurality of DC links and the input side or to the plurality of DC links and the output side.
US08379412B2
Techniques are generally described for a converter including a PLL and a pulse deleting circuit. The pulse deleting circuit is configured to delete a pulse from one of the inputs to the PLL when a filtered output in the PLL falls below a first reference level and an unlocked state of the PLL is detected in response to a phase lag of one of the first and second pulse inputs with respect to the other. The pulse deleting circuit may also be configured to delete one pulse of the other of the first and second pulse inputs when the filtered output exceeds a second reference level and the unlocked state of the PLL is detected in response to a phase lead of the one of the first and second pulse inputs with respect to the other.
US08379409B2
A touch panel is characterized in that one side of a top panel protrudes beyond a side of a bottom panel, signals of sensing areas or conductive layer on the top panel for sensing capacitive variation or voltage variation are transmitted to a bottom surface of the protruded side, signals of sensing areas or conductive layer on the bottom panel for sensing capacitive variation or voltage variation are transmitted to a bottom surface of the top panel through conductive adhesives and to the bottom surface of the protruded side, and the top panel has a flexible PCB formed on the bottom surface of the protruded side to receive those signals. As the flexible PCB is not sandwiched between the top and bottom panels, all layers of the touch panel can be uniformly and tightly bonded and touch insensitivity caused by air penetration into the touch panel can be prevented.
US08379408B2
Provided are an electromagnetic shield structure capable of reducing the contamination of electromagnetic noise which is radiated from a digital device into a wireless device, and a wireless apparatus using the electromagnetic shield structure. This structure has a shield function to reduce the influence of the noise radiated from an LSI (102), by a first shield (3) and a second shield (4). An open face (4g) of a first L-shaped structure portion (4a) and an open face (4h) of a second L-shaped structure portion (4b) are opposed to each other. Accordingly, even if the first L-shaped structure portion (4a) and the second L-shaped structure portion (4b) are excited by the LSI (102), the electromagnetic fields radiated from the open faces (4g and 4h) cancel each other out to reduce the radiation of noise from the first L-shaped structure portion (4a) and the second L-shaped structure portion (4b).
US08379405B2
An ultra-wideband assembly in an electrical circuit having a circuit board with a conductive micro-strip line is provided. The assembly includes a non-conductive tapered core having an outer surface, a distal end, and a proximate end. The distal end is being larger than proximate end. The assembly includes a conductive wire having a proximate end and a distal end and being wound about at least a portion of the non-conductive tapered core. The proximate end of the conductive wire extends away from the proximate end of the non-conductive tapered core and is being conductively coupled to the micro-strip line of the circuit board. The distal end of the conductive wire extends away from the distal end of the non-conductive tapered core. The conductive wire contacts at least a portion of the outer surface of the non-conductive tapered core. The assembly includes a supporting bracket coupled to the non-conductive tapered core. The bracket includes a base portion and a core attachment portion. The base portion is being conductively coupled to the circuit board. The core attachment portion is being coupled to the distal end of the non-conductive tapered core and is further being conductively coupled to the distal end of the conductive wire. While being coupled to the non-conductive tapered core, the supporting bracket is configured to dispose the non-conductive tapered core at a predetermined angle to the circuit board.
US08379402B2
A wiring board having a lead pin is provided. The wiring board having the lead pin includes a connecting pad which is formed on the wiring board, and to which the lead pin is bonded through a conductive material. The lead pin includes: a shaft portion; a head portion which is provided on one end of the shaft portion; a protruded portion which is formed on a surface side of the head portion opposed to the connection pad; and a first taper portion which is formed between the head portion and a base part of the shaft portion.
US08379388B2
A server including a rack, at least one chassis, a plurality of electronic modules, and a cable module is provided. The rack has an opening. The chassis is movably disposed in the rack along a first axis, and moves in and out the rack through the opening. The electronic modules are vertically and detachably disposed in the chassis. A plurality of channels parallel to a second axis and each of the channels is disposed between two adjacent electronic modules, and the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. The cable module is disposed at a side of the chassis. The cable module is connected to at least one of the electronic modules. When the chassis is moved out from the rack, the electronic module connected to the cable module is next to the opening of the rack.
US08379387B2
An apparatus for fixing a fan on a specific surface is disclosed, which comprises: a bracket, formed with a hollow section; a plurality of side panels, disposed on the specific surface as an array while enabling each side panel to be disposed perpendicular to the specific surface and the bracket; a first clamping piece; and a second clamping piece. The fan is sandwiched between any two neighboring side panels while enabling an end of the fan module where the first clamping piece is mounted to face toward the hollow section. The first clamping piece is configured with a spring that is capable of moving relatively to the fan so as to enable a first protrusion formed on the spring to inset into the hollow section when the spring is moved to a first position, and detach from the hollow section when the spring is move to a second position.
US08379386B2
An electronic apparatus includes the following: a heat dissipation chamber that is formed by liquid tightly separating the inside of a main unit case with a partition, has an inlet air vent and an outlet air vent in the partition, and includes a heat dissipation portion; a cooling fan that is located in the heat dissipation chamber; an inlet that is provided in the main unit case to introduce outside air into the heat dissipation chamber through the inlet air vent; and an outlet that is provided in the main unit case to exhaust an air flow sent from the cooling fan to the outside through the outlet air vent. An air channel that extends from the inlet air vent through a side wall of the main unit case to communicate the heat dissipation chamber with the inlet is liquid tightly sealed from the internal space of the main unit case with a sealing wall. A plurality of plate-shaped ribs are provided in the air channel so as to extend in a flow path direction and arranged in a lateral direction of the inlet air vent. The rigidity of the main unit case can be ensured sufficiently while maintaining the liquid tightness between the inside of the main unit case and the heat dissipation chamber.
US08379383B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, a circuit board in the housing, a cooling unit includes a radiator unit on the circuit board, and a cooling fan connected to the radiator unit and supported outside the circuit board in a floating state, a keyboard on a top wall of the housing, opposed to the circuit board and the cooling fan, a first supporting member disposed between the cooling fan and the keyboard and configured to support the keyboard when a key is depressed, and a second supporting member disposed between the cooling fan and a bottom wall of the housing and configured to support the cooling fan when a key is depressed. At least one of the first and second supporting members is formed of an elastic material.
US08379379B2
A fixing mechanism includes a positioning frame for mounting a data access device thereto and including two opposite sidewalls each having two spaced-apart through holes, a plurality of shockproof elements each extending through and being retained in a respective through hole and including a passage, and two positioning rods for positioning the data access device therebetween. The passages of the shockproof elements are adapted to correspond in position with the positioning holes. Each positioning rod includes a main body portion, and two insert portions formed respectively at two opposite ends of the main body portion. Each insert portion extends through the passage of one of the shockproof elements, and is adapted to extend into a respective positioning hole. The shockproof elements are adapted to abut against the data access device when the data access device is positioned between the positioning rods.
US08379376B2
Electronic components of an energy meter are mounted in an encapsulated compartment within a sealed outer enclosure of the meter. The encapsulated compartment is advantageously positioned to form air channels between the encapsulated compartment and the sealed outer enclosure to deliver thermal air circulation there-between to promote sufficient heat transfer through an outer skin of the sealed outer enclosure for maintaining acceptable thermal conditions for the encapsulated electronic components.
US08379374B2
A bus interconnect in accordance with present embodiments includes a via block having first and second interfaces separated by a conductive body, wherein the via block is configured to communicatively couple with a first bus through the first interface and wherein the conductive body is configured to extend through an opening in a bus support panel. A first coupling section of the jumper includes a first attachment feature, wherein the first attachment feature is configured to facilitate attachment with the second interface of the via block. A neck section of the jumper extends perpendicularly from the first coupling section, and a second coupling section of the jumper extends perpendicularly from the neck section in parallel with the first coupling section. The second coupling section includes a second attachment feature configured to facilitate attachment with a second bus. The first coupling section and the second coupling section each extend away from the neck section in different directions.
US08379372B2
A capacitor assembly that is stable under extreme conditions is provided. More particularly, the assembly includes a capacitor element that is positioned within an interior cavity of a housing. The housing includes a base to which the capacitor element is connected. The housing also includes a lid that contains an outer wall from which extends a sidewall. An end of the sidewall is defined by a lip extending at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction and having a peripheral edge located beyond a periphery of the sidewall. The lip is hermetically sealed to the base. In some cases, the peripheral edge of the lip is also coplanar with an edge of the base. The use of such a lip can enable a more stable connection between the components and improve the seal and mechanical stability of the capacitor assembly, thereby allowing it to better function under extreme conditions.
US08379364B2
A construction system for a capacitive sensor comprises a source electrode (210), a screening element (220) with partition (221) which forms a first and a second screened chamber (220.a, 220.b), a field sensor (230), a circuit (250), a spacing member (260) with a through-duct, and a screw (270). The partition (221) is provided with a hole (224) and said spacing member (260) is positioned inside the first chamber (220.a) with the axis (260.y) of the duct arranged coaxial with the axis (224-y) of said hole (224). The same spacing member (260) is positioned between the proximal face (223) of the partition (221) and the distal face (232) of the field sensor (230) and said field sensor (230) is provided with a threaded hole (233). The head (271) of the screw (270) is arranged inside the second chamber (220.b) and its shank (272) is arranged passing axially through said hole (224) and across said through-duct of said spacing member (260) with its end portion which mates with the threaded hole (233) of said field sensor (230).
US08379360B2
An overcurrent protection circuit is provided. An overcurrent detecting element is connected between a power source and a load and detects an overcurrent flowing through the load. A main switch element is connected between the load and the overcurrent detecting element and controls flow of current to the load according to a voltage applied between a control end and an input end of the main switch element. The main switch element stops the flow of current to the load when a predetermined time is elapsed after the overcurrent detecting element detects the overcurrent flowing through the load. A first switch element has an output end connected to the control end of the main switch element. A current flows to the first switch when the overcurrent detecting element detects the overcurrent flowing through the load.
US08379358B2
A motor control circuit 1 for controlling driving of a plurality of motors is provided with a plurality of motor driver circuits 7 and 8 for controlling driving of the plurality of motors 3 and 4, a plurality of excess current detection circuits 39 and 40 each for detecting an excess current flowing through corresponding one of the plurality of motors 3 and 4 to determine which motor driver circuit among the plurality of motor driver circuits 7 and 7 caused the excess current. The motor control circuit further includes a nonvolatile memory 46 configured to receive detection results from the plurality of excess current detection circuits 39 and 40 and store information on which motor driver circuit among the plurality of motor driver circuits 7 and 8 caused the excess current.
US08379353B2
The present invention relates to a method for determining the existence of an earth-fault on-the-fly and thereby protecting a motor controller having a high- and a low-side DC-link, and having high- and low-side switching elements, the high- and low-side switching elements being operatively connected to the high- and low-side DC-link buses, respectively, the method comprising the steps of generating a fault signal, generating at least one test vector in response to the fault signal by switching at least one of the switching elements on, and measuring, while the at least one switching element is on, the magnitude of a current flowing in that DC-link operatively connected to the conducting switching element in order to detect an earth-fault. The present invention further relates to additional methods for on-the-fly determination of earth-faults.
US08379350B2
An MR element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the first and second ferromagnetic layers. The spacer layer includes a nonmagnetic metal layer, a first oxide semiconductor layer, and a second oxide semiconductor layer that are stacked in this order. The nonmagnetic metal layer is made of Cu, and has a thickness in the range of 0.3 to 1.5 nm. The first oxide semiconductor layer is made of a Ga oxide semiconductor, and has a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 nm. The second oxide semiconductor layer is made of a Zn oxide semiconductor, and has a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 nm.
US08379346B1
The present invention relates to a method of forming a metal in a concave portion of a substrate. The method includes a step of preparing a substrate having a concave portion; a step of applying a liquid coating member on the substrate and filling in and solidifying the concave portion with the coating member; a step of covering the coating member with a resist; a step of forming a penetrating hole that penetrates the resist in a position of the concave portion of the substrate; a step of removing the coating member within the concave portion; and a step of filling a metal into a portion where the coating member has been removed.
US08379344B2
A hard disk drive includes a base, a disk to record and store data, a head stack assembly provided in the base to read out data from the disk which rotates about a pivot shaft, and an air force dispersion unit positioned adjacent to the head stack assembly to disperse an air force generated during a rotation of the disk.
US08379338B2
Techniques for performing metrology on magnetic media disk formations that are arranged in curvilinear patterns are disclosed. Small integrated test patterns having rectangular periodicity are integrated among the concentric circles of patterned media formations. The test patterns cover only very small areas of the disk so as to not significantly affect disk capacity. The periodicity of the test patterns allows their formations to be more readily measured by metrology technology than those having a curvilinear periodicity.
US08379328B2
The present invention provides an imaging lens composed of three lenses that can be made compact (downsized, thinned), allows a reduction in cost and can be made compatible with a high pixel imaging element having a megapixel or more incorporated in a small mobile product such as a mobile phone. The imaging lens 6 includes, in order from the object side to the image surface side: an aperture stop 4; a first lens 1 having positive refractive power whose lens surface facing the image surface side is provided with a diffractive optical element; a second lens 2 composed of a meniscus lens having positive refractive power whose lens surface facing the image surface side is convex; a third lens 3 having negative refractive power. When f denotes the focal length of the entire optical system, f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens 1, f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens 2, f3 denotes the focal length of the third lens 3 and φDOE denotes refractive power of the diffractive optical element, conditional expressions (1) to (4) are satisfied: 0.9
US08379326B2
An imaging lens includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, an aperture stop, and a fourth lens, sequentially arranged from the object-side of the imaging lens. The first lens has negative power, and an object-side surface is convex and an image-side surface is concave. Both surfaces of the second lens are aspheric, and in the vicinity of the optical axis, the second lens has negative power, and the object-side surface is convex and the image-side surface is concave. Both surfaces of the third lens are aspheric, and in the vicinity of the optical axis, the third lens has positive power, and the object-side surface is convex, and the image-side surface is concave. Both surfaces of the fourth lens are aspheric, and in the vicinity of the optical axis, the fourth lens has positive power, and the object-side surface is concave, and the image-side surface is convex.
US08379325B2
An photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power, a second lens element with negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, a plastic third lens element with positive refractive power having a concave aspheric object-side surface and a convex aspheric image-side surface, a plastic fourth lens element with negative refractive power having a concave aspheric object-side surface and a convex aspheric image-side surface and a plastic fifth lens element having an aspheric object-side surface and an aspheric image-side surface. By adjusting the focal lengths of the second and the fourth lens element and the photographing optical lens assembly, and the curvature radii of the object-side and the image-side surface of the second lens element, the photographing optical lens assembly is miniaturized, and the image quality is improved.
US08379318B2
A zoom lens having, in order from an object, a first lens group G1 having negative refractive power, a second lens group G2 having positive refractive power, and a third lens group GH3 having positive refractive power, wherein the second lens group G2 is constituted only by three or more cemented lenses.
US08379317B2
A zoom lens system comprising: a front unit having negative optical power as a whole and including a first lens unit located closest to the object side; and a rear unit having positive optical power as a whole, wherein at least the front unit moves along an optical axis in zooming, the first lens unit is composed of at most three lens elements, the rear unit includes a lens unit having an aperture diaphragm between lens elements, an air space between which is not varied in zooming, a sub lens unit comprising a part of a lens unit constituting the rear unit moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the condition: 0.1
US08379315B2
A teleconverter lens system is attachable to or detachable from an object side of a main lens system and facilitates performing telephotographing. A photographing apparatus includes the teleconverter lens system. The teleconverter lens system includes: a first lens having a negative refractive power; a second lens having a positive refractive power; a third lens having a negative refractive power; and a fourth lens having a positive refractive power, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth lenses are sequentially arranged from an object side to an image side of the teleconverter lens system. The first and second lenses are cemented together, and the second lens has a meniscus shape in which a convex surface is formed on the object side of the second lens.
US08379314B2
Provided is a method for designing an image pickup lens which is low cost and applicable to reflow process. The method includes a step of designing the image pickup lens including a lens formed of energy curable resin, on the assumption that the energy curable resin is homogeneous; a step of obtaining an image pickup lens by manufacturing each lens forming the image pickup lens, based on the design; a step of evaluating lens performance of the obtained image pickup lens; a step of designing the image pickup lens again by changing surface shape of at least one surface and/or lens-surface distance in at least one place in the image pickup lens, based on the lens performance obtained by an simulation in the designing step and the lens performance of the image pickup lens obtained in the evaluating step.
US08379310B2
Provided is a highly reliable solar collecting system. Since a concave minor has a reflection film on a base material on the side opposite to the side of a solar light incoming surface, peeling, breaking and the like are suppressed by protecting the reflection film by the base material, even when a dropping material is brought into contact with the side of the reflection film with impact or accumulated dropped materials are periodically cleaned. As an elliptical mirror has a reflection film on the base material on the side of the solar light incoming surface, even when solar light having large energy enters, the solar light is reflected by the reflection surface before reaching the base material and there is a small possibility of having the base material heated.
US08379307B2
A combined reflex/telescopic sight that includes a telescopic optical element train and a view window, offset from the optical element train. A transition assembly is positioned to receive light from the optical element train and the view window and has an image display, a collimating lens-set positioned to transmit light to the image display and a luminous reticle. This assembly may be placed in a first mode wherein light from the optical train travels through the collimating lenses to the image display and light from the view window is blocked. In a second mode light from the optical train is blocked and light from the luminous reticle travels through the collimating lens set and is combined with light from the view window and a resulting combined image appears at the image display. Finally an actuation assembly is adapted to permit a user to switch the transition assembly between modes.
US08379306B2
The invention relates to improving optical properties of optical instruments with variable magnification, such as zoom binoculars, reducing the weight thereof, and enabling the user to change magnifications quickly. The invention provides an optical instrument with a focal length-varying lens 4 disposed on the optical axis between an objective lens 7 and an eyepiece 3, further having an adjusting lens 5 for adjusting optical properties when the focal length-varying lens is in an area to provide high magnification. The adjusting lens is supported so that it is capable of moving between a location on the optical axis and a location off the path of light beams. Interlocked with a magnification-varying mechanism that controls the position of the focal length-varying lens, the adjusting lens is moved to the on-the-axis location when the focal length-varying lens is in an area to provide high magnification, and to the off-the-axis location when low magnification.
US08379301B2
An optical circuit is described which may include an SOA-MZI circuit providing an output signal; and a polarization filtering device (PFD) configured to receive the output signal of the SOA-MZI and to provide at least one signal at the output of the PFD.
US08379298B2
A high power short optical pulse source 10 can include a master oscillator 12, preamplifier 14, and pump laser 16 provided within a first enclosure 28 at a first location. The high power short optical pulse source can further include a high power fiber amplifier 20 provided within an optical head 18, which is located at a second location, remote from the first location. The optical head 18 can have a small footprint and can be positioned at the intended target of optical pulses output from the high power short optical pulse source. The large, noisy elements of the high power short optical pulse source 10 are thereby provided away from the application site of the pulses.
US08379296B2
CdSiP2 crystals with sizes and optical quality suitable for use as nonlinear optical devices are disclosed, as well as NLO devices based thereupon. A method of growing the crystals by directional solidification from a stoichiometric melt is also disclosed. The disclosed NLO crystals have a higher nonlinear coefficient than prior art crystals that can be pumped by solid state lasers, and are particularly useful for frequency shifting 1.06 μm, 1.55 μm, and 2 μm lasers to wavelengths between 2 μm and 10 μm. Due to the high thermal conductivity and low losses of the claimed CdSiP2 crystals, average output power can exceed 10 W without severe thermal lensing. A 6.45 μm laser source for use as a medical laser scalpel is also disclosed, in which a CdSiP2 crystal is configured for non-critical phase matching, pumped by a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser, and temperature-tuned to produce output at 6.45 μm.
US08379293B2
An apparatus for modulating light includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a sealed enclosure. The first electrode includes a frequency selective surface operable to reflect light having a first wavelength, and the second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode. The sealed enclosure stores electrophoretic fluid and at least a portion of the sealed enclosure is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. A plurality of particles are suspended in the electrophoretic fluid. The particles are capable of absorbing light having the first wavelength. In addition, the first electrode is capable of attracting the particles towards the frequency selective surface when an electrical bias is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US08379279B2
According to this invention, the image attribute is determined by determining whether the image of each color component of color image data having undergone a screen process is a continuous tone image, and whether the image of each color component is a pattern image. Whether to perform an interpolation process is determined for each color component based on the attribute determination result of each color component. If it is determined that the images of all the color components are pattern images, interpolation determination results do not coincide with each other, and there is a color component determined to represent a continuous tone image, the interpolation determination result of this color component is overwritten with the interpolation determination result of the remaining color components. The interpolation process is executed in accordance with the interpolation determination result.
US08379277B2
An image forming apparatus includes a scanner motor and a rotary polygonal mirror which is driven by the scanner motor to rotate, and reflects a modulated beam emitted from a light source by a plurality of reflection surfaces. The image forming apparatus includes a rotation and carrier unit which, while rotating, carries an image formed on the basis of a laser beam reflected by the rotary polygonal mirror, a speed detection unit which detects a rotation speed of the rotation and carrier unit. The image forming apparatus includes a tracking characteristic detection unit which detects a tracking delay of the scanner motor from a target rotation speed and a control unit which controls, on the basis of the rotation speed detected by the speed detection unit and a tracking characteristic detected by the tracking characteristic detection unit, a rotation speed of the scanner motor that drives the rotary polygonal mirror.
US08379271B2
A printing apparatus performs printing on a print medium. The printing apparatus includes: a dot data generator that performs a halftone process on image data, wherein the print image is formed by mutually combining print pixels belonging to each of a plurality of pixel position groups for which a physical difference is assumed at a formation of dots by the print image generator, in a common print area, and the halftone process is configured to determine the status of dot formation on each of the print pixels on an assumption of the physical difference.
US08379267B2
What is disclosed is a novel system and method for retrieving a gamut mapping for a color device. A ray-based model is derived from a system estimation of either a seed profile or a seed device. The model is hard coded inside a run-time ICC profile creation algorithm. The runtime profile generation code can be optimized for a variety of gamut mapping scenarios. The generated profile is provided to an imaging system wherein out-of-gamut colors are mapped to the color gamut of the host device. The present method provides an accurate way to reproduce colors of images by retrieving the gamut mapping from profiles or from the color device that use destination profiles for rendering images.
US08379254B2
An image-data receiving unit receives image data from other image communication apparatus. A storing unit stores therein the image data. An output unit outputs the image data stored in the storing unit. A reading unit reads the image data output by the output unit. An extracting unit extracts a difference between the image data read by the reading unit and the image data stored in the storing unit. A determining unit determines whether the difference extracted by the extracting unit satisfies a predetermined condition. A control unit controls a transmission of a message to other image communication apparatus based on a result of determination by the determining unit.
US08379249B2
An information-processing apparatus includes a print-job-transmission unit operable to transmit a print job to a first image-processing apparatus, and a driver-information-transmission unit configured to transmit at least one driver-information item including a driver list which is the list of at least one driver existing on the information-processing apparatus to the first image-processing apparatus upon receiving cancellation information indicating that the transmitted print job is cancelled by the first image-processing apparatus.
US08379248B2
An image-forming apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a start instruction and an end instruction entered by a service engineer who performs a maintenance work for the image-forming apparatus. A first holding unit is configured to store first counter information obtained by the image-forming apparatus in a case that the reception unit receives the start instruction. A second holding unit is configured to store second counter information obtained by the image-forming apparatus in a case that an operating state of the image-forming apparatus satisfies a first end condition. A generation unit is configured to generate maintenance information based on the second counter information stored in the second holding unit if the operating state of the image-forming apparatus satisfies the first end condition and further satisfies a second end condition before the reception unit receives the end instruction from the service engineer.
US08379247B2
A method and system for carrying out an image-to-paper printer registration setup includes: using a printer undergoing registration setup, printing a test pattern on a sheet having reference targets within a printable region of the sheet; using a scanner, scanning the printed sheet to generate an image bitmap of the test pattern-bearing sheet larger than the sheet itself so that the image bitmap contains the sheet edges and measuring in numbers of pixels the distances between the reference targets and/or sheet edges using multiple swaths of the image bitmap itself as the measuring tool; and, using a processor and based on the measured distances, calculating error-associated adjustment values in millimeters to use to correct errors in the registration setup of the image-to-paper in the printer and transferring the error-associated adjustment values to the printer to perform adjustment of its setup actuators.
US08379236B2
An image forming device for obtaining image data and forming an image includes a functional limitation part configured to set a functional limitation for a function provided by the image forming device; a batch operating part configured to register a series of the functions as one batch operation; a judging part configured to judge whether or not the batch operation registered by the batch operating part is executable when the functional limitation part adds a new limitation to or changes setting contents of the functional limitation; and an alternative operation generating part configured to generate an alternative batch operation that is an alternative of the batch operation when the batch operation is judged inexecutable.
US08379228B1
A device is provided that can be inserted into a spectrophotometer, in order to measure the thickness and refractive index of a thin film that is on a sample plate. A pair of identical parallelogram prisms diverts the spectrophotometer beam to measure the attenuated total reflection, and returns an output beam that is in the original beam path, independent of wavelength and rotation angle. The attenuated total reflection of the thin film sample plate is measured in a prism coupling geometry, as a function of wavelength and angle. From this data, combined with normal incidence transmission data, the thickness and refractive index can be extracted.
US08379222B2
A Fizeau interferometer includes: a reference spherical surface; and a measuring apparatus including an intensity obtaining section and a form calculating section, wherein: a focal point of the reference spherical surface is aligned with a center of curvature of the spherical surface in order to set the center of curvature as a center position, and two positions equidistant from the center position are set as a start position and an end position, the intensity obtaining section obtains the intensity maps of the interferograms at n positions at equal intervals; and the form calculating section measures the form of the spherical surface using a phase analysis method in which a coefficient of the intensity maps of the interferograms at an i-th position and a coefficient of the intensity maps of the interferograms at an (n−i+1)th position have a same value.
US08379221B2
The present patent application provides an interference cavity for precisely controlling an optical path including a cavity formed by two equal distance arms, wherein a positive adjusting plate and a negative adjusting plate are disposed in the interference cavity for compensating the change of a cavity length with temperature and thereby ensuring that the interference cavity length is a constant. The present patent application utilizes the matching relationship between the change of the refractive index of the positive adjustment plate with the temperature and the change of the refractive index of the negative adjusting plates with the temperature to make the optical path difference OPL invariant with changes in the environment temperature and thereby to ensure the precision of the optical path.
US08379220B2
The present invention provides an imaging and measuring apparatus for the surface and the internal interface of an object, which comprises a broadband wave source, a wave-splitting structure, a wave-delaying device, a reflecting component, and a sensor. The broadband wave source transmits a broadband incident wave. The wave-splitting structure splits the broadband incident wave into a first incident beam, a second incident beam, and a third incident beam. The first incident beam is illuminated on an object under test, which reflects a measuring beam. The wave-delaying device receives the second incident beam and reflects a reference beam. The reflecting component receives the third incident beam and reflects a calibration beam. The sensor receives a first interference signal of the measuring beam and the reference beam, and a second interference signal of the reference beam and the calibration beam. By means of the broadband incident wave, the morphologies of the surface and the internal interface of the object can be imaged and measured in a non-destructive way. In addition, by means of the calibration beam, the accuracy of imaging and measuring the surface and the internal interface of the object can be improved.
US08379218B2
Apparatus include a microscope including an objective and a stage for positioning a test object relative to the objective, the stage being moveable with respect to the objective, and a sensor system, that includes a sensor light source, an interferometric sensor configured to receive light from the sensor light source, to introduce an optical path difference (OPD) between a first portion and a second portion of the light, the OPD being related to a distance between the objective lens and the stage, and to combine the first and second portions of the light to provide output light, a detector configured to detect the output light from the interferometric sensor, a fiber waveguide configured to direct light between the sensor light source, the interferometric sensor and the detector, a tunable optical cavity in a path of the light from the sensor light source and the interferometric sensor, and an electronic controller in communication with the detector, the electronic controller being configured to determine information related to the OPD based on the detected output light.
US08379213B2
This invention provides methods of array reading and readers of assay result arrays wherein light can be scanned onto analytical region array members from a light source and/or light can be scanned from array members to a detector. One or more mirrors can have one of more pivotable axes enabling scanning light paths to be established between assay result arrays and other components of an analytical device.
US08379212B2
Disclosed herein is an innovative plasmonic droplet including a droplet of fluid, a detection-target material which is in the droplet of fluid, and a nanoplasmon probe which is on a surface of the droplet of fluid and/or in the droplet of fluid. The plasmonic droplet may be applied for plasmon based optical sensing techniques, for example, for ultrasensitive analysis of bacteria, pathogen, etc.
US08379209B2
A non-destructive inspection device for an oxygen concentration in a bag-shaped container includes: right and left affixing plates provided so as to be moved toward and away from the bag-shaped container; a laser emitting section for measuring an oxygen concentration that is provided on one of the affixing plates; and a laser receiving section on the other affixing plate, wherein the end faces of the emitting section and the receiving section have gas-filled chambers that include gas chambers with a constant length and are made of a translucent material. In the measurement of an oxygen concentration, the affixing plates are brought close to each other, the thickness of a gas phase portion is kept constant, and air is removed between the end faces of the emitting section and the receiving section and the surfaces of the container.
US08379197B2
A system and method to distinguish normal cells from cells having undergone a biochemical change. A pre-determined vector space is selected where the vector space mathematically describes a first plurality of reference spectral data sets for normal cells and a second plurality of reference spectral data sets for cells having undergone a biochemical change. A sample is irradiated to generate a target spectral data set based on photons absorbed, reflected, emitted, or scattered by the sample. The target spectral data set is transformed into a pre-determined vector space. A distribution of transformed data is analyzed in the pre-determined vector space. Based on the analysis, the sample is classified as containing normal cells, cells having undergone a biochemical change, and combinations thereof. The method includes treating the sample with a pharmaceutical agent prior to irradiating the sample and using the classification to assess the efficiency of the pharmaceutical agent.
US08379192B2
An apparatus for optical measurement of substance concentrations has at least one transmitter arranged in or on a housing and at least one receiver for optical radiation, and a deflection device, which is at a distance from the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver and is arranged within the substance when the apparatus is being used correctly, for deflection of the optical radiation from the at least one transmitter to the at least one receiver. The distance between the deflection device and the at least one transmitter and/or the at least one receiver can be varied by means of an adjusting device.
US08379188B2
The disclosure provides an optical system having an optical axis, where the optical system includes a polarization manipulator which includes first and second subelements. The first subelement has a non-planar, optically effective surface. For light passing through the first subelement, the first subelement causes a change in the polarization state. A maximum effective retardation introduced by the first subelement along the optical axis is less than a quarter of the working wavelength of the optical system. The first subelement and the second subelement have mutually facing surfaces which are mutually complementary. The optical system also includes a position manipulator to manipulate the relative position of the first and second subelements.
US08379185B2
The present invention discloses a liquid crystal display device with repairable structure, including a glass substrate; a wire structure formed on the glass substrate, wherein the wire structure includes one or a plurality of through holes formed therein; a dielectric layer formed on the wire structure and the glass substrate; and a plurality of pixel electrodes formed on the dielectric layer, wherein one or more gaps are formed between the plurality of pixel electrodes and the position of the gaps aligns with the position of the through holes.
US08379183B2
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) display unit, in which a Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) capacitor consisting of a micromirror layer, a insulation layer and a light shielding layer is formed by grounding the light shielding layer on a pixel switch circuit layer. Therefore the pixel switch circuit and the capacitor are in vertical distribution, that is, the switch circuit and the capacitor both have an allowable design area of the size of one pixel. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for forming a Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) display unit.
US08379182B2
A cooling system for an electronic display. Transparent cooling chambers are used to extract heat from the front display surface of an electronic display. A refrigerated air source is in gaseous communication with the cooling chamber. Additional fans may be used to cool other components of the electronic display. Multiple displays may be used where each display and the refrigerated air source is housed within the housing. The housing contains air inlet and air exhaust ports. An air curtain device may be used with some embodiments. An open-loop, closed-loop, or both types of designs may be used with the cooling chambers. Temperature sensors may allow the refrigerated air source(s) to be selectively engaged depending on the temperature of the air within the cooling chamber or the temperature of the front display surface. Ambient temperature sensors may also direct the switch between open and closed loops.
US08379181B2
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a display module, the display module comprising a display panel and a backlight, The method includes the following steps: placing the display panel and the backlight into contact on a common contact area, the common contact area being defined as a fixation region of a contacting surface of the display panel coinciding with a contacting surface of the backlight, and applying a heat flow in the common contact area to create a local weld connection in the common contact area between the display panel and the backlight.
US08379179B2
A flat panel display including a first substrate, a second substrate, a light emitting region between the first and second substrates, and a sealant applied outside of the light emitting region, wherein the sealant has a rectangular shape and includes a first sealing part and a third sealing part opposite each other, and a second sealing part and a fourth sealing part opposite each other, the first, second, third, and fourth sealing parts being interconnected, and wherein the flat panel display includes a compensating part corresponding to at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth sealing parts on or in the first or second substrate.
US08379176B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate including a pixel area, a second substrate facing the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and including liquid crystal molecules, a first electrode, a second electrode including a minute slit pattern, disposed on the first substrate and an insulating layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a third electrode disposed on the second substrate. The pixel area includes a first region having a double-electrode structure wherein the first electrode and the second electrode overlap, and a second region having a single electrode structure including the second electrode.
US08379172B2
A liquid crystal display device has: a light source, a light guide plate for causing light from the light source to enter from a side surface of the light guide plate and exit as illuminating light from one principal surface thereof; a liquid crystal panel which includes a reflective color filter having wavelength selectivity in transmittance and reflectance and a polarizing plate disposed on a side that is closer to the light guide plate than the reflective color filter, and which is disposed on a light path of the illuminating light; and a recycle part for reflecting the illuminating light that has been reflected by the reflective color filter toward the reflective color filter once again, wherein the light from the light source is configured to enter the light guide plate as approximately linear polarization, and the polarizing plate of the liquid crystal panel is configured so exhibit transmittance of 90% or higher.
US08379166B2
A planar light-emitting device having a plurality of light units each including a light source and a lightguide member that guides light received from the light source through an end surface serving as a light-entrance surface disposed to face the light source and that emits the light from an upper surface and two mutually opposing side surfaces after changing the optical path of the light, and further has a reflecting member having a light-reflecting surface on which the light units are disposed. The lightguide member has an elongated shape. The light units are disposed in linear arrays each in which the light units are linearly disposed in series in the elongated direction of the lightguide member. The linear arrays extend in the elongated direction of the respective lightguide members. The linear arrays extend in parallel with each other and are spaced from each other in a width direction perpendicularly intersecting the elongated direction of the lightguide members.
US08379160B2
An apparatus concealing member in which a film-type information input device (4) is placed under a film-type transparent base member (3), a functional liquid crystal film (5) is placed under the information input device (4) at a position where the functional liquid crystal film (5) covers a portion to be concealed (1b) of an apparatus and can be electrically changed over between being transparent and being non-transparent, and a non-metal and film-type glossy layer (6) is placed under the functional liquid crystal film and exhibits transparency and a gloss due to reflection.
US08379158B2
A three-dimensional (3D) display including a display panel and a phase retardation film is provided. The display panel has a plurality of first pixel regions and a plurality of second pixel regions that are arranged as an array. The phase retardation film is disposed on the surface of the display panel. The phase retardation film has a plurality of first retardation regions and a plurality of second retardation regions that are alternately arranged. The first retardation regions have the same phase retardation, the second retardation regions have the same phase retardation, and the phase retardation of the first retardation regions is different from that of the second retardation regions. All the regions of the phase retardation film have the same transmittance. A display method adaptable to the 3D display is also provided.
US08379156B2
Disclosed are a digital broadcast reception device, a digital broadcast reception method and a program that shorten the period during which display is not possible that occurs when channels are switched. The digital broadcast reception device (100) is provided with a data acquisition unit (111) that measures data related to the data reception waiting that occurs in channel switch processing, a channel switch-directing unit (110) that controls the timing of operation of the data acquisition unit (111), a parameter-generating unit (112) that generates control parameters based on the data acquired by the data acquisition unit (111), a processing time-calculating unit (113) that calculates the channel switching time based on the control parameters generated by the parameter-generating unit (112), and a channel switch-timing control unit (114); that controls the timing for starting channel switching to shorten the data reception wait time that occurs during channel switching based on the channel switching time calculated by the processing time-calculating unit (113).
US08379146B2
A deinterlacing method for a digital motion picture is provided. The method includes determining if a predicted pixel lies in an artificial horizontal line or not according to the relationship among a first pixel value, a second pixel value, a first threshold value and a second threshold value; and estimating the predicted pixel value in a still image manner if the predicted pixel is determined to lie in an artificial horizontal line. The present invention also includes an apparatus implementing the deinterlacing method.
US08379140B2
A video image pickup apparatus (10) includes an image sensor (120), a knee processor (132) for performing a compression in a high-luminance characteristic interval of a picture signal based on an output signal of the image sensor, a block luminance calculator (151) for dividing a frame of image based on the output signal of the solid-state image pickup device into a set of blocks, calculating a set of luminance indices of respective blocks, an extreme extractor (152) for extracting a block having a highest luminance index, together with the luminance index, a display information generator (153) for generating a set of pieces of image information for exposure guide display including an image representing a region of the extracted block and an image representing the luminance index, an image superposer (160) for superposing the set of pieces of image information for exposure guide display on a frame of image based on the compressed picture signal to generate a frame of superposed image, and a view finder (170) for displaying the frame of superposed image.
US08379138B2
An imaging apparatus includes: a control unit configured to move a focusing lens, and detect a focus position; wherein the control unit executes auto-focus (AF) scan processing in which only a part of a range of movement of the focusing lens is set as a scan range, as first scan processing, and executes auto-focus (AF) scan processing in which a region including a region differing from the scan region of the first scan processing is set as a scan range, as second scan processing, in the event that a focus point is not detected in the first scan processing.
US08379133B2
A holder is disclosed, wherein the holder is situated on a circuit board and is used for connecting with an electronic component. The holder comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening. The upper surface comprises a recess used for laying a flat component, wherein the recess comprises at least one rough area; the lower surface comprises a protruding edge, wherein the protruding edge is connected with the circuit board with glue, and the protruding side and the circuit board delimit a space; and the opening penetrates the upper surface and the lower surface, whereby the gas generated from heating the glue will accumulate in the enclosed space, and the gas will then escape through the opening and out through at least one of the rough areas.
US08379127B2
Provided are a pixel sensor array and a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor including the same. The pixel sensor array includes a photoelectric transformation element configured to generate electric charges in response to incident light. A signal transmitting circuit is configured to output the electric charges accumulated in the photoelectric transformation element to a first node based on a first control signal, change an electric potential of the first node to an electric potential of a second signal line based on a second control signal, and output a signal sensed in the first node to a first signal line based on a third control signal. A switch element is configured to connect a supply power terminal to the second signal line based on a fourth control signal. A comparator connected to the first signal line and the second signal line and configured to compare a voltage of the signal and a voltage of a reference signal.
US08379121B2
An image-capturing device includes: a first image sensor equipped with first and second image-capturing pixels and first focus detection pixels, each of which receives one of light fluxes formed by splitting subject light having passed through an optical system, the first and the second image-capturing pixels generating first and second color signals respectively and the first focus detection pixels outputting focus detection signals indicating a state of focus detection pertaining to the optical system; and a second image sensor equipped with third image-capturing pixels and second focus detection pixels, each of which receives another light flux, the third image-capturing pixels generating third color signals and the second focus detection pixels outputting focus detection signals, wherein: when n represents a quantity of the first image-capturing pixels, quantities of the second and the third image-capturing pixels, and the first and the second focus detection pixels are n, 2n, 2n and 2n respectively.
US08379115B2
An image capture system is configured to automatically focus upon an object (113) electronically, without moving mechanical parts. In one embodiment, a focal length alteration device (104), examples of which include an electronically switchable mirror (3041,3042) or an interference layer (204), is disposed between a lens assembly (102) and a reflective surface (103). The focal length alteration device (104) is configured to alter the distance light travels from the lens assembly (102) to the image sensor (101). In another embodiment, a light redirection device (1003), such as a phase shifting mirror (703), is configured to alter phases of various polarizations of light. An image processing circuit (105) then resolves images into a single, focused, composite image (113).
US08379112B2
A waterproof camera includes an image pickup section, a display section that displays image data, a mode setting section that sets a semi-underwater mode in which both objects under water and above water are simultaneously photographed, and a display control section that limits a display range of the display section when the semi-underwater mode is set, wherein the mode setting section controls the position of a photographing lens or the like to adjust a focus balance of at least one of under water and above water, and the display control section displays both object images under water and above water within a limited display range of the display section.
US08379109B2
An image processing apparatus includes a reproduction condition generator configured to generate a reproduction condition of an image file, a reproduction condition recording unit configured to record the reproduction condition to a management file which is different from the image file while associating the reproduction condition with the image file, and a reproduction unit for reproducing an image file while controlling a reproduction method of the image file based on the reproduction condition associated with the image file. The reproduction condition is information representing at least one of image quality adjustment, volume adjustment, display magnification rate, and reproduction speed adjustment.
US08379108B2
An electronic camera including an imaging device photoelectrically converting a formed image of a subject to generate an image signal, a manipulation section accepting an input instructing a release, a face detecting section detecting a face area in a shooting image plane based on the image signal during a standby period for the release, a controlling section photographing the subject in response to the release to generate shooting image data from the image signal, a face recognizing data generating section which extracts a feature point of a person's face corresponding to the face area based on the image signal and generates face recognizing data of the photographed person based on the feature point when the release takes place while the face area is detected, and a recording section recording the face recognizing data.
US08379098B2
Method and apparatus of interaction with and control of a video capture device are described. In the described embodiments, video are presented at a display, the display having contact or proximity sensing capabilities. A gesture can be sensed at or near the display in accordance with the video presented on the display, the gesture being associated with a first video processing operation. The video are modified in accordance with the first video processing operation in real time.
US08379083B1
A video surveillance system has an encoder receiving a video signal from a camera and generating real-time sequenced packets for streaming to a remote monitoring location. A transmit buffer is coupled to the encoder for buffering the sequenced packets. A transmit controller transmits an original packet stream comprising the sequenced packets. The transmit controller is responsive to retransmission requests to transmit sequenced packets from the transmit buffer as a retransmission stream. A receive controller is provided at the monitoring location for receiving the original packet stream and detecting missing packets from the original packet stream to transmit corresponding retransmission requests to the transmit controller for the missing packets. A decoder is responsive to the original packet stream to generate a reproduced video signal for viewing at the monitoring location. A recorder stores recorded video responsive to the original packet stream and the retransmission stream. The retransmission stream includes sequenced packets that are received too late to be used by the decoder for live reproduction, so that the recorded video provides a higher quality reproduced video signal than the reproduced video signal viewed in real-time at the monitoring location.
US08379074B2
Herein described is a system and method that tracks the face of a person engaged in a videophone conversation. In addition to performing facial tracking, the invention provides stabilization of facial images that are transmitted during the videophone conversation. The face is tracked by employing one or more algorithms that correlate videophone captured facial images against a stored facial image. The face may be better identified by way of employing one or more voice recognition algorithms. The one or more voice recognition algorithms may correlate utterances of the person engaged in a conversation to one or more stored utterances. The identified utterances are subsequently mapped to a stored facial image. In a representative embodiment, the system used for performing facial tracking and image stabilization comprises an image sensor, a lens, an actuator, and a controller/processor.
US08379071B2
A linerless label roll-up preventing device for a thermal printer that prevents roll-up of the linerless label 3 on the platen roller 13. A roll-up preventing plate 23 is applied to a slit (22) formed in the outer surface of the platen roller (13), and protrudes to form a roll-up preventing edge (29) at a portion of the roll-up prevention plate (23). A roll-up preventing plate 23 being fixed to a slit (22), formed in the radial surface of the platen roller (13), relatively to the platen roller (13), and formed with a roll-up preventing projection edge, at a portion of the roll-up preventing plate (23), projecting out slightly from the outer circumferential surface of the platen roller (13) and capable of contacting the back surface of the linerless label (3).
US08379067B2
An image forming apparatus includes a transport part which includes a transport belt to transport a printing medium, an image forming part which transfers a toner to form a color image, and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a test image for color registration of the image forming part on the transport belt while an image is formed for a plurality of printing media. Thus, both a test image and a plurality of printed media are formed during a single printing process.
US08379061B2
An all-digital display system includes an electronic processor that is operable to receive an internet protocol video packet and to generate a control signal based at least in part on the internet protocol video packet. In one particular embodiment, the electronic processor includes at least a header processor, a CPU electronic processor, and a display processor unit. The all-digital display system also includes one or more light sources capable of generating one or more optical signals and one or more light modulating chips. The one or more light modulating chips are operable to receive the one or more optical signals and to modulate the one or more optical signals based at least in part on the control signal. The all-digital display system further comprises one or more display screens operable to receive the modulated signals communicated from the light modulating chips.
US08379060B2
Device, system, and method for display calibration. For example, an apparatus includes: one or more color sensors, embedded within a body of a mobile device, to measure one or more color attributes of a visual element displayed by a display unit of the mobile device when a lid of the mobile device is in a closed position; and a color calibrator to calibrate one or more parameters of the display unit based on the one or more color attributes measured by the one or more color sensors.
US08379056B2
A device for providing a video signal of a virtual image based on a real image of a camera, the real image having an object, includes a processing device. One piece of positional information each is associated with the camera and the object. The processing device generates the video signal of the virtual image based on the real image, the positional information of the camera and the positional information of the object. The virtual image includes an illustration of the object or object information with regard to the object.
US08379047B1
A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for simulating bristle brush behavior in an image editing application. User input may represent a stroke made by a paintbrush comprising multiple bristles sweeping across a canvas. The application may calculate a per-bristle opacity value using an exponential function dependent on a target opacity value for the brush stroke and an expected number of overlapping bristles during the brush stroke. The per-bristle opacity value may be used to determine per-bristle effects of the deposition of paint on the color and/or opacity values of the canvas pixels affected by the brush stroke as these per-bristle effects are composited to determine the cumulative effect of the brush stroke. The per-bristle opacity value may be calculated based on the brush orientation or position, direction of the stroke, number of bristles, type or shape of the brush tool, and/or pressure applied to the brush tool.
US08379042B2
User interfaces are provided that allow for the display of a target element that may be used to adjust a gamma value of a display device. The target element includes three layers. These layers include a bottom static layer, a gray static layer, and a progressive layer that gradually changes from a fully transparent are to an opaque area. Additionally, a manipulation area is provided, which may be a sliding mechanism. The user may adjust the gamma to a higher value when the fully transparent area appears lighter than the opaque area, and may adjust the gamma to a lower value when the fully transparent area appears darker than the opaque area.
US08379040B2
A picture processing method and apparatus in which an APL (average picture level) value is calculated from luminance signals, weighting coefficients are obtained according to chrominance signals, and a number of pixels contained in a picture frame, and a peak luminance is obtained based on the APL value. Subsequently, the picture frame is displayed on a display panel within a limitation of the peak luminance.
US08379039B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide several novel methods for distributing image content (e.g., picture content, video content, etc.). In some embodiments, the method tags the content with data that specifies an initial target color-region for the content. Some embodiments tag the data when the content is being created, while other embodiments tag the data when the content is being edited. The method uses the tag data to reformat the content for one or more different targets for the content. For instance, during the reformatting, some embodiments use the tags to perform proper color region conversion on the content. In some embodiments, this conversion converts the colors of each pixel in the content from the initial target color region to a subsequent target color region.
US08379038B2
A color-processing method includes: selecting a target color gamut to produce an input color signal; calculating a mixture ratio enabling primary colors of the target color gamut to be created by mixing primary colors of a color gamut of the color reproduction apparatus to reproduce the input color signal therewith; producing primary colors reconfigured by mixing the primary colors of the color gamut of the color reproduction apparatus according to the calculated mixture ratio; adjusting an illuminant to match an output signal to a color gamut determined by the reconfigured primary colors; and converting the input color signal to match to the primary colors determined by the reconfigured primary colors. Further a user can arbitrarily set a color gamut in a range that a color reproduction apparatus can reproduce regardless of an input color signal without a quantization errors.
US08379034B2
Circuit for compensating a display defect in a video display device of the present invention includes a memory having position information on a plurality of regular patterned defective regions of a display panel, gray scale section information, a defect level data on each of the regular patterned defective regions, and a plurality of compensation data on each of the defect level data stored therein, a first compensation unit, upon reception of data to be displayed on the regular patterned defective regions, for determining defect level data on the regular patterned defective regions of the data to be displayed, selecting a compensation data set on the defect level data determined thus, and selecting a compensation data on the data to be displayed from the compensation data selected thus, for compensating the data to be displayed, and a second compensator for distributing the data compensated thus at the first compensation unit spatially and temporally by using dither patterns for making fine compensation, thereby suppressing size increase of the compensation data.
US08379031B2
An image data management apparatus which changes attribute information of an image on a display device, the apparatus comprises a display control unit adapted to display, on the display device, an icon representing attribute information recorded in correspondence with an image; a changing unite adapted to change the attribute information of the image by changing the icon on the display device; and a recording unit adapted to record attribute information after change in correspondence with the image.
US08379026B2
According to some embodiments, systems, methods, apparatus, computer program code and means are provided to interpolate from a first portion of a digital object having a first level of detail to a second portion of the digital object having a second level of detail, create a third portion of the digital object having a third level of detail based on the interpolating, and intersect a ray at the third portion.
US08379024B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique rendering an image pixel within a graphics image with multiple shaders in a single rendering phase using a modular shader architecture. A user specifies how geometric objects, light sources, and various types of rendering operations in a graphics scene are associated. A rendering application provides computational infrastructure for rendering operations that includes finding an intersected object for each pixel of a target graphics image. The modular shader architecture includes a means for efficiently developing and incorporating custom shader modules for use by the rendering application.
US08379014B2
The present invention provides a system and method for recognizing a 3D object in a single camera image and for determining the 3D pose of the object with respect to the camera coordinate system. In one typical application, the 3D pose is used to make a robot pick up the object. A view-based approach is presented that does not show the drawbacks of previous methods because it is robust to image noise, object occlusions, clutter, and contrast changes. Furthermore, the 3D pose is determined with a high accuracy. Finally, the presented method allows the recognition of the 3D object as well as the determination of its 3D pose in a very short computation time, making it also suitable for real-time applications. These improvements are achieved by the methods disclosed herein.
US08379011B2
A driving device includes an output timing controller which controls an output timing of a first driving voltage and a second driving voltage respectively generated from a first voltage generator and a second voltage generator. A third driving voltage output from the output timing controller is provided to a first data driver and a second data driver, and also provided to a gamma voltage generator to generate a plurality of gamma voltages. Accordingly, a reverse electric potential between the third driving voltage and the gamma voltages is prevented from being generated in the first and second data drivers, therefore, preventing the first and second data drivers from being damaged.
US08379007B2
A method for driving a plasma display panel that includes a plurality of discharge cells including a display electrode pair composed of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode. One field period includes a plurality of subfields each including an initializing period, an address period and a sustain period. The method includes applying at least two kinds of sustain pulses to one electrode of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in the sustain period, the two kinds of sustain pulses including a first sustain pulse as a reference and a second sustain pulse rising more steeply and falling more gently than the first sustain pulse. In the method, a drive waveform voltage applied to the one electrode includes a last drive waveform voltage in the sustain period and a predetermined number of the second sustain pulses continuously disposed immediately before the last drive waveform voltage.
US08378999B2
A clock signal, a data signal, and a latch signal are commonly supplied from a controller to a plurality of the data drivers. The data signal and the latch signal are synchronized with the clock signal. In each of the data drivers, an internal latch signal is generated in synchronization with the clock signal in response to the latch signal. Timing of a rising edge of the internal latch signal is independently controlled in each data driver in accordance with position information where each data driver is arranged.
US08378993B2
A capacitive touch display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, an opaque pattern, a plurality of transparent conductive sensor pads, and a plurality of non-transparent conductive patterns. The first substrate and the second substrate are disposed oppositely. The transparent conductive sensor pads are disposed on the second substrate. The non-transparent conductive patterns are disposed on the second substrate, and the non-transparent conductive patterns and the transparent conductive sensor pads are electrically connected and overlapping. The conductivity of the non-transparent conductive patterns is higher than that of the transparent conductive sensor pads, and the non-transparent conductive patterns are corresponding to the opaque pattern.
US08378982B2
A method includes determining that an overlay is to be displayed at a predetermined area on a touch-sensitive display, the overlay being operable to be closed in response to a user providing a touch input at predetermined location within the predetermined area of the overlay; detecting the presence of a digit proximate to a surface of the touch-sensitive display; determining a digit location, the digit location being a location on the surface of the touch-sensitive display to which the digit is proximate; comparing the digit location with the predetermined location; and if the digit location corresponds to the predetermined location, modifying the operation of the overlay so as to prevent closure of the overlay in response to a touch input provided at the predetermined location.
US08378975B2
A touch pad with a simple structure to enable an electronic device to be manufactured more slimly and with low manufacturing costs. The touch pad includes a cover having a plurality of function icons a cover frame to support the cover, the cover frame including a plurality of light guide hollows, and a board, which is engaged with the cover frame and includes touch sensors and luminous elements to illuminate the function icons mounted thereon, the touch sensors and luminous elements being respectively mounted at positions on the board corresponding to the plurality of function icons.
US08378965B2
A haptic feedback generation system includes a linear resonant actuator and a drive circuit. The drive circuit is adapted to output a unidirectional signal that is applied to the linear resonant actuator. In response, the linear resonant actuator generates haptic vibrations.
US08378953B2
An image display device includes an image signal source unit to provide primary image data and selected compensation data to compensate the primary image data, and a display unit to display images using compensated image data obtained by compensating the primary image data with the selected compensation data. The selected compensation data is selected from a set of compensation data in response to variation of ambient temperature of the display device. The image display device also includes a temperature sensor to detect the variation of the ambient temperature of the display device and provide temperature data corresponding to the variation of the ambient temperature. The image display device also includes a frequency sensor to detect frequency variation in a vertical synchronizing signal of the display unit, wherein the selected compensation data is selected from a set of compensation data in response to the variation of the ambient temperature and the frequency variation.
US08378948B2
A driving circuit includes a first decoder for outputting first decoding signals, a first selection unit for generating selection signals and first inverse selection signals, a switch unit for selecting a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage, the second reference voltage being lower than the first reference voltage, a second decoder for outputting second decoding signals, a second selection unit for generating second selection signals second inverse selection signals, and voltage distribution units adapted to receive and distribute the selected first reference voltage and the selected second reference voltage.
US08378943B2
A liquid crystal display system including a signal processing device uses interpolation to generate an intermediate image frame using previous image frame data and present image frame data. The system converts data of the intermediate image frame into transposed image data that is to be used to drive a liquid crystal display panel and display a corresponding image. The transposed image data and the present image data are subjected to a prespecified DCC process (dynamic capacitance compensation process) to thereby generate respective first and second compensation image data. Since the first compensation image data is generated based on the transposed image data and the transposition is configured to prevent over-compensation by the DCC process, over-compensation by the dynamic capacitance compensation process can be reduced or prevented.
US08378935B2
In a display device in which one frame is divided into a plurality of subframes and a gray scale is expressed by a time gray scale method, there is a problem of pseudo contour. A gray scale is expressed by sequentially adding a weight of each subframe (light emission period, light emission time, and the like). Further, an erasing diode is provided in a pixel. By turning this erasing diode on, the signal stored in the pixel is erased, thereby a non-light emission period is provided. Accordingly, subframes with different light emission periods can be easily formed.
US08378930B2
A display device having at least a plurality of pixel circuits, connected to signal lines to which data signals in accordance with luminance information are supplied, arranged in a matrix, wherein pixel circuits of odd number columns and even number columns adjacent to each other and sandwiching an axis in a column direction parallel to an arrangement direction of the signal lines have a mirror type circuit arrangement symmetric about the axis of the column direction, and there are lines different from the signal lines between signal lines of adjacent pixel circuits.
US08378918B2
A fine azimuth adjustment tool and method for a satellite antenna system having a clamp with opposing jaws for clamping around the mast pipe, a lever connected to the clamp for opening and closing the opposing jaws; a cam with a protrusion engaging a formed slot in the mast clamp when said opposing jaws are closed, the protrusion rotating the mast clamp when the cam is turned, the protrusion in the slot holding the mast clamp to the mast pipe at a desired fine tuned azimuth position while the mast clamp is tightened and secured to the mast pipe.
US08378909B2
In an antenna, a first type radiation electrode and a second type radiation electrode are provided on the surface of a dielectric base, which has a predetermined external shape, or embedded in the dielectric base. The first type radiation electrode is provided with an open terminal at one end thereof and a feeding terminal at the other end thereof so as to constitute a monopole type antenna. The second type radiation electrode is provided with a capacitive-coupling feeding electrode at one end thereof and a ground connection terminal at the other end thereof so as to constitute a capacitive feed antenna. The one end of the first type radiation electrode is located opposite to the feeding electrode of the second type radiation electrode when viewed in the direction of the length of the dielectric base.
US08378908B2
An electromagnetic antenna for Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) applications is disclosed. The antenna can include several array elements that can act alone or together in various measurement modes. The antenna elements can be disposed in tool body recesses to be protected from damage. The antenna elements can include a ferrite plate crossed or looped by independent current carrying conductors in two or more directions forming a bi-directional or crossed magnetic dipole. Although disclosed as a MWD system conveyed by a drill string, basic concepts of the system are applicable to other types of borehole conveyance.
US08378903B2
Antenna apparatus and methods of using the same that employ a broadband, planar, single feed ultra high frequency satellite communication (UHF SATCOM) antenna device which may be mounted on composite or other non-metallic and non-electrically conductive surfaces. The antenna apparatus may be implemented using a single antenna feed and impedance matching network with a low profile antenna shape that optimizes over-the-horizon gain, with no requirement for a ground plane. The antenna apparatus may also be implemented to cover the entire UHF SATCOM frequency band using a single antenna feed.
US08378888B2
A system and method for determining the location of a mobile device. A first set of signals from a plurality of radio frequency (“RF”) sources may be received at a mobile device and then downconverted into a second set of signals. The mobile device may then time stamp the second set of signals and transmit the time stamped signals to a location determining system. The location of the mobile device may be determined at the location determining system as a function of the time stamped signals.
US08378884B2
A vehicular traffic surveillance Doppler radar system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a modulation circuit portion for generating modulated FM signals. An antenna circuit portion transmits the modulated FM signals to a target and receives the reflected modulated FM signals therefrom. A ranging circuit portion performs a quadrature demodulation on the reflected modulated FM signals and determines a range measurement based upon phase angle measurements derived therefrom.
US08378879B2
An apparatus for sensing motion having a transmitter for transmitting a carrier signal; a frequency control connected to the transmitter for controlling the frequency of the carrier signal; a first receiver for receiving the reflected transmitted carrier signal; a second receiver for receiving the reflected transmitted carrier signal, the second receiver being placed out of phase by less than a wavelength of the carrier signal from the first receiver; means for subtracting the carrier signal received by the second receiver from the carrier signal received by the first receiver to produce an error signal; wherein when motion is sensed by the apparatus, the error signal moves from zero thereby causing a corrective signal to be generated and sent to the frequency control, the frequency control forcing the error signal to zero.
US08378876B2
There is provided an operation terminal including a mouse which has a spherical object, an electric power acquisition section which has a piezoelectric element and also converts energy generated by rotation of the spherical object by a force applied by a user into energy for striking the piezoelectric element, and a capacitor section which acquires and accumulates electric power generated by striking the piezoelectric element.
US08378869B2
A method and apparatus are provided for Fast Data Weighted Average (DWA) double-sampling modulators with minimal loop delay supporting improved stability. Quantization and DEM are accomplished within non-overlap time. By this reduction in time delay, power can be saved for analog integrators. The DC signal of partitioned DWA is removed by alternating reference voltages, and there is no additional delay as the alternation is performed at the comparator inputs. Embodiments employ an oversampling ratio (OSR) of 8 and a 15-level quantizer.
US08378868B2
Systems and methods for analog to digital conversion charge storage device measurement are presented. In multi-cell charge storage device monitoring systems, accurate measurement of cell voltages is used for protection of the multi-cell device. The disclosed cell referenced solution converts the cell voltage to a digital representation referenced at the cell voltage. The digital representation referenced to the cell voltage is then level shifted to a ground referenced signal suitable for digital post processing. This processing may be used for fault detection of over-voltage, under-voltage, open cell, and similar fault conditions and cell capacity measurements. An example embodiment implements a sigma delta modulator to perform the signal transformation from analog to digital. The disclosed systems and methods may be differential and stackable for multiple cells.
US08378867B2
A method of operating an electronic video device such as a DVD player, wherein video clock signals and audio clock signals are derived from a system clock signal using two phase-lock loops, and these video and audio clock signals are used to process encoded video data and encoded audio data, but digital-to-analog conversion of the audio data stream is controlled by the system clock signal rather than the audio clock signals. By using the system clock signal to control the audio digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the DAC avoids the poor performance issues that can arise from jitter introduced into the audio clock signals by the PLL. The system clock signal may be divided by an integer to generate the sampling clock for the audio DAC. In the illustrative embodiment, the system clock signal has a rate which is not an integer multiple of the sample rate of the audio data stream.
US08378862B2
A method for encoding an input sequence of symbols to produce a bitstream and a method of decoding the bitstream to generate a reconstructed binary sequence. Encoding employs 2L-ary encoding trees having codewords associated with leaf nodes. A context model is used to select an encoding tree corresponding to an estimated probability at the encoder. The same context model is used by the decoder to select a decoding tree. The decoder interleaves bits from decoded sequences of length-L strings associated with different estimated probabilities, based on the context model.
US08378861B2
Arithmetic coding utilizes probability values associated with contexts and context indexed values. The probability values are stored within a random access memory 6 from where they are fetched to a cache memory 8 before being supplied to an arithmetic encoder and decoder 4. The context indexed values used are mapped to the plurality of contexts employed such that context indexed values used to process data values close by in a position within the stream of data values being processed have a greater statistical likelihood of sharing a group of contexts than context values used to process data values far away in position within the stream of data values. Thus, a group of contexts for which the probability values are fetched together into the cache memory 8 will have an increased statistical likelihood of being used together in close proximity in processing the stream of data values. This reduces the number of cache flush operations and cache line fill operations.
US08378842B2
A downhole tool string component has a through-bore intermediate first and second tool joints adapted for connection to adjacent tool string components. A blind-hole is formed in an outer surface of the component. A processing unit is also disposed within an outer surface of the component. An electrical device that is disposed within the component is in communication with the processing unit through an electrically or optically conductive medium which has a self-aligning pattern.
US08378839B2
A method for synchronizing a clock in a device at the Earth's surface with a device disposed in a wellbore includes generating a time datum for a signal generated at at least one of the surface and in the wellbore proximate an end of the pipe string. A time delay is determined between detection of the signal at the at least one repeater and retransmission of the signal from the at least one repeater. The time datum is appended with a signal corresponding to the time delay. The retransmitted signal is detected at the other of proximate the end of the pipe string and at the surface.
US08378838B1
In one embodiment, an optical drive emptiness indicator including a base and a flag output partially extends outside of an optical drive into which it is loaded to provide a load status of the optical drive.
US08378835B2
A refrigerator and a control method of the refrigerator are discussed. According to an embodiment, a control method of a refrigerator connected to an electric power management network comprises steps of receiving power-rate information via the electric power management network; setting an over-cooling period and a power-saving period based on the received power-rate information; controlling at east one storage chamber to be over-cooled by over-cooling cold air during the over-cooling period; and controlling the other storage chamber to be over-cooled by the over-cooled cold air during the power-saving period. According to the present invention, the functions of the refrigerator are provided with minimal use of electricity and/or with reduced electricity charges.
US08378830B2
A hydration system comprising a dispenser portion adapted to allow a drinking fluid to flow therethrough, a sensor unit positioned to take a measurement of a flow of the drinking fluid through said dispenser portion and to output said measurement, a logic unit in communication with the sensor portion to receive said measurement output, to set a target consumption over time based on a multidimensional profile of a user's physical body information, and to determine if the user's consumption meets the target consumption based upon the measurement.
US08378828B2
An RFID device includes a chip, an antenna operatively coupled to the chip, and a visual indicator operatively coupled to the chip. The visual indicator provides a visual indication of an operative state of the device. The visual indication may be human readable and/or machine readable, and may provide visual indication that is dependent on a change in an operative state of the device. The operative state that triggers the visual indication may include a state in which the chip has temporarily or permanently been rendered inoperative or disabled, that is, in which the chip no longer responds to, or otherwise interacts with, ordinary incoming RF signals such as from a device reader. The visual indicator may be included in a display that functions by any of a variety of suitable mechanisms, such as by use of electrochromic materials, thermochromic materials, liquid crystals, or chemically-reactive materials.
US08378814B2
A method of allocating the moving area list of user equipment which relating to wireless communication technology. Interacting signaling between network and UE is reduced. The utilization efficiency of network resource is enhanced. The method includes, receiving the area ID which is pre-defined from UE, acquiring the history information of the last allocated moving area list from the mobility management entity (MME) which allocated the last moving area list, allocating new moving area list according to the history information and the received area ID. Accordingly, a MME and UE are disclosed.
US08378813B2
Disclosed is a tracking and Geofencing system. Zones are classified into three types: safe, hazardous and travel, with the travel zone being defined in the preferred embodiment as any territory not in a safe or hazardous zone. The system monitors an asset by determining whether the asset is within a safe zone, logging data as to when the asset arrives in or leaves the safe zone and at what time it did so, while in transit from the safe zone to a hazardous zone logging the route of travel which may vary from day to day and notifying the owner if the asset goes motionless while in route for a user defined period of time, logging data as to when the asset arrives and leaves a hazardous zone such as time and duration and alerting the owner if the asset has exceeded a predetermined time within a hazardous zone.
US08378812B2
An apparatus and method for assisting medication are capable of assisting medication of users who have to regularly take medications in daily life. The apparatus includes a medication box having a plurality of containers, each of which stores a dose of medication to be taken at one time according to a medication schedule, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter carried on a user and transmitting an RF signal, an RF receiver receiving the RF signal from the RF transmitter, and a controller controlling medication assisting. Thus, the apparatus checks a spatial-temporal situation of the user, i.e. an medication, notification or information situation, using the received RF signal, and creating and providing medication service corresponding to the checked situation.
US08378808B1
A dual intercom-camera-interfaced smoke/fire detection system and method includes, inter alia, an interactive panoramic camera communication system operatively responsive to real-time emergency signals. The interactive camera service provider communications network independently and communicatively couples panoramic cameras in real-time to authorized peripheral electronic devices (APEDs) such that an emergency event is independently transmitted and directly viewed in real-time at the APEDs. The interactive camera service provider communications network is independently operable from a real-time emergency signal transmitting mechanism and a real-time emergency signal simultaneous transmitting mechanism, respectively. The emergency event is independently viewed at the APEDs while real-time emergency signals are transmitted to a central monitoring station such that the APEDs independently and visually learn the emergency event at least as early as the central monitoring station non-visually learns the emergency event.
US08378805B2
An automatic signaling system for a vehicle having a turn signal light, includes a sensor configured for sensing at least a portion of a lane, and a processor coupled to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to activate the turn signal light of the vehicle based at least on a signal received from the sensor. A method for activating a turn signal light of a vehicle includes sensing at least a portion of a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and automatically activating a turn signal light of the vehicle based at least on the sensed portion of the lane.
US08378802B2
The invention describes a rear view mirror including a reflective element in a cavity of a mirror housing with a mirror head and a mirror base. An indicator light for indicating situation information to a vehicle driver is installed, wherein the indicator light includes light sources and an optical element that allows the light to shine through. The indicator light has a split printed circuit board to support at least two light source elements and a light guide wherein the light emitted from the light sources is coupled into the end faces of the light guide.
US08378801B1
A system for determining abandonment of a child or infant in a vehicle. The system features a remote key in communication with sensors operatively connected to seatbelts in a vehicle. If a user presses the lock button on the remote key the sensors determine if any seatbelt has been left engaged. If a seatbelt is engaged an alarm is activated on the remote key. If no seatbelt is left engaged, the vehicle doors become locked. To override the alarm, and override button must be pushed on the remote key. An unlock button on the remote key unlocks the vehicle doors and the system is reset.
US08378798B2
Method and apparatus for displaying a view of an application on a touch-sensitive display include detecting a touch on the touch-sensitive display. When the touch is at a first force, first feedback is provided and a first function is performed. When the touch is at a second force, second feedback is provided and a second function is performed. The first function and the second function are different. The first force and the second force are different.
US08378797B2
In an embodiment, a haptic feedback system includes a plurality of actuators to provide tactile feedback associated with an input surface. Each actuator is adapted to be activated independently of the other actuators. The system further includes a controller to activate a first actuator of the plurality of actuators to induce a first vibration at a selected input location of the input surface and to activate one or more additional actuators to induce at least a second vibration to localize the first vibration at the selected input location.
US08378794B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for generating sensations in response to haptic data. A sensation output device can include a processor adapted to generate one or more control signals corresponding to a haptic command, an actuator adapted to output a force to a drive mechanism in response to one or more control signals received from the processor, an opening through which a portion of a user's body can be inserted, and an interface surface coupled to the drive mechanism, the interface surface configured to at least partially contact the inserted portion of the user's body. Further, the interface surface can be a compliant belt having surface features that is coupled with a carrier belt that is in contact with the drive mechanism. Additionally, the sensation output device can include a memory storing an algorithm including one or more haptic commands, which can be executed by the processor.
US08378790B2
An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit.
US08378785B2
A disclosed image display device includes a display part; a user identifying part configured to perform personal identification to identify personal identification information; a detecting part configured to detect whether the image display device is held by hand; and a control part configured to display an image on the display part upon a display request when the user identifying part identifies personal identification information obtained upon the display request as personal identification information of an authorized user, to continue displaying the image on the display part as long as the detecting part detects that the image display device is held by hand, and to erase the image on the display part when the user identifying part fails to identify the personal identification information of the authorized user by a personal identification performed upon detecting by the detecting part that the image display device is not held by hand.
US08378781B1
A system for controlling a string of lights, where each light or group of lights has a microcontroller for controlling their brightness and color. The light's microcontrollers are connected with serial data communication lines in a daisy chain fashion. Unique identification numbers are automatically assigned sequentially to each of the lights so brightness or color information transmitted on the serial data line is directed to a particular light. A plurality of brightness and color settings are stored on each light, and the string of lights synchronously switches between them on command from the serial line, or smoothly fades between them on command from the serial line.
US08378777B2
A magnetic component and a method for manufacturing a low profile, magnetic component. The method comprises the steps of providing at least one sheet, coupling at least a portion of at least one winding to the at least one sheet, and laminating the at least one sheet with at least a portion of the at least one winding. The magnetic component comprises at least one sheet and at least a portion of at least one winding coupled to the at least one sheet, wherein the at least one sheet is laminated to at least a portion of the at least one winding. The winding may comprise a clip, a preformed coil, a stamped conductive foil, or an etched trace using chemical or laser etching. The sheet may comprise any material capable of being laminated and/or rolled, including, but not limited to, flexible magnetic powder sheets.
US08378775B2
Transformers (1) for transforming primary signals into secondary signals comprise primary and secondary parts that comprise boards (11-14, 21-23) with turns. By introducing distances larger than zero between for example any pair of neighboring boards (11-14, 21-23), parasitic capacitances of the transformers (1) are reduced, and the secondary signals may comprise relatively fast/high voltage pulses having rise times >1 kV/μsec. To reduce proximity effects and any resulting losses, the primary and secondary boards (11-14, 21-23) may be stacked in interleaved ways. Such sandwich constructions reduce leakage inductances. In a particular direction, distances between subsequent primary boards (11-14, 21-23) and distances between subsequent combinations of primary and secondary boards (11-14, 21-23) are to be increased to further reduce capacitive losses in that particular direction. Relatively low voltage differences may be present between relatively close boards (11-14, 21-23), and relatively high voltage differences may be present between boards (11-14, 21-23) that are relatively far away from each other.
US08378768B2
The invention is a processing component used in electrophoresic conversion of coal fired flue gas carbon dioxide and nitrogen emissions into useful products in lieu of the more costly geosequestration of pollutant by-products produced in the electrical generating and transportation sectors of the economy. Carbon dioxide and facility stack nitrogen imbalance of coal-fired furnace emissions are chemically reacted with electric vehicle fuel cell spent electrolyte in the commercial production of plastic carbon polymers and nitrogen fertilizers.
US08378767B2
Two electromagnetic contact devices 1a, 1b are arranged adjacently, a reversible unit 2 is detachably mounted on these electromagnetic contact devices, and two auxiliary contact point units 4a, 4b are detachably mounted on the reversible unit. In addition, two surge absorption units 3a, 3b are detachably mounted on the electromagnetic contact devices.
US08378763B2
A bandpass filter includes three resonators of which adjacent two are electromagnetically coupled to each other, and two coupling paths connected in parallel for forming capacitive coupling between non-adjacent two of the resonators. Each of the two coupling paths includes at least one capacitor and an inductor connected in series. The two coupling paths function to form an attenuation pole at a frequency lower than the passband frequencies in the pass attenuation characteristics of the bandpass filter.
US08378760B2
A duplexer includes an unbalanced transmitting filter; a balanced receiving filter; a transmitting port connected to the transmitting filter; and a first receiving port and a second receiving port connected to the receiving filter. The duplexer also includes an electromagnetic coupling portion connected between the transmitting port and the first receiving port and between the transmitting port and the second receiving port. The electromagnetic coupling portion adjusts the phase between electric power that flows from the transmitting port to the first receiving port and electric power that flows from the transmitting port to the second receiving port.
US08378758B2
A parametric feedback oscillator includes a resonator which has at least one transduction element and at least one electromechanical resonating element. The resonator is configured to accept as input a parametric excitation signal at a frequency 2ω0 and to provide a resonating output signal at a frequency ω0. A cascaded feedback path in any electrically coupled cascade order includes at least one non-linear element, at least one phase shifter electrically, and at least one amplifier. The cascade feedback path is configured to receive as input the resonating output signal at a frequency ω0 and configured to provide as output a feedback path signal as the parametric excitation signal at a frequency 2ω0 to the resonator. A parametric feedback oscillator output terminal is configured to provide the resonating output signal at the frequency ω0 as an output signal. A method of causing a parametric feedback oscillation is also described.
US08378755B2
An oscillation circuit has a first inverter connected to an external piezoelectric resonator, a first feedback resistor disposed between input/output terminals of the first inverter, first/second variable capacitive elements connected to input/output of the first inverter, a charging circuit supplying input/output terminal with a reference current to charge the capacitive element, a comparator comparing a charging voltage of input/output with a reference voltage, and a control circuit that, in a calibration operation, at a first time, causes the charging circuit to start supply the reference current to the input terminal or the output terminal, and, at a second time after the first time, generates the control signal for setting a capacitance value of the first or second variable capacitive element so that the charging voltage becomes close to the reference voltage according to a comparison result of the comparator.
US08378750B2
A class AB amplifier includes a first inductor having a first terminal in communication with a voltage source terminal. A first transistor has a drain terminal in communication with a second terminal of the first inductor. A second transistor has a source terminal in communication with a source terminal of the first transistor. A second inductor has a first terminal in communication with a drain terminal of the second transistor and a second terminal in communication with a reference potential. The drain terminals of the first transistor and the second transistor are capacitively coupled together.
US08378748B2
The invention relates to a configurable low noise amplifier circuit which is configurable between a first topology in which the low noise amplifier circuit includes a degeneration inductance whereby the low noise amplifier circuit operates as an inductively degenerated low noise amplifier, and a second topology in which the low noise amplifier circuit includes a feedback resistance whereby the low noise amplifier circuit operates as a resistive feedback low noise amplifier.
US08378741B2
A mobile telephone is provided that includes a plurality of circuit blocks and adapted to cut off the supply of power source voltage to any one of the circuit blocks. The mobile telephone also includes an interblock interface circuit provided on a signal path between an elected circuit block and a branch point at which the signal path branches into different branch paths so as to connect to other circuit blocks. The interblock interface circuit includes a signal gate for preventing signal transmission from the elected circuit block to the other circuit blocks, and includes a storage unit for storing a signal right before the power cut-off.
US08378733B2
A harmonic rejection mixer includes a differential in-phase signal path and a differential quadrature signal path, a shared differential transconductor for generating a shared transconductor output signal from a mixer input signal, a first selective mixing circuit disposed in the differential quadrature signal path and coupled to the shared differential transconductor, and a second selective mixing circuit disposed in the differential in-phase signal path and coupled to the shared differential transconductor, the first selective mixing circuit is controlled by a first selective control signal and the second selective mixing circuit is controlled by a second selective control signal to selectively supply the shared transconductor output signal to the differential quadrature signal path and the differential in-phase signal path, respectively.
US08378732B2
Power mixer arrays for providing watt-level power in mobile systems. In one embodiment, a fully-integrated octave-range CMOS power mixer that occupies only 2.6 mm2 using a 130 nm semiconductor process has been demonstrated. The power mixer provides an output power of +31.5 dBm into an external 50 Ω load with a power added efficiency (PAE) of 44% at 1.8 GHz and a full power gain compression of only 0.4 dB.
US08378728B1
A level shifting flip-flop for generating a level-shifted output signal based on an input signal includes a master stage and a slave stage. The slave stage has an integrated level shifting circuit. The slave stage level shifts a signal as it passes through the flip-flop, which eliminates the need of level shifting the signal after it is output from the flip-flop.
US08378723B1
Integrated circuits with phase-locked loops are provided. A phase-locked loop may include voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) circuitry. The VCO circuitry may include multiple VCO circuits that receive power supply signals from a positive power supply terminal and a ground power supply terminal. Low-pass filters may be connected to the positive and ground power supply terminals to suppress high frequency noise that may be injected through the power supply terminals. The VCO circuitry may be operable in multiple modes. In a given mode, a selected one of the multiple VCO circuits is enabled while disabling the remaining VCO circuits. Switch circuits formed from transmission gates with pull-down transistors may be used to select which VCO circuit is active.
US08378714B2
A high voltage tolerant transceiver operating at a low voltage is provided, including two input/output pads to receive a receive signal and transmit a transmit signal; a transmitter block to transmit the transmit signal; a receiver block to receive the receive signal and provide an amplified signal; at least one of the transmitter block and the receiver block further comprising at least two NMOS transistors having their gate coupled to a low power supply to receive the low voltage, their substrate coupled to ground, and their source coupled to the input/output pad. Also provided is a circuit to isolate the output of a transmitter from high voltages, including a first transistor and a second transistor. Also provided is a substrate isolating circuit, including a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor so that the substrate voltage is isolated from a high voltage in the pads. Further provided is a bias isolating circuit so that an input bias voltage is isolated from a high voltage in the pads.
US08378706B2
A method of processing of solar cells includes determining that a back-contact solar cell is defective. The back-contact solar cell includes a first plurality of interconnect pads at a first edge thereof, and a second plurality of interconnect pads at a second, opposed thereof, the first and second pluralities of interconnect pads having opposite operational charges. The back-contact solar cell is then diced to define at least first and second back-contact solar cell sections. The first back-contact solar cell section has at least two interconnect pads, of the plurality of interconnect pads, at respective opposed edges thereof.
US08378704B2
A substrate is provided for a probe card assembly. The substrate includes an interconnection layer including a first surface having a first electrode set and a second surface having a second electrode set electrically connected to the first electrode set. The substrate further includes a base layer including a first surface having a third electrode set electrically connected to the second electrode set and a second surface having a plurality of contact terminals electrically connected to the third electrode set. And the substrate further includes a resin layer including a plurality of sublayers made of different materials. The resin layer is attached to the first surface of the base layer and the second surface of the interconnection layer.
US08378686B2
An apparatus for measuring a battery cell voltage includes a battery having a cell group; a first switching unit for selectively connecting both terminals of each battery cell of the cell group to conductive lines; a first voltage charging unit connected between the conductive lines to primarily charge a cell voltage; a second voltage charging unit for relaying the charged voltage in the first voltage charging unit for secondary charging; a cell voltage sensing unit for sensing the voltage charged in the second voltage charging unit; and a second switching unit for interconnecting the voltage charging units in the charged voltage relaying mode and isolating the voltage charging units in the charged voltage sensing mode. This apparatus realizes isolation between a high voltage battery and a voltage sensing unit, thereby allowing voltage sensing of each battery cell included in a high voltage battery using a part with low withstanding voltage.
US08378681B2
A multiple-frequency RF trap and an MRI system including a multiple-frequency RF trap. The multiple-frequency RF trap being tuned to block RF energy at two frequencies.
US08378678B2
A system orders acquisition of frequency domain components representing MR image data for storage in a storage array (e.g., k-space). A storage array of individual data elements stores corresponding individual frequency components comprising an MR dataset. The array of individual data elements has a designated center and individual data elements individually have a radius to the designated center. A magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field for use in acquiring multiple individual frequency components corresponding to individual data elements in the storage array. The individual frequency components are successively acquired in an order in which radius of respective corresponding individual data elements increases and decreases as the multiple individual frequency components are sequentially acquired during acquisition of an MR dataset representing an MR image. A storage processor stores individual frequency components acquired using the magnetic field in corresponding individual data elements in the array.
US08378675B2
A current sensor for measuring a current in a conductor includes two magnetic field sensors located adjacent to the conductor. The magnetic field sensors are at least two-dimensional magnetic field sensors having two measuring directions, thereby facilitating compensation for an inhomogeneous interference field.
US08378668B2
A method of non-destructive testing that employs composite systems that include a curable resin and detectable particles that have a property that can be distinguished from a property of the resin is disclosed. Array probes useful in the method also are disclosed.
US08378654B2
A voltage regulator circuit with high accuracy and Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR) is provided. In one embodiment, an op-amp with a voltage reference input to an inverting input has the first output connected to a PMOS transistor's gate. The PMOS transistor's source and drain are each connected to the power supply and the voltage regulator output. The voltage regulator output is connected to an NMOS transistor biased in saturation mode and a series of two resistors. The non-inverting input of the op-amp is connected in between the two resistors for the first feedback loop. The op-amp's second output is connected to the gate of the NMOS transistor through an AC-coupling capacitor for the second feedback loop. The op-amp's first output can be connected to the power supply voltage through a capacitor to further improve high frequency PSRR. In another embodiment, the role of PMOS and NMOS transistors is reversed.
US08378643B2
It is an object to stabilize a utility grid even when an unexpected fluctuation in the frequency of the utility grid occurs. A wind turbine generator includes a rotor that rotates by wind power, a generator that is driven by rotation of the rotor, and a control device that controls a power output of the generator to increase while a rotational speed of the generator decreases when a frequency of a utility grid becomes smaller than or equal to a predetermined rated frequency and when the rotational speed of the generator is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value. In this way, even when the frequency of the utility grid fluctuates, the frequency fluctuation can be suppressed, and the utility grid can be stabilized.
US08378639B2
A method and a charging device serve for charging rechargeable lithium accumulators. A charging current is injected into the accumulator, and the voltage is monitored on the accumulator during the injection process. Additionally, the variation in time of at least one state variable characteristic of the accumulator is monitored and injection of the charging current into the accumulator is continued until the variation in time of the state variable exceeds a predefined limit value.
US08378635B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a rechargeable power supply unit which are capable of accurately detecting an overcharge state of a battery even in a case where the battery is charged with a sine wave charger. In a case where a ½ cycle of a charging voltage of the sine wave charger is shorter than a delay time for cancellation of an overdischarge state, when it is detected that a voltage of the battery in the overdischarge state exceeds an overdischarge detection voltage and becomes equal to or higher than an overcharge detection voltage, a delay circuit sets the delay time for cancellation of the overdischarge state to 0 seconds.
US08378632B2
Disclosed is a circuit arrangement. The circuit arrangement includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries each having at least one rechargeable electrochemical cell, and current-carrying members connecting the plurality of batteries such that when the plurality of batteries are charging the plurality of batteries are in a series electrical circuit arrangement and when the plurality of batteries are discharging the plurality of batteries are in a parallel electrical circuit arrangement.
US08378630B2
A video game controller charging system is provided. The video game controller charging system includes a base; at least one structure on the base for providing physical support to at least one video game controller while it is being charged; and at least one DC port on the base configured to couple to and provide DC power to a power input port of the at least one video game controller. The video game controller charging system may also include a current detector, a charging status indicator, at least one docking bay, and/or an AC-to-DC converter adapted to convert externally supplied power to the DC power provided to the power input port of at least one video game controller. The base of a charging station may include a recess having at least one electrical contact and a power input for connection to a power supply.
US08378628B2
A conversion adaptor enables utilization of a standardized charge cable used when a power storage device mounted on an electrically-powered vehicle is charged by a power source provided outside of the vehicle as a universal cable for transmitting electric power to electric loads having different plug shapes that are respectively standardized from one region to another. Conversion adaptor includes a primary side connector unit configured to be connectable to a connector of charge cable, a secondary side connector unit configured so as to have a plug of an electric load, such as a home electric appliance, connected thereto, and a manipulating unit for manipulating a CCID of charge cable so that relays are switched off when connector of charge cable is connected to first connector unit.
US08378607B2
A method and arrangement are provided for operating a ship ramp driven by an electric motor between an upper end position and a lower end position. The arrangement includes means for reducing the maximum torque of the at least one electric motor when the ramp is in proximity to an end position of the ramp, and means for determining the position of the ramp on the basis of at least one of the number of rotations performed by the at least one electric motor, a quantity indicative of the number of rotations, and an elapsed time in accordance with the velocity of the ramp. The arrangement also includes means for allowing the reduction of the maximum torque of the at least one electric motor only when the determined position of the ramp is within a zone defined by predetermined limits.
US08378599B2
The performance of a power transducer is improved while efficiently using a power semiconductor also by managing the permissible duty factor of the power semiconductor in the regenerative braking circuit provided in the power transducer. The user is allowed to set, through an operation panel provided on the power transducer, the resistance value of the regenerative braking resistor for thermally consuming the rotational energy generated during motor deceleration. The power transducer performs the steps of: calculating the current which flows in the regenerative braking circuit from the resistance value setting; obtaining the generation loss of the power semiconductor in the regenerative braking circuit with the calculated current value; and determining the permissible duty factor of the power semiconductor from the obtained generation loss.
US08378598B2
In a polyphase electric motor, a voltage is sequentially applied to a plurality of windings on a phase-by-phase basis. Then, there is sensed a rotational speed of a rotor, which is rotated by a rotating magnetic field that is generated by sequentially flowing an electric current in the windings on the phase-by-phase basis upon the sequential application of the voltage to the windings. Then, an oscillation frequency of a periodic oscillation, which is generated in the motor at the sensed rotational speed of the rotor, is obtained. Thereafter, it is determined whether the obtained oscillation frequency is a predetermined resonance frequency. Next, the voltage to be applied to the windings is corrected in a manner that reduces a resonance generated in the motor when a result of the determination indicates that the obtained oscillation frequency is the predetermined resonance frequency.
US08378584B2
A method and circuit for controlling feedback in, for example, a power factor converter circuit. A current sense signal is compared with a reference signal to generate a comparison signal. A clipped signal is generated from the comparison signal where the signal is a periodic waveform that transitions between two levels that are symmetrically positioned about a reference signal. The clipped signal is used to generate a summed signal at the input of an integrator. The integrator generates a feedback signal suitable for use in, for example, a power factor converter circuit.
US08378579B1
A ballast circuit includes a control loop to reduce a filament heating voltage below after the lamp filaments have been pre-heated. A filament cutback circuit includes a filament cut-back inductive component magnetically coupled to the resonant inductive component in the inverter to receive a filament cutback control voltage associated with an AC voltage for powering the lamps. During the pre-heating period, the filament cutback control voltage is not high enough to charge a chargeable component to a switch threshold level. However, during lamp ignition, the filament cutback control voltage is increased and charges the chargeable component to the switch threshold level. This causes a switch device to operate in a conductive switch state and the filament cutback circuit suppresses the pre-heat voltage.
US08378577B2
A liquid crystal display includes a main body, a screen positioned on the main body, a backlight module positioned in the main body and supplying light for the screen, a controller for controlling the brightness of the backlight module and an ambient light sensor positioned on the main body. The ambient light sensor includes a barrel, an optical sheet positioned at an end of the barrel and a photosensitive unit positioned at the other end of the barrel. The photosensitive unit creates a signal according to the ambient light received via the optical sheet, and sends the signal to the controller. The controller adjusts the brightness of the backlight module. The optical sheet includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface and a plurality of V-shaped micro structures formed on the first surface.
US08378576B2
[Objection of the invention]An ion beam generator, a thermal distortion in a grid assembly is reduced. [Structure to solve the objection]Thermal expansion coefficients αP, αM and αG, for a sidewall (1A) of a discharge chamber, mounting platform (40) and extraction grid electrode assembly (20) are selected to have a relation: αP>αM≧αG. For example, the material of discharge chamber sidewall is stainless steel o aluminum, the material of grids is Mo, W or C and the material of platform is Ti or Mo.
US08378572B2
A plasma display panel includes: a front plate; a rear plate having barrier ribs; a sealing member that seals a peripheral edge of the front plate and a peripheral edge of the rear plate; and a bonding layer that bonds at least part of the barrier ribs and the front plate to each other. The sealing member has a first glass member. The bonding layer has a second glass member. A deformation point of the second glass member is lower than a softening point of the first glass member. A softening point of the second glass member is higher than the softening point of the first glass member.
US08378571B2
A fluorescent lamp includes a tubular member or envelope having an arc generating and sustaining medium therein. An electrode is provided in each end of the tubular member and a phosphor coating is applied to the interior surface of the tubular member. A mercury dispenser is situated within the tubular member. The mercury dispenser includes a body composed of a material. The body is provided with a bore. A wire plated with a material capable of wetting mercury is provided in the bore. A quantity of mercury is deposited in the bore in contact with the wire.
US08378567B2
A light-emitting device comprises a substrate, at least one light-emitting structure configured to emit light beams and positioned on the substrate, and a ring-shaped photonic crystal structure positioned in the light-emitting structure. The ring-shaped photonic crystal structure includes a plurality of pillars positioned in the light-emitting structure and a plurality of ring-shaped openings surrounding the pillars. The distance between the ring-shaped openings is preferably between 0.2λ and 10λ, and λ represents the wavelength of the light beam.
US08378564B2
A compact fluorescent lamp includes a discharge tube such as a spiral discharge tube having a wall forming a discharge chamber between cathodes at first and second ends thereof. At least one auxiliary amalgam assembly is disposed in the discharge chamber at an intermediate region disposed between the first and second ends. The auxiliary amalgam assembly is secured at a location spaced from the inner wall of the discharge chamber.
US08378547B2
In an electric motor, magnets (4) have two pairs of poles, the number of teeth (9) is 18, and the number of segments (14) of a commutator is 18. Winding wires (12, 25) for forming an armature coil (7) are formed by a first conductive wire (110) or a second conductive wire (120). The winding wire (25) has a first coil winding wire (7A) and a second coil winding wire (7B). The coil winding wires are each wound around four teeth (9) adjacent to each other. An end (31) of the second coil winding wire is connected to a segment (14) adjacent to a segment arranged at a position which is point symmetric with respect to a segment to which an end (30) of the first coil winding wire is connected. According to the invention, in the electric motor capable of changing the rotational speed of the armature by switching application of an electric current among three brushes, vibration and operating noise can be reduced, and mounting of the connecting wires and the winding wires can be facilitated.
US08378544B2
A permanent magnet arrangement for an electrical machine comprises a support structure for carrying magnetic flux and a pole assembly fixed to the support structure. The pole assembly comprises a magnet pole comprising at least one piece of permanent magnet material and a magnet carrier on which the magnet pole is mounted and which provides a magnetic flux path between the magnet pole and the support structure. The permanent magnet arrangement further comprises a sleeve containing the magnet pole and at least part of the magnet carrier. The magnet carrier is secured to the support structure to fix the pole assembly to the support structure and the sleeve is clamped to the support structure by the magnet carrier. A method for assembling the permanent magnet arrangement is also described.
US08378542B2
The present invention relates to a magnetic center-finding structure, and more particularly a magnetic center-finding bearing structure intended notably for space applications. The present invention proposes a magnetic concept with no magnet on the rotor, the rotor being reduced to a crown comprising magnetic yokes, to arrange an item of equipment that can be tested on the ground, under gravity, in all positions, without the addition of extra energy, and with a reduction in the complexity of said device.
US08378541B2
A magnetic radial bearing and a bearing system for supporting a rotating shaft are disclosed. The bearing has a number of electromagnets circumferentially arranged around a rotating shaft. Each of the electromagnets has a coil which is electrically connected so as to generate both a magnetic bias and a rotating three-phase field. First terminals of opposing coils are connected in common to a corresponding phase of a three-phase controller for generating the rotating field, whereas second terminals of the coils not connected to the same phase are connected at corresponding star points. The star points are connected to DC power for generating the magnetic bias.
US08378538B2
The invention relates to a DC motor, particularly for a fan device of a motor vehicle, having a stator and a metal grounding plate arranged on the stator, for receiving at least one leadthrough capacitor of an interference suppressor device. The capacitor being arranged in a connection line of the motor. According to the invention, the leadthrough capacitor includes a metal housing with at least one contact section for contacting the stator and/or the metal grounding plate. Thus, a compact interference suppressor device, which can be produced in a cost-effective way and is easy to install, is achieved.
US08378528B2
Systems and methods are provided for discharging a voltage bus. An electrical system comprises a first switch coupled to a first voltage rail, a second switch coupled between the first switch and a second voltage rail, and a control system coupled to the first switch and the second switch. The control system is configured to alternately activate the first switch and the second switch such that an energy potential between the first voltage rail and the second voltage rail is dissipated through the first switch and the second switch.
US08378520B2
The present invention discloses a method for energy management, by means of which significant fluctuations in the power consumption in the on-board electrical system are reduced, in particular, current consumption peaks arising due to a very high start-up current of electrical actuators and solenoid valves, are more evenly distributed over time. To achieve this, the method for energy management according to the invention operates predictively, i.e. it determines both the energy available in the subsequent time interval and the energy required on the basis of activation requests, and selects consumers to be activated according to their priority and a prevailing tolerance time within which a consumer must be activated following the submission of its activation request. The tolerance time is thereby continuously adapted.
US08378519B2
A redundant power system may include a first switch that connects between a redundant power source and a first remote system, a second switch that connects between the redundant power source and a second remote system, and a control circuit. The control circuit may apply a first control signal to the first switch to cause the redundant power source to connect through the first switch to the first remote system via a switched connection. The control circuit may determine if the second remote system requires power, and may apply a second control signal to the first switch to open the switched connection when the high priority remote system requires power. The control circuit may apply a third control signal to the second switch, upon an expiration of a delay timer, to cause the redundant power source to connect through the second switch to the second remote system.
US08378517B2
A wind-hydro power generation system and its power generation method which use both wind power and hydraulic power. Increasing the size of a hydraulic turbine for the hydraulic power generation may result in the decreased rotation power of the hydraulic turbine caused by the resistance of the wind when blades on the hydraulic turbine come out of the water. A blade rotation system on the blades of the hydraulic turbine is provided so that the blades may rotate according to the direction of the wind. As a result, wind resistance is not effected to the rotation of the hydraulic turbine even when the blades on the hydraulic turbine are out of water, but enhances the rotation power of the hydraulic turbine, which enables the use of wind power and hydraulic power at the same time.
US08378516B2
One embodiment of a continuous wind power system with auxiliary blades comprises of a general generator (150) and six sets of auxiliary blade sets (120) each propelled by a motor (130) of its own. Motors (130) are powered up by batteries, solar panels, or by a fraction of power generated by the generator (150). When motors (130) are powered, auxiliary blade sets (120) propel and create a force perpendicular to the extended arm (110B) to which it is mounted and resulting torque promotes rotary motion of the overall mounting device (110). A transmission device transfers the rotary motion of the mounting device (110) of auxiliary blade sets (120) and motors (130) to the shaft of generator (150A) and results in production of electricity. Clear advantages of this embodiment compared to current HAWT system includes: generation of electricity regardless of the amount of natural wind available and local weather condition, cheap and easy system to implement to improve on or replace existing wind farm, and increased accessibility to clean, green energy to meet growing demands for energy while protecting the environment.
US08378514B2
A system for a wind energy installation. The wind energy installation feeds electrical power into a power supply system. A phase control device can include a power supply system fault detector, a phase angle detector, and a signal processing module. When a power supply system fault is detected, a phase error signal can be determined. A preset angle signal can be determined based on the phase error signal. The preset angle signal can be provided to a converter which can emit electrical power having a phase angle corresponding to the preset angle signal into the power supply system. Accordingly, an undesirable sudden surge in power output resulting from a phase change occurring at the end of the power supply system disturbance can be avoided.
US08378510B2
The invention is a starting and generating apparatus for an engine, including: a rotator configured to be used as a generator driven by an engine as well as used as a starter motor for starting the engine; a power transmission mechanism configured to connect the engine with the rotator; a starter drive unit configured to supply an electricity to the rotator to drive the rotator as the starter motor when the engine is to be started; a clutch mechanism configured to shut off a power transmission from the engine to the power transmission mechanism when the engine is to be started; and a clutch control unit configured to bring the clutch mechanism into a connected state when a rotational speed of the rotator has reached a given rotational speed at which the engine can be started.
US08378508B2
A biometric sensor device, such as a fingerprint sensor, comprises a substrate to which is mounted a die on which is formed a sensor array and at least one conductive bezel. The die and the bezel are encased in a unitary encapsulation structure to protect those elements from mechanical, electrical, and environmental damage, yet with a portion of the sensor array and the bezel exposed or at most thinly covered by the encapsulation or other coating material structure.
US08378507B2
A wiring substrate and a semiconductor chip mounted on the wiring substrate are connected together via a bonding wire. The distance from each end of the semiconductor chip to a wire bond pad provided on the wiring substrate is smaller than the height of the semiconductor chip.
US08378505B2
A semiconductor substrate structure includes an electrode pad formed on a semiconductor substrate, a protective film formed on the semiconductor substrate with a distance from the electrode pad, and a bump formed on the electrode pad. The protective film has a barrier portion surrounding the electrode pad. The barrier portion has a height different from a height of a part of the protective film other than the barrier portion.
US08378503B2
Apparatus for assembling a semiconductor device has a plate with body and a surface heatable to a controlled a temperature profile from location to location across the plate. Mesas at same temperature of plate protrude from the surface are configured to support a portion of the substrate. Movable capillaries have openings for blowing cooled gas onto selected locations of the assembly. At least one movable syringe movable has an opening for dispensing a polymer precursor.
US08378501B2
A semiconductor package is provided with a functionally necessary minimum number of components with which stress concentrated on specific solder bumps is reduced and ruptures of the bumps are prevented even when stress caused by physical bending or a difference in thermal expansion coefficient is applied to the package. The semiconductor package includes a tabular die and bonding pads arranged on a mounting surface of the die. A passivation layer and a protective film are provided on the mounting surface such that central areas of the bonding pads are open. Under-bump metals (UBMs) connected to the bonding pads are provided in the openings, and solder bumps are provided on the surfaces of the UBMs. The diameter of the UBMs provided at corners of the die is less than that of the UBM provided at the approximate center of the die so that the elastic modulus of the UBMs provided at the corners is small.
US08378496B2
The interlayer connection of the substrate is formed by a contact-hole filling (4) of a semiconductor layer (11) and metallization (17) of a recess (16) in a reverse-side semiconductor layer (13), wherein the semiconductor layers are separated from each other by a buried insulation layer (12), at whose layer position the contact-hole filling or the metallization ends.
US08378492B2
There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor package. The method includes: (a) providing a semiconductor chip having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein a pad is formed on the first surface; (b) disposing the semiconductor chip on a supporting substrate such that the first surface is directed upward; (c) forming an encapsulation resin layer on the supporting substrate so as to cover the semiconductor chip; and (d) polishing the encapsulation resin layer to expose a top surface of the pad.
US08378486B2
A semiconductor device includes a protective insulating film, an opening formed in the protective insulating film, an electrode pad located within the opening, a bump formed on the protective insulating film, and an interconnect. The bump includes a bump core and a conductive film. The bump core includes an insulating resin layer and a conductive resin layer located on the insulating resin layer. The conductive film is formed on at least the upper surface of the bump core. The interconnect connects the conductive film of the bump and the electrode pad.
US08378485B2
A method of forming an electronic device provides an electronic device substrate having a solder bump pad located thereover. A nickel-containing layer is located over the solder bump pad. A copper-containing layer is formed on the nickel-containing layer prior to subjecting the electronic device to a reflow process.
US08378481B2
The semiconductor module includes a plurality of memory die on a first side of a substrate and a plurality of buffer die on a second side of the substrate. Each of the memory die is disposed opposite and electrically coupled to one of the buffer die.
US08378480B2
A package structure includes a first die, and a second die over and bonded to the first die. The second die has a size smaller than a size of the first die. A dummy chip is over and bonded onto the first die. The dummy chip includes a portion encircling the second die. The dummy chip includes a material selected from the group consisting essentially of silicon and a metal.
US08378479B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device, including a semiconductor chip including a first electrode and a second electrode of a semiconductor element, the first electrode and the second electrode being configured on a first surface and a second surface of the semiconductor chip, an encapsulating material encapsulating the semiconductor chip, the surface portion being other than regions, each of the regions connecting with the first second electrodes, each of inner electrodes being connected with the first or the second electrodes, a thickness of the inner electrode from the first surface or the second surface being the same thickness as the encapsulating material from the first surface or the second surface, respectively, outer electrodes, each of the outer electrodes being formed on the encapsulating material and connected with the inner electrode, a width of the outer electrode being at least wider than a width of the semiconductor chip, and outer plating materials, each of the outer plating materials covering five surfaces of the outer electrode other than one surface of the outer electrode being connected with the inner electrode.
US08378476B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: fabricating a base package substrate having a component side and a system side; coupling a first integrated circuit die on the component side; coupling stacking interconnects on the component side around the first integrated circuit die; forming a package body on the component side, the first integrated circuit die, and the stacking interconnects; forming vertical insertion cavities through the package body and on the stacking interconnects; and forming a trench, in the package body, adjacent to the vertical insertion cavities for reducing a package warping stress.
US08378466B2
Described herein are wafer-level semiconductor device packages with EMI shielding and related methods. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device package includes: (1) a semiconductor device; (2) a package body covering lateral surfaces of the semiconductor device, a lower surface of the package body and a lower surface of the semiconductor device defining a front surface; (3) a set of redistribution layers disposed adjacent to the front surface, the set of redistribution layers including a grounding element that includes a connection surface electrically exposed adjacent to at least one lateral surface of the set of redistribution layers; and (4) an EMI shield disposed adjacent to the package body and electrically connected to the connection surface of the grounding element. The grounding element provides an electrical pathway to ground electromagnetic emissions incident upon the EMI shield.
US08378462B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a first surface serving as an element formation surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a through-via penetrating the semiconductor substrate; an insulating via coating film formed between a sidewall of the through-via and the semiconductor substrate; and an insulating protective film formed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate. The via coating film and the protective film are different insulating films from each other.
US08378458B2
Various semiconductor chips and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes providing a semiconductor wafer that has plural semiconductor chips. Each of the plural semiconductor chips includes a first principal side and a second and opposite principal side. Material is removed from the semiconductor wafer to define at least one rounded corner of the first principal side of at least one of the plural semiconductor chips.
US08378457B2
A SiGe HBT formed on a silicon substrate is disclosed. An active area is isolated by field oxide regions; a collector region is formed in the active area and extends into the bottom of the field oxide regions; pseudo buried layers are formed at the bottom of the field oxide regions, wherein each pseudo buried layer is separated by a lateral distance from the active area and connected to a lateral extension part of the collector region; first deep hole contacts are formed on top of the pseudo buried layers in the field oxide regions to pick up collector electrodes; a plurality of second deep hole contacts with a floating structure, are formed in the field oxide region on top of a lateral extension part of the collector region, wherein N-type implantation regions are formed at the bottom of the second deep hole contacts.
US08378455B2
An electric component arrangement is described, comprising a semiconductor component (1) and a varistor body (2), which is contact-connected to the semiconductor component in order to protect the latter against electrostatic discharges. The semiconductor component and the varistor body are arranged on a common carrier (3) containing a highly thermally conductive ceramic.
US08378450B2
An interdigitated structure may include at least one first metal line, at least one second metal line parallel to the at least one first metal line and separated from the at least one first metal line, and a third metal line contacting ends of the at least one first metal line and separated from the at least one second metal line. The at least one first metal line does not vertically contact any metal via and at least one second metal line may vertically contact at least one metal via. Multiple layers of interdigitated structure may be vertically stacked. Alternately, an interdigitated structure may include a plurality of first metal lines and a plurality of second metal lines, each metal line not vertically contacting any metal via. Multiple instances of interdigitated structure may be laterally replicated and adjoined, with or without rotation, and/or vertically stacked to form a capacitor.
US08378448B2
A set of metal line structures including a signal transmission metal line and a capacitively-grounded inductively-signal-coupled metal line is embedded in a dielectric material layer. A capacitor is serially connected between the capacitively-grounded inductively-signal-coupled metal line and a local electrical ground, which may be on the input side or on the output side. The set of metal line structures and the capacitor collective provide a frequency dependent inductor. The Q factor of the frequency dependent inductor has multiple peaks that enable the operation of the frequency dependent inductor at multiple frequencies. Multiple capacitively-grounded inductively-signal-coupled metal lines may be provided in the frequency-dependent inductor, each of which is connected to the local electrical ground through a capacitor. By selecting different capacitance values for the capacitors, multiple values of the Q-factor may be obtained in the frequency dependent inductor at different signal frequencies.
US08378441B2
The present invention discloses a manufacturing method and structure of a wafer level image sensor module with package structure. The structure of the wafer level image sensor module with package structure includes a semi-finished product, a plurality of solder balls, and an encapsulant. The semi-finished product includes an image sensing chip and a wafer level lens assembly. The encapsulant is disposed on lateral sides of the image sensing chip and the wafer level lens assembly. Also, the manufacturing method includes the steps of: providing a silicon wafer, dicing the silicon wafer, providing a lens assembly wafer, fabricating a plurality of semi-finished products, performing a packaging process, mounting the solder balls, and cutting the encapsulant. Accordingly, the encapsulant encapsulates each of the semi-finished products by being disposed on the lateral sides thereof.
US08378426B2
A SRAM includes a first CMOS inverter of first and second MOS transistors connected in series, a second CMOS inverter of third and fourth MOS transistors connected in series and forming a flip-flop circuit together with the first CMOS inverter, and a polysilicon resistance element formed on a device isolation region, each of the first and third MOS transistors is formed in a device region of a first conductivity type and includes a second conductivity type drain region at an outer side of a sidewall insulation film of the gate electrode with a larger depth than a drain extension region thereof, wherein a source region is formed deeper than a drain extension region, the polysilicon gate electrode has a film thickness identical to a film thickness of the polysilicon resistance element, the source region and the polysilicon resistance element are doped with the same dopant element.
US08378425B2
It is intended to achieve a sufficiently-small SRAM cell area and a stable operation margin in a CMOS 6T-SRAM comprising a vertical transistor SGT. In a static type memory cell made up using six MOS transistors, each of the MOS transistor constituting the memory cell is formed on a planar silicon layer formed on a buried oxide film, to have a structure where a drain, a gate and a source are arranged in a vertical direction, wherein the gate is formed to surround a pillar-shaped semiconductor layer. The planar silicon layer comprises a first active region having a first conductive type, and a second active region having a second conductive type. The first and second active regions are connected to each other through a silicide layer formed in a surface of the planar silicon layer to achieve an SRAM cell having a sufficiently-small area.
US08378423B2
A dual-gate transistor includes a first gate formed on a substrate, a first dielectric layer covering the first gate and the substrate, a semiconductor layer formed on the first dielectric layer, first and second electrodes formed on the semiconductor layer and spaced with an interval in order to separate each other, a second dielectric layer covering the first and second electrodes, and a second gate formed on the second dielectric layer, in which at least one of the first and second gates is non-overlapped with the second electrode.
US08378422B2
Electrostatic discharge protection device comprising a plurality of highly doped areas within a well
Embodiments of the invention relate to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) device and method for forming an ESD device. An embodiment is an ESD protection device comprising a p well disposed in a substrate, an n well disposed in the substrate, a high voltage n well (HVNW) disposed between the p well and the n well in the substrate, a source n+ region disposed in the p well, and a plurality of drain n+ regions disposed in the n well.
US08378417B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a well of a first conductivity type in the semiconductor substrate; a first element; and a first vertical transistor. The first element supplies potential to the well, the first element being in the well. The first element may include, but is not limited to, a first pillar body of the first conductivity type. The first pillar body has an upper portion that includes a first diffusion layer of the first conductivity type. The first diffusion layer is greater in impurity concentration than the well. The first vertical transistor is in the well. The first vertical transistor may include a second pillar body of the first conductivity type. The second pillar body has an upper portion that includes a second diffusion layer of a second conductivity type.
US08378414B2
By aligning the primary flat of a wafer with a (100) plane rather than a (110) plane, devices can be formed with primary currents flowing along the (100) plane. In this case, the device will intersect the (111) plane at approximately 54.7 degrees. This intersect angle significantly reduces stress propagation/relief along the (111) direction and consequently reduces defects as well as leakage and parasitic currents. The leakage current reduction is a direct consequence of the change in the dislocation length required to short the source-drain junction. By using this technique the leakage current is reduced by up to two orders of magnitude for an N-channel CMOS device.
US08378404B2
A semiconductor structure of a display device and the method for fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor structure is formed on a substrate having a TFT region and a pixel capacitor region thereon. A TFT, including a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a channel layer, and a gate insulating layer, is formed on the TFT region of the substrate. A pixel capacitor is formed on the pixel capacitor region, wherein the pixel capacitor comprises a bottom electrode formed on a bottom dielectric layer, an interlayer dielectric layer formed on the bottom electrode, a top electrode formed on the interlayer dielectric layer, a contact plug passing through the interlayer dielectric layer and electrically connected to the top and bottom electrodes, a capacitor dielectric layer formed on the top electrode, a transparent electrode formed on the capacitor dielectric layer and electrically connected to the drain electrode.
US08378399B2
According to one embodiment, a backside illumination solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor layer, a first light-receiving unit and a second light-receiving unit, a circuit unit, an impurity isolation layer, and a light-shielding film. A first light-receiving unit and a second light-receiving unit are formed adjacent to each other in the semiconductor layer, convert light applied from a lower surface side of the semiconductor layer into a signal, and store electric charges. A circuit unit is formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor layer. An impurity isolation layer is formed to reach to the upper surface from the lower surface in the semiconductor layer and isolates the first light-receiving unit from the second light-receiving unit. A light-shielding film is formed on part of the lower surface side in the impurity isolation layer so as to extend from the lower surface to the upper surface.
US08378392B2
A trench Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor with improved body region structures is disclosed. By forming the inventive body region structures with concave-arc shape with respect to epitaxial layer, a wider interfaced area between the body region and the epitaxial layer is achieved, thus increasing capacitance between drain and source Cds. Moreover, the invention further comprises a Cds enhancement doped region interfaced with said body region having higher doping concentration than the epitaxial layer to further enhancing Cds without significantly impact breakdown voltage.
US08378389B2
A semiconductor device includes: a compound semiconductor substrate; an n-channel field-effect transistor region formed on the compound semiconductor substrate, and that includes a first channel layer; an n-type first barrier layer that forms a heterojunction with the first channel layer, and supplies an n-type charge to the first channel layer; and a p-type gate region that has a pn junction-type potential barrier against the n-type first barrier layer; and a p-channel field-effect transistor region formed on the compound semiconductor substrate, and that includes a p-type second channel layer, and an n-type gate region that has a pn junction-type potential barrier against the p-type second channel layer.
US08378382B2
A semiconductor device having high-aspect-ratio PN-junctions is provided. The semiconductor device includes a conducting layer. The semiconductor device further includes a plurality of first doped regions formed over the conducting layer. The sidewalls of the doped regions are doped to form PN-junctions. The semiconductor device also includes a plurality of second doped regions over the first doped regions.
US08378377B2
According to one embodiment, a light emitting device includes a light emitting chip, an external terminal made of a metal material, and a circuit board. The light emitting chip is mounted on the circuit board via the external terminal. The light emitting chip includes a semiconductor layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, an insulating layer, a first interconnection layer, a second interconnection layer, a first metal pillar, a second metal pillar and a resin layer. The circuit board includes an interconnection bonded to the first metal pillar and the second metal pillar via the external terminal, and a heat radiation material provided on an opposite side of the interconnection and connected to the interconnection.
US08378372B2
A semiconductor chip assembly includes a semiconductor device, a heat spreader, a substrate and an adhesive. The semiconductor device is electrically connected to the substrate and thermally connected to the heat spreader. The heat spreader includes a post and a base. The post extends upwardly through an opening in the adhesive into an aperture in the substrate, and the base extends laterally from the post. The adhesive extends between the post and the substrate and between the base and the substrate. The substrate includes first and second conductive layers and a dielectric layer therebetween and provides horizontal signal routing between a pad and a terminal at the first conductive layer.
US08378368B2
A light-emitting diode structure is provided. The light-emitting diode structure includes a light-emitting diode chip, a lead frame for electrically connecting and supporting the light-emitting diode chip, and a lens covering the light-emitting diode chip and to partially cover the lead frame. A recess disposed on the upper portion of the lens has a ladder-like inner wall formed of an upper inclined wall portion, a lower inclined wall portion, and a connecting wall portion connected to the upper and lower inclined wall portions. The slope of the upper inclined wall portion is greater than that of the lower inclined wall portion, and the slope of the connecting wall portion is greater than the upper and lower inclined wall portions.
US08378367B2
A light-emitting device comprises a lattice structure to minimize the horizontal waveguide effect by reducing light traveling distance in the light-absorption medium of the light-emitting devices, and to enhance light extraction from the light-emitting layer. The lattice structure includes sidewalls and/or rods embedded in the light-absorption medium and dividing the light-absorption medium into a plurality of area units. The area units are completely isolated or partially separated from each other by the sidewalls. Also provided is a method of fabricating a light-emitting device that comprises a lattice structure, which lattice structure includes sidewalls and/or rods embedded in the light-absorption medium and dividing the light-absorption medium into a plurality of area units.
US08378366B2
An optoelectronic component is specified that emits a useful radiation. It comprises a housing having a housing base body with a housing cavity, and a light-emitting diode chip arranged in the housing cavity. At least one base body material of the housing base body has radiation-absorbing particles admixed in a targeted manner to reduce its reflectivity. According to another embodiment of the component, the housing additionally or alternatively has a housing material transmissive for the useful radiation that has radiation-absorbing particles admixed in a targeted manner to reduce its reflectivity. In addition, a method for manufacturing such a component is specified.
US08378352B2
An organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the organic light-emitting display device are disclosed. The organic light-emitting display device includes a bottom capacitor electrode that is formed over the same plane as an active layer of a thin film transistor and includes a semiconductor doped with ion impurities, a pixel electrode, and a top capacitor electrode formed over the same plane as a gate electrode, wherein a contact hole entirely exposing the pixel electrode and the top capacitor electrode is formed.
US08378344B2
It is an object to provide a light-emitting device in which plural kinds of circuits are formed over one substrate and plural kinds of thin film transistors corresponding to characteristics of the plural kinds of circuits are provided. An inverted coplanar thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor layer overlaps with a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer is used for a pixel, and a channel-etched thin film transistor is used for a driver circuit. A color filter layer is provided between the pixel thin film transistor and a light-emitting element which is electrically connected to the pixel thin film transistor so as to overlap with the light-emitting element.
US08378341B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention has a first interconnect layer formed over the semiconductor substrate, and a semiconductor element; the first interconnect layer has an insulating layer, and a first interconnect filled in a surficial portion of the insulating layer; the semiconductor element has a semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode; the semiconductor layer is positioned over the first interconnect layer; the gate insulating film is positioned over or below semiconductor layer; and the gate electrode is positioned on the opposite side of the semiconductor layer while placing the gate insulating film in between.
US08378340B2
An aromatic compound of the following formula (1), (2), (5) or (6), wherein, Ar1 and Ar3 represent a tetra-valent aromatic hydrocarbon group or a tetra-valent heterocyclic group, and Ar2, Ar4, Ar5, Ar6 and Ar7 represent a tri-valent aromatic hydrocarbon group or a tri-valent heterocyclic group, A1 represents —Z1—, —Z2—Z3— or —Z4═Z5—, wherein Z1, Z2 and Z3 represent O, S or the like and Z4 and Z5 represent N, B, P or the like, X1, X2, X3, X4, X9, X10, X11, and X12 represent a halogen atom or the like.
US08378333B2
An apparatus, system, and method are provided for a lateral two-terminal nanotube device configured to capture and generate energy, to store electrical energy, and to integrate these functions with power management circuitry. The lateral nanotube device can include a substrate, an anodic oxide material disposed on the substrate, and a column disposed in the anodic oxide material extending from one distal end of the anodic oxide material to another end of the anodic oxide material. The lateral nanotube device further can include a first material disposed within the column, and a second material disposed within the column. The first material fills a distal end of the column and gradiently decreases towards another distal end of the column along inner walls of the column. The second material fills the another distal end of the column and gradiently decreases towards the distal end of the column within the first material.
US08378330B2
An MTJ in an MRAM array or TMR read head is disclosed in which a low magnetization capping layer is a composite having a NiFeHf inner layer formed on a NiFe or CoFeB/NiFe free layer, a Ta middle layer, and a Ru outer layer on the Ta layer. For example, a low magnetization NiFeHf layer is achieved by co-sputtering NiFe and Hf targets with a forward power of 400 W and 200 W, respectively. A higher Hf content increases the oxygen gettering power of the NiFeHf layer and the thickness is modified to change dR/R, RA, and magnetostriction values. A so-called dead layer between the free layer and capping layer is restored by incorporating a NiFeHf layer on the free layer to improve lattice matching. The Fe content in the NiFe target used to make the NiFeHf layer is preferably the same as in the NiFe free layer.
US08378324B2
An apparatus and a method, in a handheld portable multi purpose device, for producing multiple and variable wavelength distributions of UV radiation, or visible radiation, comprising a primary UV radiation source, and a system of wavelength transforming (WT) materials that allows selecting at will between UV A, UV B, UV C radiation (individual selections or various combinations,) and visible radiation, whereby the apparatus provides for UV sterilization of food, fluid, air, fluids, and surfaces; while also providing a means to emit visible light. Additionally, an apparatus and method, in a handheld portable multi purpose device, for enabling production and emission of UV radiation selectable between UV A, UV B, UV C radiation (individual selections or various combinations,) and visible radiation in a small form factor device embodied in a handheld portable flashlight, or lamp, type device.
US08378320B2
For irradiating a target with a beam of energetic electrically charged particles comprising a plurality of beamlets, the target is exposed in a sequence of exposure stripes composed image pixels. These stripes (s1, s2) are, at their boundaries to adjacent stripes, provided with overlap margins (m12, m21) which are mutually overlapped, so nominal positions of image pixels in the overlap margin (m21) overlap, or substantially coincide, with image pixels in the corresponding overlap margin (m12). During the exposure of an overlap margin (m21), a first subset (n1) of image pixels in said overlap margin are exposed while those of a second subset (n2), possibly a complementary subset with respect to a desired pattern, are not exposed; contrariwise, during the exposure of the corresponding overlap margin (m12), image pixels corresponding to image pixels in the first subset are not exposed, but those corresponding to image pixels in the second subset are.
US08378318B1
A mask or set of masks is disclosed in which outward projections are placed on either side of at least one aperture. An ion beam is then directed through the mask toward a workpiece. An ion collecting device or an optical system is then used to measure the alignment of the mask to the ion beam. These projections serve to increase the sensitivity of the system to misalignment. In another embodiment, a blocker is used to create a region of the workpiece that is not subjected to a blanket implant. This facilitates the use of optical means to insure and determine alignment of the mask to the ion beam.
US08378315B2
A windshield repair device includes a bridge, an injector attached to the bridge and at least one UV, e.g., light emitting diode (LED), light source attached to the bridge or integrated into bridge or the injector to provide UV light within or around the injector. The UV, e.g., LED, light source can also be attached to an existing windshield repair device having a bridge and an injector attached to the bridge, so as to retrofit an existing windshield repair device to provide UV light within or around the injector. A method for curing resin provided in a crack in a windshield can be carried out by exposing the resin to UV light from at least one UV LED light source.
US08378313B2
One embodiment relates to an ion implanter. The ion implanter includes an ion source to generate an ion beam, as well as a scanner to scan the ion beam across a surface of a workpiece along a first axis. The ion implanter also includes a deflection filter downstream of the scanner to ditheredly scan the ion beam across the surface of the workpiece along a second axis.
US08378310B2
The current invention applies to photon counting silicon x-ray detectors with energy discriminating capabilities and applications in x-ray imaging systems. The overall image quality produced by such a system is improved by the presented novel methods for optimally using the energy information in Compton events and making selective use of counts induced from charges collected in neighboring pixels. The pile-up problem during high-flux imaging regimes is reduced by a novel method for signal reset, which improves the count efficiency by reducing the risk of losing event due to signal pile-up in the read out electronics chain.
US08378309B2
A radiation detector includes a detection unit, a detection control unit, an image analyzing unit and a determination unit. The detection unit detects radiographic image data by plural pixels that convert applied radiation into electrical signals and store the electrical signals. The detection control unit controls the detection unit so as to determine that radiation has been applied if a read value obtained by reading the electric signals stored in the plural pixels is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and acquire radiographic image data corresponding to radiation that has passed through a subject. The image analyzing unit performs an image analysis with respect to the radiographic image if the read value is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The determination unit determines based on the result of the image analysis whether or not the radiographic image has been detected at an intended timing.
US08378305B2
When performing positron emission tomography (PET) scanning and image reconstruction, a primary PET system (10) with a primary PET detector array (12) is used to image a patient or subject, and a secondary PET detector array (14) is coupled to the system at specific input points to mitigate unnecessary duplication of system components. The primary system (10) provides PET data processing and reconstruction for the secondary array (14), in addition to the first array (12). An adjustable array (120) includes radially movable detectors (122) and stationary detectors (124) with different crystal resolutions. The movable detectors (122) are alternately positioned with the stationary detectors (124) at a first radius to form a large detector ring, or are positioned at a second, smaller radius without the stationary detectors (124) to form a small detector ring.
US08378288B2
An optical position detecting device includes a plurality of light source sections which emits detection light, a light detection section which receives the detection light reflected by a target object located in an emitting space of the detection light, a light source driving section which turns on some light source sections among the plurality of light source sections in a first period and turns on, in a second period, light source sections different from the light source sections turned on in the first period, and a position detecting section which detects the position of the target object on the basis of a light-receiving result of the light detection section in the first period and the second period. Each of the light source sections includes a plurality of light-emitting elements arrayed in a direction intersecting the direction of the optical axis of the detection light.
US08378282B2
A device for increasing the luminous flux per unit area with the ability to reduce the light-taking distance in respect to the opposite light source of the present invention mainly comprises a front lens part, a rear lens part, an axial mutually-perpendicular bi-axial support, a movable support, a fixed base, dampers for automatically limiting tilt speed, tilt gravity generators and photoelectric conversion array, etc. Based on the principle of light group field effect, the device can increase the luminous flux and light intensity per unit area of excident light by use of lens array group so that the photoelectric conversion system is able to get more light energy. The device is able to automatically keep pace with the motion of the sun in two dimensions without measuring sensors. The device is mainly applied in solar energy photovoltaic generating technology and recycling of different light energies.
US08378279B2
A portable integrated laser optical target tracker and designator (PILOTT device) in a single housing is provided having a laser designator assembly to produce a focused laser beam that is projected from the housing. A laser energy detector is located in the housing that detects reflected laser energy from any designation source (ground or airborne based), provides steering information, decodes the laser's frequency, and is used as a range finding receiver. The location of the laser energy provides automatic field alignment of the laser designator. An optical magnification scope is mounted in the housing and has an optical field of view that is parallel to and aligned with a beam path defined by the laser beam focusing optics. Any night scope can be added to the system to provide night situational awareness by being shown in the display. A visual electronic display is overlaid with the optical field of view. A main controller communicates with the controller of the laser energy detector and the visual electronic display, as well as a user input in order to control the PILOTT device. This allows the laser designation location to be displayed in the optical field of view, along with other data, for spotting, ranging and/or marking a designated target.
US08378277B2
An optical impact system controls munitions termination through sensing proximity to a target and preventing effects of countermeasures on false munitions termination. Embodiments can be implemented on in a variety of munitions such as small and mid caliber that can be applicable in non-lethal weapons and in weapons of high lethality with airburst capability for example and in guided air-to-ground and cruise missiles. Embodiments can improve accuracy, reliability and lethality of munitions depending on its designation without modification in a weapon itself and make the weapon resistant to optical countermeasures.
US08378268B2
An operator control unit for operator control of a cooktop comprising at least two cooking zones, with at least one of the cooking zones having two heating rings that can be separately activated. The operator control unit comprises at least one selection element to select a cooking zone, at least one adjusting element, it being possible to adjust a heating power of a selected cooking zone by operating said adjusting element, and a control unit coupled to the at least one selection element and the at least one adjusting element, and which detects operation of the at least one selection element and the at least one adjusting element. The control unit can control at least one of the at least two heating rings of the selected cooking zone in the event of an operating duration in a second time period which differs from the first time period range.
US08378262B2
A defogging device for reducing fog on a surface of a substrate, which comprises a power unit and a heating element. The heating element is attached to the substrate, which comprises at least one carbon nanotube film comprising carbon nanotubes arranged substantially parallel to each other. The heating element transforms electricity into heat to vaporize fog of the first surface of the substrate when the heating element is connected to the power unit.
US08378260B2
The invention relates to a method for permanently interconnecting components from a heat-meltable metal material, using a robot-controlled welding unit for carrying out a hybrid welding process. According to the method, a high performance metal active gas welding process (high performance MAG) is carried out. A component (8) carrying out the high performance MAG welding process is carried along by the robot-controlled welding unit (2) to carry out the hybrid welding process, the GSMAW torch (3) which contributes to the hybrid welding process being guided so as to be dragged by the welding unit.
US08378257B2
A laser processing apparatus including a detecting unit. The detecting unit includes a white light source for emitting white light, a focusing lens for focusing the white light to the workpiece, a first optical fiber for guiding the white light emitted from the white light source to the focusing lens, a detector for detecting the intensity of reflected light from the workpiece, and a second optical fiber for guiding the reflected light to the detector. Accordingly, the white light to be focused to the workpiece can be easily handled and only a wavelength component focused on the workpiece can be stably propagated.
US08378252B2
A method and apparatus is presented for obtaining high resolution positional feedback from motion stages 52 in indexing systems 10 without incurring the costs associated with providing high resolution positional feedback from the entire range of motion by combining low resolution/low cost feedback devices 72 with high resolution/high cost feedback devices 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88.
US08378248B2
A system for heat treating a weld joint includes a beam generator that produces a beam directed at the weld joint. A beam splitter between the beam generator and the weld joint diverts a portion of the beam along a path. A reflector receives the diverted portion of the beam and directs it to a point at the weld joint. A modulator in the path controls passage of the diverted portion of the beam. A method for heat treating a weld joint includes directing a beam at the weld joint, diverting a portion of the beam, and reflecting the diverted portion of the beam in the direction of the weld joint. The method further includes modulating the diverted portion of the beam to control the passage of the diverted portion of the beam.
US08378239B2
A power terminal feed-through includes a housing body, a plurality of conductive pins, and a seal structure that hermetically seals the conductive pins to the housing body and electrically insulates the conductive pins from the housing body. The seal structure includes a first material fused to one of the housing body and the conductive pin, and a second material fused to the other one of the housing body and the conductive pin. The first and second materials may be properly chosen to match thermal expansion of the housing body and the conductive pins, respectively.
US08378235B2
Vertical bus bars are mounted on a first surface of a box main body. A connection terminal of the vertical bus bars projects inside a fitting peripheral wall of a connector fitting portion provided to a second surface of the box main body. A retainer is provided off of the electrical component connection portion, the retainer holding the vertical bus bars disengageably from the first surface.
US08378226B2
A wired circuit board includes a conductive pattern, and an insulating layer covering the conductive pattern and having a transmittance of not more than 30% with respect to a wavelength in a range of 600 to 680 nm.
US08378221B2
The underlying purpose of the invention is to manufacture electrical leadthroughs, which are improved with regard to the temperature resistance thereof. Proposed for this purpose is a method for manufacturing an electrical leadthrough, for which at least one metal tube is fused in a glass insulator, whereby a metal rod is mounted in the metal tube by means of soldering-in, prior to or during the sealing of the tube in the glass insulator.
US08378216B2
An energy cable includes at least one electrical conductor and at least one extruded coating layer including a thermoplastic polymer material in admixture with a dielectric fluid, wherein the dielectric fluid includes a compound of formula (I): X-A-X′; where A is a monocyclic aromatic moiety or an at least partially aromatic condensed polycyclic moiety; and at least one of X and X′ is methyl or an aliphatic moiety, in both cases optionally substituted with and/or interrupted by one or more of keto, alkoxy, alkylthio, mercapto, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyl; the other being hydrogen; the compound having a ratio of number of aromatic carbon atoms to total number of carbon atoms greater than or equal to 0.6.
US08378205B2
A thermoelectric effects materials based energy transduction device, for selectively providing conversions between electrical and thermal energies having interleaved n-type conductivity material layers having thermoelectric effects properties and a first plurality of p-type conductivity material layers each having thermoelectric effects properties. There is a first plurality of passageway structures each being thermally conductive and each having passageways therethrough extending between two sides thereof with such a passageway structure from this first plurality thereof positioned between members of each overlapped pair of succeeding layers.
US08378199B2
A multimedia platform records a performance on a keyboard synchronously with a picture by periodically regulating an internal clock, which is indicative of the lapse of time, with time codes inserted into the set of video data codes representative of the picture, and reproduces the performance through an automatic player piano also synchronously with the picture by periodically regulating the internal clock with the time codes, whereby the user enjoys himself or herself in the performance as if he or she feels himself or herself performing in a convert hall.
US08378194B2
A system for creating a musical score may be provided. The system may include a composition tool application that is configured to provide a plurality of instrument interfaces to a user. The instrument interfaces may include a keyboard interface, a stringed instrument interface, and a percussion interface. The plurality of instrument interfaces may each include a representation of an instrument and a score section for illustration of the musical score. The composition tool application may be configured to provide the user with the ability to select a portion of the representation of the instrument. In response to the selection of the portion of the representation of the instrument, the composition tool application may be configured to provide a representation of a note for the instrument in the score section.
US08378189B1
A novel maize variety designated X8F939 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X8F939 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X8F939 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X8F939, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X8F939. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X8F939.
US08378186B2
The invention relates generally to the expression of desaturase enzymes in transgenic corn plants and compositions derived therefrom. In particular, the invention relates to the production of oils with improved omega-3 fatty acid profiles in corn plants and the seed oils produced thereby. Such oils may contain stearidonic acid, which is not naturally found in corn plants and has been shown to have beneficial effects on health.
US08378172B2
ACBP6 can be used to enhance low temperature tolerance in genetically modified plants. An acbp6 T-DNA insertional mutant that lacked ACBP6 mRNA and protein, displayed increased sensitivity to freezing temperature (−8° C.), while ACBP6-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis were conferred enhanced freezing tolerance. Methods of using ACBP6 to enhance low temperature tolerance of plants are provided.
US08378170B2
The invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing methods for marker assisted selection to create plants of a soybean variety that exhibit a mid/low linolenic acid content with a commercially significant yield and an agronomically elite phenotype. The invention also provides derivatives and plant parts of these plants. Further provided by the invention are methods for the use of these plants. The invention is significant in that oil with decreased linolenic acid exhibits numerous beneficial characteristics yet prior art varieties with decreased linolenic acid also exhibited decreased yield and poor agronomic quality.
US08378168B2
A feminine hygiene garment containing a liquid pervious topsheet coated with a nonuniform pattern of a lotion composition is disclosed. The lotion composition is semi-solid or solid at 20° C. and is partially transferable to the wearer's skin. The lotion composition is applied to the article in a nonuniform manner, preferably such that there are regions on the article's topsheet that are not coated with lotion. In one embodiment the nonuniform pattern is a plurality of stripes of lotion that are separated by a plurality of stripes having no lotion.
US08378158B2
Disclosed are azeotropic and azeotrope-like mixtures of (Z)-1-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (1233zd(Z)) and hydrogen fluoride. Such compositions are useful as an intermediate in the production of 1233zd(Z). The latter compound is useful as a nontoxic, zero ozone depleting fluorocarbon useful as a solvent, blowing agent, refrigerant, cleaning agent, aerosol propellant, heat transfer medium, dielectric, fire extinguishing composition and power cycle working fluid.
US08378157B2
Method for producing bis(fluoralkyl)phosphinic acid chlorides or fluoralkylphosphonic acid chlorides
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of bis(fluoroalkyl)phosphinyl chlorides or fluoroalkylphosphonyl dichlorides by reaction of the corresponding bis(fluoroalkyl)phosphinic acid or fluoroalkylphosphonic acid with aryltetrachlorophosphorane as chlorinating agent.
US08378151B2
A method, apparatus, and system for an integrated solar-driven chemical plant that manages variations in solar energy are disclosed. In some embodiments, a chemical reactant, including particles of biomass, are converted in a solar driven chemical reactor into synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen using concentrated solar energy to drive the conversion of the chemical reactant. The synthesis gas is supplied for a catalytic conversion of the synthesis gas in a methanol synthesis plant to methanol. Cycling occurs between an operational state and an idle state for a number of methanol trains in the methanol synthesis plant depending upon an amount of synthesis gas generated in the solar driven chemical reactor. A control system for the chemical reactor sends control signals to and receives feedback from a control system for the methanol synthesis plant.
US08378145B2
One aspect of the present invention relates to ligands for transition metals. A second aspect of the present invention relates to the use of catalysts comprising these ligands in various transition-metal-catalyzed carbon-heteroatom and carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. The subject methods provide improvements in many features of the transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, including the range of suitable substrates, number of catalyst turnovers, reaction conditions, and efficiency. For example, improvements have been realized in transition metal-catalyzed: aryl amination reactions; aryl amidation reactions; Suzuki couplings; and Sonogashira couplings. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to catalysts and methods of using them that operate in aqueous solvent systems.
US08378144B2
A process for preparing polyoxymethylene homopolymers or copolymers (7) by homopolymerization or copolymerization of trioxane, starting from methanol (1), in which methanol (1) is oxidized in a first reactor in a first production plant (A) to give an aqueous formaldehyde-comprising stream (2) which is fed to a second production plant (B) in which pure trioxane (6) is obtained and removal of low boilers (5) by distillation is carried out and the pure trioxane (6) is fed to a third production plant (C) in which it is homopolymerized or copolymerized to form polyoxymethylene homopolymers or copolymers (7), wherein the low boiler stream (5) from the low boiler removal column (K 2) is recycled to the feed stream into the first reactor in the first production plant (A), is proposed.
US08378136B2
The subject of the present invention is a process for preparing acrolein by dehydration of glycerol in the presence of a catalyst system comprising oxygen, phosphorus and at least one metal chosen from vanadium, boron or aluminium. The process is preferably carried out in the gas phase in the presence of oxygen starting from aqueous solutions of glycerol.
US08378132B2
Transesterification systems and methods for producing methyl ester are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for producing methyl ester includes introducing a first charge into a reactor. The first charge contains a triglyceride-containing fat and an alcohol. The method can also include performing a first transesterification reaction in which the triglyceride-containing fat is reacted with the alcohol to produce a first product. The method can further include settling the first product into a methyl ester-containing layer and a glycerol-containing layer, decanting the glycerol-containing layer after settling from the reactor, mixing a second charge with the first product, and performing a second transesterification reaction after mixing the second charge with the first product.
US08378125B2
This invention relates to substance FKI-3864 represented by the following formula [I] having an inhibitory activity on the synthesis of triacylglycerols and a method for preparing the same. The substance FKI-3864 can be prepared by a method comprising culturing a microorganism which belongs to the genus Penicillium and is capable of producing the substance FKI-3864, and particularly Penicillium pinophilum FKI-3864 (FERM BP-11093) so as to accumulate the substance FKI-3864 in the culture and collecting the substance FKI-3864 from the culture. The substance has an inhibitory activity on the synthesis of intracellular triacylglycerols and is useful for prevention or treatment of obesity.
US08378123B2
The present invention relates to substituted pterin compounds, their synthesis and use. In particular, the present invention relates to a new precursor compound and its analogs for synthesizing a new substituted pterin compound and its analogs. These new compounds are particularly suitable for treating molybdenum cofactor deficiency.
US08378120B2
Disclosed are nitro-substituted squaraine reporter dyes and methods using such dyes for detecting nitroreductase enzyme activity and nitroreductase gene expression in cellular assays. The dyes are of the structure: in which Z1 and Z2 independently represent a phenyl or a naphthyl ring system; X and Y are selected from oxygen, sulphur, —CH═CH— and the group: R1 and R2 are selected from C1-C4 alkyl, —(CH2)n—P, —{(CH2)2—O}p—R6 and group W; where P is selected from COOR7, SO3− and OH, W is mono- or di-substituted nitrobenzyl, R6 is methyl or ethyl, R7 is selected from H, C1-C4 alkyl and CH2OC(O)R8, where R8 is methyl, or t-butyl, n is an integer from 1 to 10, and p is an integer from 1 to 3; R3 and R4 are selected from hydrogen, NO2, halogen, SO3−, C1-C4 alkoxy and —(CH2)m—COOR7; where R7 is hereinbefore defined and m is 0 or an integer from 1 to 5; R5 is C1-C6 alkyl optionally substituted with COOR7, SO3−, or OH; where R7 is hereinbefore defined; and at least one of groups R1, R2, R3 and R4 comprises at least one NO2 group. Also provided are methods for screening for a test agent whose effect upon nitroreductase enzyme activity and nitroreductase gene expression is to be determined.
US08378118B2
The present invention discloses a novel thyroid like compounds of formula (I), wherein R1 R2, R3, R4 and Z are as defined in the specification, method for its preparation, composition containing such compounds and use of such compounds and composition as medicament. Further, compounds of formula (I) has significantly low binding affinity to thyroid receptors and thus considerably devoid of thyrotoxic effects. The invention also relates to the use of the compound of formula (I) for the preparation of a medicament for treating various disease conditions such as obesity, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and co-morbidities associated with metabolic syndrome.
US08378106B2
A method is described for preparing argatroban monohydrate obtained from (2R,4R)-1-[NG-nitro-N2-(3-methyl-8-quinolinesulphonyl)-L-arginyl]-4-methyl-2-piperidine carboxylic acid by suitably treating crude argatroban. The method either comprises preparation of argatroban monohydrate in a continuous step or an intermediate step of isolating a purified argatroban. Also obtainable from argatroban monohydrate is anhydrous argatroban, shown to have new physico-chemical characteristics.The described argatroban synthesis and purification process hence enables three different forms of argatroban, not previously described, to be obtained, each with distinctive physico-chemical characteristics and in particular enables argatroban monohydrate to be obtained with high yield and with high purity, being therefore a product suitable for use as active principle in proprietary medicines.
US08378101B2
Provided is an organic semiconductor which is a compound represented by the following formula (I): wherein each of R11, R12, R13, R14 and R15 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent, and each of a pair of R11 and R12 and a pair of R12 and R13 may combine to form a ring, B1 represents a ring structure containing at least one nitrogen atom, and n1 represents an integer of 0 to 2.
US08378097B2
3-(1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)-6-(4-cyclopropylpiperazin-1-yl)pyridazine and salts and solvates thereof, having histamine H3 antagonistic activity can be used in pharmaceutical compositions.
US08378091B2
A cellulose derivative which has a suitable elastic modulus and viscosity when it is dissolved in water and is useful as an adhesion barrier.The cellulose derivative has a molecular weight of 5×103 to 5×106 and is composed of a repeating unit represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of the following formulas (a), (b), (c) and (d) in predetermined amount: (X in the formula (c) is an alkali metal, and R4 and R5 in the formula (d) are each independently an alkyl group or alkenyl group having 10 to 28 carbon atoms).
US08378086B2
Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include polynucleotides that encode mutant Cnidarian luciferases that exhibit modulated properties as compared to the corresponding wild-type luciferases, and the modulated properties include at least one of: modulated stability; enhanced light output; and modulated emission maximum. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include polypeptides or fragments thereof encoded by the polynucleotides, constructs including the polynucleotide, expression cassettes, cells, methods of producing the polynucleotides and polypeptides, antibodies, transgenic cells and/or animals, kits, and the like.
US08378083B2
This invention relates to bis-azo colorants for use as bluing agents, laundry care compositions comprising bis-azo colorants that may serve as bluing agents, processes for making such bluing agents and laundry care compositions and methods of using the same. The bluing agents are generally comprised of at least two components: at least one chromophore component and at least one polymeric component. These bluing agents are advantageous in providing a whitening effect to fabrics, while not building up over time and causing undesirable blue discoloration to the treated fabrics.
US08378075B2
A method for covalent attachment of peptides to luminescent quantum dots or other inorganic nanoparticles. The first step in the method involves functionalizing at least a portion of a surface of the quantum dot or nanoparticle with one or more materials having at least one reactive functional group therein. Subsequently, a peptide having a reactive functional group is reacted with at least some of the quantum dot or nanoparticle reactive functional groups to covalently bond at least some of the peptide to the quantum dots or nanoparticles. Modifications of the basic method are disclosed which provide methods allowing customized fabrication of quantum dots having a variety of different functional properties and combinations of functional properties. Also disclosed are quantum dots and nanoparticles made by the methods of the present invention.
US08378065B2
Peptides are provided that have binding affinity for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The polymethyl methacrylate-binding peptides may be used to prepare peptide-based reagents suitable for use in a variety of applications. The peptide-based reagents may be used to couple benefit agents to a PMMA polymer surface or may be used to couple a benefit agent comprising a PMMA polymer surface to a target surface, such as a body surface.
US08378063B2
A process for producing fluoropolymer particles includes preparing a solution/dispersion containing fluoropolymer dissolved/dispersed in a first solvent such that the swelling of fluoropolymer by the first solvent is from 50 to 1,200%, and mixing the solution/dispersion with a second solvent such that fluoropolymer forms particles and the swelling of fluoropolymer by the mixture of the first and second solvents is from 0 to 100%. WC/WB is in the range of from 1 to 5, WB represents mass of the first solvent, WC/ represents mass of the second solvent, WC/WB represents a ratio of the mass of the second solvent to the mass of the first solvent. SBC/SB is at most 0.5. SBC represents the swelling by the mixture of the first and second solvents, SB represents the swelling by the first solvent, and SBC/SB represents a ratio of the swelling by the mixture to the swelling by the first solvent.
US08378038B2
This invention encompasses novel amphiphilic block copolymers comprising polysiloxane blocks and polycationic blocks. The polycationic blocks are formed from diallyldialkylammonium derivatives. The formed block copolymers are particularly useful for treating or conditioning keratinous substances such as hair or skin.
US08378022B2
A biocompatible, biodegradable, macromolecular water-absorbent hybrid material (WAHM), having a three-dimensional configuration with intermolecular covalent bonds and containing free functional groups, said polymer being formed by polymer-polymer intercoupling reaction between a natural water-soluble polymer A or its derivatives having a molecular weight between 20,000 and 300,000 Da, and a synthetic polymer B in an adequate ratio wherein the natural polymer A is selected from amphoteric reactants, partially denatured or chemically modified natural polymer, that dissociates in water to form both anions and cations, and which can undergo polymer-polymer intercoupling reactions, and wherein synthetic polymer B s a linear or branched reactive synthetic copolymer having a molecular weight of 50,000-500,000 Da derived from a vinyl monomer and an ethylenically unsaturated monomer, having a backbone with polymeric subunits covalently bonded to the polymer backbone, the subunits comprising ones with non-reactive and others with reactive chemical functional groups.
US08378017B2
The invention is based on the discovery that adhesive compositions containing certain low-viscosity, mono-ethylenically unsaturated monomers have surprisingly good cure parameters, resulting in very little weight loss upon cure. Many of these monofunctional monomers used alone or in combination with other monofunctional monomers described herein have high glass transition temperatures when cured. Moreover, since these monomers are monofunctional the crosslink density of the adhesive composition does not increase (relative to multi-functional monomers), which in turns results in lower stress, lower modulus adhesive compositions. As such, these monomers are useful in a variety of thermoset adhesive compositions, such as for example, die attach adhesive compositions.
US08378011B2
Lubricous coatings, methods for making and using lubricous coatings, and medical device that include lubricious coatings. An example lubricous coating may include a hydrophilic polymer, a flow modifier, an acrylic monomer, a photoinitiator, and a solvent. The coating can be used to coat a medical device along an inner surface, an outer surface, or an intermediate surface.
US08378010B2
A method of forming a stable latex polymer emulsion is provided which includes mixing one or more monomers including polymerizable acid monomers, esters, and unsaturated monomers with water and a soy protein. The emulsion is then polymerized and may be formed into adhesive compositions having improved water resistance and mechanical strength.
US08378009B2
A process of producing a flame-retardant silane-crosslinked olefin resin, an insulated wire, and a process of producing an insulated wire. The process includes kneading and molding a silane graft batch containing a silane-grafted olefin resin in which a silane coupling agent is graft polymerized onto an olefin resin, a flame retardant batch in which an olefin resin is mixed with a flame retardant containing metal hydroxide, a catalyst batch in which an olefin resin is mixed with a silane crosslinking catalyst, and water crosslinking the batches after kneading and molding. A mass ratio of the flame retardant batch to the silane graft batch is 60:40 to 90:10, and the catalyst batch amount is 3 to 10 part by mass with respect to 100 part by mass of a component of the silane graft and flame retardant batches. The wire is prepared by covering a conductor with the silane-crosslinked olefin resin.
US08378004B2
Silicone coatings and moldings are produced from a photocrosslinkable silicone mixture which contains (A) a polyorganosiloxane containing at least two carbon-carbon multiple bonds, (B) an organosilicon compound containing at least two SiH functions, and (C) a cyclopentadienyl-platinum complex catalyst be activatable by light of 200 to 500 nm, wherein the mixture is heated to 40° C. to 250° C., and then irradiated with light of 200 to 500 nm wavelength.
US08377998B2
A polymerization medium having small ozone depletion potential and small global warming potential and having a small chain transfer constant is used, to efficiently produce a fluoropolymer having a high molecular weight and having excellent heat resistance, solvent resistance, chemical resistance, etc. A process for producing a fluoropolymer, which comprises polymerizing a fluoromonomer having a carboxylic acid type functional group and a fluoroolefin using a hydrofluorocarbon as a medium, wherein the hydrofluorocarbon as the medium has 4 to 10 carbon atoms and has a ratio (molar basis) of the number of hydrogen atoms/the number of fluorine atoms (H/F ratio) of from 0.05 to 20.
US08377997B2
A fullerene-based proton conductor including a proton conductive functional group connected to the fullerene by an at least partially fluorinated spacer molecule. Also, a polymer including at least two of the proton conductors that are connected by a linking molecule. Further, an electrochemical device employing the polymer as a proton exchange membrane, whereby the device is able to achieve a self-humidifying characteristic.
US08377994B2
The use of Schülpen based on pyrogenically produced silicon dioxide in pharmaceutical compositions is described.
US08377993B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a new insecticidal compound by paying attention to the insecticidal activity contained in the flower part of marigold, and to provide an insecticide containing the compound as an active ingredient. There are provided an insecticidal compound represented by the following chemical formula: [Formula 1], and an insecticide containing the insecticidal compound as an active ingredient or an insecticide containing, as active ingredients, the insecticidal compound and an insecticidal compound represented by the following chemical formula: [Formula 2], wherein the insecticide can exhibit extraordinary insecticidal efficacy compared with existing pyrethroid-based insecticidal compounds.
US08377992B2
The present invention embraces compounds selected for interacting with the T-pocket of telomerase and use thereof for modulating the activity of telomerase and preventing or treating diseases or conditions associated with telomerase.
US08377991B2
The present invention relates to the administration of compositions comprising an antiestrogen, preferably trans-clomiphene, for treating metabolic syndrome in a subject. The invention is also directed to methods for reducing fasting glucose levels in a subject by administering a composition comprising an antiestrogen, preferably trans-clomiphene.
US08377987B2
The present invention provides compounds, and compositions comprising these compounds, which have immunomodulatory activity and/or anti-inflammatory activity.
US08377984B2
Disclosed herein is a compound represented by the formula: Methods, compositions, and medicaments related to these compounds are also disclosed.
US08377982B2
Compositions comprising ketorolac tromethamine at a therapeutically effective concentration of less than 0.5% are disclosed herein. Methods of treating or preventing ocular pain using said compositions are also disclosed herein.
US08377975B2
Novel oxadiazole derivatives of the formula (I), in which R, R′, Y, X1, X2 and X3 have the meanings indicated in claim 1, are kinase inhibitors and can be used for the treatment of diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome (dyslipidaemia), systemic and pulmonary hypertonia, cardiovascular diseases and kidney diseases, in general in all types of fibroses, inflammatory processes, tumours and tumour diseases.
US08377964B2
The invention relates to benzimidazole-carboxamide 5-HT4 receptor agonist compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 and X are as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate or stereoisomer thereof. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, methods of using such compounds to treat diseases associated with 5-HT4 receptor activity, and processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds.
US08377959B2
Behavioral pharmacological data with the compound of formula (I), a novel and selective 5HT2A/2C receptor inverse agonist, demonstrate in vivo efficacy in models of psychosis and dyskinesias. This includes activity in reversing MK-801 induced locomotor behaviors, suggesting that this compound may be an efficacious anti-psychotic, and activity in an MPTP primate model of dyskinesias, suggesting efficacy as an anti-dyskinesia agent. These data support the hypothesis that 5HT2A/2C receptor inverse agonism may confer antipsychotic and anti-dyskinetic efficacy in humans, and indicate a use of the compound of formula (I) and related agents as novel therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease, related human neurodegenerative diseases, and psychosis.
US08377948B2
Antitumor compounds based on the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist, doxazosin, as well as compositions and methods of use. The disclosed compounds induce apoptosis in cancer cells.
US08377947B2
Use of a composition for treating Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, McArdle disease, or a carbohydrate metabolism disorder, or for reducing aging or fatigue. The composition includes a first agent selected from the group consisting of an oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor, an ionophore, and an adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator; a second agent that possesses anti-inflammatory activity; and a third agent that possesses serotonin activity.
US08377945B2
This disclosure concerns compounds which are useful as inhibitors of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and are thus useful for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are mediated or sustained through the activity of Syk. This disclosure also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, methods of using these compounds in the treatment of various diseases and disorders, processes for preparing these compounds and intermediates useful in these processes.
US08377933B2
A method for treating a pulmonary hypertension condition such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a subject comprises administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of ambrisentan, wherein, at baseline, time from first diagnosis of the condition in the subject is not greater than about 2 years.
US08377925B2
The present invention provides compounds of Formula (I) that are useful for modulating the biological activity of the melanocortin-5 receptor (MC5R). Compounds of this invention can be used to treat diseases and/or conditions in which downregulation of MC5R is beneficial. Such diseases and/or conditions include, but are not limited to, acne, seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis, cancer, and inflammatory diseases.
US08377922B2
The present invention relates to a benzazepinone compound represented by the following formula (I): wherein R1 represents a C1-C6 alkyl group or halogeno C1-C6 alkyl group, R2 represents a carboxyl group which may be protected, and Y represents a group represented by the formula (II): wherein Z represents CH or a nitrogen atom, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
US08377920B2
In various embodiments, the present invention provides methods of treating and/or preventing cardiovascular-related disease and, in particular, a method of blood lipid therapy comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising eicosapentaenoic acid or a derivative thereof.
US08377908B2
The invention relates to a fixed-dose association of 5 phytate and zinc in synergic proportions for use in the treatment of crystallization of hydroxyapatite. Advantageously, said association is in a molar ratio between the phytate and the zinc exceeding 4:1. The invention also relates to the use of said 10 association for manufacturing a drug for the treatment, prophylaxis and/or prevention crystallization of hydroxyapatite in humans.
US08377906B2
Disclosed are compositions and methods for preventing or reducing postoperative ileus and gastric stasis. Such compositions comprise a combination of an oxidized regenerated cellulose component and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which functions as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase enzyme (Cox) activity. Such methods comprise administering an effective amount of the composition directly to the serosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal and other visceral organs.
US08377902B2
The present invention relates to an RNAi compound and an expression plasmid for inhibiting expression of Thrombospondin-1, which comprises a target sequence selected from Thrombospondin-1 gene. The present invention also related to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the RNAi compound and applications thereof. The RNAi compound can reduce the expression of Thrombospondin-1 to activate immune responses. In addition, the present invention also disclosed that an RNAi compound targeted to Thrombospondin-1 gene can delay tumor progression.
US08377901B2
A method of reducing virus-mediated cytotoxicity comprising contacting virus-infected cells with an effective amount of at least one inhibitor of ABI2, ARRDC3, BAD, BRCA1, C17orf85, C1orf71, C6orf162, CCNJL, CFL1, GON4L, HCG 1986447, HIST1H2AB, HPS4, LHX8, RPS25, RPL23, RPL32, LOC730139, LRRC39, MALT1, MX1, MERTK, MX2, NRG1, OR52A1, PLEKHH1, PTPN13, PTPRJ, RLN1, RNF19A, SH3BP4, SLC7A14, ST8SIA3, STX3, TMC6, TMTC4, TNFSF12-TNFSF13, TNFSF13, TTN, UBXN7, USP47, WNK2, YPEL2, ZNF251 and/or SCG2.
US08377897B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods which enhance the local and systemic uptake and delivery of oligonucleotides and nucleic acids via non-parenteral routes of administration. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising oligonucleotides disclosed herein include, for systemic delivery, emulsion and microemulsion formulations for a variety of applications and oral dosage formulations. It has also surprisingly been discovered that oligonucleotides may be locally delivered to colonic sites by rectal enemas and suppositories in simple solutions, e.g., neat or in saline. Such pharmaceutical compositions of oligonucleotides may further include one or more penetration enhancers for the transport of oligonucleotides and other nucleic acids across mucosal membranes. The compositions and methods of the invention are utilized to effect the oral, buccal, rectal or vaginal administration of an antisense oligonucleotide to an animal in order to modulate the expression of a gene in the animal for investigative, therapeutic, palliative or prophylactic purposes.
US08377892B2
The present invention relates to the use of an alkyl glycoside or of a mixture of at least two alkyl glycosides as agent intended for inhibiting microbial growth, in particular in a cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food composition.
US08377888B2
Method for predicting the survival of a patient suffering from NSCLC to a cisplatin or carboplatin based chemotherapy treatment which comprises the step of determining the methylation state of a nucleic acid encoding 14-3-3 sigma in a biological sample from the patient, wherein the presence of methylation is indicative of longer survival of said patient as a response to said chemotherapy treatment. The methylation status of the 14-3-3 sigma gene can be easily determined in a serum sample.
US08377886B2
Methods are provided for treating and preventing renal disease in a subject by administering a gamma secretase inhibitor or a Notch pathway inhibitor to the subject.
US08377881B2
The invention pertains to a method of reducing scar formation during wound healing by administering a phosphatidylserine-binding compound, in particular an annexin, to a subject in need thereof. The healing wound may be a skin damage, but it may also be a myocardium e.g. which is at risk of suffering or is recovering from a heart failure.
