US08631777B2
A hand operated primer pump for small marine or other engines generally spark ignition engines used on stern drive boats that prevents transfer of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. The primer generally mimics and replaces prior art rubber primer bulbs in general shape and possibly color, although it can be made in any shape or color. It generally contains a pump that delivers a precise measured amount of fuel with each stroke of the actuator. The primer can have an ergonomically designed actuator that creates the farthest distance from a fulcrum point for maximum leverage and hence, maximum ease of use. The primer is generally designed with a continuous molded fuel path to seal any source of hydrocarbon leakage as well as being made from materials that prevent transfer of hydrocarbons to the atmosphere.
US08631772B2
A method for controlling the temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle includes operating in an automatic transmission fluid cooling mode, a heater priority mode entered by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating, and an automatic transmission fluid heating mode which includes sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid. The method switches to from a heater priority mode to a transmission heating mode base on a number of sensed conditions including sensed automatic fluid transmission temperature. The method also includes an automatic transmission fluid temperature regulating mode including measuring an automatic transmission fluid temperature and switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode based measured temperature.
US08631771B2
In a system for cooling transmission oil in a vehicle with a hydraulic oil cooling circuit 20, an engine cooling subsystem 18 which uses cooling fluid, and a transmission oil cooling circuit 22, the transmission oil circuit 22 comprises first and second heat exchangers 28, 38. The first heat exchanger 28 is provided with cooling fluid from the engine cooling subsystem 18 to cool the transmission oil and the second heat exchanger 38 is provided with oil from the hydraulic oil cooling circuit 20 to cool the transmission oil.
US08631765B2
Described is a fluidic consumable dispensing device for reliably and consistently dispensing uniform animal consumables. More specifically, the device dispenses animal consumables having the viscosity of a fluid such that the consumables are not broken or malformed and do not become oriented within the device such that they clog the flow of consumables from the device.
US08631764B2
Animal feeders that are resistant to depletion of the feed hopper due to undesired feeding by small birds and small animals as well as related methods are described. Exemplary feeders preferably comprise an enclosure surrounding a feed distributor and that comprises first and second portions. The enclosure prevents small birds and small animals from accessing the feed distributor and includes a gap through which the feed distributor directs feed. Moreover, the present invention provides animal feeders that eliminate the potential for feed to jam the feed distributor thereby allowing smaller, more economical motors to be used.
US08631762B2
A plasma CVD apparatus includes: a film forming chamber; a holding member that holds a substrate to be processed that is set in the film forming chamber; a shower head that is set in the film forming chamber to face the holding member, and supplies raw material gas and generates a plasma of the raw material gas; a radical generation chamber that is set at an opposite side of the shower head relative to the holding member and generates radicals of process gas; and an openable and closable shutter that is provided between the shower head and the radical generation chamber.
US08631758B2
A drum coating device for coating work-pieces includes a main body, a support element, a cleaning device, a spraying device, a rotary drum device, a heating device, and a drive device. The main body defines a receiving room. The support element is received in the receiving room and defines slots for receiving the work-pieces. The cleaning device cleans the work-pieces. The spraying device sprays coating materials to the work-pieces. The rotary drum device uniformly coats the coating materials on the work-pieces. The heating device heats the coating materials coated on the work-pieces. The drive device includes a rotating drive rotating the support element and a linear drive raising or lowering the support element in the receiving room.
US08631752B2
The present invention provides a singlehanded means, by the use of a lift arm mechanism, to lift a small yacht tender or dinghy from the water and stow and retrieve the tender or dinghy from the roof (or suitable support structure) above the yacht's cockpit. The lift arm mechanism includes a pair of lift arm members which are connected with a pivotable connection between the stern of the host vessel and the transom of the tender. Pivot connections permit upward and downward pivoting of the lift arm members with respect to the stern of the host vessel as well as permit pivoting upward and downward of the tender relative to the lift arm members. The mechanism permits the outboard motor of the tender to be easily removed and allows full use of the swim platform when the tender is in the stowed position.
US08631751B2
A sewing or looping head, particularly for the automated closing of tubular knitted articles at one of their axial ends comprising a pair of sewing elements, which can move along corresponding actuation paths and cooperate with each other in forming a sewing chain stitch, and a cutting element, which can be actuated to cut the sewing chain stitch; in the sewing or looping head, the cutting element can engage the sewing chain stitch proximate to the crossing point of the paths of the pair of sewing elements or the point where the sewing chain stitch is formed, so as to minimize the length of the sewing chain stitch that exceeds the length needed to sew or loop the article and so as to reduce the time required to perform the sewing or looping operation.
US08631741B2
The machine has a single body (1) which integrates mixers (4) in correspondence with containers (3) which contain the paste, a centrifuge (7) equipped with housings (11) designed to house in individualized manner and in radial arrangement each one of the containers (3) which contain the already mixed paste, means of pumping (12, 16, 17) or pressing which exerts a pressure on the liquid produced after the centrifugation, and a filter (14) positioned after the means of pumping (12, 16, 17) for the definitive production of the oil.
US08631740B2
There is disclosed a system comprising a method and an apparatus for making an air-containing mixture 7, where air 8 is introduced into a viscous mass of raw mixture 5 for forming the air-containing mixture, and where the introduction of air is performed in connection with introducing the mixture in a treating unit 13. In the system, the raw mixture will be pumped under pressure through a nozzle 18 for forming least one jet 19 which is sprayed through an air space 17 against the surface 21 of the mixture, so that air is entrained in the mixture and that the air-containing mixture formed thereby is subsequently introduced in the treatment unit.
US08631738B2
A griddle for cooking a food product includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side, a second side, a front side and a rear side. A serpentine passageway is formed on the lower surface. A collector tank is juxtaposed and secured directly in touching contact with the lower surface adjacent to the first side of the griddle and is in communication with the serpentine passageway. A boiler is juxtaposed and secured directly in touching contact with the lower surface adjacent to the second side of the griddle and is in communication with the serpentine passageway. Heat applied directly to at least one of the collector tank and the boiler for heating a fluid disposed therein and supplying the heated fluid to the serpentine passageway for providing heat for cooking a food product disposed on the upper surface of the griddle.
US08631732B1
An apparatus for cutting a window covering and methods of cutting a window covering are provided. A method of operating a window covering cutting machine comprises a) packaging a window covering comprising components in a package such that first ends of the components extend beyond a first end of the package and second ends of the components extend beyond a second end of the package; b) automatically moving the package and components in a first direction of travel against a first squaring surface such that the first ends of the components are in a common plane; c) cutting the first ends of the components; d) automatically moving the package and components in a second direction of travel against a second squaring surface such that the second ends of the components are in a common plane; and e) cutting the second ends of the components.
US08631731B2
A knife holder device for a microtome having a blade guard constituted as a pivotable bow, wherein, in a protective position, the blade guard is disposed on the side of the knife facing away from the sample at a distance such that access to the cutting edge is not possible. The blade guard can be positioned in three different defined positions and is provided with elements that have the following effects depending on the position: in the upper, protective position, simultaneous fixing of the position of the knife holder in the guideway; in the central, knife-holder-sliding position, accessibility to the knife holder with simultaneous release of the position fixture of the knife holder in the guideway; and in the lower, knife-changing position, free accessibility to the knife holder with simultaneous fixture of the position of the knife holder in the guideway.
US08631722B1
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for a combination tool useful for bartending or the like. The tools combined for efficiency, convenience, and other purposes include one or more zesters, bottle openers, corkscrews, juicers, jiggers or measuring cups, knives, pouring spout, and/or others. In one embodiment, the combined tools are in a shape that is safe to the user, a size that is relatively portable and lightweight, and from materials that are non-contaminating and readily cleaned. Methods include using the tool for bartending or similar activities.
US08631720B2
The present invention is characterized by arranging a flow path 200 for supplying driving gas to a tool mounting portion 170 from a robot base 110 to the tool mounting portion 170 through the interiors of a rotation frame 120, a tube 220, a shoulder 140, a swing arm 150 and a tool mounting rotation arm 160.
US08631717B2
One aspect of the instant disclosure is to provide a sensorless adaptive safety actuator. The safety actuator comprises a driving unit, a transmission unit coupled to the driving unit, and an output unit coupled to the transmission unit. The transmission unit comprises a load-adaptable retracting mechanism. When the output unit experiences a mechanical load exceeding a critical value, the load-adaptable retracting mechanism causes the transmission unit to decouple from the driving unit. Thus, responding to an accident where the impact on the output unit causes a force/torque overload, the instant safety actuator is capable of effectively stopping the force/torque transmission to the work output device without the use of active sensors.
US08631713B2
A measurement device capable of sensing presence of an obstacle within a vessel from outside the vessel in operating a linear body inserted in the vessel is provided. According to this measurement device, an easy-to-use measurement device capable of measuring compressive force in a direction of longitudinal axis applied to the linear body that has a sheath thicker than the linear body, such as a wire having a coil for embolizing an aneurysm attached at a tip end, without lowering measurement accuracy, can be provided. In addition, a length of a restraint portion is minimized, to achieve a smaller size of the measurement device. Moreover, the measurement device capable of measuring compressive force in the direction of longitudinal axis applied to the linear body regardless of magnitude of buckling load of the linear body can be provided, and the same measurement device is applicable to linear bodies of various materials, which leads to cost efficiency.
US08631708B2
An absolute piezo-resistive pressure sensor system and method employing multiple pressure sensing elements operating simultaneously to detect pressure. Both pressure sensing elements being subject to a common reference pressure within a sealed cavity. The first pressure sensing element detecting an offset voltage resulting from the progressive release of mechanical stress at an assembly interface between the sensing element and a base plate on which the sensing elements are assembled. Electronic circuitry compensates the pressure measured by the second pressure sensing element based on the offset voltage detected by the first pressure sensing element.
US08631707B2
A dual diaphragm pressure transducer, or sensor, with compensation for non-pressure effects is disclosed. The pressure sensor can include two pressure transducers located on separate portions of a chip. The first pressure transducer can be a differential pressure transducer, which produces a signal proportional to one or more applied pressures and includes other non-pressure effects. The second pressure transducer can be sealed in a hermetic chamber and thus can produce a signal proportional only to non-pressure effects. The signals can be combined to produce a signal proportional to the applied pressures with no non-pressure effects. The first and second pressure transducers can be physically and/or electrically isolated to improve sealing between the two pressure transducers and prevent pressure leaks therebetween.
US08631706B2
One or more decoupling capacitors are coupled to a low inductance mount that is connected to the bottom layer of a printed circuit board (PCB) on which a semiconductor module is mounted. The low inductance mount includes a magnetic planar structure with vias that are coupled to the one or more decoupling capacitors and to like vias positioned on the PCB.
US08631701B2
A sensor device includes a first electrode disposed on active surface side of a silicon substrate, an external connecting terminal electrically connected to the first electrode, at least one stress relaxation layer disposed between the silicon substrate and the external connecting terminal, a connecting terminal disposed on the active surface side of the silicon substrate, and a vibration gyro element having weight sections as mass adjustment sections, the vibration gyro element is held by the silicon substrate due to connection between the connection electrode and the external connecting terminal, and a meltage protection layer formed in an area where the stress relaxation layer and the mass adjustment section overlap each other in a plan view is provided.
US08631700B2
A method and apparatus for sensing movement resonates a primary member in a flexure mode at a given frequency, thus causing the primary member to have top and bottom portions that resonate at substantially about zero Hertz. The method also secures the bottom portion to a first substrate, and mechanically constrains the top portion while resonating in the flexure mode to substantially eliminate vibrations in the top portion. Finally, the method generates a changing capacitance signal in response to movement of the primary member. When generating this changing capacitance signal, the primary member resonates in a bulk mode at a given frequency.
US08631695B2
The disclosed embodiments include a valve stem assembly for a tire pressure monitoring system sensor. The assembly can comprise a valve stem body, and a grommet for purposes of engaging a vehicle wheel. The valve stem body can comprise an attachment end to be attached to a pressure sensor to determine tire air pressure. The valve stem assembly can further comprise a cap that is releasably engaged to the valve stem body which can limit movement of the valve stem assembly relative to the vehicle wheel, the cap having a closed end to cover an air transfer end of the valve stem, and a second open end to overlay the valve stem body and grommet.
US08631694B2
A connecting element connects a brake pedal to a brake force amplifier of a vehicle brake system. A helical compression spring as a first spring element and a rubbery-elastic reaction disk as a second spring element are disposed between a pedal rod and a piston rod of the connecting element, the spring elements being installed in series due to the arrangement thereof. Due to the higher spring rate of the reaction disk preferably increasing with load, the connecting element has a progressive spring characteristic line. As soon as the pedal rod contacts the reaction disk the helical compression spring and the reaction disk act in parallel and serially such that the progression of the total spring characteristic line further increases.
US08631693B2
A dynamometer may be configured to simulate the rotating inertial characteristics of a wheel-tire assembly slipping relative to a road surface and having rotating inertial characteristics different than the rotating inertial characteristics of the wheel-tire assembly being simulated.
US08631692B2
To simplify the development of a hybrid vehicle the invention envisions simulating the hybrid vehicle by using a test vehicle 1 comprising a first axle 5 that is powered by a combustion engine and a second passive, non-powered axle 6, and wherein the axle that is present in the real hybrid vehicle and powered by an electric motor is simulated on the test vehicle 1 by an active secondary vehicle 2 that is hooked up to the test vehicle 1 and that is equipped with its own drive 3 and additionally to the combustion engine brakes and/or pushes the test vehicle 1, and wherein the secondary vehicle 2 is connected with a control device 7 of the test vehicle 1.
US08631688B1
A system according to the present disclosure includes a pressure estimation module and a fault detection module. The pressure estimation module estimates a pressure of hydraulic fluid in a valve actuation system that actuates at least one of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an engine. The fault detection module compares the estimated pressure to a pressure measured by a pressure sensor disposed in the valve actuation system and detects a fault in the pressure sensor based on a difference between the estimated pressure and the measured pressure.
US08631679B2
Embodiments provide a method and related systems that take into account the difference between a measured glucose value and the calibration level and the amount of elapsed time since the prior calibration. As one or both of these determined differences increases, the desirability of an additional calibration also increases. The methodology described herein thus analyzes the combination of change in glucose level as well as the time since the prior calibration. If the combination exceeds a predetermined value, the system recommends, but does not require, that the subject user perform an additional calibration.
US08631676B2
A crimper die set for assembling a safety hose sleeve system includes an upper die comprising an upper curved compressive face, upper recess walls extending contiguous from the upper compressive face at an acute angel to the upper compressive face, each defining a portion of a cavity Thrust plate slots extend upward from ends of the upper recess walls. A lower die comprises a lower curved compressive face, lower recess walls extend contiguous from the lower compressive face at an acute angel to the lower compressive face and define another portion of each cavity. Lower thrust plate slots extend downward from an end of the lower recess walls, distal from the lower compressive face. Thrust plates extend from the lower thrust plate slot into the upper thrust plate slot, across the cavity at an acute angle to each of the recess walls, defining an outer abutment of the cavity.
US08631673B2
A method of treating a metal billet to change its mechanical and/or physical properties by reducing grain size, the method involving feeding the billet through a first passage and into a second passage inclined to the first passage and deforming the billet by repeatedly loading and unloading it using a reciprocating die at a junction between the first and second passages.
US08631669B2
An optical fiber manufacturing apparatus including: a heating furnace in which an optical fiber is formed by melt-drawing an optical fiber preform; a sealing mechanism which is provided on an opening portion located at an upstream of the heating furnace and seals the heating furnace with an inert gas; a first pipe which is connected to the heating furnace and introduces the gas into the heating furnace; a second pipe which is connected to a lowermost compartment closest to the heating furnace among the compartments and introduces the gas into the lowermost compartment; and a gas flow rate control unit which controls a total sum of a flow rate of a gas supplied from the first pipe into the heating furnace and a flow rate of a gas supplied from the second pipe into the lowermost compartment to be substantially constant.
US08631668B2
Methods of creating a batch of recycled glass from mixed color glass cullet. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving at a glass plant a weight and color composition percentage of a first batch of mixed color cullet. The glass plant also receives a weight and color composition percentage of a second batch of mixed color cullet. The weight and color composition percentage of the first batch and the second batch are combined to generate a combined weight and composition percentage. The combined weight and composition are percentage are used to generate, automatically at a glass plant, a formulation to produce glass of a desired color.
US08631665B1
A portable cooling device including an insulated housing and a water cooler system, whereby water stored in a reservoir, or alternatively water introduced into the system through a specific inlet, is directed through a boustrophedonic series of piping to at least one misting orifice disposed proximal to at least one fan, which fan is directable within a fan housing, whence a chilled mist is directionably propelled from the device. The device has a power system including a photocell, a power inlet, and a battery, configureable to different situations to selectively engage the water cooler system and each fan.
US08631660B2
The present application and the resultant patent provide an integrated gasification combined cycle system. The integrated gasification combined cycle system may include a gas turbine engine, one or more power plant components, one or more carbon dioxide compressors, and a vapor absorption chiller. The vapor absorption chiller is driven by a waste heat source flow from the carbon dioxide compressors to produce a chilling medium flow to cool the power plant components.
US08631652B2
A heat engine system configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a source of thermal energy provided by a temperature difference between a heat source having a first temperature and a heat sink having a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature. The heat engine is configured for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy and includes an element formed from a first shape memory alloy having a crystallographic phase changeable between austenite and martensite at a first transformation temperature in response to the temperature difference between the heat source and the heat sink. The heat engine system also includes a start-up mechanism configured for inducing initial movement of the element in a desired operational direction to thereby start the heat engine.
US08631649B2
An engine exhaust component is provided. The engine exhaust component may include a plurality of coolant passages having parallel coolant flow, each coolant passage at least partially surrounding a respectively corresponding exhaust runner. The engine exhaust component may further include a coolant inlet manifold coupled to each of the coolant passages and a coolant outlet manifold coupled to each of the coolant passages. In this way, more even and controlled cooling can be provided.
US08631647B2
A system and method for regenerating a device in an engine exhaust after-treatment system is provided. To regenerate the device, a syngas stream is introduced into the engine exhaust stream and combusts in the presence of a catalyst in the after-treatment system, raising the temperature. A supplemental liquid fuel stream is then selectively introduced into and is vaporized by the syngas stream to form a combined fuel stream. Combustion of the combined fuel stream with the engine exhaust in the presence of the catalyst further heats the device bringing it to a temperature suitable for regeneration. The catalyst can be upstream of or within the device being regenerated.
US08631641B2
In a vehicle having mounted therein an engine including an injector that directly injects fuel into a cylinder, in the case in which a warm-up control required condition is established, catalyst warm-up control is executed if an amount of fuel diluted in oil is low, or even if the amount of fuel diluted in oil is high, when the temperature of the engine oil is less than the fuel volatilization temperature. In contrast, even in the case in which the warm-up control required condition is established, if the amount of fuel diluted in oil is greater than or equal to a determination value, and furthermore the temperature of the engine oil is greater than or equal to the fuel volatilization temperature, there is the possibility of negative influence on exhaust emissions, and therefore the catalyst warm-up control is prohibited.
US08631628B1
A system and method of tilt-up or tiltwall concrete building construction using concrete spandrels cast on-site together with permanent steel columns that are integrally attached to unite the spandrels into a lightweight and versatile tilt-up assembly that is strong and durable and that can be safely and efficiently made and maneuvered into final position for cost-effective building construction, the resulting assembly also allowing for continuous horizontal spans of ribbon-like window glass with minimal obstruction, thereby maximizing visibility and natural lighting and enabling easy accommodations for architectural requirements.
US08631626B2
A universal framing connector, used to connect backing, blocking, bracing, and bridging to the framing system, framing members, and to adjacent surfaces.
US08631613B1
Provided are novel building integrable photovoltaic (BIP) modules and methods of installing thereof. A module may include a photovoltaic insert having at least one photovoltaic cell, a channel provided on one edge of the insert, and an extension provided on the opposite edge. The extension is configured to fit snugly into a corresponding channel of an adjacent module during installation. The two modules may have the same design and form a photovoltaic array, which may involve interconnecting with additional modules. The interconnection prevents lifting of one module with respect another. Therefore, each module needs to be attached to a building structure only along one edge, while the opposite edge is supported by another module. Attachment to the building structure may be in a concealed area of the module, such as a moisture flap, to prevent exposed though holes. This configuration improves moisture sealing properties of the resulting array.
US08631609B2
A weatherstrip and method of manufacturing an integral close-out or trim to seal off the weatherstrip is disclosed. A notched region in a seal fin accommodates the intersecting weatherstrip. The first seal fin further includes a cut line extending through one end to form the integral dose-out. In this manner, separate foam pads typically used to seal along opposite ends of the first weatherstrip can be eliminated, along with the attendant costs associated with material and labor.
US08631604B2
A fishing light stringer system having: a multiplicity of lights, each light configurable to attach to a fishing rod eyelet, an electrical distribution system connected to the multiplicity of lights, wherein the electrical distribution system has a battery pack and wires, such that the electrical distribution system forms a complete circuit with the lights, so that when the electrical distribution system is connected to the multiplicity of lights and the multiplicity of lights are attached to the fishing rod eyelets, each eyelet is illuminated.
US08631597B2
A rotating adapter attaches a secondary sign to a primary sign. A first insert component includes an extended tine and a second insert component also has an extended tine. The second insert component may also include a shaft sleeve. A connection shaft is coupled to the first insert component, and is configured to insert within the shaft sleeve of the second insert component and defines an axis about which the second insert component may rotate. The extended tines of the first insert component fixedly couple with the primary sign and the extended tines of the second insert component fixedly couple with the secondary sign.
US08631590B2
An article of footwear with flexing portions disposed in an arch portion of a sole system is disclosed. The flexing portions in the sole system increase the curling toe flexibility of the article of footwear. In addition, the sole system includes trapping portions that enhance the ability of a wearer to stop and capture a ball. Furthermore, the article of footwear includes an asymmetric fastening system biased toward a medial side of the article.
US08631578B2
A balancing weight clip with a mass adapted to balance a rotor assembly of a gas turbine engine, includes a weight portion, a first flange engaging portion and a second flange engaging portion extending from the weight portion, each being engageable with a sidewall of at least one recess located on an edge of a flange of a disc of the rotor assembly. Each flange engaging portion is provided with a hook engageable with a mating groove provided on a face of the flange. At least one of the first and second flange engaging portions is resiliently biased so that the first and second flange engaging portions are elastically moveable away from one another to removably secure the balancing weight clip to the flange and engage each hook with the mating groove.
US08631576B2
A method for attaching a rotor of a wind turbine generator and a method for constructing a wind turbine generator are provided, with which the rotor blades can be prevented from breaking and with which the construction costs can be reduced. The present invention includes: an assembly step (S1) in which a plurality of wind-turbine rotor blades are attached to a rotor head to assemble the rotor on the ground; a wire attaching step (S2) in which a first wire is attached to a first hoisting portion provided on a rotation axis of the rotor and in which a second wire is attached to a second hoisting portion provided at a position away from the rotation axis; a hoisting step (S3) in which the rotor is hoisted with the first wire; a rotor raising step (S4) in which the first wire is extended so that the rotor is hoisted with the second wire; and a rotor attaching step (S6) in which the rotor hoisted with the second wire is attached to the nacelle.
US08631572B2
A method for the production of a piston for an internal combustion engine, in which a piston blank is forged, which is subsequently separated into two parts, to form an upper piston part and a lower piston part, after which the lower piston part and the upper piston part are machined and then welded to one another. Subsequently, the piston is finished. During forging of the piston blank, the top of the piston blank is partly given the shape of the underside of the upper piston part, and the underside of the piston blank is given the shape that corresponds to the interior of the lower piston part. After forging of the piston blank and before separation of the upper piston part from the lower piston part, the top of the piston blank is given the finished shape of the underside of the upper piston part by a cutting machining method.
US08631568B2
A printed wiring board manufacturing method includes weaving a glass fiber cloth with warp and weft yarns such that the warp and weft yarns are visually distinguishable at least a region. The glass fiber cloth is impregnated with a resin to fabricate a substrate. A copper foil is formed on at least one surface of the substrate to fabricate a core substrate. The copper foil is removed within the region on the core substrate to form an opening. A pitch between the warp yarns or between the weft yarns which are presented in the opening is detected. A pitch between a pair of differential wirings to be patterned is determined based on the detected pitch between the warp yarns or between the weft yarns. The pair of differential wirings is patterned on the core substrate in accordance with the determined pitch between the pair of differential wirings.
US08631567B2
A method of manufacturing a rigid-flexible printed circuit board, including providing a base substrate in which coverlays are respectively formed on two sides of a flexible copper foil laminate on both sides of which inner circuit patterns are respectively formed; layering insulation layers and copper foil layers on portions of coverlays which are to be a rigid region of the flexible copper foil laminate; forming a via hole in the rigid region, and, simultaneously, forming first windows in the coverlays in a flexible region; forming outer circuit patterns including areas adjacent to the first windows; and applying solder resist in the rigid region to expose portions of the external circuit patterns, where the outer circuit patterns formed in the areas adjacent to the first windows include additional plating portions for covering portions of the coverlays.
US08631563B2
An apparatus for removing a dry tube assembly includes a mounting structure configured to mount the apparatus to a top guide of a reactor vessel, a clamping assembly configured to engage the dry tube assembly, and a positioning assembly that is configured to position and rotate the clamping assembly relative to the dry tube assembly. The dry tube assembly is buckled and removed without exercising a joint.
US08631557B2
A method for providing a shallow-angled hole through a thermal barrier coated component in accordance with one aspect thereof, includes a step of applying a pulse laser beam to pre-drill the hole through a base metal of the component. A thermal barrier coating is then applied to the base metal, covering the pre-drilled hole in the base metal. A further step is conducted to apply the pulse laser beam through the thermal barrier coating a location to coincide with pre-drilled hole in the base metal in order to complete the formation of the hole extending through the component.
US08631553B2
A tube splicing machine is provided which includes a frame on which a die holder is located. A swaging die is removably mounted in the die holder, and the die holder includes a main plate and a top plate that is removably connected to the main plate. A die holding opening is defined through a portion of the main plate and the top plate in which the swaging die is inserted. The swaging die includes two die parts that together define a die opening and are separable along a mid-line of the die opening. A splice fitting engagement plate with a splice fitting engagement portion is located on the frame, with the splice fitting engagement plate having an opening or an openable top to allow removable connection to a splice fitting. An actuator is connected between the splice fitting engagement plate and the die holder for moving the splice fitting engagement plate relative to the die holder from an initial position to a swaged position, in order to swage the splice fitting onto a length of hose or tubing. This allows a splice fitting to join quasi-endless lengths of hose or tubing in a simple manner.
US08631551B1
A fence includes a plurality of posts, and fence panels having rails which extend across the plurality of posts, and are secured thereto. Jambs may be formed onto the fence system, and one or more gates may be hung to the jambs.
US08631541B2
A modular auxiliary brush assembly for a vacuum cleaner includes a mounting bracket coupled to the vacuum cleaner, a spring-biased brush head, and a shaft which mounts the brush head to the mounting bracket. The spring-biased brush head is vertically adjustable to accommodate cleaning surfaces of varied heights and textures. The spring-biased brush head includes a tread which contacts a surface to be cleaned and rolls the brush head relative to the vacuum cleaner when the vacuum cleaner moves over the surface.
US08631537B2
A method of manufacturing a windscreen-wiper blade for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The blade includes at least one mounting element in which a housing and an attachment rail are arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mounting element, an elastically deformable spine arranged inside the housing of the mounting element, and a wiping strip, including a heel interlocked inside said rail of the mounting element. The method involves hot deformation of at least one longitudinal end of the mounting element, so as to immobilize the spine and the wiping strip longitudinally inside the housing and the rail of the mounting element, respectively.
US08631533B1
An apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting footwear or the foot of a user. More particularly, a user controlled multi-functioning device that performs both cleaning and disinfecting of footwear upon contact. The cleaning and disinfecting apparatus includes one or more cleaning rollers physically contacting the footwear or foot and one or more disinfectant sources, which may be radiation sources that emits UV rays e.g., or charge particle source that emits a cold plasma blast.
US08631530B2
This invention relates to a cleaning device (10) comprising a handle (20), a bendable elongated cleaning element (30) connected to the handle; and an elongated control element (40) having a first end (41) fixated at a top part (32) of the cleaning element. The control element is arranged along and inside of the cleaning element, and has a second end (42) arranged to be accessible at the handle. Controlled bending of the cleaning element is provided by applying a pulling force on the second end.
US08631528B1
A latch assembly is used with a ramp assembly that includes a ramp portion selectively movable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The latch assembly has a latch fitting and a catch, both of which are rotatably mounted to the ramp assembly. The catch engages the latch fitting to selectively lock the latch fitting in a first locked position and a second locked position. A pin is coupled to the latch fitting so that rotation of the latch fitting moves the pin in an arcuate path. The pin engages the ramp portion when the latch fitting is in the first locked position and also when in the second locked position.
US08631526B2
Method for controlling the centrifugation process of a washing machine, wherein during a first, a second and a third laundry distribution phases (D1, D2, D3), performing a number of unbalance value measurements (M1-M7) and comprising an unbalance value of the drum of the washing machine with predetermined unbalance values. If the current unbalance values are within predetermined intervals, the washing machine performs a spin phase (S1, S2, Smax). If the values are not within the predetermined intervals, the washing machine performs a laundry redistribution phase (R1, R2), after which a further laundry distribution phase (D1, D3) may take place.
US08631525B2
A bed rail having an operating position at one of the sides of a bed and a stored position between a mattress and box spring of the bed. To take down the bed rail, a guard frame portion is disengaged from a base frame portion, then the guard frame portion is pivoted and slid into the base frame portion. To set up the bed rail, the guard frame portion can be slid out of the base frame portion, pivoted relative to the base frame portion, then engaged to the base frame portion and into the operating position at a side of the bed.
US08631521B1
A toilet seat hinge and a toilet seat assembly including the toilet seat hinge are disclosed. The disclosed toilet seat hinge can be configured to reduce or eliminate gaps, edges, sharp corners, and/or exposed surfaces found in and around conventional toilet seat hinges. This can be done, for example, without compromising simplicity or manufacturability. Several features of the disclosed toilet seat assembly make it easier to clean than conventional toilet seat assemblies. The seat and lid, for example, can be attached to rotatable elements that are cradled in a base and rotate on substantially the same axis. The profile of the hinge can be streamlined with numerous concave surfaces. Portions of the seat and lid that are not connected to one of the rotatable elements can, for example, slide against other elements so as not to create gaps or sharp corners.
US08631520B2
A hinge assembly for a toilet having a bowl and a seat includes a hinge post configured to mount to the bowl. The hinge post includes a splined inner surface defining a bore. The hinge assembly also includes a pintle extending through the bore and configured to engage the seat to pivotally couple the seat to the hinge post. The pintle includes a splined portion that engages the splined inner surface of the hinge post to prevent rotation of the pintle relative to the hinge post.
US08635709B2
A method and a device for operating a technical installation using data from a third party are provided, the data being protected against unauthorized use. A first and a second rights object are used for protecting the data, the first rights object specifying an authorized use of the data with a variable not defined in respect of its value and the second rights object defining a value for the variable.
US08635704B2
The digital data file management method reads a header of the digital data file stored on an external medium. Based on the read header, the digital data file is selectively uploaded and/or managed.
US08635697B2
A method and system for providing network based malware detection in a service provider network is disclosed. Transmission control protocol (TCP) packets defining originating from an access device coupled to the service provider network defining a TCP session between a computing device coupled to the access device, and a destination coupled to the service provider network are received. An operating system identifier (OS ID) associated with the TCP session and the computing device is determined. If malware is present in the TCP session and an associated malware ID is determined by comparing a malware signature to the one or more TCP packets. An alert identifying a network address associated with the access device, the malware ID and the OS ID associated with TCP session that generated the alert can then be generated.
US08635693B2
A device may measure a first performance, associated with legitimate traffic without attack traffic, of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based protection device implementing authentication; measure a second performance, associated with legitimate traffic and attack traffic, of the SIP-based protection device implementing authentication; and measure a third performance, associated with legitimate traffic and attack traffic, of the SIP-based protection device implementing authentication and return routability filtering. The device may also measure a first performance associated with legitimate traffic of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based protection device implementing rate-limiting filtering; measure a second performance associated with legitimate traffic and attack traffic of the SIP-based protection device implementing scheme filtering; and measure a third performance associated with legitimate traffic of the SIP-based protection device not implementing rate-limiting filtering without attack traffic.
US08635686B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to receive an attack request comprising operating system privilege use instructions associated with a gateway and slave process exploit code instructions. The attack request may be contained by processing the request as a user associated with an assigned slave module processing on the gateway. The slave module is prevented from connecting to or scanning any internet protocol address and port that is not specified in a policy database having network interception policy rules and file system privilege rules associated by a key comprising a slave module operating system identifier associated with the slave module. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08635679B2
A system and method provide a framework for networked identity management in a user-centric model by providing the ability for a user to delegate permissions to release identity information, by enabling a mechanism for releasing one of a requested plurality of data sets and by providing facilities for the retrieval of identity information from an external server. Anonymization of identity data is enabled through the use of an anonymizer system that can optionally be integrated with an identity store such as a homesite.
US08635669B2
A system and method to ensure trustworthiness of a remote service provided by a service provider. The method includes monitoring runtime dependencies invoked during execution of a service transaction associated with the remote service, the service transaction being requested by a service requester. The method further includes determining whether a deviation exists between the runtime dependencies and a trusted list of dependencies associated with the remote service. The method also includes blocking execution of the service transaction based on determining that the deviation between the runtime dependencies and the trusted list of dependencies exists.
US08635667B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device connected to an authentication device through a first communication network, and further connected to another electronic device through a second communication network, wherein the electronic device executes authentication of the electronic device and another electronic device by data delivery/receipt conforming to a predetermined procedure between the electronic device and the authentication device through the first communication network, and data delivery/receipt between the electronic device and another electronic device through the second communication network.
US08635666B2
The present invention provides both method and apparatus for enhancing a user's network security. For example, it may be used to prevent phishing attacks being effected via the internet. A number of legitimate network addresses along with associated data are stored. Subsequently, analysis is carried out on any data transmitted between the user and a remote site to determine if the transmitted data is related to the stored data. If it is found that the data is related, user access to the remote site is denied unless the remote site's address is one of the stored network addresses. This provides more security than was previously available since it protects the user against attacks from sites that were not previously known to pose a threat.
US08635662B2
A system that that dynamically authenticates one or more users is described. During operation, the computer system determines a trust level for a user, where the trust level is a function of elapsed time since the user previously provided authentication information. Next, the computer system calculates a transaction risk level based on a type of user transaction performed by the user. Then, the computer system requests additional authentication information from the user based on the trust level and the transaction risk level.
US08635661B2
A system and method for enforcing security parameters that collects information from a source relating to a mobile device (104). Based on the collected information, an identity status for the mobile device (104) is determined that uniquely identifies the mobile device (104) and distinguishes it from other mobile devices. The identity status of the mobile device (104) can be determined when the mobile device (104) connects to a computing node source (102) or when the mobile device (104) accesses a resource (124) within the network. A security profile based on the identity status of the mobile device (104) is generated and the security profile is applied to the mobile device (104).
US08635651B2
A system communicates video information including television content associated with a plurality of channels and ancillary information. Information may be transmitted with the ancillary information that is indicative of the type of content included in the ancillary information. This provides the user, in one embodiment of the present invention, with a visual indication of the type of information that accompanies television content. This helps the user to decide whether the user wishes to view the ancillary information and provides the opportunity to select that enhancement for viewing.
US08635640B2
A method is disclosed for logging triggers in a video data stream the method including but not limited to monitoring a video data stream at an multimedia processor end user device; receiving from a data distribution server, the video data stream at the multimedia processor end user device; detecting a trigger in the video data stream at the multimedia processor end user device; logging a time for the trigger detected in the video data stream in a trigger log at the multimedia processor end user device; and sending the trigger log an advertising verification system in the data distribution system for correlating the time the trigger occurred with an Advertising Schedule.
US08635634B2
For seamlessly abstracting metadata in multiple formats, an abstraction module converts first metadata of an incoming object and additional metadata for the incoming object from an annotation map contained by the first metadata into a common format useable. The additional metadata is not part of an original format of the first metadata. A communication module communicates the converted metadata to an adapter in the common format, the adapter processing the first metadata and the additional metadata independent of the original format of the first metadata.
US08635630B2
In a computing device running multiple applications, a check is made as to whether a threshold value of multiple threshold values has been met. Each of the multiple threshold values is associated with a characteristic of one of the multiple applications or a characteristic of a resource of the computing device. If the threshold value has not been met, then the multiple applications are allowed to continue running on the computing device. However, if the threshold value has been met, then one or more of the multiple applications to shut down is selected based at least in part on the characteristic associated with the threshold value that has been met, and the selected application is shut down.
US08635615B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus for managing hypercalls in a hypervisor having an interrupt handler and a schedule is described. A deferrable low-overhead hypercall (DLH) module is configured to assign a separate DLH queue to each of a plurality of virtual machines when the virtual machine is initialized. Each entry in the separate DLH queue represents a hypercall routine. When one of the virtual machines notifies the interrupt handler of at least a deferrable hypercalls to be executed, the scheduler selects at least a virtual CPU (VCPU) and assigns them to the virtual machine to run on at least a physical CPU (PCPU). The DLH module executes the at least a deferrable hypercall inserted in a DLH queue assigned to the virtual machine before restoring the VCPU context to the virtual machine having the at least an assigned VCPU.
US08635611B2
Embodiments are provided to create a virtual application or suite of virtual applications. In an embodiment, a system is configured to create a virtual package which includes information that can be used in a hosted virtual application environment. The system can provide bits of a virtual package based in part on user demand for an application or certain application functionality. In one embodiment, a system includes a sequencer component which can create a virtual package which includes information associated with setup-time and run-time changes made to a computing device. The sequencer component can use a number of extensible markup language (XML) files to create the virtual package. Other embodiments are available.
US08635609B2
An update service is provided for maintaining software of one or more users, or an enterprise. On behalf of users or enterprises, the update service collects information from various software vendors about the certification and updates for their software. Dependencies or issues between the software are determined based on the information collected from the software vendors. A set of applicable updates for particular users or enterprises may then be determined based on the dependencies or issues. The update service may then broker various aspects of the delivery and installation of these updates.
US08635603B2
A debugger debugs processes that execute shared instructions so a breakpoint set for one process will not cause a breakpoint to occur in the other processes. A breakpoint is set by recording the original instruction at the desired location and writing a trap instruction to the shared instructions at that location. When a process encounters the breakpoint, the process passes control to the debugger for breakpoint processing if the breakpoint was set at that location for that process. If the trap was not set at that location for that process, the cacheline containing the trap is copied to a small scratchpad memory, and the virtual memory mappings are changed to translate the virtual address of the cacheline to the scratchpad. The original instruction is then written to replace the trap instruction in the scratchpad, so the process can execute the instructions in the scratchpad thereby avoiding the trap instruction.
US08635597B2
There is described a method for determining the processing sequence of components of a function plan for a sequentially operating automation system. Each component is allocated a component code in a reversible unambiguous manner and, while the components have a signal input and output connection, these should be applicable to a number of various function plans and thus minimize the reaction time of an automation system to process signals. The above is achieved, whereby the signal path in the function plan commences at an initial component in a recursive procedure in the forward direction and returns in the backward direction. A given set of propagation rules for the forward direction and for the backward direction are defined, the components reached in the course of a forward propagation are allocated to a sequence list, the list elements of which include the component codes and during each run through the recursive loop the sequence list obtained on the previous run is updated by means of the current sequence list.
US08635587B2
A selection of a layer is received from a plurality of layers of a composition. A tool type and one or more tool setting(s) are obtained based at least in part on the selected layer, where in the event the selected layer was previously selected at least once, the obtained tool type and tool setting(s) were in use a last time the selected layer was selected. A tool is automatically configured using the obtained tool type and tool setting(s), where the tool is associated with manipulating the composition.
US08635585B2
Techniques for extending a process model with specification of information consumed. A receiving operation receives specification of process information consumed by a process implementation of the process model. Another receiving operation receives specification of activity process information consumed by activities employed by the process implementation of the process model. The information consumed is information that is or needs to be used without being passed through exposed interfaces. A generating operation automatically generates an extended process model using a computer processor. The extended process model includes specification of exposed interfaces, the process information consumed by the process implementation, and the activity information consumed by the activity implementation. Further embodiments includes techniques for identifying information inconsistencies in the extended process model if the information consumed not available as called for by the extended process model.
US08635583B2
A standard cell library is disclosed. The standard cell library contains cells wherein at least one transistor in at least one cell is annotated for gate length biasing. Gate length biasing includes the modification of the gate length, so as to change the speed or power consumption of the modified gate length. The standard cell library is one used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices (e.g., that result as semiconductor chips), by way of fabricating features defined on one or more layouts of geometric shapes. The annotations serve to identify which ones of the transistor gate features are to be modified before using the geometric shapes for manufacturing the semiconductor device.
US08635577B2
A design tool can automatically improve timing of nets of a fully routed physical design solution. Nets of a netlist are evaluated against a plurality of re-routing criteria to identify the nets that satisfy at least one of the plurality of re-routing criteria. For each of the nets that satisfy at least one of the plurality of re-routing criteria: several operations are performed. The net is globally re-routed to determine a new global route for the net. Those of the nets that are within a given distance of the new global route are identified. The net is detail re-routed in accordance with the new global route without regard to those of the nets within the given distance of the new global route. Those of the nets within the given distance of the new global route are re-routed after completion of the detailed re-routing of the net.
US08635567B1
A method of circuit design includes receiving a user input selecting a first interface of a circuit block of a circuit design as a source interface in creating a connection within the circuit design and selecting a second interface of the circuit design as a candidate destination interface for the connection using a processor. The method further includes determining compatibility between the second interface and the first interface and indicating compatibility of the second interface with the first interface for the connection.
US08635564B2
Methods for optimizing design parameters of a circuit are disclosed. In one aspect, an optimization problem includes one or more performance specifications that represent an exponent of a design parameter to be optimized. Various parameters of passive and active circuit devices may be efficiently and accurately optimized as a result. In another aspect, linear performance specifications are included for accurately calculating voltages. In yet other aspects of the invention, three special types of convex optimization problems are disclosed for enabling the above use of exponents of design parameters which provide efficient and accurate calculations of a virtually unlimited array of circuit parameters and performance characteristics.
US08635560B2
A system and method for reducing power consumption in an electronic device by controlling the transition of the electronic device from a sleep mode to a full power mode. The electronic device comprises a main processor a touch-sensitive overlay, and an overlay controller. A sequence of touch inputs on the touch-sensitive overlay are detected and captured using the overlay controller while the main processor is in the sleep mode. A subset of the sequence of touch inputs is processed using the overlay controller to determine that the sequence of touch inputs corresponds to a coarse model of a pre-determined wake-up gesture prior to transitioning the electronic device from the sleep mode to the full power mode.
US08635558B2
Method to generate a procedural map (50) having a tree structure (40) comprising a plurality of levels (43), each one with at least one node (41) to which is associated at least one parameter, comprising the steps consisting in: providing a tool for parameter setting adapted to parameterize the tree corresponding to the map to provide and adapted to be connected to at least one external source of parameters; receiving, via the tool for parameter setting (or generation of procedural maps) the parameters of the map to be provided; at least one of said parameters coming from an external source; processing said parameters, in order to generate said map; Such a map comprises parameters and a structure allowing it to provide “special” effects in the field of image processing.The invention further provides a tool for generation and/or modification for the implementation of said method.
US08635555B2
Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs to a computing device. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, including an activate gesture, a fill gesture, a level gesture, a jump gesture, a checkmark gesture, a strikethrough gesture, an erase gesture, a circle gesture, a prioritize gesture, and an application tray gesture.
US08635550B2
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to mathematical programming for optimization based applications systems and provide a method, system and computer program product for providing an interface for generating and customizing optimization-based applications. A method for providing an interface for generating and customizing optimization-based applications can include generating an initial user interface having an objectives and sequences panel, the objectives and sequences panel can include a basic objective table, an aggregate objective table and an objective sequence table in a goal programming and goal weighting controller module executing in memory by a processor of a host computer. The method also includes rendering in the basic objective table a list of goals with corresponding indexes provided by the optimization application. The method further includes receiving selection of a subset of objectives to generate a new aggregate objective in the aggregate objective table.
US08635548B2
A method, system and apparatus for configuring a page for drag and drop arrangement of content artifacts can include populating a content artifact registry with a plurality of content artifacts, each of the content artifacts defining a draggable and droppable form of a particular type of page content. The method further can include defining a drop zone within the page to receive a dragged and dropped one of the content artifacts, the drop zone defining a consumable type of page content and an action to undertake when consuming a dropped one of the content artifacts having a particular type of page content consistent with the consumable type of page content.
US08635547B2
A display device of present invention includes an operation input portion from which operation information is input by a user, a selection portion that selects a predetermined region on a display screen based on the operation information, and a scroll portion that scrolls the display screen in a state where a position of the selected predetermined region is held at a predetermined position.
US08635537B1
A system and method for providing the dynamic display of content is provided. A network resource, such as Web page, can include a plurality of dynamic content modules. Depending on the available display area and additional display criteria, each dynamic content module displays a subset content. Each dynamic content module corresponds to an integration of multiple layers of content, such as text, graphics and image rendering information.
US08635534B2
Systems and methods to reserve resources is provided. In exemplary embodiments, a selection of a profile from a user is received. A dynamic graphical user interface is generated, using one or more processors. The dynamic graphical user interface allows the user to configure a topology based on the selected profile. The dynamic graphical user interface provides input fields in which the user may select a resource. An indication of the selected applicable topology property for configuring the topology is received. A topology is automatically generating based in part on the selected applicable topology property.
US08635532B2
Exemplary embodiments of methods to automatically correct timing of recorded audio in GUI are summarized here. One or more controls to adjust resolution of timing and degree of correction for the audio are displayed. The resolution of timing relates to heats on a grid and is affected by the degree of correction. The degree of correction is mapped to a time interval at each beat along the grid. Next, a user manipulation of one or more controls selecting a resolution and a degree of correction is received. Correction of timing is performed according to the selected resolution and degree of correction. Correcting of timing may include aligning a transient of the audio to the beat by compressing or stretching a portion of the audio. Compressing or stretching the portion of the audio depends on a length of the portion relative to a distance between adjacent beats.
US08635530B2
Statistical filtering of data using graphical user interfaces in information technology systems. One embodiment comprises generating a graphical statistical representation of a data set and displaying the graphical statistical representation on an electronic display. One or more manipulable graphical elements are also displayed in conjunction with the graphical statistical representation, wherein the manipulable graphical elements represent one or more statistical ranges for the graphical statistical representation. Based on user adjusting one or more of the manipulable graphical elements specifying one or more adjusted statistical ranges, the data set is filtered to correspond to the graphical statistical representation within the one or more adjusted statistical ranges.
US08635526B2
The disclosure is directed to an access terminal. The access terminal includes a display configured to enable a user to view a presentation having content, and a processing component configured to receive the presentation and select an advertisement to insert into the content of the presentation before the presentation is provided to the display for viewing by the user.
US08635523B2
A layout editing includes a display portion, an operation portion, a template storage portion, a template acquiring portion that acquires a similar template, an area displaying portion that displays a candidate area on the interactive screen, a setting determination portion that determines whether the candidate area that is displayed will be set on the interactive screen, a object disposing portion that sets the candidate area as the image object area and disposes the object in the set image object area, and an image generating portion that generates image data that describe the image for which the layout has been edited.
US08635519B2
Systems and methods for sharing digital content based on positional tagging on a digital platform. For example, in one embodiment, the systems and methods generally include: (a) providing a first user with an interface to tag content on a first digital platform; (b) creating a positional identifier that identifies the location of the tagged content on the first digital platform; and (c) posting, on a second digital platform, a link to the first digital platform. When a second user on the second digital platform activates the link on the second digital platform, the second user is directed to the first digital platform. The systems and methods thereafter include: (d) identifying when a second user has accessed the first digital platform via the link on the second digital platform; and (e) highlighting the tagged content on the first digital platform.
US08635514B2
A method includes calculating a first syndrome of a codeword read from a memory location under a first set of conditions and calculating a second syndrome of the codeword read from the memory location under a second set of conditions. The method also includes analyzing the first and second syndromes and applying one of the first and second syndromes to the codeword to find the codeword having a minimum number of errors.
US08635508B2
A system and method is provided for performing concatenated error correction. In one implementation, an apparatus for encoding data includes an outer encoder to generate a code word corresponding to received input data and a parity circuit to compute parities of logical cells of data, the logical cells of data being obtained from the code word and having a first logical cell. The apparatus also includes an inner encoder to generate an error correction bit for the first logical cell based on a first parity corresponding to the first logical cell, and to insert the error correction bit in the first logical cell.
US08635506B2
Provided is a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS); and, more particularly, a data transmission/receiving method in a multimedia broadcast multicast service system, and an apparatus thereof. The data transmitting method in the MBMS system includes the step of checking a terminal receiving data provided from the MBMS and the step of determining whether there is error report feedback on retransmission of the data according to the number of the detected terminals.
US08635504B2
The present disclosure describes using the JTAG Tap's TMS and/or TCK terminals as general purpose serial Input/Output (I/O) Manchester coded communication terminals. The Tap's TMS and/or TCK terminal can be used as a serial I/O communication channel between; (1) an IC and an external controller, (2) between a first and second IC, or (3) between a first and second core circuit within an IC. The use of the TMS and/or TCK terminal as serial I/O channels, as described, does not effect the standardized operation of the JTAG Tap, since the TMS and/or TCK I/O operations occur while the Tap is placed in a non-active steady state.
US08635498B2
Embodiments of methods and systems for analyzing performance of an application are provided. In that regard, an embodiment of a method for analyzing performance, among others, comprises collecting performance metric data from the application over time; segmenting the performance metric data into time segments representing sets of contiguous time samples which exhibit similar performance metric behavior; determining the presence of an anomaly in a time segment; and correlating the anomalous segment with other data available to the system to determine the cause of the anomaly.
US08635490B2
In one example, a backup intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) device includes one or more network interfaces to receive a state update message from a primary IDP device, wherein the state update message indicates a network session being inspected by the primary IDP device and an identified application-layer protocol for the device, to receive an indication that the primary device has switched over or failed over to the backup device, and to receive a plurality of packets of the network session after receiving the indication, each of the plurality of packets comprising a respective payload including application-layer data, a protocol decoder to detect a beginning of a new transaction from the application-layer data of one of the plurality of packets, and a control unit to statefully process only the application-layer data of the network session that include and follow the beginning of the new transaction.
US08635485B2
A computer includes a CPU and a system unit, and further includes a power source which generates source power, a system driving power generator which converts the source power to system power and which provides power to the system unit, a CPU driving power generator which outputs driving power to drive the CPU, and a controller which selectively supplies the source power or the system power to an input terminal of the CPU driving power generator according to an operation mode of the CPU. Thus, a computer adjusts a level of power supplied to a CPU driving power generator according to a CPU mode and improves power efficiency, and includes a control method thereof.
US08635467B2
An integrated circuit comprises logic circuitry, organized in a multi-level hierarchy of modules. The integrated circuit comprises multiple sensing circuits. In operation, each sensing circuit senses an instantaneous current consumption IC of a respective one of the modules that draws current entirely through that sensing circuit. The integrated circuit comprises a concealing circuit for each of the sensing circuits. In operation, the concealing circuit receives as input a voltage VC corresponding to the sensed instantaneous current consumption IC of its respective module, and the concealing circuit dissipates an instantaneous power PL such that an instantaneous power sum PTOTAL of the instantaneous power PL and the instantaneous power PC to be dissipated by its respective module is substantially independent of activity of its respective module.
US08635461B2
A method, system and program in which a certificate identifier (ID) is associated with an encryption certificate. In certain embodiments, the certificate ID is stored in a cartridge memory (CM). Thus, keystore or key manager administrators can trace keystore locations, versions of keystores, etc. when a cart cannot locate a correct key. This certificate ID, as it is stored on the cartridge memory, is viewable by all.
US08635459B2
A unique identifier on a tag of an object is read. Transactional information relating to the object is recorded and used to encrypt the unique identifier into a code. The code is then written into memory of the tag such that the code records the transactional information.
US08635451B2
Apparati, methods, and computer-readable media for strengthening a one-time pad encryption system. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of encrypting plaintext (1) with an OTP key (2) in an XOR operation to produce ciphertext (3); and obfuscating the ciphertext (3) with an AutoKey (4) in an XOR operation to produce AutoKeyed ciphertext (5), wherein the AutoKey (4) is a reusable key.
US08635447B1
A method is used in managing certificates between software environments. In a Flex operating environment, a certificate store is maintained that is accessible to a Java operating environment. In the Flex operating environment, certificates from the Flex and Java operating environments are caused to be validated and stored in the certificate store.
US08635427B2
An object of the present invention is to improve the usage efficiency of a storage extent in a storage system using the Allocation on Use (AOU) technique. A controller in the storage system allocates a storage extent in an actual volume to an extent in a virtual volume accessed by a host computer, detects any decrease in necessity for maintaining that allocation, and cancels the allocation of the storage extent in the actual volume to the extent in the virtual volume based on the detection result.
US08635424B2
An externally-connected volume of a main storage is correlated to an AOU volume inside of an external storage. The AOU volume is allocated with a not-yet-used page in a pool in accordance with data writing. When a command is issued to the externally-connected volume for formatting or others, a first controller in the main storage converts the command into a format command or an area deallocation command with respect to the AOU volume in the external storage. As such, the external AOU volume is subjected to a write process in its entirety, thereby being able to prevent any unnecessary page allocation. With such a configuration, the storage system of the present invention can use pages in the pool with good efficiency.
US08635418B2
A memory system is provided. In the system, there are first and second sets of dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) and a system register. Each DRAM has at least a first and a second addressable mode register, where the binary address of the second mode register is the inverted binary address of the first mode register. The system register has an input configured to be coupled to a controller, an output coupled to the first set of DRAMs via first address lines and an inverted output coupled to the second set of DRAMs via second address lines. The system register is configured to receive mode register set commands including address bits and configuration bits at the input and to output the mode register set commands non-inverted via the output to the first set of DRAMs and in inverted form via the inverted output to the second set of DRAMs.
US08635414B2
System and method for allocating memory resources are disclosed. The system utilizes a bus system coupled to a plurality of requestors and a plurality of memory systems coupled to the bus system. Each memory system includes a memory component and a memory management module including a value that represents access rights to the memory component. The memory management module is configured to receive an access request from a first requestor of the plurality of requestors and to grant access to the memory component only if the value indicates that the first requestor has access rights to the memory component. The memory management module is configurable to change the value to give the access rights to the memory component to a second requestor of the plurality of requestors.
US08635406B2
A data processing apparatus and method have a processor for executing instructions, and a prefetch unit for prefetching instructions from memory prior to sending those instructions to the processor for execution. A branch target cache structure has a plurality of entries, where the cache structure comprises an initial branch target cache having a first number of entries and a promoted entry branch target cache having a second number of entries. During lookup operation, both the initial entry branch target cache and the promoted entry branch target cache are accessed in parallel. For a branch instruction executed by the processor that does not currently have a corresponding entry in the branch target cache structure, allocation circuitry performs an initial allocation operation to allocate one of the entries in the initial entry branch target cache for storing the branch instruction information for that branch instruction.
US08635404B2
A controller for transferring data between a host and a storage medium includes a data transfer unit and a control unit. The data transfer unit transfers data according to control commands from the host if the data transfer unit is enabled. The control unit coupled to the data transfer unit receives a status signal indicating whether the storage medium is coupled to a socket of the controller. The control unit provides interruption signals to the host. Power and a clock signal for the control unit are disabled if the status signal indicates that the storage medium is decoupled from the controller.
US08635400B2
A storage system 100, which has a plurality of flash packages 230, has a function for minimizing the imbalance of the number of deletions of each block inside the flash package 230 and a block-unit capacity virtualization function, and efficiently manifests lessening of the imbalance of the number of deletions and reduction in the data storage capacity for the entire storage system 100 by having functions for calculating the number of deletions and the data occupancy of each flash package 230, and for transferring data between the flash packages 230 on the basis of the values of these number of deletions and data occupancy.
US08635390B2
The present invention provides a system and method for controlling data entries in a hierarchical buffer system. The system includes an integrated circuit device comprising: a memory core, a shared data bus, and a plurality of 1st tier buffers that receive data from the memory. The system further includes a 2nd tier transfer buffer that delivers the data onto the shared data bus with pre-determined timing. The present invention can also be viewed as providing methods for controlling moving data entries in a hierarchical buffer system. The method includes managing the buffers to allow data to flow from a plurality of 1st tier buffers through a 2nd tier transfer buffer, and delivering the data onto a shared data bus with pre-determined timing.
US08635379B2
A data storage device includes a data storage device controller configured to control a storage medium, and a tag duplicate check unit to determine, when a frame is received from an initiator, the initiator, tag information, and a type of the sent frame and providing an interrupt to the data storage device controller if a same frame type and same tag information are received from a same initiator.
US08635375B2
Disclosed techniques allow for devices of a SAN to login to an F_port of a different switch than the switch to which the device is physically connected. These techniques allow moving some of the capability from an edge switch to another switch in the fabric, with the edge switch transporting incoming frames from the device to the other switch and thence across the SAN to the destination device, and similarly transporting outgoing frames from the more-capable switch to the edge switch for delivery to the device connected to the edge switch. In some embodiments, the edge switch may determine the other switch to which the device should login based on properties of the other switch.
US08635370B2
A blade server is capable of being mounted with a plurality of operation blades, a plurality of switch blades, and I/O blades. The operation blades have CPUs that emit packets for the I/O blades. The switch blades include a crossbar that selects two or more of the plurality of operation blades, comparators that compare two or more packets emitted by CPUs that the two or more operation blades selected by the crossbar are provided with, and a further crossbar that transfers the compared packets to the I/O blades based on comparison results of the comparators.
US08635361B2
A data access request from an application for access to a data resource is received from a first application. The data access request is analyzed to identify application-specific behavior indicating a type of data access for the data resource. The WAN acceleration functionality of a first device is configured for network traffic optimization based on the type of data access for the data resource. The analysis of the data access request may be based on attributes of the data access request, the data resource, and/or an access control restriction. The network traffic optimization may be adapted to optimize network traffic to a first portion of the data resource that is different than a second portion of the data resource associated with the data access request or to a second data resource separate from the data resource associated with the data access request.
US08635359B2
Metadata defining decoding and rendering instructions for media content to be co-rendered in a media presentation is divided and distributed as track fragments (15, 16) provided in different media container files (11). Track fragment adjustment information (20) is included in at least one such track fragment (15) in order to define rendering timing relationships between media content portions defined by the track fragments (15, 16) in a current media container file (11). The rendering timing relationships enable a correct time alignment of the playback of the media content to be co-rendered to achieve a synchronized media presentation. The track fragment adjustment information (20) is particularly advantageous in connection with tuning in or a random access in a stream of media container files (1, 11) comprising fragmented metadata.
US08635358B2
A data Interface for transferring digital data between a host and a client over a communication path using packet structures linked together to form a communication protocol for communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data. The signal protocol is used by link controllers configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming the communications protocol, and to form digital data into one or more types of data packets, with at least one residing in the host device and being coupled to the client through the communications path. The interface provides a cost-effective, low power, bi-directional, high-speed data transfer mechanism over a short-range “serial” type data link, which lends itself to implementation with miniature connectors and thin flexible cables which are especially useful in connecting display elements such as wearable micro-displays to portable computers and wireless communication devices.
US08635357B2
An iterative operation is performed at a computing device to identify a parameter set for an initial segment. A parameter set for an initial segment includes a plurality of encoding parameters and values assigned to the encoding parameters. The initial segment is re-encoded using the parameter set, thereby generating a transcoded segment. In some embodiments, the transcoded segment is transmitted to a client computing device that presents media represented by the transcoded segment.
US08635356B2
Disclosed is a method for enabling scalable progressive downloading of video signals. In the method, when a server transmits scalably encoded content data to a client, the server transmits some of the content data from a head of the content data to a tail of the content data according to transmission conditions, and transmits some of residual data of the content data having not been transmitted in the prior process. When scalably coded transmission content data is reproduced, the transmission content data are stored in a storage means as a file, the content data is read, decoded and output. Further, the recorded content data are read while an area having no recorded content data is skipped based on a specific code in the file.
US08635353B2
A data processing system arranged for receiving over a network, according to a data transfer protocol, data directed to any of a plurality of destination identities, the data processing system comprising: data storage for storing data received over the network; and a first processing arrangement for performing processing in accordance with the data transfer protocol on received data in the data storage, for making the received data available to respective destination identities; and a response former arranged for: receiving a message requesting a response indicating the availability of received data to each of a group of destination identities; and forming such a response; wherein the system is arranged to, in dependence on receiving the said message.
US08635350B2
A method for Internet Protocol (IP) device discovery implemented in a control network having a gateway device, a router, and an IP device at a location. A location management system including a IP device at a location having an IP address assigned by a router at the location. A gateway device for managing a set of two or more local management devices at a location.
US08635347B2
An apparatus and method for network routing is provided. Synchronized networks are disclosed which enable fast connection set up and release in a tiered hierarchy of circuit switched nodes. Nodes in the network aggregate and disaggregate data according to a transform algorithm allowing for dynamic frame and frame segment sizing. Connections within the network are organized by paired connections performing aggregation and disaggregation according to control vectors.
US08635336B2
A method for categorizing network traffic content includes determining a first characterization of the network traffic content determining a first probability of accuracy associated with the first characterization, and categorizing the network traffic content based at least in part on the first characterization and the first probability of accuracy. A method for use in a process to categorize network traffic content includes obtaining a plurality of data, each of the plurality of data representing a probability of accuracy of a characterization of network traffic content, and associating each of the plurality of data with a technique for characterizing network traffic content. A method for categorizing network traffic content includes determining a characterization of the network traffic content, determining a weight value associated with the characterization, and categorizing network traffic content based at least in part on the characterization of the network traffic content and the weight value.
US08635326B1
In general, techniques are described for aggregating, within a network device, internal forwarding routes for multiple control protocols and allocating next hops for the routes among individual service units of a decentralized control plane for the network device. The techniques may also include aggregating internal forwarding routes for data protocols and allocating next hops for the routes among individual forwarding units of a decentralized data plane for the network device. In one example, a mobile gateway includes a plurality of subscriber management service units that present a uniform interface to nodes within a mobile service provider network. An allocation manager apportions a control protocol session identifier namespace into a plurality of contiguous, non-overlapping protocol session identifier ranges and allocates the ranges among the service units. The service units execute the control protocol by utilizing respective allocated ranges, which the aggregate internal forwarding routes use to identify the associated service units.
US08635314B2
An apparatus may include a port to receive a ranging request from a cable modem and a processor in communication with the port. The processor may assign a service identifier to the cable modem, match the service identifier with a link layer address of the cable modem, receive a router advertisement and comparing the source link layer address from the router advertisement to the link layer address of the cable modem, and determine if the link layer address of the cable modem is the same as the source link layer address.
US08635306B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for providing character input to a display device. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a user selection of an application which allows for character input by a user, launching a receiver application by the display device, and detecting a transmission from a user device by a messenger application of the display device, the transmission identifying at least one graphical character based on user operation of a user device. The method may further include displaying the at least one graphical character.
US08635305B1
Methods and apparatus for providing differentiated services with respect to data processing provided by a cache engine. Requests that are received into a cache engine are associated with a particular service level. Processing of the request by the cache engine is then based on the request's particular service level, and may be prioritized based on the request's particular service level, or may be based on the number of hits for such object by clients having the particular service level. When the cache engine does not contain the requested object, the request may be forwarded to a selected origin server, based on the service level of the request. When a response is received from an origin server into the cache engine, processing of such response may also be based on the object request's service level, as well as a priority of the object of the response.
US08635304B2
A computer system including a processor and a memory for retrieving digital media content, storing the digital media content in the memory, and providing the digital media content to a thin media client is provided.
US08635298B2
A system and method for linking terrestrial mail to the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure will enable a user, e.g., a sender and/or recipient of a document, to link all types of terrestrial mail to the global computer network, e.g., the Internet, so that they can digitally access, reply and/or utilize the content of the mail. The system and method provides for receiving an identifier associated with a terrestrial document; accessing an electronic version of the terrestrial document using the received identifier; creating a reply to the accessed document; and forwarding the reply to a sender of the terrestrial document. The reply document can be forwarded by e-mailing the reply to the sender, faxing the reply to the sender and/or printing the reply and delivering the printed reply by a terrestrial delivery service.
US08635294B2
An emergency response system, method of responding to emergencies and a computer program product therefor. Networked provider computers are distributed over a geographical area that includes multiple regions with at least one providing computing capability to each region and each region receiving emergency response resources during emergencies from an emergency response computer. During any local emergency the area emergency response computer provides a local response and notifies other emergency response computers for other regions that are potentially affected by the emergency.
US08635291B2
A communication device and method for overriding a message filter are provided. A first message is transmitted from the communication device to a communication network, the first message associated with a filtering override condition stored at a memory device. A second message is received from the communication network, the second message meeting a filtering condition stored in the memory device such that an alert device is not triggered to provide an alert of second message. The second message us determined to be received in response to the first message associated the filtering override condition, and in response, the alert device is triggered to provide the alert of the second message.
US08635284B1
A method for processing packets that includes receiving a packet from a network, analyzing the packet to obtain packet information used to determine to which temporary data structure to forward the packet, if a first list includes the packet information forwarding the packet to a first temporary data structure, and processing the packet from the first temporary data structure, and if the first list does not include the packet information forwarding the packet to a second temporary data structure, processing the packet, wherein processing the packet comprises: sending a first test to a source of the packet using the packet information, placing the packet information on the first list, if a successful response to the first test is received, and placing the packet information on a second list, if an unsuccessful response to the first test is received.
US08635268B1
Disclosed are various embodiments of systems and methods for content notification. For example, in some embodiments, a method includes the step of storing a network page in a memory in a client computing device. The network page includes a list of item representations associated with a plurality of items. Each item representation is associated with a respective one of the items. The method further includes the step of rendering the network page using the client computing device. The network page includes a content notification component in a visible portion, and the content notification component is visible in a viewport. The content notification component provides notification to a user of at least one non-visible portion of the network page.
US08635265B2
Communication occurs between at least one server and a plurality of clients. Client-side connections are established between a traffic manager and clients, in response to clients making requests to communicate with a server. Server-side connections are created and maintained between the traffic manager and the server in order to service the client requests. At least one of the server-side connections is reused to service a client request.
US08635264B2
Information handling systems personalized by addition of a physical component, such as lid having an emblem that attaches to a portable information handling system, have software associated with the physical component automatically applied by interacting with an entitlement network location. An identifier associated with the physical component is automatically read by the information handling system and sent to the entitlement network location to retrieve entitlements for the use of software at the information handling system.
US08635255B2
An exemplary method includes generating an interaction feed corresponding to a user of at least one access device, the interaction feed comprising data representative of an interaction of the at least one access device with one or more media content applications, updating metadata within a storage facility with the interaction feed, and automatically customizing an interaction experience of at least one of the user and another user with a media content application in accordance with the metadata. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08635253B2
A computer-executable application is provided with access to resources generated using a principal model. A decoration model associated with the principal model is instantiated for use by the application. The application is provided with access to an object of the decoration model responsive to a request by the application to access an object of the principal model. The decoration model object corresponds to the principal model object.
US08635250B2
A bulk delete for remote database access is provided. A delete request is received over an API for a multitenant database. The delete can be for either a soft delete or a hard delete, where hard delete allows the system to skip use of a recycle bin. Multiple batch jobs are created to implement the delete request, and the batch jobs are executed asynchronously with respect to the request until the request is satisfied. Results for each batch job can be stored and provided to a client to indicate results of the delete operation.
US08635248B2
A method of providing updates from a social network to a desktop application is provided. An update is created in an application and if the application has permission, it creates an entry in a recent activity queue. The queue is then subject to analysis to reduce the number of entries in the queue. Subscribers that have permission to receive updates from the publisher and the publishing application then receive updates from the publisher.
US08635247B1
A namespace and storage management (NSM) application includes an infrastructure configured to enable efficient management of resources in a storage system environment. The NSM application executes on a NSM console and interacts with an NSM server to integrate namespace management and storage management in the storage system environment. The NSM server, in turn, interacts with one or more remote agents installed on host machines in the environment to convey application programming interface (API) function calls that enable remote management of the resources.
US08635246B1
Methods, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for upgrading a system while keeping applications continuously available. The upgrade of such a system which consists of several database applications requires an outage for the complete system due to the fact that database objects (e.g. tables, indexes or views) are structurally adjusted or the content of database tables is changed. To overcome this limitation there is provided a method. The method comprises in setting up a temporary failover framework in the same database to allow end-user read and write access to database tables which are not changed during the upgrade outage. The database applications based on these tables are thus made continuously available.
US08635243B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for sending a communications header with the voice recording to send metadata for use in speech recognition, formatting, and search in searching for web content on a mobile communication facility comprising capturing speech presented by a user using a resident capture facility on the mobile communication facility; transmitting a communications header to a speech recognition facility from the mobile communication facility through a wireless communications facility, wherein the communications header includes at least one of device name, network type, audio source, display parameters for the wireless communications facility, geographic location, and phone number information; transmitting at least a portion of the captured speech as data through the wireless communication facility to a speech recognition facility; generating speech-to-text results utilizing the speech recognition facility based at least in part on the information relating to the captured speech and the communications header; and transmitting text from the speech-to-text results along with URL usage information configured to enable a user to conduct a search on the mobile communication facility.
US08635217B2
This invention is generally directed to one or more methods or systems relating to inferential networks. This invention is further directed to methods and systems for making and using inferential networks. Still further, this invention is generally directed to making one or more inferential networks by using data generated from directed searches of collections of linked databases.
US08635216B1
An enhancement to a search engine is disclosed for prioritizing search results obtained from an information search engine such as those accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet and/or a corporate intranet). In response to a user search query, the enhanced search engine of the invention prioritizes the search results using stored information indicative of network sites: (a) previously visited by the user, and/or (b) to which the user has indicated an interest (or disinterest) in the content thereof. Additionally, the invention prioritizes the search results using stored information indicative of other users that are determined to have similar searching interests. Thus, since the stored information can dynamically change, repeated performances of the same search can present different initial, more user customized, portions of the search results.
US08635211B2
Fingerprint-based content identification is described. Bin-counting detects linear trends based on data points that are generated from a set of query fingerprints, which are extracted from a query content item and a matching set of corresponding reference content items that are extracted from a reference content item. RANSAC may detect trends based on confidence scores that are computed for multiple candidate content items. The trends detected for the candidate content items are compared against a threshold in order of decreasing confidence score until a trend that satisfies the threshold is found. A ranking-based mechanism for fingerprint-based content identification may use a bin-counting or RANSAC-based trend detection mechanism to identify duplicate or multiple reference content items that all match the same query content item.
US08635192B2
A handheld electronic device, such as a GPS-enabled wireless communications device with an embedded camera, automatically geotags a set of data, such as a digital photo, video, notes, or a blog, with a textual plain-language description of the current location. When the data is generated, the current location of the device is determined, e.g. using a GPS receiver. A textual plain-language description of the current location is then generated, e.g. by reverse geocoding the GPS position coordinates or by correlating the current time with a calendar event from which language descriptive of the event can be extracted. This textual plain-language description is automatically generated and written into a tag or metadata file associated with the photo or other set of data. By automatically geotagging data with textual plain-language descriptions that go beyond mere coordinates of latitude and longitude, data can be searched and managed more efficiently.
US08635184B2
A system for storing files comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to break a file into one or more segments; store the one or more segments in a first storage unit; and add metadata to the first storage unit so that the file can be accessed independent of a second storage unit, wherein a single namespace enables access for files stored in the first storage unit and the second storage unit. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.
US08635180B2
A pattern matching accelerator (PMA) for assisting software threads to find the presence and location of strings in an input data stream that match a given pattern. The patterns are defined using regular expressions that are compiled into a data structure comprised of rules subsequently processed by the PMA. The patterns to be searched in the input stream are defined by the user as a set of regular expressions. The patterns to be searched are grouped in pattern context sets. The sets of regular expressions which define the pattern context sets are compiled to generate a rules structure used by the PMA hardware. The rules are compiled before search run time and stored in main memory, in rule cache memory within the PMA or a combination thereof. For each input character, the PMA executes the search and returns the search results.
US08635172B1
Performance of the machine learning technique is assessed using Bayesian analysis where previously grouped documents belonging to a machine-assigned class or cluster are presented to a human rater and the rater's assessment is fed to the Bayesian analysis processor that updates a Beta bionomial model with each document. The model represents the precision probability associated with the class or cluster under test. Monitoring the precision probability, the technique enforces a set of stopping rules corresponding to an acceptance/rejection assessment of the machine learning apparatus. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo process operates on the model to infuse the processing of each subsequent class or cluster with knowledge from those previously processed.
US08635159B1
A method for operating an electronic self-service device is provided. The method may include using an electronic receiver module to receive electronic data from the self-service device. The electronic data may include information regarding a limited access personal identification number (“PIN”). The method may further include using an electronic computational module to test the PIN using a plurality of algorithms. The testing preferably determines whether the PIN corresponds to one of a plurality of stored PIN offset values. The method may also include identifying an algorithm that obtains a correspondence between the PIN and one of the plurality of stored PIN offset values. The method may further include using an electronic transmitter to transmit a signal corresponding to the algorithm used to obtain the correspondence and receiving an electronic authorization message that comprises instructions. The instructions may provide limited access authorization information.
US08635158B1
A student loan repayment system for accumulating money using a client device, a computing cloud, and a network, wherein a cloud data storage contains computer instructions for presenting a student loan holder interface, creating a student profile, forming an account for accumulating money linked to another account, enabling the student loan holder to input goals, and enabling the student loan holder to make and receive deposits into the account for accumulating money. The deposits can include an amount of money selected by the student loan holder, an amount of money repaid by not purchasing a product or service, an amount of money repaid by purchasing a lower priced product or service, a similar product with a rebate, another promotional incentive for purchasing a product, or an amount of money associated with a non-monetary goal.
US08635154B2
A user's location is automatically transmitted to a network, and the network automatically customizes one or more environments, such as by customizing communication devices, other types of devices, or the like, based on the detected location and on profile information. Customizing an environment may include enabling services, such as setting up a public telephone or hotel telephone with a user's home base telephone settings and/or services, and/or may include disabling functions, such as disabling long-distance service when the user is away from home.
US08635152B2
A mechanism is provided for deploying software applications in a cloud computing environment. An administrator is provided an interface for allowing a software application that is designed for a single tenant to be used by a plurality of users. An aspect of the invention is to provide a mechanism for quickly and easily giving multi-user qualities to a single tenant application like autoCAD. As such, multiple users can access the application without the need to download and install a version locally on their system. The system is able to determine the period of time for which an application is in use for a given user, because every application is run on a resource that is part of the cloud environment. Therefore, it is possible for the application provider to charge for the application in a usage-based model—e.g. by the hour, or day—without any re-engineering of the existing application.
US08635145B2
A method for submitting transactions from an automated trading tool to an electronic exchange. The method includes defining a proximity limit and automatically generating a transaction for a tradeable object. The method further includes applying the proximity limit to the transaction. When the transaction falls within the defined proximity limit, the transaction is submitted to the exchange. An apparatus and interface for transaction toggling based on proximity limits are also provided.
US08635144B2
Methods and systems for facilitating trading of securities, preferred methods comprising receiving a first buy or sell order from a first user; calculating a block price range; determining that said first order is reasonably priced; transmitting to a second user a notification that a reasonably priced order is present, but without notifying said second user of the side; receiving a second order from said second user, wherein said second order is a contra to said first order and nearly matches but does not cross said first order; transmitting a contra order notification to said second user after said second order is received, said contra order notification indicating that a nearly matching contra order is active; receiving a third order from said second user, said third order being a contra to said first order and crossing said first order; and executing a trade comprising said first order and said third order.
US08635141B2
Methods and systems for optimizing a plurality of portfolios, each portfolio including one or more shares of one or more tradable assets, and may include the steps of: receiving asset data associated with the plurality of the portfolios; receiving one or more optimization constraints including at least one global constraint defining a constraint to be applied across an aggregate of the plurality of portfolios; for each portfolio, optimizing the asset data based on the one or more optimization constraints to create optimized portfolio data; aggregating the optimized portfolio data to create aggregate optimized asset data; determining if the aggregate optimized asset data satisfies the at least one global constraint; and only if the at least one global constraint is satisfied, outputting the optimized asset data.
US08635134B2
Systems and methods for optimizations involving insufficient funds conditions are provided. An identification of a first account of a customer of a financial institution may be received by a financial system comprising one or more computers. The first account may be a deposit account at the financial institution. Interest income and non-interest income attributable to one or more of a plurality of accounts, including the first account, that the customer has with the financial institution may be analyzed by the financial system. Based at least in part on the analyzed interest income and non-interest income, a recommended next action associated with the first account may be determined by the financial system. The recommended next action may be associated with an actual or potential insufficient funds (NSF) condition associated with the first account.
US08635133B2
A system comprising a processor configured to calculate a location for a server along a communication link between a first trading center and a second trading center based at least in part on a property of the communication link. The server may be configured to send first trade instructions for trading a first financial instrument to the first trading center and send second trade instructions for trading a second financial instrument to the second trading center.
US08635131B1
The invention teaches a system and method for managing a transaction account using the BIN number included in a transaction account number. The transaction account number is provided to a transaction account issuer configured to retrieve the BIN number from the transaction account. A portion of the BIN number, called the BIN identifier, is retrieved by the transaction account issuer and used to locate a corresponding use or issuer-defined transaction processing protocol stored on the account issuer system. The account issuer may then process the transaction request in accordance with the protocol located.
US08635126B2
A system, computer program and computer-based method for managing casino operations. The system provides for employee management and information storage and retrieval for a significant number of casino operations. The system includes an attendance controller that receives, stores and displays attendance information for casino personnel. Casino personnel are issued cards that uniquely identify them and monitor them in the fulfillment of their roles. Players may also receive these types of cards, which can be used to record their casino activity and reward them for playing. The system provides for managing financial transactions between the player and entity. Touch screen devices, resident at casino tables, may be used to request and manage the table.
US08635124B1
According to various exemplary embodiments, an electronic text message is received from a source telephone number, the electronic text message including content describing a product item. A seller of the product item is identified, based on the source telephone number, and the product item is identified, based on the content included in the electronic text message. Thereafter, a draft version of an item listing is automatically generated, where the item listing lists the product item as being for sale by the seller on a marketplace website.
US08635121B2
A method and a system segmenting a user viewing listings in online publications to render the listing according to a rule received from a seller. For example, the system receives one or more listings submitted by a seller. The listing comprises one or more modifiable parameters. The system also receives a rule from the seller, the rule associated with a first listing of the one or more listings. A profile is associated with a user based on data collected about the user. The first listing is rendered to the user based on the profile associated with the user and the rule by modifying the one or more parameters.
US08635099B1
A method and system for providing a survey comprises an incentive module, a survey determination module, a timing module, and a survey interface module. The incentive module determines a dynamic incentive for a panelist. The dynamic incentive is associated with the survey. The survey determination module provides the survey to the panelist. The timing module determines a survey time and if the panelist may perform another survey in a remaining time. The survey interface module provides a graphical representation of the survey to the panelist.
US08635098B2
Community ratings are determined for users of an electronic marketplace. In a typical configuration, the community rating of an individual reflect the individual's reputation in the electronic community (e.g. feedback rating) as well as the reputations of the users the individual sponsors and the reputations of each user they sponsor, and so on. Various methodologies are provided for determining a community rating, such as aggregating feedback ratings, or weighting or thresholding these feedback ratings.
US08635096B2
A method and system are disclosed for adapting a production flow schedule for one or more production processes, each having one or more process steps that use power for the execution thereof. An exemplary method includes identifying at least one availability time window in which there is a predetermined minimum power availability within a predetermined optimization time period based on a piece of availability information which indicates a forecast power availability during the optimization time period; providing an indication of one or more flexible process steps, which can be executed in a plurality of alternative time windows within the optimization time period; and for each of the flexible process steps, temporally rearranging the corresponding flexible process step into one of the corresponding alternative time windows if the rescheduling is within the availability time window in order to obtain an adapted production flow schedule.
US08635094B2
A method for role-based personalization of a collaborative space can include generating a collaborative space utilizing role information for an interacting user that has been defined by an underlying business process model in a workflow. For example, the step of generating a collaborative space can include parsing the workflow to extract a role model, generating a collaborative space domain model from the role model, selecting a plurality of user interface components based upon the role model, organizing the selected user interface components in the collaborative space, and rendering the collaborative space.
US08635089B1
The invention relates to the administration of prescription drug formulary information. A list of drugs that a particular prescription drug plan will pay for in whole or in part is called a formulary. The invention involves the use of information and customizable rules associated with formularies, combined with information from patient medical records, to generate custom, dynamic formularies applicable to specific patients, groups of patients, or both. Depending on the choice of rules and the other information, this may help payers control prescription drug costs by encouraging the use of less-expensive drugs when medically appropriate, but without impairing the freedom of prescribers to prescribe specific drugs according to their professional judgments. Some embodiments may also be adapted to generate and store data about the use and functioning of the embodiments or aspects of them and to generate reports containing some or all such data in response to queries.
US08635082B2
A system and method for managing inventories of orthopaedic implants includes receiving a medical image of a bone of a patient from a healthcare provider, performing a digital templating procedure on the medical image to determine an orthopaedic implant for use with the bone of the patient; transmitting the digital templated medical image to the healthcare provider, and shipping the orthopaedic implant to the healthcare provider in response to an electronic approval of the digital templated medical image received from the healthcare provider. Implant constraint data may also be received from the healthcare provider and used in determining the orthopaedic implant. In addition, a number of orthopaedic implants having a range of different sizes based on the size of the determined orthopaedic implant may be shipped to the healthcare provider. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider may perform the digital templating procedure on the medical image.
US08635074B2
An interactive voice response system for a correctional facility commissary is described. The system is configured to receive incoming communications from an inmate to the correctional facility commissary. The system detects violations of facility restrictions to orders for commissary goods at more than one point in time, and allows comprehensive review and editing of pending orders for commissary items.
US08635059B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for presenting alternative translations. In one aspect, a method includes receiving source language text; receiving translated text corresponding to the source language text from a machine translation system; receiving segmentation data for the translated text, wherein the segmentation data includes a first segmentation of the translated text, the first segmentation dividing the translated text into two or more segments; receiving one or more alternative translations for each of the two or more segments; presenting the source text and the translated text to a user in a user interface; and in response to a user selection of a first portion of the translated text, displaying, in the user interface, one or more alternative translations for a first segment to which the first portion of translated text corresponds according to the first segmentation.
US08635055B1
In a modeling environment, a composite signal configuration element is provided. The composite signal configuration element configures one or more signals of a composite signal having a selectable grouping of the one or more signals. Configuring signals of a composite signal allows for the selectable creation, editing, and separation of composite signals. In some embodiments, hierarchical composite signals may be selectably created edited or separated into individual signals. In certain embodiments the composite signal configuration element may include additional functionality for performing operation on the composite signal.
US08635051B1
In one embodiment, a hydraulic simulation model corresponding to a real-world hydraulic network is loaded in a hydraulic modeling and simulation application executing on a computer system. The hydraulic simulation model represents leakages as pressure dependent emitter flow at selected nodes (leakage nodes). Optimization criteria include a specified maximum of possible leakage nodes. A genetic algorithm (GA) generates trial solutions for an optimization, each trial solution representing locations for leakage nodes and corresponding emitter coefficients. A hydraulic analysis is performed for the trial solutions to generated model-simulated results. The model-simulated results are compared to field-observed data for the real-world hydraulic network to generate goodness-of-fit values. The process is repeated until a particular goodness-of-fit value is achieved or a maximum number of iterations is reached. Predicted locations for leakage nodes from a particular selected trial solution are then displayed to a user.
US08635048B2
A system for characterizing vibration of a rack structure having at least one hard disk drive disposed therein and a vibration exciter operatively associated with the rack structure includes one or more computers. The one or more computers are configured to command the vibration exciter to provide vibration input to the rack structure and to command a plurality of reads from the at least one hard disk drive such that, for each of the plurality of reads, data stored on the at least one hard disk drive is retrieved from the at least one hard disk drive. The one or more computers are also configured to obtain read rate information related to the plurality of reads and to identify at least one resonant frequency of the rack structure based on the read rate information.
US08635046B2
Apparatus, method, system and kit for receiving a plurality of continuous analyte sensor values for corresponding reference analyte values, calculating a rate of change value for the continuous analyte sensor values, defining a plurality of data range windows of the reference analyte values, evaluating the corresponding continuous analyte sensor values, the rate of change values, the reference analyte values, and/or a plurality of corresponding difference values for the plurality of data range windows, and determining a best fit based on the evaluation of the plurality of data range windows are provided.
US08635044B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for improved measurement of transient thermal responses in electronic systems are described herein. Embodiments of the disclosure use the known thermal transfer function of an electronic system to generate an equivalent resistor-capacitor (RC) network having a dynamic response that is identical to a given power excitation as the actual electronic system would have to that power excitation. Using the analogy between thermal and electrical systems, a Foster RC network is constructed, comprising a plurality of RC stages in which resistors and capacitors are connected in parallel. Subsequently, the analog thermal RC network is converted into an infinite impulse response (IIR) digital filter, whose coefficients can be obtained the Z-transform of the analog thermal RC network. This IIR digital filter establishes the recursive relationship between temperature output at the current time step and measured power input at the previous time step. Using this IIR digital filter, temperature response subject to arbitrary time-dependent power can be calculated in very small amount of time compared with prior art methods.
US08635040B2
A signal measuring device, comprises one set, or a plurality of sets, of measuring unit(s) measuring an object of measurement in synch with a driving clock signal for measurement and outputting result of measurement as first data, and a timing identification unit which, in accordance with a measurement-start command, outputs a value, which differs every period, as second data in synch with a reference signal having a prescribed period and a speed lower than that of the driving clock signal; and a storage unit collecting and successively storing the first data and the second data as one set in synch with the driving clock signal.
US08635028B2
An improved system and method is provided for detecting viable bacteria in a suspension sample. A sample of a suspension in which bacterial presence is suspected is collected from a source and a portion of the sample transferred to a microfluidic unit. A series of analysis signals at different frequencies are applied to the sample portion. An impedance is measured via a signal analyzer for the sample portion for each of the analysis signals to define an impedance data set. An initial bulk capacitance value is determined for a model circuit based on the impedance dataset. After a predetermined time period, a new bulk capacitance value is determined for on another portion of the sample. The difference between the new bulk capacitance and the initial bulk capacitance value is compared to a threshold value to determine if viable bacterial is present in the sample.
US08635027B2
A method of determining common three-dimensional structural features of protein surfaces is provided, as is use of representations of these common structures in molecular database searching and in designing focused molecular libraries. The method is particularly concerned with the analysis and representation of protein surfaces such as b-turns, loops and contact surfaces. In one form, the method identifies common locations and orientations of amino acid side-chains, simplified as Cα-Cβ vectors. In another form, the method identifies common regions of surface charge represented by grid points in three-dimensional space. Further provided are common three dimensional structural features of proteins that can be used to search molecular databases for the purposes of identifying molecules that match these common three dimensional structural features. The common three dimensional structural features can also be used to focus de novo molecular generation to produce libraries containing molecules that have these common three dimensional structural features. Libraries of these structurally-related molecules may then be produced for the purposes of drug discovery.
US08635020B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for automatically entering favorite locations into a navigation system is provided. The method according to one embodiment includes receiving information regarding a location from an object within a vehicle using a navigation system. An identifier to the information and the information and identifier are stored in the navigation system. The user may retrieve the information from the navigation system using the identifier. The information from the objects may be received in various wireless formats, including RFID, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
US08635015B2
The different illustrative embodiments provide a localization apparatus comprising an identification signal and an orientation controller. The identification signal is for recognition by a localized machine for utilizing the localization apparatus as a location point. The orientation controller is configured to control an orientation of the identification signal dependent upon an orientation of the localization apparatus in a defined environment.
US08635012B2
Travel routes for a vehicle from a first location of the vehicle to a second location are generated. Different alternative travel routes are calculated from a first location to a second location selected by a user for a specific vehicle in a navigation system. For each of the different alternative travel routes, both estimated emissions of the specific vehicle and also estimated fuel consumption of the specific vehicle when following each of the different alternative travel routes are computed. Subsequently, each of the different alternative travel routes are presented to a user in the navigation system in connection with corresponding estimated emissions and fuel consumption for each of the different alternative travel routes.
US08635011B2
A system and method for controlling a vehicle in response to the presence of one or more vehicle boundary. According to various embodiments, a system is provided that automates end-turns and sequence execution in real-time based on approaching boundaries. In various embodiments, no pre-planning is required once boundaries and a turn pattern have been defined. Once these items are defined, the system creates end-turns based on what type of boundary is approaching and the turn path prescribed. The system determines what vehicle functions to execute based on pre-recorded sequences and executes the turns and the sequences automatically based on the location and speed of the vehicle and its relationship to various boundaries.
US08635010B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: obtaining a device state having a current location, a current speed, and a current heading for locating a device; identifying an anticipated maneuver point for estimating a future location of the device on a thoroughfare with the anticipated maneuver point calculated from the current location and the current heading; determining an expected maneuver at the anticipated maneuver point; and generating an accessory control for manipulating an accessory on the device for the expected maneuver at the anticipated maneuver point.
US08635006B2
A control system for an engine includes an air calculation module that determines, based on a plurality of first coolant temperatures sensed during a period of engine operation, a first cumulative mass of intake air combusted by the engine during the period that corresponds to an estimated amount of heat dissipated by a cooling system of the engine during the period, and that determines, based on the first cumulative mass, a second cumulative mass of intake air of the engine that is required to raise a temperature of the engine from an initial temperature at a start of the period to a target temperature. The control system further includes a control module that selectively adjusts one of a diagnostic condition and an operating condition of the engine based on the second cumulative mass. A related method for controlling an engine is also provided.
US08635002B2
A method of controlling at least one coupling in a powertrain of a motor vehicle includes the steps of: determining at least one slip value which represents an instantaneous slip between different axles of the motor vehicle or between different wheels of an axle; forming an absolute value of the slip value which corresponds to the amount of the slip value; summing the absolute value or a substitute value derived therefrom to a last-formed slip sum value to form an instantaneous slip sum value; comparing the instantaneous slip sum value with a slip sum threshold value: and generating a control signal for actuating the coupling if the instantaneous slip sum value reaches or exceeds the slip sum threshold value.
US08634996B2
A method of cooling a dual clutch transmission is provided. The transmission has first and second input clutches alternately engagable to transfer torque to an output member along first and second input shafts, respectively, at various speed ratios dependent upon engagement of synchronizers. The method includes determining a currently established speed ratio by determining which of the input clutches and synchronizers are currently engaged and which of the input clutches and synchronizers are currently open. One of the open synchronizers is then engaged during the currently established speed ratio to cause the open input clutch to rotate at a speed greater than the speed of rotation of the engaged input clutch, thereby creating a fan cooling effect.
US08634987B2
A creep travel capability of an electric vehicle is secured when an abnormality occurs in a brake sensor. When an accelerator operation amount reaches 0% in a low vehicle speed region, a target creep torque is set, whereupon a motor-generator is controlled toward the target creep torque. The target creep torque is reduced as a brake pedal is depressed in order to suppress heat generation and the like in the motor-generator during vehicle braking. Hence, in an electric vehicle in which the target creep torque is varied in accordance with the brake operation amount, when an abnormality occurs (step S11) in a brake sensor for detecting a brake operation amount, a preset prescribed creep torque is employed as the target creep torque regardless of the brake operation amount (step S15). The prescribed creep torque is set at a required magnitude for securing the creep travel capability.
US08634986B2
A method for determining a state of health (SOH) value for an electric power steering (EPS) system in a vehicle includes estimating a first Self-Aligning Torque (SAT) value using a tire dynamics model, which includes modeled dynamics in the linear region of a lateral force acting on the vehicle tires. The method also includes estimating a second SAT value using an extended state observer and nominal parameters for the EPS system, and calculating a variance between the first and second SAT values. The controller monitors a progression of the calculated variance over a calibrated interval using the controller to thereby determine the SOH value, and automatically executes a control action using the SOH value. An EPS system for a vehicle includes a steering wheel, torque and angle sensors, a rack and pinion assembly, a steering motor, and the controller. A vehicle is also disclosed having the same controller.
US08634979B2
A drive device and a drive control method for the electric bicycle are disclosed. The drive device of the electric bicycle is equipped with a power supply/storage unit, a compact motor, an inclination sensor, a brake actuation sensor, a pedal-rotating speed sensor and a drive control module. The drive device performs integrated calculations using the inclination information of the inclination sensor, the brake actuation information of the brake actuation sensor and the pedal-rotating speed information of the pedal-rotating speed sensor, so the drive control modules instructs the compact motor and the power supply/storage unit to quickly enter an auxiliary drive mode for rotating wheels of the electric bicycle, or to enter an energy recovery mode for storing electrical energy generated by the compact motor.
US08634977B2
A drive controller for a cargo handling vehicle including an engine, a generator motor, a cargo handling pump, a cargo handling actuator, a travel motor, and a battery. The drive controller includes an engine control unit, a rotation speed detection unit, a deviation calculation unit, and a power generation control unit. The engine control unit controls the engine in accordance with a command rotation speed. The rotation speed detection unit detects an actual rotation speed of the engine. The deviation calculation unit calculates a rotation speed deviation of the command rotation speed for the engine and the actual rotation speed of the engine. The power generation control unit controls the generator motor in accordance with the rotation speed deviation so as to limit power generated by the generator motor to drive the travel motor.
US08634974B2
A balloon may include an optical-communication component, which may have a pointing axis. A pointing mechanism could be configured to adjust the pointing axis. The optical-communication component could be operable to communicate with a correspondent balloon via a free-space optical link. For example, the optical-communication component could include an optical receiver, transmitter, or transceiver. A controller could be configured to determine a predicted relative location of the correspondent balloon. The controller may control the pointing mechanism to adjust the pointing axis of the optical-communication component based on the predicted relative location so as to maintain the free-space optical link with the correspondent balloon.
US08634973B2
A computerized method for transmitting data between a multi core vehicle management system and a vehicle system. The method can include receiving, at a vehicle management system computer, a vehicle system request message from a requesting vehicle management system component. The requesting vehicle management system component can be one of a plurality of vehicle management system components, and the vehicle system request message can have a destination vehicle system component. The method can include generating a sanitized vehicle system request message based on the requesting vehicle management system component and the destination vehicle system component. The sanitized vehicle system request message can be transmitted to said destination vehicle system component.
US08634970B2
An apparatus for vessel traffic management mounted in a vessel creates vessel sailing information including a current location and an identifier of the vessel in accordance with a navigation plan to a destination of the vessel; calculates an estimated time for arriving at the destination based on a distance between the current location and the destination and a sailing speed; and calculates an estimated entry time of entering a target area within the destination based on a distance between the current location and the destination and the sailing speed. The vessel sailing information, the estimated arrival time, and the estimated entry time are transmitted to a local control center, and the sailing of the vessel is controlled using a vessel traffic condition at the target area, provided from the local control center.
US08634967B2
An electrohydraulic pressure control arrangement comprises a proportional pressure valve and a control loop structure. The control loop structure has a control path through which an actuating variable is fed to an actuating input of the proportional pressure valve starting from a setpoint pressure value. A pressure sensor detects an actual pressure value at a connection of the proportional pressure valve. A system model of a pressure valve assigns an estimated pressure value to the setpoint pressure value, and a subtraction element determines a control error as the difference between the estimated pressure value and the actual pressure value. A weighting element subjects the control error to a weighting operation and thus determines a weighted control error. The weighting element is designed such that relatively large control errors are attenuated to a greater extent than relatively small control errors.
US08634965B1
A method of power system state estimation for accurately identifying topology errors, parameter errors and measurement value errors for power networks in real-time. The system divides measured data into a base set and a redundant set. The system status is calculated using the base set. A residual vector of the redundant set is computed based on the system status. A matrix is calculated utilizing these sets. A threshold is utilized to decide the abnormal residuals of the redundant set. Colinearity between the residual vector and columns in the matrix are used to decide if base set measurements corresponding to the columns in the matrix are potentially bad data. An iterative process replaces bad data in the base set with measurements in the redundant set having smaller residuals, terminating upon removal of bad data. Topology errors and parameter errors may then be identified using the bad data in the redundant set.
US08634964B2
A method for the control of valves for flow path control, in particular in a medical treatment machine, having a plurality of processes for the manufacture of flow paths by control of a group of valves, with each process claiming a group of valves suitable for its carrying out for itself so that other processes cannot change the switching state of these valves and with each process itself making a decision on the release of the valves claimed by it. In addition, a method is provided for monitoring the then current and/or scheduled state of a plurality of valves in the flow path control, determining the connections resulting from the switching state of the valves, and comparing the resulting connections with a predetermined number of non-permitted connections.
US08634962B2
Systems, apparatus, and methods for controlling environmental maintenance modules (e.g. HVAC units) using sensors are provided. Values measured by the sensors can be used to determine a change in operation levels of the modules to keep the sensor values within a desired range. For example, a stopped module can be increased or started for more cooling when a sensor temperature is too hot. The module predicted to have the greatest effect on the temperature of hot sensor can be started. A transfer matrix, which provides a relation between a change in operation level and resulting sensor changes, can be used to perform the above predictions. As another example, a module can be stopped (or otherwise have an operation level decreased), if the sensor temperatures are within range, and the decrease in operation level is predicted not to cause an out-of-range condition.
US08634959B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for detecting slip of a robot. The robot periodically repeats a pattern movement in the order of a uniform motion, a decelerating motion, and an accelerating motion, or in the order of a uniform motion, an accelerating motion, and a deceleration motion. The occurrence of slip of the robot performing a pattern movement is determined by comparing a first acceleration of the robot measured by an acceleration sensor and a second acceleration of the robot measured by an encoder.
US08634953B2
The invention relates to a method and equipment for controlling flatness of a stainless steel strip in connection with cooling after annealing in a finishing line. The strip (1) is first in the direction of the strip movement (2) cooled feeding at least one cooling medium through at least one group of feeding devices (5, 6) located transversally to the direction of the strip movement for the whole width of the strip (1), the amount of the cooling medium being adjusted utilizing the recorded and predetermined data (7) of desired temperature of the strip for flatness, the temperature of the strip is then determined (8) and after the temperature determination a further step of cooling is carried out feeding at least one cooling medium through at least one group of feeding devices (9) located transversally to the direction of the strip movement (2), when the determined value of temperature is different from the predetermined value of temperature, before the flatness is controlled using a control device (11) containing a plurality of flatness control units (12) and locating transversally to the direction of the strip movement (2).
US08634946B2
For calculating a fingerprint of an audio signal, the audio signal is divided into subsequent blocks of samples. For the subsequent blocks, one fingerprint value each is calculated, wherein fingerprint samples of subsequent blocks are compared. Based on whether the fingerprint value of a block is higher than the fingerprint value of a subsequent block or not, a binary value is assigned, wherein information about a sequence of binary values is output as fingerprint for the audio signal.
US08634941B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a system has a pulse width modulation controller configured to successively activate each of a plurality of channels in its own individual channel time slot. The system also has a sampling multiplexer configured to successively sample a signal derived from each of the plurality of channels during each individual channel time slot. Each individual time slot has an individual sampling sequence.
US08634939B2
Methods are provided for controlling a vehicle speed during a downhill travel. Based on the estimated grade of the downhill travel and further based on an input received from the operator, different combinations of an engine braking torque and a regenerative braking torque are used to maintain the vehicle speed during the downhill travel. A battery rate of charging is also adjusted based on the duration or distance of the downhill travel, as indicated by the operator input.
US08634938B2
A method for safely parameterizing an electrical device, wherein a parameter input by a user on a control unit is transmitted to the electrical device and stored therein with write protection, the stored parameter is transmitted back to the control unit and displayed at the control unit for confirmation by the user, and the user confirmation is transmitted to the electrical device. In accordance with the invention, the stored parameter is transmitted back together with the name of the parameter, with a code generated by the device and in a data format which cannot be processed by the control unit. The returned parameter, the name of the returned parameter and the code are displayed for the user on the control unit, and the confirmation is checked in the electrical device to determine whether the confirmation contains the code.
US08634936B2
Medical leads include a lumen body at an end of the lead, and the lumen body includes multiple filar lumens. The lumen body is joined to a lead body, and electrical connectors are longitudinally spaced along the lumen body. Filars within the filar lumens are directed through filar passageways within the lumen body to attach to the electrical connectors on the lumen body. The filar passageways may be aligned with the filar lumens, and slots within the electrical connectors may be aligned with the filar passageways to facilitate assembly. The lumen body may provide additional stiffness to the end of the lead where the lumen body is located to facilitate lead insertion into the medical device. The filar lumens of the lumen body may have a longitudinally straight configuration so that the portions of filars within the filar lumens are held in a longitudinally straight configuration.
US08634935B2
A transcoronary sinus pacing system comprising a sheath having a lumen, a pacing catheter having a pacing needle, wherein the catheter can be advanced within the lumen and placed in the LV summit, and a right ventricular pacing device. A LV summit pacing device. An early mitral valve closure pacing device configured to operate with a right ventricular apex pacing device. A method for implanting a pacing device at a target coronary sinus tissue location, wherein the target can be the posterior LV summit. A method for achieving early closure of a mitral valve. A method for using visualization devices such as fluoroscopy or ultrasound and/or catheter features such as a radiopaque marker to locate a target location for LV pacing and to avoid piercing an artery or the pericardium when anchoring the LV pacing electrode.
US08634926B2
A system for accessing implantable medical device (IMD) data is provided including an interrogation appliance to retrieve data from an IMD and transfer the data to a processor. The processor converts the device data to a viewable form that is transferred by the processor to a data destination. The data destination may be an electronic mail address, a secure web site, a facsimile number or the interrogation appliance. The data is presented in a viewable form at the data destination either on a display or by printing. Any number of interrogation appliances may be communicatively coupled to the processor for converting IMD data and providing the IMD data back to a data destination in a viewable form for use by a clinician.
US08634924B1
A system and method for a Micro Electro-Mechanical System acoustic sensor, or MEMS acoustic sensor, to be used as an implanted microphone for totally implantable cochlear implants or middle ear implants is presented. The MEMS acoustic sensor comprises a coupler that attaches the sensor to an inner part of the ear, a MEMS acoustic sensor that converts acoustic vibrations into a change in capacitance, and a low-noise interface electronics circuit chip that detects the change in capacitance in the MEMS acoustic sensor, creates an signal representing a portion of the acoustic vibrations, and transmits the signal to one or more other devices, such as a cochlear implant. A method of fabrication enables the MEMS acoustic sensor to be fabricated as a small, less than 1 mm3, light weight, less than 30 mg, device suitable for implantation on a structure of the middle ear.
US08634920B2
The invention provides a perineal rehabilitation device comprising an applicator that is either an endocavity applicator (100) or an annular applicator (100′), locally supporting a charging electrode (104, 105) and at least one stimulation electrode (101, 102) respectively on its periphery or on its inside face, and including at least one energy storage unit that is rechargeable via the charging applicator (104, 105), the applicator (100, 100′) including at least one microprocessor for executing an electrical stimulation program, the device being characterized in that the applicator (100, 100′) is controlled by a control module (200) in the form of a remote control connected to the applicator (100, 100′) by a wireless connection and including a user interface for enabling the user to input operating data for the applicator (100, 100′) and a control unit for controlling the applicator (100, 100′) by sending control signals thereto, the applicator (100, 100′) being suitable for receiving control signals for modifying the intensity of stimulation while it is in operation and for modifying its ongoing operation as a function of such control signals.
US08634912B2
A leadless intra-cardiac medical device includes a housing that is configured to be implanted entirely within a single local chamber of the heart. A first electrode is provided on the housing at a first position such that when the housing is implanted in the local chamber, the first electrode engages the local wall tissue at a local activation site within the conduction network of the local chamber. An intra-cardiac extension is coupled to the housing and configured to extend from the local chamber into an adjacent chamber of the heart. A stabilization arm of the intra-cardiac extension engages the adjacent chamber. A second electrode on the intra-cardiac extension engages distal wall tissue at a distal activation site within the conduction network of the adjacent chamber.
US08634907B2
The present invention includes methods and devices for delivering an active agent into the eye of a subject. One such device may include an anode assembly having an anode housing and an anode configured to electrically couple to a power source, the anode assembly being configured to contact and remain against a surface of the eye. The device may also include a cathode assembly having a cathode housing and a cathode configured to electrically couple to the power source, the cathode assembly being configured to contact and remain against the surface of the eye. Additionally, the device may include at least one active agent reservoir functionally associated with at least one of the anode assembly and the cathode assembly.
US08634905B2
The present invention provides a detection apparatus, including: signal outputting means configured to output signals of a frequency band within which the difference in electric characteristic between different tissues of a living organism is higher than a predetermined level individually to two or more electrodes; impedance detection means configured to detect, from each of the electrodes, an impedance of the living organism disposed in quasi-electrostatic fields generated individually from the electrodes in response to the outputs; and colloid detection means configured to detect presence or absence of colloid in the inside of the living organism in response to the differences between the detected impedances.
US08634894B2
Laryngeal surface electrodes are devices designed to hold a conductive surface against the vocal cords in order to pick up small electrical signals from the muscle known as electromyographic signals. Several embodiments of a laryngeal electromyography tube include a conductive electrode surface that is painted, screen printed or otherwise applied directly onto the body of an endotracheal tube, such that the final device has no raised surfaces which can injure the vocal cords. These endotracheal tube with integral laryngeal surface electrodes can be safely used placed for prolonged, continuous monitoring during surgery, after surgery and during intensive care treatment intubation without a need to remove and replace the tube at these various stages of treatment. In one embodiment, one electrode contacts the vocal cords and a second electrode contacts the tongue.
US08634889B2
A physiological measurement system has a sensor, a processor, a communications link and information elements. The sensor is configured to transmit light having a plurality of wavelengths into a tissue site and to generate a sensor signal responsive to the transmitted light after tissue attenuation. The attenuated light can be used by the system to determine a plurality of physiological measurements. The processor is configured to operate on the sensor signal so as to derive at least one physiological parameter after which of the plurality of physiological measurements the system is configured to or capable of measuring.
US08634878B2
Systems and methods for initiating telephony calls are presented. In one example, a user selection of a desired application item is received at a computing device and a dial number associated with the desired application item is transmitted from the computing device to a wireless headset. The dial number is received at the wireless headset and a call is responsively initiated by transmitting the dial number from the wireless headset to a mobile phone device.
US08634874B2
A base station and method are described herein that improves the coverage in a fixed-beam wireless communication system by using antenna beam-jitter and Channel Quality Information (CQI) correction. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: (a) modifying a beam by introducing a beam-jitter in a beam-forming pattern; (b) receiving an estimated channel quality information, CQI, from a user terminal; (c) accounting for effects of the beam jitter on the estimated CQI to obtain a jitter-adjusted CQI estimate; (d) and using the jitter-adjusted CQI estimate during user scheduling for a future transmission to the user terminal.
US08634868B2
Systems and methods allow for uplink selection using sounding reference signals in radiocommunication systems. A method for selecting at least one antenna to receive uplink transmissions from a user equipment (UE) from among a plurality of antennas includes the steps of: assigning a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource to the UE, receiving one or more reports from antenna devices having said plurality of antennas, which reports indicate receipt of an SRS on said assigned SRS resource, and selecting the at least one antenna based on said one or more reports.
US08634866B2
A signal coupler for coupling wireless signals out of and into a waveguide system is described. The signal coupler includes an input output connector, an outer conductor coupled to the input output connector, and a radiator section, wherein the radiator section is configured to rotate about a center axis of the outer conductor. A wireless distribution system, including a waveguide with a hollow cross-sectional structure and a signal coupling device, is also described. A wireless distribution system, including a waveguide with a hollow cross-sectional structure and a plurality of signal coupling devices, is also described. A method of operating a wireless distribution system is also described. The method includes providing a wireless distribution system and inserting a first group of wireless signals in a preselected bandwidth into the waveguide.
US08634862B2
A cross-architecture flight tracking system helps an individual keep track of the status of an airline flight. A subscriber receives status updates intelligently and in real time based on the individual's accessibility over an instant messaging client. The system facilitates the status updates by maintaining and listing the flight as a contact in the individual's instant messaging client contact list, processing status updates from the airline, and dynamically passing the status updates to the subscriber through a channel that will successfully deliver the message.
US08634860B2
Methods, program products, and systems for location determination using cached location area codes are described. A mobile device can store a set of location area codes (LACs) of a cellular communications network on the mobile device. Each LAC can represent a location area of the cellular communications network that encompasses at least a predetermined number of cells. Each LAC can be further associated with an estimated geographic area. The estimated geographic area can be defined as a circle centered at a location and having a radius representing an uncertainty of the location. The mobile device can determine a current LAC of the mobile device based on a wirelessly received signal. The mobile device can determine a current location of the mobile device by performing a lookup in the stored set of LACs using the current LAC.
US08634859B2
A location-based service system for providing messages to a recipient and, in particular, to transmission methods and systems for providing location data of a device to a location-based service system. A method of updating a location of a mobile device includes determining a location of the mobile device and, based on Internet accessibility of the mobile device, transmitting the location via Internet communication when Internet access is available and via SS7 communication when Internet access is unavailable.
US08634855B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a portable communication device having a controller to request location information from one or more non-portable wireless access points, receive one or more location coordinates from the one or more non-portable wireless access points, determine which of the one or more non-portable wireless access points is closest to the portable communication device according to one or more wireless signals generated by the one or more non-portable wireless access points, and record the location coordinate supplied by the closest non-portable wireless access point. Each of the one or more non-portable wireless access points can determine its location coordinate with a location receiver. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08634854B2
A method and an apparatus for providing information of a device to other devices through the home network are provided. The method includes: generating relative location information indicating that a first device is present in a vicinity of a second device if a remote control signal for the second device is received; and providing the relative location information as location information of the first device to at least one other device belonging to the home network. Accordingly, the user can acquire location information of devices belonging to the home network. Therefore, it is possible to easily identify the correspondence of devices visually recognized by the user to the device list obtained as a result of the search.
US08634849B2
Methods and apparatus related to determining location of mobile devices based on signals and/or location history information received from other mobile devices are described. In various embodiments mobile devices monitor signals from other devices. Mobile devices store signal measurement information along with time stamp information and information identifying the device from which a measured signal was received. In various embodiments a mobile communications device which determines its location with reasonable accuracy, e.g., to within a predetermined distance or some other accuracy metric, transmits location history information indicating one or more past locations, and optionally the device's current location, and the times it was at the indicated locations. Reliability information is communicated with the time and location information in some embodiments. A device receiving the location history log can determine and/or refine its understanding of its own location and the location of other devices at different points in time.
US08634846B2
A mobile device may be operable to receive three or more location samples for the mobile device from each of three or more resources. Two or more valid location samples may be selected based on an accuracy indicator associated with each of the received location samples. A location of the mobile device may be determined utilizing the selected two or more valid location samples. A region around each of the received location samples may be determined based on the accuracy indicator and a condition of a geographic environment that is associated with each of the received location samples. Two or more valid location samples among the received location samples may be selected in instances when at least a portion of the region of each of the selected valid location samples overlaps with at least a portion of the regions of each of other selected valid location samples.
US08634845B2
The mobile telecommunications network (n) has at least one mobile terminal (1) registered therewith. The network (n) has an active communication state with the mobile terminal (1) and an inactive communication state with the mobile terminal (1). Means Q; V for calculating an indication of the movement of the mobile terminal (1) within the network (n) in each of the states is provided. One embodiment is characterized in that, when the communication changes from a first of the states to a second of the states, the mobility indication calculated in the first of the states is used in the second of the states. In another embodiment, the indication of movement of the mobile terminal is calculated periodically at a time interval (CMCL). A value (DRX Cycle Length) which determines this time interval (CMCL) is transmitted by the network (n) to the mobile terminal (1). This second embodiment is characterized by including means for varying the time interval (CMCL) in dependence upon an indication of movement of the terminal (1).
US08634843B2
Methods and apparatus for RF channel selection in a multi-frequency network. A method includes identifying selected local operations infrastructures (LOIs) and their neighboring LOIs, generating a neighbor description message (NDM) that identifies the selected LOIs and their neighboring LOIs and associates a descrambling sequence identifier with each RF channel of the selected LOIs and their neighboring LOIs, and distributing the NDM over the selected LOIs. An apparatus includes a message decoder to receive an NDM that identifies RF channels of a first LOI and neighboring LOIs, and wherein each RF channel is associated with a descrambling sequence identifier, and processing logic to detect content acquisition failures, determine a list of RF channels and their associated LOIs that carry desired content, and select a selected RF channel that is associated with a selected LOI that carries the most additional content among the associated LOIs.
US08634839B2
A policy control architecture and method for dynamically allocating policy servers to mobile devices is described herein. The policy control architecture introduces a new policy control element called the policy server control function. The policy server control function dynamically allocates policy servers to mobile subscribers when the mobile subscribers attach to an access network. In some embodiments, the policy server control function may also deallocate policy servers when mobile subscribers detach from all access networks to make the policy server resources available for other mobile devices.
US08634837B2
A cellular telephone device includes: a synchronization unit that establishes synchronization with a base station of a CDMA system beforehand to obtain synchronization information for establishing synchronization with the base station; a storage unit that stores the synchronization information; and a switching unit that establishes synchronization with a base station in a calling zone of the CDMA system corresponding to a calling zone of an LTE system based on the synchronization information, in a case in which a communication request occurs in the CDMA system in a state where a location registration is performed in the LTE system.
US08634829B2
A system and method for moving wireless subscribers previously registered with a failed source MSC/VLR or SGSN to a new target MSC/VLR or SGSN in GSM and UMTS networks, using super-charger technology. The present invention allows mobile subscriber IMSIs to be transmitted to a new target MSC/VLR or SGSN before a source MSC/VLR or SGSN fails. Upon failure of the source MSC/VLR or SGSN, the addresses of the source MSC/VLR or SGSN serving the transmitted IMSIs are updated in an HLR and are associated with the addresses of the new target MSC/VLR or SGSN using MAP location update procedures. In another embodiment of the present invention, the addresses of the source MSC/VLR or SGSN servicing mobile subscribers are updated in an HLR to the addresses of the new target MSC/VLR or SGSN without the need for mobile subscribe IMSIs.
US08634826B1
A method and corresponding system for use of a femtocell in a vehicle (an “in-vehicle femtocell”) to help limit operation of a wireless communication device (WCD) positioned in the vehicle. In one implementation, registration (or registration attempts) of one or more WCDs with an in-vehicle femtocell may be used as a basis to trigger limitations on certain WCD functions in a vehicle, such as to prevent a WCD from providing text-messaging service for instance. In another implementation, a WCD may receive a signal from an in-vehicle femtocell and in response to the signal, the WCD may register with the femtocell to be served with wireless communication service by the femtocell. In addition to registering with the femtocell, the WCD may limit certain of its own functions while it is in the vehicle and being served with wireless communication service by the femtocell.
US08634819B2
A wireless communication device has first processing circuitry and second processing circuitry that are separate from one another. The wireless communication device transfers first wireless communications to a wireless network using the first processing circuitry. The wireless communication device identifies a reboot condition for the first processing circuitry and responsively provides a geographic location of the wireless communication device to the second processing circuitry and displays a user interface for communications using the second processing circuitry. The wireless communication device reboots the first processing circuitry while the user interface for communications is displayed. The wireless communication device transfers second wireless communications to the wireless network using the second processing circuitry while rebooting the first processing circuitry. The second wireless communications may comprise emergency communications including the geographic location of the wireless communication device.
US08634815B2
An approach is provided for a method including initiating an information distribution session based on instructions from a first participant of a plurality of participants. The method also includes assigning access information and a passcode to the information distribution session, receiving posting information sent from two or more active participants of the plurality of participants using the access information with the passcode, and transmitting to the active participants the posting information of other active participants.
US08634812B1
A method of dialing a phoneword using a mobile communication device that has full keyboard, which maps numbers to letters differently than on standard telephone keypads. The method detects the prefix of the phoneword and proceeds to display a message on the mobile communication device to indicate that a pre-determined key needs to be pressed before entering letters of the phoneword. The method can also display for selection, candidate phonewords that correspond to a partial entry of the phoneword.
US08634780B2
Provided are a terminal for power saving, a power saving method of the terminal, and a wireless communication system for power saving. A receiving terminal may receive scheduling information associated with data transmission and reception of a transmitting terminal. The receiving terminal may directly communicate with the transmitting terminal by referring to the scheduling information.
US08634777B2
Disclosed are various embodiments of pairing with a directional code sequence. In one embodiment a method includes discovering that a user device is within proximity of a pairing device. A directional code sequence based upon variations in the position of the user device is obtained and a communication link is established between the user device and the pairing device in response to the directional code sequence. In another embodiment, a system includes a user device and a pairing device configured to establish a communication link with the user device in response to a sequence of position variations of the user device. In another embodiment, a method includes obtaining a sequence of characters corresponding to a directional code sequence from a pairing device and transmitting a signal from a user device to the pairing device from a sequence of positions corresponding to the sequence of characters.
US08634770B2
The present invention offers a portable terminal device in which, the jitter control unit controls the transmission buffer unit in such a manner as not to output the audio data buffered in the transmission buffer unit to the Bluetooth communication unit when the main control unit determines that the content that is to be subjected to a reproduction process contains video data, and when an underflow arises at the transmission buffer unit, and abandons the audio data that is not output to the Bluetooth communication unit at the time indicated by the time management unit.
US08634767B2
A plurality of repeater devices may utilize extreme high frequency (EHF) interface to detect and/or track entities that may be located within the plurality of repeater devices. Each of the plurality of repeater devices may transmit EHF signals that may enable identification of the transmitting repeater device. Identification of the transmitting repeater devise may comprise use of unique information and/or transmission parameters. Each of the plurality of repeater devices may determine characteristics of received EHF signals to enable determining presence and/or location of entities within the plurality of repeater devices. These characteristics may comprise identity of transmitting repeater devices, signal power, signal amplitude, delay of signal, and/or reception angle. Non-extremely high frequency (non-EHF) connections may be utilized within the plurality of repeater devices to coordinate and/or update detection and/or tracking of entities within the plurality of repeater devices.
US08634760B2
A system for allowing ground terminals, mobile or stationary, to dynamically and electronically re-align signal polarizations to match that of incoming signal polarizations from transmitting sources. An adaptive re-orientation technique utilizes a cost minimization function to determine the difference between actual orientation values and desired orientation values. Calculations of satellite and ground terminal orientations and bearings to create weighting components allow a mobile ground terminal to electronically realign itself to the signals of a transmitting source, thereby eliminating the need for physically re-orienting the antenna array through mechanical processes.
US08634759B2
Game processing apparatus comprises means for indicating successive target actions to be executed by a user, each target action having an associated target time of execution; and scoring logic in which detected user actions are compared with the target actions, the storing logic comprising: an input arrangement by which user actions may be detected; means for comparing a detected sequence of user actions with a sequence of target actions; and means for detecting a timing offset between the sequence of user actions and a corresponding sequence of target actions; in which the comparison of subsequent user actions with respective target actions is arranged to apply the timing offset as a relative displacement between the detected user actions and the target times.
US08634752B2
A fixing device fixing a toner image on a recording material includes a first blowing section that blows air against a leading edge of the recording material that has passed through a nip portion formed by a heated fixing member and a pressing member kept in pressure contact with the fixing member, and a second blowing section that blows air against the recording material that has passed through the nip portion, wherein an air speed of air blown out from a first blowing outlet is higher than that of air blown out from a second blowing outlet, wherein an air flow amount from the first blowing outlet is less than that from the second blowing outlet, and wherein the first and second blowing outlets are arranged at a same positional height next to one another along a rotational axis of the fixing roller.
US08634750B2
A cam driving mechanism has: a cam; a motor which drives the cam; a gear train which transmits, while reducing the speed of, the output of the motor to the cam; a pulse disk which is formed integrally with a gear coupled in the gear train and in which a plurality of slits are formed at equal intervals; a home position detecting member which is arranged coaxially with the pulse disk so as to be rotatable independently thereof and which, by meshing with another gear coupled in the gear train, rotates at a lower rotation speed than the pulse disk; and a cam position detecting sensor which has a detecting portion including a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion, the cam position detecting sensor detecting the amount of driving of the cam based on the number of slits of the pulse disk that have passed through the detecting portion, the cam position detecting sensor detecting the home position of the cam based on the timing with which the home position detecting member shields the detecting portion.
US08634744B2
An image forming device includes: a main casing; a retaining member; a plurality of developing units; a plurality of toner cartridges; and an operation unit. The retaining member is configured to be movable in a first direction between an accommodated position and a pulled-out position. The retaining member includes a first side plate and a second side plate extending in the first direction and disposed in confrontation with and spaced apart from each other in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The developing units are retained in the retaining member. The toner cartridges have one-on-one correspondence to the developing units and are configured to be mountable in or detachable from the retaining member when the retaining member is located at the pulled-out position. Each toner cartridge includes a casing formed with a cartridge opening, and a cartridge shutter configured to be movable between an open position for opening the cartridge opening and a closed position for closing the cartridge opening. The operation unit is provided in the retaining member and configured to be pivotally movable in an imaginary plane parallel to the first direction and the second direction. The operation unit is interlocked with the cartridge shutter while the toner cartridge is mounted in the retaining member to move the cartridge shutter between the open position and the closed position in accordance with the pivotal movement of the operation unit.
US08634743B2
In an image forming apparatus defined herein, in case the opening/closing member is rotationally moved from the opened position toward the normal position, when the detachable body main unit is at a restricted position between the attached position and the separated position, the restricting portion is contacted with the restricted portion to be moved between the opening/closing member and the detachable body main unit, so as to restrict a rotational movement of the opening/closing member to the normal position, and, when the detachable body main unit is at the attached position, the restricting portion and the restricted portion that is being rotated are separated from each other to enable the opening/closing member to be rotationally moved to the normal position, and, in case the opening/closing member is moved to the normal position, the restricted portion is housed in a space between the detachable body main unit and the opening/closing member.
US08634741B2
A cleaning cartridge insert is provided for removing residual paper debris and toner from a laser printer in between printer cartridge removal and replacement. The cartridge comprises a modified laser printer cartridge with an internal cavity lined with an adhesive foam tape, a plurality of air inlet tubes and a drive roller having an adhesive outer surface. With the lid of the printer cartridge loading cavity is in an open state, the cartridge is placed therein into a working position, as would a replacement cartridge. Compressed air is then forced into the nozzles of the air inlet tubes, stirring paper dust, residual toner and debris from the interior of the printer and onto the foam tape adhesive within the cavity of the cartridge device. The lid is then closed, which initiates the drive roller for cleaning debris from the bias transfer roller via rotation during the machine initializing stage. The present invention is intended as a preventative maintenance device for laser printers, prolonging their useful life and the increasing service intervals wherein a specialist is required for maintenance and cleaning.
US08634740B2
A fixing device includes an endless belt with a resistance heating layer, a pressure roller fitting loosely in a belt circulation path, and a pressing roller pressing the pressure roller through the belt to form a fixing nip with a belt surface, and thermally fixes an unfixed image by passing a recording sheet through the fixing nip, comprises: a pair of annular electrodes provided circumferentially and sandwiching a sheet-passing region of the belt surface; a first power supply member pressurizing a given one of the electrodes; and a second power supply member positioned closer to the fixing nip than the first power supply member, also pressurizing the given one of the electrodes, and supplying power to the resistance heating layer in cooperation with the first power supply member, wherein the pressing force applied by the first power supply member is weaker than that applied by the second power supply member.
US08634736B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on an image bearing member according to printing information; a transfer unit configured to transfer an unfixed toner image formed by the image forming unit onto a printing sheet; a fixing unit configured to heat the unfixed toner image carried on the printing sheet and fix the unfixed toner image on the printing sheet; a temperature measuring unit configured to measure the temperature of the fixing unit; and a quick-print processing unit configured to cause, when printing is started, even if the temperature of the fixing unit measured by the temperature measuring unit does not reach a ready temperature, the image forming unit to perform an image forming operation on the basis of a low process speed for enabling the fixing in the fixing unit, which is lower than a normal process speed corresponding to the ready temperature.
US08634735B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part which picks up a recording medium at a predetermined pickup timing and forms an image at a predetermined printing speed; and a controller which accelerates the timing for picking up the recording medium in advance of the predetermined pickup timing, and which lowers the printing speed so as to allow the printing operation to take place at a lower fusing temperature during warming up from a cold start in order to shorten the first print output time (FPOT).
US08634721B2
An optical communication method includes outputting an optical data signal in which a signal amplitude of a non-data area that is an area other than a data area is made higher than a signal amplitude of the data area, to a predetermined receiver, receiving an optical input including the optical data signal with the predetermined receiver, detecting each of the signal amplitude of the non-data area and the signal amplitude of the data area of the optical input, creating a threshold for encoding the data area based on the signal amplitude of the data area, determining whether the optical data signal is received, based on the signal amplitude of the non-data area, and outputting a data signal in which the data area is encoded by using the threshold of the optical data signal, when it is determined that the optical data signal is received.
US08634715B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for demand aggregation is provided. The method may include routing demands in a ring network such that a length for each routed demand does not exceed a route length maximum, and a load imbalance at each node in the ring network is minimized. The method may also include maximizing optical line card sharing by assigning routed demands sharing common ends to the same wavelength.
US08634704B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a mobile device having a controller to present media content provided by an interactive television (iTV) network, select a function during presentation of the media content to store at least a remaining portion of the media content, wherein the function is selected when the presentation of the media content is to be interrupted, store the media content in a memory location of the mobile device, select the function to retrieve the remaining portion of the media content from the memory location, and present the remaining portion of the media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08634700B2
An information processing apparatus records a AV stream, clip information and play list information. The information processing apparatus includes generating a start address information of a domain in which system time clock in the AV stream is continuous, and generating information correlating time information in the AV stream and data address information in the AV stream.
US08634696B2
An image reproducing apparatus includes: an image storage device that stores image data having been read into the image reproducing apparatus; an image output device that outputs the image data stored in the image storage device to a display device; an image selection device that selects an image from the image data; and an image extraction device that extracts from the image data a plurality of images satisfying a condition equivalent to a condition of the image having been selected by the image selection device.
US08634693B2
A recording apparatus includes: a guide information obtaining section to obtain guide information of a program scheduled to be delivered; a series information obtaining section to obtain series information for specifying a plurality of programs belonging to a series; a program data obtaining section to obtain data of the programs; a program data storage section capable of storing the data of the programs; a program data recording section to store the data of the programs obtained by the program data obtaining section in the program data storage section; a recording history storage section to store information about the programs whose data is stored in the program data storage section, as recording history information; and a detection section to detect a recording status of at least one program belonging to the series intended to be recorded based on the guide information, the series information, and the recording history information.
US08634687B2
A coated plastic cladding optical fiber and an optical fiber cable, in which a transmission loss caused when this coated fiber or this fiber cable is bent in a small radius is small, and which can be used sufficiently as a USB cable or a HDMI cable in a high speed transmission, are provided.The coated plastic cladding optical fiber 1 has a cladding layer 3 that is formed on an outer periphery of a core glass 2 made of a quartz glass and formed of a polymer resin whose refractive index is lower than core glass, and a resin coating layer 5 that is formed on an outer periphery of the cladding layer 3 and is formed of a thermosetting resin. Then, a diameter of the core glass 2 is set to 50 to 100 μm, and a relative index difference of the core glass 2 to the cladding layer 3 is set to 3.7% or more.
US08634681B2
An optical fiber cable for distributed fiber sensing of fluid pressure is disclosed. There are also disclosed a method and an apparatus for distributed fiber sensing of fluid pressure using the optical fiber cable. The optical fiber cable is adapted for distributed pressure sensing, and comprises: one or more optical fibers (120); and a buffer (130) surrounding the one or more optical fibers and adapted to deform asymmetrically under isotropic pressure (P) such that the fiber experiences asymmetric strain changing the birefringence of the one or more optical fibers. The optical fibers incorporated in the cable may be conventional single mode optical fibers. The optical fiber cable may be used to determine a pressure distribution along the length of the cable. The cable, apparatus or method may be used to detect pressures over long distances such as in pipes, pipelines, or wells.
US08634678B2
A phase shifter includes an optical waveguide, a plurality of impurity regions and a plurality of electrodes. The optical waveguide receives an optical input signal and outputs an optical output signal. The impurity regions include respective charge carriers. The impurity regions are disposed in contact with the optical waveguide at respective contact surface, where at least one of the contact surfaces has a zigzag pattern. The electrodes are connected to the respective impurity regions. Application of an electrical signal to at least one of the electrodes phase-shifts the optical output signal with respect to the optical input signal. Therefore, the phase shifter may efficiently vary a magnitude of the phase shift of the optical output signal.
US08634674B2
A method of arranging images provides for automated scaling, positioning and organizing of a plurality of images on an image display, which may be transferred to a printed or electronic product design. A plurality of images are analyzed to produce image data. Display parameters determine permissible arrangement of the images. Based on the image data and the display parameters, an arrangement on the image display for each of the plurality of images is defined. The arrangement may be further defined to maximize at least one dimension of the images.
US08634673B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for adjusting parameters of an algorithm for enhancing an image. In various embodiments, the method includes automatically analyzing an image to identify at least one image attribute; based on the at least one image attribute, automatically determining a value of at least one parameter for an image processing algorithm; and applying the value of at least one parameter to the image processing algorithm. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08634669B2
A fast implementation context selection of a significance map includes caching the significance of each coefficient in a buffer, storing an extended significance map in an extended buffer and updating the extended significance map after the significance of a transform coefficient is determined by the encoder or the decoder.
US08634663B2
A computer implemented method of storing pixel data corresponding to a pixel is disclosed. A first and a second set of pixel data is determined for the pixel. Parity bits for the first set of pixel data are generated, using error correction. An encoded version of the first set of pixel data including the parity bits is stored. An encoded version of the second set of pixel data is stored, using lossless data compression, for use in decoding the first set of pixel data.
US08634662B2
A method of detecting recurring events in a digital image collection taken over a pre-determined period of time is disclosed. The method uses a processor for analyzing the digital image collection to produce a two-dimensional representation of the distribution of image capture activity over time and detecting recurring events by identifying spatial clusters in the two-dimensional representation.
US08634651B2
Methods and apparatus for efficiently locating QR code finder patterns and/or code QR alignment patterns in an image are described.
US08634649B2
Systems and methods for backlit scene detection are described. The method includes performing a pre-test on an electronic image to determine that the electronic image does not include a disqualifying characteristic. Next, the method includes performing a type test on the electronic image to determine an image type of the electronic image from a first set of predetermined backlit image types. Next the method includes performing a post test on the electronic image to determine that the image darkness density does not exceed a predetermined density. Finally, the method includes performing a second post test on the electronic image to determine that the electronic image is one of a second set of predetermined backlit image types or that the edge percentage of the electronic image exceeds a predetermined percentage.
US08634648B2
Described embodiments include a system, method, and program product. A described system includes a circuit that extracts a human-perceivable feature included in each medical skin image of a plurality of medical skin images. Each medical skin image includes a respective portion of a region of interest of a surface of the skin of the individual human, and was acquired by a handheld device. A circuit determines a substantial correspondence between (x) a human-perceivable feature included in a border region segment of a selected medical skin image and (y) a human-perceivable feature included in each medical skin image of the plurality of medical skin images other than the selected medical skin image. A circuit gathers the determined substantial correspondences. A circuit outputs informational data indicative of a possible non-imaged portion of the region of interest of the skin of the individual human adjacent to the selected medical skin image.
US08634646B2
Method for recommending photographs chosen from a set of digital photographs, comprising: a tagging step for tagging the digital photographs according to determined objective parameters obtained from their own features and determined subjective parameters obtained from users' behaviour toward said photographs; a tuning step for obtaining a tuning score scoret for each photograph by weighing their objective and subjective parameters according to a relevant function; starting from the tuning score of each photograph, obtaining a total score scoreTOTAL for each photograph; provide the at least one user with the photographs recommendation according to the total score scoreTOTAL of each photograph.
US08634644B2
A system and method to identify pictures in documents. An image representing a page of a document is received. The image is analyzed to identify text objects in the page. A masked image is generated by masking out regions of the image including the text objects in the page. Groups of pixels in the masked image are identified, wherein a respective group of pixels corresponds to at least one picture in the page. When there is one or more groups of pixels, regions for pictures are identified based on the one or more groups of pixels. Metadata tags for the pictures are stored, wherein a respective metadata tag for a respective picture includes information about a respective bounding box for the respective picture.
US08634641B2
A color processing apparatus includes a generating unit that generates correction information to a second white point from luminance information of a first white point, which is a white point of color information of a given processing target, and luminance information of a target white point, and a color correcting unit that performs a color correcting process on the color information of the processing target using the correction information to the second white point generated by the generating unit.
US08634638B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for creating a strong classifier based on motion patterns wherein the strong classifier may be used to determine an action being performed by a body in motion. When creating the strong classifier, action classification is performed by measuring similarities between features within motion patterns. Embodiments of the present invention may utilize candidate part-based action sets and training samples to train one or more weak classifiers that are then used to create a strong classifier.
US08634636B2
An image such as a depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. A grid of voxels may then be generated based on the depth image such that the depth image may be downsampled. A background included in the grid of voxels may then be discarded to isolate one or more voxels associated with a foreground object such as a human target and the isolated voxels associated with the foreground object may be processed.
US08634629B2
A novel approach for analyzing a patient's body part of interest to assess bone strength and/or risk of future fracture includes obtaining a priori information regarding the body part of interest, performing X-ray absorptiometric scans of the patient's body part of interest and collecting X-ray absorptiometry data from the scans, constructing a three-dimensional model of the patient's body part of interest, by utilizing the a priori information along with the X-ray absorptiometric data, and performing measurements of various geometric parameters on the three-dimensional model for determining geometric and structural properties.
US08634626B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for analyzing medical image change, particularly bone changes, either bone gain or loss. Disclosed also are methods and apparatus for bone registration of computed tomography (CT) images. These new methods and apparatus significantly improve the efficiency of current matching procedure.
US08634625B2
A method is disclosed for the reduction of image artifacts, in particular metal artifacts, during the generation of computed tomography image data of an object. In at least one embodiment of the method, two CT image data sets are generated with different medium x-ray energies. By way of a weighted combination of the two CT image data sets, a new image data set is calculated. The weighting factor employed in the weighted combination is here selected in such a way that the image artifacts in the new CT image data set are significantly reduced compared with the image artifacts in the two original CT image data sets. In this way it is possible in a simple manner significantly to reduce in particular metal artifacts in CT images.
US08634623B2
In a method and magnetic resonance (MR) apparatus for correction of artifacts in time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography, MR signals are acquired in a target volume with the TOF MR angiography technique to generate multiple MR angiography images, pixels with background signal are identified in the angiography images by separation of these pixels from noise and vessel pixels, a signal profile of the pixels with background signal is determined across the target volume, and the MR signal of a predetermined set of pixels of the target volume is normalized with the signal profile of the pixels with background signal.
US08634621B2
The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for obtaining panoramic images in which cervical effect is corrected in such a manner that the uniform contrast is shown. According to the apparatus and the method, the method comprises the steps of: obtaining a preceding frame image by irradiating radiation on one certain section of an image layer trace on which the tooth trace of a subject is embodied; calculating a gray scale average value of pixels that are included within a predetermined reference region of the preceding frame image; comparing the calculated gray scale average value with a gray scale reference value that is calculated from a prepared sample image, and generating a radiation correction value corresponding to a difference value therebetween; and obtaining a succeeding frame image by irradiating strength-adjusted radiation on one section that is adjacent to the other section of an unknown layer trace, according to the calculated radiation correction value.
US08634620B2
Method for supplying a 3D X-ray image data record for a moving object with highly absorbent material
A method is provided for supplying a 3D X-ray image data record for a moving object. The said object contains highly X-ray radiation-absorbent material. A correction is made in respect of the highly absorbent material in 2D forward projections obtained from a 3D-X-ray image data record. The forward projections are calculated using 3D motion fields, which are derived from original 2D X-ray image data records.
US08634618B2
A method for surgical planning is disclosed. A set of related two-dimensional (2D) anatomical images or 3D images is displayed. A plurality of anatomical landmarks are identified on the set of anatomical images. A three-dimensional (3D) representation of a parent prosthesis is scaled to match a scale of the 2D anatomical images based at least in part on a relationship between the anatomical landmarks. A 2D representation of the scaled 3D parent prosthesis is displayed on at least one of the 2D anatomical images. A system for surgical planning is also disclosed. The system has a prosthesis knowledge-based information system, a patient anatomical-based information system, a user interface, and a controller. The controller has an anatomical landmark identifier. The controller also has a prosthesis-to-anatomical-feature relator. The controller is configured to display a set of related two-dimensional (2D) anatomical images from the patient anatomical-based information system on the user interface.
US08634616B2
A method of acquiring medical image data with at least one region of interest with a predefined freely shaped geometry comprising the following steps: acquiring a first set of medical image data, identifying at least one anatomical landmark in the first set of image data, determining the at least one region of interest with a trained pattern recognition module using the at least one anatomical landmark.
US08634592B2
A system for predicting object location includes a video capture system for capturing a plurality of video frames, each of the video frames having a first area, an object isolation element for locating an object in each of the plurality of video frames, the object being located at a first actual position in a first video frame and being located at a second actual position in a second video frame, and a trajectory calculation element configured to analyze the first actual position and the second actual position to determine an object trajectory, the object trajectory comprising past trajectory and predicted future trajectory, wherein the predicted future trajectory is used to determine a second area in a subsequent video frame in which to search for the object, wherein the second area is different in size than the first area.
US08634583B2
Hearing losses caused by deficiencies in a person's outer or middle ear may be compensated for by converting received sounds to vibrations and transmitting the vibrations to the skull bone (2). Bone-conduction hearing devices (27) may transmit such vibrations transcutaneously or percutaneously. In both cases, a precise determination of the magnitude of the vibrations applied to the skull bone (2) is needed for determining the person's bone-conduction hearing thresholds as well as for calibrating the hearing devices (27). The present invention provides a device (1, 27, 37) and a method, which allow determination of the applied vibrational force with better precision than prior art devices and methods. This is achieved by placing an accelerometer (21) on the countermass (11) of the vibrator (1) that generates the vibration signal. The accelerometer (21) thus provides an acceleration signal representative of an acceleration of the countermass (11), from which acceleration signal the vibrational force may be determined precisely and reproducibly.
US08634581B2
In order to enable better estimation of dynamic interference noise, a device and a method for estimating interference noise provide a value for the power density of a total signal, containing a wanted signal and the interference noise to be estimated, in a current time window. The value of the total signal is compared with an estimated value, multiplied with an amplification factor, of interference noise from a time window prior to the current time window and the smaller of the two values from the comparison is used as a preliminary estimated value for the interference noise in the current time window. A codebook estimated value for the interference noise in the current time window is also provided. Finally, the larger of the preliminary estimated value and the codebook estimated value is used as the estimated value for the interference noise in the current time window.
US08634573B2
A method for controlling presentation of data through a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system includes obtaining a registration for one or more source devices and for one or more sink devices. An indication is received at the wireless home entertainment hub that at least one of the source devices has become active. An instruction is transmitted to the sink devices to receive data from the at least one active source device. An indication is transmitted to at least one active source device that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data.
US08634560B1
A server device initiates a traffic encapsulation key (TEK) re-key sequence for a group virtual private network (VPN), based on an upcoming expiration time for an existing TEK. The server device sends, via a push message during a first time period immediately after the initiating, a new TEK to members of the group VPN. The server device receives, during a second time period that immediately follows the first time period, a pull request, for the new TEK, from one of the members of the group VPN, and sends, to the one of the members, the new TEK, where the re-key sequence transitions all the members of the group VPN from the existing TEK key to the new TEK key before the expiration time for the existing TEK.
US08634554B2
A method to enforce by a management center access rules for a broadcast product accessed by an access key, the management center managing a plurality of Boolean positive and negative attributes, comprising the steps: associating one positive Boolean attribute to a receiver entitled to the attribute and loading the same; associating one negative Boolean attribute to a receiver not entitled to the attribute and loading the same; defining at least a second broadcast encryption scheme for the negative Boolean attributes and associating each negative Boolean attribute corresponding decryption key material; expressing access conditions on a product as a Boolean expression by combining at least one positive Boolean attribute and at least one negative Boolean attribute by at least one Boolean conjunction or disjunction; generating and broadcasting at least one cryptogram to a receiver, encrypting the access key with the two combined broadcast encryption schemes according to the Boolean expression.
US08634546B2
If K=4N, wherein K is a number of subbands and N is a decimation ratio, an analysis filter process unit 21 is used to perform an analysis filter process for every N samples of real-valued input data and output K samples of real-valued data. A GDFT/SSB modulation batch process unit (81) performs a GDFT process and an SSB modulation process on the outputted data by using a real-valued matrix calculation using a (K/2)×K real-valued matrix to output 1 sample×(K/2) channel of real-valued subbands data. Moreover, an SSB demodulation/inverse GDFT batch process unit (82) performs an SSB demodulation process and an inverse GDFT process on 1 sample×(K/2) channel of real-valued subbands data by a real-valued matrix calculation using a K×(K/2) real-valued matrix and outputs K samples of real-valued data. The outputted data is subjected to a synthesis filter process by a synthesis filter process unit (24) to output N samples of real-valued data.
US08634543B2
A queueless contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, achieve true one-to-one matching. Solutions are also provided for managing data structures utilized by the queueless contact center. Furthermore, mechanisms for generating traditional queue-based performance views and metrics for the queueless contact center are proposed to help facilitate a smooth transition from traditional queue-based contact centers to the next generation contact centers described herein.
US08634537B2
A method and apparatus are provided for routing calls from a contact center. The method includes the steps of providing a SIP presence server within the contact center that only provides presence information in support of outgoing calls from agents of the contact center, receiving a presence message by the SIP presence server identifying a communication port of an client and routing a call from an agent of the contact center to the client based upon the received registration message.
US08634536B2
A system and method of providing ringback video are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a connection request at an originating serving call session control function (S-CSCF) network element. The connection request indicates that a caller device has placed a call to a destination device associated with a ringback video service subscriber. The method also includes receiving a plurality of naming authority pointer (NAPTR) records at the originating S-CSCF network element from a telephone number mapping (ENUM) server. The NAPTR records include a plurality of ringback video uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the destination device. The method also includes modifying the connection request to include the plurality of ringback video URIs and sending the modified connection request to a terminating S-CSCF that communicates with the destination device.
US08634534B1
A system for call recovery, according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first device, a second device, a switch and a failover device. The first device, second device and failover device are communicatively coupled to the switch. The switch has a first communicative connection with a first device and a second communicative connection with a second device. The first and second communicative connections form a call between the first and second devices. The switch determines a recovery rule for the call and identifies the failover device based on the recover rule. The switch determines a call failure event during the call between the second device and the first device. The failover device builds a new communicative connection to the switch so that the failover device is communicatively coupled to the switch responsive to the call failure event, and connected on a call with the second device.
US08634528B2
A method and system for selectively establishing a communications connection between an origin and destination in a communications network based on one or mediations rules and one or more lists of prohibited and exempted destination identifiers including preferences either in real-time using a control unit or with a pre-check using an analysis unit while also providing notification messages associated with the allowed or designated allowed communications connections.
US08634527B2
A method and apparatus that employ the use of CDRs to effectively monitor and proactively respond to network or service events that impact performance within a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a plurality of call detail records (CDRs), wherein each of the plurality of call detail records comprises a plurality of fields. The method determines a n-field rule signature from each of the call detail records (CDRs), and analyzes the n-field rule signatures from the plurality of call detail records (CDRs) for detecting at least one network performance problem.
US08634516B2
An energy subtraction radiographic imaging system for providing energy subtraction images of an object includes an X-ray radiation source configured to generate X-rays having various energy levels transmitting through the object, a radiation imaging apparatus configured to operate in association with operation of the X-ray radiation source for receiving X-rays transmitted through the object, the radiation imaging apparatus including a first imaging device, a second imaging device and an attenuating element disposed between said first imaging device and the second imaging device, the attenuating element configured to substantially absorb the X-rays at lower energy levels and substantially allowing transmission of the X-rays at higher energy levels so that said second imaging device substantially receives the X-rays at higher energy levels.
US08634508B2
Data is communicated through two separate circuits or circuit groups, each having clock and mode inputs, by sequentially reversing the role of the clock and mode inputs. The data communication circuits have data inputs, data outputs, a clock input for timing or synchronizing the data input and/or output communication, and a mode input for controlling the data input and/or output communication. A clock/mode signal connects to the clock input of one circuit and to the mode input of the other circuit. A mode/clock signal connects to the mode input of the one circuit and to the clock input of the other circuit. The role of the mode and clock signals on the mode/clock and clock/mode signals, or their reversal, selects one or the other of the data communication circuits.
US08634505B2
A technique for performing channel and noise estimation for a MIMO transmission sent from multiple transmit antennas to multiple receive antennas is described. Samples are obtained from multiple receive antennas for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission sent from multiple transmit antennas. Channel estimates are derived by correlating the samples with at least one pilot sequence. Signal, noise and interference statistics are also estimated based on a cross product of the samples. Equalizer weights are derived. The correlating includes multiplying a sample vector for a chip period and a complex conjugated pilot chip for the chip period offset by a delay.
US08634499B2
A method and apparatus for performing blind signal separation in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system are disclosed. A transmitter generates a plurality of spatial streams of data and transmits the spatial streams via a plurality of transmit antennas. A receiver receives the transmitted spatial data streams with a plurality of receive antennas and generates a plurality of receive data streams. The receiver performs a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) on each of the receive data streams to generate a plurality of frequency domain data streams. The receiver then performs a blind signal separation on the frequency domain data streams to recover spatial streams transmitted by the transmitter. The blind signal separation may be performed by using an independent component analysis (ICA) in the complex domain. The blind signal separation may be performed individually for each OFDM subcarrier.
US08634492B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving high-bandwidth OFDM signals, while limiting the complexity of the OFDM signal processing is described. Bandwidth expansion is achieved by repetition of whole OFDM symbols with the polarity of repetitions determined by a long PN code. This technique ensures a perfectly white spectrum. Use of zero-suffix OFDM symbols allows a large tolerance to multipath channels, even while maintaining a single, low-rate RAKE finger for despreading in the receiver.
US08634475B2
The method includes receiving a multi-view video stream including a random access picture, which includes a random access slice. The random access slice references only a slice corresponding to a same time and a different view of the random access picture. Type information indicating whether the random access slice is predicted from one or two reference pictures is obtained, and a reference picture list is initialized using view number information and view identification information included in obtained initialization information according to the type information. The initialization information is obtained based on a value indicating decoding order between the plurality of views. The initialized reference picture list is modified based on modification information representing how to assign an inter-view reference index in the initialized reference picture list. A prediction value of a macroblock in the random access picture is determined based on the modified reference picture list, and the macroblock is decoded using the prediction value.
US08634468B2
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining reference picture information, and determining at least one reference picture of the current image block from the reference picture information. The reference picture information indicates a reference picture type of the reference picture. The reference picture type is based on temporal distance between a current picture including the current image block and the reference picture. At least one motion vector of the current image block is obtained according to the reference picture type. This obtaining step includes obtaining a motion vector of a co-located image block, and generating the motion vector of the current image block based on the motion vector of the co-located image block and the reference picture type. The current image block is decoded by motion-estimating the current image block using the motion vector of current image block.
US08634466B2
A video encoder and a decoder analyze the spatial content video data in an H.264 stream using the discrete cosine transform (DCT). Although the DCT is computed as part of the H.264 encoding process, it is not computed as part of the decoding process. Thus, one would compute the DCT of the video data after it has been reconstructed by the video decoder for video post-processing or enhanced video encoding. A method for accelerating the computation of the DCT at the decoder side when transmitting intra-mode macroblocks uses information computed by the encoder and transmitted as part of the H.264 video stream.
US08634463B2
Aspects include systems and methods of improving processing in an encoder in a multimedia transmission system. Other aspects include method and systems of processing in a decoder in a multimedia transmission system. For example, one aspect includes a method and apparatus of reduced encoding size in an encoder by encoding in terms of an interpolated frame. Other aspects include decoders configured to decode video signals encoded with reference to an interpolated frame.
US08634462B2
Method for coding a video signal using hybrid coding, comprising: reducing temporal redundancy by block based motion compensated prediction in order to establish a prediction error signal; performing quantization on samples of the prediction error signal or on coefficients resulting from a transformation of the prediction error signal into the frequency domain to obtain quantized values, representing quantized samples or quantized coefficients respectively; calculating a quantization efficiency for the quantized values; calculating a zero efficiency for a quantization, when the quantized values are set to zero; selecting the higher efficiency; and maintaining the quantized values or setting quantized values to zero, for further proceeding, depending on the selected efficiency.
US08634453B2
A system and method for performing frame and symbol timing synchronization on samples of a received signal that includes a series of frames. Each frame includes a known preamble and payload data. A start-of-frame time is estimated by scanning the received signal samples for the self similarity of two successive preambles. A carrier frequency offset (CFO) is estimated by maximizing a correlation between a magnitude spectrum of the received signal and a magnitude spectrum of a known preamble model. A fine estimate for the CFO is determined by computing a phase difference between samples separated by p repetitions of the base pattern for various values of index p, and computing a slope of a least squares affine fit to the phase differences. Additional operations are performed to find an optimal symbol starting point, to perform carrier phase synchronization and to detect the start of payload data.
US08634451B1
A device includes circuitry configured to receive orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of a training sequence, and circuitry configured to correlate training samples of the OFDM symbols to determine a frequency offset and configured to provide the determined frequency offset to perform frequency offset compensation for at least one multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO)-OFDM frame to correct samples of training symbols in the at least one MIMO-OFDM frame. The correlated training samples correspond to a number of receive antennas through which the training sequence was received.
US08634450B2
An efficient coding and modulation system for transmission of digital data over plastic optical fibers is disclosed. The digital signal is coded by a three-level coset coding. The spectral efficiency of the system is configurable by selecting the number of bits to be processed in each of the levels. The first level applies to the digital data a binary BCH coding and performs coset partitioning by constellation mapping and lattice transformations. Similarly, second level applies another binary BCH coding, which may be performed selectably in accordance with the desired configuration by two BCH codes with substantially the same coding rate, operating on codewords of different sizes. The third level is uncoded. The second and third levels undergo mapping and lattice transformation. After an addition of the levels, a second-stage lattice transformation is performed to obtain a zero-mean constellation. The symbols output from such three-level coset coder are then further modulated.
US08634449B2
Upon detection of a trigger, such as the exceeding of an error threshold or the direction of a user, a diagnostic link system enters a diagnostic information transmission mode. This diagnostic information transmission mode allows for two modems to exchange diagnostic and/or test information that may not otherwise be exchangeable during normal communication. The diagnostic information transmission mode is initiated by transmitting an initiate diagnostic link mode message to a receiving modem accompanied by a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The receiving modem determines, based on the CRC, if a robust communications channel is present. If a robust communications channel is present, the two modems can initiate exchange of the diagnostic and/or test information. Otherwise, the transmission power of the transmitting modem is increased and the initiate diagnostic link mode message re-transmitted to the receiving modem until the CRC is determined to be correct.
US08634443B2
A laser diode has a plurality of structures, each of which having a function of scattering, absorbing or reflecting stray light, disposed in a region along an optical waveguide, wherein at least one of said structures is formed in each divided region obtained by equally dividing said region along said optical waveguide into three or more parts in the longitudinal direction of said optical waveguide.
US08634433B2
In a wireless network (100) with HSDPA-enabled user equipment devices (130), the base transceiver station (120) transmits to each HSDPA-enabled UE information regarding allocation of HSDPA codes and associated modulation techniques for other HSDPA-enabled UEs. Using this additional control information, each UE configures decision feedback filter of its equalizer to reduce inter-user interference. The additional control information may be transmitted in a packet (300) that includes a CRC portion (310) with the packet's CRC masked by a common ID, which is known to the HSDPA-enabled UEs. To reduce the number of bits needed to transmit the additional control information, the HSDPA codes used with a particular modulation technique are allocated consecutively. For each modulation technique, only the beginning code and the total number of codes need be known to the UEs. The number of codes used with each modulation technique may be allowed to change once in several TTIs.
US08634432B2
A base station for use in an OFDM network capable of communicating with a plurality of subscriber stations in a coverage area of the OFDM network. The base station transmits to a first subscriber station in a first subband of subcarriers from a first transmit antenna and transmits to the first subscriber station in a second subband of subcarriers from a second transmit antenna. The first and second subbands comprise different subcarriers. The base station also transmits to a second subscriber station in the first subband of subcarriers from the second transmit antenna and transmits to the second subscriber station in the second subband of subcarriers from the first transmit antenna.
US08634429B2
An apparatus comprising a wireless modem for use at a terminal, the modem being adapted to connect to the terminal via a first connection, and to connect via a second, wireless connection to a gateway between a wireless cellular network and a further, packet-based network. The modem is operable to connect to the gateway via the second connection using a point-to-point link protocol that does not require a physical address for the gateway, and is operable to connect to the host terminal via the first connection using a point-to-multipoint link protocol that supports point-to-multipoint connection and does require a physical address for the gateway. The modem is configured to intercept a message being conveyed between the gateway and the terminal, to generate a substitute address that identifies an interface of the modem, and in response to intercepting the message to communicate the substitute address to the terminal.
US08634424B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate efficiently providing scheduling information from an access terminal to a base station to enable effectuating scheduling decisions. Access terminals may transmit scheduling information in bifurcated requests. For instance, coarse scheduling information may be transferred utilizing a dedicated out-of-band channel, and fine scheduling information may be transmitted over an in-band channel.
US08634416B2
In a digital broadcasting signal receiving/recording/reproducing apparatus, a recorded program can be immediately reproduced without performing complicated operations. Only a desired program and information related to the desired program are separated to be extracted from the digital broadcasting signal. Then, the separated/extracted broadcasting signal is supplied to a recording/reproducing apparatus. In the recording/reproducing apparatus, the supplied broadcasting signal is recorded, and the recorded program can be immediately reproduced without complicated manipulating operations during the signal reproducing operation.
US08634409B2
A system comprising: an IP telephony interface communicatively coupled to an IP telephony service; a secondary telephony interface communicatively coupled to a secondary telephony service; and a telephone connection module to select between the IP telephony service and the secondary telephone service based on one or more specified telephony connection conditions.
US08634405B2
A system and method for synchronizing the phases and frequencies of devices in multi-user, wireless communications systems are provided. A primary beacon signal is transmitted by a destination node in a wireless communications network to a plurality of source nodes. Secondary beacon signals are also exchanged between the source nodes. Using the primary and secondary beacon signals, the nodes generate local phase and frequency estimates which are used to control local phases and frequencies of the source nodes. The source nodes then transmit common information to the destination at carrier frequencies based on the estimated local frequencies and phases, so that the phases and frequencies of the transmitted information are synchronized to facilitate coherent combining of the bandpass signals at the destination. Phase and frequency synchronization can be applied to wireless communications systems having any number of source nodes, and effects of Doppler shifts and moving platforms are accounted for. Acoustic and radio-frequency signaling can be utilized.
US08634402B2
An apparatus for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network includes a network interface, a controller, and memory. The interface receives a series of multicast data packets. The controller identifies one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network requesting data corresponding to the series of multicast data packets and determines that the effective unicast rate for one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using an 802.x protocol. The memory stores instructions that may be executable by a processor. Upon execution of the instructions by a processor, the received series of multicast data packets is converted into one or more unicast packets, the execution and conversion occurring in response to instructions received from the controller. A system for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network implements such an apparatus in the context of an access point.
US08634397B2
A wireless telecommunications system with mobile terminals, MSs and a Base Station, BS, through which traffic to and from the MSs in a cell, is routed, so that there can be Down Link, DL, traffic from the BS of a cell to the MSs in that cell, and Up Link, UL, traffic from those MSs to the BS. At least part of the UL traffic is contention based, and DL data to an MS must be acknowledged by the MS. The method comprises letting the BS detect MSs in the cell whose DL traffic rate exceeds a certain limit, and also comprises a mechanism for allocating to said detected MSs an UL bandwidth which enables them to acknowledge DL traffic within a certain time period from its reception by the MS.
US08634395B2
A method of performing a link adaptation procedure for multi-user transmission in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes receiving a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) feedback request transmitted by an access point (AP) to a plurality of stations, estimating an MCS by considering a spatial stream corresponding to the MCS feedback request transmitted to the other stations, and transmitting an MCS feedback response comprising the estimated MCS to the AP. The link adaptation procedure can be performed by considering a wireless communication environment on a real time basis.
US08634393B2
Techniques are presented for channel scanning in a network having one or more access points. In one embodiment, a first frequency band is scanned to identify a first access point. A channel indicator is received from the first access point. A second frequency band is scanned based on the channel indicator, to identify a second access point. The second access point may be identified based on the channel indicator.
US08634383B2
A multimode wireless access terminal is configured to operate in idle mode while registered with a plurality of radio access technologies, for example, a TD-SCDMA network and a WCDMA network, and monitor paging messages, with a reduced likelihood of paging conflicts and missed calls. If the paging conflict is seen at a particular cell, then a cell reselection to another cell may be utilized to change the cell and avoid the conflict. Because the probability of a paging conflict is small due to the short duration of paging indicator messages, the access terminal may have very infrequent paging indicator monitoring conflicts, and when conflicts actually do occur, it is very likely that the UE will find a neighbor cell without conflict.
US08634382B2
A station device includes an output unit that outputs a massage, a communication unit that communicates with a wireless access point which is movable from one place to another place, a determination unit that determines current communication performance with the wireless access point, a storage unit that stores the determined current communication performance, and a controller that compares the current communication performance with pre-stored previous communication performance and controls the output unit to output a message according to a result of the comparison.
US08634381B2
A request is originated by a mobile station, wherein the request contains information relating to both packet-switched communication and circuit-switched communication of data in a session. The request is originated by the mobile station in response to detecting that a transfer is to be performed from a source packet-switched access network to a target network in which different parts of the session is to be communicated in the packet-switched domain and circuit-switched domain. The transfer is completed using the information in the first request.
US08634380B2
There is described a method of facilitating handover of a user device between a source base station component in a first communications network of a first network type and a target base station component in a second communications network of a second network type. The method includes determining an identifier of at least one target gateway component connected to the target base station component in the second communications network. A handover request message is then generated in the first communications network, the handover request message incorporating the identifier of the at least one target gateway component. The handover request message is then transmitted to the second communications network. Apparatus for performing this and other related methods is also described, for example eNodeB, gateway and user device components.
US08634378B2
An apparatus and operation method of a Mobile Station (MS) for ranging in a broadband wireless access communication system includes receiving information for ranging code hopping from a Base Station (BS). The MS determines a hopping offset value that is a start of a ranging codes group using the information for ranging code hopping. The MS also determines a ranging codes group using the hopping offset value, and randomly selects at least one or more ranging codes among the determined ranging codes group and transmitting the selected ranging codes to the BS.
US08634371B2
When a connection is made to a wireless network constructed by a base station, a request to construct a wireless network in which a wireless communication apparatus operates as a base station is sensed and a determination is made as to whether communication is in progress with a communication apparatus of a network different from the wireless network constructed by the base station. If the request to construct the wireless network is sensed and it is determined that communication is in progress with a communication apparatus of a network different from the wireless network in which the base station is the intermediary, then an attempt is made to construct a wireless network in which the wireless communication apparatus operates as a base station.
US08634358B2
The described apparatus and methods may include a controller configured to generate a grant for at least one carrier for transmission on one of a plurality of carriers, and generate feedback for transmission on the one of the plurality of carriers.
US08634354B2
An access terminal acquires a multi-carrier radio network on an acquisition channel, receives a list of available channels from the network, and hashes to a channel on which the access terminal attempts to establish a session. If the access terminal fails to establish the session, the access terminal selects a new acquisition channel from an acquisition table other than the acquisition table from which the original acquisition channel was selected. The access terminal then repeats the above steps in order to attempt to establish a session, beginning with acquisition on the new acquisition channel. In this way, the number of unsuccessful session establishment attempts resulting from back end network failures is typically reduced, shortening the time to successful session establishment, reducing power consumption by the access terminal, and lessening interference due to unsuccessful attempts to establish a session.
US08634350B2
A method and an apparatus for transmitting and receiving a paging message in a wireless communication system are provided. A Base Station (BS) transmits, to a Mobile Station (MS) in an idle mode, a Paging Group IDentification Information (PGID_Info) message including paging group information for a paging group to which the BS belongs, and frequency band-specific paging carrier information for indicating at least one of paging carriers included in each of a plurality of frequency bands operated by the BS. The BS determines a paging carrier for transmitting the paging message among paging carriers included in a frequency band supported by the MS, and transmits the paging message to the MS using the determined paging carrier. By doing so, reception of the paging message in the frequency band supported by the MS is guaranteed, thereby preventing the unnecessary location update procedure.
US08634349B1
A method for tracking wireless access points from a computing device. The method includes scanning in a first scan to identify wireless access points that are within wireless communication of the computing device, and scanning in one or more subsequent scans to identify wireless access points that are within wireless communication of the computing device. The method also includes creating a group of wireless access points that includes a combination of wireless access points that were identified in the first scan or in the one or more subsequent scans, and providing to a user of the computing device a list of wireless access points that includes members of the group of wireless access points that have been identified in a predetermined period of multiple scans for wireless access points.
US08634344B2
A media access gateway includes a wireless network interface, an address assignment module, a proxy mobility agent module, and a profile module. The wireless network interface establishes a link with a wireless terminal. The address assignment module receives an address request message, including a mobility signal, from the wireless terminal. The proxy mobility agent module selectively transmits a proxy binding update to a local mobility anchor, and receives a proxy binding acknowledgement. The address assignment module transmits an address assignment message to the wireless terminal in response to the mobility signal indicating support or preference for proxy mobility. The address assignment message is based on address information in the proxy binding acknowledgement. The profile module retrieves a profile for the wireless terminal from a server. The address assignment module selectively transmits a second address assignment message to the wireless terminal based on the address information in the profile.
US08634340B2
A method for PDCCH allocation in a network terminal of a wireless communication system is disclosed. The wireless communication system supports Carrier Aggregation, which enables a UE of the wireless communication system to perform transmission and/or reception through multiple carriers. The method includes steps of configuring a plurality of carriers to a UE via an RRC message, and including an information for each configured carrier in the RRC message to indicate a second carrier which carries the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) corresponding to a first carrier, wherein the PDCCH on the second carrier is used to transmit downlink assignment or uplink grant for the first carrier.
US08634332B2
A method for using a joint decoding engine in a wireless device is disclosed. A first symbol stream and a second symbol stream in a received multiple input multiple output (MIMO) signal is determined. A scaled channel estimate for a wireless transmission channel and a scaled noise covariance of the MIMO signal are also determined. The scaled channel estimate and the first symbol stream are whitened. Max log maximum a posteriori (MLM) processing is performed on the whitened first symbol stream to produce a first data stream. The first data stream may be de-rate matched and decoded to produce a decoded first data stream.
US08634313B2
Aspects are disclosed for facilitating a timing alignment in a multicarrier system. In one aspect, at least one downlink timing associated with at least one downlink carrier is determined, and an uplink timing associated with an uplink group of carriers is ascertained based on at least one downlink timing and a timing offset associated with the uplink group of carriers. Each of the uplink group of carriers is then transmitted within a threshold value of the uplink timing. In another aspect, a downlink communication is transmitted to a wireless terminal via at least one downlink carrier. This embodiment further includes assigning a timing offset to an uplink group of carriers, and providing the timing offset to the wireless terminal via the at least one downlink carrier. An uplink communication is then received via the uplink group of carriers according to the timing offset.
US08634308B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for detecting a path between two nodes. During operation, the system transmits a network-testing request frame, which includes a time-to-live (TTL) field within a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header, from a source node to a destination node. In response to receiving a network-testing response frame sent from an intermediate node, the system increments the TTL value by 1 and re-transmits the network-testing frame to the destination node. In response to receiving a network-testing response frame sent from the destination node, the system determines a path between the source node and the destination node. The network-testing request or response frames is not processed on an Internet Protocol (IP) layer.
US08634306B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include designating one of at least one maintenance point associated with a physical port of a line card as a primary maintenance point, the primary maintenance point comprising either a UP-Maintenance Entity Group End Point (UP-MEP) or one Maintenance Entity Group Intermediate Point (MIP). The method may also include configuring the line card such that the line card stores source addresses of Service Operation, Administration, and Management (SOAM) frames communicated by the primary maintenance point. The method may further include configuring the line card such that the line card does not store source addresses of Service Operation, Administration, and Management frames communicated by maintenance points associated with the physical port other than the primary maintenance point.
US08634302B2
An apparatus for providing multi-cell support in a telecommunications network is described. The apparatus includes a modem board and a multi-core processor having a plurality of processor cores attached to the modem board. A single partition is defined with all of the processor cores included in it. The single partition is used to execute all control plane functions and all data plane functions. Typically, the multi-core processor is configured to include a core abstraction layer that hides any core specific details from application software running on the processor cores in the single partition and to serve at least three cells in the telecommunications network, each cell having a corresponding uplink scheduler and a corresponding downlink scheduler. In this configuration there is no need to use a hypervisor, since there is only one OS instance running (a potential cost saving).
US08634300B2
According to one embodiment, video data from a video transmitter (110) is received (420) at a network buffer (130). Information that pertains to a network buffer drain rate (14) of the network buffer (1q3) is monitored (430). The network buffer drain rate (140) is a rate that the video data is removed from the network buffer (130). The network buffer drain rate (140) is estimated (440) based on the monitored information. A transmission rate (120) that the video transmitter (110) transmits future video data is adjusted (450) to not exceed an allowed transmission rate (ATR) that is calculated based on the estimation of the network buffer drain rate (140).
US08634295B2
A method, device, and system for conducting communication over one or more communication networks. The method comprises determining a number, A, of simultaneously receivable communication paths at a receiving device; and selecting, based on A, a version of data for reception from a plurality of available versions.
US08634279B2
An alarm clock includes at least one sensor for detecting a body activity level of a human being and is provided to produce a sequence of alarm signals. Each alarm signal within the sequence is suppressible on the detection of a predetermined body activity level. The body activity level required to suppress an alarm signal increases with each subsequent alarm signal within the sequence. The body activity level of a human being is detected during said sequence, and a present alarm signal is suppressed when the body activity level presently detected is greater than the predetermined body activity level required to suppress the present alarm signal.
US08634274B2
A spindle for a mud pulse telemetry tool includes a seal section having an outer surface for contacting a lip seal of a spindle housing in which the spindle is mounted; a top section attachable to at least part of a valve assembly for generating mud pulses; and a base section having a proximal end attachable to a drive motor for moving the spindle and a distal end attachable to the top section such that the annular seal is fixed between the top and base sections. The seal section can be made of a ceramic material such as yttrium-stabilized zirconia.
US08634266B2
A semiconductor device capable of stabilizing power supply by suppressing power consumption as much as possible. The semiconductor device of the invention includes a central processing unit having a plurality of units and a control circuit, and an antenna. The control circuit includes a means for outputting, based on a power supply signal including data on power supply from an antenna (through an antenna) or a load signal obtained by an event signal supplied from each of the units, one or more of a first control signal for stopping power supply to one or more of the units, a second control signal for varying a power supply potential supplied to one or more of the units, and a third control signal for stopping supplying a clock signal to one or more of the units.
US08634264B2
Methods, apparatuses, and integrated circuits for measuring leakage current are disclosed. In one such example method, a word line is charged to a first voltage, and a measurement node is charged to a second voltage, the second voltage being less than the first voltage. The measurement node is proportionally coupled to the word line. A voltage on the measurement node is compared with a reference voltage. A signal is generated, the signal being indicative of the comparison. Whether a leakage current of the word line is acceptable or not can be determined based on the signal.
US08634262B2
A word line driving signal control circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus provided with a sub-redundancy cell array includes a fuse unit configured to generate a redundancy enable signal in response to a bank active signal and an address signal, and a repair determination unit configured to activate one of a normal word line driving signal, a redundancy word line driving signal, and a sub-redundancy word line driving signal in response to the bank active signal and the redundancy enable signal.
US08634248B1
A NAND Flash based content addressable memory (CAM) is used for a key-value addressed storage drive. The device can use a standard transport protocol such as PCI-E, SAS, SATA, eMMC, SCSI, and so on. A host writes a key-value pair to the drive, where the drive writes the keys along bit lines of a CAM NAND portion of the drive and stores the value in the drive. The drive then maintains a table linking the keys to location of the value. In a read process, the host provides a key to drive, which then broadcasts down the word lines of blocks storing the keys. Based on any matching bit lines, the tables can then be used to retrieve and supply the corresponding data to the host. The system can be applied to perform a wide range of analytics on data sets loaded into the NAND array.
US08634236B2
Provided are a phase change memory device and a fabricating method thereof. The phase change memory device includes a substrate, an interlayer dielectric layer formed on the substrate, first and second contact holes formed in the interlayer dielectric layer, and a memory cell formed in the first and second contact holes and including a diode, a first electrode on the diode, a phase change material layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the phase change material layer, wherein the first contact hole and the second contact hole are spaced apart from and separated from each other.
US08634234B2
A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell includes an embedded MRAM and an access transistor. The embedded MRAM is formed on a number of metal-interposed-in-interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers, which each include metal dispersed there through and are formed on top of the access transistor. A magneto tunnel junction (MTJ) is formed on top of a metal formed in the ILD layers that is in close proximity to a bit line. An MTJ mask is used to pattern the MTJ and is etched to expose the MTJ. Ultimately, metal is formed on top of the bit line and extended to contact the MTJ.
US08634220B2
Technology leading to a size reduction in a power conversion apparatus comprising a cooling function and technology relating to enhancing productivity and enhancing reliability necessary for commercial production are provided. Series circuits comprising an upper arm and lower arm of an inverter circuit are built in a single semiconductor module 500. The semiconductor module has cooling metal on two sides. An upper arm semiconductor chip and lower arm semiconductor chip are wedged between the cooling metals. The semiconductor module is inserted inside a channel case main unit 214. A DC positive electrode terminal 532, a DC negative electrode terminal 572, and an alternating current terminal 582 of a semiconductor chip are disposed in the semiconductor module. The DC terminals 532 and 572 are electrically connected with a terminal of a capacitor module. The alternating current terminal 582 is electrically connected with a motor generator via an AC connector.
US08634218B2
An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a rectifier/regulator circuit coupled to receive an ac source voltage and output a regulated dc voltage. The rectifier/regulator circuit includes first and second switching elements that provide charging current when enabled. The first and second switching elements do not provide charging current when disabled. A sensor circuit is coupled to sense the regulated dc voltage and generate a feedback control signal coupled to the rectifier/regulator circuit that enables the first and second switching elements when the regulated dc voltage is above a target voltage, and disables the first and second switching elements when the regulated dc voltage is below the target voltage.
US08634216B2
A power inverter may include a transformer serving as an isolation barrier. The power inverter may include a first controller on one side of the isolation barrier. The first controller may encode the frequency of an input voltage of the transformer with one or more operating conditions of a direct current power supply electrically coupled to the inverter. As second controller on the other side of the isolation barrier may determine a frequency associated with an output voltage of the transformer. The second controller may decode the frequency associated with the output voltage of the transformer to determine the encoded operating conditions.
US08634210B2
A DC-DC converter includes a series circuit including a primary transformer coil and a main switch element connected between a power input terminal and a ground terminal. A secondary transformer coil is connected to a rectifying/smoothing circuit including rectification-side and commutation-side synchronous rectifiers, a smoothing capacitor, and a choke coil. The output voltage from the rectifying/smoothing circuit is supplied to a load connected to a power output terminal. An input voltage detection circuit detects the voltage between the power input terminal and the ground terminal, and supplies a detection signal to a VIN terminal of a switching control circuit. The switching control circuit performs PWM control to maintain a constant output voltage output to the load, reduces the switching frequency when the input voltage input to the VIN terminal is low, and increases the switching frequency in accordance with an increase in the input voltage.
US08634208B2
A portable electronic device includes a housing and a chip card holding mechanism assembled within the housing. The housing defines a mounting slot and an unlocking hole adjacent to the mounting slot. The chip card holding mechanism includes a support base assembled adjacent to the mounting slot, a receiving tray and an unlocking assembly. The receiving tray is slidably mounted on the support base and includes a tray body and an operating portion formed at one end of the tray body. The operating portion has a resisting surface. The unlocking assembly includes a cam body rotatably assembled to the housing and a driving member. The cam body forms a cam resisting portion resisting against the resisting surface of the receiving tray. The driving portion is inserted into the unlocking hole for driving the cam body to rotate thereby ejecting the receiving tray.
US08634203B2
A latch assembly for securing two boards together includes a male section and a female section. The male section includes a base to be fixed to one board, a tab protruding from a first side surface of the base. The tab includes at least one latching portion protruding therefrom. The female section includes a support block fixed to the other one board and defining a chamber, a movable block slidably retained within the chamber of the support block, and the at least one elastic member is retained within the chamber. The movable block includes a stop portion capable of latching with the at least one latching portion when the movable block is retained in a securing position by the tab. The at least one elastic member applies a push force to the movable block to movably retain the movable block in the normal position.
US08634199B2
A connection device is used to mount a computer mini-card. The connection device includes a board, an edge connector formed a bottom side of the board, a socket, and a pole. The socket is mounted on a first side surface of the board to connect to the computer mini-card, and is electrically connected to the edge connector. The pole extends from the first side surface of the board to fix an end of the computer mini-card opposite to the socket.
US08634198B2
A connection device of a cable management arm includes a fixing frame having a protrusion portion, a connection member having a contact portion, and a locking member pivotably connected to the connection member. The locking member includes a locking portion and a resilient portion which contacts the contact portion of the connection member. When the connection member is pivotally connected to the cable management arm, the fixing frame is fixed to a rail. When the connection member is connected to the fixing frame, the resilient portion provides a force to lock the locking portion to the protrusion portion of the fixing frame so as to securely connect the connection member to the fixing frame.
US08634194B2
A power conversion apparatus is provided which includes a semiconductor module which include a switching element, a cooler which cools the semiconductor module, and has a pair of cylindrical pipes which introduce a cooling medium to a channel therein or discharge the cooling medium, a frame which holds the cooler, and a pair of clamps which fix the cylindrical pipes to the frame. Each of the clamps has a fastener portion which is fastened to the frame, and a pressing portion which presses the cylindrical pipe toward the frame. Each of the cylindrical pipes is held between a concave support portion, which is formed in the frame, and the clamp. Each of the cylindrical pipes is supported by two support surfaces of the concave support portion and the pressing portion of the clamp at three support points when viewing from the direction in which the cylindrical pipe extends.
US08634190B2
A chassis may include a front section that contains a first electronic circuit board oriented in a first plane, a rear section that contains a second electronic circuit board oriented in a second plane, where the first plane and the second plane are substantially orthogonal, a midplane dividing the front and the rear sections, and a fan tray assembly including a plurality of fans to cool both the first electronic circuit board of the front section and the second electronic circuit board of the rear section.
US08634187B2
A mounting apparatus for a PCI card includes an enclosure, a mounting bracket, a securing bracket, and a securing member and a resilient member. The mounting bracket is configured to secure a first end of the PCI card. The securing bracket includes a bracket body and a securing plate. The securing member includes a main body and a securing portion. The main body defines a mounting slot. The securing member is configured to rotate to enable the securing portion to engage the securing plate, and to enable the mounting slot to receive a second end of the PCI card. The resilient member is mounted to the securing bracket and deformed to resist the securing member. The resilient member releases to drive the securing member to move away from the PCI card when the securing portion disengages from the securing plate.
US08634180B2
There is provided a multi-layered ceramic capacitor having a dual layer-electrode structure formed by applying a dual layer of electrode paste to the multi-layered ceramic capacitor. The multi-layered ceramic capacitor having a dual layer-electrode structure includes a capacitor body having a preset length and width and having a plurality dielectric layers stacked therein, an internal electrode unit formed on the plurality of dielectric layers and having a preset capacitance, and an external electrode unit including first external electrodes respectively formed on both sides of the capacitor body to be electrically connected to internal electrodes, and second external electrodes formed on the first external electrodes.
US08634179B2
A hot surface re-ignition controller for use with a transformer for powering a hot surface igniter in a gas appliance. The design includes flame detection circuitry for interfacing with flame detecting electrodes and is completely implemented in analog circuitry to provide reliable operation in harsh environments.
US08634174B2
Protection circuits, design structures, and methods for isolating the gate and gate dielectric of a field-effect transistor from electrostatic discharge (ESD). A protection field-effect transistor is located between a protected field-effect transistor and a voltage rail. Under normal operating conditions, the protection field-effect transistor is saturated so that the protected field-effect transistor is coupled to the voltage rail. The protection field-effect transistor may be driven into a cutoff condition in response to an ESD event while the chip is unpowered, which increases the series resistance of an ESD current path between the gate of the protected field-effect transistor and the voltage rail. The voltage drop across the protection field-effect transistor may reduce the ESD stress on the gate dielectric of the protected field-effect transistor. Alternatively, the gate and source of an existing field-effect transistor are selectively coupled provide ESD isolation to the protected field-effect transistor.
US08634173B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes: first and second power-supply terminals; an internal circuit connected between the first and second power-supply terminals; and a protection circuit connected in parallel with the internal circuit between the first and second power-supply terminals, the protection circuit including: a series circuit that includes a resistor and a first capacitor, and is connected in parallel with the internal circuit between the first and second power-supply terminals; a first MOS transistor that is connected in parallel with the series circuit, and is controlled according to a voltage at a connection point between the resistor and the first capacitor; and a switch circuit that is connected in parallel with the resistor, is turned on in a delayed manner after a power-supply voltage is applied between the first and second power-supply terminals, and changes the voltage at the connection point so that the first MOS transistor is turned off.
US08634167B2
A magnetic head for data recording having a pair of heating elements that self regulate in response to temperature to distribute heat for thermal actuation. The head includes a first heating element located adjacent to the read sensor and away from the writer, and a second heating element located adjacent to the writer. The first and second heating elements have different coefficients of thermal resistance that cause the heating of the second heating element to increase relative to that of the first heating element when the overall temperature increases or when power provided by a power source increases. There, thereby prevents the read sensor from extending too much and possibly contacting the disk.
US08634166B2
A suspension substrate according the present invention includes: an insulating layer; a metallic support layer provided on the actuator element's side of the insulating layer. A wiring layer is provided on the other side of the insulating layer. This wiring layer includes a plurality of wirings and a wiring connection section that can be electrically connected with the actuator element via a conductive adhesive. A conductive connection section extending through the insulating layer and configured to connecting the metallic support layer with the wiring connection section of the wiring layer is provided in the connection structure region.
US08634154B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a spindle motor operable to rotate the disk. A bootstrap spiral track is written to the disk, wherein the bootstrap spiral track comprises a high frequency signal interrupted by sync marks. A first sync mark is written while writing a first part of the bootstrap spiral track, and a second sync mark is written while writing a second part of the bootstrap spiral track. A switch between writing the first sync mark and the second sync mark is made in response to a spindle BEMF voltage, thereby generating a sync mark seam in the bootstrap spiral track.
US08634144B2
Apparatus, methods, and systems provide conversion of evanescent electromagnetic waves to non-evanescent electromagnetic waves and/or conversion of non-evanescent electromagnetic waves to evanescent electromagnetic waves. In some approaches the conversion includes propagation of electromagnetic waves within an indefinite electromagnetic medium, and the indefinite medium may include an artificially-structured material such as a layered structure or other metamaterial.
US08634142B2
Apparatus, methods, and systems provide conversion of evanescent electromagnetic waves to non-evanescent electromagnetic waves and/or conversion of non-evanescent electromagnetic waves to evanescent electromagnetic waves. In some approaches the conversion includes propagation of electromagnetic waves within an indefinite electromagnetic medium, and the indefinite medium may include an artificially-structured material such as a layered structure or other metamaterial.
US08634131B2
Spherical aberration is the primary cause of lose of signal while imaging deeper into a sample. Spherical aberration is corrected in the imaging path of a non-descanned detection system (such as a multi-photon microscope). This corrects the illumination spot for artifacts caused by imaging deep into a sample. One exemplary advantage to this instrument is that it allows deeper and brighter imaging.
US08634118B2
An image processing apparatus includes a read unit and a first correction unit. The read unit reads a document and generates multilevel image data from the document. The first correction unit corrects the multilevel image data contained in a first range predetermined as a color indicating a fluorescent color so as to move the multilevel image data contained in the first range to an outside of a print color range when at least a part of the multilevel image data is contained in the first range.
US08634116B2
An image reading device includes a reading unit, a first correcting unit, and a second correcting unit. The reading unit includes multiple read pixel-arrays and converts a signal charge obtained from pixels in each read pixel-array to an electric signal and outputs the electric signal as a read signal of each read pixel-array. The first correcting unit individually delays the read signals of the respective read pixel-arrays output from the reading unit so as to correct misregistration of the read signals. The second correcting unit corrects the misregistration of the read signals of the respective read pixel-arrays corrected by the first correcting unit by performing a two-point interpolation process so that a correction amount for the read signal of one specific read pixel-array among the multiple read pixel-arrays is not smaller than a correction amount for the read signal or signals of the remaining read pixel-array or pixel-arrays.
US08634113B2
A multifunction printer includes a) a printing apparatus having: i) a printer chassis having a media input region, a printing region, and a media support element; ii) a carriage configured to move a printhead in a carriage scan direction along the printing region; and iii) a plurality of rollers configured to transport a recording medium from the media input region, across the media support element and to the printing region; and b) a scanning apparatus to convert an image into digitized data, the scanning apparatus including a base that is affixed to the printer chassis, wherein the base of the scanning apparatus comprises a guide for the recording medium.
US08634109B2
An image forming apparatus has an image carrier carrying an electrostatic latent image, a charging unit charging the surface of the image carrier, an exposure unit forming an electrostatic latent image by irradiating light onto the charged surface of the image carrier, a developing unit developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier using a developing material, and a transfer unit transferring a developer image onto a printing material. The apparatus has also an image correction unit correcting image data inputted to the exposure unit so as to compensate for deformation in the developer image originating in a form of the exposure unit, and a smoothing processing unit carrying out smoothing of an image by controlling the exposure unit so that dots of a size smaller than one pixel are filled with respect to a white image region of the corrected image data.
US08634102B2
Document processing for handling a document comprising a document element with bundled page elements
Whether all pages have the same print settings is determined before print settings are changed in a print preview, and the setting change is permitted only when all pages have the same print settings. In each layer of XPS data to be processed, whether the print setting information is not added to the element of the layer or whether the print setting information added to the element of the layer is shared by all elements of the layer is determined. A change in the print setting information by the user is accepted if one of the conditions is satisfied. When the print settings are changed, the setting change is not reflected on individual print tickets. The change is reflected on the entire job by adding a print ticket reflected with the setting change on the top element.
US08634098B2
A scanner that provides WSD standard scan service does not allow the notification and identification by a client PC of scan parameters, such as a resolution and a reading range, that are selected by a user in push scan on a panel, for example, attached to the scanner body. This prevents the push scan with the user-specified scan parameters. Accordingly, an event that temporarily limits the scanning functions is issued to inhibit the specification of parameters excluding user-specified scan parameters from a client PC. Thus, the client PC can instruct the scanning with the user-specified parameters, and the push scan requested by the user can be implemented. The limitation is valid only to the destination client of the push scan.
US08634092B2
A first command receiving unit receives a first command from the printer when a user performs a first operation on the printer for executing printing. A printer recognizing unit recognizes the printer as a first printer that is waiting for a print job based on the first command. A file request receiving unit receives a file request from the terminal device. A first file transmitting unit transmits a first file to the terminal device when the file request receiving unit has received the file request. A first file is a file for displaying on the terminal device a printer specifying screen which includes printer identification information for identifying the first printer. A second command receiving unit receives a second command from the terminal device. A second command is transmitted from the terminal device when the first printer is specified on the printer specifying screen. A job transmitting unit transmits the print job to the first printer specified by the terminal device when the second command receiving unit has received the second command.
US08634084B2
A data processing system includes a memory in which a set value based on a compliance requirement is stored for each of plural operating functions provided in an image forming apparatus, and a controller which outputs correspondence data indicating correspondence between the plural operating functions and the set value based on the compliance requirement.
US08634075B2
The invention encompasses analyzers and analyzer systems that include a single molecule analyzer, methods of using the analyzer and analyzer systems to analyze samples, either for single molecules or for molecular complexes. The single molecule uses electromagnetic radiation that is translated through the sample to detect the presence or absence of a single molecule. The single molecule analyzer provided herein is useful for diagnostics because the analyzer detects single molecules with zero carryover between samples.
US08634071B2
An inspection of a closed carton for acceptable content fill may be provided by a transmitting unit and a receiving unit measuring intensity values of electromagnetic waves directed at the carton. A comparison of a reference intensity value to a measured intensity value may indicate whether the closed carton is filled correctly identifying missing contents such as the main product or a missing leaflet that may contain product instructions.
US08634063B2
A printed wafer. A design is printed within a peripheral portion of the wafer. The peripheral portion of the wafer is between an outer boundary of an active portion of the wafer and an outer boundary of the wafer. The design may be a copy of a portion of a pattern that exists on a reticle of an exposure apparatus. The pattern may includes pattern elements such that adjacent pattern elements are separated by a spacing of about a sum of a first design tolerance (based on how accurately a reticle blind can be positioned within the exposure apparatus) and a second design tolerance (based on how sharply an edge of the reticle blind can be focused on the wafer by a lens). The design may visible to a naked eye unaided with no portion of the printed design within the active portion of the wafer.
US08634062B2
An actuator system is provided that is configured to move a component relative to a base of the actuator system. The actuator system may include first and second actuating elements, each including two sections of material that are joined to each other and have different coefficients of thermal expansion. The two actuating elements may be configured such that if the temperature of one is increased it applies a force on the component in a direction that is opposite to the force applied by the other actuating element if its temperature is increased. The actuator system may further include at least one power supply configured to provide independently controllable heating to the first and second actuating elements.
US08634048B2
A liquid crystal device according to embodiments of the invention includes a first alignment layer that is disposed on the first substrate and includes a second alignment layer that is disposed on the second substrate. The first alignment layer includes a first inorganic layer and a second inorganic layer which having a column-like structure with an orientation angle different from an orientation angle of the column-like structure of the first inorganic layer. The second alignment layer includes a third inorganic layer and a fourth inorganic layer which having a column-like structure with an orientation angle different from an orientation angle of the column-like structure of the third inorganic layer. The ratio of the thickness of the second inorganic layer to the thickness of the first inorganic layer is different from the ratio of the thickness of the fourth inorganic layer to the thickness of the third inorganic layer.
US08634047B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a device substrate that includes a pixel electrode, a counter substrate that is formed opposite the device substrate and that includes a counter electrode, a liquid crystal layer that is formed between the device substrate and the counter substrate, a first alignment layer that is formed on a side of the device substrate which is closer to the liquid crystal layer, and a second alignment layer that is formed on a side of the counter substrate which is closer to the liquid crystal layer. The pixel electrode is made of a material having a work function smaller than that of a material for the counter electrode. The first alignment layer has substantially the same density as that of the second alignment layer, and the thickness d1 of the first alignment layer is greater than the thickness d2 of the second alignment layer.
US08634046B2
An optical element having an alignment layer for an optical anisotropic body, in which the generation of damages in the alignment layer is effectively prevented by providing an optical element having an alignment layer for an optical anisotropic body, wherein a stress releasing layer is formed as an underlying layer for the alignment layer.
US08634044B2
In a semi-transmission liquid crystal display device, two resist masks are required to form a reflective electrode and a transparent electrode; therefore, cost is high. A transparent electrode and a reflective electrode which function as a pixel electrode are stacked. A resist pattern which includes a region having a thick film thickness and a region having a thinner film thickness than the aforementioned region is formed over the reflective electrode by using a light exposure mask which includes a semi-transmission portion. The reflective electrode and the transparent electrode are formed by using the resist pattern. Therefore, the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode can be formed by using one resist mask.
US08634036B2
A trans-reflective LCD and a manufacturing method thereof are provided to simplify a manufacturing process and improve yield by reducing the number of masks and implement high definition by preventing wavy noise. A first substrate divided into a pixel unit and first and second pad units is provided. Through a first mask process, a gate electrode and a gate line are formed in the pixel unit of the first substrate. Through a second mask process, an active pattern of an island type is formed on the gate electrode in a state when a first insulating layer is interposed. On the active pattern, an n+ amorphous silicon thin film pattern and a conductive layer pattern are formed. Through a third mask process, a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed in the pixel unit of the first substrate. A data line crosses the gate line to define a pixel area comprising a reflection unit and a transmission unit. Through the third mask process, a pixel electrode comprising a transparent conductive layer is formed in the transmission unit of the pixel area. Through a fourth mask process, a second insulating layer is formed on the first substrate. Through a fifth process, a reflection electrode comprising an opaque conductive layer is formed in the reflection unit of the pixel area. The first substrate is deposited with a second substrate.
US08634031B2
Provided is a remote control terminal, including: a first terminal-side wireless-communication unit configured to interactively communicate with a control-target information processing apparatus by using a first wireless communication system, to control the information processing apparatus; a second terminal-side wireless-communication unit configured to interactively communicate with the information processing apparatus by using a second wireless communication system, the second wireless communication system being higher in speed than the first wireless communication system; a camera unit configured to obtain video data; and a first controller configured to control the second terminal-side wireless-communication unit to transmit the video data obtained by the camera unit to the information processing apparatus by using the second wireless communication system.
US08634025B2
A device for rapidly instituting an active mode of a digital-television enabled system, the system including a first, volatile memory configured to load and store software instructions, includes: an input configured to receive first digital audio and video information; a first output configured to convey second audio and information toward a display regarding the first audio and video information; at least one second output configured to convey commands to, and receive information from, the first memory; and a processor configured to perform functions in accordance with software instructions stored in first and second memories and to cause the first memory to load software instructions for provision to the processor such that first instructions for processing at least one of the first audio information and the first video information are loaded and stored by the first memory with a higher priority than second instructions for performing other functionality.
US08634023B2
A circuit and a method of using the circuit for video frame synchronization are provided. The circuit includes a memory having a capacity less than a full video frame and a “first in first out” (FIFO) interface controlling the memory, further removing the post-read buffer in the memory, and overwriting the post-read buffer in the memory with new data. Some embodiments of the circuit for video frame synchronization provide a wide data bus having a high bandwidth interface to the memory circuit to allow reduced memory clock rate. Some embodiments of the circuit further include a processor that produces a clock signal and measures an input data rate. The processor controls the FIFO interface to generate an output data stream at a preselected frequency, with a preselected phase. More generally, other embodiments of the present invention provide a circuit wherein the processor may be used as a data rate converter and video input timing aberration filter.
US08634015B2
An image capturing apparatus includes an image sensor provided in the neighborhood of an image plane of a photographing optical system for forming the image of a subject; pupil dividing member for forming images of a pair of light beams that have passed through different pupil regions of the photographing optical system; focus detection sensors arranged two-dimensionally for photoelectrically converting images of the pupil dividing member; and a correlation calculation unit which, in order to obtain one focus measurement value from one pair of two-dimensional images generated by the focus detection sensors and extending in the pupil dividing direction of the pupil dividing member and in a direction perpendicular to the pupil dividing direction, calculates the correlation between the pair of two-dimensional images while shifting the pair of two-dimensional images in the pupil dividing direction.
US08634011B2
Provided are an image sensor using a light-sensitive oxide semiconductor material as a light-sensitive device and a method of operating the image sensor for acquiring RGB values of incident light in the image sensor, the image sensor includes an array of a plurality of light-sensing cells wherein each of the light-sensing cells includes a light-sensitive oxide semiconductor layer that forms a channel region of an oxide semiconductor transistor. Electronic characteristics of the light-sensitive oxide semiconductor layer vary according to an amount of light irradiated onto the light-sensitive oxide semiconductor layer. Each of the light-sensing cells constitutes a single unit color pixel.
US08634002B2
An image processing device includes an input unit which inputs image data that is generated by an imaging element including specific pixels, first image generation pixels that are the image generation pixels adjacent to the specific pixels, and second image generation pixels that are the image generation pixels not adjacent to the specific pixels, and includes a luminance value generated by each of the pixels, and a color mixture correction unit which corrects color mixture such that a change value of luminance caused by light leaked from the specific pixels to the first image generation pixels is calculated based on luminance values of each of specific pixels adjacent to the first image generation pixels and correction of color mixture to the first image generation pixels caused by the leaked light is performed.
US08634001B2
An image processing apparatus configured to process an image taken by an image-pickup unit includes a memory configured to store a relationship between a color shift amount at positions that are symmetrical with respect to an origin of an image and a blur amount relating to a curvature of field at the positions symmetrical with respect to the origin of the image, a detector configured to detect a color shift amount at the positions that are symmetrical with respect to the origin of the image, an acquirer configured to acquire the blur amount relating to the curvature of field corresponding to the color shift amount detected by the detector based on the relationship stored in the memory, and a processor configured to execute image processing that is asymmetrical with respect to the origin so as to correct the blur amount relating to the curvature of field acquired by the acquirer.
US08633992B2
A focus detection device includes: a focus detection unit that includes a pair of light-receiving element arrays and lens systems via which a pair of focus detection light fluxes are each guided to one of the pair of light-receiving element arrays, and detects an image shift amount based upon output signals output from the pair of light-receiving element arrays; an acquisition unit that obtains a plurality of sets of opening data pertaining to sizes and positions of a plurality of openings; a function value calculation unit that calculates, based upon the plurality of sets of opening data, a function value pertaining to a gravitational center distance between gravitational centers of a pair of overlapping areas where a pair of specific focus detection pupils overlap an exit pupil; and a conversion unit that converts the image shift amount to a defocus amount based upon the function value.
US08633990B2
An imaging apparatus includes a communication unit that executes data communication with a predetermined number of external devices, a search unit that searches for external devices that can executes data communication with the imaging apparatus, and a determination unit that, if the search unit finds a number of external devices that is greater than the predetermined number, determines with which of the external devices communication is to be activated. The determining unit is configured to, in case that the imaging unit executes an imaging process, preferentially activate communication with external devices that are used in the imaging process.
US08633987B2
A video processing system may include an input for receiving video data including video signal values for a corresponding plurality of image pixels and having an image pattern therein. The system may further include a processor coupled to the input for determining a series of video signal value differences for each pair of adjacent image pixels along at least one direction, detecting at least one image transition boundary based upon the series of video signal value differences, and detecting the image pattern based upon the at least one image transition boundary.
US08633984B2
A system for and a method of creating a coherent video data stream of an object moving between a plurality of areas covered by a plurality of data collecting devices is provided. The method includes selecting a plurality of data collecting devices from the plurality of data collecting devices, synchronizing video data streams from the selected plurality of data collecting devices, substantially simultaneously reviewing the video data streams from the selected plurality of data collecting devices, specifying periods of interest for the video data streams from the selected plurality of data collecting devices, and sequentially combining portions of the video data streams into the coherent video data stream, the portions corresponding to the specified periods of interest.
US08633966B2
There is provided an information processing device enabling a content of 3D image to be appropriately reproduced from a recording medium. A virtual extent read out from a recording medium recorded with interleaved data obtained by dividing each of a base stream and an enhanced stream into extents Ext1 and Ext2, and arranging the Ext1 and Ext2 in an interleaved manner so that the Ext1 and Ext2 are adjacent to each other, and a file entry of a 2D reproduction file in which the Ext1 is stored in a reproducing order, and a 3D type 1 reproduction file in which the virtual extent is stored in a reproducing order, with a set of Ext1 and Ext2, which are adjacent to each other in the interleaved data, as the virtual extent, is divided into the Ext1 and Ext2 using the file entry of the 2D reproduction file.
US08633962B2
In some embodiments, a spatially multiplexed output decoder may spatially multiplex video packets received in a time multiplexed video stream. A video stream with video packets from two or more sources may be received along with metadata. In some embodiments, a decoder may organize the video packets into respective buffers (e.g., each buffer including video packets for a respective video image). The spatially multiplexed output decoder may spatially multiplex the video images (which are made up of data from the respective video packets) into a video frame to be outputted (e.g., to a separate buffer). The video images in the video frame may then be demultiplexed in other parts of the system (e.g., in a virtual decoder) using information provided about the video frame (e.g., in metadata formed with the video frame).
US08633961B2
A mobile terminal and a method of providing a video call using the same are disclosed. More particularly, a mobile terminal capable of supporting a video call while ensuring user's privacy by mounting a three-dimensional depth camera and a two-dimensional camera in the mobile terminal and a method of providing a video call using the same are disclosed. The mobile terminal of the present invention includes a 2D camera 200 capturing a 2D video and a 3D depth camera 210 capturing a 3D depth video; an individual image separation module 112 extracting boundary information between a user and a background by using depth information regarding a video captured by the 3D depth camera 210; a composite video generation module 114 separating the user video from the video captured by the 2D camera 200 by using the extracted boundary information and composing the separated user video and the set background video.
US08633960B2
A communication device (1, 1′, 1″) with at least one wireless communication channel is configured to receive digital pictures and/or video streams from at least one remote source. The communication device (1, 1′, 1″) is configured to test whether at least one person who is/are associated with said communication device by pre-stored person identification data is identifiable in the digital pictures and/or video streams of the remote source, and to process the digital pictures and/or video streams of the remote source only if the result of the person identification test is positive.
US08633958B2
The present invention provides an image processing method which includes at least any one of image recording and image erasing, wherein a light irradiation intensity at a center position of the laser beam irradiated in the image recording is controlled; in the image recording, a first auxiliary line extended by a predetermined distance from a start point of each of image lines constituting an image in the opposite direction from the scanning direction and a second auxiliary line extended by a predetermined distance from an end point of each of the image lines in the scanning direction are prepared, and when the first and second auxiliary lines including an image line are continuously scanned, the image line is scanned with irradiating the laser beam, and the first and the second auxiliary lines are scanned without irradiating the laser beam to thereby record the image.
US08633954B2
A scanning laser having a wavelength compatible with a coating binder so as to cure it as the laser scans and irradiates the coating on a moving web. A system and method for curing flakes by providing a scanning laser which scans across a moving coated substrate in a magnetic field allows images to be formed as magnetically aligned flakes are cured into a fixed position. The images have regions of cured aligned flakes. The scanning laser cures the magnetically aligned flakes within it region it irradiates. Alternatively an array of lasers can be used wherein individual lasers can be switched on and off to fix irradiated coating as a moving web is moved at a high speed.
US08633953B2
A developer cartridge provided in an image-forming device has a developer side casing that includes a toner-accommodating chamber and a developing chamber; and a plate wall disposed in the developing chamber for partitioning a thickness-regulating blade from the toner-accommodating chamber. When a thickness-regulating blade scrapes excess charged toner off the developing roller, the plate wall prevents this charged toner from returning to the toner-accommodating chamber. A flexible wiper for cleaning toner detection windows is attached to an agitator for stirring toner in the toner-accommodating chamber via a fixing member. The fixing member includes a support plate and a gripping plate disposed opposite each other with a slit formed therebetween. The wiper is inserted into the slit and is fixed to the fixing member when a boss protruding from a restricting plate becomes inserted into a through-hole formed in the wiper.
US08633948B2
A single-pass, order-independent method in support of rendering transparency effects into a computer generated image is provided. A geometric primitive of a scene is rasterized so as to convert the geometric primitive into a set of pixels. For at least each pixel or subpixel, a stipple pattern is selected from a set of unique stipple patterns. The set of unique stipple patterns is characterized by a select opacity value with the stipple pattern delimiting a unique set of pixels in the computer generated image which contributes to a visible surface determination.
US08633946B2
Methods of interacting with a mixed reality are presented. A mobile device captures an image of a real-world object where the image has content information that can be used to control a mixed reality object through an offered command set. The mixed reality object can be real, virtual, or a mixture of both real and virtual.
US08633943B2
An image display apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store first images, a processor configured to change tones of first reduced images of the first images to first tones, and a display configured to display the first reduced images of the first images in a column direction or a row direction, and to display tone-changed reduced images of the first images in the row direction or the column direction.
US08633940B2
A texture compression engine of a graphics device receives an uncompressed texture of a 3D graphic application. The received uncompressed texture is transcoded into an AVC reference picture stream. A plurality of mipmaps is constructed from the received uncompressed texture. The texture compression engine determines a texture compression rate based on available memory capacities. The texture compression engine compresses the received texture and its mipmaps at the determined texture compression rate. The compressed texture and mipmaps are further transcoded into the AVC reference picture stream and stored. The transcoded texture and mipmaps comprise either RGB or YCbCr components for a RGB uncompressed texture. The transcoded texture and mipmaps comprise monochrome or luma components for an ARGB uncompressed texture. A graphics accelerator in the graphics device is operable to acquire the stored texture and mipmaps for a 3D graphics scene. The acquired texture and mipmaps are decompressed by AVC decoding.
US08633939B2
An 2D layer containing texture coordinate information is inserted into a layered image snapshot of a 3D scene perspective. The layered image snapshot can be painted using 2D painting techniques and then imported back into the 3D scene by using the texture coordinate information to map modified pixels back into the 3D scene.
US08633938B2
A method and a portable device controls output of a display unit to display information accurately and clearly regardless of a background image. Disclosed is an arrangement for calculating a difference between an arbitrary expression value of an arbitrary screen configuration element to be displayed on a given area of the background image and an actual expression value of the given area of the background image. Each expression value includes at least one of a color and lightness. The arrangement automatically selects the expression value of the screen configuration element based on the calculation result. The screen configuration element is displayed at the given area of the background image based on the selected arbitrary expression value.
US08633934B2
Animation creation is described, for example, to enable children to create, record and play back stories. In an embodiment, one or more children are able to create animation components such as characters and backgrounds using a multi-touch panel display together with an image capture device. For example, a graphical user interface is provided at the multi-touch panel display to enable the animation components to be edited. In an example, children narrate a story while manipulating animation components using the multi-touch display panel and the sound and visual display is recorded. In embodiments image analysis is carried out automatically and used to autonomously modify story components during a narration. In examples, various types of handheld view-finding frames are provided for use with the image capture device. In embodiments saved stories can be restored from memory and retold from any point with different manipulations and narration.
US08633926B2
Techniques are provided for mesoscopic geometry modulation. A first set of mesoscopic details associated with an object is determined by applying a filter to an image of an object. Mesoscopic details included in the first set of mesoscopic details are detectable in the image of the object and are not detectable when generating a coarse geometry reconstruction of the object. A three-dimensional model for the object is generated by modulating the coarse geometry with the first set of mesoscopic details.
US08633922B2
There is provided a power supplying apparatus for an organic light emitting display in which a control circuit is provided between the input end of the power supplying apparatus and DC-DC converters for generating power sources in order to prevent a power sequence from being changed by the unintentional formation of a current path. The power supplying apparatus for an organic light emitting display includes a first switching element having a gate electrode coupled to a first node and coupled between an input end and an output end of the control circuit, a second switching element, to whose gate electrode a control signal is applied and which is coupled between the input end of the control circuit and the first node, and a third switching element, to whose gate electrode the control signal is applied and which is coupled between the first node and a ground.
US08633911B2
The embodiments described herein provide devices, systems and methods that facilitate improved performance in an input device. The input device, for example, may include an input surface configured to rotate about a first axis, a proximity sensor configured to sense an input object in a sensing region proximate to the input surface of the input device, a force sensor configured to sense a force applied to the input surface of the input device, and a processing system communicatively coupled to the proximity sensor and the force sensor. The processing system may be configured to determine a position of the input object in the sensing region, and determine force information for the input object based upon the position of the input object, the force applied to the input surface, and a location of the force sensor relative to the first axis.
US08633909B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a touch detection unit detecting touch of an instruction object on an operation surface; a proximity detection unit detecting proximity of the instruction object to the operation surface; and a control unit determining whether the touch of the instruction object is a predetermined input operation based on the detection result, which is obtained by the touch detection unit when the touch detection unit detects the touch of the instruction object, and at least one of the detection results, which are obtained by the proximity detection unit before and after the touch of the instruction object.
US08633908B2
A method of fabricating an electronic apparatus having an active region and a peripheral region surrounding the active region is described. A first main device and a second main device are provided. An optical clear liquid adhesive (OCLA) is applied between the first main device and the second main device and within the active region. A photo-mask having a transparent region and an opaque region is provided above the second main device, and the transparent region corresponds to the peripheral region. An OCLA diffusion process is performed such that the OCLA diffuses from the active region to the peripheral region. During the OCLA diffusion process, a first irradiating process with the photo-mask is performed, such that the OCLA diffusing to the peripheral region is partially cured. After removing the photo-mask, a second irradiating process is performed, such that the OCLA is completely cured.
US08633904B2
A method of operating a touch-sensing surface may include determining a first plurality of contact locations including a first contact location, determining a second plurality of contact locations including a second contact location, performing a first correlation process for correlating the second contact location with the first contact location when the number of contacts is less than or equal to a first threshold number, and performing a second correlation process for correlating the second contact location with the first contact location when the number of contacts is greater than a second threshold number.
US08633901B2
A handheld electronic device having a touchscreen and a method of using a touchscreen of a handheld electronic device are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method of controlling a handheld electronic device having a touchscreen display, comprising: determining a location of a touch input on a touch-sensitive input surface of the touchscreen display; determining one or more characteristics of a motion signal of a motion sensor of the handheld electronic device; and generating an input from one of at least two inputs associated with the location of the touch input in accordance with the characteristics of the motion signal.
US08633900B2
A content display method for a mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal includes at least two hierarchical structures each having at least two contents at a level. The content display method includes: displaying, in response to selection of a content, a window associated with the selected content; displaying, in response to input of a multi-window display request, windows associated with contents at the same level as the selected content together on a single screen; and rearranging, in response to input of a window movement request, the content windows by window movement to display the rearranged content windows together on a single screen. As a result, same-level contents or application windows in execution can be displayed together on a single screen according to a user request. Hence, the user can readily transition between contents or applications with enhanced user convenience.
US08633898B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
US08633893B2
A solid-state roller on a pointing device with enhanced features. The solid-state design described herein allows the sensor to be placed on any shape of surface, such as one that has curvature in two directions. In one embodiment, a trench or downward curve contains sensors for detecting finger movement. The user's finger can thus bend about a knuckle in a curved motion to activate the sensor, requiring little or no movement of the finger up and down. The solid-state sensors can be of one of a number of designs. In one embodiment, multiple electrodes are contacted by a finger as it moves. Each electrode is coupled to a capacitive detection circuit, for detecting the change in capacitance as the electrode is contacted by the finger.
US08633892B2
A projection display device (100) capable of providing a virtual keyboard function to the user, using a light source of a pico projector, is discussed. According to an embodiment, the projection display device includes a light source unit (110) configured to emit lights; a light combining unit (120) configured to generate a leakage light from the lights emitted by the light source (110) unit and to selectively combine the lights from the light source unit (110); an image projection unit (130) configured to project an image using the combined light from the light combining unit (120); and a virtual input unit (140) configured to project an input unit image (150) using the leakage light from the light combining unit (120).
US08633891B2
A protrusion pattern forming device with a display function includes a transparent elastic sheet having an internal layer including colored liquid, and an actuator including a plurality of actuator elements disposed along one surface of the elastic sheet, each of the actuator elements changing its own shape in response to an application of a voltage, thereby allowing the surface of the elastic sheet to protrude. A protrusion pattern is formed on the elastic sheet, and a dot pattern corresponding to the protrusion pattern is displayed on the elastic sheet by selectively driving the plurality of actuator elements.
US08633885B2
A display panel driving apparatus supplies pixel driving potentials corresponding to pixel data to the source lines of a display panel. The pixels are located at the intersections of the source lines and a set of scanning lines. For each pixel, the driving potentials are alternately positive and negative with respect to a common reference potential supplied to the display panel. While the display driving apparatus is latching the pixel data for the pixels on each scanning line, the output circuits of the display driving apparatus are disconnected from the source lines, allowing the source lines to return to the common reference potential, thereby avoiding unwanted current flows in the output circuits and unwanted distortion of the pixel driving waveforms.
US08633883B2
The exemplary embodiment relates to a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display panel according to the exemplary embodiment includes: a liquid crystal display panel on which a plurality of data lines cross a plurality of gate lines; a source drive IC that supplies data voltages to the data lines; a gate drive IC that supplies gate pulses to the gate lines; a system board equipped with a scaler that transmits data from the scaler with a first interface specification; an interface board that receives the data according to the first interface specification, and transmitting the data with a second interface specification; and a control board equipped with a timing controller receiving the data in the second interface specification and supplying the data to the source drive IC, and controlling the operating timing of the source drive IC and the gate drive IC; wherein a number of the data transmitting lines required in the second interface specification is less than a number of data transmitting line required in the first interface specification.
US08633875B2
An electroluminescent display panel has pixel circuits for an active matrix driving system. At least one of the pixel circuits has a thin-film transistor in which a portion of a pattern of a metal wiring material above a channel layer of the thin-film transistor is disposed to shield the channel region of the thin-film transistor.
US08633873B2
A technique for improving the spatial and/or temporal uniformity of a light-emitting display by providing a faster calibration of reference current sources and reducing the noise effect by improving the dynamic range, despite instability and non-uniformity of the transistor devices. A calibration circuit for a display panel having an active area having a plurality of light emitting devices arranged on a substrate, and a peripheral area of the display panel separate from the active area is provided. The calibration circuit includes a first row of calibration current source or sink circuits and a second row of calibration current source or sink circuits. A first calibration control line is configured to cause the first row of calibration current source or sink circuits to calibrate the display panel with a bias current while the second row of calibration current source or sink circuits is being calibrated by a reference current. A second calibration control line is configured to cause the second row of calibration current source or sink circuits to calibrate the display panel with the bias current while the first row of calibration current source or sink circuits is being calibrated by the reference current.
US08633872B2
Amplitude of a data line is made small, thereby reducing power consumption. Included are a first transistor to which a first scan signal is supplied through a first scan line; a second transistor to which a second scan signal is supplied through a second scan line; a third transistor which is turned on or off depending on a first signal supplied from a current supply line through the first transistor and a second signal supplied from a data line through the second transistor; a pixel electrode; and a light-emitting element which emits light by driving current flowing between the pixel electrode and a counter electrode. The first signal cuts electrical connection between the current supply line and the pixel electrode through the third transistor, and the second signal makes the current supply line and the pixel electrode electrically connected through the third transistor.
US08633869B2
The system of the present invention is a highly integrated radio communication system with a multimedia co-processor which allows true two-way multimedia (video, audio, data) access as well as real-time biomedical monitoring in a pager-sized portable access unit. The system is integrated in a network structure including one or more general purpose nodes for providing a wireless-to-wired interface. The network architecture allows video, audio and data (including biomedical data) streams to be connected directly to external users and devices. The portable access units may also be mated to various non-personal devices such as cameras or environmental sensors for providing a method for setting up wireless sensor nets from which reported data may be accessed through the portable access unit. The reported data may alternatively be automatically logged at a remote computer for access and viewing through a portable access unit, including the user's own.
US08633868B2
An apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image may include a plurality of display panels and a controller configured to apply image signals to each of the plurality of display panels. At least one of the display panels may include a transparent display panel. The plurality of display panels may be spaced apart from each other in a depth direction. A method of displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image may include displaying plane images on each of a plurality of display panels. At least one of the plurality of display panels may include a transparent display panel. The plurality of display panels may be spaced apart from each other in a depth direction.
US08633865B2
This disclosure provides a radome to be installed on an emission face side of an antenna, which includes an outer wall having a side cross-section formed in a substantially semi-circular shape to include the antenna therein, and an inner wall arranged between the outer wall and the antenna, and formed in a shape to substantially conform to the outer wall. A gap between the outer wall and the inner wall is wider near both ends on the circumference of the substantially semi-circular shape than at a substantially midpoint on the circumference of the substantially semi-circular shape.
US08633856B2
A dual-polarized stacked patch antenna array that operates at two different frequencies. The stacked patch antenna array has a single planar patch antenna subarray disposed on opposite sides of a dielectric structure. The stacked patch antenna array includes a ground plane that is common to each planar patch array antenna. Each planar patch antenna subarray is fed from a single coaxial probe disposed through the center of the stacked antenna array structure. Each patch in the planar patch array antenna subarray is electrically connected by microstrip elements. Each patch and microstrip element is arranged along the X and Y axial directions. A single additional microstrip element is placed in a diagonal orientation in each subarray to connect two patches oppositely oriented within the stacked antenna array structure.
US08633852B2
A first position of a satellite is calculated at a first time in dependence on received orbit data corresponding to an orbit path of the satellite. Anan orbit path of the satellite is modeled from the first position at the first time to a second time to determine a second position of the satellite at the second time. A third position of the satellite is then calculated at the second time in dependence on the received orbit data. The second position and third position are compared to determine a validity of the orbit data.
US08633851B2
A plurality of mini radars that make the radar system conformable to a structure that it is attached or built into. A radar system includes a clock, a plurality of frequency modulated/continuous wave (FM/CW) radar units in signal communication with the clock and a processor in signal communication with the plurality of FM/CW radar units. Each of the plurality of FM/CW radar units includes a row of antenna elements.
US08633843B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit includes an analog chopping circuit having a first input coupled to a system input and a second input coupled to a first chopping signal, an oversampled data converter having an input coupled to an output of the analog chopping circuit, where the oversampled data converter is configured to produce an oversampled digital signal at an output of the oversampled data converter. The circuit further includes a digital filter having an input coupled to the output of the oversampled data converter, and a digital chopping circuit including a first input coupled to the output of the oversampled data converter, and a second input coupled to a second chopping signal. The digital filter is configured to filter quantization noise generated by the oversampled data converter.
US08633842B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for direct synthesis of RF signals using a delta-sigma modulator. An RF signal is synthesized from an input signal by quantizing the input signal using a quantizer, such as a one bit quantizer; determining a quantization error associated with the quantizer; generating an error prediction value using an error predictive filter, wherein the error predictive filter comprises one or more filter zeroes on a unit circle for one or more desired frequencies of f1, f2, . . . fn and one or more filter poles having a magnitude inside the unit circle and a frequency substantially equal to the one or more desired frequencies of f1, f2, . . . fn; and subtracting the error prediction value from the input signal. The filter poles have a magnitude that reduces a boost provided out-of-band.
US08633834B2
An alarm apparatus includes a first camera facing a first direction of a road, a second camera facing a second direction of the road, a first output device facing the first direction of the road, a second output device facing the second direction of the road, a processor, and a storage unit including a detecting module and a controlling module. The detecting module stores a first instruction executed by the processor, thereby the processor receives the images captured by the first and the second cameras and determines what is the state of the road condition. The controlling module stores a second instruction executed by the processor, thereby the processor controls the first and the second output devices to send out appropriate alarming signals.
US08633829B2
A camera security system for securely detecting, recording and alerting the authorities of an attempted intrusion into a safe or other secure storage device. The camera security system generally includes a secure storage device having a door, a combination lock for selectively opening the door of the secure storage device and a sensor for detecting the positioning and movement of the combination lock. A recording device and communications device are provided and adapted to activate upon movement of the combination lock from a preset position. The recording device will preferably be concealed within a dial grip of the combination lock. Upon activation, the recording device will begin recording audio and/or video of the intrusion and the communications device will transmit an alarm signal to emergency responders.
US08633828B2
A system and method for safing vehicle sensors includes two safety systems, each with a primary sensor for monitoring vehicle motion and activating its corresponding safety system in response to certain vehicle motions. Each sensor may act as a safing sensor for the other in the event that activation of a safety system is indicated by the primary sensor. Each sensor may also monitor the other prior to such an event, to detect a sensor malfunction before that sensor is needed to active a safety system.
US08633824B2
A charger for an electric power tool includes a charging unit for charging a secondary battery detachably attached to the charger; a notification unit for notifying an operation state of the charging unit by using a combination of a turn-on and turn-off of the notification unit; a brightness reducing unit for reducing a light brightness of the notification unit; and a controller for controlling the notification unit and the brightness reducing unit. If an operation state of the charging unit satisfies a specific condition, the controller controls the brightness reducing unit to reduce the light brightness of the notification unit.
US08633816B2
A system and method for monitoring personal protection items of a healthcare worker (gloves, gown, mask and respirator), using a user badge which stores data representing items worn by a worker, wirelessly communicating with the badge before the worker enters a patient zone (such as a patient room, bed area or exam table area), to see whether the worker has the required items. Patient beacons, located near patient room doors, near beds and other locations, store data representing the items required by workers who come in contact with, or close proximity to a patient, and wirelessly communicate with the badge. The patient beacon data can be set for the requirement of the patient, based on patient condition.
US08633813B2
One embodiment of the present application includes a vehicle illumination system. The vehicle illumination system comprises an input keypad configured to receive at least one input provided by a user. The vehicle illumination system also comprises a controller configured to receive input commands provided by the input keypad and to sequentially control a state of a plurality of output device drivers corresponding to a respective plurality of vehicle lamps. At least one indicator is configured to indicate to a user a condition associated with at least one of the plurality of output device drivers wherein the controller communicates with the indicator by means of a communications protocol.
US08633801B2
A battery authentication system according to the present invention includes a battery and an electronic device. The battery includes a battery authentication portion that includes battery identification information and performs authentication between the battery and the electronic device. The electronic device includes: a power source that supplies electric power from the battery to respective portions in the electronic device; a storage portion that stores the battery identification information of usable batteries; a device authentication portion that performs authentication of the battery; and a control portion that compares the battery identification information of the battery with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion. The control portion compares the battery identification information of the battery authenticated successfully in the device authentication portion with the battery identification information stored in the storage portion, and controls the power source based on a result of the comparison. According to the battery authentication system of the present invention, it is possible to recognize whether a battery mounted is authenticated or not, and accordingly to determine whether the battery can be used or not. Therefore, it is possible to permit the use of a genuine battery and a non-genuine battery and to eliminate a counterfeit battery.
US08633797B2
A rolling code transmitter is useful in a security system for providing secure encrypted RF transmission comprising an interleaved trinary bit fixed code and rolling code. A receiver demodulates the encrypted RF transmission and recovers the fixed code and rolling code. Upon comparison of the fixed and rolling codes with stored codes and determining that the signal has emanated from an authorized transmitter, a signal is generated to actuate an electric motor to open or close a movable barrier.
US08633761B2
Disclosed herein is a power amplifier insensitive to load impedance changes. According to the present invention, the power amplifier comprises a power amplification circuit which amplifies an input signal, an output matching circuit connected to an output terminal of the power amplification circuit to perform impedance matching between the power amplification circuit and an antenna load, and a 4-port coupler connected between the output matching circuit and the antenna load.
US08633749B2
A PLL fail-over circuit technique and method to mitigate the effects of single-event transients comprises providing a pair of substantially identical phase-locked loops and producing a respective delayed clock signal from each. The outputs of the phase-locked loops are monitored for errors comprising high frequency transients or differences in clock signal outputs from a reference frequency. A clock out signal is output representative of the first delayed clock signal if an error is detected in the second phase-locked loop and the second delayed clock signal is output if an error is detected in the first phase-locked loop.
US08633746B2
A phase detector, which forms a semiconductor device, detects a phase difference between a reference signal and a feedback signal obtained by feeding back an output signal of an oscillator, and generates a phase difference value indicating a value in accordance with the phase difference. An amplifier amplifies the phase difference value at a gain determined in accordance with a control signal from outside the device. A filter smoothes an output value of the amplifier. The oscillator controls a frequency of the output signal in accordance with an output value of the filter.
US08633745B1
A level shift circuit is configured to control a high side transistor of a half bridge circuit. The level shift circuit has composite current mirrors and other circuits that reduce the effect of transient voltages that are produced as the half bridge circuit is switched.
US08633744B1
A power reset circuit with zero standby current consumption includes a power storage unit, first, second, and third voltage detection units, a switching unit, and a power reset unit. The power storage unit stores electric power by a supply voltage source. The first, second, and third voltage detection units are connected to the supply voltage source to start a switching circuit of the first, second, and third voltage detection units in accordance with a change in a normal supply stage, a shutdown stage, and a voltage ramp-up stage of the supply voltage source, control a voltage level of the power reset unit, and thereby generate the power reset signal. Accordingly, the power reset circuit does not consume current in a standby state (the normal supply stage of the supply voltage source) and thus is characterized by zero current consumption.
US08633740B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a waveform generator that includes a first pair of capacitors, a second pair of capacitors, an op amp and control logic. The op amp has inputs and provides a differential triangular waveform at its outputs as an output signal. The control logic includes capacitor control logic, ramp control logic, reset control logic and charge control logic. The capacitor control logic connects a current pair of the first and second capacitors to the inputs of the op amp. The ramp control logic provides ramp currents to the current pair. The reset control logic resets capacitors of a next pair to selected voltage(s), such as zero. The charge control logic charges the next pair of capacitors, typically after the next pair of capacitors has been driven to the selected voltage(s).
US08633739B2
Fractional frequency division is performed by sequentially selecting phase signals for division, where transitioning from a previous phase signal to a next phase signal for division occurs in response to not only the frequency-divided previous phase signal but also a second one of the phase signals. A phase transition that is triggered at least in part in response to a second phase signal having a phase that is greater (with respect to the phase signal sequence) than the phase of the next phase signal can aid minimization of signal glitches. The first frequency-divided signal can be further divided to produce a second frequency-divided signal having a 50-percent duty cycle.
US08633733B2
A voltage mode transmitter equalizer has high efficiencies, yet consumes substantially constant supply current from the power supply and provides constant back-match impedance. The voltage mode transmitter equalizer is configured such that the output voltage of the signal to be output on a pair of transmission lines can be controlled according to the input data, but its return impedance is substantially matched to the differential impedance of the transmission lines and it draws substantially constant supply current from the power supply regardless of the output voltage of the signal. Further, an equalizer for a voltage-mode transmitter provides fine-granularity equalization settings by employing a variable pull-up conductance and a variable pull-down conductance. Conductance is varied by selectively enabling a plurality of conductance channels, at least some of which have resistance values that are distinct from one another.
US08633717B2
A method and the device for position detection are disclosed. The device comprises a plurality of strips intersecting each other to form a plurality of intersecting regions. A pair of depressed strips intersecting on an intersecting region contact to each other on a contact point to form a depressed intersecting region, wherein the contact impedance of the contact point is determined according to the position of the contact point and the voltages on the contact point of one and the other of the pair depressed strips.
US08633713B2
There is provided herein a robot-based electrical system for locating holidays within coated pipe that does not utilize a grounding wire. In a preferred arrangement, the robot will carry a metal rotating brush/capacitive pad combination and changes in the capacitance in the brush/pad circuit will be used to identify imperfections in the interior coating of the pipe and especially those located proximate a girth weld. In another preferred embodiment, a circumferential brush will be used that allows testing of the integrity of the internal coating throughout the length of the pipe as the robot travels the pipeline.
US08633707B2
A back end of the line (BEOL) fuse structure having a stack of vias. The stacking of vias leads to high aspect ratios making liner and seed coverage inside the vias poorer. The weakness of the liner and seed layers leads to a higher probability of electromigration (EM) failure. The fuse structure addresses failures due to poor liner and seed coverage. Design features permit determining where failures occur, determining the extent of the damaged region after fuse programming and preventing further propagation of the damaged dielectric region.
US08633692B2
A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) apparatus (10) comprises a superconducting main field magnet coil system (14) which generates a homogeneous magnetic field of at least 3T, and a gradient coil system (15) which generates a gradient strength of at least 10 mTm−1, with a slew rate of at least 100 Tm−1s−1, wherein the main field magnet coil system (14) is arranged in a cryostat (12) with liquid helium and a refrigerator (16) in the form of a pulse tube cooler or a Gifford-McMahon cooler, and wherein an evaporation line (17a, 27a, 37a) is provided for helium that might evaporate from the cryostat. In all states of operation of the NMR apparatus (10) without gradient switching, the refrigerator provides a cooling capacity which is at least 0.3 W above the overall power loss of the cryostat, the evaporation line terminates in a buffer container (19, 29, 39, 39′) disposed outside of the cryostat for collecting the evaporating helium, and a return line (17b, 27b, 37b) is provided for returning the evaporated helium that has been collected in the buffer container into the cryostat. For this reason, a considerable amount of evaporating helium is saved, thereby considerably extending the refill cycles of liquid helium, which greatly disturb and obstruct normal work cycles and are disadvantageous for operation, in particular, in hospitals.
US08633679B2
Improved techniques to manage operation of a portable electronic device having a substantially depleted battery when power is available from an external, power-limited source are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the substantially depleted battery can be initially charged while a power-intensive operation is delayed. Once the battery has adequate charge to assist the external, power-limited source in powering the portable electronic device, the power-intensive operation can be performed. In this manner, power consumption of a portable electronic device can be managed so that reliable operation is achieved without exceeding limits on power being drawn from an external, power-limited source.
US08633676B2
A charging status display circuit is used in an electronic device. The electronic device includes a power supply circuit, a rechargeable battery, and an interface circuit capable of electrically connecting with the rechargeable battery. The electronic device is powered by either the power supply circuit or the rechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery is charged by the power supply circuit via the interface circuit. The charging status display unit includes a light emitting diode for indicating whether the rechargeable battery is being charged, and a surface-contact diode for clamping a voltage between the light emitting diode and the interface unit at a predetermined value. The light emitting diode is connected in series between the power supply circuit and the interface circuit. The surface-contact diode is connected in parallel with the light emitting diode.
US08633673B2
The apparatus includes an AC adapter input, a battery charger coupled to the input to charge a battery, a temperature sensor, and system logic to execute code stored on storage devices. The battery charger provides a charging current that is a function of temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. The charging current may also be a function of sensed barometric pressure, battery age, external temperature, a full charge capacity, and system power demand.
US08633667B2
A motor speed determining circuit determining a rotation speed of a motor is provided and a processing of generating motor driving waveform is switched in accordance with the rotation speed of the motor. A resolver signal outputted from a resolver 2 is converted to a digital value by an R/D converter 3, and inputted to a computing circuit of resolver value correction 5 via an R/D conversion interface 4. A current value of a motor M is converted to a digital value by an A/D convertor 8. The computing circuit of resolver value correction 5 computes a resolver correction value of the inputted digital signal and calculates positional data from a corrected resolver value. The computing circuit of motor control computes a current instruction value from a motor current value subjected to digital conversion by the A/D converter 8 and a motor current instruction value etc., and a motor waveform output circuit 7 generates a motor driving waveform from the current instruction value and outputs the same to a power module PM.
US08633655B2
An LED (Light-Emitting Diode) output power adjusting device includes an analog/digital conversion and detection circuit, a computation and control unit, a digital/analog conversion control circuit, and a power supply circuit. The analog/digital conversion and detection circuit is connected to an LED based load to detect a forward voltage thereof and converts the forward voltage into an output of digital signal. The computation and control unit perform evaluation and computation on the digital signal of the forward voltage to obtain a digital current control signal indicating a corresponding current. The digital/analog conversion control circuit converts the digital current control signal into an analog current control signal, which is then fed to a constant current drive circuit of the LED based load to adjust an output power of the LED based load to approximate a constant power condition. The power supply circuit supplies working powers for the analog/digital conversion and detection circuit, the computation and control unit, and the digital/analog conversion control circuit. Also disclosed is an LED output power adjusting method.
US08633654B2
A light source driving apparatus is disclosed which includes a power supply including a power supply terminal connected to a first path through which a power source is supplied to a light source and including a feedback terminal for receiving a feedback of the power source supplied to the light source, a feedback resistor connected to the feedback terminal, and a current divider for branching a current flowing into the first path and supplying the branched current to the feedback resistor.
US08633653B2
A lighting system includes a plurality of fixtures, wherein each fixture includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps. A dimming ballast is operatively coupled to each fixture, each dimming ballast receives power from an outside source that is delivered to the fluorescent lamps within each corresponding fixture. A control module communicates with each dimming ballast, the control module receives a lighting level from an outside source, determines the most power efficient lighting solution and outputs a control signal to each dimming ballast related to the light output level of each lamp within each fixture.
US08633650B2
An illumination device (1) comprises: mains input terminals (2, 3); a power source (30), having input terminals (31, 32) coupled to the mains input terminals and having three output terminals (33, 35, 34), one of said output terminals being a common output terminal (35). A first output (36) is defined by a first output terminal and said common output terminal; a second output (37) is defined by a second output terminal and said common output terminal. A first LED string (110) is connected to the first power source output in series with a first resistor (120). A second LED string (210) is connected to the second power source output in series with a second resistor (220). The power source is controllable to vary the voltage at the common output terminal within the range from the voltage at the first output terminal to the voltage at the second output terminal.
US08633642B2
The present disclosure relates to a lamp part fixing device and method for lamp components made of shape memory alloy. The device includes a main body that carries, for example, a main or auxiliary amalgam, getter, etc. located at a desired position within a discharge tube of a fluorescent lamp. For example, the amalgam can be advantageously located at preselected axial locations and/or within a diffusion path. The main body is configurable between a first configuration and a second configuration. The first configuration allows the mount to move within the discharge tube when the shape memory alloy is below an alloy transition temperature. The second configuration of the main body allows for controlled placement and immobilization of the device within the discharge tube when the shape memory alloy is raised above the alloy transition temperature. The device is shaped in a generally planar or non-planar configuration.
US08633638B2
A piezoelectric resonator element includes: a resonating arm extending in a first direction and cantilever-supported; a base portion cantilever-supporting the resonating arm; and an excitation electrode allowing the resonating arm to perform flexural vibration in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. In the piezoelectric resonator element, the resonating arm includes an adjusting part adjusting rigidity with respect to a bend in a third direction that is orthogonal to the first and second directions.
US08633629B2
A U phase winding, an X phase winding, a V phase winding, a Y phase winding, a W phase winding, and a Z phase winding are configured by mounting conductor wires so as to alternate repeatedly between 5π/6 short-pitch windings and 7π/6 long-pitch windings, and are mounted into the stator core in that order so as to be stacked sequentially in a radial direction so as to be offset by one slot each in a first circumferential direction.
US08633624B2
Flow control apparatus for an electrical machine and comprising an arrangement of shaped chambers and passages for conveying a liquid coolant. The rate of heat transfer from certain portions of the machine to the coolant is determined by the varying velocity of the liquid through the chambers, resulting in a generally uniform cooling of those portions of the machine.
US08633618B2
To provide a fast charge means for a capacitor in a negative bias generation circuit. A capacitor is present in a down converter in a negative bias generation circuit. In order to perform fast charge, the capacitance of the capacitor is reduced and a necessary amount of charge is minimized. On the other hand, an external capacitance provided separately from the capacitor in the down converter is coupled directly to a power supply voltage and charged. After the capacitor in the down converter is charged, the external capacitance and the capacitor in the down converter are coupled in parallel. Due to this, it is made possible to aim at both the increase in charge speed and the improvement of resistance to ripple noise.
US08633613B2
A power converter includes a DC input (26) connected to an inductive element (TR), a switch (T1) arranged to interrupt the inductive current cyclically with a predetermined cycle period, a plurality of load circuits (31, 32, 33), and a multiplexer (36) having a plurality of parallel channels (M1, M2, M3) between first and second output terminals (34, 38) of the inductive element (TR), wherein each channel includes one of the load circuits (31, 32, 33), and the multiplexer is adapted to make the channels conductive sequentially and periodically, and the multiplexer has a switching period that is a multiple of the predetermined cycle period of the switch (T1).
US08633607B2
The disclosure relates to a method for controlling a wind farm, the wind farm includes at least two wind turbines, the method includes determining the required power, determining fatigue load versus power curves for each wind turbine, and based on the determined fatigue load versus power curves attributing different power settings to the wind turbines such that sum of the power settings of all wind turbines is equal to the required power. Furthermore, the invention concerns a park controller for controlling a wind farm and a program element for controlling a wind farm.
US08633602B2
According to one embodiment, a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes: stacking and adhering a second semiconductor chip on a first semiconductor chip via an adhesive layer; adjusting at least one of an elasticity modulus of the adhesive layer, a sink amount of the adhesive layer, a thickness of a protective film at a surface of the first chip, and an elasticity modulus of the protective film such that “y” in a following formula is 70 or less; and sealing the chips by a molding resin with filler particles. y=74.7−82.7a1+273.2a2−9882a3+65.8a4 a1: a logarithm of the modulus of elasticity [MPa] of the adhesive layer a2: the sink amount [mm] of the adhesive layer a3: the thickness [mm] of the protective film a4: a logarithm of the modulus of elasticity [MPa] of the protective film.
US08633600B2
A device includes a semiconductor material having a first surface. A first material is applied to the first surface and a fiber material is embedded in the first material.
US08633599B2
Various semiconductor chips and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes forming a first opening in an insulating layer applied to a side of a semiconductor chip. The first opening does not extend through to the side. A second opening is formed in the insulating layer that exposes a portion of the side.
US08633584B2
This specification describes techniques for manufacturing an electronic system module. The module includes flexible multi-layer interconnection circuits with trace widths as narrow as 5 microns or less. A glass panel manufacturing facility, similar to those employed for making liquid crystal display, LCD, panels is preferably used to fabricate the interconnection circuits. A multi-layer interconnection circuit is fabricated on the glass panel using a release layer. A special assembly layer is formed over the interconnection circuit comprising a thick dielectric layer with openings formed at input/output (I/O) pad locations. Solder paste is deposited in the openings using a squeegee to form wells filled with solder. IC chips are provided with gold stud bumps at I/O pad locations, and these bumps are inserted in the wells to form flip chip connections. The IC chips are tested and reworked. The same bump/well connections can be used to attach fine-pitch cables. Module packaging layers are provided for hermetic sealing and for electromagnetic shielding. A blade server or supercomputer embodiment is also described.
US08633583B2
A semiconductor package substrate suitable for supporting a damage-sensitive device and a package substrate core having an upper and a lower surface. At least one pair of metal layers coats the upper and lower surfaces of the package substrate core. One pair of solder mask layers coats the outer metal layers of the at least one pair of metal layers. A plurality of vias is formed across the package substrate core and the at least one pair of metal layers. Advantageously, the plurality of vias is substantially distributed according to a homogeneous pattern in an area that is to be covered by the damage-sensitive device. A method for the production of such semiconductor package substrate is also described.
US08633582B2
A chip package is disclosed. The package includes a carrier substrate and at least one semiconductor chip thereon. The semiconductor chip has a plurality of conductive pads, where a plurality of first redistribution layers (RDLs) is disposed thereon and is electrically connected thereto. A single-layer insulating structure covers the carrier substrate and the semiconductor chip, having a plurality of openings exposing the plurality of first RDLs. A plurality of second RDLs is disposed on the single-layer insulating structure and is electrically connected to the plurality of first RDLs. A passivation layer is disposed on the single-layer insulating structure and the plurality of second RDLs, having a plurality of openings exposing the plurality of second RDLs. A plurality of conductive bumps is correspondingly disposed in the plurality of openings to be electrically connected to the plurality of second RDLs. A fabrication method of the chip package is also disclosed.
US08633576B2
A module can include a module card and first and second microelectronic elements having front surfaces facing a first surface of the module card. The module card can also have a second surface and a plurality of parallel exposed edge contacts adjacent an edge of at least one of the first and second surfaces for mating with corresponding contacts of a socket when the module is inserted in the socket. Each microelectronic element can be electrically connected to the module card. The front surface of the second microelectronic element can partially overlie a rear surface of the first microelectronic element and can be attached thereto.
US08633575B1
There is disclosed an integrated circuit (IC) package or semiconductor package including integrated spark or arc gaps which are uniquely configured to reduce the susceptibility of the package to being damaged from an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. In an exemplary embodiment, each arc gap is collectively defined by an arc gap extension integrally connected to and protruding from the die pad of the package, and a corresponding lead thereof.
US08633572B2
It is described a low ohmic Through Wafer Interconnection (TWI) for electronic chips formed on a semiconductor substrate (600). The TWI comprises a first connection extending between a front surface and a back surface of the substrate (600). The first connection (610) comprises a through hole filled with a low ohmic material having a specific resistivity lower than poly silicon. The TWI further comprises a second connection (615) also extending between the front surface and the back surface. The second connection (615) is spatially separated from the first connection (610) by at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate (600). The front surface is provided with a integrated circuit arrangement (620) wherein the first connection (610) is electrically coupled to at least one node of the integrated circuit arrangement (620) without penetrating the integrated circuit arrangement (620). During processing the TWI the through hole may be filled first with a non-metallic material, e.g. poly silicon. After forming integrated components (620) on top of the front surface the substrate (600) may be thinned and the non-metallic material may be substituted with the low ohmic material, which is in particular a metallic material.
US08633567B2
A device is provided that includes a vertically oriented p-i-n diode that includes semiconductor material, a silicide, germanide, or silicide-germanide layer disposed adjacent the vertically oriented p-i-n diode, and a dielectric material arranged electrically in series with the vertically oriented p-i-n diode. The dielectric material is disposed between a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, and is selected from the group consisting of HfO2, Al2O3, ZrO2, TiO2, La2O3, Ta2O5, RuO2, ZrSiOx, AlSiOx, HfSiOx, HfAlOx, HfSiON, ZrSiAlOx, HfSiAlOx, HfSiAlON, and ZrSiAlON. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08633563B2
A high-voltage integrated circuit device can include, in a surface layer of a p semiconductor substrate, an n region which is a high-side floating-potential region, an n− region which becomes a high-voltage junction terminating region, and an n− region which is an L-VDD potential region. A low-side circuit portion can be disposed in an n− region. Below a pickup electrode disposed in the high-voltage junction terminating region, a universal contact region in Ohmic contact with the pickup electrode can be disposed. The universal contact region has a p+ region and an n+ region that can be disposed in alternating contact along a surface of the p semiconductor substrate. By disposing the universal contact region in this way, the quantity of carriers flowing into the low-side circuit portion can be reduced when a negative surge voltage is input. Consequently, erroneous operation due to latchup of a logic portion can be minimized.
US08633553B2
A process for manufacturing a micromechanical structure envisages: forming a buried cavity within a body of semiconductor material, separated from a top surface of the body by a first surface layer; and forming an access duct for fluid communication between the buried cavity and an external environment. The method envisages: forming an etching mask on the top surface at a first access area; forming a second surface layer on the top surface and on the etching mask; carrying out an etch such as to remove, in a position corresponding to the first access area, a portion of the second surface layer, and an underlying portion of the first surface layer not covered by the etching mask until the buried cavity is reached, thus forming both the first access duct and a filter element, set between the first access duct and the same buried cavity.
US08633546B2
A semiconductor device and associated methods, the semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate with a first well region, a first gate electrode disposed on the first well region, and a first N-type capping pattern, a first P-type capping pattern, and a first gate dielectric pattern disposed between the first well region and the first gate electrode.
US08633540B2
An integrated circuit with a transistor advantageously embodied in a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor device having a gate located over a channel region recessed into a semiconductor substrate and a method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the transistor includes a source/drain including a lightly or heavily doped region adjacent the channel region, and an oppositely doped well extending under the channel region and a portion of the lightly or heavily doped region of the source/drain. The transistor also includes a channel extension, within the oppositely doped well, under the channel region and extending under a portion of the lightly or heavily doped region of the source/drain.
US08633539B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body including a first surface and a second surface. The semiconductor device further includes a trench structure extending into the semiconductor body from the first surface. The trench structure includes a first gate electrode part and a first gate dielectric part in a first part of the trench structure, and a second gate electrode part and a second gate dielectric part in a second part of the trench structure. A width of the trench structure in the first part is equal to the width of the trench structure in the second part. The semiconductor device further includes a body region adjoining the first and second gate dielectric parts at a side wall of the trench structure. A distance d1 between a bottom edge of the first gate dielectric part and the first surface and a distance d2 between a bottom edge of the second gate dielectric part and the first surface satisfies 50 nm
US08633536B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a different gate structure in each of a plurality of device regions is described. The method may include a replacement gate process. The method includes forming a hard mask layer on oxide layers formed on one or more regions of the substrate. A high-k gate dielectric layer is formed on each of the first, second and third device regions. The high-k gate dielectric layer may be formed directly on the hard mask layer in a first and second device regions and directly on an interfacial layer formed in a third device region. A semiconductor device including a plurality of devices (e.g., transistors) having different gate dielectrics formed on the same substrate is also described.
US08633531B2
A semiconductor device may include, but is not limited to: a semiconductor substrate; a first insulating film; a conductive film; and a semiconductor film. The semiconductor substrate has a first hole. The semiconductor substrate has a first region into which a first impurity is introduced. The first region is adjacent to a side surface of the first hole. The first insulating film covers at least the side surface and a bottom surface of the first hole. The first insulating film has a second hole adjacent to the side surface of the first hole. The conductive film fills a bottom portion of the first hole. The semiconductor film is positioned over the conductive film. The semiconductor film fills the second hole and is in contact with the first region.
US08633525B2
In capacitive sensor circuits where physical contact is required and excess pressure may be inadvertently applied to the sensor surface, aluminum is not sufficiently hard to provide “scratch” protection and may delaminate, causing circuit failure, even if passivation integrity remains intact. Because hard passivation layers alone provide insufficient scratch resistance, at least the capacitive electrodes and preferably all metallization levels within the sensor circuit in the region of the capacitive electrodes between the surface and the active regions of the substrate are formed of a conductive material having a hardness greater than that of aluminum, and at least as great as the lowest hardness for any interlevel dielectric or passivation material employed.
US08633518B2
Enhancement mode III-nitride devices are described. The 2DEG is depleted in the gate region so that the device is unable to conduct current when no bias is applied at the gate. Both gallium face and nitride face devices formed as enhancement mode devices.
US08633516B1
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. The device includes a substrate, a fin structure formed by a first semiconductor material, a gate region on a portion of the fin, a source region and a drain region separated by the gate region on the substrate and a source/drain stack on the source and drain region. A low portion of the source/drain stack is formed by a second semiconductor material and it contacts a low portion of the fin in the gate region. An upper portion of the source/drain stack is formed by a third semiconductor material and it contacts an upper portion of the fin in the gate region.
US08633511B2
A semiconductor device provided with: an island and an island which are separated from each other; leads which approach the islands at one end; a control element which is attached to the island and is connected to a lead through a thin metal wire; and a switching element which is attached to the island and is connected to the lead through a metal wire. Further, the thin metal wire and the thin metal wire are arranged so as to the intersect.
US08633508B2
A semiconductor device according to the embodiment includes a growth substrate; a first buffer layer having a compositional formula of RexSiy (0≦x≦2, 0≦y≦2) over the growth substrate; and a group III nitride-based epitaxial semiconductor layer having a compositional formula of InxAlyGa1-x-yN (0≦x, 0≦y, x+y≦1) over the first buffer layer.
