US08392294B2
Broadly, the present invention relates to data processing in general and more particularly to a finance management system or “system” (5) relating to the auto industry (25) that provides a gateway for vehicle purchase lead management tools to seamlessly integrate the auto sales process with the auto finance process, and enables sellers (25) to initiate, process, and decision loan transactions with financial institutions (100). The financial management system (5) described herein preferably includes, among other things, credit filters, (20), auto population of documents, and a decision engine (105) that retrieves or collects and combines or merges the borrower's credit file(s) (110) with an applicant's information (115), processes the information or data to a specific vehicle (145) and finance structure (160), matches the data against a lender's proprietary mix of loan programs, pricing, credit policies and/or custom scoring models (120) to determine if a borrower (30) has qualified for a loan, and makes a result presentation (155) of a finance level of acceptability available to the auto dealer (25).
US08392288B1
Identifying electronic receipt data with a plug-in to a software application. Consumer purchases from merchants may be confirmed with an electronic receipt or message, which may be displayed by or transmitted to a consumer computer on which a software application such as a web browser and/or e-mail client application executes. A plug-in to the software application receives data of the software application that displays or stores transaction confirmation data generated by a merchant. The plug-in analyzes the software application data to identify potential electronic receipt data and notifies the consumer of the identified electronic receipt data. The plug-in provides for a choice whether identified electronic receipt data should be transmitted to a host computer that collects, stores and organizes electronic receipt data using a receipt program and receipt database.
US08392281B1
A complementary item promoter user interface (UI) is provided that promotes, to a user, items that are complementary to an item of interest to the user. Upon the user's selection of an item of interest, the complementary item promoter UI presents a combination of complementary items selected in accordance with business rules data. The business rules data may be submitted by an administrative user to a content management service that deploys the complementary item promoter UI in a deployment environment. The business rules data may include rules that govern how complementary items are chosen or how they are to be displayed in the complementary item promoter UI.
US08392274B2
A system is described to facilitate online transactions via mobile communications, including a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers in different formats for delivery of premium messages, and a common format processor coupled with the plurality of converters in a common format to send the premium messages. The common format processor receives a web request from a mobile phone, in response to a user selection within a mobile application executed separately from a browser application on the mobile phone, provides a web page in response to confirm a pre-defined purchase, transmits at least one premium message to the mobile phone using a first converter to obtain funds for the pre-defined purchase, and communicates with the merchant to make the pre-defined purchase on behalf of the user.
US08392261B2
Estimating product inventory comprises determining a rate of sales events for a product and an amount of time that has elapsed since a previous product availability estimate from the product. Then, a new product availability estimate for the product is determined based on the rate sales events for the product. The rate of sales events for the product can be determined based on product data feeds from the merchant or other sales data.
US08392259B2
Methods and apparatus to obtain transaction confirmation are described. One example method includes emulating a payment method using a close-proximity communication device of a mobile device, establishing a close-proximity communication link using the close-proximity communication device of the mobile device, transferring payment information from the mobile device using the close-proximity communication device, switching the close-proximity communication device of the mobile device to an information receiving communication mode, and receiving a transaction confirmation at the close-proximity communication device of the mobile device. Other implementations are possible.
US08392254B2
A system assesses consumer experience by evaluating neuro-response measurements for a consumer exposed to products, services, offerings, and stimulus. Examples of neuro-response measurements include Electroencephalography (EEG), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Electrocardiograms (EKG), Electrooculography (EOG), eye tracking, and facial emotion encoding measurements. Components of a consumer experience are analyzed to assess neuro-response measurements specific to each component. In many instances, neuro-response data is combined with other data and analyzed to determine total consumer experience.
US08392247B2
Method and system of distributing advertisements for storage in a network. The stored advertisements being retrievable for insertion within or other association with services provided to a network subscriber. Identifying characteristics of the advertisement may be used to facilitate the storage thereof and identifying characteristics of the customs may be used to facilitate advertisements associated with services accessed thereby.
US08392245B1
A system for rendering content according to availability data for at least one item includes a server to receive a content request from a user and, in response, to retrieve requested content. A rendering engine coupled to the server identifies at least one rule associated with the content and concerning the item. A rules engine coupled to the rendering engine generates at least one availability request corresponding to the rule and concerning the item. The rules engine receives the availability data for the item, retrieves additional content according to the availability data for the item, and communicates the additional content to the rendering engine for incorporation into the requested content. The rendering engine renders the requested content, including the additional content concerning the item. The server communicates the rendered content to the user to satisfy the content request.
US08392238B2
A method includes receiving at least one criterion to identify at least one media item. The method includes determining one or more media items that satisfy the at least one criterion. The method includes determining a group interest profile for each of the one or more media items. A particular group interest profile indicates a portion-varying level of group interest toward the at least one media item. The particular group interest profile is based on a plurality of ratings input by a plurality of members of a group for a plurality of portions of the at least one media item. The method includes determining a plurality of high-interest portions of the at least one media item based on the plurality of group interest profiles. The method also includes creating a high-interest media item that combines the plurality of high-interest portions.
US08392234B2
Techniques for optimizing resource allocation are provided. The techniques include identifying one or more communication needs for each of one or more communications needed for execution of a project, identifying one or more members of each of the one or more communications and member information for each of the one or more members, using the one or more communication needs and member information to estimate one or more communication costs for each of the one or more communications needed for execution of the project, and comparing the one or more communication costs for each of the one or more communications to optimize resource allocation for executing the project.
US08392231B2
A system and method for performing assortment definition is provided. The method comprises inputting information regarding a plurality of stores into an assortment definition engine, and performing a matching process to identify at least one group of stores for assignment to the assortment. An automated system for defining an assortment and a program product for defining an assortment are also provided.
US08392229B2
A system that can enable the atomization of application functionality in connection with an activity-centric system is provided. The system can be utilized as a programmatic tool that decomposes an application's constituent functionality into atoms thereafter monitoring and aggregating atoms with respect to a particular activity. In doing so, the functionality of the system can be scaled based upon complexity and needs of the activity. Additionally, the system can be employed to monetize the atoms or activity capabilities based upon respective use.
US08392222B1
A computing platform (201) of choice can be configured and arranged to access (102 and 103) a first memory (202) that stores attributes which specifically characterize a particular candidate insurance entity and a second memory (203) that stores mappings which relate insurance policy element availability for a plurality of insurance policy elements to various corresponding insurance entity characterizing attributes. The aforementioned attributes, by one approach, correspond to respective end user-configurable dimensions. This platform can then serve (104) as a matching component by automatically using the aforementioned mappings to determine available insurance policy elements for the particular candidate insurance entity as a function of these attributes and then automatically using (105) those available insurance policy elements to configure an insurance policy consistent with these mappings.
US08392218B2
A process, a system and a computer program product and computer readable medium are disclosed for the sequential control and execution of a medical task. In at least one embodiment, the task is processed with the aid of a plurality of different, computer-implemented, medical-technical, stateful applications. In at least one embodiment, the invention uses a 3-layer software architecture including a data layer, a business logic layer, and presentation layer. With the aid of a central server, the option is provided of a one-time loading of the extensive datasets for a task and the applications for a task, so that the datasets and the applications are subsequently preserved for a user of the medical task. As a result, multiple waiting periods for the user are avoided.
US08392214B1
Systems and methods are provided for providing prior authorization support. The systems and methods may include receiving a first request for prior authorization assistance from a pharmacy computer, wherein the request for assistance includes claim identification information for a prior healthcare claim transaction; identifying a stored transaction history record for the prior healthcare claim transaction, where the stored transaction record is identified based at least in part on the claim identification information, where the stored transaction history record indicates a denial of coverage by a payor of a drug or product for a patient; delivering, to a prior authorization assistance computer, a second request for prior authorization assistance, where the information included in the second request enables the prior authorization assistance computer to initiate a process for completing a prior authorization form and for delivering the completed form to the payor; and delivering, to the pharmacy computer, a response indicating acceptance of the first request for assistance.
US08392200B2
A complex analysis filterbank is implemented by obtaining an input audio signal as a plurality of N time-domain input samples. Pair-wise additions and subtractions of the time-domain input samples is performed to obtain a first and second groups of intermediate samples, each group having N/2 intermediate samples. The signs of odd-indexed intermediate samples in the second group are then inverted. A first transform is applied to the first group of intermediate samples to obtain a first group of output coefficients in the frequency domain. A second transform is applied to the second group of intermediate samples to obtain an intermediate second group of output coefficients in the frequency domain. The order of coefficients in the intermediate second group of output coefficients is then reversed to obtain a second group of output coefficients. The first and second groups of output coefficients may be stored and/or transmitted as a frequency domain representation of the audio signal.
US08392199B2
A clipping detection device calculates an amplitude distribution of an input signal for each predetermined period, calculates a deflection degree of the distribution on the basis of the calculated amplitude distribution, and then detects clipping of a communication signal on the basis of the calculated deflection degree of the distribution.
US08392185B2
The speech recognition system of the present invention includes: a sound source separating section which separates mixed speeches from multiple sound sources; a mask generating section which generates a soft mask which can take continuous values between 0 and 1 for each separated speech according to reliability of separation in separating operation of the sound source separating section; and a speech recognizing section which recognizes speeches separated by the sound source separating section using soft masks generated by the mask generating section.
US08392183B2
Methods, devices, systems and tools are presented that allow the summarization of text, audio, and audiovisual presentations, such as movies, into less lengthy forms. High-content media files are shortened in a manner that preserves important details, by splitting the files into segments, rating the segments, and reassembling preferred segments into a final abridged piece. Summarization of media can be customized by user selection of criteria, and opens new possibilities for delivering entertainment, news, and information in the form of dense, information-rich content that can be viewed by means of broadcast or cable distribution, “on-demand” distribution, internet and cell phone digital video streaming, or can be downloaded onto an iPod™ and other portable video playback devices.
US08392182B2
A method of encoding one or more parent blocks of values, the number of values being the length of each block, the method comprising for each parent block: (a) determining a first sum of values in the parent block; (b) splitting the parent block into smaller subblocks; (c) for at least one of the subblocks, determining a second sum of the values in the subblock, selecting a likelihood table from the plurality of likelihood tables based on said first sum of values in the parent block and encoding the second sum using the likelihood table; (d) designating each subblock a parent block; (e) carrying out steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) until at least one parent block reaches a predetermined condition.
US08392180B1
In general, the techniques are described for adjusting audio gain levels for multi-talker audio. In one example, an audio system monitors an audio stream for the presence of a new talker. Upon identifying a new talker, the system determines whether the new talker is a first-time talker. For a first-time talker, the system executes a fast-attack/decay automatic gain control (AGC) algorithm to quickly determine a gain value for the first-time talker. The system additionally executes standard AGC techniques to refine the gain for the first-time talker while the first-time talker continues speaking. When a steady state within a decibel threshold is attained using standard AGC for the first-time talker, the system stores the steady state gain for the first-time talker to storage. Upon identifying a previously-identified talker, the system retrieves from storage the steady state gain for the talker and applies the steady state gain to the audio stream.
US08392171B2
Methods and systems for register mapping in emulation of a target system on a host system are disclosed. Statistics for use of a set of registers of a target system processor are determined. Based on the statistics a first subset of the target system registers, including one or more most commonly used registers is determined. The registers in the first subset are directly mapped to a first group of registers of a host system processor. A second subset of the set of target system registers is dynamically mapped to a second group of registers of the host system processor.
US08392168B2
One example embodiment is a method that simulates a sampling period of an application to collect execution counts of basic blocks and compute cycles per instruction (CPI) data. A non-sampling period of the application is simulated to collect execution counts of basic blocks, and a comparison of the execution counts collected during the sampling period is performed to the execution counts collected during the non-sampling period. Based on the comparison, a determination is made whether to estimate CPI for the basic blocks during the non-sampling period using the CPI data collected during the sampling period.
US08392167B2
Provided is highly accurate three-dimensional board warp analysis technology that can optimize at a development design phase material quality, size, reflow heating profile, or the like of a printed wiring board and various kinds of electronic components mounted on the board. The invention is characterized in comprising a model making-out means that adds a characteristic value of a material to shape data indicative of a shape of board to make out model data, a model division means that carries out vertical and lateral divisions equally base on the model data, a calculation means that calculates warp of cutting plane and a counter sectional plane of each of the divided models, and a conversion means that connects the cutting planes with each other after the calculation and converts them into warp data on the entire coordinate system.
US08392166B2
A novel numerical and graphical representation has been developed to better comprehend the physicochemical, biological and pharmacokinetic properties of drug-like compounds. Abbreviated profile of drug (A-POD) would help in considering and visualizing the various compound characteristics as one entity. The salient features of A-POD are: a unique way of representing the compound properties, computer friendly numerical string representation making comparison of any properties possible, graphical representation that gives a snapshot of properties and their relative changes, and its usefulness in qualitatively predicting the ADMET properties based on chemical properties alone. This simple yet powerful web-based tool is especially useful in comparing any two compounds at one time. A new therapeutic agent can be compared with the reference compound quickly and easily, by checking which properties are affected and finding out whether it possesses better drug-like properties.
US08392162B2
A method and system for modeling an inflatable supplemental restraint device for a vehicle includes operating a simulation system according to a first step in which the restraint device is modeled in a fully inflated configuration using a finite element model. The modeled airbag is then deflated and flattened. The flattened airbag is subjected to simulated folding using a finite element model. Inputs drawn from the results of successive portions of the simulation are used in the later modeling steps.
US08392156B2
A power supply noise analysis model creation method comprising; obtaining a distance which appears most frequently, from among the distances from a vias judged to be the nearest to the vias, respectively, as a reference via pitch, generates four nodes for the via of target wherein the four nodes generates the middle point with the other four via that are near the via of the target, obtaining meshes which include the nodes, respectively, by dividing the power island structure and the power supply pair by dividing lines which pass between the generated nodes, and converting each of the meshes obtained to a circuit element equivalent to the mesh.
US08392148B2
A characteristic thumbprint is extracted from a data signal, the thumbprint based on statistics relating to the data signal. The data signal can be compared indirectly by matching this thumbprint against one or more reference thumbprints. The data signal may be any type of signal, including streaming digitized audio or obtained from static files. A database may contain a number of these characteristic thumbprints, and the database can be searched for a particular thumbprint.
US08392145B2
A delay setting data generator generates delay setting data based on rate data. A variable delay circuit delays the test pattern data by a delay time determined by the delay setting data with reference to a predefined unit amount of delay. First rate data designates the period of the test pattern data with a precision determined by the unit amount of delay. Second rate data designates the period of the test pattern data with a precision higher than that determined by the unit amount of delay. The delay setting data generator outputs a first value and a second value in a time division manner at a ratio determined by the second rate data, the first and second values being determined by the first rate data.
US08392143B2
A fixed-source array test station provides a cost-effective high-throughput test bed for testing optical sensors that require stimulus at fixed angular positions. A SAL seeker requires stimulus at fixed angular position across its FOV to calibrate its spatial transfer function (STF). An array of fixed collimated sources at different angular positions is aligned so that their beams overlap the entrance pupil of the sensor under test. Each source may comprise an inexpensive light emitting diode (LED) or vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and collimator. To simplify alignment the sources may be positioned on and perpendicular to the surface of a sphere with the seeker's entrance pupil located at the center of the sphere. The sources are activated in accordance with an activation profile in order to calibrate or otherwise test the sensor.
US08392141B2
A method of reducing de-icing heater error (DHE) in total air temperature (TAT) probes is provided. Using the method, a nominal DHE function is obtained for a particular type of TAT probe, with the nominal DHE function having been derived from a plurality of TAT probes of the particular type. A probe specific correction coefficient is calculated for an individual TAT probe of the particular type as a function of a measured DHE at a first airflow and a predicted DHE at the first airflow. The predicted DHE at the first airflow is determined using the nominal DHE function derived from the plurality of TAT probes of the particular type. The probe specific correction coefficient is then stored for later use, or used to determine DHE with the individual TAT probe over a range of airflows as a function of the probe specific correction coefficient.
US08392138B2
The frequency-sampling method is widely used to accommodate nonlinear electromagnetic source tuning in swept-wavelength interferometric techniques, such as optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) and swept-wavelength optical coherence tomography (OCT). Two sources of sampling errors are associated with the frequency-sampling method. One source of error is the limit of an underlying approximation for long interferometer path mismatches and fast electromagnetic source tuning rates. A second source of error is transmission delays in data acquisition hardware. Aspects of the invention relate to a method and system for correcting sampling errors in swept-wavelength interferometry systems such that the two error sources correct sampling errors associated with the first radiation path and the second radiation path cancel to second order.
US08392135B2
A method for analyzing performance of a sorting system is provided. The method includes recording downtime experienced by the sorting system, recording runtime experienced by the sorting system, and recording an optimal characterization of a product stream to be sorted by the sorting system. The optimal characterization includes at least an optimal weight of a first commodity of the product stream. An actual characterization of the product stream as sorted by the sorting system is recorded. The actual characterization includes at least an actual weight of the first commodity sorted from the product stream. The method further includes determining the performance of the sorting system based on at least two of the downtime, the runtime, the optimal characterization, and the actual characterization.
US08392134B2
An antenna testing device includes an analyzer, a transmission probe electrically connected to the analyzer, a receiving probe electrically connected to the analyzer, and a shielded box having a cutoff frequency. The analyzer generates a test signal the frequency of which is lower than the cutoff frequency, the transmission probe receive the test signal and sends the test signal to the shielded box. The antenna is coupled with the transmission probe and generates a coupled signal, the receiving probe receives the coupled signal and sends the coupled signal to the analyzer. The analyzer analyzes the coupled signal and the test signal, the analyzer calculates the return loss of the antenna.
US08392133B1
Using a mechanical shaker test the shear wavespeed in a plate is estimated by applying a cyclical point force to the plate, measuring normal velocity of waves caused by the force, transforming temporal domain measurements with a Fourier transform into a frequency domain, transforming spatial domain measurements into a {kx,ky} wavevector domain spectra using Fourier transforms, determining propagation wavenumbers for given Lamb waves from peaks within the {kx,ky} spectra, and determining shear wavespeed by applying a Newton-Raphson gradient method using the propagation wavenumbers to Raleigh-Lamb dispersion curve equations.
US08392124B2
A system may include utensil means for portioning a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion, a means for detecting a first portion size for the first portion with the utensil means, a means for detecting a second portion size for the second portion with the utensil means, and a means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size.
US08392123B2
A system may include utensil means for portioning a foodstuff into a first portion and a second portion, a means for detecting a first portion size for the first portion with the utensil means, a means for detecting a second portion size for the second portion with the utensil means, and a means for determining a cumulative amount of portioned foodstuff based upon the first portion size and the second portion size.
US08392121B2
A system for monitoring fluids at a drilling location, the system including a viscometer (210) having a heating cup and a pump (211) in clued communication with the heating cup, wherein the pump is configured to provide a flow of fluid from a fluid line inlet to the heating cup. The system also including a cleaning fluid tank (214) including communication with the heating cup, wherein the pump is configured to provide a flow of cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid tank to the heating cup, and a system controller (217) configured to provide instructions to the pump for controlling the flow of cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid tanks to the heating cup.
US08392117B2
A method of creating a lane network of a semi-structured environment for a vehicle, assigning a corresponding cost function to each of a plurality of coordinates of the semi-structured environment using the lane network and a state of the vehicle, the state of the vehicle corresponding to a coordinate location of the vehicle and an angular orientation of the vehicle, and determining an obstacle-free path on the semi-structured environment using the cost function of each of the plurality of coordinates.
US08392113B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for determining navigation instructions within a pedestrian navigation environment. For example, a system and method are provided for determining an optimal path to a destination. An optimal path may be determined based at least in part on a measurement of similarity between one or more points of interest and one or more destinations. Such a measurement of similarity may be based at least in part on predefined criteria between the one or more destinations and one or more points of interest.
US08392102B2
In a method for estimating the height of the center of gravity of a vehicle, a lateral acceleration is determined. Predefined first and second driving situation are detected at a first time as a function of a determined roll rate or of a determined roll angle and at a second time as a function of the roll rate or of the roll angle. In a time period delimited by the first and second times, a differential angle by which a vehicle body tilts during the time period is determined. Also determined are an angular speed: formula and an angular acceleration: formula of the vehicle tilting movement in the time period. A height of the center of gravity of the vehicle is estimated on the basis of an equation of motion as a function of the lateral acceleration, of the differential angle, of the angular speed: formula and of the angular acceleration: formula.
US08392101B2
Exemplary methods, systems and components enable selective control of an operational mode for a vehicle that is subject to an administrative standard. In some instances a qualified person or entity may attain a possible consequential result related to a user-selected vehicle operation mode that may involve a vehicle operation paradigm and/or a vehicle travel route and/or a vehicle travel destination. In some embodiments, implementation of the selected vehicle operation mode may modify a conformity status of the vehicle relative to the administrative standard. Various accessible records may be maintained regarding administrative compliance states and their respective benefits, as well as regarding certification of preferable consequential results available to qualified recipients based on a correlated vehicle operational mode.
US08392097B2
A hybrid powertrain includes an internal combustion engine, an electro-mechanical transmission and an electric machine. In an engine starting routine, flow control devices located proximate each combustion chamber in the engine initially restrict airflow into the cylinders to allow for a starter motor to rotate the engine at lower expansion and compression torque whereafter rotation of the engine is transitioned to the electric machine.
US08392093B2
A first camshaft misalignment value is determined from a measurement variable allocated to an engine air flow path. A second misalignment value is determined from a first operating variable outside of the air flow path. A trouble-free operation is identified when both values are smaller than a predefined first threshold. Misalignment is confirmed when one of both values is greater than the first and a difference between both values is smaller than a predefined second threshold. An air flow path fault is identified when the first value is greater and the second value is smaller than the first threshold and when the difference between both values is greater than the second threshold. A fault outside of the air flow path is identified, when the second value is greater and the first value is smaller than the first threshold and when the difference is greater than the second threshold.
US08392091B2
A method for managing an exhaust aftertreatment system within a vehicle including a catalyst device includes monitoring a digital map device providing a predicted vehicle operating condition through a travel route, and determining a predicted exhaust gas temperature profile based upon the monitoring of the digital map device. Operation of the catalyst device is controlled based upon the predicted exhaust gas temperature profile.
US08392082B2
A control device for an automatic transmission having a torque converter includes: a determining means for determining whether to set a friction element in an engaged condition or a disengaged condition on the basis of an operating condition of a vehicle; a control means for outputting an engagement command or a disengagement command on the basis of a determination result of the determining means; and an oil pressure control means for performing control to engage the friction element upon reception of the engagement command by performing a precharge control for the friction element and then controlling the supplied oil pressure to a predetermined oil pressure and to disengage the friction element upon reception of the disengagement command by draining the oil pressure supplied to the friction element, wherein the control means comprises a prohibiting means for prohibiting output of the disengagement command in relation to the friction element following control of the friction element from the disengaged condition to the engaged condition until a predetermined condition is established.
US08392062B2
A method and a device for assisting a driver of a vehicle to avoid collisions with obstacles are provided, in which method at least one obstacle is detected by way of at least one surroundings sensor, and data of the obstacle are ascertained. On the basis of the data of the obstacle and data of the vehicle, a vehicle deceleration that is favorable for assistance of an evasive operation is ascertained, and the vehicle is correspondingly decelerated.
US08392061B2
An information presentation apparatus for a vehicle includes an indicator mounted on the vehicle for indicating a target direction and a control unit for controlling the indicator. The control unit includes a function for acquiring a current position of the vehicle and a reference direction of the vehicle, a function for specifying a target and acquiring a target position, a function for calculating a target angle that indicates a target direction against the reference direction based on the target position, the current position and the reference direction, and a function for generating a presentation command based on the calculated target angle so as to indicate the target direction by the indicator. According to the apparatus, information for specifying the target position can be provided.
US08392060B2
The present invention relates to a method for feedback of states of an electric component to an engine control device of an internal combustion engine using a control unit for the electric component including a detection device configured to detect faults. The method includes configuring the control unit, connecting the control unit to the engine control device via a signal line, receiving a PWM signal generated in the engine control device, tying the signal line to ground for a feedback of data of the electric component to the engine control device; and identifying a fault based on a duration of the connection to ground.
US08392059B2
An accumulated use time measuring method for cargo handling vehicles and a cargo handling vehicle both enable accurate continuation of the use time till a display unit containing a time measuring device is replaced even if the time measuring device fails and prevention of false alteration after shipping while infallibly resetting the time measuring device to zero when the time measure device is shipped from the factory. The function units such as a display unit and a control unit of the cargo handling vehicle each include a time measuring device and a storage device. A synchronization mode in which the difference between the accumulated use times of both devices is made the same and a synchronization inhibition mode in which the accumulated use times are not changed and the time measurement is continued are provided. The accumulated use times are communicated between the function units, and the accumulated use time of the cargo handling vehicle and the absolute value of the difference between the accumulated use times of both measuring devices of the function units are taken into consideration. The corresponding mode is selected from the two modes, and thereby the time measurement using the accumulated use time stored in the storage device is carried out in the selected mode.
US08392054B2
A method is provided for determining remaining oil life prior to an oil change in an internal combustion engine that uses a body of oil. The method includes transferring the body of oil to the engine and determining a volume of the transferred body of oil. The method also includes determining a factor representative of a volume of oil from the transferred body of oil that is exposed to a combustion event in the engine. Additionally, the method includes determining the remaining oil life based on the determined volume of the body of oil and the determined factor representative of a volume of oil that is exposed to a combustion event. Moreover, the method includes activating an oil change indicator when the remaining oil life reaches a predetermined level. A system for determining a number of engine revolutions permitted on a volume of oil is also disclosed.
US08392052B2
The vehicle inspection apparatus is for inspecting behavior of at least one control object mounted on a vehicle whose behavior is controlled through behavior control performed by a control section included in a control system mounted on the vehicle in accordance with a behavior request inputted from an external device. The vehicle inspection apparatus includes a behavior judging section to judge whether or not the control object is abnormal on the basis of a detected behavior value of the control object and an estimated behavior value of the control object, whose dimensions have been matched with each other.
US08392048B2
A computer-based vehicle service system, such as a wheel alignment system, is configured with a tire pressure monitoring system interface to acquire measurements of the air pressure directly from tire pressure monitoring system sensor installed in the tires of a vehicle undergoing a service procedure. The vehicle service system is further configured to utilize the acquired air pressure measurements to complete at least one vehicle diagnostic procedure.
US08392040B2
A system for controlling a marine vessel having first and second waterjets, corresponding first and second steering nozzles and corresponding first and second reversing buckets. The system comprises a speed control device for providing a first vessel control signal that corresponds to a speed to be provided to the marine vessel, a processor configured to receive the first vessel control signal and that is configured to provide at least one first actuator control signal coupled to the first and second waterjets, and at least one second actuator control signal coupled to the first and second steering nozzles and the first and second reversing buckets. The system any of improves upon turns provided by conventional waterjet propulsion systems, improves upon slowing down or stopping marine vessels as is done by conventional waterjet propulsion systems, and improves upon the controllability of the waterjet propulsed marine vessel at low vessel speeds.
US08392035B2
A system for cooling an electronic device having a heat-generating component includes a passive cooling device having a cooling ability designed to expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component and an active cooling device configured to at least one of dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device, when the active cooling device is activated. The system also includes a controller configured to activate the active cooling device after a determination that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition is selected to occur after the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.
US08392024B2
A method of controlling a power assist device that includes an operating handle, a force sensor, a robot arm, an actuator that drives the robot arm, and a conveying portion for conveying the robot arm. When a body in motion, the conveying portion is controlled to move in synchronization with the body, and when the motion of the body is stopped or has resumed, the drive of the robot arm is stopped for a predetermined time, and does not resume until after a predetermined time has elapsed.
US08392022B2
The invention relates to a medical device, a medical work station, and a method for registering an object (P). The medical device comprises a navigation system (17, 18) and a robot (R) having several axes of rotation (1-6). The navigation system (17, 18) comprises a detection device (18) for detecting prominent points on an object (P) or markers (M) placed on the object (P) as well as a processing device (17) for determining the position of the object (P) on the basis of the prominent points or markers (M) detected by means of the detection device (18). The detection device (18) of the navigation system is mounted on the robot (R).
US08392018B2
The present invention provides apparatus for dispensing ophthalmic lens packages. A plurality of ophthalmic lens packages are loaded into the apparatus and the apparatus determines an identity of each ophthalmic lens package. A housing stores the ophthalmic lens packages and records a location and identity of each of the lens packages and dispenses a particular ophthalmic lens package.
US08392010B2
A critical dimension controlling method in a semiconductor production process includes determining whether a model is to undergo a discontinuous production process when a run is inserted in a semiconductor manufacturing line, applying an offset for said model or a common offset for a model group including said model according to the determination, executing a production process in dependence upon a process variation along with the offset for the model or the common offset for the model group, and measuring an actual critical dimension in the production process. The offset for the model is calculated based on a previously measured actual critical dimension, and the calculated offset for the model is applied to the calculation of the common offset for the model group.
US08391998B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling and/or regulating an industrial process for producing or processing products, wherein a physicomathematical model of the industrial process is formed, with which control parameters for controlling or regulating the industrial process are calculated during the production or processing of the product, a number of measurement values is detected, and the model is corrected with a number of primary correction factors, the number of primary correction factors being equal to the number of measurement values. The method is characterized in that the model is corrected with a number of secondary correction factors, such as with a correction factor reflecting the speed of the phase conversion in the rolling mill to be cooled, and in that the number of all correction factors is greater than the number of all measurement values, wherein at least the secondary correction factors are calculated numerically.
US08391994B2
An implantable electrical lead having a flexible body and including a multi-layer coil conductor extending within the longitudinal body lumen from the connector assembly to at least the electrode, the multi-layer coil conductor including a first coil layer a second coil layer disposed about the first coil layer, wherein at least one parameter of the first and the second coil layer is configured such that the lead exhibits a predetermined axial stiffness or bending stiffness.
US08391983B2
Disclosed herein is an implantable pulse generator. The implantable pulse generator may include a header, a can and a feedthru. The header may include a lead connector block electrically coupled to a first conductor. The can may be coupled to the header and include a wall and an electronic component electrically coupled to a second conductor and housed within the wall. The feedthru may be mounted in the wall and include a header side with a first electrically conductive tab and a can side with a second electrically conductive tab electrically coupled to the first tab. The first tab is electrically coupled to the first conductor and the second tab is electrically coupled to the second conductor.
US08391982B2
A lead includes a plurality of electrodes disposed on the distal end of the lead, a plurality of contact terminals disposed on the proximal end of the lead, a plurality of conductor wires extending along the lead to couple the electrodes electrically to the contact terminals, a central lumen defined by the lead and extending from the proximal end of the lead towards the distal end of the lead, and a tubular stiffener disposed in the proximal end of the central lumen. The tubular stiffener is configured and arranged to facilitate insertion of the proximal end of the lead into a connector.
US08391976B2
An active implantable medical device for cardiac resynchronization therapy with effort based rate-responsive pacing is described. The device calculates a rate-responsive stimulation frequency based on output signal of an effort sensor between a base frequency (fbase) and a maximum frequency (fmax). The device determines a target stimulation frequency based on the difference between a first frequency and the maximum frequency (fmax). The first frequency is the higher frequency of the base frequency (fbase) and the spontaneous frequency of the patient. The device calculates a stimulation frequency that has an immediate increase in the pacing rate from the higher of the initial value of the current stimulation frequency, or the spontaneous frequency to the target stimulation frequency, within a predetermined time, or a predetermined number of cardiac cycles. A plurality of consecutive effort zones (Z1-Z4) is defined over the extent of the dynamic range of the output signal of the effort sensor.
US08391966B2
Techniques are disclosed for sensory-evoked potential (SEPs, e.g., visual-evoked potentials) signal detection/classification by synchronizing EEG to the repeated presentation of sensory stimuli in the time domain. In some embodiments, a system receives a plurality of EEG signal samples, generates a stimulus-locked EEG and determines whether the plurality of EEG signal samples are evoked in response to a pattern of stimulus. In some embodiments, no prior knowledge about the update pattern (such as the flashing frequency of a visual stimulus) of the stimulus and no prior knowledge about an individual user's EEG pattern are required.
US08391961B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for the imaging of structures in deep tissue within biological specimens, using spectral imaging to provide highly sensitive detection. By acquiring data that provides a plurality of images of the sample with different spectral weightings, and subsequent spectral analysis, light emission from a target compound is separated from autofluorescence in the sample. With the autofluorescence reduced or eliminated, an improved measurement of the target compound is obtained.
US08391953B2
Apparatus for driving current in a power circuit of a medical device inserted into a body of a subject includes a power transmitter, which is adapted to generate, in a vicinity of the body, an electromagnetic field having a predetermined frequency capable of inductively driving the current in the power circuit. A passive energy transfer amplifier, having a resonant response at the frequency of the electromagnetic field is placed in proximity to the medical device so as to enhance the current driven in the power circuit by the electromagnetic field.
US08391951B2
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a gradient coil for applying a gradient pulse, a transmitting coil for transmitting an RF pulse, and a coil control device for controlling the gradient coil and the transmitting coil in such a manner that a pulse sequence for (A) making an absolute value of longitudinal magnetization of a first background tissue and an absolute value of longitudinal magnetization of a second background tissue longer in T1 value than the first background tissue smaller than an absolute value of longitudinal magnetization of body fluid of a subject, (B) acquiring magnetic resonance signals from the subject, and (C) flipping transverse magnetization of the second background tissue to longitudinal magnetization is repeatedly executed.
US08391950B2
A cardiac functional analysis system reconstructs a 3D anatomical image volume using image frames acquired at predetermined cardiac phases over multiple cardiac cycles in response to a trigger derived from hemodynamic signals. A medical imaging system generates 3D anatomical imaging volume datasets from acquired 2D anatomical images. The system includes an image acquisition device for acquiring 2D anatomical images of a portion of patient anatomy in selectable angularly variable imaging planes in response to a synchronization signal derived from a patient blood flow related parameter. A synchronization processor provides the synchronization signal derived from the patient blood flow related parameter. An image processor processes 2D images acquired by the image acquisition device of the portion of patient anatomy in multiple different imaging planes having relative angular separation, to provide a 3D image reconstruction of the portion of patient anatomy.
US08391948B2
A disposable electrode array 100, 200 including a flexible member 106, 206 in which a plurality of electrodes 102, 202 are disposed, having a shape adapted to contact the forehead skin surface on a human patient. A pair of ear loops 104, 204 coupled to the disposable electrode array 100, 200 secure the disposable electrode array 100, 200 about the patient's ears, with the flexible member 106, 206 disposed across the patient's bow, retaining the electrodes 102, 202 against the skin surface. Additional electrodes 102, 202 are disposed in proximity to the ear loops 104, 204 and are configured to contact the skin surface behind the patient's ears. An auditory stimulus delivery element 116, 216 is coupled with each of the ear loops 104, 204, and positioned to seat in proximity to the patient's ear canal for the delivery of auditory stimulus. Electrical conductors associated with the electrodes 102, 202 and the stimulus delivery elements 116, 216 are routed within the flexible member 106, 206 to a common external connection point 118, 218 for connection to an external system. The disposable electrode array 100, 200 may be configured for both evoking and measuring evoked bio-potentials in the human subject, or for measuring bio-potentials evoked using a separate stimulus delivery system.
US08391921B2
A wireless communicator including a housing, wireless communication functionality located within the housing, native user interface functionality cooperating with the wireless communication functionality and including user interface surfaces located on at least one outer facing surface of the housing, and pouching responsive electrical interconnection functionality responsive to pouching orientation of the housing in a pouch of an enhanced function device for automatically causing the wireless communication functionality to adapt to interoperation with parenting user interface functionality forming part of the enhanced function device at least partially instead of with the native user interface functionality. A method is also described and claimed.
US08391920B1
The communication device remotely controlling system which remotely controls a communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, a stereo audio data output implementer, a photo quality setting implementer, and a multiple language implementer.
US08391912B2
The present invention is directed to a method for predicting a bit rate provided by an enhanced data channel in a future radio channel, once the future radio channel is added to an ordinary data channel in an operational radio channel. It is assumed that the bit-rate provided by the enhanced data channel is indicated by the ratio (A), wherein E is the enhanced data channel power offset, E is the ordinary control channel power offset after a future addition and k1 is a constant. The method comprises with respect to the operational radio channel the steps of obtaining a first transmit power P1, a first quality target Q1, the power offset O for an ordinary control channel and the power offset O for the ordinary data channel. In addition, the method comprises with respect to the future radio channel the steps of obtaining a second transmit power P2 and a second quality target Q2. The ratio (A) indicating said bit-rate is then obtained by the step of using the expression (B) wherein k2 and k3 are predetermined constants.
US08391910B2
A method for configuring gain factors in a WCDMA telecommunication system is provided in which the gain factor for defining power required for normal reception of uplink data in an environment supporting an uplink service over an E-DCH can be configured using minimal signaling information. First gain factors for first TFs corresponding to a part of a TF set including a plurality of TFs available for an uplink service are received. One of the first TFs is determined as a reference TF for a second TF other than the first TFs in the TF set. Then, a second gain factor for the second TF is calculated using the first gain factor for the determined reference TF. The second gain factor is used for transmitting or receiving uplink data.
US08391898B2
Coincident with the evolution, maturation, etc. of (e.g., Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, IP Multimedia Subsystem, etc.) wireless messaging ecosystems an infrastructure that provides, in new and creative ways, enhanced message routing capabilities. The dynamic, flexible, and extensible nature of the enhanced message routing capabilities support, among other things, very large volumes of messaging traffic, numerous billing paradigms, different Quality of Service levels and possible charges for same, improved troubleshooting and problem investigation capabilities, etc. The infrastructure may optionally leverage the capabilities of a centrally-located Messaging Inter-Carrier Vendor.
US08391896B2
A method for providing geo-predictive streaming services may include receiving, at a mobile terminal, an indication of network performance parameters associated with a corresponding time and location of a projected route of the mobile terminal, determining, at the mobile terminal, whether a portion of the projected route corresponds to an outage event with respect to data being streamed to the mobile terminal, and, in response to a determination that the outage event corresponds to the portion of the projected route, causing communication of at least one of a geo-predictive next application data unit and an estimated capacity vector to a streaming server to a streaming server providing the data being streamed to cause a modification to a data transmission rate at which data is to be streamed to the mobile terminal. A corresponding computer program product, system and apparatus are also provided.
US08391891B2
A system that facilitates determination of a location of a mobile handset. The system includes three or more location measurement units that each correspond to a sector of the cell site. The location measurement units transmit location related information to a computation component. The computation component receives the location related information and performs a triangulation calculation on the information to define the location of the mobile handset.
US08391890B2
A method for estimating a geographic location of a mobile station within a coverage area of a wireless network includes: determining a radial distance of the mobile station from a serving base station based on a round trip measurement and calculating an angular position of the mobile station in relation to the radial distance based on a first signal strength measurement, a second signal strength measurement, and an angular position reference that extends outward from the serving base station. The signal strength measurements representative of power characteristics of RF signals received by the mobile station from first and second sector antennas of the serving base station. An apparatus associated therewith includes a distance module to perform the determining and an angular position module to perform the calculating. The apparatus may be implemented in a base station, a geo-location service node, a network management node, or other communication nodes.
US08391887B2
Methods and apparatus to activate location measurements are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein for a wireless device to activate location measurements comprises receiving configuration information including one or more radio link failure criteria for activating a processor for performing stand-alone location measurements, and operating the processor in accordance with the configuration information.
US08391863B2
In order to be able to flexibly and dynamically control the selection of an access network to be used by a mobile terminal, an assembly contains a cellular network which is provided with a core network and several access networks for connecting mobile terminals to the core network, and at least one mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is equipped with a decision unit at the terminal end to select the access network to be used by the mobile terminal while the cellular network encompasses a decision unit at the network end to select the access network to be used by the mobile terminal as well as a control device for controlling the decision unit located at the terminal end and at the network end.
US08391859B1
A method and system in which a wireless communication device that is registered for service with a roaming carrier network engages in peer-to-peer communication, via the roaming carrier network, with a home carrier server to notify the home carrier server of the device's roaming status and location. The home carrier server then determines that no home carrier base station provides coverage at the reported location, and the home carrier server responsively reconfigures (e.g., directs or causes one or more entities to reconfigure) a nearby home carrier base station so as to provide coverage at the reported location. And the device then receives in response from the home carrier server a directive to register with and be served by the nearby home carrier base station instead and transitions to be served by the nearby home carrier base station.
US08391857B2
A method allows the selection of a user-preferred visited mobile network for a roaming mobile terminal of a subscriber of a home network. The method includes, at the home network, the steps of receiving information on the location of the roaming mobile terminal, and receiving from the roaming mobile terminal service information including at least a choice of a service and controlling the selection of the visited mobile network for the roaming mobile terminal on the basis of the received service information and location information.
US08391836B1
A system for analyzing call detail records to derive demographic data is provided. The system comprises a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application analyzes call detail records associated with a base transceiver station to determine statistical information about the subscriber calls within the coverage area and to estimate demographics of people within the coverage area.
US08391834B2
Security techniques for device assisted services are provided. In some embodiments, secure service measurement and/or control execution partition is provided. In some embodiments, implementing a service profile executed at least in part in a secure execution environment of a processor of a communications device for assisting control of the communications device use of a service on a wireless network, in which the service profile includes a plurality of service policy settings, and wherein the service profile is associated with a service plan that provides for access to the service on the wireless network; monitoring use of the service based on the service profile; and verifying the use of the service based on the monitored use of the service.
US08391833B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for DIAMETER routing with portability correction are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing number portability correction for DIAMETER signaling involving a subscriber of a communications network. The method includes receiving a DIAMETER signaling message directed to an Online Charging System (OCS) and accessing a number portability database using the called party identifier in the signaling message, to identify if the called party has a ported number. The method further includes, in response to determining the called party has a ported number, modifying the signaling message to include results from or derived from the access to the number portability database, and routing the modified message to the OCS.
US08391832B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products use combinations of international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and account information to determine if a customer is eligible for service credit in near real-time. The customer needs an active account prior to inserting a subscriber identity module (SIM) into a device and powering on the device for the system to determine credit eligibility. No further customer action is required. The credit application process determines credit eligibility based upon device credit eligibility, account tenure, and/or credit rules, and applies the credit to the customer's account. The customer may be proactively notified when the credit is applied. The credit and tenure rules may be changed as the industry and business needs change to remain competitive in the industry. The SIM used is configured with software to lock the SIM to the device upon first power-on.
US08391828B2
Provided are an interworking procedure with an external network in a WLAN, a station supporting the interworking procedure, and a message format for the interworking procedure. In the interworking procedure, a non-AP station transmits a request message which includes an advertisement protocol ID set to a value indicating native query protocol and a native query information ID set to a value indicating emergency call number information. And the non-AP station receives from an access point (AP) a response message including zero or more emergency call numbers in response to the request message.
US08391824B2
A method for detecting an end of modulation in a backscattered radio frequency signal according to one embodiment includes generating a fast average of a magnitude or power of an incoming signal; generating a slow average of the magnitude or power of the incoming signal; determining an end of modulation based on a relationship between the fast and slow averages; and outputting an end of modulation signal upon determining the end of modulation. A system for detecting an end of modulation in a backscattered radio frequency signal according to one embodiment includes a window integrator for generating a fast moving average of a magnitude or power of an incoming signal; a leaky integrator for generating a slow moving average of the magnitude or power of the incoming signal; logic for determining an end of modulation when the fast moving average crosses below the slow moving average; and logic for outputting an end of modulation signal. Additional systems and methods are also presented.
US08391823B2
A method of setting filtering characteristic of a signal processing apparatus includes following steps: configuring a first signal processing path, included in the signal processing apparatus and electrically connected to a signal input port of the signal processing apparatus, to have a first filtering characteristic; and configuring a second signal processing path, included in the signal processing apparatus and electrically connected between the signal input port and the first signal processing path, to have a second filtering characteristic different from the first filtering characteristic. When an input signal received at the signal input port includes a first signal component with a first frequency and a second signal component with a second frequency, most of the first signal component is processed by the first signal processing path, and most of the second signal component is processed by the second signal processing path.
US08391821B2
In a radio frequency circuit for multi-mode operation on which multiple transceivers complying with multiple communication systems are disposed, signal interference between circuits is reduced. The PA 222, and the output matching networks 223a and 223b of GSM system, which are circuits independent of the circuit operation of W-CDMA, are disposed in a section of the shortest distance between the PA 121 that handles RF transmission signals of W-CDMA being a first communication system, a third output matching network and an isolator, and a receiver that handles RF received signal of W-CDMA, and in a section of the shortest distance between the PA 121 and the transmitter 130 of W-CDMA. The PA 222, which is a circuit independent of the circuit operation of W-CDMA, is disposed in a section of the shortest distance between the PA 121 and the inter stage filter 125 of W-CDMA.
US08391818B2
A second-order distortion correcting receiver and a second-order distortion correcting method, wherein second-order inter-modulation distortion can be cancelled with high precision and with a simple circuit configuration, without requiring a complicated adjustment step. A non-linear active element unit (110) performs non-linear processing on an input signal to output a differential output signal and common mode output signal. A common mode detection unit (120) extracts the common mode output signal. A weighting unit (130) weights the extracted common mode output signal and thereby generates a corrected signal. A corrected signal injection unit (140) injects the corrected signal into a differential output signal to output a corrected differential output signal. A DC detection unit (150) calculates the average DC component of the corrected differential output signal. A weight determining unit (160) uses the average DC component to determine the weighting coefficient used by the weighting unit (130). At this time, the weight determining unit (160) sets, as the weighting coefficient, the coefficient that reduces the average DC component included in the corrected differential output signal to zero.
US08391805B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor switch circuit includes a switch section, a decoder section, a DC-DC converter, a driver section, a first filter circuit, a first filter bypass circuit and a first bypass control circuit. The switch section includes an input-output terminal, radio frequency signal terminals, and semiconductor switch elements. The decoder section generates a switch control signal controlling a conduction and a non-conduction state of switch elements. The DC-DC converter generates a first potential. The driver section supplies the first and a second potential to a gate electrode of the switch elements. The first filter circuit is electrically connected between the DC-DC converter and the driver section and outputs the first potential to the driver section. The first filter bypass circuit is electrically connected with the first filter circuit. The first bypass control circuit supplies a first mode signal to the first filter bypass circuit.
US08391796B2
Apparatus and methods for power control for mitigation or control of interference in a wireless communications environment. Control techniques can consider the effect of interference on an access point and the access point can identify interfering wireless terminals and cause a message to be sent to a controlling access point of the interfering wireless terminal to cause the uplink power of the interfering wireless terminal to be adjusted.
US08391794B2
There is provided a method of controlling communication of a second communication service making secondary usage of a spectrum assigned to a first communication service, with use of a communication device, including the steps of: receiving a radio signal transmitted for the first communication service in a first period on a time axis; determining a parameter value to be used for controlling communication of the second communication service based on the radio signal received in the first period; sensing a radio signal transmitted for the second communication service in a second period subsequent to the first period; and transmitting a beacon for the second communication service based on the parameter value in a third period subsequent to the second period when a radio signal for the second communication service is not detected in the second period.
US08391792B2
A system and method are provided for a system and method for initiating ad-hoc communication between mobile headsets. A communication device is provided, including a processor and a control circuit which is connected to the processor and which has a paired-communication module that configures the processor to provide paired communication with at least one additional device. The control circuit further includes an ad-hoc communication module that configures the processor to establish and maintain an ad-hoc communication session with a second communication device that is not presently paired with the first communication device. The referenced communication session is enabled by acquiring an open communication channel. Additionally, a method for providing an ad-hoc communication session with at least one communication device is provided. The method begins by identifying a second communication device within communication range of a first communication device and which is not presently paired to the first communication device. The method continues by requesting a communication channel through which the first communication device and the second communication device can communicate, and pairing the first communication device and the second communication device. Then, an acceptance from the second communication device to join the ad-hoc communication session is received. Upon receiving the acceptance, the communication channel for communication between the first communication device and the second communication device is opened. Upon termination of the ad-hoc communication session, the first communication device and the second communication device are disconnected.
US08391791B2
Sound quality is enhanced in a sound system including handsets and headsets. Handset sound enhancing algorithms are implemented in a handset. The handset automatically determines which, if any, of a plurality of headset sound enhancing algorithms are active in a headset in communication with the handset. The handset determines how to use the handset sound enhancing algorithms in a sound processing channel based on which of the headset sound enhancing algorithms are active in the headset.
US08391786B2
Methods of controlling the transfer of data between devices are described in which the manner of control is determined by a movement experienced by at least one of the devices. The method involves detecting a triggering movement and determining a characteristic of this movement. The transfer of data is then controlled based on the characteristic which has been identified.
US08391781B2
System for measuring satellite downlink amplifier linearity includes a pulsed signal generator for selectively generating low duty cycle pulses. A linear transmitter uplink amplifier is provided for amplifying the low duty cycle pulses and generating an uplink signal. An antenna transmits the amplified uplink signal to an orbiting satellite. A downlink amplifier in the satellite generates a downlink signal for re-transmission to an Earth-based antenna. A pulse receiver is provided for receiving the downlink signal and providing information regarding the transfer function of the downlink amplifier. Preferably, a delayed trigger circuit is coupled to the pulse signal generator for activating the pulsed signal generator after a time delay substantially corresponding to the propagation times of the uplink and downlink signals. By altering the duty cycles of the uplink signals while maintaining the peak power level the average powers transmitted to the downlink amplifiers can be changed to modify the power levels of the downlink signals to provide more complete information regarding the transfer functions of the downlink amplifiers.
US08391777B2
This invention provides a type of method used for providing channel aware relays in enhanced relay clusters. This method is based on the Centralized Cluster Relay Implementation Proposal, and is implemented by transferring MMR-BS channel information based functions to RS. Specifically, in this invention, RS receives authorization from the MMR-BS to receive the channel information from the MS or next single-hop RS point within its single-hop range, and, after performing applicable channel aware relays, reports the processing result to MMR-BS; MMR-BS configures the signal according to the processing result and joins RS to transmit the control signal to the cluster MS. Using the method provided by this invention can reduce the channel overhead between MMR-BS and RS, and at the same time ensure that the RS composition is simple, and the production costs are low.
US08391775B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for implementing a mobile digital radio playlist system. The playlist need not be maintained in a vehicle; preferably it is maintained on a user's equipment such as a computer, PDA, MP3 player or the like. The system enables a method of updating such a playlist conveniently, for example while traveling in a vehicle, by capturing indicia of a current song in a mobile digital radio receiver in response to a user capture input; transmitting the captured indicia from the digital radio receiver to a wireless telecommunication device; in the wireless telecommunication device, forwarding the captured indicia to a playlist server; and in the playlist server, forwarding the received indicia to the user's equipment to update the playlist.
US08391767B2
A fusing apparatus allows a recording member to pass through between a heat member and a pressure member, to transport and heat the recording member, and thereby fuses a toner image on the recording member. The fusing apparatus includes a temperature detector for detecting a surface temperature of the heat member in a non-contact manner. A surface of the heat member is configured such that a region of the surface all around a cylindrical configuration that faces a temperature detection area of the temperature detector has a higher emissivity than other regions.
US08391764B2
Disclosed is a fixing device including: a fixing belt provided across a fuser roller and a heating member in a tensioned state, which fixing belt is rotated; and a tension roller applying a load on the fixing belt from an inner circumferential side of the fixing belt, which tension roller is determined in position on the fixing belt so that a length of the fixing belt upstream of the fixing nip area in a fixing belt rotating direction, from the tension roller to the fixing member, is longer than that downstream of the fixing nip area in the fixing belt rotating direction, from the fixing member to the tension roller.
US08391762B2
A fixing device of this invention includes: a fixing belt; a heating member for heating the fixing belt; a retaining member having (i) a convex surface which is curved and is in contact with an inner surface of the fixing belt and (ii) a flat surface which is opposite to the convex surface; and a ceramic heater provided on the flat surface of the retaining member. Therefore, the fixing device of this invention is excellent in safety and is capable of reducing a warm-up time.
US08391755B2
A developing device constituted to be capable of reliably making toner flare, and carrying out developing normally in the developing area, by preventing toner from adhering to the toner carrier. A developing device having a toner carrier which is disposed in opposition to a latent image carrier and which carries toner for developing an electrostatic latent image on the latent image carrier, the developing device including: a plurality of electrodes aligned at a predetermined interval within the toner carrier; voltage application means for applying a voltage to the electrodes so that the electric field between the plurality of electrodes varies with time, wherein the electric field between the electrodes causes the toner on the toner carrier to hop and form a cloud; and a toner adhesion prevention member that is provided upstream of a developing area where the latent image carrier is in opposition to the toner carrier and that prevents adhesion of toner to the toner carrier. According to the developing device, it is possible to prevent toner from adhering to the toner carrier, and it is possible to make the toner flare reliably.
US08391753B2
A powder container includes: a powder containing portion that has an opening formed thereon and contains powder inside thereof, the powder containing portion being attached to an image forming apparatus; a closing member, when the powder containing portion is attached to the image forming apparatus, whose movement is regulated by striking against a regulation member provided to the image forming apparatus to relatively move against the powder containing portion to open the opening, and the closing member, when the powder containing portion is detached from the image forming apparatus, whose movement is regulated by moving and making contact with the image forming apparatus to relatively move against the powder containing portion to close the opening; and a moving portion that moves the regulation member when the powder containing portion is detached from the image forming apparatus.
US08391747B2
A process cartridge usable with an image forming apparatus includes a developing member, a photosensitive medium to face the developing member, a pair of supporting plates to rotatably support the developing member and the photosensitive medium; a center moving member rotatably disposed on the supporting plate, the center moving member having a first position in which the photosensitive medium contacts the developing member and a second position in which the photosensitive medium is spaced apart from the developing member; and a separation restraining member formed so that when the center moving member locates at the second position, the separation restraining member restrains the center moving member from moving from the second position.
US08391742B2
At least one of driving motors that drive a developing device independently of each other is provided on a door capable of opening and closing to allow the developing device to be attached to or detached from a main body of an apparatus. An electrical contact portion that can be electrically connected to or disconnected from an electrical circuit provided in the main body is provided for the driving motor provided on the door.
US08391739B2
An image forming apparatus has an image carrier for carrying toner. A charger charges the surface of the image carrier and an exposure part then forms an electrostatic latent image thereon. A developer uses toner to develop the electrostatic latent image and a transfer part transfers a toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium. A cleaning roller has a circumferential surface that contacts with the surface of the image carrier and removes deposits therefrom by using toner that the circumferential surface carries. A carrier driver drives the image carrier and a power detector detects power consumption of the carrier driver. A roller controller determines, based on the detected power consumption whether a removal capacity of the cleaning roller to remove the deposits needs to be increased, and then controls rotation of the cleaning roller in response to a result of the determination.
US08391736B2
An image-forming apparatus includes an optical sensor including a light-receiving element that receives light reflected by a belt-like moving medium to produce an output corresponding to the amount of light received. This image-forming apparatus determines the density of a toner patch image formed by an image-forming unit by correcting an output produced when the optical sensor detects the toner patch image at a position on a roller disposed opposite the sensor on the basis of an output produced by the optical sensor in an area where no toner image is formed on the belt-like moving medium at the same position on the opposite roller as the position where the sensor detects the toner patch image.
US08391733B2
In the case where a sheet on which a transparent toner image is to be formed has low glossiness, when the transparent toner image is formed in an area in which a user wishes to partly lower the glossiness, the glossiness in the area in which the user wishes to lower the glossiness is increased. For that reason, a print as desired by the user cannot be obtained by fixing the transparent toner image in an area corresponding to the area in which the user wishes to lower the glossiness. In the case where the sheet to be subjected to printing is judged as low glossy paper, the transparent toner image is placed in an image formable area except for the area in which the user wishes to lower the glossiness.
US08391732B2
An image forming device includes: a collecting container that collects a waste toner; a rotation member that rotates and spreads a waste toner inside the collecting container; a torque detection unit that detects torque applied to the rotation member by a waste toner inside the collecting container; and a rotation direction switching unit that switches a rotation direction of the rotation member. When a torque value detected by the torque detection unit is more than a first threshold, the rotation direction of the rotation member is switched by the rotation direction switching unit.
US08391730B2
When jam occurs in one of a tandem conveyance path and bypass conveyance path, a sheet is automatically discharged from the conveyance path where no jam has occurred. A sheet retained at the upstream side with respect to a first fixing device in a sheet conveying direction is automatically discharged to the outside of an image forming apparatus by using the conveyance path where no jam has occurred. After the automatic discharging of the sheet is completed, a user is prompted to remove the jammed sheet.
US08391722B2
A transmission device has a light emitting element for converting an electric signal to an optical signal and transmitting the same, and a drive section for outputting the optical signal from the light emitting element and driving the light emitting element by providing the electric signal to the light emitting element. The electric signal provided by the drive section to the light emitting element is a waveform deformed signal having a waveform in which a time required for a fall is longer than a time required for a rise in a binary signal having a signal of high level and a signal of low level.
US08391715B2
When a neighbor ONU receives a signal with light intensity high enough to secure communication between an OLT and a remote ONU, the light intensity may be excessively high to damage a receiver of the neighbor ONU. In order to avoid such a problem, each ONU is notified of a downstream signal transmission plan (downstream light intensity map) prior to transmission of a downstream signal. Each ONU receives the downstream light intensity map (light intensity transmission schedule of downstream signal) in advance. Thus, the neighbor ONU can block or attenuate an optical signal addressed to the remote ONU, and the remote ONU can determine normal operation even when the remote ONU cannot receive a signal addressed to the neighbor ONU. Thus, the remote ONU can be prevented from issuing a wrong error signal.
US08391703B2
A lens unit is detachably connected via a communication interface with a camera body having a strobe and constituting a camera device. The lens unit is configured to include an optical system including a lens; an imaging unit including an image sensor which photo-electrically converts light from a subject having transmitted through the lens; an image processor which generates image data from an output of the imaging unit; and a strobe controller which controls a flash operation of the strobe provided in the camera body in accordance with a release signal from the camera body.
US08391700B1
A method and system for facilitating focusing of a miniature camera are disclosed. One or more lenses can be attached to a MEMS stage. The MEMS stage can be moved by a Lorentz actuator. The MEMS stage can be configured to limit movement of the lens(es) to a single degree of freedom to inhibit misalignment thereof with respect to an imaging sensor. The stage can be biased to a predefined position thereof, e.g., for focus at infinity. A metal cover can inhibit electromagnetic interference and can limit movement of the lens(es).
US08391697B2
A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes operating a camera provided in a main body of the mobile terminal in a first camera mode, and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the first camera mode on a display module; and if a 360-degree rotation of the main body about a predetermined axial direction is detected, operating the camera in a second camera mode and displaying a screen corresponding to an operation selected during the second camera mode on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to easily switch the mobile terminal from one camera mode to another camera mode in accordance with the movement of the main body of the mobile terminal.
US08391693B2
An optical disk for recording stereoscopic videos and high-quality video signals and a system for reproducing the videos and signals from the optical disk are made compatible with the conventional video reproducing system. A reproducing device which is used for reproducing stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains stereoscopic video or high-quality videos by reproducing both first and second interleaved blocks on the optical disk in which first and second video signals are alternately recorded on the left and right sides by dividing the first and second video signals into frame groups of one GOP or more and a reproducing device which is not used for reproducing the stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains ordinary videos by only reproducing either the first or second interleaved block by jumping tracks.
US08391692B2
An optical disk for recording stereoscopic videos and high-quality video signals and a system for reproducing the videos and signals from the optical disk are made compatible with the conventional video reproducing system. A reproducing device which is used for reproducing stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains stereoscopic video or high-quality videos by reproducing both first and second interleaved blocks on the optical disk in which first and second video signals are alternately recorded on the left and right sides by dividing the first and second video signals into frame groups of one GOP or more and a reproducing device which is not used for reproducing the stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains ordinary videos by only reproducing either the first or second interleaved block by jumping tracks.
US08391690B2
An optical disk for recording stereoscopic videos and high-quality video signals and a system for reproducing the videos and signals from the optical disk are made compatible with the conventional video reproducing system. A reproducing device which is used for reproducing stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains stereoscopic video or high-quality videos by reproducing both first and second interleaved blocks on the optical disk in which first and second video signals are alternately recorded on the left and right sides by dividing the first and second video signals into frame groups of one GOP or more and a reproducing device which is not used for reproducing the stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains ordinary videos by only reproducing either the first or second interleaved block by jumping tracks.
US08391686B2
An optical disk for recording stereoscopic videos and high-quality video signals and a system for reproducing the videos and signals from the optical disk are made compatible with the conventional video reproducing system. A reproducing device which is used for reproducing stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains stereoscopic video or high-quality videos by reproducing both first and second interleaved blocks on the optical disk in which first and second video signals are alternately recorded on the left and right sides by dividing the first and second video signals into frame groups of one GOP or more and a reproducing device which is not used for reproducing the stereoscopic videos and high-quality videos obtains ordinary videos by only reproducing either the first or second interleaved block by jumping tracks.
US08391681B2
A picture start code detecting section 131 detects the input timing of the leading data of a picture from TS packets inputted to a buffer 11. A counter 132 outputs a timing signal at the time when the leading data of the picture has been inputted 30 times, thereby detecting the input timing of data of one second. A counter 133 counts the data amount of TS packets inputted to the buffer 11 during the period of time from the reception of a timing signal from the counter 132 to the next reception. The count value is read via a DFF 134 and inputted to a read control section 135. The read control section 135 sets the input value from the DFF 134 as the reading speed of TS packets from the buffer 11.
US08391678B2
The present invention provides a portable television receiver which comprises an antenna 4 for receiving waves of television broadcast, a transmitting-receiving circuit 12 for detecting the reception condition of the waves of television broadcast before recording, a display 21, a speaker 20, and a main control circuit 14. The main control circuit 14 judges whether the recording is permitted with reference to the detected result of the reception condition of waves of television broadcast. When the recording is not permitted, the message that the recording is not permitted is shown on the display 21, and the speaker 20 produces sound.
US08391676B2
A playback apparatus for playing a digital stream in conjunction with an application includes a package management unit operable to generate package information by merging files recorded on a first recording medium and a second recording medium, in accordance with merge management information, and a selection unit operable to detect a plurality of playable titles from the package information, and select one of the detected titles as a current title. After the application requests the package management unit to update the merge management information, by specifying new merge management information, the package management unit changes a file referenced from the newly specified merge management information to read-only before updating the package information, and at a point at which digital stream playback stops due to a current title change by the selection unit, the package management unit generates new package information by combining files recorded on the first and second recording media, in accordance with the newly specified merge management information.
US08391666B2
A wire-guiding element (60) includes a lower part (40) and an upper part (50). The lower part (40) is formed in the longitudinal direction (L) with guides (46), which are formed between guide webs (45). Clamping ribs (47) are arranged on inner sides of the guide webs (45), and have first fixing means on the upper side (44). The upper part (50) has second fixing means on its lower side (51), which produce a connection with the first fixing means.
US08391665B2
Various embodiments of patch panel devices are enclosed. In some embodiments, signals received are in an electrical or optical form and converted to the other form. The converted signal is provided as an output signal. A version of the original input may also be provided as an input. A signal injector can inject a optical or electrical signal that is selectively injected into the output signals. Various embodiments also include sensor to detecting the connecting of an electrical or optical line.
US08391661B2
A multimode optical fiber includes a central core having a graded-index profile with a delta value of about 1.9 percent or greater. The graded-index core profile has at least two different alpha parameter values along the core radius, namely a first value in an inner zone of the central core and a second value in an outer zone of the central core. The second alpha parameter value is typically less than the first alpha parameter value. The graded-index core profile and its first derivative are typically substantially continuous over the width of the graded-index core.
US08391657B2
An optical module includes an emitter-side mounting substrate, a receiver-side mounting substrate and an external waveguide substrate. The mounting substrate is provided with a waveguide having a core and a pair of fitting recesses. The external waveguide substrate is provided with an external waveguide having a core, a pair of fitting tabs and a lap joint portion. As the fitting tabs are fitted into the respective fitting recesses, the mounting substrate) and the external waveguide substrate are joined together, the two cores are aligned with each other, and the lap joint portion is positioned to overlap the mounting substrate.
US08391645B2
A method of automatically establishing the correct orientation of an image using facial information. This method is based on the exploitation of the inherent property of image recognition algorithms in general and face detection in particular, where the recognition is based on criteria that is highly orientation sensitive. By applying a detection algorithm to images in various orientations, or alternatively by rotating the classifiers, and comparing the number of successful faces that are detected in each orientation, one may conclude as to the most likely correct orientation. Such method can be implemented as an automated method or a semi automatic method to guide users in viewing, capturing or printing of images.
US08391633B2
Circumscribing pixels in the surroundings of an obtained image are obtained and the gradation levels of the circumscribing pixels are compared with a predefined threshold value. The number of circumscribing pixels of which the gradation level is smaller than the predefined threshold value is counted, and, if the number of circumscribing pixels, of which the gradation levels are relatively small, is larger than the number of circumscribing pixels in the surrounding of the image, the image is judged to be a low-key image. In contrast, if the number of circumscribing pixels, of which the gradation levels are relatively small, is smaller than the number of circumscribing pixels in the surrounding of the image, the image is determined to be an underexposed image.
US08391632B2
A method of processing image data representing an image of a scene to generate an estimate of noise present in the image data. The method comprises evaluating a function for different values of said estimate, said function taking as input an estimate of said noise, and determining an estimate of said noise for which said function has an optimum value.
US08391629B2
A method and apparatus for processing imager pixel signals to reduce noise. The processing includes receiving a target pixel signal, receiving at least one neighboring pixel signal, formulating a dynamic noise signal based at least in part on a value of the target pixel signal, and controlling a noise reduction operation using the dynamic noise signal.
US08391626B2
A coefficient learning apparatus includes: a student-image generation section configured to generate a student image from the teacher image; a class classification section configured to sequentially set each of pixels in the teacher image as a pixel of interest and generate a class for the pixel of interest from the values of a plurality of specific pixels; a weight computation section configured to add up feature quantities; and a processing-coefficient generation section configured to generate a prediction coefficient on the basis of a determinant including said deterioration equation and a weighted constraint condition equation.
US08391619B2
Resolution of structural analysis using image data is improved. A method is provided including the steps of: acquiring data representing measured images and data representing a predetermined number of reference images (S103); generating data representing groups of derived images by changing a relative position of each of the measured images, evaluating similarity between the derived images and the reference images for each group of the derived images, and extracting a plurality of derived images highly similar to any one of the reference images, from each of the groups of the derived images (S105); classifying the extracted derived images into a plurality of groups on the basis of a spatial arrangement of the derived images, averaging the derived images classified into a common group to generate data representing a plurality of averaged images (S107); and determining a structure of a measurement object based on data representing the averaged images (S115).
US08391616B2
An information processor, which includes: an analyzer configured to analyze image data, obtain similarity between the image data, which is to be processed, and reference image data and determine whether or not the image data and the reference image data are similar to each other depending on whether or not the similarity reaches a predetermined threshold; an encoder configured to encode the image data; a discarding section configured to discard the image data if it is determined, as a result of the analysis by the analyzer, that the image data is similar to the reference image data; and a transmitter configured to transmit encoded data generated from the image data encoded by the encoder if it is determined, as a result of the analysis by the analyzer, that the image data is not similar to the reference image data.
US08391614B2
A system configured to find near duplicate documents. For each two (or more) documents that are similar to each other, the system is configured to identify which of the differences is likely to be generated by an Optical Character Recognition software or otherwise due to difference between the original documents. As a result, the process of identifying similarity between documents is improved by identifying documents that were originally exact duplicates but are different one with respect to the other only due to OCR errors, or correct the similarity level between the documents by correcting errors introduced by the OCR tool.
US08391613B2
A statistical system and method for generating patterns and performing online handwriting recognition based on those patterns. A plurality of predetermined patterns may be generated by performing feature extraction operations on one or more character samples utilizing a Gabor filter. An online handwritten character may be acquired. The online handwritten character may be pre-processed. One or more feature extraction operations, utilizing a Gabor filter, may be performed on the online handwritten character to produce a feature vector. One or more patterns may be generated, using a statistical algorithm, for the online handwritten character, based on the feature vector. The online handwritten character may be statistically classified based on a comparison between the one or more patterns generated for the online handwritten character and the plurality of predetermined patterns.
US08391610B2
A high-density, distance-measuring laser system and an associated computer that processes the data collected by the laser system. The computer determines a data partition structure and stores that structure as a header file for the scan before data is collected. As the scan progresses, the computer collects data points until a predetermined threshold is met, at which point a block of data consisting of the data points up to the threshold is written to disk. The computer indexes each data block using all three coordinates of its constituent data points using, preferably, a flexible index, such as an R-tree. When a data block is completely filled, it is written to disk preferably with its index and, as a result, each data block is ready for access and manipulation virtually immediately after having been collected. Also, each data block can be independently manipulated and read from disk.
US08391607B2
An image processor includes a partial image extracting unit, a sequencing unit and a difference extracting unit. The partial image extracting unit extracts first partial images from a first image, and extracts second partial images from a second image. The sequencing unit determines an order of the extracted first partial images in accordance with positions of the first partial images in the first image, and determines an order of the extracted second partial images in accordance with positions of second partial images in the second image. And the difference extracting unit that compares each first partial image with the corresponding second partial image in accordance with the order of the first partial images and the order of the second partial images, and extracts a difference based on the comparison between the first image and the second image.
US08391606B2
An image processing device includes a storage module, character recognition module, a circumscribed rectangle extraction module, a ratio extraction module, and a character size calculation module. The storage module stores a reference ratio between a reference size of a reference circumscribed rectangle and a reference character size in a reference character image representing a reference character in association with a reference character identification code which uniquely identified the reference character. The character recognition module recognizes a character image in an image to get a character identification code from the recognized character image. The circumscribed rectangle extraction module extracts a circumscribed rectangle of the character image. The ratio extraction module extracts the reference ratio corresponding to the reference character identification code stored in the storage module based on the character identification code. The character size calculation module calculates a character size of the character image.
US08391600B2
Certain imaging systems, such as automatic explosives detection systems, employ techniques that utilize image processing, feature extraction and decision making steps to detect threats in images. Such techniques use segmentation as a first algorithmic step, which extracts data representing objects from image data. Some of the extracted objects are actually composed of multiple distinct physical objects. For these compound objects discrimination becomes difficult because computed object properties are less specific than properties computed for a single physical object. A technique is described which includes splitting such compound objects by separating the data of each component from the rest of the data and using properties of density histograms based on voxel distributions in both density and spatial domains.
US08391595B2
In order to accurately determine a face area when performing image correction of an image, a pixel is set as a start point in the face area, then, pixels in which skin color is continuous from the start point are searched, and pixels that have been searched are linked to generate a skin color mask for the image. At the same time, an ellipse mask is generated for an ellipse area that includes the face area and is weighted according to distance from a center thereof, and which is composed with the skin color mask to generate a composition mask indicating the correction area.
US08391591B2
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for measuring the growth of leaf disks. The method comprises the following steps: a) Calibrating the capture system, b) capturing at least 2 images of a leaf disk, c) processing the image data, comprising i) segmenting the leaf disks by threshold segmentation, ii) multiple morphological erosion steps, iii) edge cleaning to remove the edge of the storage vessel, d) 3D reconstruction: generating a disparity map by means of a stereo algorithm, calculating a 3D surface model based on the previously determined calibration parameters from the disparity map, e) smoothing the previously obtained surface model, f) determining the growth rates from the time series of the areas. The apparatus comprises at least one camera, a lighting unit, a translation table in the X/Y plane for the camera and (infrared) lighting, storage vessels for leaf disks, and electronic evaluation and control units.
US08391588B2
Utilizing only image information of an observation image and a reference image, a strain amount calculation unit calculates strain parameters. The reference image may be generated from design data or a different observation image. Calculated strain parameters are determined using strain formulation coefficients. A compensated image forming unit strains the reference image or the observation image by the strain amount based on the calculated strain parameters. The compensated image formed in the compensated image forming unit is supplied to an identification unit, which compares the compensated image with the reference image or the observation image, and determines positions where the difference is large to defects.
US08391586B2
A method and an installation are used for inspecting a surface of a coiled metal strip, wherein the coil to be inspected is unwound along a moving plane so as to cause at least part of the strip to move to a position for inspecting the surfaces. Accordingly, the method consists in moving the part of the strip to be inspected along a substantially vertical inspection plane, between an unwinding device and a winding device arranged on two vertically spaced apart levels on either side of an intermediate inspection level. Thus, the inspection is visually performed on both surfaces of the strip by an operator moving about on a floor at the intermediate inspection level.
US08391583B1
Currency bills are received, transported, and imaged to produce image data from which a visually readable image of each currency bill can be reproduced. Each of the currency bills includes a denomination, a serial number, and a set of secondary identifiers. One of the currency bills is determined to be a suspect bill. The suspect bill serial number is attempted to be extracted from the image data associated with the suspect bill. In response to failing to extract a complete serial number of the suspect bill, a serial number field in a suspect report is populated with a serial number snippet image.
US08391567B2
A multimodal biometric identification system captures and processes images of both the iris and the retina for biometric identification. Another multimodal ocular system captures and processes images of the iris and/or the from both eyes of a subject. Biometrics based on data provided by these systems are more accurate and robust than using biometrics that include data from only the iris or only the retina from a single eye. An exemplary embodiment emits photons to the iris and the retina of both eyes, an iris image sensor that captures an image of the iris when the iris reflects the emitted light, a retina image sensor that captures an image of the retina when the retina reflects the emitted light, and a controller that controls the iris and the retina illumination sources, where the captured image of the iris and the captured image of the retina contain biometric data.
US08391565B2
A system and method of determining nitrogen levels from a digital image. In particular, a method of determining leaf nitrogen concentration and yield from a digital photograph of a fully developed leaf (collared leaf) of a crop of nonlegumes, such as corn, rice, wheat, cotton, potatoes or sugarcane. The digital image is processed to determine a dark green color index (“DGCI”), which is closely related to leaf nitrogen concentration and yield. Standardized color disks having known DGCI values are included in the digital photograph and serve as an internal standard. The internal standard allows correction of DGCI of samples when using different cameras and/or when lighting conditions change.
US08391563B2
Images from the video camera of a computer are compared over time, e.g., every few milliseconds, to determine from the pixel data if motion of the computer matches template motion associated with an earthquake P-wave. If so, a warning is generated, uploaded to a communication network, and propagated over the network to other computers.
US08391557B2
The present invention relates to a method for object detection and ranging within a vehicles rearward field of interest which includes an algorithm to translate images provided by an imaging device. An image device provides images to a processor which divides the images into groups of rows of pixels. The rows are processed by the algorithm which includes assigning each pixel in the rows to an object. The translation of the image from outside of the vehicle is provided to the vehicle operator and includes the tracking of location and dimensions of multiple objects within the viewing range.
US08391555B2
A lane recognition apparatus for the vehicle includes: a lane mark detection image acquisition device which acquires an image divided into a first image region composed of pixels having pixel values supposed to be image portions of a lane mark defining the lane and a second image region composed of other pixels from a color image of a road; a clustering device which divides the first image region into subregions each composed of adjacent pixels; a color determination device which determines a color of the subregions; a lane recognition device which performs line component extraction for each group, considering the subregions determined to have the same color as a single group, and recognizes a line position of the lane defined by the lane mark from the extracted line component; and a vehicle equipment control device which controls equipment of a subject vehicle according to the lane recognition result.
US08391551B2
An object detecting device includes a comparing unit to extract feature amounts for two regions on a determining object image and compare a feature amount based on the two feature amounts extracted; and a computing unit to select one of two values having different absolute values according to the comparison result, and compute an evaluation value to determine whether or not an object is included in the determining object image, by performing computation with the selected value.
US08391546B2
A method for assessing motion, including deformation, of a structure from a sequence of at least two consecutive image frames of such structure, which images are timely separated by a certain time interval. The method including the steps of defining a certain number of reference points at least on one image frame, and determining the velocity of motion of such reference points between two successive image frames.
US08391545B2
The present invention relates generally to signal processing of media content, e.g., audio or video content. One form of signal processing derives identifying information from media content. One claim recites a method including: upon encountering audio or video content, and using a programmed electronic processor, attempting to derive identifying information from data representing the encountered audio or video content; if a digital watermark is not obtained from the data representing the encountered audio or video content, modifying the encountered audio or video content; and then attempting to attempting to derive identifying information from data representing the modified audio or video content. Of course, other claims are provided too.
US08391544B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a storage module configured to store a plurality of pieces of comment data; an analyzing module configured to analyze an expression of a person contained in image data; a generating module configured to select a target comment data from among the comment data stored in the storage module based on the expression of the person analyzed by the analyzing module, and to generate voice data using the target comment data; and an output module configured to output reproduction data to be used for displaying the image data together with the voice data generated by the generating module.
US08391541B2
Aspects of the invention relate generally to steganography, data hiding and/or digital watermarking for video and other media signals. One claim recites a method including: obtaining a media signal comprising a message steganographically embedded therein; obtaining information obtained from the media signal; adjusting a message detection process with reference to the information; and detecting the message from the media signal according to the adjusted message detection process. Of course, other combinations are provided as well.
US08391539B2
A damper includes at least one matrix and at least one carbon nanotube structure disposed on at least one surface of the at least one matrix. A loudspeaker using the damper is also disclosed. The loudspeaker includes a frame, a diaphragm secured on the frame, a bobbin having a voice coil, and a damper. The bobbin is secured to the diaphragm. The damper has a first engaging surface engaged with the frame and a second engaging surface engaged with the bobbin.
US08391531B2
There is provided a condenser microphone that has improved portability and that can be realized at low costs. The condenser microphone includes, as all being accommodated within a cylindrical housing, a capacitor including a diaphragm electrode and a fixed electrode, a signal processing circuit board disposed at one opening of the cylindrical housing and having a converter circuit for converting a change in capacitance of the capacitor which has occurred in association with vibration of the diaphragm electrode into an electric signal and outputting this electric signal, a gate ring disposed between the capacitor and the signal processing circuit board for establishing electric conduction therebetween, a switch circuit board disposed at the other opening of the cylindrical housing and having a switch for controlling operation of the converter circuit, and a drain ring disposed between the switch circuit board and the signal processing circuit board for transmitting a switch signal according to an operation of the switch to the signal processing circuit board.
US08391530B2
There is provided a safety helmet (1) having an outer helmet shell (2), shock-absorbing material (3) and an electroacoustic transducer (5) for the delivery of a sound signal. The shock-absorbing material (3) has an outside (4) and is arranged within the outer helmet shell (2) with the outside (4) adjacent to the outer helmet shell (2). The electroacoustic transducer (5) is arranged in that case at the outside (4) of the shock-absorbing material (3).
US08391522B2
A method for providing hearing assistance to a user, comprising capturing audio signals by a microphone arrangement; measuring at least one mechanical parameter; selecting an audio signal processing scheme according to the measured at least one mechanical parameter; processing, by a signal processing unit, the captured audio signals according to the selected audio signal processing scheme; transmitting the processed audio signals to stimulating means worn at or in at least one of the user's ears via a wireless audio link; and stimulating the user's hearing by said stimulating means according to the processed audio signals.
US08391519B2
A treble-bass coaxial loudspeaker has an inverted conical frame, a bass resonance assembly mounted to the bottom of the frame, a bracket, and a treble resonance assembly. The bracket is mounted on the bass resonance drumhead and contains the treble resonance assembly inside to separate the treble resonance chip from the bass resonance assembly below. In this way, when the bass resonance drumhead vibrates, the air turbulence between the bass resonance drumhead and the wave damping annular board decreases destruction of the joint strength between the treble resonance chip and the treble resonance drumhead.
US08391508B2
The invention concerns a method for reproducing spatial impression of existing spaces in multichannel or binaural listening. It consists of following steps/phases: a) Recording of sound or impulse response of a room using multiple microphones, b) Time- and frequency-dependent processing of impulse responses or recorded sound, c) Processing of sound to multichannel loudspeaker setup in order to reproduce spatial properties of sound as they were in recording room, and (alternative to c), d) Processing of impulse response to multichannel loudspeaker setup, and convolution between rendered responses and an arbitrary monophonic sound signal to introduce the spatial properties of the measurement room to the multichannel reproduction of the arbitrary sound signal, and is applied in sound studio technology, audio broadcasting, and in audio reproduction.
US08391503B2
Systems and methods for measuring noise exposure associated with use of a wireless headset are presented. In one example, a transition from a wireless headset standby mode operation to a wireless headset active mode operation is identified. A stored noise dose measurement at the wireless headset is recalled, and a current noise dose measurement is calculated at the wireless headset for a duration of the active mode operation. A transition from the wireless headset active mode operation to the wireless headset standby mode operation is identified, and an updated noise dose measurement is recorded at the wireless headset.
US08391502B2
In an audiovisual system in which a source device and a television are connected via an AV amplifier, even when the AV amplifier is placed in a “Power Supply Standby State”, video/audio signals outputted from the source device can be viewed/listened to on the television without changing the wiring connections between the devices.An AV amplifier (100) is provided with a data storing means (106) used for indicating a signal reproduction ability to a source device (200). During a “Power Supply Standby State” of the AV amplifier (100), the content of data that is saved in the data storing means (106) and indicates an audio signal reproduction ability is rewritten into data that indicates not the reproduction ability of the AV amplifier (100), but the signal reproduction ability of a television (300), thereby producing a state that is equivalent to a state in which the source device (200) and the television (300) are directly connected.
US08391499B1
In accordance with at least one embodiment, a method and apparatus is provided for generating a first pressure wave propagating in a first direction, said first pressure wave adapted to interact with at least a first portion of a plurality of environmental objects and to produce a first response audible to a user, for generating a second pressure wave propagating in a second direction, said second pressure wave adapted to interact with at least a second portion of the plurality of environmental objects and to produce a second response audible to the user; and for causing additional iterations of the first and second pressure waves. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the first pressure wave is initiated with a first abrupt increase in amplitude and the second pressure wave is initiated with a second abrupt increase in amplitude.
US08391498B2
Widening stereophonic response is achieved in sound reproduction systems with at least two loudspeakers. A stereo signal input is accessed, which includes multiple frequency components. The loudspeakers are close to each other. A frequency range of the frequency components is decorrelated, e.g., upon pre-processing the stereo signal. The sound reproduction system's stereophonic response is widened, based on the decorrelation.
US08391494B1
A computer-implemented client-side method for protecting enterprise rights management keys from being compromised by untrusted client devices may comprise: 1) detecting a request on a client device to access protected data, 2) dynamically instantiating a processor-based secure virtual machine on the client device, 3) establishing a secure communication channel between the secure virtual machine and a policy server, 4) receiving, via the secure communication channel, a content key from the policy server, and then 5) decrypting, using the content key, the protected data using the secure virtual machine. Server-side methods, along with corresponding systems and computer-readable media, are also disclosed.
US08391491B2
A sender transmits to a receiver an optical signal that is phase-modulated in accordance with source data and a basis stored in a memory. The receiver phase-modulates the received optical signal in accordance with a basis, obtains detection data through interference, and stores the detection data in a memory. An inter-device address difference (GD) and an intra-device address difference (DI) are provisionally set. The detection data are checked against the source data while sequentially changing the values of GD and DI within a predetermined adjustment range. Based on the result of this checking, GD and DI are determined.
US08391489B2
An electronic circuit includes a more-secure processor having hardware based security for storing data. A less-secure processor eventually utilizes the data. By a data transfer request-response arrangement between the more-secure processor and the less-secure processor, the more-secure processor confers greater security of the data on the less-secure processor. A manufacturing process makes a handheld device having a storage space, a less-secure processor for executing modem software and a more-secure processor having a protected application and a secure storage. A manufacturing process involves generating a per-device private key and public key pair, storing the private key in a secure storage where it can be accessed by the protected application, combining the public key with the modem software to produce a combined software, signing the combined software; and storing the signed combined software into the storage space. Other processes of manufacture, processes of operation, circuits, devices, wireless and wireline communications products, wireless handsets and systems are disclosed and claimed.
US08391482B2
A computer readable medium having a data packet stored therein for causing a functional change in the operation of a device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the data packet is comprised of a scalably encoded data portion. In the present embodiment, the data packet further includes a header data portion corresponding to the scalably encoded data portion. The header data portion includes information adapted to be used by a transcoder to transcode the scalably encoded data portion.
US08391478B2
A key generation system is disclosed that provides for the generation of privileged group keys based on the input of a privileged group. The system performing the key generation has stored component keys corresponding to every possible subset X of the unitary set, where subsets X have k or fewer members. The privileged group key is generated for the privileged set by passing ordered component keys of subsets X that do not contain members of the privileged set to a pseudo random function.
US08391473B2
The present invention concerns a device comprising a first interfacing means for linking to a residential phone wiring and a second interfacing means for accessing a network, the residential phone wiring being connected to a first phone subscriber line interface means located in a central office, the residential phone wiring comprising plugging means for connecting at least a first analogue phone. The device comprises second phone subscriber line interface means for providing phone services over the network and means for coupling the first phone to the second phone subscriber line interface means when the residential phone wiring is disconnected from the first phone subscriber line interface means.
US08391469B2
Methods and apparatus to decode dual-tone signals are disclosed. An example receiver to decode a dual-tone signal includes a tone detector to detect a start of a first tone, a first counter to count first cycles of the first tone, a second counter to count second cycles of a system clock while the first counter is counting and the first count is less than a first threshold, state control logic to start the second counter counting third cycles of the clock when a time period elapses, the third count being substantially equal to the second count, the first counter to count fourth cycles of a second tone while the third cycles are counted, and a decoder to compare the fourth count to a second threshold to identify an event represented by the signal.
US08391460B2
A method of supporting a mid-call hand-off feature (22) is provided in a telecommunications network (40). The method includes: connecting a first call through a first switching facility (20) of the telecommunications network (40), the first call being connected between a first party served by the first switching facility (20) and a second party; receiving a second call at the first switching facility (20) for the first party while the first party is still connected to the first call; determining where the second call originated from; and, selectively connecting the second party to the second call in response to the determined origin of the second call.
US08391445B2
Methods, apparatus and computer program products for automatically identifying a calling party using voice recognition. Voice recognition is the computing task of identifying or validating a person's identity using characteristics of their voice. A first voice record is obtained from an identifiable party and associated with a voice identifier. When a second voice record is received from a calling party, the voice in the second voice record is compared to the voice in the first voice record to determine the identity of the calling party. If the there is a match between the voice in the second voice record and the voice in the previously obtained first voice record, then the called party is notified of the identity of the calling party. A voice identifier, when available, is preferably displayed to the called party on a screen instead of caller ID information.
US08391441B2
The present embodiments specify a method and an associated X-ray facility for estimating a radiation dose of an X-ray that is generated by an X-ray source and penetrates an object under examination. First dose values of the X-ray are determined by measurement in an automatic exposure control chamber. A second dose value is determined by estimating the radiation dose that is emitted by an X-ray source in a dead time of the automatic exposure control chamber. The estimated radiation dose is determined by the first dose value and the second dose value last determined being added. The second dose value represents a correction value for a non-measurable dose during the dead time of the automatic exposure control chamber that is taken into account when determining the estimated radiation dose.
US08391439B2
A radiation detector (24) includes a two-dimensional array of upper scintillators (30τ) which is disposed facing an x-ray source (14) to convert lower energy radiation events into visible light and transmit higher energy radiation. A two-dimensional array of lower scintillators (30B) is disposed adjacent the upper scintillators (30τ) distally from the x-ray source (14) to convert the transmitted higher energy radiation into visible light. Upper and lower photodetectors (38τ, 30B) are optically coupled to the respective upper and lower scintillators (30τ,30B) at an inner side (60) of the scintillators (30τ,30B). An optical element (100) is optically coupled with the upper scintillators (30τ) to collect and channel the light from the upper scintillators (30τ) into corresponding upper photodetectors (38τ).
US08391437B2
An embodiment of the present invention takes the form of an apparatus or system that may reduce the level of vibration experienced by an inlet riser or other similar object within a reactor pressure vessel. An embodiment of the present invention may eliminate the need for welding the riser brace to the inlet riser. An embodiment of the present invention provides at least one riser brace clamp that generally clamps the riser brace to the inlet riser. After installation, the riser brace clamp may lower the amplitude of, and/or change the frequency of, the vibration experienced by the inlet riser.
US08391433B2
Apparatus for transmitting a clock and data from a first module to a second module connected by a single outward line and a single return line, comprising: means for transmitting a data pulse on the single outward line comprising means for asserting a first edge on said single outward line, said first edge representing a timing edge for the clock and means for asserting a second edge on the single outward line a selectable time period after said first edge, said selectable time period representing said data; and means for receiving a return pulse on said single return path comprising means for receiving a first edge and a second edge on the single return line, the first and second edges being separated by a first time period, said first time period representing an acknowledgement.
US08391424B2
Aspects of a method and system for UMTS HSDPA Shared Control Channel processing may include calculating at a receiver, for each one of a plurality of control channels, a quality metric based at least one Viterbi Decoder state metric. A control channel may be selected on the basis of the quality metrics, where the quality metric is selected that provides maximum confidence. The selected control channel may be chosen if its corresponding 3GPP metric is greater than a specified threshold, where the threshold is a design parameter. A validity of a selected control channel may be determined based on consistency and a CRC, where the CRC may be derived from decoding a sub-frame. The calculating and selecting may be done for a first slot of a sub-frame for High-Speed Shared Control Channels.
US08391423B2
Estimating method for maximum channel delay and cyclic prefix (CP) averaging method in OFDM receiver
An estimating method for maximum channel delay and cyclic prefix (CP) averaging method in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver are described. Specifically, the estimating method performs the estimation of the maximum channel delay by adding the CP and the main OFDM signal for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and for reducing the inter-carrier interference (ICI). The CP averaging method is used to acquire a portion of the CP by using the maximum channel delay so as to increase the performance of the OFDM receiver.
US08391416B1
A system may include a receiver having a number of reception channels spread across an instantaneous radio frequency bandwidth, each one of the reception channels for receiving a different radio frequency within the instantaneous radio frequency bandwidth. The system may also include control programming for positioning the receiver on one of a number of synchronization frequencies transmitting a synchronization preamble, where a number of reception channels is less than a number of synchronization frequencies, and a probability of not receiving one or more of the synchronization frequencies is smaller than a required message error rate for receiving the plurality of synchronization frequencies.
US08391415B2
An electronic device comprises a number of sub-systems coupled via an interface. One of the number of sub-systems comprises logic for receiving a frame of input data having a plurality of phases on respective data paths. The electronic device further comprises logic for performing cross correlation on the received input data with a pre-determined bit pattern, operably coupled to selection logic, for selecting a single phase from the plurality of phases sent to the interface to sample the received input data in a middle region of a data bit period in response to the cross correlation.
US08391414B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a space block coding signal through Iterative Multi-user Detection is provided. The apparatus includes a multi-user interference cancellation unit which cancels multi-user interference in a received signal and outputs a first signal and a second signal that are sequentially transmitted from two transmitting antennas, a linear combiner which performs linear combination for the first signal and the second signal, and an equalizer which applies different equalization coefficients to the combined first signal and the second signal, respectively, to perform frequency-domain equalization.
US08391413B2
For channel estimation in a spectrally shaped wireless communication system, an initial frequency response estimate is obtained for a first set of P uniformly spaced subbands (1) based on pilot symbols received on a second set of subbands used for pilot transmission and (2) using extrapolation and/or interpolation, where P is a power of two. A channel impulse response estimate is obtained by performing a P-point IFFT on the initial frequency response estimate. A final frequency response estimate for N total subbands is derived by (1) setting low quality taps for the channel impulse response estimate to zero, (2) zero-padding the channel impulse response estimate to length N, and (3) performing an N-point FFT on the zero-padded channel impulse response estimate. The channel frequency/impulse response estimate may be filtered to obtain a higher quality channel estimate.
US08391396B2
The teachings herein disclose methods and apparatus that simplify impairment correlation estimation for received signal processing, based on determining, for any given processing interval, which impairment contributors should be considered in the estimation of overall received signal impairment correlations. These simplifications reduce computational processing requirements, allowing reduced circuit complexity and/or reduced operating power, and improve receiver performance. A corresponding transmitter and transmission method include transmitting multiple information streams to targeted receivers according to ongoing scheduling, and controlling the ongoing scheduling to reduce the number of impairment contributors considered in impairment correlation estimation at the targeted receivers. In one embodiment, a receiver identifies which impairment contributors to consider based on receiving control information. In another embodiment, the receiver identifies the impairment contributors to consider based on background processing, e.g., background determination of parametric model fitting parameters for a plurality of impairment contributors, and observing those model fitting parameters over time.
US08391391B2
To reduce the influence of Doppler shift, with the sub-carrier interval being widened in a high-frequency band, transmission timings of frames for every frequency band are matched each other. By matching the frame transmission timings, at the receiving side, once the modulation timing in one frequency band is detected, the modulation timing at another frequency band can be obtained. Therefore, demodulation can be simplified. To match the frame transmission timings, the CP length is adjusted, for example.
US08391389B2
Techniques for receiving a MIMO transmission are described. A receiver processes received data for the MIMO transmission based on a front-end filter to obtain filtered data. The receiver further processes the filtered data based on at least one first combiner matrix to obtain detected data for a first frame. The receiver demodulates and decodes this detected data to obtain decoded data for the first frame. The receiver then processes the filtered data based on at least one second combiner matrix and the decoded data for the first frame to cancel interference due to the first frame and obtain detected data for a second frame. The receiver processes this detected data to obtain decoded data for the second frame. The front-end filter processes non on-time signal components in the received data. Each combiner matrix combines on-time signal components in the filtered data to obtain detected data for a channelization code.
US08391380B2
A method of transmitting data in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes generating duplicate data by using repetition coding, the duplicate data being the same as original data, shifting the phase of the duplicate data, and transmitting the original data and the phase-shifted duplicate data. The duplicate data is mapped to a modulation symbol having a different size or phase as that of the original data, thus to reduce the PAPR unlike the general repetition coding.
US08391377B2
An active antenna, a base station, a method for refreshing the amplitude and phase, and a signal processing method are disclosed to simplify the structure of a phase shifter and guarantee the reliability of the phase shifter. The active antenna or the base station includes an antenna dipole array, a transceiver array, a digital processing unit (DPU), and a transceiving calibration unit. During signal reception, the transceiver demodulates a radio frequency (RF) signal of the antenna dipole into an IQ analog signal, and outputs the IQ analog signal to the DPU; the DPU converts the demodulated IQ analog signal into an IQ digital signal, and performs digital beam forming (DBF) on the IQ digital signal according to the transceiving calibration unit; during signal transmission, the transceiver modulates the IQ analog signal of the DPU into an RF signal, and outputs the RF signal to the antenna dipole; the DPU converts a signal of a base band unit (BBU) into an IQ digital signal in serial/parallel (S/P) mode, and performs DBF on the IQ digital signal according to the transceiving calibration unit.
US08391373B2
A method is provided for concealing a transmission error in a digital signal chopped into a plurality of successive frames associated with different time intervals in which, on reception, the signal may comprise erased frames and valid frames, the valid frames comprising information relating to the concealment of frame loss. The method is implemented during a hierarchical decoding using a core decoding and a transform-based decoding using windows introducing a time delay of less than a frame with respect to the core decoding. The method includes concealing a first set of missing samples for the erased frame, implemented in a first time interval; a step of concealing a second set of missing samples utilizing information of said valid frame and implemented in a second time interval; and a step of transition between the first and the second set of missing samples to obtain at least part of the missing frame.
US08391366B2
The present invention provides an improved motion estimation encoder for digital video encoding applications. In one example embodiment, the improved encoder receives a raw image in the form of a current frame and estimates the macroblock motion vector with respect to a reference frame. The encoder then performs an initial local search around an initial motion vector candidate derived from spatio-temporal neighboring macroblock parameters. The encoder then compares the user-defined complexity scalable sum of absolute difference between the original and the associated reference macroblock against an adaptive threshold value for motion estimation convergence. The encoder introduces a global full search around a candidate from a coarser level, in case an initial local search fails. The encoder then selects an inter encoding mode for coding the current macroblock, when the first local search is successful, otherwise the encoder selects the inter or intra encoding mode for encoding the current macroblock by comparing variances of the original and difference macroblocks.
US08391363B2
There are provided a method and apparatus for block-based error concealment. The apparatus includes an error concealment module for concealing a current block in a lost picture of a video sequence by projecting positions of at least one block in a correctly received picture of the video sequence to a position of the current block in the lost picture using motion vectors of the at least one block in the correctly received picture so as to obtain a resultant projection, and selecting one of the at least one block in the correctly received picture based upon an amount of overlap in the resultant projection. The current block in the lost picture is then concealed using a motion vector of the selected one of the at least one block in the correctly received picture.
US08391356B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for assigning priority to scalable video codings are provided. In one method, the dependency_id, quality_id, and temporal_id of a NAL unit header is used to calculate the priorty_id for the NAL unit header. In another method, the DiffServe field of an IP packet is modified based on the priority markings of the NAL unit header to provide different levels of assured forwarding.
US08391355B2
A technique for semantic video compression is shown in block (120). Uncompressed video data (210), including a plurality of video data segments (S1, S2, . . . Sn), are organized into two or more buffer slots (220), such that each of the two or more buffer slots is filled with one or more of the received video data segments, thereby forming two or more buffered video portions corresponding to the two or more buffer slots. The buffered video data is then processed by a leaking rule, to extract one or more buffered video portions, while outputting one or more non-extracted buffered video portions, as compressed video data (230). The leaking rule data is stored in a histogram (240) and later used to organize and index data according to a users request.
US08391351B2
A wireless communication apparatus generates aggregated frame including frames and having frame length, transmits aggregated frame at transmission rate of transmission rates, stores, in memory, for each of transmission rates, threshold frame length defined between first frame length range and second frame length range, if frame length is within second frame length range not more than threshold frame length, throughput increase rate not less than predetermined threshold value being obtained by increasing frame length, selects, by comparing threshold frame length at transmission rate with frame length, at least one of (a) another transmission rate of transmission rates and (b) new frame length of aggregated frame, sets transmission rate to selected another transmission rate if another transmission rate is selected, and sets frame length to new frame length if new frame length is selected.
US08391344B2
A transceiving device includes a transmission signal generating module for generating a transmission signal that is frequency-modulated by a predetermined frequency sweep width, a transceiver module for transmitting a pulse signal having substantially the same waveform as a waveform of the transmission signal and receiving an echo signal corresponding to the transmission signal from a detection range, and a pulse-compression filter for pulse-compressing the echo signal received by the transceiver module. The pulse-compression filter has an input/output characteristic. The characteristic has, when the pulse-compression filter is inputted with an input signal having substantially the same waveform as the waveform of the transmission signal, a window function shape such that a phase spectrum of an output signal corresponding to the input signal is linear and an amplitude spectrum of the output signal does not have a frequency component other than a frequency band with which a frequency sweep is carried out.
US08391343B1
A high data rate transceiver for processing high data rate serial data includes circuitry for recovering a clock based on the high data rate input data stream. The transceiver includes a coarse loop of a phase-locked loop that selectively provides a clock having accuracy that is within a specified amount. In a sample mode of operation, only the coarse loop PLL is coupled to provide an error signal from which an oscillation signal and clock may be derived. In a second mode (lock) of operation, the transceiver may lock to the received serial data stream by coupling the fine loop PLL to provide an adjusted error signal. In a third mode of operation, (automatic) the transceiver initially performs coarse loop calibration by de-coupling the fine loop PLL and coupling the coarse loop PLL until a steady state has been reached.
US08391338B2
A receiver in a CDMA system comprises a front end processor that generates a combined signal per source. A symbol estimator processes the combined signal to produce symbol estimates. An S-Matrix Generation module refines these symbol estimates based on the sub channel symbol estimates. An interference canceller is configured for cancelling interference from at least one of the plurality of received signals for producing at least one interference-cancelled signal.
US08391334B1
Systems and methods for improving the reliability of a hub-spoke communications system use a first antenna and a second antenna at the hub terminal. Spread spectrum transmission from the hub terminal uses the first antenna, and the second antenna is enabled when blockage between the first antenna and any one of the spoke terminals is present. The first antenna and the second antenna have substantially orthogonal polarizations. The spread spectrum transmissions from the first antenna and second antenna have different pseudonoise code timing so that the received transmissions are offset by at least one chip interval from each other.
US08391328B2
A diode-laser bar stack includes a plurality of diode-laser bars having different temperature dependent peak-emission wavelengths. The stack is arranged such that the bars can be separately powered. This allows one or more of the bars to be “on” while others are “off”. A switching arrangement is described for selectively turning bars on or off, responsive to a signal representative of the temperature of the diode-laser bar stack, for providing a desired total emission spectrum.
US08391322B2
Methods and systems for processing signals in a receiver are disclosed herein and may comprise receiving spatially multiplexed signals via M receive antennas. A plurality of multiple data streams may be separated in the received spatially multiplexed signals to detect MIMO data streams. Each of the MIMO data streams may correspond to a spatially multiplexed input signal. Complex phase and/or amplitude may be estimated for each detected MIMO data streams utilizing (M-1) phase shifters. Complex waveforms, comprising in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components for the MIMO data streams within the received spatially multiplexed signals may be processed and the processed complex waveforms may be filtered to generate baseband bandwidth limited signals. Phase and/or amplitude for one or more received spatially multiplexed signals may be adjusted utilizing the estimated complex phase and amplitude. Phase and/or amplitude may be adjusted continuously and/or at discrete intervals.
US08391319B2
In accordance with a non-limiting example, a system and method minimizes collisions between transmitted connectivity fault management (CFM) packets. Maintenance association endpoints are formed from a plurality of network switch elements to form a maintenance association. The clocks between each network switch element within the maintenance association are synchronized. A unique transmission window is assigned to each maintenance association endpoint as part of the maintenance association. A respective CFM packet is transmitted as a continuity check message (CCM) within the unique transmission window.
US08391318B2
A method and system of communication capable of expediting a calibration process which requires a data bus, multiple user nodes connected to the data bus, and data frames for data transmission that each include a data field and/or a control field and a check sum field. One user has a high-precision clock generator, and the remaining users have a clock generator having a lower precision. The users having the lower precision clock generator calibrate the lower precision clock generator to a system clock signal of the data bus, taking into account information contained in received calibration messages already present on the data bus. Expedited calibration requires the system clock signal period to be set according to a series of measurements and uses any given messages transmitted via the data bus as calibration messages, thus conserving bandwidth on the data bus.
US08391310B2
A wireless base station is disclosed. The wireless base station includes a traffic-identifying section which determines a type of traffic of data input; a resource manager and allocator which allocates, for the data input, a wireless resource at constant periods and in a constant pattern when the data input is of a type of traffic that is suitable for periodic allocation, and successively allocates a wireless resource available, for traffic of a type other than the type of the traffic that is suitable for the periodic allocation; and a retransmission-control switching unit which applies synchronous retransmission control for the type of the traffic that is suitable for the periodic allocation, and applies asynchronous retransmission control for the traffic of the other type when there is a retransmission request.
US08391307B2
A method is disclosed for handling communications over a non-permanent communication link. The method comprising centrally receiving a message to transmit from a plurality of applications, checking the availability of the non-permanent communication link, if the non-permanent communication link is not-available, queuing the received message for future transmission, and providing the message to a transport/network layer if the communication link is available.
US08391303B2
An apparatus comprising: a first Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) device configured to communicate with a second BGP device and implement grouped route withdrawals with the second BGP device. A method comprising: announcing, by a BGP speaker, a plurality of grouped routes, and withdrawing, by the BGP speaker, a plurality of previously announced grouped routes.
US08391300B1
A switching element and methods thereof are provided. The switching element includes a port from among a plurality of ports, which when configured to operate as a network protocol port sends and receives network information and when configured to operate as a storage protocol port sends and receives storage information. The port includes a control segment for generating a control signal for setting an operating mode of a serial and de-serializer (SERDES). The operating mode of the SERDES is selected based on whether the port is configured to operate as a network protocol port or as a storage protocol port.
US08391295B2
Techniques for routing client requests among a group of nodes offering a service are described. A coordinator determines that performance could be improved by using affinity-based routing. In one embodiment, the coordinator calculates a Time-to-Live (TTL) metric whereby clients benefit by returning to the same cache and posts this hint to subscribers. Client's start preserving locality data in an affinity context, such that later requests for a connection can be routed to the location last visited. The coordinator measures the system over subsequent intervals. If the gradient of the goodness (viz service quality and capacity) is stable or improving, then the coordinator continues to advise subscribers to use the affinity-based technique. Alternatively, if the gradient of the goodness is deteriorating, then the coordinator posts advice to the subscribers to stop using the affinity-based technique for any instance during the next intervals.
US08391290B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided that enable streaming of ATM cells between a transmit/receive data processing application and a transmission convergence function. Data to be segmented into an ATM cell is received at a SAR engine, and provided to a transmission convergence function, with the first cells transmitted to the transmission convergence function before the SAR function receives an end-of-packet indication from the optimization engine. Data received at a transmission convergence function is placed in a received packet queue at the SAR function, with packets provided to an application after a start-of-packet indication is received, and before an end-of-packet indication is received, at the SAR function.
US08391287B2
A node according to a packet relay method which enables a multicast transfer or broadcast transfer of a packet effectively is provided. When the node receives a packet set with a multicast address or broadcast address as a destination address from a source client, the packet is added with an MPLS label common to destination clients corresponding to the multicast address or all destination clients corresponding to the broadcast address. The packet added with the common MPLS label is transferred over a ring network. When receiving the packet from a ring network, the node removes a common MPLS label from the received packet to be transmitted to destination clients when it detects that the common MPLS label is added to the received packet.
US08391283B2
The invention provides systems and methods for determining the physical location of a device connected to a network. The location information is stored in a wiring database that correlates the location information with an address present in every protocol data unit (PDU) thus enabling a network administrator to quickly locate an offending device. The invention provides systems and methods for validating reported physical location information using network topology. In another aspect, the invention provides systems and methods for maintaining the integrity of a wiring database storing physical locations of devices by motivating users to report relocation of devices to the network administrator.
US08391278B2
There is provided a service system, application platform, application design framework and method of providing a service over a hybrid network comprising at least one circuit-switched network and at least one packet-switched network connected via at least one gateway configured to provide necessary conversion to a video call passing between the packet-switched network and the circuit-switching network. The application design framework is configured to be located in the packet-switched network, to be operatively interfaced to the gateway and to enable development of one or more applications to be accommodated by said framework. The application framework is further configured to be capable of receiving a video call initiated by a video device from the circuit-switched network and transferred through the gateway and of further serving as an end-point of said video call; analyzing, at least, in-band information comprised in the received video call therefore recognizing user-related information; providing the recognized user-related information to one or more applications when accommodated by the framework; and, optionally, of handling one or more media streams in accordance with instructions by one or more applications when accommodated by the framework.
US08391273B2
Internet protocol (IP) based calls from a first terminal in an IP based communications system are routed to a second terminal in another communications system. In response to a call setup request at a common communications core that is common to both the IP based communications system and the other communications system, a query is transmitted to a private telephone number mapping database that contains routing information for terminals in both the IP based communications system and the other communications system requesting routing information for the second terminal. Routing information for the call setup request is received from the private telephone number mapping database for routing the call.
US08391267B2
A wireless system includes a TTI memory architecture in which encoded data are stored in a memory at a rate of one block of encoded data per transmission time interval (TTI), TTI being selected from a set of predetermined values, the memory including memory lines each having a predetermined number of bits that is determined according to the set of predetermined TTI values. For every block of data in which the end of the block of data does not align with an end of a last memory line occupied by the block of data, one or more padded bits are stored after the end of the block of data to the end of the last memory line occupied by the block of data so the last memory line is filled with a portion of the block of data and the one or more padded bits. The block of data and the padded bits are read in one or more equal sized segments.
US08391265B2
A geographic-based communications service system has a mobile unit for transmitting/receiving information, and access points connected to a network. The access points are arranged in a known geographic locations and transmit and receive information from the mobile unit. When one of the access points detects the presence of the mobile unit, it sends a signal to the network indicating the location of the mobile unit and the information requested by the mobile unit. Based on the signal received from the access point, the network communicates with information providers connected to the network and provides data to the mobile unit through the access point corresponding to the location of the mobile unit.
US08391262B2
A technique for combining transmission bandwidths of several communication devices, such as mobile stations is disclosed. A master mobile station establishes a WLAN access point communicating with WLAN client terminals. One or more slave mobile stations may detect a predefined network identifier and join the WLAN network. The master assigns IP addresses for the client terminals and slave mobile stations. The master also resolves DNS queries in cooperation with external DNS servers. Traffic, including internet packets, between the client terminals and various internet hosts is tunneled over multiple simultaneous transmission paths between the master and a multiplexing/demultiplexing computer). The inventive bandwidth combination technique is transparent to the client terminals and the internet hosts.
US08391253B2
A pilot channel signal for time-division multiplexing with one or more traffic channel signals in a broadcast/multi-cast signal and for code-division multiplexing with a continuously transmitted pilot channel signal is described. In an exemplary method for transmitting a broadcast/multicast signal, a pilot symbol sequence is obtained for each slot of one or more frames of the broadcast/multicast signal, so that the pilot symbol sequence varies for each slot of a given frame. The pilot symbol sequence for each slot is spread with a channelization code, and the spread pilot symbol sequence for each slot is scrambled, using a scrambling code, to form a first pilot channel signal. The first pilot channel signal is transmitted so that it is time-division multiplexed with one or more traffic channel signals transmitted during each slot and code-division multiplexed with a second pilot channel signal transmitted during all slots of the one or more frames.
US08391250B2
When a terminal generates an uplink signal in a communication system, the terminal hops a sequence for differentiating itself from another terminal with time. The terminal generates the uplink signal by multiplying a transmission symbol by a sequence of a transmission time corresponding to the transmission symbol.
US08391248B2
A method of evaluating the performance of a mobile telephone network having at least a first and a second simulation of a first and a second network configuration, respectively, which are statistically independent of each other. Each simulation includes the following steps: specifying a total number of users to be simulated; determining a sequence of activation of user blocks included in this total number of users to be simulated and indicating a traffic distribution; activating said user blocks in succession until the total number of users to be simulated is reached; and processing at least one radio resource management event relating to the traffic distribution associated with each currently activated user block. The simulations are repeated until a predetermined accuracy threshold is reached for each simulated network value.
US08391246B2
There is provided a radio communication terminal including a measurement execution section which measures, as a measurement value, strength or quality of a signal received by a reception circuit from a base station, a measurement report creation section which creates a measurement report containing the measurement value, an offset amount setting section which sets a correction amount based on a usage status of the radio communication terminal by a user, an offset correction section which calculates an output value by subtracting the correction amount set by the offset amount setting section from the measurement value measured by the measurement execution section, and a measurement report transmission timing control section which designates a timing of transmitting the measurement report created by the measurement report creation section based on the output value calculated by the offset correction section and a threshold.
US08391244B2
In an embodiment, a radio communication terminal device is provided. The radio communication terminal device may include a receiver configured to receive radio data signals via a first frequency carrier and a second frequency carrier, and a controller configured to control the receiver such that the receiver does not receive radio data signals via the first frequency carrier during a transmission gap, and such that the receiver receives radio data signals via the second frequency carrier during the transmission gap.
US08391242B2
A method, mobile node (MN), home agent and system for handover of a MN from a first access network supporting network-based mobility to a second access network not supporting network-based mobility in a packet switched communication network including at least the MN, a mobile access gateway (MAG), a correspondent node and a home agent. The method includes performing proxy route optimization towards the correspondent node by the MAG on behalf of the MN. Handover from the first access network to the second access network is performed when the MN moves out of the first access network. A determination is made as to whether the proxy route optimization is to be maintained after the handover, and if so, information regarding the proxy route optimization is sent to the MN by the home agent.
US08391241B2
Systems and methods according to these exemplary embodiments provide for methods and systems for handling off user equipment between a second generation (2G) radio access network (RAN), e.g., a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network, and a long term evolution (LTE) network.
US08391238B2
The disclosure relates to automatically configuring a map of inter-access technology neighbor relations. In this neighbor relations map configured by an ANDSF, relationships between neighboring cells of differing access networks of the same or different access technologies are maintained including extra-domain and non-domain neighbor relationships. A domain refers to a domain of one or more access technologies in which ANDSF is not required for intra-domain access selection and discovery. ANDSF configures the map based on neighbor relations data reports from wireless terminals, which record the neighbor relations data as they perform extra-domain or non-domain handovers or reselections or as they scan their surroundings. ANDSF provides steering instructions to configure the neighbor relations data recording and reporting behaviors of the wireless terminals. ANDSF provides access network discovery and selection information, which indicates availability of non-domain accesses, and in some cases domain accesses, to wireless terminals based on their locations.
US08391234B2
In a wireless communication system in which a base station, a mobile station, and a correspondent station are connected via a network, the base station includes a sounding-reference-signal arrangement control unit that causes sounding reference signals 5, 6, and 7, which are used for observing a propagation path state in the frequency band and are transmitted from the mobile station to the base station, to be transmitted for each of frequency bandwidths obtained by dividing the frequency band into a plurality of frequency bands in a minimum control time of the data transmission and in a time width shorter than the minimum control time, determines an arrangement of sounding reference signals 5, 6, and 7 in the minimum control time so that at least a part of transmission in the frequency bandwidth and transmission in another frequency bandwidth are executed at different times, and holds the arrangement as arrangement information. The mobile station includes a sounding-reference-signal transmission control unit that controls transmission of the sounding reference signals 5, 6, and 7 based on the arrangement information in the sounding-reference-signal arrangement control unit.
US08391232B2
When a plurality of terminals share the same resources in a wireless communication system, and when control information such as acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NAK) information or scheduling information is transmitted, a method of efficiently performing code division multiplexing (CDM) is required to distinguish the plurality of terminals. In particular, it is necessary to develop a method by which a code sequence of CDM can be selected and used according to each cell condition. Provided is a method of forming a signal in a wireless communication system in which a plurality of terminals commonly share frequency and time resources. The method includes the operations of receiving condition information in a cell; selecting one of a plurality of time domain orthogonal sequences having different lengths, according to the condition information; and allocating the selected time domain orthogonal sequence to a control signal symbol block.
US08391227B2
A communication system and method for single-point transmission and reception and coordinated multi-point transmission and reception are provided. The system and method include determining information associated with a channel status of a target terminal. The system and method also include selecting, with respect to the target terminal, one of single-point transmission and reception and coordinated multi-point transmission and reception based on the information associated with the channel status of the target terminal.
US08391220B2
A base station is provided with an assignment unit 37 for assigning an access terminal identifier to an access terminal 21 of the base station, a memory unit for storing information to permit transition into a semi connected state where the access terminal 21 saves power, while the access terminal 21 holds the access terminal identifier, and a change unit, in a case where an access terminal among the access terminals 21 having the access terminal identifiers assigned thereto is using an application for which transition into the semi connected state is effective and an access terminal identifier assigned to the access terminal 21 is not permitted to transit into the semi connected state, for changing the access terminal identifier assigned to the access terminal 21 to an access terminal identifier permitted to transit into the semi connected state based on the information stored by the memory unit 46.
US08391213B2
An application for gracefully extending the range and/or capacity of voice communication systems. The application includes a module for the persistent storage of voice media on a communication device as the voice media is created. When the usable bit rate on the network is poor and below that necessary for conducting live communication of the voice media, a transmit module transmits the voice media out of storage at or below the available usable bit rate on the network. Although latency may be introduced, the storage of transmitted media provides the ability to extend the useful range and/or capacity of the network when conditions on the network otherwise make live communication impossible or impractical.
US08391208B1
A method for automatically managing mobile Internet Protocol re-registration is provided. The method comprises a home agent receiving a mobile Internet Protocol registration message and in response to the mobile Internet Protocol registration message, the home agent determines a registration lifetime based on dynamic mobile Internet Protocol network operating conditions. The method also comprises the home agent transmitting a registration response message comprising the registration lifetime.
US08391202B2
A radiocommunication network includes at least one communication station (GW) adapted to exchange data by radio with radiocommunication terminals (T1-T5). This network is adapted to use a data transmission method wherein, each time a source radiocommunication terminal (T1) wishes to transmit data to its communication station (GW), the identifier of at least one active neighbor relay communication terminal (T2, T3) is determined in the source terminal (T1) in order to transmit signals representing the data to be transmitted by radio to each relay terminal so determined so that it relays them to the communication station (GW).
US08391194B2
Systems and methods for identifying an address of a femto node during handoff of an access terminal from a femto node to a macro node. In one embodiment, the femto node assigns a unique identifier to the access terminal. The access terminal passes the unique identifier to the macro node. The macro node partitions the unique identifier to determine the address of the femto node. In another embodiment, the femto node registers its address with a domain name system. The macro node queries the domain name system to obtain the address of the femto node. In another embodiment, the macro node sends the unique identifier to a proxy. The proxy partitions the unique identifier to determine the address of the femto node.
US08391183B2
There is described an inventive system and method for reducing route computational work load by restricting the routing calculation to a local portion of the data path based on the consideration of the location of those member devices within the same cell, each of which wireless member units is operably connected to form a large-scale wireless communication network.
US08391181B2
To determine a relation discrimination possibility of a pseudonymous-name communication identifier so that, in each communication layer, no mismatch occurs between a pseudonymous-name communication identifier whose relation can be discriminated and a pseudonymous-name communication identifier whose relation cannot be discriminated. The Relation discrimination possibility determination means 2 determines a relation discrimination possibility of a pseudonymous-name communication identifier of a specific communication layer among a plurality of communication layers to a designated one of relation discrimination possible and relation discrimination impossible. It determines a relation discrimination possibility of a pseudonymous-name communication identifier of other communication layers to relation discrimination possible or relation discrimination impossible according to which one of relation discrimination possible and relation discrimination impossible the pseudonymous-name communication identifier of the specific communication layer is.
US08391175B2
Details of media encoding and decoding devices which support generic homing sequences, and methods for operating such devices are disclosed. The use of generic homing sequences may permit an embodiment of the disclosed invention to support real-time, bit-exact testing of existing and future media encoding and decoding devices. An embodiment of the present invention may permit the initialization of encoding and decoding algorithms to a known state, enabling bit-exact testing of a large group of devices using these algorithms, including those whose specifications do not support such functionality. This capability may permit the full-speed, bit-exact, testing, of both locally and remotely situated media encoders and decoders.
US08391174B2
According to one example of the present invention, there is provided a method of routing data packets to a plurality of packet processors in a computer network. The method comprising obtaining workload data from the packet processors, determining a workload distribution across the packet processors, and updating a balancing table used by a switching element in the network based on the determined workload.
US08391170B2
A cognitive terminal includes different types of radio modules suiting to different types radio media employed by a cognitive base station in the radio communication system. The radio module of the cognitive terminal counts the number of times it receives/transmits ACK/NACK in each unit time. A radio environment cognition unit of the cognitive terminal performs calculations using the count number(s) in consideration of the packet transmission time interval or the time required for repeating a single data packet, thus measuring characteristics of delay time variations in uplink/downlink communication with respect to each radio media. Thus, it is possible for the cognitive terminal to switch over radio media based on ACK/NACK in uplink/downlink communication.
US08391153B2
Particular embodiments provide an access gateway that facilitates communication between a plurality of access technologies. The access gateway facilitates data communication with an access terminal through a bearer path. A radio resource manager is configured to provide radio resource management functions for the communications. The radio resource manager is decoupled from the bearer path and provides control of radio transmission characteristics for the bearer path to the gateway. Because the radio resource manager is not in the bearer path, the access gateway may be access technology agnostic. Thus, the access gateway does not need to have access-specific modules based on the radio technology for each bearer path.
US08391150B2
In a satellite communication system having a long round-trip delay time, a user terminal reports initial buffer status information when the communication between the satellite and the use terminal started. When a trigger, a timer or padding requiring buffer status information report is generated, the user terminal checks whether there are data to be re-transmitted due to transmission failure from the previous BSR. When transmission-failed data exists, the user terminal sets buffer status amount, which is reported through BSR, as a value that is obtained by adding the amount of transmission-failed data to the amount of newly added after previous report. When there are no transmission-failed data, the user terminal reports BSR which is set as the amount of newly added data to the buffer after previous report. For discriminating entire buffer status reporting and the increased amount of data reporting, the reserved index of a header file is used.
US08391149B2
According to an aspect of the invention, a method for handover of a mobile terminal from a source node to a target node in a wireless telecommunications network includes the steps of making data forwarding of fresh data optional irrespective of the RLC mode, which may involve RLC-UM or RLC-AM bearers.The method may include providing an explicit instruction to the mobile terminal for each bearer on whether a bearer is subject to data forwarding or not. This may then be used by the mobile terminal to handle the buffered packets and PDCP SNs.
US08391148B1
A method and apparatus for Ethernet data compression enables the size of Ethernet frames to be reduced. Compression and decompression of Ethernet frames occur by the Ethernet network elements, rather than by user computers or end devices that transmit data on the Ethernet network. A new EtherType value may be used to identify the type of compressed Ethernet frames and optionally the type of mechanism used to compress the payload of Ethernet frames. The new EtherType may be inserted into a newly assembled frame ahead of the original EtherType. Alternatively, the new EtherType may replace the original EtherType and a short subheader may be used to identify the original EtherType. Out-of-band network signaling by the Ethernet control plane may also be used to determine whether frames are to be compressed and decompressed over controlled Ethernet links and tunnels, with or without use of the new EtherType.
US08391141B2
A system according to some embodiments of the invention includes (1) a component (e.g. ANDSF) that provides a cell selection rule to a UE and (2) a component (e.g. an access node) that provides the UE with information about the load in the cell currently utilized by the UE. This enables the UE to determine whether to leave the cell, which may be a 3GPP cell, and use a different cell, which may be a non-3GPP cell, by applying the cell selection rule in conjunction with its knowledge about the load of the cell.
US08391135B1
An access point and an integrated circuit including processor are disclosed operating the transceiver to create a station link table for a link to the station, a channel quality estimate of the home channel, an other channel quality sample log for at least one other channel and an other channel quality estimate based upon the other channel sample log. The processor using the station link table and the channel quality estimate of the home channel to determine if the access point has difficulty meeting the minimum required bandwidth and responds to difficulty by determining if the other channel can meet the minimum required bandwidth and schedule changing the home channel to the other channel.
US08391127B2
A method of transmitting an uplink (UL) control signal of a relay station is provided. The method includes: configuring a UL relay zone for transmitting a signal by the relay station to a base station in a frame; configuring a resource unit including a plurality of symbols and a plurality of subcarriers to allocate the UL control signal in a subframe of the UL relay zone; and transmitting the UL control signal by using the resource unit, wherein, if a transition gap required for switching of signal transmission and reception of the relay station is included in the subframe, the UL control signal is transmitted in the remaining symbols other than the plurality of symbols constituting the resource unit including the transition gap.
US08391126B2
A method and apparatus for providing echo cancellation are disclosed. For example, the method receives via an echo canceller a first audio signal directed towards an endpoint device, and adds an inserted signal to the first audio signal directed towards the endpoint device. The method determines if a second audio signal being received from the endpoint device comprises the inserted signal, and cancels at least a portion of the second audio signal that is associated with the first audio signal, if the inserted signal is detected.
US08391122B2
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a WORM storage system, the method including a sector-append capability. The method includes receiving data to be written to a WORM storage system. In addition, the method includes identifying a target sector at which the data is to be written. Also, the method includes determining if the received data can be added to the target sector. Moreover, the method includes adding the received data to the target sector if it is determined that the received data can be added to the target sector.
US08391119B2
Provided are an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus and method capable of managing a wavelength of a light source when information is recorded/reproduced by utilizing holography, and limiting a wavelength of an interference fringe in a medium, and an optical information recording medium. For information recording/reproducing relative to an optical information recording medium by a pickup, a wavelength detector circuit detects a reference wavelength recorded in a storage area of the optical information recording medium, in accordance with the detected reference wavelength, a controller adjusts a wavelength of a light source of the pickup to have an optimum wavelength, and if a temperature detected with a temperature sensor indicates a predetermined change, readjusts the wavelength of the light source of the pickup to have an optimum wavelength.
US08391118B2
An information processing apparatus includes a data processing unit which executes a copy process for recording data recorded on a first medium onto a second medium, and the data processing unit executes a questionable data discrimination process for discriminating questionable data which is highly likely to be not normally reproduced in a reproduction process in which a reproduction program different from a dedicated reproduction program to the data recorded on the first medium is applied, and executes at least any of processes, which include a questionable data deletion process for deleting the questionable data from a copy target or a warning notification process for notifying a user of a possibility that copied data will not be normally reproduced, according to the discrimination result in the questionable data discrimination process.
US08391115B1
Systems, methods and compute program products for compensating for asymmetry variations are described. The asymmetry variations may be monitored both circumferentially and radially across an optical storage medium such that effects of the asymmetry variations may be compensated or minimized. In some implementations, effects of asymmetry variations may be compensated or minimized by first determining light reflected from a circumferential location of an optical storage medium. Then, at least one quality measure based on the detected light is determined. The correlation may be established based on the at least one quality measure and a corresponding circumferential location. A power level of a light source that emits the light is then adjusted based on the correlation.
US08391110B2
A playback device reads a BD-J application from a BD-ROM and runs the BD-J application. The BD-J application causes, by using a socket connection API, the digital copy module of the playback device to execute copying of a protected content for portable terminals to a removable recording medium and setting of a resume playback point on the copied content. The resume playback point is specified by the BD-J application according to playback time information read from the PSR set.
US08391108B2
An apparatus includes a planar waveguide having a core layer and a cladding layer adjacent to the core layer, the waveguide being shaped to direct light to a focal point; a magnetic pole adjacent to the cladding layer; and a near-field transducer positioned adjacent to the focal point, wherein the near-field transducer includes an enlarged portion and a peg having a first end positioned adjacent to an end of the waveguide and a second end positioned adjacent to a side of the enlarged portion. A data storage device that includes the apparatus is also provided.
US08391106B2
A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a slider, and an edge-emitting laser diode that emits polarized light of TM mode. The laser diode is arranged so that its bottom surface faces the top surface of the slider. An electrode of the laser diode closer to the active layer is bonded to a conductive layer of the slider, whereby the laser diode is fixed to the slider. As viewed from above the laser diode, the bottom surface of the electrode of the laser diode includes a first area that a light propagation path of the laser diode overlies, and a second area other than the first area. The top surface of the conductive layer is in contact not with the first area but with the second area of the bottom surface of the electrode.
US08391105B2
A real time clock circuit is provided that has an onboard oscillator continuously providing an internal clock frequency, which is digitally synchronized to a more accurate reference clock frequency. An exemplary real time clock inhibits synchronization of the internal clock frequency when the reference clock is unavailable or if the reference clock's frequency is outside of a defined accuracy range.
US08391104B2
This invention relates to the dispensing, creation, and selecting of memory devices that are used with interactive medication containers, dispensers, reminders, or consoles that hold or otherwise organize one or more medication vials or containers. The memory device is attached or adhered to a medication container or vial and has information corresponding to medication and prescription information. The memory device can be prepared when a standard medication label is printed by a pharmacist and can be part of the standard printed label. In other instances the memory device is separate from the medication label. When separate, the memory device has a printed section that identifies the dosing schedule or medication name that corresponds to the reminder schedule the memory device is associated with. The pharmacist or the customer/patient can match the text printed on the memory device with the text of the medical container label to ensure the memory device is only attached to the correct medication container.
US08391101B2
Marine seismic data is acquired with a system of steerable seismic streamers that are intentionally maintained in a flared configuration while the streamers are towed through a body of water.
US08391096B2
A power supply system for memory modules includes a control unit and a voltage regulator. The control unit includes a basic input/output system (BIOS) and a control chip connected to the BIOS. The BIOS controls the control chip to output a control signal according to the number of the memory modules mounted in memory slots. The voltage regulator is connected to the control chip through first and second general purpose input/output (GPIO) buses. The voltage regulator receives the control signal from the control chip through the first and second GPIO buses and regulates power supply modes, to output different phase voltages to the memory modules mounted in the memory slots.
US08391094B2
A memory circuit includes at least one memory cell for storing a charge representative of a datum. The memory cell is coupled with a word line and a bit line. The memory circuit includes a means for providing a bit line reference voltage VBLref to the bit line, wherein a VBLref/VDD ratio of the bit line reference voltage VBLref to a power voltage VDD is adjustable corresponding to a change of the power voltage VDD.
US08391092B2
A method for eliminating bit line leakage current of a memory cell in random access memory devices comprises the steps of: periodically activating a pre-charge equalization circuit, which provides a pre-charge voltage to a pair of complementary bit lines of a memory cell, if the memory cell is in a self-refresh mode or a standby mode; and temporarily activating the pre-charge equalization circuit after the memory cell is refreshed if the memory cell is in the self-refresh mode or the standby mode.
US08391091B2
An anti-fuse circuit including a plurality of programmable units and a test module is provided. The programmable units receive a stress voltage, a program data, and a write enable signal. During a programming period, the programmable units sequentially transmit the program data. When the write enable signal is enabled, the stress voltage stresses the programmable units according to the program data, and the programmable units output programming results for test. The test module is coupled to the programmable units and receives the program data and the programming results. During a test period, the test module compares the programming results with the program data and outputs different logic levels according to a result of the comparison of the first programming results and the program data. A method for anti-fuse programming and test adapted to the foregoing anti-fuse circuit is also provided.
US08391086B2
Disclosed herein is a device that comprises a SRAM cell, a pair of bit-lines coupled with the SRAM cell, a writing circuit producing at first and second output nodes thereof true and complementary data signals responsive to data to be written, a first pass transistor coupled between one of the pair of the bit-lines and the first output node of the writing circuit, a second pass transistor coupled between the other of the pair of bit lines and the second output node of the writing circuit; and a mask-write circuit configured to render both of the first and second pass transistors conductive in a write operation and render selected one or ones of first and second pass transistors non-conductive in a write-mask operation.
US08391084B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to one aspect of the present invention may includes a plurality of driving circuits to drive a respective plurality of word lines with either a first voltage supplied from a first power supply or a second voltage supplied from a second power supply in accordance with a control signal, and a plurality of gate transistors in each of which a gate is connected to one of the plurality of word lines, and a connection state between a storage node and a bit line is changed based on the voltage provided to the word line connected to the gate. In the semiconductor integrated circuit, a gate oxide film of each of the plurality of gate transistors is thinner than a gate oxide film of each of transistors constituting the plurality of driving circuits.
US08391081B2
A memory device is provided comprising a transistor having a floating body positioned between source and drain regions, the floating body being sandwiched between first and second insulated gates each comprising a gate electrode. A control circuit is arranged to program the state of said floating body to have an accumulation or depletion of majority carriers by applying one of first and second voltage levels between the first gate and at least one of the source and drain regions, and to retain the programmed state of said floating body by applying a third voltage level to the second gate. The voltages are switched over a time duration shorter than 100 ns.
US08391074B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a control circuit. The control circuit executes control to perform a verify operation with respect to only a lowest threshold voltage level of a memory cell at a time of a data write operation, and to skip the verify operation with respect to the other threshold voltage levels. The control circuit determines whether a verify pass bit number of the lowest threshold voltage level, which is counted by a bit scan circuit, is a prescribed bit number or more, and the control circuit further executes control, if the verify pass bit number is the prescribed bit number or more, to perform the verify operation with respect to only the lowest threshold voltage level and a threshold voltage level that is higher than the lowest threshold voltage level, and to skip the verify operation with respect to the other threshold voltage levels.
US08391073B2
A method includes performing a first programming operation on a plurality of memory cells in a same programming cycle; and performing a verification operation on the plurality of memory cells to find failed memory cells in the plurality of memory cells, wherein the failed memory cells are not successfully programmed in the first programming operation; and performing a second programming operation on the failed memory cells. Passed memory cells successfully programmed in the first programming operation are not programmed in the second programming operation.
US08391064B2
A method and system for extending the life span of a flash memory device. The flash memory device is dynamically configurable to store data in the single bit per cell (SBC) storage mode or the multiple bit per cell (MBC) mode, such that both SBC data and MBC data co-exist within the same memory array. One or more tag bits stored in each page of the memory is used to indicate the type of storage mode used for storing the data in the corresponding subdivision, where a subdivision can be a bank, block or page. A controller monitors the number of program-erase cycles corresponding to each page for selectively changing the storage mode in order to maximize lifespan of any subdivision of the multi-mode flash memory device.
US08391056B2
A magnetic storage device includes a network of planar magnetic cells in a vortex state, each cell's vortex core having a magnetization with either a first and second equilibrium position in opposite direction and perpendicular to the cellular plane, each of the two positions representing binary information. The device includes conductive lines for writing binary information stored in the cells, including conductive lines for selectively applying, in the vicinity of each cell, a first bias static magnetic field roughly perpendicular to the cellular plane and a linearly polarized radio frequency magnetic field roughly parallel to the device. The described device also includes conductive lines for reading preferably resonantly the polarity using a selective transport measurement between two intersecting electrodes by guiding the current lines through the region around the vortex core by means of a point contact.
US08391052B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, the memory cell array including a plurality of first lines, a plurality of second lines configured to intersect the first lines, and a plurality of electrically rewritable memory cells disposed at each of intersections of the first lines and the second lines, each of the memory cells being configured from a variable resistor operative to store a resistance value of the variable resistor as data in a nonvolatile manner. A voltage supply circuit applies a certain voltage to the memory cells via the first lines and the second lines during writing data to the memory cells or forming of the memory cells. A detection circuit detects a change of the resistance value of the variable resistor in the memory cell during application of the certain voltage to the memory cells and outputs the detected change of the resistance value of the variable resistor as detection information. An output circuit outputs to external at least a portion of the detection information outputted from the detection circuit.
US08391044B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a first active area in a semiconductor substrate, memory cells on the semiconductor substrate, first bit lines, first line, a second line, a third line, and a fourth line. The first line extends in a direction that intersects with the first bit lines and transmits a control potential applied to unselected ones of second bit lines connected to the memory cells. The second line is electrically connected to the first line and extends along the first bit lines. The third line is electrically connected to the second line and extends in a direction that intersects with the first bit lines. The fourth line electrically connects both the third line and portions in the active area corresponding to nodes to which the control potential is applied.
US08391043B2
A semiconductor memory apparatus comprises first and second memory blocks each comprising semiconductor elements coupled to first and second local line groups, a first switching circuit configured to couple a first global line group to the first local line group of the first memory block in response to a block selection signal, a second switching circuit configured to couple a second global line group to the second local line groups of the first and second memory blocks in response to the block selection signal, and a third switching circuit configured to couple the first global line group to the first local line group of the second memory block in response to the block selection signal.
US08391039B2
A module having first and second memory devices and a termination component. A first signal line is coupled to the first memory device to provide first data thereto, the first data to be stored in a memory array of the first memory device during a write operation. A second signal line is coupled to the second memory device to provide thereto, the second data to be stored in a memory array of the second memory device during the write operation. A control signal path is coupled to the first memory device, the second memory device and the termination component such that a write command propagating on the control signal path propagates past the first memory device and the second memory device before reaching the first termination component, wherein the write command specifies the write operation.
US08391028B2
An embodiment provides a control method capable of controlling a switching-mode power supply to provide an output power source. The switching-mode power supply has a winding coupled to an input power source and controlled by a switch to be energized or de-energized. The maximum current peak through the winding is set to be a predetermined value. A discharge time of the winding in a switching cycle period is detected. The switching cycle period of the switch is controlled to keep the ratio of the discharge time to the switching cycle period as a constant.
US08391027B2
In one embodiment, a quasi-resonant power supply controller is configured to select particular valley values of a switch voltage to determine a time to enable a power switch. The valleys values are selected responsively to a range of values of a feedback signal.
US08391016B2
A carbon nanotube solder is formed on a substrate of an integrated circuit package. The carbon nanotube solder exhibits high heat and electrical conductivities. The carbon nanotube solder is used as a solder microcap on a metal bump for communication between an integrated circuit device and external structures.
US08391014B2
An expandable computer system and a fastening device are disclosed in this invention. The expandable computer system includes a computer, an expansion device and a rigid component. The expansion device includes a first holding portion disposed at a first side of the expansion device, and a first interface socket disposed at a second side of the expansion device. The computer includes a second holding portion and a second interface socket. The rigid component has two transmission plugs and a transmission circuit. The two transmission plugs are coupled with two terminals of the transmission circuit. When the first holding portion is connected with the second holding portion, the two transmission plugs are detachably connected with the first interface socket and the second interface socket to fasten the expansion device to the computer.
US08391011B2
A cooling device includes a heat sink having a top plate, a bottom plate spaced from the top plate and fins between the top and bottom plates, a first metal member laminated to the side of the top plate that is opposite from the fins, and a first insulator laminated to the first metal member. The top plate, the bottom plate and the first metal member are each made of a clad metal that is composed of a base metal and a brazing metal, so that the fins are brazed to the top and bottom plates, the first metal member is brazed to the top plate, and the first insulator is brazed to the first metal member.
US08391005B2
A frequency converter includes a housing, which is designed and envisaged for the peripheral assembly on an electric motor. The base of the housing is provided in the middle region on the outside with longitudinal ribs and is connected to heat-producing components of the power circuit of the frequency converter, is provided in outer regions with cooling ribs which are arranged on the outside transversely or obliquely to the longitudinal ribs, and on the inside is connected in a heat-conducting manner to heat-producing components of the input circuit and/or output circuit.
US08391002B2
Disclosed is a slide type portable terminal which includes a clean back cover covering a back surface of a sliding housing during the sliding of the sliding housing. The cover prevents the back surface from being exposed. The terminal further has a double sliding assembly structure to improve the assembly strength in sliding. The slide type portable terminal including a body housing and a sliding housing sliding relative to the body housing while facing the body housing includes a guide plate formed in the body housing to double guide a sliding of the sliding housing, and a double sliding plate formed in the sliding housing to be double assembled with the guide plate and engaged with the guide plate to slide.
US08390999B2
Various technologies for cooling a computer system are described. In accordance with one described embodiment, a fan assembly system for a computer comprises a fan operable for cooling the computer and a fan duct coupled with the fan. The fan duct comprises a number of attaching features. The fan is suspended at least one component of the computer. Moreover, the suspended fan enables air to flow between the fan and the component (e.g., a heatsink) to facilitate cooling of the component.
US08390995B2
An adjusting device includes a rotating mechanism disposed between a base and a supporter for adjusting an angle between the supporter and the base, a slide mechanism disposed on the base, and a turntable mechanism slidably disposed on the slide mechanism for holding a panel module, so that the panel module can slide relative to the base along the slide mechanism and for coaxially rotating the panel module relative to the base. A contacting component of the turntable mechanism is for pushing a constraining component of the slide mechanism to pivot relative to an axle, so as to separate the constraining component from a protruding portion of the rotating mechanism for releasing constraint on the supporter relative to the base.
US08390993B1
A shelf of communication equipment provides frontal illumination of a face plate of the shelf. Specifically, a shelf in a rack in a communication network includes a face plate and a bezel. The face plate has a first exterior surface that carries a legend. The bezel forms a second exterior surface extending in a predetermined direction transverse to the first exterior surface. For example, if the first exterior surface is vertical, the second exterior surface is horizontal and overhangs the first exterior surface. During operation, electromagnetic radiation generated by a source enclosed by the bezel exits through the second exterior surface and directly illuminates at least the legend, and optionally also illuminates a electronic device adjacent to the legend, such as an LED or a jack, if such a device is present on the first exterior surface.
US08390986B2
Provided is a high power super capacitor including: a bobbin; an electrode assembly being wound into the bobbin to be in a jellyroll type; a conductive connection member being formed in each of one end and another end of the electrode assembly using electric energy; and a plug being inserted into each of one end and another end of the bobbin, and being bonded with the conductive connection member using electric energy to be electrically connected to the electrode assembly. The electrode assembly may include a first electrode plate having a first polarity and including an inactive material area collector where the conductive connection member is formed in the one end of the electrode assembly, a second electrode plate having a second polarity and including another inactive material area collector where the conductive connection member is formed in the other end of the electrode assembly, and a separator being disposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate to insulate between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate. Accordingly, the high power super capacitor may increase a contact area without decreasing an area of electrode active material layer and may decrease an equivalent series resistance by forming a conductive connection member using electric energy, thereby enhancing an exothermic characteristic and being applied to a high power field.
US08390985B2
A highly moisture resistant dielectric ceramic is prepared by providing a compact containing a dielectric ceramic component powder and a second powder including a compound containing an alkali metal element, and firing the compact and a second composition containing an alkali metal element at the same time. A laminated ceramic capacitor using the dielectric ceramic is described.
US08390979B2
A blasting control system includes a detonator module, and a blasting machine interface configured for serial communication between a blasting machine and the detonator module. The detonator module includes a detonator, a unique electronic ID, a switch configured to enable/disable the detonator in response to verification of the unique electronic ID, a communication device configured for communication with the blasting machine interface, and a processor responsive to instructions from the communication device. The blasting machine interface includes an I/O device, a communication device, and a processor responsive to the I/O device and the communication device. Upon verification of the unique electronic ID via communication from a user via the blasting machine interface, a state of the switch associated with the detonator is placed in an unlocked mode so as to enable activation of the associated detonator upon a fire signal from the blasting machine via the blasting machine interface.
US08390970B2
A method and a system for ESD protection are provided. In one embodiment, the system comprises a circuit comprising at least one non-linear element, an application module configured to apply a set of current pulses to the circuit, a determination module configured to determine at least one frequency-dependent and amplitude-dependent transfer function of the circuit based on the set of applied current pulses, a modeling module configured to model at least one frequency-dependent and current-dependent impedance of the at least one non-linear element, and a simulation module to simulate a transmission to the circuit based on the model.
US08390967B2
A wiring device includes a leakage control unit for detecting a leakage current flowing through an electrical path connecting a commercial power supply and a load to perform a leakage determination and a switching unit for interrupting the electrical path in accordance with the leakage determination of the leakage control unit The leakage control unit has a filter for filtering the detected leakage, a square operation unit for calculating the square operation value of a signal which relates to the leakage current passing through the filter, and a threshold determination unit for performing the leakage determination in accordance with the square operation value obtained by the square operation unit. Consequently, the leakage determination is performed in accordance with the square operation value, so that the leakage can be detected with high accuracy even when the leakage current has a distorted waveform, and the electrical leakage can be reliably interrupted.
US08390963B2
A magnetoresistive read sensor is described. The sensor is a magnetically responsive stack positioned between top and bottom electrodes on an air bearing surface. Current in the sensor is confined to regions close to the air bearing surface by a first multilayer insulator structure between the stack and at least one electrode to enhance reader sensitivity.
US08390962B2
A station for performing a lapping method to achieve tight dimension controls for both read and write elements of magnetic recording heads is disclosed. A recording head having a read head stripe height and a write head throat height is lapped using a plurality of lapping forces. At least one of the plurality of lapping forces includes a torque force. A lapping wedge angle is controlled using at least one torque force, which controls the offset between the recording head read head stripe height and the write head throat height.
US08390960B2
A head suspension has a piezoelectric element that deforms in response to an applied voltage, a base plate provided with an opening to which the piezoelectric element is attached, and a load beam fixed to the base plate so that a front end of the load beam moves in a sway direction according to deformation of the piezoelectric element. The head suspension includes an adhesive applied to a gap between the piezoelectric element and the opening, to attach the piezoelectric element to the opening. The adhesive has a thixotropic characteristic and is sol when applied to the gap.
US08390953B2
The disk drive device includes a base plate, a hub on which a recording disk is mounted, a shaft bearing unit that is arranged on the base plate and that rotatably supports the hub, and a spindle drive unit that drives the hub to rotate. The spindle driving unit includes a stator core having a salient pole, a coil wound around the salient pole, and a magnet opposed to the salient pole. The hub formed of a magnetic material includes an outer cylindrical portion engaged with an inner circumference of the recording disk. A shaft is inserted into a sleeve, and the sleeve, which is of an approximate cylindrical shape, is inserted into a housing as part of the shaft bearing unit. The shaft is fixed to the rotational center of the hub, rotating along the axis together with the hub.
US08390939B2
The present invention is related to a lens assembly comprising a flexible lens body (10) inside a cavity bounded by a sidewall (11) and a first transparent cover (13), and a second transparent cover (14), wherein both covers (13,14) are in contact with respective surfaces of the lens body (10). Piezo electric elements (12) shapes the lens body (10) when activated, thereby adjusting the focal length of the lens assembly.
US08390927B2
Element for homogenizing the illumination with simultaneous setting of the polarization degree, wherein the element consists of at least two components. The first component is a microlens array, and the second component is a filter for setting the desired polarization.
US08390921B2
Seed light pulses and pump light pulses are generated; the seed light pulses are preferably chirped; and both are directed into an enhancement cavity at a full repetition rate. The enhancement cavity defines a closed optical path that contains a nonlinear medium that provides phase matching at a wavelength different from both the central seed wavelength and the central pump wavelength. The generation of the pump light pulses and the seed light pulses are synchronized to pass the seed light pulses through the nonlinear medium simultaneously with the pump light pulses to parametrically amplify the seed light pulses in the nonlinear medium to produce an amplified signal pulse and idler pulse. Increased conversion with low average pump power can be achieved, as well as gain bandwidth enhancement approaching octave-spanning levels. Additionally, in the case of chirped pump pulses with sufficient bandwidth, optimal output coupling can be designed to achieve the best impedance matching at each temporal coordinate and attain the highest possible conversion and bandwidth.
US08390916B2
A system and method for determining humidity based on determination of an offset voltage shift are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for determining humidity comprises an electromechanical device comprising a first layer, a second layer, and a dielectric between the two layers, wherein the dielectric is spaced apart from at least one of the first and second layers in an unactuated state of the electromechanical device, and wherein the dielectric contacts both the first and second layers in an actuated state of the electromechanical device, a voltage source configured to apply, between the first and second layers, one or more voltages, and a processor configured to control the voltage source, to determine an offset voltage shift based on the applied voltages, and to determine information regarding humidity about the device based on the offset voltage shift.
US08390915B2
A panel including a substrate coated with a thermochromic layer, and a plurality of electric conductive layers formed of an electric conductive material. Here, the infrared ray transmittance of the panel is randomly or desirably adjusted as an electric conductive layer generates heat, and the color tone of the panel may be adjusted as desired by a user.
US08390911B2
A micro movable element array includes a first frame; a second frame; a first movable part row including plural first movable parts and a second movable part row including plural second movable parts. The first movable parts include first movable main parts. The second movable parts include second movable main parts. The first and second frames are stacked such that the first and second movable part rows are opposed to each other. In the first movable part row, the first movable parts are located such that the first movable main parts are arranged in a first direction and the first movable main parts and gaps are disposed alternately. In the second movable part row, the second movable parts are located such that the second movable main parts are arranged in the first direction and the second movable main parts are opposed to the corresponding gaps.
US08390906B2
Methods and systems are presented for characterizing a printer, display or other color reproduction device in which a forward color transform having a parametric surface forward color transform and a nonparametric residual forward color transform is updated by adapting the parametric surface forward color transform using an input adaptation data set and a measured adaptation data set, generating a prediction data set in the second color space using the adapted parametric surface forward color transform and the nonparametric residual forward color transform, generating a prediction error data set in the second color space using the input adaptation data set and the prediction data set, generating a membrane forward color transform using the prediction error data set, and updating the forward color transform using the adapted parametric and nonparametric forward color transforms.
US08390892B2
Provided is a spot color printing color converting device including: an image data acquiring unit for acquiring image data in which the colors of pixels are represented by the gradation values of a first color coordinate system; a spot color list acquiring unit for acquiring a spot color list associating the gradation values of the first color coordinate system with the ink gradation values of a second color coordinate system specifying the gradation of ink colors for printing spot colors.
US08390888B2
A foreground layer generating unit generates a foreground layer on the basis of a foreground mask generated by a foreground mask generating unit and an original image. A binary image processing unit generates N binary images corresponding to N kinds of foreground identifiers on the basis of the foreground layer, and sets a plurality of tiles for each of the N binary images. Further, the binary image processing unit determines whether or not adjacent tiles are to be merged, and then sets tiles obtained by merging tiles determined to be merged, and leaving tiles determined not to be merged as they are. An image compressing unit cuts out rectangular regions from the individual set tiles by employing the binary images, and compresses the rectangular regions.
US08390878B2
A method and apparatus for permitting a user to simulate a fleet of highlight color rendering devices utilizing a single full-color rendering device. A list of available colors can be established, defined and edited by a user in association with at least one rendering device among a plurality of rendering devices of a rendering system that renders documents in response to processing of an imaging data stream. One or more rendering queues among a plurality of rendering queues can then be modified to include default color that can be queried and obtained as needed by the rendering system. A particular command can then be added to the imaging data stream, which when identified in a particular rendering job processed by the rendering system, automatically produces rendered output with the default color of the rendering queue to which the job is transmitted.
US08390873B2
A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes a first printer to print a first barcode on a medium including variable to be printed on the medium and a second printer to print the variable data to the medium based on the first barcode and to print a second barcode to the medium for verification that the variable data has been accurately printed to the medium.
US08390864B2
A print management system may include at least one client device for generating print jobs, and a plurality of print servers for storing print job information based upon the generated print jobs. The print servers may cooperate to share the print job information therebetween. At least one printing station may retrieve the shared print job information, and selectively print print jobs based thereon.
US08390863B2
Print data is input from a computer, and a main translator of an image processing apparatus analyzes the print data, and performs an output data process. In addition, a sub-translator analyzes the print data, performs an external reference data obtaining process through a network, holds the obtained external reference data in a storage device, and manages the data in a resource management table. When the main translator requires the external reference data, it performs the output data process using the external reference data managed in the resource management table. Thus, the output data process and the external resource pre-reading process are simultaneously performed, thereby improving the throughput of the entire system.
US08390858B2
Provided is an image forming apparatus which receives image data from a host device by communication and forms an image based on the received image data on a target, the image forming apparatus including: a communication unit which receives the image data by the communication with the host device; a storage unit which is able to store the received image data; an image forming unit which ejects a fluid, to overlap one partial image forming process with another partial image forming process, in the performing of an image forming process of forming the image on the target by ejecting the fluid from nozzles on a portion of the target and performing a partial image forming process of forming a portion of the image based on the image data stored in the storage unit on the target plural times.
US08390856B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a communication unit that receives a request that requests a reply and includes a source of the request and a destination of the request; and a controller that returns from a low electric power condition after moving into the low electric power condition of which the power consumption is low, and that controls the communication unit, wherein when the controller is in the low electric power condition, the communication unit returns the reply to the request received and detects a duplication between an identification information that identifies the source and an identification information that identifies the destination based on the request.
US08390853B2
An image processing system that can remove users' burden in implementing services by external devices. The image processing device includes the information receiver that receives a list of internal and external service identifiers each of which identifies a corresponding internal and external service, the reception unit that displays the list, receives a selection of an internal or external service identifier, and receives a designation of object image data, and the data transmitter that transmits the selected external service identifier and the designated object image data. The management server includes the information storage unit that stores the list, the information transmitter that transmits the list, the data receiver that receives the external service identifier and the object image data, and the requester that transmits the external service identifier and the object image data to the external device and requests to implement the external service identified by the external service identifier.
US08390841B2
An original reading apparatus, according to the present invention can include a reading portion capable of acquiring image data by reading an original, a communication portion that is connected to an external terminal device, a console capable of enabling an input operation by a user, a scan control portion that, based on a read command that is received through the communication portion from the terminal device, is capable of executing communication scan processing that sends image data that is acquired by the reading portion to the terminal device through the communication portion, and a warning portion capable of issuing a warning when an input operation is performed at the console when executing the communication scan processing.
US08390839B2
In an image formation system, an information processor stores, for each type of document, information related to the performance of each image formation apparatus to process a document. When a document to request processing by an image formation apparatus is selected, the information processor notifies of information related to performance of an image formation apparatus for each type of a relevant document.
US08390833B2
A data processing apparatus for executing predetermined printing processes to a file has: a display for displaying a plurality of boxes (folders) associated with a plurality of printing processes (for example, 2up, Duplex, Staple) which can be executed to the file; and a mouse for inputting a moving instruction to the file displayed on the display. When it is detected that the file which is moved by the moving instruction input by the mouse has passed through the plurality of boxes (folders) displayed on the display, the printing processes regarding the boxes (folders) through which the file has passed are executed to the file on the basis of the detection result.
US08390831B2
A guidance display control unit performing control so that operation guidance is displayed in a preview display area provided to preview-display image data read by an image reading apparatus is provided, where the operation guidance is used to read the image corresponding to the preview display area.
US08390822B2
Described are a method and device for determining three-dimensional position information of a surface of a translucent object having a wavelength-dependent transmittance and reflectance characteristics. The method includes illuminating the surface of the translucent object with optical radiation at a predetermined wavelength emitted from a pair of optical sources. Radiation scattered from the surface and below the surface is detected, and a phase of the optical radiation from one of the optical sources relative to a phase of the optical radiation from the other optical source is changed before again detecting the scattered radiation. The predetermined wavelength is selected so that the optical radiation scattered from below the surface and detected provides a substantially constant background intensity with respect to the optical radiation scattered from the surface and detected. Three-dimensional position information of the surface is calculated in response to the detected radiation.
US08390819B2
An optical coherence tomography method according to the present invention comprising the steps of dividing an object to be measured into a plurality of measurement regions adjacent to one another in a direction of irradiation of a measurement light, and acquiring a measurement image for every measurement region based on a wavelength spectrum of a coherent light and acquiring a tomographic image for every measurement region by removing a mirror image of a tomographic image of an adjacent region being adjacent to the measurement region of the measurement image from the measurement image.
US08390818B2
A beam diameter varying portion varies a first beam diameter of a measuring beam incident on an optical portion to a second beam diameter larger than the first beam diameter. An adjustment portion adjusts a condensing position of the measuring beam on the optical portion based on intensity information of a return beam from a position of an inspection object with the first beam diameter. The beam diameter is varied from the first to the second beam diameter by the beam diameter varying portion at the position adjusted by the adjustment portion to cause the measuring beam having the second beam diameter to be incident. A condensing position can be adjusted in a relatively short time because the measuring beam small in beam diameter is used, and a combined beam can be acquired with high transverse resolution because the measuring beam large in beam diameter is used.
US08390811B2
A multi-channel arrayed isosbestic wavelength detection system comprises an arrayed light source board, an arrayed photoelectric sensor board, and an intermediate system frame. The arrayed light source board and arrayed photoelectric sensor board are assembled at opposite sides of the intermediate system frame. In addition, the arrayed light source system has a plurality of light-emitting elements, each of which comprises two monochromatic light sources that provide main wavelength and reference wavelength respectively, and the two wavelengths are isosbestic wavelengths. The arrayed photoelectric sensor system has a plurality of photoelectric sensors, which are aligned at fixed positions in one-to-one correspondence with the light-emitting elements.
US08390803B2
A calibration device 21 according to the present invention is a member used for white calibration of an optical characteristic measuring apparatus 1 for measuring an optical characteristic of a specimen arranged to close a measuring opening and is used together with a spacer 24. Accordingly, such a calibration device 21 can perform more accurate white calibration by preventing formation of an interference pattern by the spacer 24.
US08390799B2
A measurement method and an evaluating apparatus are provided which are capable of easily and accurately evaluating the light amount of a spot beam, the diffraction efficiency, and the intensity distribution in the optical axis direction by detecting even a weak diffracted beam in an arbitrary wavelength range converged by a diffraction optical element as an imaging lens.
US08390797B2
Described herein are systems and methods for enhancing the resolution of an optical time-domain reflectometer (“OTDR”). One embodiment of the disclosure of this application is related to a device, comprising an optical measuring component collecting a first set of measurement data from a forward trace along an optical fiber with the optical measuring device using depolarized light, and a processing component calculating loss along the length of fiber. The optical measuring device further collects a second set of measurement data from a backward trace along the optical fiber with the optical measuring device using depolarized light.
US08390795B2
An optical system including a plurality of selectably directable mirrors (38) each arranged to direct a laser beam (41) to a selectable location within a field, a plurality of mirror orientation sensors (45) operative to sense the orientation of the plurality of selectably directable mirrors and to provide mirror orientation outputs and an automatic calibration subsystem (47) for automatically calibrating the plurality of selectably directable mirrors, the automatic calibration subsystem including a target (40) being operative to provide an optically visible indication of impingement of a laser beam thereon; the target being rewritable and having optically visible fiducial markings (54, 56), a target positioner (42) for selectably positioning the target, an optical sensor (44) operative to view the target following impingement of the laser beam thereon and to provide laser beam impingement outputs and a correlator (36) operative to provide a calibration output.
US08390784B2
In certain aspects, catadioptric projection objectives for imaging a pattern from an object field arranged in an object surface of the projection objective onto an image field arranged in an image surface of the projection objective include a first objective part configured to image the pattern from the object surface into a first intermediate image, and having a first pupil surface, a second objective part configured to image the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image, and having a second pupil surface optically conjugate to the first pupil surface, and a third objective part configured to image the second intermediate image into the image surface, and having a third pupil surface optically conjugate to the first and second pupil surface. A pupil mirror having a reflective pupil mirror surface is positioned at or close to one of the first, second and third pupil surface. A pupil mirror manipulator operatively connected to the pupil mirror and configured to vary the shape of the reflective surface of the pupil mirror allows for dynamically correcting imaging aberrations originating from lens heating, compaction and other radiation induced imaging aberrations occurring during operation of the projection objective.
US08390783B2
A method to measure the height-direction position of a mask M in an exposure device having a function to irradiate the mask M with light emitted from a light source and transfer a pattern formed on the mask M onto a photosensitive substrate such as a wafer by a projection optical system, a mask surface height-direction position measurement method characterized by moving, before measuring the height-direction position of the mask M, an exposure area defining member 1 which is installed between the mask M and the projection optical system and defines an exposure area at the time of exposure.
US08390780B2
A moving grating is arranged on a side of a wafer stage, a light source irradiates a light to the moving grating, diffracted lights generated from the moving grating are interfered by fixed scales and an index scale of which positional relation with the light source is fixed, and a detection instrument detects the interfered light. In this case, since the moving grating is arranged on a side of the wafer stage, upsizing of the entire wafer stage can be suppressed. Further, since interference occurs between a plurality of diffracted lights (e.g., the ±1st-order diffracted light) passing extremely close optical paths, influence caused by a fluctuation of ambient atmosphere becomes less in comparison to conventional interferometers, and thus, a high-precision measurement of positional information of the movable body is possible.
US08390771B2
A device includes: an active matrix substrate (20a) including a plurality of first display lines (11a) extending parallel to each other and a plurality of second display lines extending parallel to each other in a direction crossing the first display lines (11a); and a counter substrate (30a) including a black matrix (B) provided so as to overlap the first display lines (11a) and the second display lines, wherein the active matrix substrate (20a) includes a plurality of touch panel lines (11b) extending parallel to each other in a direction in which the first display lines (11a) extend, and portions of the black matrix (B) overlapping the second display lines are electrically conductive and are configured so as to come into contact with the touch panel lines (11b) when the surface of the active matrix substrate (20a) or the counter substrate (30a) is pressed.
US08390759B2
A display may be based on a display unit that is mounted within a chassis. The display unit may be a liquid crystal display unit. A backlight may be used to illuminate the display unit. The backlight may include a light guide plate. Light from a light source may be launched into an edge of the light guide plate. Scattered light from the light guide plate may travel vertically along a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the plane that contains the light guide plate. The scattered light may pass through the display unit and may serve as backlight for the display. The light guide plate may be mounted within a rectangular opening in the chassis. The edges of the rectangular opening and the edges of the light guide plate may be configured to reduce excessive reflections. These edges may have reflection-reducing coatings, non-planar surfaces, and other reflection-reducing configurations.
US08390745B2
The channel filter includes at a least one basic bandpass filter centred on the frequency of the channel, in series with two cascade-connected reflective filters whose bandwidths are located either side of the basic bandpass filter encompassing the channels adjacent to the channel. A reflective filter can include a 90° directional coupler combined with a bandpass filter designed to ensure transfer matched to the load impedance of the coupler with the input of the bandpass filter connected to a directional coupler output port, the input of the directive filter being formed by input port of the coupler and the output of the directive filter being formed by a port recovering the bandpass filter reflection coefficient. The invention applies in particular to the implementation of the DVB-T and DVB-H standards aimed at receiving digital television programs from fixed or mobile multistandard terminals such as mobile telephones, PDAs or other multimedia receivers.
US08390737B2
An imaging module includes an imaging element provided with an external terminal that is disposed at an end of the front surface on which a light-receiving surface is formed and also includes a substrate on which the imaging element is mounted. On the back surface of the imaging element, an external connecting electrode that is electrically connected to the external terminal is disposed. On the main surface of the substrate, an imaging element connecting electrode is disposed at a position opposing the external connecting electrode. The external connecting electrode is connected to the imaging element connecting electrode.
US08390732B2
One method of adjusting a focal length of a camera obtains a captured image of the camera by an application server, where a user can log onto the application server and decides if there is a need to adjust the focal length of the camera again. Another method obtains a captured image of the camera by an application server, determines if a quality of the captured image is acceptable by the application server, and sends the determination results to a mobile device. The focal length of the camera is adjusted again by checking the determination result on the mobile device.
US08390731B2
A system and method for measuring a border of an image of an object includes setting measurement parameters, selecting a start point, an end point, and a image capture direction, and marking isS=true, moving a CCD lens to a current point, capturing an image by the CCD lens, and obtaining sequential border points of the image. The method further includes determining if the sequential border points are fuzzy, performing an automatic focus function if the sequential border points are fuzzy, or further determining the border of the object has been completely captured if the sequential border points are clear, calculating accurate border points if the border of the object has not been completely captured, and determining a new start point to capture the next image of the object.
US08390729B2
A method and apparatus for providing a video image having multiple focal lengths includes a multi-focal lens system and a drive mechanism capable of moving the multi-focal lens system through a cyclic path. A plurality of optical images are formed as the multi-focal lens system moves through the cyclic path. An image pickup device is capable of converting each of the plurality of optical images into a corresponding image signal. An image processor is operative to preferably form a composite image signal wherein individual elements of the optical images are selected to provide preferred focus characteristics.
US08390724B2
An image capturing device includes an image capturing element that performs photoelectric conversion of light from an object and outputs a pixel signal, a lens unit that forms images on the image capturing element based on light from the object, and an optical shift mechanism that displaces optical images formed on a light-receiving surface of the image capturing element relative to the image capturing element. The optical shift mechanism has an optical member provided with a parallel plate that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the optical axis of the lens unit and rotated around the optical axis. The optical member is provided in a fluid having a higher refractive index than a refractive index of air.
US08390720B2
A system and method is provided for enabling an advanced optical magnification (zooming) function for low-power sensors, such as a remote wireless camera, using electronic methods and enabling that magnification be performed in any part of the imager. An image sensor has a set of imager pixels that have a defined field of view. A display device is also provided, which has a far lower resolution than the imager. A magnification level is selected, which results in macroblocks being defined for the sensor. A display data value is generated for each macroblock, and the set of display data values is used to drive a data display. The area of magnification is flexibly selected on the imager. As the magnification level is increased, the number of imager pixels in each macroblock decrease, enabling the display to present increasingly higher resolution images. Accordingly, an aesthetically pleasing magnification function is provided for a low-power, battery operated mobile environment.
US08390719B2
An imaging device includes an imaging section which images a subject, a recording section which stores a plurality of images of the subject imaged by the imaging section, a display section which displays the plurality of images stored in the storing section, a timetable creating section which creates a timetable in which a display time for each of the plurality of images is set and a playback section which continuously plays back the plurality of images according to the timetable created by the timetable creating section, and displays the images on the display section.
US08390718B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a visual-collaborative systems and methods enabling geographically distributed groups to engage in face-to-face, interactive collaborative video conferences. In one aspect, a method for establishing a collaborative interaction between a local participant and one or more remote participants includes capturing images of the local participant in front of a display screen. The includes collecting depth information of the local participant located in front of the display screen and transmitting the images and depth information of the local participant to the one or more remote participants. The method also includes receiving images and depth information of the one or more remote participants and projecting the images of the one or more remote participants on the display screen based on the depth information of the remote participants.
US08390716B2
An imaging apparatus includes a pedestal portion which is formed further forward than the handle holding portion and configured to store the display monitor with a display surface of the display monitor face thereto, a projected portion formed further forward than the pedestal portion, and a hinge member one part of which is fixed to the display monitor and the other part of which is fixed to the projected portion. The display monitor is drawn from the pedestal portion to an opposite side to the grip portion by rotating the display monitor in a first direction around a first rotating shaft of the hinge member. The display monitor is drawn from the pedestal portion to a side of the grip portion by rotating the display monitor in a second direction which is an opposite direction to the first direction around a first rotating shaft.
US08390707B2
According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device includes a pixel region which is configured such that a photoelectric conversion unit and a signal scanning circuit unit are included in a semiconductor substrate, and a matrix of unit pixels is disposed, and a driving circuit region which is configured such that a device driving circuit for driving the signal scanning circuit unit is disposed on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion unit is provided on a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate, which is opposite to a front surface of the semiconductor substrate where the signal scanning circuit unit is formed, and the unit pixel includes an insulation film which is provided in a manner to surround a boundary part with the unit pixel that neighbors and defines a device isolation region.
US08390705B2
A photodiode includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a nanowire comprising a semiconductor core and a semiconductor shell. The nanowire has a first end and a second end, the first end being in electrical contact with the first electrode and the second end being in contact with the second electrode.
US08390702B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for adjusting time metadata of digital media items. A digital image captured at a location is associated with a time of capture and a location of capture. It is determined that a time of capture of the digital image is in a preset time zone that is different from a time zone of the location. In response to the determining, multiple locations are provided, each being associated with a respective time zone including a time zone of the location. A selection of a location is received and the time of capture is adjusted based on a time zone associated with the selected location.
US08390699B2
A method, system and device for enhancing detail in areas of saturated color in an image are described. As areas of saturated color are detected in an image the opponent color channel is used to calculate a factor to apply to the original pixel value. By calculating this factor to adjust the pixel values of the image detail may be enhanced in the color saturated areas. A user supplied value may also be included to control the amount of automatic adjustment to the pixel values.
US08390694B2
A medical communication system includes a plurality of end-user audio/video recording and playback devices (40) disposed with recipients of medical assistance, and a medical server (10) configured to receive audio/video messages (90′) generated by the end-user audio/video devices and to generate and transmit audio/video responses (94) to targeted end-user audio/video devices. The medical server includes an audio/video recording and playback device (12) configured to playback received audio/video messages and to record audio/video responses, and the end user audio/video recording and playback devices are configured to playback audio/video responses (94′) received from the server. In some embodiments, each end-user audio/video device includes: a video recording lens (62); a microphone (64); and an automatic lens cover (63) arranged to physically block the video recording lens except during recording of audio/video content. In some embodiments, each end-user audio/video device includes a consumer entertainment device (50, 52).
US08390693B2
An image processing apparatus includes first and second standard-deviation calculating circuits for calculating deviations σ1 and σ2 indicating a luminance bias of each pixel forming an input image. The deviation σ1 is calculated by referring to an average luminance of first block images forming the input image, and the deviation σ2 is calculated by referring to an average luminance of second block images forming the input image. A first correction-coefficient calculating circuit adjusts a correction coefficient K1 based on the deviation σ1, and a second correction-coefficient calculating circuit adjusts a correction coefficient K2 based on the deviation σ2. A Y correcting circuit corrects the luminance of each pixel forming the input image by referring to the correction coefficients K1 and K2. A CPU determines an input-image-attribute including presence/absence of a face image of a person so as to change adjustment characteristics of the correction coefficients K1 and K2.
US08390687B2
A method of automated video device testing, and source and sink video devices are disclosed. A test signal may be provided by way of a video link from a video source to a video sink, over a video link extending therebetween. The method includes receiving on the video link a request from the video sink to provide the test signal; identifying based on the request, a requested test signal; providing the requested test signal from the video source to the video sink over the video link. In another embodiment, a video sink may be queried over a video link to determine a metric describing at least a portion of know video signal, as received and determined at the video sink to verify integrity of the video signal at the video sink.
US08390686B2
A wide-angle camera is fixed to direct an optical axis in a fixed direction. A telephotographic camera can be inclined in panning and tilting directions to change an aiming direction of its optical axis. An image signal from the wide-angle camera is evaluated. When an image of a moving object is identified in a frame captured by the wide-angle camera, directivity information corresponding to a position of the moving object is calculated based on a relative position to the center of the frame. In accordance with the directivity information, posture of the telephotographic camera is controlled to aim its optical axis at the moving object. Thereafter, the posture of the telephotographic camera is controlled continuously to place the image of the moving object in the center of the frame captured by the telephotographic camera. The telephotographic camera captures the moving object while tracking it.
US08390683B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for the quality control of a rotationally symmetrical body (2, 2, 2″) and a grip (4) of a handling system (5) for gripping a rotationally symmetrical body (2, 2, 2″). The aim of the invention is to improve the quality control of rotationally symmetrical bodies (2, 2, 2″) in such a way that it is faster, reliable and more economical. To this end, the grip (4) comprises grip fingers (26) having rotationally symmetrically holding elements (29, 31) for holding the body (2, 2, 2″), the holding elements (31) being mounted in the grip fingers (26) in such a way that they can be rotated about the rotational axes (29) thereof. In order to grip the body (2, 2, 2″), the grip fingers (26) are displaced on a circular path. A central drive mechanism (22; 35) is respectively provided for the rotational movement of the holding elements (29, 31) of all of the grip fingers and for the rotational movement of all of the grip fingers (26).
US08390682B2
A microscope system includes a light amount ratio changing unit for changing a ratio of the amount of light directed to a first optical path for directing an optical image of the sample to an eyepiece lens and a second optical path for directing an optical image of the sample to an image capturing unit, an image capturing controlling unit for controlling an exposure time of the image capturing unit, and a controlling unit for obtaining a first exposure time from the image capturing controlling unit, for calculating a second exposure time on the basis of the first exposure time and a second ratio of the amount of light, and for controlling the image capturing controlling unit to set the second exposure time as the exposure time if the light amount ratio changing unit changes to the second ratio of the amount of light.
US08390678B2
According to one embodiment, a display includes a telop detector, a depth corrector, a parallax image generator, and a display module. The telop detector is configured to calculate a probability of each pixel block being a telop. The pixel block is composed of a plurality of pixels in an input image. The depth corrector is configured to correct a predetermined depth of each pixel block in such a manner that as the probability is higher, the depth approaches a center of depth. The parallax image generator is configured to generate a parallax image of the input image based on the corrected depth. The display module is configured to display the parallax image stereoscopically.
US08390676B2
The invention relates to a method and a playback device for a two- and/or three-dimensional illustration, having at least one light source, at least one light modulation device, a display screen, and a tracking system for tracking a virtual viewer window of a viewer plane, in which at least one viewer is located. This tracking system has a position detection system for determining the eye positions of the at least one viewer in the viewer plane, a tracking device, and a control device for activating and controlling the tracking device, and is disposed between the light modulation device and the display screen. In order to track the viewer window along an optical axis of the playback device, a focal width on the image side of an optical system of the tracking device is constant.
US08390661B2
A method of calibrating an electrophotographic printer (30), the printer configured with a plurality of light settings, each light setting arranged to produce a different element type, the method comprising: determining (S10) a first light level required to print a first element type by applying a proportional change to a first initial light setting; and determining (S30) a second light level required to print a second element type by applying substantially the same proportional change to a second initial light setting.
US08390660B2
An image forming apparatus has a first light controller to shift starts of image writing operations of light sources by a first time interval. A test data storage stores, beforehand, test image data having dot columns formed by one-dot images arranged in a row in a sub-scanning direction and at predetermined intervals in a main scanning direction. An operation controller controls an image carrier at a speed so that adjacent dot images in the sub-scanning direction overlap. A second light controller forms electrostatic latent test images on the image carrier based on timing signals with the image carrier moved by the operation controller, and draws electrostatic latent test images with different time intervals. A density measurer measures densities of the developed test images. A time interval adjusting section adjusts the time interval based on the time interval used to draw the electrostatic latent test image having the lowest measured density.
US08390658B2
A printing apparatus is provided. The printing apparatus includes an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet in a colorant, a first sheet feeder and a second sheet feeder to supply sheets to the image forming unit, a trial printing system, which conducts a trial printing process to print at least a part of images included in a print job on a sheet supplied from the second sheet feeder when the print job designates the first sheet feeder, a first receiving system, which receives an instruction to continue printing after completion of the trial printing process, and a main printing system, which conducts a main printing process to print the images included in the print job on a sheet supplied from the first sheet feeder when the first receiving system receives the instruction to continue printing.
US08390656B2
There is provided an image display device capable of suppressing the occurrence of a color shift while ensuring a sufficient color reproduction range. An in-area maximum luminance obtaining unit (151) divides an input image (31) into a plurality of areas and obtains, for each of RGB colors, a maximum luminance value (34) in each area. A weighting coefficient calculating unit (152) obtains the maximum luminance values (34) for the respective RGB colors for all of the areas, and determines weighting coefficients (35) which are required upon an LED luminance adjustment process, based on an mean value of the maximum luminances values (34) for each color. An LED luminance adjusting unit (153) adjusts the luminances of respective RGB color LEDs in each area to suppress the occurrence of a color shift, based on the maximum luminance values (34) obtained by the in-area maximum luminance obtaining unit (151) and the weighting coefficients (35) determined by the weighting coefficient calculating unit (152).
US08390652B2
One object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a drive control circuit for a display device which is capable of displaying high-quality color images suited for external environment, display contents or the like by fully utilizing high representational capability of a display panel of multi-primary color configuration. A liquid-crystal color-display device includes a conversion circuit for adjusting a level of primary-color signals which represent the color images to be displayed. The conversion circuit receives four primary-color signals R1, G1, B1, W1 corresponding to four primary colors of red, green, blue and white as data signal for the color image display; then adjusts the level of these primary-color signals R1, G1, B1, W1 based on an externally inputted primary-color control signal; and outputs primary-color signals R2, G2, B2, W2 which are signals obtained by the adjustment. In the primary-color signal level adjustment process for the four primary colors based on the primary-color control signal, the adjustment is performed in such a way that a relationship between the inputted primary-color signal and the adjusted primary-color signal for a white color among the four primary colors is different from a relationship between the inputted primary-color signal and the adjusted primary-color signal for each of red, green and blue colors.
US08390641B2
An image processing device includes: an analysis unit to analyze vector image data including line information and area color information; a detection unit to detect a boundary pixel through which an outline passes; a determination unit to determine whether the outline passes longitudinally through the boundary pixel; and a coloring unit to sequentially fill each pixel on a scan line. A color of a target pixel is calculated based on the area color information and the target pixel is filled with the calculated color when the target pixel is a boundary pixel. A reference filling color is changed from the first color to the second color defined for a target pixel when the target pixel is a boundary pixel through which an outline passes longitudinally. A target pixel is filled with the reference filling color when the target pixel is not a boundary pixel.
US08390640B2
A television device structured to automatically adjust the color temperature on the display screen in accordance with the viewing environment includes an external light detection unit or an optical sensor for detecting the illuminance and the tint of the ambient light, and an image quality control unit or a microcomputer for adjusting quality of the video image to be displayed on the display panel. The image quality control unit adjusts the color temperature of the video image to be displayed in accordance with the illuminance value and the tint value detected by the external light detection unit. The optical sensor includes an illuminance sensor for mainly detecting the visible light, and an infrared sensor for mainly detecting the infrared light. The illuminance value and the tint value are obtained based on the output values of those two sensors.
US08390639B2
A method and apparatus utilizes a three dimensional rendering engine to rotate an image based on user selected or otherwise determined screen orientation. A vertex coordinate transformation is defined for a rotated destination image. The source image is used as a texture for texture mapping during rendering operation to produce rotated image. In one embodiment, a separate set of software instructions is used for each orientation mode. Accordingly, a non-pixel by pixel based 3D rotation may be carried out using a 3D rendering engine to avoid a single parameter based seriatim pixel by pixel based orientation.
US08390636B1
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes computer-implemented graphics frame buffer process that establishes on a computing device a graphics frame buffer accessible to be written by an application process and to be read by a graphics server process. The method further comprises generating a token whose value or values control access to the frame buffer by the application process and the graphics server process and reading frames from the frame buffer using the value or values in the token.
US08390633B2
A memory device comprises a memory array and a processing device. The memory array is configured to store a graphic data set. The processing device is configured to initiate outputting of data of the graphic data set from the memory array and to combine the outputted data in response to a read request for providing a graphic content.
US08390624B2
A graphical method of displaying interrelated blood pressure data that effectively communicates patient or group performance within or between discrete datasets. The graphical method displays Systolic Pressure (SP), Diastolic Pressure (DP), Pulse Pressure (PP), Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) and the Classification of Blood Pressure as related to a single data point or a plurality of data points from a discrete dataset. Multiple datasets can be simultaneously displayed for comparison purposes allowing patients, physicians or scientists to understand the relative differences in dataset performance across a series of datasets.
US08390622B2
Provided are a family of node structures, representing 3-dimensional objects using depth image, adoptable into MPEG-4 AFx for polygonal 3D representations. Family formats include DepthImage, PointTexture, and OctreeImage. DepthImage represents an object through union of its reference images and corresponding depth maps. PointTexture represents the object as a set of colored points parameterized by projection onto a 2D grid. OctreeImage converts same data into hierarchical octree-structured voxel model, set of compact reference images, and a tree of voxel-image correspondence indices. DepthImage and OctreeImage have animated versions, where reference images are replaced by videostreams. DIBR formats are convenient for 3D model construction from 3D range-scanning and multiple source video data. MPEG-4 framework allows construction of a variety of representations from the DIBR formats, providing flexible tools for effective 3D models work. DIBR format compression is achieved by application of image (video) compression techniques to depth maps and reference images (videostreams).
US08390617B1
A method of visualizing images of a target in a 3D modeling system is provided, according to an embodiment. The method may include mapping and displaying one or more images, generated from respective viewpoints of the target, on a visualization frame that encompasses a representation of the target based upon respective viewpoints of the images. In another embodiment, the method may include determining relevant pixels in the images and cropping the images based upon the determination of relevant pixels. According to a further embodiment, the method may include enabling a user to control the orientation of the visualization frame to display the images of the target corresponding with a specific viewpoint. A system for visualizing images of a target in a 3D modeling system may include a mapping module, a frame controller, a cropping module and interface storage, according to another embodiment.
US08390614B2
The clock signal detection circuit includes a lock detection circuit, a duty cycle detection circuit, a first logic circuit, and a counter. The lock detection circuit detects whether an input clock signal and a feedback clock signal of a delay locked loop are in phase. The duty cycle detection circuit detects whether the duty cycle of the input clock signal is within a percentage range. The first logic circuit, electrically connected to the lock detection circuit and the duty cycle detection circuit, outputs a detecting result signal which is at first logic level when the input clock signal are in phase with the feedback clock signal, and the duty cycle of the input clock signal is within a percentage range. The counter outputs a lock detection signal which is at the first logic level when the detecting result signal has maintained at the first logic level for a first constant period of time.
US08390609B2
Disclosed is a differential amplifier of the present invention includes a differential pair differentially receiving a signal, a current source connected between a first voltage supply and the differential pair, for driving the differential pair, a current-to-voltage converter circuit receiving output currents of the differential pair and producing first and second voltage signals, first and second transistors of mutually different conductivity types connected in series between the first voltage supply and a second voltage supply and respectively receiving the first and second voltage signals at control terminals thereof, a third transistor connected between the second voltage supply and an output terminal and receiving the first voltage signal at a control terminal thereof, and a fourth transistor of the same conductivity type as that of the third transistor, the fourth transistor being connected between the output terminal and the first voltage supply and having a control terminal thereof connected to a connecting node between the first and second transistors.
US08390606B2
A display device includes: a plurality of display interconnects (3) provided so as to extend parallel to each other; a drive circuit (44aa) provided at one ends of the display interconnects (3), and connected to the display interconnects (3); a first interconnect (Wa) provided so as to cross the other ends of the display interconnects (3) in an insulating state; and a second interconnect (Wb) provided so as to cross the one ends of the display interconnects (3) in an insulating state, and so as to be connected to the first interconnect (Wa). When any of the display interconnects (3) is disconnected, a display signal from the drive circuit (44aa) is supplied to the other side of the disconnected display interconnect (3) sequentially through the second interconnect (Wb) and the first interconnect (Wa) in this order via an amplifier circuit (A). The second interconnect (Wb) is configured so that the display signal from the drive circuit (44aa) is supplied to the first interconnect (Wa) via a plurality of paths (Pa, Pb) that are different from each other.
US08390603B2
A method for driving a flat panel display is provided. The flat panel display has n scan lines, wherein n is a positive integer. Each of the scan lines is coupled to a plurality of pixels. The driving method according to the invention includes the steps as follows: when pixels coupled to a kth scan line are enabled, pixels coupled to the scan lines from the first to k−1th are disabled and pixels coupled to at least a part of scan lines from k+1th to nth are enabled, thus pre-charging the enabled pixels of scan lines from k+1th to nth is performed thereby, wherein k is a positive integer.
US08390594B2
Human-computer interface devices are described in the present disclosure. In one embodiment, among several embodiments, a human-computer interface includes a display device configured to visually display images to a user and a touch sensitive device configured to sense contact with the user. Furthermore, the human-computer interface includes a composite piezoelectric layer positioned between the display device and the touch sensitive device. The composite piezoelectric layer is configured to provide haptic feedback to the user.
US08390586B2
An image display apparatus includes an LD for emitting and modulating visible light, an optical scanning device for two-dimensionally scanning the light from the Ld on a screen in synchronism with the LD, an imaging device for picturizing an image of the image displayed on the screen, and an image processor for judging presence or absence of the pointing element such as a finger or fingers which is/are used to point out an optional position on the image based on temporal change of the image picturized by the imaging device. Even when the finger or fingers of a person is/are used as the pointing element, it is possible to judge the presence or absence of the pointing out of the image by the finger or fingers. Thereby, a number of components can be reduced. In addition, in comparison with an image display apparatus that emits invisible light detects a position of a pointing element corresponding to a photoreception timing of the invisible light reflected by the pointing element, a complex detection circuit having a high time-resolution becomes unnecessary, and it enables to simplify the configuration and to reduce manufacturing cost.
US08390582B2
Displays with integrated touch sensing circuitry are provided. An integrated touch screen can include multi-function circuit elements that form part of the display circuitry of the display system that generates an image on the display, and also form part of the touch sensing circuitry of a touch sensing system that senses one or more touches on or near the display. The multi-function circuit elements can be, for example, capacitors in display pixels of an LCD that are configured to operate as display circuitry in the display system, and that may also be configured to operate as touch circuitry of the touch sensing system. For example, one or more circuit elements of the display pixel stackup can form a conductive portion of the touch sensing system, such as a charge collector, which can be operated with switches and conductive lines to sense touch.
US08390576B2
A method for detecting a user's touch on a touch panel includes: deriving a plurality of geometric differences of a first direction of the touch panel, wherein each of the geometric differences of the first direction represents a difference between respective coupling amounts at two locations of a plurality of locations of the first direction on the touch panel; and analyzing the geometric differences of the first direction to obtain at least one analysis result, wherein the analysis result comprises information representing whether the user touches the touch panel in one or more places.
US08390561B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal display device having a lamp driving apparatus for preventing lamps from being damaged due to electric current variation among the lamps. A DC/DC converter converts an externally provided DC voltage input into a converted DC voltage signal having a predetermined voltage level. A DC/AC inverter inverts the converted DC voltage signal into an AC voltage signal to supply the inverted AC voltage signal to an input terminal of a lamp. A power controller detects electric current flowing the lamp at an output terminal of the lamp to control the level of the inverted AC voltage signal output from the DC/AC inverter and bypasses a part of electric current applied to the input terminal of the lamp when a level of the detected electric current is higher than a predetermined threshold value. Therefore, when the level of the electric current flowing through the lamp exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the power controller bypasses the part of the electric current supplied to the lamp to the ground, thereby decreasing the amount of the electric current supplied to the lamp and preventing the lamp from being damaged.
US08390548B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a group of first signal lines ( . . . , Sm−1, Sm, Sm+1, . . . ) arranged in parallel, a group of second signal lines ( . . . , Gn−1, Gn, Gn+1, . . . ) and a group of auxiliary capacity wirings ( . . . , Csn−1, Csn, Csn+1, . . . ) alternately arranged one by one in parallel so as to intersect with the group of the first signal lines, a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a pixel region, an auxiliary electrode connected to each of the pixel electrodes, and a TFT element corresponding to each of the pixel electrodes. The auxiliary electrode has a portion forming a capacitor by overlapping with auxiliary capacity wiring Csn and a portion forming a capacitor by overlapping with second signal line Gn−1.
US08390547B2
Embodiments of an interferometric modulator are disclosed having various enhancements and features including a conductive bus. In certain embodiments, the interferometric modulator has a first conductive layer suspended over a second electrode layer. In certain embodiments, a second conductive layer is provided over the first conductive layer. One of the first and/or second conductive buses may further connect to the first electrode layer and/or the second electrode layer. Other disclosed features can be incorporated into embodiments of the interferometric modulator to improve response time, power consumption, and image resolution.
US08390541B2
After a sampling transistor is turned ON at a first timing when a control signal has risen, during a sampling period from a second timing when a video signal has risen from a reference potential to a signal potential to a third timing when the control signal has fallen and is turned OFF, the sampling transistor samples and writes the signal potential in a holding capacitance, and negatively feeds back a current flowing into a drive transistor during the sampling period to the holding capacitance and applies mobility correction of the drive transistor on the written signal potential. A signal driver adjusts the second timing for the video signal supplied to respective signal lines to correct a backward shift of the third timing due to a transmission delay along a scanning line of the control signal output from the control scanner.
US08390540B2
A display device includes: a pixel array having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each of the pixels including a sampling transistor configured to sample a data potential from a video signal line which is insulated from and intersects a control line in response to the change in potential of the control line, and a light-emitting element configured to emit light at the brightness commensurate with the magnitude of the post-sampling data potential.
US08390539B2
A driving circuit for a light-emitting device outputs a drive current from an output terminal to the light-emitting device in accordance with a signal current input from an input terminal. The driving circuit includes a drive transistor, a capacitor connected between a gate and a source of the driving transistor, and a resistance device and a first switch arranged in series between a drain of the drive transistor and the input terminal. In addition, a second switch is configured to connect the gate and the drain of the drive transistor through the resistance device when the first switch is closed, and a third switch is disposed in a path through which a drain current of the drive transistor flows from the output terminal to the light-emitting device. The resistance device increases its resistance in accordance with a cumulative amount of a passing current.
US08390538B2
A field emission pixel includes a cathode on which a field emitter emitting electrons is formed, an anode on which a phosphor absorbing electrons from the field emitter is formed, and a thin film transistor (TFT) having a source connected to a current source in response to a scan signal, a gate receiving a data signal, and a drain connected to the field emitter. The field emitter is made of carbon material such as diamond, diamond like carbon, carbon nanotube or carbon nanofiber. The cathode may include multiple field emitters, and the TFT may include multiple transistors having gates to which the same signal is applied, sources to which the same signal is applied, and drains respectively connected to the field emitters. An active layer of the TFT is made of a semiconductor film such as amorphous silicon, micro-crystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, wide-band gap material like ZnO, or an organic semiconductor.
US08390537B2
Various embodiments of methods and systems for designing and constructing displays from multiple light-modulating elements are disclosed. Display elements having different light-modulating and self-assembling characteristics may be used during display assembly and operation.
US08390536B2
An active matrix display includes at least one data driver circuit comprising a column data line and a parallel column current line; a plurality of pixels connected in series to both the column data line and the parallel column current line comprising at least one pixel that is responsive to the column data line to drive a selected pixel current to the at least one pixel; and a loopback control circuit at the head of the column and external to the plurality of pixels that senses a voltage difference between an input column current in the current line and a voltage of a load drawing on the current line and that adjusts a data programming voltage according to the difference.
US08390527B2
A lightweight, portable satellite dish antenna system having base and lid portions which can be configured relative to each other in carrying and deployed positions. The base and lid portions are substantially the same size and shape and have respective interior and exterior sides with the satellite dish antenna of the system pivotally mounted to the interior side of the lid portion. In the carrying position, the satellite dish antenna is retracted to align with the interior side of the lid portion and the lid and base portions are secured together with the interior sides thereof facing and abutting each other. In the deployed or operating position, the lid portion is inverted and placed atop the base portion with the exterior side of the lid portion and the interior side of the base portion facing and abutting one another on mating bearing surfaces extending about a central, vertical axis.
US08390513B2
A GNSS platform architecture with advanced tracking and search engines. The tracking and search functions are separated into 2 independent engines each highly optimized for their targeted functions.
US08390511B2
A reception unit receives global positioning system signals transmitted by a plurality of satellites to obtain satellite information. A determination unit determines whether or not a state in which the reception unit receives the global positioning system signals is a predetermined reception state. A positional calculation unit calculates a current position based on ephemeris information and almanac information when the reception state is the predetermined reception state, the ephemeris information including at least six orbital elements and being obtained from satellite information of first and second satellites among satellite information of three satellites, and the almanac information including at least six orbital elements on a general orbit of a third satellite of the three satellites.
US08390508B1
In one aspect, a method to generate radar cross section (RCS) signatures, includes determining a spectrum of an object and using the spectrum of the object to generate RCS signatures of a plurality of objects. In another aspect, an apparatus to generate radar cross section (RCS) signatures includes circuitry to determine a spectrum of an object; and use the spectrum of the object to generate RCS signatures of a plurality of objects. In a further aspect, an article includes a machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions to generate radar cross section signatures (RCS). The executable instructions cause a machine to determine a spectrum of an object and use the spectrum of the object to generate RCS signatures of a plurality of objects.
US08390505B2
A process and a device for detecting aircrafts circulating in an air space surrounding an airplane is disclosed. The device (1A) comprises means (2, 3) for detecting an aircraft circulating in the air space surrounding the airplane and, in case of a detection, for determining a first position and a second position of the aircraft with respect to the airplane, and means (8A) for comparing said first and second positions so as to check whether they match.
US08390503B2
A remote control method includes: grouping a plurality of apparatuses to respond to a command from a single remote controller at the same time; broadcasting, by the remote controller, a command corresponding to an operation; receiving, by each of the plurality of apparatuses, the command and judging whether the received command is addressed to a group to which the apparatus itself belongs; and executing, when it is judged by each of the plurality of apparatuses that the received command is addressed to the apparatus itself, processing corresponding to the command.
US08390502B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a charge redistribution DAC with an on-chip reservoir capacitor to provide charges to the DAC in lieu of traditional external reference voltages. The DAC may include the on-chip reservoir capacitor having a first plate and a second plate, an array of DAC capacitors to generate a DAC output, and an array of switches controlled by a DAC input word to couple the DAC capacitors to the reservoir capacitor. The charge redistribution DAC may further comprise a first switch connecting the first plate to an external terminal for a first external reference voltage, and a second switch connecting the second plate to an external terminal for a second external reference voltage. One embodiment may provide an ADC that includes the charge redistribution DAC.
US08390492B2
A signal processing apparatus includes: a digital processing unit to which a digital input signal is supplied, which performs a digital process on the digital input signal to produce a digital signal, and which produces a control signal designating a specific time period when an amplitude of an analog output signal is to be lowered; a DA-conversion unit which converts the digital signal to produce an analog signal; and a variable gain unit which adjusts an amplitude of the analog signal to produce the analog output signal, and which lowers the amplitude of the analog output signal during the specific time period designated by the control signal.
US08390490B2
Compressive sensing is an emerging field that attempts to prevent the losses associated with data compression and improve efficiency overall, and compressive sensing looks to perform the compression before or during capture, before energy is wasted. Here, several analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architectures are provided to perform compressive sensing. Each of these new architectures selects resolutions for each sample substantially at random and adjusts the sampling rate as a function of these selected resolutions.
US08390483B2
A coding apparatus includes a transform table in which with regard to data words of m bits and code words of n bits where n and m are both integers and also n>m is established, 2m pieces of code words selected to have a tendency that the number of symbols “1” is small among the 2n pieces of code words of n bits are associated with the 2m pieces of data words of m bits and a coding unit that encodes input data words of m bits on the basis of the transform table.
US08390482B2
Provided is an encoding apparatus including an encoding unit that generates encoded data formed from a sequence of base-k data in which m pieces (m
US08390480B2
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for storing, referencing, retrieving, and graphically displaying spatial and non-spatial related information of a mobile computing device, such as a laptop computer or a cellular telephone. The spatial-related information may be obtained by using positioning tracking systems such as a global positioning system, whereas the non-spatial related information may include communication activities associated with the mobile computing device, such as phone calls, e-mails, text messages, pages, etc. The present invention also provides methods and apparatus of sharing event information between mobile communication devices as well as related navigational information for traveling to an event from a real-time position of a mobile communication device.
US08390469B2
A method and system that controls the playing of different audio or video files by an electric device in a motor vehicle that includes a plurality of different audio or video files and an audio file player software program. The electronic device is coupled to at least one external sensor that measures one of the following: the motor vehicle's current location, the time of day, and/or the weather or temperature. The software program is configured to automatically play the audio file associated with an external condition when the external condition occurs. When the motor vehicle is operating, and the occupant is listening to the electronic device, the audio or video files are automatically played based on the occurrence of the linked external condition.
US08390468B2
A method for collecting and recording external environment data in emergency situation for aircraft and watercraft is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes several modules which collects and records external environment data. At the same time the data and the emergency signal is also sent to control tower in order to help the rescue team. The emergency information system may also be used to replace the ‘black box’ if the voyage data transmitted to the “black box” is also transmitted to the emergency information system.
US08390462B2
Systems and methods to monitor a person in a residence are provided. A particular method includes receiving data at a monitoring service from a set-top box (STB) device. The data includes a location in a residence of a person being monitored. The location may be obtained from a location system in the residence. The data also includes an associated time stamp for the location. The method includes analyzing the data based on a profile of the person to determine whether one or more alert conditions are satisfied. The method also includes providing a notification when one or more of the alert conditions are satisfied.
US08390461B2
A device for counting and determining the direction of passage of living beings. A first cell delivers an electrical signal representing the passage of a living being. A second pryoelectric cell delivers a second electrical signal. A processing unit analyzes the signals and determines the number of living beings moving past and their direction of movement.
US08390452B2
Color coding tape having one or more RFID tags are attached to surgical instruments or other medical devices. Information relating to the medical devices can be written to and/or read from the RFID tags. The medical devices can be usually identified by the color coding tape.
US08390446B2
A method and apparatus for on-line measurement and forecasting of a species concentration while a reaction is taking place, based on the measurement of the electrical conductivity of the reacting volume, and using such measurement to evaluate a first mathematical function relating such value to the concentration of the species in the reacting volume. The evaluation of the first mathematical function requires as inputs: electrical conductivity trajectory, time elapsed, and other significant process variables; it generates as outputs the estimated actual species concentration and at least one forecasted concentration value.
US08390439B2
A method and apparatus of generating mood-based haptic feedback are disclosed. A haptic system includes a sensing device, a digital processing unit, and a haptic generator. The sensing device, in one embodiment, is configured to detect user's modalities in accordance with mood information collected by one or more sensors and capable of issuing a sensing signal in response to the user's modalities. The digital processing unit is capable of identifying a user's condition in accordance with the sensing signal and providing a haptic signal in response to the user's condition. The user's condition, in one aspect, indicates user's mood and/or user's psychological conditions. The haptic generator generates haptic feedback in accordance with the haptic signal.
US08390426B2
There is disclosed an apparatus for remote opening of doors or gates of at least a building (A, A1 . . . An). The apparatus comprises a unit (B, B 1 . . . Bn) located in the building (A, A1 . . . An) and accessible from a plurality of external terminals (C1 . . . Cn) provided with a GSM module; the unit (B, B1 . . . Bn) is connected to electromechanical means (50) suitable for opening and closing said doors or gates and comprises a database (2) containing the list of the telephone numbers of said plurality of external terminals (C1 . . . Cn), a GSM interface (3) for connecting to the external terminals (C1 . . . Cn) and means (4) for managing said interface (3) and said database (2). The managing means (4) is interrogatable by the external terminals (C1 . . . Cn) and is suitable for commanding the electromechanical means (50) for opening gates or doors if the telephone number of the interrogating external terminal is on the list of telephone numbers of the external terminals (C1 . . . Cn) of the database.
US08390425B1
RFID readers, reader systems, and methods are provided that utilize double conversion for received tag response signals. A digitized signal is derived from the tag response signal by first shifting the response signal to about DC. The components of the digitized signal are then up converted and down converted and filtered such that only components around DC remain. The up converted and down converted signals may then be compared and one selected or the two combined after weighting to enhance demodulation and reduce circuit complexity.
US08390421B2
A semiconductor ceramic and a positive-coefficient characteristic thermistor are provided which have a stable PTC characteristic, a high double point, and a wide operating temperature range. The semiconductor ceramic contains, as a main component, a barium titanate-based composition having a perovskite structure expressed by a general formula AmBO3. Out of 100 mol % of the Ti, an amount in a range of 0.05 mol % or more to 0.3 mol % or less of Ti is replaced with W as a semiconductor forming agent, the ratio m of A sites mainly to B sites is 0.99≦m≦1.002, and an actually-measured sintered density is 70% or more and 90% or less of the theoretical sintered density. In the positive-coefficient characteristic thermistor, a component body is formed of the semiconductor ceramic.
US08390419B2
An electrical assembly for use with a rotary transformer is provided. The electrical assembly includes a assembly structure having a first flange positioned proximate a first end portion of the assembly structure and a second flange positioned proximate a second end portion of the assembly structure. The electrical assembly further includes at least one lamella coupled to the assembly structure. The at least one lamella extends from the first flange to the second flange.
US08390414B2
A transformer for converting 3 phase AC to 9 phase AC power is provided. The transformer comprising a laminated core, first, second and third coils constructed on the laminated core, each coil including several windings. Cooling ducts are provided in each coil, wherein at least one cooling duct is disposed between the laminated core and an adjacent winding of the respective coil. The transformer further includes first, second and third input terminals each linked to the first, second and third coils, and configured to receive a first, second and third phases of input AC power and first through ninth output terminals linkable to first through ninth output power lines.
US08390410B2
An electromagnetic relay switches to conduct and interrupt currents having different magnitudes and flowing though mutually opposite paths via the electromagnetic relay. The relay includes a coil generating a magnetic force and a pair of contact sections opened and closed selectively by the magnetic force. The contact sections comprise a pair of fixed contacts and a pair of movable contacts. Each fixed contacts is held by a pair of conductive fixed holders and is near a tip section of each fixed holder. The movable contacts are fixed to a conductive movable holder and moves toward and away from the fixed holders selectively in response to the magnetic force. The relay further includes two arc-extinguishing magnet members adjacent to the contact sections such that, the arc generated by interrupting one current having a magnitude larger than the other current is extended toward the tip section at each contact section.
US08390408B2
In an electromagnetic switch, current flow through a coil causes a plunger to be axially displaced by magnetic attraction, against a restoring force of a return spring, thereby axially displacing a movable contact against fixed contacts and so enabling current flow via the contacts. One or more contact displacement limiting members are disposed on the opposite side of the fixed contacts from the movable contact, for limiting the extent to which the movable contact can be axially displaced when the fixed contacts have become worn by repetitive switching operations. A condition in which the movable contact cannot be restored to a “contacts open” position is thereby prevented.
US08390391B2
A semiconductor die has an RF coupler and balun integrated on a common substrate. The RF coupler includes first and second conductive traces formed in close proximity. The RF coupler further includes a resistor. The balun includes a primary coil and two secondary coils. A first capacitor is coupled between first and second terminals of the semiconductor die. A second capacitor is coupled between a third terminal of the semiconductor die and a ground terminal. A third capacitor is coupled between a fourth terminal of the semiconductor die and the ground terminal. A fourth capacitor is coupled between the high side and low side of the primary coil. The integration of the RF coupler and balun on the common substrate offers flexible coupling strength and signal directivity, and further improves electrical performance due to short lead lengths, reduces form factor, and increases manufacturing yield.
US08390390B2
The present invention relates to an oven controlled crystal oscillator that can obtain stable oscillation frequency by reducing a temperature change in an oscillation element. The oven controlled crystal oscillator comprises; a heat-conducting plate mounted on one surface of a circuit board, a crystal resonator mounted on a surface of the heat-conducting plate opposite to the surface of the circuit board, an oscillation element constituting an oscillation circuit together with the crystal resonator, and a thermistor that detects temperature of the crystal resonator, a heating resistance which heats the crystal resonator, and a temperature control element including at least a power transistor, to constitute a temperature control circuit together with the thermistor and the heating resistance. In the oven controlled crystal oscillator, two or more open areas communicating with the heat-conducting plate at least in the thickness direction thereof are formed on the periphery of the heat-conducting plate at positions point-symmetric with respect to the crystal resonator, and one or more of each of the power transistor and the heating resistance are arranged in the same number in all of the open areas.
US08390387B2
A crystalline semiconductor resonator device comprises two matched resonators which are aligned differently with respect to the crystal structure of the crystalline semiconductor. The resonators each comprise a portion of a material having a different temperature dependency of the Young's modulus to the temperature dependency of the Young's modulus of the crystalline semiconductor material. In this way, the suspension springs for the resonators have different properties, which influence the resonant frequency. The resonant frequency ratios between the first and second resonators at a calibration temperature and an operation temperature are measured. A frequency of one (or both) of the resonators at the operation temperature can then be derived which takes into account the temperature dependency of the one of the resonators.
US08390386B2
A variable inductor includes: a first inductor having two ends connected to a first terminal and a second terminal; a second inductor having two ends connected to the first terminal and the second terminal; a first node provided on the first inductor; a second node provided on the second inductor; and a switch element that switches between a conductive state and a non-conductive state between the first node and the second node.
US08390385B2
An oscillation circuit includes: a first oscillation circuit and a second oscillation circuit, wherein the first oscillation circuit includes a first input side electrode electrically connected to a first oscillator and a first output side electrode electrically connected to the first oscillator, and the second oscillation circuit includes a second input side electrode electrically connected to a second oscillator and a second output side electrode electrically connected to the second oscillator, wherein the distance between the first output side electrode and the second input side electrode is greater than the distance between the first input side electrode and the first output side electrode.
US08390381B2
The invention refers to a Doherty power amplifier comprising a first power amplifier (Main PA) adapted to receive an input signal and adapted to provide a first output signal which is phase shifted with respect to the input signal. The amplifier further comprises a second power amplifier (Peak PA), adapted to receive a phase shifted input signal and adapted to provide a second output signal. The power amplifier is characterized in that at least one of the first or the second power amplifiers comprises a first driver power amplifier (T1) comprising a first gate input and a first drain output. The first driver power amplifier (T1) is coupled to a first output power amplifier (T2) comprising a second gate input and a second drain output. The first gate input and the second gate input are adapted to receive a control signal, the control signal being obtained after an envelope detection provided by an envelope detector coupled to the input signal.
US08390379B2
Various apparatuses, methods and systems for boosting an amplifier slew rate are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus including a pair of inputs connected to a pair of differential input devices in an amplifier, a current source, a first current path connected to the current source, a second current path connected to the current source and to the pair of differential input devices, a switch in the first current path, and a voltage difference signal connected between the pair of inputs and the switch. The voltage difference signal represents the voltage difference between the pair of inputs. The conductance of the switch is inversely proportional to the voltage difference signal.
US08390372B2
A sample-and-hold amplifier (400) having a sample phase of operation and a hold phase of operation. The sample-and-hold amplifier comprising one or more sampling components (404, 406) configured to sample input signals during the sample phase of operation, and provide sampled input signals during the hold phase of operation, and an amplifier (402) configured to pre-charge the output (416, 418) of the sample-and-hold amplifier (400) during the sample phase of operation, and buffer the sampled input signal during the hold phase of operation.
US08390370B2
There is provided a filter circuit that includes: a flying capacitor which maintains polarity when switching from an input terminal to an output terminal, and the polarity of which is reversed when switching from the output terminal to the input terminal; a first capacitor that is provided in parallel with the flying capacitor, at the input terminal of the flying capacitor; and a second capacitor that is provided in parallel with the flying capacitor, at the output terminal of the flying capacitor. The flying capacitor is switched from the input terminal to the output terminal with a delay of a predetermined time after the switching from the output terminal to the input terminal, and the flying capacitor is switched from the output terminal to the input terminal with a delay of a predetermined time after the switching from the input terminal to the output terminal.
US08390368B2
An internal voltage generating circuit includes a supply voltage driving unit, an internal voltage driving unit, and a driving control unit. The supply voltage driving unit is configured to compare a voltage division signal of a supply voltage with a bias voltage, generate a first pull-up signal, and drive the supply voltage in response to the first pull-up signal. The internal voltage driving unit is configured to receive the supply voltage, generate a second pull-up signal, and drive an internal voltage. The driving control unit is configured to select the first pull-up signal or a power supply voltage as a third pull-up signal.
US08390366B2
A charge pump having a supply terminal, for receiving a supply voltage, and an output terminal, for supplying an output voltage. The charge pump has a control block including a comparator having a first comparison input, for receiving the supply voltage, a second comparison input, for receiving the output voltage, and a comparison output, for generating a pump-switch-off signal depending upon a comparison between the input voltage and the output voltage; and a switch controlled in switching off by the pump-switch-off signal and configured for switching off the charge pump circuit. The control block has an activation input for receiving an activation signal that has a plurality of pulses and repeatedly activates the comparator-circuit block.
US08390354B2
A device and associated method to reduce hold-time violations are disclosed. The device includes a latch module with a selectable delay. The latch module includes a control input to select the delay through the latch. In one embodiment, the delay of the latch is the time between when a latching edge of a clock signal is experienced by the latch until data changes at the output of the latch. In the event of a hold-time violation at latches that are downstream of other latches, a longer delay can be selected at an upstream latch to provide a slower delay path for data provided to the downstream latch violating the hold-time. By providing a slower delay path, the data being latched at the downstream latch will not change as quickly after a latching signal is received, and therefore the possibility of a hold-time violation is reduced.
US08390347B1
A phase to digital converter for a digital PLL (Phase Locked Loop) provides an output in the same or single reference clock period for which it is digitizing the phase error information. The phase to digital converter operates on a positive edge of the reference clock and a digital filter operates on the negative edge of the reference clock so the phase correction performed by the PLL occurs in the same reference clock cycle in which the phase to digital converter is digitizing the phase error information.
US08390346B2
A system for synchronizing the operation of a circuit with a control signal includes synchronization flip-flops operating in cascade for receiving a control signal to be synchronized and providing a corresponding control signal synchronized with a clock signal, and a circuit including a finite state machine for receiving the clock signal having state flip-flops for storing the current state of the finite state machine, wherein a last synchronization flip-flop includes one of the state flip-flops.
US08390344B2
A programmable waveform generator, comprising: a controllable waveform generator configured to generate an initial bandwidth signal having an initial frequency bandwidth; a tone generator configured to generate a plurality of tone signals, each tone signal having a different frequency; a first bandwidth-multiplying circuit, including a first mixer having a first input port configured to receive the low-bandwidth signal; a first switch configured to choose one of the plurality of tone signals or a phase shifted version of one of the plurality of tone signals and output the chosen signal as a first chosen tone; a controller configured to control the operation of the bandwidth multiplying block, wherein the first mixer is further configured to receive the first chosen tone at a second input port, wherein the first mixer is further configured to mix the initial bandwidth signal and the first chosen tone to generate a first bandwidth signal at an output port, the first bandwidth signal having a first frequency bandwidth, wherein the first frequency bandwidth is greater than the initial frequency bandwidth, and wherein the first frequency bandwidth is an integer multiple of the initial frequency bandwidth.
US08390343B2
An injection-locked frequency divider is provided and which includes an injection transistor, an oscillator, a current source and a transformer. The injection transistor is used to receive an injection signal. The oscillator is used to divide the injection signal to generate a divided frequency signal. The current source is coupled to the oscillator to provide a current to the oscillator. The transformer is coupled between the injection transistor and the oscillator to increase the equivalent transconductance of the injection transistor, and thus increasing the locking range of the injection-locked frequency divider.
US08390342B2
A high voltage switch circuit of a semiconductor device includes a buffer circuit configured to output a control signal in response to an input signal and a boost circuit configured to output a block selection signal to an output terminal by connecting a current path between a voltage supply node and the output terminal in response to the control signal, and to block the current path in case where the control signal falls from a high voltage level to a low voltage level.
US08390340B2
Malfunction attributable to an induced electromotive force such as a back electromotive force or a regenerative braking force of an inductive load in a load driving device is prevented. When an on-state current flows in an output transistor, a second transistor applies a supply voltage applied to a source of the output transistor to a back gate of the first transistor. On the other hand, when a negative current flows in the output transistor in a direction opposite to that of the on-state current, the second transistor applies a supply voltage applied to a drain of the output transistor to the back gate of the first transistor.
US08390331B2
Various exemplary embodiments relate to improved fabrication of CMOS transistor arrays for integrated circuits. Increased regularity in standard-cells using gate-isolation architecture may permit further reduction in feature size. MOSFETs may be spaced at roughly equal pitch and have increased channel lengths for leakage current reduction. Logic gates may be designed to have nominal channel lengths for speed and increased channel lengths for leakage current reduction. Further leakage current reduction may involve specialized channel lengths for isolation MOSFETs. Thus, the combination of the gate-isolation technique with MOSFETs having lengthened channels that are evenly spaced at substantially the same pitch may produce a flexible library architecture for improved standard-cell designs in advanced CMOS technology nodes.
US08390323B2
One embodiment of the present invention is directed to hybrid-nanoscale/microscale device comprising a microscale layer that includes microscale and/or submicroscale circuit components and that provides an array of microscale or submicroscale pins across an interface surface; and at least two nanoscale-layer sub-layers within a nanoscale layer that interfaces to the microscale layer, each nanoscale-layer sub-layer containing regularly spaced, parallel nanowires, each nanowire of the at least two nanoscale-layer sub-layers in electrical contact with at most one pin provided by the microscale layer, the parallel nanowires of successive nanoscale-layer sub-layers having different directions, with the nanowires of successive nanoscale-layer sub-layers intersecting to form programmable crosspoints.
US08390313B2
When an operation of a specified one of monitor circuits is defective or any of elements forming a ring oscillator in each of the monitor circuits has characteristic abnormality, if voltage control is performed based on a result from the monitor operating at a lowest speed, a required voltage may be overestimated. This results in an increase in power consumption, and also causes an accuracy reduction when the average value of detection results from the multiple monitors is calculated. The multiple monitor circuits are provided. Of the detection results therefrom, any detection result falling outside a predetermined range is ignored, and the average value of the remaining monitor results is used as a final monitor detection value.
US08390311B2
A logic apparatus secure against a power analysis attack is disclosed. The logic apparatus may include a clocked power logic to recover and reuse at least a part of charges supplied during a single clock operation; a first device block connected to the clocked power logic to remove a parasitic capacitance difference in the clocked power logic, and a second device block to readjust remaining charges in each node of the clocked power logic after a single clock operation.
US08390305B2
Systems for and methods of determining at least one mid-stroke position of an active material actuated load by causing a stress induced rapid change in electrical resistance within the active material element, or modifying an ancillary circuit, when the load is at the mid-stroke position(s).
US08390290B2
A device for determining the position of at least one local coil arranged or to be arranged on a patient bed of a magnetic resonance device has at least one optical coil marker arranged on the local coil, at least one optical sensor device to detect the coil marker, the field of view of the sensor device at least partially covering the patient bed in at least a recumbent position, and a computer that determines the coil position and/or coil orientation on the patient bed from measurement data of the sensor device. The computer can form a part of a control unit of the magnetic resonance device.
US08390286B2
Method comprising obtaining an NMR measurement from a sample wherein an ultra-low field NMR system probes the sample and produces the NMR measurement and wherein a sampling temperature, prepolarizing field, and measurement field are known; detecting the NMR measurement by means of inductive coils; analyzing the NMR measurement to obtain at least one measurement feature wherein the measurement feature comprises T1, T2, T1ρ, or the frequency dependence thereof; and, searching for the at least one measurement feature within a database comprising NMR reference data for at least one material to determine if the sample comprises a material of interest.
US08390284B2
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a gradient coil, a transmission coil, an electrocardiographic signal detecting device detecting an electrocardiographic signal from a subject, a controlling device controlling the gradient coil and the transmission coil so that a pulse sequence including a preparation pulse and a data acquisition sequence for acquiring data from a subject utilizing a magnetic resonance phenomenon is repeatedly carried out, and a cardiac phase computing device computing the cardiac phase of the subject based on the electrocardiographic signal. The controlling device determines whether or not to re-acquire data once acquired from the subject based on the cardiac phase of the subject at an arbitrary time in a period during which the pulse sequence is carried out or the cardiac phase of the subject at a time after the pulse sequence is terminated.
US08390281B2
A magnetic flux generated by current excitation is allowed to pass through a part or an entire of a magnetic path of a leakage magnetic flux. A magnetic flux content due to the current excitation is temporally changed to change a leakage magnetic flux content interlinked with a detection coil so that an induced voltage is generated in the detection coil. Consequently, damage can be detected even in a case where there is no relative speed between a wire rope and a wire rope flaw detector. Further, a configuration of the magnetic path and the number of ampere turns of an exciting coil are set to be appropriate to prevent the magnetic flux generated by the current excitation from passing through the detection coil or to allow the magnetic fluxes offset each other. Thus, noise superimposition on the detection coil due to the current excitation can be prevented.
US08390280B2
A device and method for inspecting an inspection object of in the vicinity of a further object, both of electrically conductive material, the device comprising a transmitter/receiver arrangement for generating an electromagnetic field in the inspection object, and for measuring a signal indicative of a transient eddy current which is generated in the inspection object by the electromagnetic field, wherein the device further comprises a magnetic shield means, providing at least a partial magnetic shield for the transmitter/receiver arrangement in a direction other than a measurement direction; use of the device from inside an annulus between an inner and an outer tubular, and a method of operating a hydrocarbon well having a well completion, and inspecting the well completion from inside an annulus.
US08390273B2
Anti-lock and intelligent braking systems have become ubiquitous in modern vehicles, which employ wheel speed sensors or WSSs. These WSSs generally uses current-domain signals (transmitted through power wires) to reduce the size of the vehicle's wiring harness, but because a vehicle is an inherently noisy environment, mixed signal circuit or MSC (used to decode these signals for a microcontroller) should be able to filter out or compensate for noise. However, traditional MSCs have been plagued with problems, partly due to errors in time base measurement due to noise (as well as other factors). Here, an MSC is provided that accurately calculates a wheel speed pulse width (which is used for time base measurements) by observing the wheel speed pulse as it passes through several thresholds.
US08390264B2
A differential reference voltage generator generates a first differential reference voltage and a second differential reference voltage. The differential reference voltage generator includes a first operational amplifier, a first transistor, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The first operational amplifier has a negative terminal adapted to receive a reference voltage. The first transistor has a source receiving a power supply voltage and has a gate electrically connected to an output terminal of the first operational amplifier. The first resistor has a first terminal electrically connected to a drain of the first transistor, and has a second terminal electrically connected to a positive terminal of the first operation amplifier. The second resistor has a first terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the first resistor, and a second terminal electrically connect to a current mirror.
US08390263B2
A soft-start circuit and a method thereof are described. The circuit includes an amplifier and a voltage ramp generator. The amplifier has a first input end, a second input end, an output end, and a power source control end. The first input end is coupled to a reference voltage. The second input end is coupled to a feedback voltage. The output end outputs an output voltage, and the feedback voltage corresponds to the output voltage. The voltage ramp generator is coupled to the power source control end, and generates a ramp-up voltage. When the ramp-up voltage is lower than a threshold value, the output voltage rises with the ramp-up voltage. When the ramp-up voltage is not lower than the threshold voltage, the output voltage remains at a stable value. A surge current occurring during smooth soft-start or even in operation is thus prevented.
US08390262B2
The present invention relates to methods for LED driver applications, comprising the steps: providing an input voltage, Vin; generating an output voltage, Vout, for driving a plurality of LED channels, wherein a boost converter is used to convert the input voltage Vin to the output voltage Vout; determining a lowest voltage, VLVS, from the LED channels; generating a comparator voltage, Vcomp, by comparing the lowest voltage of the channels, VLVS, with a feedback reference voltage, VFBREF, wherein the feedback reference voltage, VFBREF, and a LED current, ILED, for the LED channels are determined by a current ISET; generating a summed voltage, Vsum, for stabilizing the output voltage, Vout; and generating a PWM voltage, VPWM, as a function of the Vcomp and the Vsum to control the output voltage, Vout.
US08390259B2
A method for charging and/or discharging energy storage devices is performed in a multilevel converter including at least one phase module branch having a series circuit of submodules each with at least one power semiconductor circuit for connection or disconnection of an energy storage device in a circuit parallel to the power semiconductor circuit and a submodule sensor for detection of an energy storage actual value. An energy change state is obtained and a determination is made as to whether connected energy storage devices in a phase module branch can be charged or discharged. The next energy storage device to be switched in each phase module branch is selected by predetermined logic dependent on an energy change state, through which energy stored in energy storage devices is kept approximately at the same level. A high clock rate is simultaneously avoided for connection and disconnection of the selected energy storage device.
US08390250B2
Disclosed herein is a non-contact charge and communication system including: non-contact charge apparatus configured to include a power transmitting device that transmits power for a charge by magnetic field coupling and a first communication unit that carries out non-contact communication by electric field coupling; and power receiving apparatus configured to include a power receiving device that receives power transmitted from the non-contact charge apparatus based on a magnetic field resonance relationship and a second communication unit capable of non-contact communication with the first communication unit by electric field coupling, and charge a battery by received power. The non-contact charge apparatus includes a first control unit, and the power receiving apparatus includes a storage unit, and a second control unit.
US08390248B2
The electric power conversion apparatus 110 according to the present invention comprises an electric power conversion module 150 for converting electric power from the commercial power supply 112 to converted electric power, a filler container 152 for accommodating said electric power conversion module 150, and a filler 154 with which said filler container 152 is filled, said filler having electric non-conductance and directly embracing said electric power conversion module 150, wherein the melting point of said filler 154 is equal to or lower than a temperature of said electric power conversion module 150 achieved by electric power conversion.
US08390245B2
A power cable is connected from an external commercial power supply, and an in-vehicle battery is charged. Using the power cable as a communication conduit, communication is conducted with the outside world. In particular, by communication during charging, regional information regarding the current location, where the charging is being performed, or regional control parameter information is obtained. A control parameter of a vehicle is then set in accordance with the obtained information.
US08390239B2
A control circuit for a single-phase AC motor of a dryer, including at least an electronic starting circuit including at least a starting control unit, a first drive circuit, and a bidirectional triode thyristor, a second drive circuit, and a mechanical switch K. The bidirectional triode thyristor is serially connected to a starting winding and a starting capacitor of the motor, and connected to an AC input. The starting control unit is connected to a control end of the bidirectional triode thyristor via the first drive circuit. The mechanical switch K is serially connected to an electrical heating wire, and is connected to the AC input. The starting control unit is connected to a control end of the mechanical switch K via the second drive circuit. The first drive circuit and the second drive circuit are interlocked with each other.
US08390224B2
A drive device for an adjusting device for adjusting a vehicle component of a vehicle includes an electronically commutated motor and an electronic control device which actuates the electronically commutated motor with an actuating voltage. The electronic control device can adapt the signal form of the actuating voltage on the basis of at least one operating parameter in order to optimize the power output, the acoustics, the electromagnetic irradiation and/or the heating of the drive device.
US08390220B2
The present invention provides a unique improvement (23) in an electronic motor drive (20) having an LC filter (21) to reduce conducted emissions from a motor (M) back to a voltage source (V1). The improvement broadly includes diode (24) in series with the inductor (L1) of said filter to prevent transmission of regenerative power from the motor to said voltage source; and a bypass switch (25) arranged in parallel with the diode and selectively operable to enable transmission of regenerative power from the motor to said voltage source.
US08390218B2
The present invention relates to synchronized vibration devices that can provide haptic feedback to a user. A wide variety of actuator types may be employed to provide synchronized vibration, including linear actuators, rotary actuators, rotating eccentric mass actuators, and rocking mass actuators. A controller may send signals to one or more driver circuits for directing operation of the actuators. The controller may provide direction and amplitude control, vibration control, and frequency control to direct the haptic experience. Parameters such as frequency, phase, amplitude, duration, and direction can be programmed or input as different patterns suitable for use in gaming, virtual reality and real-world situations.
US08390210B2
A light driver circuit device for synchronously driving a plurality of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) is provided. The light driver circuit device includes an inverter circuit board and a balance circuit board. The inverter circuit board has an inverter circuit coupled to a driving signal for outputting a driving voltage to drive the CCFLs synchronously. The balance circuit board and the inverter circuit board are installed separately, and the balance circuit board has a balance circuit coupled to a terminal of each CCFL and the inverter circuit. The CCFL driving architecture is designed to install the inverter circuit and the balance circuit individually, thus effectively reducing the space of the driving circuit and the total cost of the circuit design. Furthermore, the balance circuit board can balance the current in each CCFL effectively, and there is no limitation to where the balance circuit board can be disposed.
US08390208B2
A drive circuit for delivering an AC voltage to an array of electro-luminescent lamps (8a to 8n) includes a single coil (1), the energy in which is transferred to each lamp through a corresponding switch assembly (10a to 10n) having positive and negative-going paths for conducting positive and negative voltages to the corresponding lamp. The magnitudes of the voltages applied to the parallel-connected lamps are controllable so that the illumination levels of the lamps are individually adjustable.
US08390202B2
An external electrical-control lamp with improved structure includes a light-emitting diode lamp (1), an external power box (2), and a dimmer (4). The light-emitting diode lamp (1) has a circuit board (11), at least one light-emitting diode (12), a thermal module (13), and a rectifying circuit (14). The light-emitting diode (12) is installed on the circuit board (11), the thermal module (13) provides a heat-dissipating function to the light-emitting diode (12), and the rectifying circuit (14) provides a rectified power to the light-emitting diode (12). When a utility power (3) is supplied to the dimmer (4) and the external power box (2), a variable resistor of the dimmer (4) is adjusted and the utility power (3) is controlled by the external power box (2), thus adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting diode (12).
US08390198B2
A discharge lamp with excellent arc stability and excellent durability in which the use level of thoriated tungsten is restrained has an anode and a cathode in the interior of a discharge vessel, wherein said cathode is made up from a thoriated tungsten part with a tungsten filling ratio of at least 90 vol.-% and a main body part connected to said thoriated tungsten part and consisting of pure tungsten, wherein a ratio ST/S of a side surface area ST of said thoriated tungsten part and a side surface area S of said cathode is in a range of from 0.005 to 0.15, with the proviso that, in case the cathode has a length in the direction of the cathode axis which exceeds twice the maximum diameter of the cathode, a side surface area S is used for calculating the ratio ST/S which corresponds to the side surface area where the distance along the cathode axis from a tip end adjacent to the anode is twice the maximum diameter of the cathode.
US08390194B2
A flat panel display device and a method of manufacturing the same, the flat panel display device including: a glass substrate; a metal encapsulation substrate facing the glass substrate; a light-emitting unit interposed between the glass substrate and the metal encapsulation substrate; a first sealing unit interposed between the glass substrate and the metal encapsulation substrate, arranged around the light-emitting unit, and comprising a first sealant and a second sealant. The first sealant is disposed around the light-emitting unit and may include a UV-curable material. The second sealant is coated on the first sealant and may include a thermally-curable material.
US08390192B2
Disclosed is an ink composition for an organic EL thin film, that is, an ink composition for the formation of an organic EL thin film including an organic EL material, a liquid crystalline compound with a bandgap of 3.5 eV or more, and a solvent having an organic compound. Furthermore, the liquid crystalline compound preferably contains no functional group of —CN, —OH, or —F. Moreover, the liquid crystalline compound preferably has a molecular dipole moment of 4.0 debyes or less.
US08390190B2
An electro-optical device for performing time division gray scale display and which is capable of arbitrarily setting the amount of time during which light is emitted by EL elements is provided. From among n sustain periods Ts1, . . . , Tsn, the brightness of light emitted by the EL elements during at least one sustain period is set to be always lower than the brightness of light emitted by the EL elements during the other sustain periods, and the sustain periods are extended by the amount that the brightness has dropped. In accordance with the above structure, the sustain periods can be extended by lowering the setting of the brightness of light emitted by the EL elements.
US08390185B2
Provided are a base 4 to be inserted into a socket by being rotated around a central axis X of the base, a first body 6 attached to the base 4 so as to be rotatable freely around the central axis X, a second body 8 attached to the first body 6, and a light-emitting module 10 mounted on the second body 8. The second body 8 is attached to the first body 6 so as to be swingable in a direction perpendicular to the central axis X.
US08390181B2
An electronic array probe for ultrasonic imaging includes an array of transmitting and/or receiving electroacoustic transducers arranged in concentric bands in which the transducers are tangent to one other in both radial and circumferential directions. In order to minimize the number of transducers required without compromising dynamic range, a transducer arrangement geometry is provided so that the number of transducers having the same focusing delay is minimal or null.
US08390164B1
A method of forming a flux regulated machine includes winding stator windings into slots in an outer core. The outer core is formed to have a plurality of radially inwardly extending tooth pieces that are circumferentially spaced, and which define the slots. Further, control coils are wound around an inner core. Then, the inner core is inserted within the outer core such that the tooth pieces contact the inner core, and such that the control coils close off the slots at a radially innermost position. A flux regulated permanent magnet machine generally made according to this method is also disclosed.
US08390162B2
A reconfigurable electric motor includes rotatable permanent magnets in a rotor, the magnets having a first position producing a weak magnetic field and a second position producing a strong magnetic field. The motor is reconfigurable from an asynchronous induction motor at startup into a synchronous motor for efficient operation. The motor includes a squirrel cage for induction motor operation at startup with the permanent magnets positioned to product the weak magnetic field to not interfere with the startup. When the motor reaches sufficient RPM, the permanent magnets rotate to produce a strong magnetic field for high efficiency synchronous operation. The permanent magnets are magnetically biased to come to rest in the weak magnetic field position and a centrifugal mechanism holds the magnets in the weak magnetic field position until sufficient RPM are reached for transition to synchronous operation.
US08390158B2
A motor is provided with a rotation detector including a detection rotor and a detection stator placed to face the detection rotor. The motor further includes a motor case and a motor shaft protruding out of the motor case. The detection rotor is fixed to an end of the motor shaft. The detection rotor includes a plate and a coil provided on the plate. The plate is fixed to the end of the motor shaft. Specifically, the motor shaft includes an opening in the end. The plate has a circular disc shape and a cylindrical portion protruding in the center from the back side. The cylindrical portion is press-fitted in the opening of the motor shaft to fix the plate to the end of the motor shaft.
US08390153B2
Provided is a linear motor capable of simplifying assembling of a coil unit and stabilizing a coil pitch and the overall length of the coil unit.The linear motor has a rod 1 having magnets 3, a plurality of coils 4 arranged in the axial direction of the rod 1, a housing 2 covering the coils 4, and a coil holder 5 holding the coils 4 in the housing 2. The coil holder 5 includes a holder main body 5a elongating in the coil arrangement direction and a plurality of spacer portions 5b made of resin and each interposed between each adjacent two of the coils 4 to insulate the coils 4 from each other, the spacer portions 5b being formed integrally with the holder main body 5a.
US08390152B2
A device is disclosed for generating a stable high voltage, namely a high-voltage DC generator for a particle beam apparatus. A method is also disclosed for generating a stable high voltage for a particle beam apparatus. The high-voltage DC generator has a controllable voltage source, which is connected to an amplifier. The high-voltage DC generator ensures that fluctuations of the smoothed high voltage are detected by a capacitive divider and supplied to the amplifier. The amplifier controls the controllable voltage source in counterphase. The voltage of the controllable voltage source is superimposed on the smoothed high voltage. The sum of the voltage of the controllable voltage source and the smoothed high voltage forms the generated and stable high voltage, which is supplied to a particle beam apparatus.
US08390145B2
A battery isolator unit is disclosed for controlling a switching means having a first contact for connection to a terminal of a first battery, a second contact for connection to a corresponding terminal of a second battery, and an actuating input for biasing a switch element of the switching means switch in a closed position. The battery isolator unit includes a sensing circuit and a switch controller. The sensing circuit periodically determines a first and second value attributable to terminal voltage values of the first battery and the second battery respectively. The switch controller is responsive to detecting a predetermined condition of the first battery and/or the second battery to provide to the actuating input a control signal having a characteristic for biasing the switch element to the closed position. The switch controller periodically determines a difference between the first and second values when the switch element is in the closed position to obtain a obtain a sequence of difference values, and controls the characteristic of the control signal according to a comparison of a present difference value with a previous difference value to modify the bias of the switch element.
US08390143B2
Disclosed herein is a communication system including: at least one power line communication apparatus connected via a general power line for supplying a commercial alternate current power; a communication terminal having a modem for power line communication, and a plurality of first coils having different directivities; and a coupling apparatus, connected to a power line, having a filter for attenuating an alternate current component of the power line, and a second coil arranged after the filter; wherein the communication terminal executes mutual communication with any of the power line communication apparatus connected via the general power line through proximity communication based on an electromagnetic coupling action that is generated between the plurality of first coils and the second coil when the communication terminal is brought to the proximity of a coupling surface of the coupling apparatus.
US08390136B2
A novel furnace and scrubber assembly which generates electrical energy by the initial combustion of material and a methodology which causes such electrical energy to be generated. Further, a novel scrubber technology which improves both scrubber efficiency and furnace efficiency while recovering energy from a furnace exhaust stream.
US08390135B2
The reliability of a porous Low-k film is improved. The mean diameter of first pores and second pores in an interlayer insulation film of a second fine layer including a porous Low-k film is set at 1.0 nm or more and less than 1.45 nm. This prevents the formation of a modified layer over the surface of the interlayer insulation film by process damages. Further, the formation of the moisture-containing modified layer is inhibited to prevent oxidation of a barrier film and a main conductor film forming respective wirings. This prevents deterioration of breakdown voltage between respective wirings. This prevents deterioration of the EM lifetime of wirings formed adjacent to the interlayer insulation film and the inter-wiring TDDB lifetime of the wirings.
US08390130B1
A stacked assembly includes a stacked structure stacked on a through via recessed reveal structure. The through via recessed reveal structure includes recesses within a backside surface of an electronic component that expose backsides of through vias. Pillars of the stacked structure are attached to the exposed backsides of the through vias through the recesses. The recesses in combination with the pillars work as a lock and key arrangement to insure self-alignment of the pillars with the backsides of the through vias allowing fine pitch interconnections to be realized. Further, by forming the interconnections to the backsides of the through vias within the recesses, the overall thickness of the stacked assembly is minimized. Further still, by forming the interconnections to the backsides of the through vias within the recesses, shorting between adjacent through vias is minimized or eliminated.
US08390129B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device with a plurality of mark through substrate vias, including a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of original through substrate vias and a plurality of mark through substrate vias. The original through substrate vias and the mark through substrate vias are disposed in the semiconductor substrate and protrude from the backside surface of the semiconductor substrate. The mark through substrate vias are added at a specific position and/or in a specific pattern and serve as a fiducial mark, which facilitates identifying the position and direction on the backside surface. Thus, the redistribution layer (RBL) or the special equipment for achieving the backside alignment (BSA) is not necessary.
US08390123B2
A ULSI micro-interconnect member having a substrate and a ULSI micro-interconnect formed on the substrate, wherein the ULSI micro-interconnect includes a barrier layer formed on the substrate and a ruthenium electroplating layer formed on the barrier layer; the ULSI micro-interconnect member further including a copper electroplating layer formed using the ruthenium electroplating layer as a seed layer; and a process for fabricating the ULSI micro-interconnect members.
US08390122B2
Methods are generally provided for forming a conductive oxide layer on a substrate. In one particular embodiment, the method can include sputtering a transparent conductive oxide layer (e.g., including cadmium stannate) on a substrate from a target in a sputtering atmosphere comprising cadmium. The transparent conductive oxide layer can be sputtered at a sputtering temperature greater of about 100° C. to about 600° C. Methods are also generally provided for manufacturing a cadmium telluride based thin film photovoltaic device.
US08390108B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: fabricating a base package substrate; coupling a conductive column lead frame to the base package substrate by: providing a lead frame support, patterning a conductive material on the lead frame support including forming an interconnect securing structure, and coupling the conductive material to the base package substrate; forming a base package body between the base package substrate and the conductive column lead frame; and removing the lead frame support from the conductive column lead frame for exposing the interconnect securing structure from the base package body.
US08390099B2
An interconnection substrate including: a first insulating film made of a silicon compound, an adhesion enhancing layer formed on the first insulating film, and a second insulting film made of a silicon compound and formed on the adhesion enhancing layer, wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film are combined together with a component having a structure represented by General Formula (1) described below: Si—CXHY—Si General Formula (1) where y is equal to 2x and is an even integer.
US08390090B2
Provided is a semiconductor device with a high breakdown voltage yield of a bipolar transistor and a high bandwidth and quantum efficiency of a light receiving element. An optical semiconductor device includes monolithically integrated transistor and light receiving element. The light receiving element includes a p-type semiconductor layer, an n-type epitaxial layer formed on the p-type semiconductor layer, and an n-type diffusion layer formed on the n-type epitaxial layer. An n-type impurity concentration of the n-type diffusion layer is 3×1018 cm−3 or less at a depth of 0.12 μm or more below a surface of the n-type diffusion layer, 1×1016 cm−3 or more at a depth of 0.4 μm or less below the surface, and 1×1016 cm−3 or less at a depth of 0.8 μm or more below the surface, and an interface between the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type epitaxial layer is located at a depth of 0.9 μm to 1.5 μm below the surface.
US08390086B2
One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a solar cell comprising a non-single crystal substrate; a nanowire grown from a surface of the non-single crystal substrate; and an electrode coupled to the nanowire, wherein the nanowire is electrically conductive and is for absorbing electromagnetic wave and generating a current.
US08390081B2
A MOS P-N junction diode device includes a substrate having a first conductivity type, a field oxide structure defining a trench structure, a gate structure formed in the trench structure and a doped region having a second conductivity type adjacent to the gate structure in the substrate. The method for manufacturing such diode device includes several ion-implanting steps. After the gate structure is formed by isotropic etching using a patterned photo-resist layer as a mask, an ion-implanting step is performed using the patterned photo-resist layer as a mask to form a deeper doped sub-region. Then, another ion-implanting step is performed using the gate structure as a mask to form a shallower doped sub-region between the gate structure and the deeper doped sub-region. The formed MOS P-N junction diode device has low forward voltage drop, low reverse leakage current, fast reverse recovery time and high reverse voltage tolerance.
US08390077B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first portion and a second portion and a first transistor of a first type formed in the first portion of the substrate, the first transistor being operable at a first voltage, and the first transistor including a doped channel region of a second type opposite of the first type. The semiconductor device also includes a second transistor of the second type formed in the second portion of the substrate, the second transistor being operable at a second voltage greater than the first voltage, the second transistor including an extended doped feature of the second type. Further, the semiconductor device includes a well of the first type in the semiconductor substrate under a gate of the second transistor, wherein the well does not extend directly under the extended doped feature and the extended doped feature does not extend directly under the well.
US08390069B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a semiconductor layer, a power device formed in the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of concentric guard rings formed in the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the power device, and voltage applying means for applying successively higher voltages respectively to the plurality of concentric guard rings, with the outermost concentric guard ring having the highest voltage applied thereto.
US08390066B2
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor memory device capable of stably operating even when an element is shrunk is provided. The semiconductor memory device of the embodiment includes: first and second diodes serially connected between power sources of two different potentials, formed by nanowires, and exhibiting negative differential resistances; and a select transistor connected between the first diode and the second diode. The nanowires are preferably silicon nanowires. The thickness of the silicon nanowires is preferably 8 nm or less.
US08390065B2
An object is to reduce the resistance of each member included in a transistor, to improve ON current of the transistor, and to improve performance of an integrated circuit. A semiconductor device including an n-channel FET and a p-channel FET which are provided over a single crystal semiconductor substrate with an insulating layer provided therebetween and are isolated by an element isolation insulating layer. In the semiconductor device, each FET includes a channel formation region including a semiconductor material, a conductive region which is in contact with the channel formation region and includes the semiconductor material, a metal region in contact with the conductive region, a gate insulating layer in contact with the channel formation region, a gate electrode in contact with the gate insulating layer, and a source or drain electrode partly including the metal region.
US08390056B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, a first gate formed on a first region of a surface of the substrate, a second gate formed on a second region of the surface of the substrate, a charge storage layer filled between the first gate and the second gate, a first diffusion region formed on a first side of the charge storage layer, and a second diffusion region formed opposite the charge storage layer from the first diffusion region. The first region and the second region are separated by a distance sufficient for forming a self-aligning charge storage layer therebetween.
US08390053B2
A charge storage layer interposed between a memory gate electrode and a semiconductor substrate is formed shorter than a gate length of the memory gate electrode or a length of insulating films so as to make the overlapping amount of the charge storage layer and a source region to be less than 40 nm. Therefore, in the write state, since the movement in the transverse direction of the electrons and the holes locally existing in the charge storage layer decreases, the variation of the threshold voltage when holding a high temperature can be reduced. In addition, the effective channel length is made to be 30 nm or less so as to reduce an apparent amount of holes so that coupling of the electrons with the holes in the charge storage layer decreases; therefore, the variation of the threshold voltage when holding at room temperature can be reduced.
US08390045B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a ferroelectric capacitor including a lower electrode, a ferroelectric film, and an upper electrode. The upper electrode includes a first layer formed of an oxide whose stoichiometric composition is expressed as AOx1 and whose actual composition is expressed as AOx2; a second layer formed on the first layer and formed of an oxide whose stoichiometric composition is expressed as BOy1 and whose actual composition is expressed as BOy2; and a metal layer formed on the second layer. The second layer is higher in ratio of oxidation than the first layer. The composition parameters x1, x2, y1, and y2 satisfy y2/y1>x2/x1, and the second layer includes an interface layer of the stoichiometric composition formed at an interface with the metal layer. The interface layer is higher in ratio of oxidation than the rest of the second layer.
US08390044B2
A non-linear element (such as a diode) which includes an oxide semiconductor and has a favorable rectification property is provided. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor in which the hydrogen concentration is 5×1019/cm3 or lower, a work function φms of a source electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor, a work function φmd of a drain electrode in contact with the oxide semiconductor, and electron affinity χ of the oxide semiconductor satisfy φms≦χ<φmd, and an area of contact between the drain electrode and the oxide semiconductor is larger than an area of contact between the source electrode and the oxide semiconductor. By electrically connecting a gate electrode and the drain electrode in the transistor, a non-linear element having a favorable rectification property can be achieved.
US08390042B2
Improved semiconductor devices including metal gate electrodes are formed with reduced performance variability by reducing the initial high dopant concentration at the top portion of the silicon layer overlying the metal layer. Embodiments include reducing the dopant concentration in the upper portion of the silicon layer, by implanting a counter-dopant into the upper portion of the silicon layer, removing the high dopant concentration portion and replacing it with undoped or lightly doped silicon, and applying a gettering agent to the upper surface of the silicon layer to form a thin layer with the gettered dopant, which layer can be removed or retained.
US08390034B2
Different portions of a continuous loop of semiconductor material are electrically isolated from one another. In some embodiments, the end of the loop is electrically isolated from mid-portions of the loop. In some embodiments, loops of semiconductor material, having two legs connected together at their ends, are formed by a pitch multiplication process in which loops of spacers are formed on sidewalls of mandrels. The mandrels are removed and a block of masking material is overlaid on at least one end of the spacer loops. In some embodiments, the blocks of masking material overlay each end of the spacer loops. The pattern defined by the spacers and the blocks are transferred to a layer of semiconductor material. The blocks electrically connect together all the loops. A select gate is formed along each leg of the loops. The blocks serve as sources/drains. The select gates are biased in the off state to prevent current flow from the mid-portion of the loop's legs to the blocks, thereby electrically isolating the mid-portions from the ends of the loops and also electrically isolating different legs of a loop from each other.
US08390025B2
A photodetector detects the absence or presence of light by detecting a change in the inductance of a coil. The magnetic field generated when a current flows through the coil passes through an electron-hole generation region. Charged particles in the electron-hole generation region come under the influence of the magnetic field, and generate eddy currents whose magnitudes depend on whether light is absent or present. The eddy currents generate a magnetic field that opposes the magnetic field generated by current flowing through the coil.
US08390021B2
A semiconductor light-emitting device having a substrate on which a semiconductor multilayer film is disposed, the semiconductor multilayer film having a layered structure in which a first conductive layer, a light-emitting layer and a second conductive layer are layered above the substrate from bottom to top in the stated order, and being divided into portions by grooves extending perpendicular to the substrate, each portion having a diode structure and serving as a light-emitting element 12, each light-emitting element 12 having a hole 22 in a central portion thereof in plan view, the hole 22 penetrating through the second conductive layer 18 and the light-emitting layer 16 and reaching the first conductive layer 14, and comprising: a first electrode 24 inserted in the hole 22 and having a columnar shape, one end thereof being connected to the first conductive layer 14 at the bottom of the hole 22, and the other end protruding from an opening of the hole 22; and a second electrode 26 formed on the second conductive layer 18 and having an annular shape surrounding the opening of the hole 22.
US08390017B2
An optical device for a semiconductor based lamp includes a base and a semiconductor based light-emitting device mounted on the base. A transparent body encapsulates the semiconductor based light-emitting device. A reflective surface is in contact with the transparent body and covers a predetermined region on a top of the transparent body. The reflective surface has an opening. At least a portion of the transparent body protrudes through the opening in the reflective surface. Light emitted from the semiconductor based light-emitting device transmits upwardly through the opening in the reflective surface.
US08390010B2
Solid state lighting (“SSL”) devices with cellular arrays and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a light emitting diode includes a semiconductor material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The semiconductor material has an aperture extending into the semiconductor material from the first surface. The light emitting diode also includes an active region in direct contact with the semiconductor material, and at least a portion of the active region is in the aperture of the semiconductor material.
US08390005B2
An optical emitter includes at least one nanowire connected in a circuit such that current selectively flows into the nanowire. The nanowire has a length-to-diameter ratio of ten or less. A method for generating optical emission includes applying a voltage across a nanowire to inject charge carriers into the nanowire, the nanowire having a length-to-diameter ratio of ten or less; and confining the charge carriers within the nanowire by placing a high bandgap material at each end of the nanowire, wherein the charge carriers recombine to emit optical energy.
US08390004B2
A light-emitting structure includes a p-doped region for injecting holes and an n-doped region for injecting electrons. At least one InGaN quantum well of a first type and at least one InGaN quantum well of a second type are arranged between the n-doped region and the p-doped region. The InGaN quantum well of the second type has a higher indium content than the InGaN quantum well of the first type.
US08390001B2
A normally-off type silicon carbide junction FET has a problem that the gate thereof is not easy to use due to inferiority in the characteristics of it. This problem occurs because in order to achieve normally-off, the gate voltage should be off at 0V and at the same time, the ON-state gate voltage should be suppressed to about 2.5V to prevent the passage of an electric current through a pn junction between gate and source. Accordingly, a range from the threshold voltage to the ON-state gate voltage is only from about 1 V to 2V and it is difficult to control the gate voltage. Provided in the present invention is an electronic circuit device obtained by coupling, to a gate of a normally-off type silicon carbide junction FET, an element having a capacitance equal to or a little smaller than the gate capacitance of the junction FET.
US08389979B2
An object is to provide a light-emitting element in which suppression of a drive voltage increase is achieved. Another object is to provide a light-emitting device that has reduced power consumption by including such a light-emitting element. In a light-emitting element having an EL layer between an anode and a cathode, between the cathode and the EL layer, a first layer capable of carrier generation is formed in contact with the cathode, a second layer which accepts and transports the electrons generated in the first layer is formed in contact with the first layer, and a third layer which injects the electrons accepted from the second layer into the EL layer is formed in contact with the second layer.
US08389969B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a first insulating film region that is embedded in a trench formed on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode that covers a lower surface of the first insulating film region, and a gate insulating film that is provided between the gate electrode and the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a first diffusion region that covers a first side surface of the first insulating film region, a second diffusion region that covers a second side surface of the first insulating film region, and a third diffusion region that covers an upper surface of the second diffusion region. A selective element includes a field-effect transistor that is constituted by the gate electrode, the first diffusion region, and the second diffusion region, and a bipolar transistor that is constituted by the substrate and the second and third diffusion regions.
US08389958B2
A system for energy upconversion and/or down conversion and a system for producing a photostimulated reaction in a medium. These systems include 1) a nanoparticle configured, upon exposure to a first wavelength λ1 of radiation, to generate a second wavelength λ2 of radiation having a higher energy than the first wavelength λ1 and 2) a metallic structure disposed in relation to the nanoparticle. A physical characteristic of the metallic structure is set to a value where a surface plasmon resonance in the metallic structure resonates at a frequency which provides a spectral overlap with either the first wavelength λ1 or the second wavelength λ2, or with both λ1 and λ2. The system for producing a photostimulated reaction in a medium includes a receptor disposed in the medium in proximity to the nanoparticle which, upon activation by the second wavelength λ2, generates the photostimulated reaction.
US08389955B2
A sample carrier (3) for thinning a sample (1) taken from e.g. a semiconductor wafer. The sample carrier comprises a rigid part (5), e.g. made of e.g. copper, with an outer boundary (6), and a supporting film (4), e.g. made of carbon, extending beyond the outer boundary. By placing the sample on the supporting film, the sample can be attached to the rigid structure using e.g. IBID. The supporting film aligns the samples when they are placed onto it. After attaching the sample to the rigid structure the sample can be thinned with e.g. an ion beam, during which thinning the supporting film is locally removed as well. The invention results in better alignment of the sample to the sample carrier, and also in more freedom how the sample is transported from the wafer to the sample carrier, e.g. with the help of an electrically charged glass needle (2). The latter eliminates the attaching/severing steps that are normally associated with the transport of a sample to a sample carrier.
US08389951B2
A spherical aberration corrector and method is offered, which is easy to design and which can correct spherical aberration and even six-fold astigmatism in a charged particle beam instrument. The corrector has a first pair of multipole elements for producing a first pair of three-fold symmetric fields in which three-fold astigmatisms produced mutually are canceled out and a second pair of multipole elements for producing a second pair of three-fold symmetric fields in which three-fold astigmatisms produced mutually are canceled out. The second pair of multipole elements produce six-fold astigmatisms angularly spaced by 30° about an optical axis from six-fold astigmatisms produced by the first pair of multipole elements.
US08389949B2
The objective is to obtain a particle beam therapy system, the irradiation flexibility of which is high and that can reduce the amount of irradiation onto a normal tissue. There are provided a scanning electromagnet that performs scanning and outputting in such a way that a supplied charged particle beam is formed in a three-dimensional irradiation shape based on a treatment plan; and deflection electromagnets that switch the orbits for the charged particle beam in such a way that the charged particle beam with which scanning and outputting are performed by the scanning electromagnet reaches an isocenter through a single beam orbit selected from a plurality of beam orbits established between the isocenter and the scanning electromagnet. The distance between the scanning electromagnet and the isocenter is made long.
US08389946B2
A radiation detector is formed from a plasma panel that includes a front substrate, and a back substrate that forms a generally parallel gap with the front substrate. X (column) and Y (row) electrodes are coupled by gas discharge events to define one or more pixels. Impedances are coupled to the X and Y electrodes, and a power supply is coupled to one or both types of electrodes. Discharge event detectors are coupled to the impedances.
US08389937B2
A transmission electron microscope includes an electron beam source to generate an electron beam. Beam optics are provided to converge the electron beam. An aberration corrector corrects the electron beam for at least a spherical aberration. A specimen holder is provided to hold a specimen in the path of the electron beam. A detector is used to detect the electron beam transmitted through the specimen. The transmission electron microscope may operate in an incoherent mode and may be used to locate a sequence of objects on a molecule.
US08389932B2
A chemical processing apparatus includes a fragmentation device that includes a linear set of stacked electrodes and a voltage control module that forms DC potential wells of opposite polarity for mutual confinement of opposite polarity ions. A method of protein analysis includes confining positive peptide ions and negatively charged reagent anions in, respectively, first and second DC potential wells in a fragmentation device, mixing the ions, in the fragmentation device, and analyzing ion fragments formed in the mixture.
US08389927B2
An optical arrangement has a laser configured to emit a laser beam, an amplitude mask and a focusing element. The amplitude mask is disposed between the laser and the focusing element in a path of the laser beam such that the laser beam hits the amplitude mask before being modified by the focusing element so as to direct the laser beam to a focal point within a photosensitive material.
US08389902B2
Portable weld cooling systems include a plurality of weld cooling instruments operable to combine to provide cool air to a weld area created by a weld fusion machine, and a portable cabinet comprising a transportation section and a storage section, the transportation section operable to facilitate the movement of the portable cabinet and the storage section being configured to store the plurality of weld cooling instruments when the portable cabinet is moved, wherein one or more of the plurality of weld cooling instruments may be removed from the storage section when combined to provide cool air.
US08389898B2
The invention relates to a method for regulating a welding current source with a current transformer, which has a series resonant circuit on the primary side and a parallel resonant circuit on the secondary side, the series resonant circuit being supplied with a variable alternating voltage by a bridge circuit and the parallel resonant circuit providing energy to a welding process by way of a rectifier, and a control unit controlling the bridge circuit in dependence on at least one state variable of the welding current source. In order to develop the method in such a way as to make regulation possible at low cost and with as little power loss as possible, it is proposed according to the invention that only the primary current or a state variable on the primary side corresponding to the primary current is recorded as the electrical-current state variable of the welding current source and a control signal dependent on the primary current or on the state variable corresponding thereto is fed to the control unit. A welding current source for carrying out the method is also proposed.
US08389897B2
The invention relates to a welding method for implementing and monitoring a welding process, whereby a power source (2) and a feeding device (10) for the welding rod (11) are controlled by means of a control device (4), and whereby at least one control variable is measured or calculated from characteristic variables of the arc during the welding process. After setting a first and a second time interval (102) with different durations and a scanning rate for determining the values of the characteristic variable (100), the values of the characteristic variable (100) are stored with every scan, after which, at an instant (40), a first mean value (106) and a second mean value (107) are calculated from the stored values of the characteristic variable which lie in time intervals earlier in time than the instant (40) by the control device as the control variable, after which an upper and a lower threshold value (104, 105) is calculated starting from the first mean value (106) of the first time interval (101), and the control variable is then compared with the upper and with the lower threshold value (104, 105).
US08389894B2
A laser processing apparatus for processing a multitude of portions to be processed in an area to be processed in a subject W to be processed, including a laser device, a focusing or imaging device for laser beams provided by the laser device, and an arranging device for arranging the subject W to be processed, in which the subject W to be processed and the focusing or imaging device are fixed, and the subject to be processed is processed while relatively shifting the laser beams and the focusing or imaging device so that the focusing or imaging device is irradiated from different areas in the laser beam, inside and outside the area to be processed, and that cumulative laser beam irradiation time during the processing of each of the multitude of portions to be processed is equalized.
