US08978156B2
An information terminal includes: a nonvolatile storage unit which stores a flag that indicates whether or not the information terminal is in a state in which information leakage should be prevented; a start control unit which starts the information terminal and manages a power source of the information terminal; a device group which operate upon starting of the information terminal; and a device operation control unit which controls operation of at least one of the device group. The device operation control unit controls the at least one device so as to suppress operation that appeals to at least one of the five senses of human being when the flag indicates the state in which information leakage should be prevented.
US08978153B1
A method includes receiving a plurality of data sets. Each data set includes a customer identifier field specifying a unique customer identifier associated with each entry in each data set. The plurality of data sets includes a first group of data sets and a second group of data sets. The method further includes storing the plurality of data sets, and generating a key map including the customer identifier field including unique customer identifiers of the first group of data sets of the plurality of data sets, and an anonymous identifier field including unique anonymous identifiers. Each anonymous identifier corresponds to a customer identifier of the key map. The method further includes replacing each unique customer identifier in the second group of data sets with the corresponding anonymous identifier.
US08978144B2
Human Interaction Proofs (“HIPs”, sometimes referred to as “captchas”), may be generated automatically. An captcha specification language may be defined, which allows a captcha scheme to be defined in terms of how symbols are to be chosen and drawn, and how those symbols are obscured. The language may provide mechanisms to specify the various ways in which to obscure symbols. New captcha schemes may be generated from existing specifications, by using genetic algorithms that combine features from existing captcha schemes that have been successful. Moreover, the likelihood that a captcha scheme has been broken by attackers may be estimated by collecting data on the time that it takes existing captcha schemes to be broken, and using regression to estimate the time to breakage as a function of either the captcha's features or its measured quality.
US08978137B2
A system for retroactively detecting malicious software on an end user system without performing expensive cross-referencing directly on the endpoint device. A client provides a server with information about files that are on it together with what it knows about these files. The server tracks this information and cross-references it against new intelligence it gathers on clean or malicious files. If a discrepancy is found (i.e., a file that had been called malicious, but that is actually benign or vice versa), the server informs the client, which in turn takes an appropriate action based on this information.
US08978136B2
Systems and methods are provided for handling a malicious computer-related security event that occurs at central network access points of the Internet involving networks of autonomous and different internet service providers. A system includes a non-signature based security event detection software system operating on a first computer connected to a first network of a first internet service provider, where the non-signature based security event detection software system detects the security event by examining runtime state of the first computer. A security event management software system operates on a processor-based platform and has access to security event detection results generated by the non-signature based security event detection software system.
US08978132B2
An apparatus providing for a secure execution environment including a microprocessor and a secure non-volatile memory. The microprocessor executes non-secure application programs and a secure application program. The non-secure application programs are accessed from a system memory via a system bus. The secure application program executes in a secure execution mode. The microprocessor has secure execution mode logic that monitors conditions corresponding to the microprocessor associated with tampering, and causes the microprocessor to transition to a degraded operating mode from the secure execution mode following detection of a first one or more of the conditions. The degraded operating mode exclusively provides for execution of BIOS instructions. The secure non-volatile memory is coupled to the microprocessor via a private bus, stores the secure application program. Transactions over the private bus are isolated from the system bus and corresponding system bus resources within the microprocessor.
US08978131B2
Managing access to resources shared among multiple processes within a computer system. Multiple program instances of an application are almost simultaneously executed on multiple processors for fault tolerance. The replication solution supports the recording and subsequent replay of reservation events granting the shared resources exclusive access rights to the processes, when one program code instruction may request access to a set of shared resources in a non-deterministic order.
US08978129B2
Apparatus, methods and/or computer program products are provided that facilitate entering secure passwords into a user device. A user requested image is displayed via a display or monitor of a user device. The image is zoomable to one or more higher resolution levels beyond an initial display resolution, and the image is displayed at higher resolution levels in response to a user activating a zoom function via the user device. The coordinates of a user selected feature within a displayed higher resolution level image are obtained and translated into a password. The password is then entered into the requesting application.
US08978127B2
A system for pre-boot authentication of a virtual appliance includes one or more subsystems to receive a command to power-on an information handling system (IHS). After receiving the command to power-on the IHS, the system initializes a power-on self test (POST), passes control of the IHS to a hypervisor, loads a concurrent service environment (CSE), requests user credentials, receives user credentials, authenticates user credentials using the CSE and authorizes a specific operating system image from a plurality of images to run on the IHS via the virtual appliance after the user credentials are authenticated.
US08978124B2
A system receives a request to store a document in a database, receives a user security token, analyzes the document to determine an adjudicated security level for the document, compares the user security token to the adjudicated security level, stores the document when the user security token is equal to the adjudicated security level, when the user security token is not equal to the adjudicated security level, queries the user as to whether the document should be stored with the adjudicated security level, receives a response to the query from the user, stores the document when the user agrees to store the document with the adjudicated security level, and when the user does not agree to store the document with the adjudicated security level, transmits a message to a security officer and quarantine the document.
US08978123B2
Internet user passwords are securely managed. A formation component can enable a user to create a master account on a web server, the master account comprising a master username and password. An access component can enable the user to access a plurality of password protected websites from a web browser or non-browser software application resident on the user's computing device when the user logs into the master account by entering the valid master username and password. A selection component can log the user into a website of the plurality of password protected websites when the user selects a hyperlink associated with the website, selects a linked image associated with the website, or selects the website from a pulldown list contained in a toolbar of a web browser. A display component can open a web browser or tab associated with the website.
US08978105B2
A technique for providing a prediction as to whether a resource will be accessible to a user is described. The technique can involve comparing asserted membership in a wireless realm with membership records. Advantageously, a user can be made aware of the likelihood of access to a resource before attempting to reach the resource.
US08978098B2
An identification module receives a password request for a specified user and communicates an encrypted password field in response thereto, wherein the encrypted password field references a directory object corresponding to the specified user. The present invention also teaches an authentication module that communicates the password request to the identification module and receives the encrypted password field therefrom. Upon receiving the encrypted password field, the authentication module authenticates the specified user against the referenced directory object. In some embodiments, the encrypted password field is stored in an identification data store of an identification server and the directory object is stored in an authentication data store of an authentication server.
US08978091B2
Architecture that employs encryption and storage of encryption keys to protect trusted client message content from an untrusted third-party hosted service. Each trusted user machine is configured to optionally apply security to messages. Rules determine when automatic protection is applied and the level of protection to apply. The trusted client automatically downloads the rules (or rules policies) from a trusted rules service and caches the rules locally. During composition, the rules analyze the message and automatically apply security template(s) to the message. The security template(s) encrypt the body of the message, but not the headers or subject. The untrusted message service processes the header and delivers the message to the correct recipient. The hosted service cannot view the contents of the message body, and only intended recipients of the protected message can view the message body. Offline protection is supported, and the user can override protection by the rules.
US08978087B2
A television entertainment system that combines the visual imagery of television entertainment and transmission with the audio of radio entertainment and transmission to create a new synthesis system for therapeutic benefit designated as Hybrid Radio Television. Each segment (video/audio) of the system can be viewed or heard/listened to on its own, however, it is designed to be viewed and heard/listened to as an integrated whole, as selected by a viewer.
US08978083B2
According to the invention, a broadcast receiver receives a packetized stream. The broadcast receiver extracts display time information from a header of the packetized stream, and extracts trigger information including a target object identifier from a payload of the packetized stream. The broadcast receiver recognizes the type of the trigger information. If the trigger information is of the preparation trigger type, the broadcast receiver acquires information on the location of the file which belongs to the target object identifier. The broadcast receiver downloads the file which belongs to the target object identifier from the time corresponding to the extracted display time information via said acquired information on the location of the file.
US08978082B2
A method of switching a digital TV application is disclosed. In accordance with the method of the present invention, a channel changing event corresponding to a changing of a channel is used to minimize a time required for providing the digital TV application suitable for a changed channel.
US08978081B2
A test apparatus for testing a video processing apparatus comprises means for receiving from the video processing apparatus a video output representative of a test sequence, the test sequence comprising a plurality of frames, each frame comprising an image of a respective different one of a plurality of frame identifiers; means for obtaining a sequence of sets of frame data from the video output, each set of frame data representative of a frame; and means for processing each set of frame data to determine the frame identifier for that frame.
US08978074B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving one or more wireless digital television signals, wherein each of the one or more wireless digital television signals comprise a plurality of data segments for presenting media content, buffering the plurality of data segments of each of the one or more wireless digital television signals to generate one or more buffered data segments to cause a presentation delay of the media content, and detecting a missing data segment in the one or more buffered data segments. The method can further include transmitting a first request to a cellular communication system to provide the missing data segment, and receiving from the cellular communication system the missing data segment prior to an expiration of the presentation delay to continue a presentation of the media content without interruption. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08978073B2
In a mobile communication system and a broadcasting system, an Advanced Base Station (ABS) periodically broadcasts a buffering data packet of broadcast buffering content in providing a Mobile Internet Protocol TeleVision (Mobile IPTV) service. The broadcast buffering content represents content in which a buffering data packet corresponding to a predetermined buffering capacity is periodically broadcasted, and the buffering data packet represents a data packet that is transmitted to be buffered in advance before the broadcast buffering content is actually provided to Advanced Mobile Stations (AMSs).
US08978072B2
A method for enabling a broadcast/cellular device within a coverage area of a cellular network to access packet mobile digital broadcast services offered by a cellular operator of the cellular network, includes: a) obtaining a first identifier identifying the cellular operator; and b) accessing a storage area in order to retrieve a second identifier identifying and enabling access to the packet mobile digital broadcast services offered by the cellular operator, based on the first identifier obtained in a).
US08978065B1
Provided is a method and system for receiving and displaying video from both an Internet and a broadcast video source. Also provided is a frame controller for receiving video data from an Internet video stream and from a cable broadcast video stream, the frame controller further in communication with a television display and causing the Internet video stream and the cable broadcast video stream to each be displayed in a separate frame on the television display.
US08978053B2
A hooking system for hooking predetermined references to predetermined dynamically loaded library (DLL) functions includes a DLL version identifier provided by a hook entry code to an enhanced hook. The hook entry code is dynamically generated during runtime of an affected software application. The version identifier enables unambiguous communication of a single enhanced hook with functions of multiple versions of identically named DLLs loaded into the same isolated process memory area.
US08978052B1
In certain embodiments host system drivers communicate with one another via messages posted to mailbox registers in a network adapter. Executable code within the network adapter's memory notifies host system drivers of posted messages, waits for acknowledgments from the drivers and sends a completion notification to the host system drivers.
US08978047B2
A method for invoking a software application comprising: executing a first application on a user device; detecting a trigger event on the user device, the trigger event is non-specific and external to the first application and a second application; invoking the second application in response to the trigger event; sending metadata from the first application to the second application; and performing an action in the second application based at least partially on the metadata received from the first application, wherein, the first application and the second application are not operating system processes, and the second application is separate and independent from the first application.
US08978046B2
Various embodiments of systems and methods for interaction between applications built on different technologies are described herein. In one aspect, at least one action handler of a number of action handlers is associated with at least one application from a number of applications participating in the integrated scenario. In another aspect, at a first action handler that is associated with a source application, a request to access a target application is received. An identifier of the target application is retrieved and based on that identifier a second action handler associated with the target application is invoked, where the identifier of the target application is registered with the second action handler. The target application is launched by the second action handler in response to the received request.
US08978043B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for balancing a load on a queue among multiple consumers. A target polling hit rate is derived for at least one queue from a consumer load. The consumer load dictates a read rate of the at least one queue. The consumer load on the at least one queue is adjusted responsive to a difference between the target polling hit rate and an observed polling hit rate for the at least one queue.
US08978041B2
Service virtualization containers to aggregate service functionality from a plurality of services into an apparent service exhibiting the aggregated functionality. A plurality of service implementations is assigned to a service virtualization container. The container selects some of the service operations from the service implementations. One or more message characteristics are assigned to the service operations in one or more routing tables. A message is received at a service endpoint different from the service endpoints of any of the service implementations. A determination is made of one or more message characteristics. The one or more routing tables are consulted to select a determined service operation based on the message characteristics. The message is routed to the selected service implementation. Embodiments may also include functionality for aggregating metadata from service implementations and providing metadata based on the aggregated metadata to clients requesting metadata from a service virtualization container.
US08978039B2
A device, system and method are provided for presenting message threads in a device display where messages may have a persistent or intermediate status. A list of message threads is displayed, collated according to a given message thread attribute, is displayed. When a new message is detected belonging to one of the message threads, if the message has a persistent status it is added to the message thread and the collating message thread attribute for that thread is updated. If the message has an intermediate status, it may be added to the message thread but the collating message thread attribute for that message is deferred until the intermediate status is changed to a persistent status. The collated list of message threads is then updated. By deferring updates to the collating message thread attribute when a message has an intermediate status, disruption to the order of the collated list is mitigated.
US08978037B1
In a system and method for managing mainframe computer usage, preferred values for service class defined performance goals are determined to optimize workload performance in service classes across a logical partition. A method for managing mainframe computer system usage can include receiving a performance optimization goal for workload performance in a service class, the service class having a defined performance goal. Achievement of the performance optimization goal is assessed, and a preferred value for the defined performance goal is determined based on assessing achievement of the performance optimization goal. Workload criticality can be taken into account, and automatic changes to the performance goal authorized.
US08978034B1
This disclosure relates generally to automated workflow for data management, and specifically to efficient data manipulation and information extraction techniques used by a versatile data analytics platform. The information extraction techniques include micro-batching and provenance tracking, as well as integration of provenance-driven policies to improve the efficacy of the analytics. Embodiments disclosed here integrate the concept of real-time or near-real-time data stream processing and event/batch processing into one data processing layer, allowing a single processing definition to be applied at different granularities.
US08978015B2
An application server operating in a production environment receives an application for deployment. A test deployer in the application server determines whether the application includes a validation test. If the application includes a validation test, the test deployer performs an auxiliary deployment of the application and runs the validation test. If the validation test succeeds, the test deployer performs a full deployment of the application on the application server.
US08978014B1
Embodiments are directed towards testing mobile applications for a plurality of mobile computers. A server computer may be provided a mobile application, a test script, and mobile computer criteria. One or more mobile computers may be filtered from a larger set on the mobile computer criteria. The server computer may install the mobile application on each determined mobile computer. Next, each portion of the test script for the mobile application may be performed and/or executed on each determined mobile computer, wherein a result for each performed portion may be stored. During the test run at least one screenshot may be generated based on at least one performed portion of the test script, wherein the screenshots may be stored. The server computer may generate a displayable report that may include each screenshot and a result for each performed portion of the test script.
US08978012B1
A system, apparatus and method for reporting a failure in execution of a software transaction (e.g., scripts and executables to install software on a computer) to a network resource that can then store the error-related information and automatically provide a previously determined solution to the error or links to resources to which the customer can refer for help in resolving the problem is provided. Automatically searching a database of reported errors and their solutions for a variety of products and providing a found solution to a customer experiencing an error (e.g., an installation error) is further provided. In the event that a solution to a customer-experienced error is not found by the network resource, alternate sites for information such as a customer support website can also be provided.
US08978007B2
A dynamic programming environment includes a dynamic runtime infrastructure configured to receive static metadata as source text in a source code written in a dynamic programming language. The dynamic runtime infrastructure determines an object representation based on the static metadata from the source text in the source code.
US08977998B1
A method for using computing equipment to perform timing analysis on an integrated circuit design includes identifying a timing arc of the integrated circuit design. The timing arc may be a clock path or a data path in the integrated circuit design. A probability of the timing arc may be obtained and an aging effect for the timing arc may be calculated. The aging effect of the timing arc is calculated based on the probability. The timing arc may include maximum and minimum delays that are adjusted based at least partly on the calculated aging effect on the timing arc.
US08977995B1
In one embodiment, a method of designing an integrated circuit is disclosed, including receiving a plurality of top level timing constraints and a description of the integrated circuit design defining a hierarchy of partitions having multiple levels with one or more nested partitions; generating timing models for each partition of the plurality of partitions in response to the description of the integrated circuit design; and concurrently generating timing budgets level by level for all partitions at each level, beginning with the lowest level to each next upper level of the hierarchy of the partitions in response to the description of the integrated circuit design, the timing models, and the plurality of top level timing constraints. Please see the detailed description and claims for other embodiments that are respectively disclosed and claimed.
US08977984B2
According to another aspect, a mobile electronic device includes a display unit and a control unit. The display unit displays thereon additional information associated with an application program. Upon accepting a first operation performed with respect to the additional information, the control unit display a screen provided by the application program as a background of the additional information.
US08977981B2
A display unit enables content to be displayed in a human readable form. The display unit displays a portion of the content to be displayed wherein some of the content to be displayed is non-viewable on the display unit. The display unit, in response to a user-originating directional content moving action, determines a location within the portion of the content being displayed the determined location corresponding to a directional characteristic of the user-originating directional content moving action. The display unit causes a visual indicia to be displayed at the determined location within the portion of the content being displayed, the visual indicia providing a user orientation marker for the portion of the content being displayed. The display unit causes the visual indicia to visually move in a direction corresponding to the directional movement of the content.
US08977968B2
A system is provided that includes a portable electronic device and a customer care system. The customer care system is configured to remotely communicate with the portable electronic device. The customer care system is operable to receive an indication of content displayed on a display of the portable electronic device. The customer care system is operable to communicate a signal to the portable electronic device that the portable electronic device interprets as input to keys on the portable electronic device by a user of the portable electronic device.
US08977964B2
Access is provided for different types of media content provided by disparate publishers, and in formats corresponding to operating characteristics of respective user devices. As consistent with one or more example embodiments herein, media content access is filtered for users requesting access via different user devices, based upon characteristics of the device to which the access is provided, user subscription data and publisher-specific criteria. A user-specific storefront interface is generated for each of a multitude of users, based upon the filtering. Each storefront interface indicates media content that can be displayed at the device to which access is requested, and identifies media content to which the user does and does not have subscription access. The user-specific storefront interfaces are presented at respective user devices, and media content is delivered to each device in response to selections made via the user-specific storefront interfaces.
US08977963B1
A method includes outputting a first graphical representation corresponding to a first group of one or more audio files and a second graphical representation corresponding to a second group of one or more audio files, wherein the first group is defined based on a respective first metadata attribute value for each audio file from the first group; receiving a user selection of the first graphical representation; and, in response to the user selection, moving the second graphical representation, thereby defining an expansion area, and outputting, within the expansion area, at least one additional graphical representation corresponding to a subgroup of the first group, wherein the subgroup is defined based at least in part on a respective second metadata attribute value for each audio file from the subgroup.
US08977959B2
This disclosure provides a system and method to enable the diagnosis, prognosis and emulation of medical conditions using virtual world environments. The system and method combines probabilistic and pattern recognition mechanisms for both real and virtual world applications to increase health care reach and presence within computational environments. The disclosure describes a system and method that uses physiological measurements and behaviors to diagnose a medical condition. Experimental data, either gathered or generated, provide points for emulation. An emulation algorithm increases the feeling of user presence within a virtual world. Avatar behaviors are mapped to scripts which describe the output of the medical diagnosis and prognosis algorithm. Based on proposed treatment plans, emulations can be run, and the appearance of the avatar altered based on the outcome (e.g., improvement, worsening, etc.).
US08977955B2
Layout processing techniques have been described that allow processing of structured documents to be conducted, and for associated layout to be accomplished in a sequential manner. The layout process is split into multiple, smaller steps that can be executed sequentially. In at least some embodiments, a layout builder is utilized in conjunction with a stack to control layout execution on respective levels of the structural hierarchy of a structured document. Immutable data structures are utilized and allow for parallel execution of sequential layout operations. In at least some embodiments, partial execution of the layout sequence can be performed to produce usable data.
US08977942B2
The present invention discloses a data error-detection system and the method thereof. The system includes an initializing module, an encoding module, a decoding module and a restoring module. The initializing module arranges the transmitting data in a 3D matrix to produce information data. The encoding module encodes the information data to produce checking data, and outputs encoding data which includes information data and checking data. The decoding module receives encoding data and detects information data according to the checking data to correct the information data and then produces 3D matrix receiving data. The restoring module produces receiving data according to the 3D matrix receiving data. Herewith, the effect of error-detection and correction of the data can be achieved.
US08977941B2
Systems and methods are provided for improved designs and performance for iterative decoder systems. In some embodiments, the iterative decoder may be decoupled from FIR samples through an FIR RAM, thus resulting in a less complex design and shorter processing times. In some embodiments, an intermediate memory may be used when passing information between the SOVA and LDPC of the iterative decoder. In some embodiments, the SOVA-required information may be continuously serialized from information received from the LDPC during each LDPC iteration. In some embodiments, the 1/(1+D2) precoder of the HR RLL encoder may be split into two serial, 1/(1+D) precoders. One 1/(1+D) precoder may be pulled outside of the HR RLL encoder and used in conjunction with the iterative decoder. A 1/(1+D) precoder may be used with the iterative decoder while maintaining the RLL constraints imposed upon the encoded information by the HR RLL encoder.
US08977933B2
A method for providing data protection for data stored within a Random Access Memory element. The method comprises receiving data to be written to memory, dividing the received data into a plurality of data sections, applying error correction codes to the data sections to form codeword sections, interleaving the codeword sections to form an interleaved data codeword, and writing within a single clock cycle the interleaved data codeword to memory.
US08977930B1
In an embodiment, a plurality of memory dies is coupled as a memory block. The memory block has an access width defined as a system word length divided by a burst length associated with the plurality of memory dies. The burst length is greater than one. A single word having the system word length is written or read in a write operation or a read operation, respectively, through a write burst or a read burst, respectively, for random access memory operation with a granularity of the single word.
US08977928B2
An apparatus includes a communication device and an evaluation unit, wherein the communication device can be linked to a communication bus and can receive secure telegrams by way of the communication bus, and wherein a secure telegram includes user data and CRC data in each instance. In at least one embodiment, in order to improve the communication within the secure bus system, the evaluation unit can determine an error rate from received secure telegrams by way of a CRC check and if a threshold value of the error rate stored in the evaluation unit is exceeded, can effect a secure state of the apparatus.
US08977923B2
A method of supporting Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) includes receiving an initial uplink grant on a downlink channel, transmitting uplink data on an uplink channel using the initial uplink grant, receiving a request for retransmission of the uplink data, determining at least one transmission parameter of a channel quality indicator (CQI) from the initial uplink grant, multiplexing retransmission data of the uplink data with the CQI, and transmitting the multiplexed data on the uplink channel. Amount of resources for transmission of the CQI is determined based on the at least one transmission parameter.
US08977913B2
The present disclosure provides a method, a device and a baseband chip for receiving service data in a communication system. The method includes: receiving service data including a plurality of data blocks, where each of the plurality of data blocks comprises an information code and a check code; performing a first check and a second check on the service data; and outputting a predetermined number of information codes which pass the first check and are performed with a second check computation of the second check. The present disclosure saves memory space of the baseband chip.
US08977912B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed in which a repair instruction, such as from a tester, causes an integrated circuit undergoing testing to substitute defective locations of a first set of memory cells in the integrated circuit with a second set of memory cells in the integrated circuit, despite the repair instruction omitting the defective locations of the first set of memory cells of the integrated circuit.
US08977894B2
A data storage system including at least one memory device array including memory devices for storing data; and a storage subsystem controller for performing a method for operating the memory devices within the memory device array by relocating parity entities from a first memory device to a spare memory device replacing a failed memory device, and by storing one or more of reconstructed data entities on the first memory device.
US08977893B2
A RAID data storage system incorporates permanently empty blocks into each stripe, distributed among all the data storage devices, to accelerate rebuild time by reducing the number of blocks that need to be rebuilt in the event of a failure.
US08977892B2
A disk control apparatus includes a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor in which executes a process as follows. The process includes diagnosing whether or not a failure has occurred on each of a plurality of disk apparatuses, determining, when the failure has occurred, whether or not the failure is a pre-defined failure, and excluding from diagnosis targets, when the failure is the pre-defined failure, a disk apparatus group included in a RAID together with a failed disk apparatus that is determined to have the pre-defined failure in the plurality of disk apparatuses.
US08977884B2
A bit stream includes playback data having an associated clock rate and a variable reference clock that is synchronized to the bit stream. A playback clock recovery signal and a data recovery signal are generated in response to the received reference clock. A playback clock frequency signal is generated in response to the playback clock recovery signal. A recovered playback clock is generated by using a divide by M divider, wherein the value of M used by the divide by M divider is determined in response to a programmable multiple of the clock rate associated with the playback information.
US08977883B2
A computer-implemented method is presented for synchronizing time between two handheld medical devices that interoperate with each other. The method includes: determining a first time as measured by a first clock residing in the first medical device; determining a second time as measured by a second clock residing in a second medical device; evaluating whether the first clock is synchronized with the second clock; determining whether at least one of the first clock and the second clock was set manually by a user; and setting time of the first clock in accordance with the second time when the second clock was set manually by the user.
US08977879B2
Before hibernating a computing device (102), system software components (116) are notified of an upcoming hibernation process. The notifications are conveyed through an application program interface (API) (114). At least a portion of the system software components (116) can perform one or more pre-hibernation activities to place that system software component (116) in a ready-to-resume state. Each system software component indicates when it is ready for hibernation. Responsive to receiving the indication from each of the system software components (116), the hibernation process can complete. The completed hibernation process creates a snapshot (122) in nonvolatile memory. The snapshot (122) saves state information (124) for each of the system software components (116). The state information (124) is for the ready-to-resume state of the system software components (116). The computing device (102) can be restored after hibernation using a resume process (130), which reads the state (124) information from the snapshot (122).
US08977871B2
A system comprises a plurality of processor cores. The processor cores may comprise one or more application processor (AP) cores and a boot strap processor (BSP) core. A basic input/output system (BIOS) comprises an I/O device module to call a stall function in response to an I/O operation, a power management module that couples to the I/O device and a timer module that couples to the power management module. The power management module is to adjust a timer period of the timer module based on a stall delay of the stall function. The power management module may hook the stall function and compare the stall delay with a predetermined threshold and set the timer period to the stall delay in response to determining that the stall delay is longer. The power management module may put the BSP in a sleep mode during the timer period to save power.
US08977855B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for secure function evaluation between a semi-honest client and a semi-honest server using an information-theoretic version of garbled circuits (GC). An information-theoretic version of a garbled circuit C is sliced into a sequence of shallow circuits C1, . . . Cn, that are evaluated. Consider any wire wj of C that is an output wire of Ci, and is an input wire of Ci+1. When a slice Ci is evaluated, Ci's 1-bit wire key for wj is computed by the evaluator, and then used, via oblivious transfer (OT), to obtain the wire key for the corresponding input wire of Ci+1. This process repeats until C's output wire keys are computed by the evaluator. The 1-bit wire keys of the output wires of the slice are randomly assigned to wire values.
US08977840B2
A standby system calculator communicates with a currently-used system calculator for retaining data about a service, providing the service by using the data, and updating the data along with provision of the service. The standby system calculator includes a retainer that retains a copy of the data and a provider that provides the service by using the copy of the data while restricting an updating operation for updating the copy of the data in the retainer when a predetermined signal that indicates that the currently-used system calculator is operating and that has been transmitted from the currently-used system calculator to the standby system calculator, cannot be received for a predetermined period of time.
US08977827B1
A read cache may include portions of files stored on media of a media library. Embodiments described herein may include systems and methods for restoring a read cache, including restoring stub files to a read cache on an ad hoc basis.
US08977818B2
In one embodiment, a memory that is delineated into transparent and non-transparent portions. The transparent portion may be controlled by a control unit coupled to the memory, along with a corresponding tag memory. The non-transparent portion may be software controlled by directly accessing the non-transparent portion via an input address. In an embodiment, the memory may include a decoder configured to decode the address and select a location in either the transparent or non-transparent portion. Each request may include a non-transparent attribute identifying the request as either transparent or non-transparent. In an embodiment, the size of the transparent portion may be programmable. Based on the non-transparent attribute indicating transparent, the decoder may selectively mask bits of the address based on the size to ensure that the decoder only selects a location in the transparent portion.
US08977816B2
A cache and disk management method is provided. In the cache and disk management method, a command to delete all valid data stored in a cache, or specific data corresponding to a part of the valid data may be transmitted to a plurality of member disks. That is, all of the valid data or the specific data may exist in the cache only, and may be deleted from the plurality of member disks. Accordingly, the plurality of member disks may secure more space, an internal copy overhead may be reduced, and more particularly, solid state disks may achieve better performance.
US08977815B2
A processing pipeline 6, 8, 10, 12 is provided with a main query stage 20 and a fetch stage 22. A buffer 24 stores program instructions which have missed within a cache memory 14. Query generation circuitry within the main query stage 20 and within a buffer query stage 26 serve to concurrently generate a main query request and a buffer query request sent to the cache memory 14. The cache memory returns a main query response and a buffer query response. Arbitration circuitry 28 controls multiplexers 30, 32 and 34 to direct the program instruction at the main query stage 20, and the program instruction stored within the buffer 24 and the buffer query stage 26 to pass either to the fetch stage 22 or to the buffer 24. The multiplexer 30 can also select a new instruction to be passed to the main query stage 20.
US08977808B2
The present disclosure includes methods and apparatuses for mapping between program states and data patterns. One method includes: programming a group of G memory cells such that a combination of respective program states of the group maps to a constellation point corresponding to a received N unit data pattern, the group used to store N/G units of data per memory cell; wherein the constellation point is one of a number of constellation points of a constellation associated with mapping respective program state combinations of the group of memory cells to N unit data patterns; and wherein the constellation comprises a first mapping shell and a second mapping shell, the constellation points corresponding to the respective first and second mapping shells determined, at least partially, based on a polynomial expression of order equal to G.
US08977789B2
Systems and methods for detecting Input/Output (I/O) device connection are described herein. The method includes physically coupling an I/O device to a host port through a first signal line and a second signal line. The method also includes driving the first signal line or the second signal line high via an active buffer of the I/O device. The method also includes providing an acknowledgement signal from the host to the device through the other signal line that is not being driven high by the active buffer of the I/O device.
US08977782B2
An electronic device is connectable to an external device. An interface substrate is detachably connected to a main substrate. A first interface is installed on the interface substrate, and the first interface is connectable to the external device. A second interface is installed on the main substrate, and the second interface is connectable to the external device. A selection unit selects one interface of the first interface on the interface substrate and the second interface on the main substrate. A communication unit communicates information with the external device through the interface selected by the selection unit. At least one of the first interface and the second interface is configured to detect a connection state to the external device. The selection unit selects an interface which is designated or preferentially selects an interface which detects a connection to the external device.
US08977764B1
Application usage is profiled based on application streaming. Code pages of multiple applications are streamed from a server to multiple client computers (endpoints) for execution. The streaming of the code pages is monitored, and usage data is collected such as which pages are streamed to which endpoints, under what circumstances and when. By referencing the streamed code pages and the underlying source code, the code pages are mapped (at least approximately) to corresponding application features. The collected usage data usage and the relevant mapping are analyzed, to create application usage profile data for streamed applications. The application usage profile data can include such information as how often, when, where and by whom application components are being executed, as well as which components cause errors, are most popular, confuse users, etc.
US08977755B2
A mobile device and method to utilize the failover mechanism for fault tolerance provided for mobile traffic management are disclosed. One embodiment includes a method, which may be implemented on a system or a mobile device which responsive to detecting a failed attempt to connect to a proxy server, determines whether the proxy server is reachable. In one embodiment, in response to determining that the proxy server is reachable, initiates a failover process by reconfiguring DNS routing rules.
US08977751B2
Systems and methods for throttling network usage are disclosed. An exemplary method includes an access device maintaining throttling command interpretation data, receiving a throttling command broadcast over a wide area network, interpreting the throttling command based on the throttling command interpretation data, and conforming at least one operation of the access device to a network usage throttling level in accordance with the interpretation of the throttling command. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08977750B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for extending a network security platform to a cloud-based network. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network security engine. The network security engine can govern access to and operation of the set of managed machines through a set of security policies. According to embodiments, the set of security policies can be sub-divided into a partitioned security class corresponding to a subset of the managed network which is intended to be deployed as a cloud-accessible subset of the overall managed network. The partitioned security class can specify access restrictions for the cloud-accessible subset to receive resources from or provide resources to the external cloud environment. A corporate campus network or other managed network can therefore permit access of the cloud to some or all of its machines, while still maintaining desired local security conditions.
US08977746B2
A network security device may gather a large amount of metadata pertaining to the connections being managed thereby. A refinement module may filter and/or aggregate the connection metadata. The metadata may be refined on the network security device. The refined metadata may be provided for display on a terminal. The refined metadata may include a subset of the larger connection metadata, which may reduce the overhead required to display and/or transmit monitoring information to the terminal device. The refined metadata may comprise connection groups, which may be formed based on aggregation criteria, such as connection source, destination, application, security policy, protocol, port, and/or the like. The connection groups may be ranked in accordance with ranking criteria.
US08977740B2
When not the target device accessed by an operator terminal but other devices communicatably connected therewith have problems, the setting operation and the status viewing of the device with a problem are enabled through the target device accessed by an operator terminal. The portable terminal detects the electric appliance connected with a local area network connected with the portable terminal, in response to an instruction from the operator terminal. The portable terminal enables the setting operation and the status viewing of the electric appliance from the operator terminal based on the determined model related information, so that the problem of the electric appliance can be solved.
US08977738B2
A system and method are disclosed for the automated discovery of devices on a network, such as a TCP/IP network using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (“DHCP”) and Domain Name System (“DNS”) servers. Devices on the network may be discovered, identified, and tracked by a monitoring server. Communications with the monitoring server may include identification information for each device. The identification information may be stored in DHCP option fields, transmitted with DHCP messages, and used to identify whether the device is new to the network.
US08977720B2
A Internet based system and computer readable medium comprising code for determining multiple modeling analysis tasks associated with a received data set, wherein the received data set is received via Internet, receiving a specification of multiple modeling analysis tasks, collecting a specification of the modeling analysis tasks via Internet, conducting a modeling analysis the received data set based on the determined multiple modeling analysis tasks and the received specification of the modeling analysis tasks and delivering a result of the modeling analysis via Internet.
US08977712B2
A system and method for implementing functionality within a network on behalf of first and second devices communicating with each other through the network. A front-end device is provided within the network that communicates data traffic with the first device. A back-end device is also implemented within the network and communicates data traffic with the second device. A communication channel couples the front-end device and the back-end device. Data traffic may be encoded into a different type or protocol for transport through the communication channel by the front-end device and back-end device. The front-end device and back-end device exchange quality of service information and may alter characteristics of the data traffic through the communication channel according to the quality of service information.
US08977710B2
A personal media system implemented as a tuple service allows remote access, selection, authorization, and transmission of personal media stored in a collection on a home network across a network to a guest network. A mobile client device enables browsing/searching for content, shows media players within a domain, finds a media player within a domain for a given media type, gets a media object, and renders a media object on a given media player within a domain. Each gateway has an agent that registers to the server and responds to commands from the server. The server acts as a hub for moving digital content objects between domains, provides media services on behalf of domains (e.g., transcoding, proxy streaming, etc.), provides a web interface to mobile client devices for control over user domains, sends commands to the personal media agents, and creates an accessible set of domains for a user.
US08977704B2
Various methods are described for selecting an access method for flexible caching in DASH. One example method may include causing a request for at least one of a primary representation for a segment or an alternative representation for the segment to be transmitted to a caching proxy. The method may further include causing the caching proxy to respond with at least one of the primary representation or the alternate representation based on the caching status at a caching proxy. The caching proxy may be configured to determine whether the request enables an alternative representation to be included in a response. Furthermore, the method may include receiving at least one of the primary representation and the alternative representation for the segment from the caching proxy. Similar and related example methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are also provided.
US08977703B2
One embodiment involves communicatively connecting a master node and a plurality of slave nodes in a cluster without shared storage where each node has a separate repository. Each node in the cluster without shared storage can be configured to exclusively update its repository. The method may include receiving a lock request from a first slave node in the cluster without shared storage. The lock request may be associated with an update request received by the first slave node. The lock request can indicate that the first slave node requires exclusive write access to a data item in the repository of the first slave node. The method includes sending a response to the first slave node granting the lock request based at least in part on data in the repository of the master node. The response may authorize the first slave node to append data to the data item in the repository of the first slave node.
US08977693B2
A system, method, and/or machine readable medium including a set of stored instructions that, if executed by a processor, may cause one or more computers to receive user input via a platform independent web-based interface, wherein the user input is to identify application logic and one or more data repositories. The instructions can also cause one or more computers to generate a reusable web service based at least in part on the user input, and construct an application workflow based at least in part on the reusable web service. As a result of usage of such a web-based application development platform, users can create/assemble/generate both traditional & non-traditional software applications/services to perform a specific business functions or operations. Moreover, non-traditional software components are sharable web services, which can be used to create/generate a composite application.
US08977691B2
A request for information or services available on an intranet may be made by users on an extranet outside the intranet. An email is generated in an external server on the extranet in response to the request for information or services, and then sent from the external server to an internal server inside the intranet. The email comprises one or more approved forms based on the request, wherein specifics of the request are embedded into the body of the email. The email is processed at the internal server, in order to generate a response to the request, wherein the response is returned by the internal server to the external server in a reply email. The reply email includes an attachment containing the results of the processing performed by the internal server. The external server allows the user to access these results via an external graphical user interface.
US08977690B2
XML appliances/routers may be organized to implement one or more XML distribution rings to enable XML documents/messages to be distributed efficiently. The rings may be logical or physical. The XML distribution rings enable the XML documents/messages to be exchanged without requiring the XML appliances/routers to run a routing protocol to determine how XML documents/messages should be distributed through the network. Documents may be transmitted in one way on the ring or may be transmitted in both directions around the ring to enable the ring to tolerate failure of an XML appliance/router. Each XML appliance/router will receive all XML documents/messages and will make routing decisions for those clients that have provided the XML appliance/router with XML subscriptions. The subscriptions may be formed according to the XPath standard or in another manner.
US08977682B2
One rebuild system includes a client device including an event handler and an indication listener associated with the event handler and a server device in communication with the client device. The server device includes an indication subscription associated with the event handler and a self-registration trigger (SRT) module in communication with the indication subscription for rebuilding the event handler and the indication listener. Also provided are physical computer storage mediums including a computer program product rebuild method for a network.
US08977665B2
In one embodiment, a fault-aware matched filter augments the output of a component matched filter to provide both fault-aware matched filter output and a measure of confidence in the accuracy of the fault-aware matched filter output. In another embodiment, an optical flow engine derives, from a plurality of images, both optical flow output and a measure of confidence in the optical flow output. The measure of confidence may be derived using a fault-aware matched filter.
US08977662B1
Storing and retrieving user data files includes, in a file storing operation, applying a first mapping (e.g. hash function) to a file identifier to originate a content address in a flat content address space; applying a second mapping (e.g., grouping of digits/characters) to the content address to originate a multi-level directory name usable in a file system; invoking the file system to store the user data file in the named directory. A file retrieving operation includes applying the first mapping to the file identifier to regenerate the content address; applying the second mapping to the regenerated content address to regenerate the directory name; invoking the file system using the regenerated directory name to retrieve the user data file. The method enables a general-purpose network attached storage (NAS) system to store files organized according to a legacy content-addressed storage (CAS) model of existing applications.
US08977659B2
A file system (i) permits storage capacity to be added easily, (ii) can be expanded beyond a given unit, (iii) is easy to administer and manage, (iv) permits data sharing, and (v) is able to perform effectively with very large storage capacity and client loads. State information from a newly added unit is communicated (e.g., automatically and transparently) to central administration and management operations. Configuration and control information from such operations is communicated (e.g., automatically) back down to the newly added units, as well as existing units. In this way, a file system can span both local storage devices (like disk drives) and networked computational devices transparently to clients. Such state and configuration and control information can include globally managed segments as the building blocks of the file system, and a fixed mapping of globally unique file identifiers (e.g., Inode numbers) and/or ranges thereof, to such segments.
US08977637B2
Methods and arrangements for facilitating accelerations of database functions. A field programmable gate array is incorporated. At least one query control block is incorporated in the field programmable gate array, and database management system operations are accelerated via the field programmable gate array. The accelerating includes employing the at least one query control block to execute a query without reconfiguring the field programmable gate array.
US08977636B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for synthesizing the aggregated data of disparate data types into data of a uniform data type which includes receiving aggregated data of disparate data types and translating each of the aggregated data of disparate data types into text content and markup associated with the text content. Synthesizing the aggregated data of disparate data types into data of a uniform data type may also include dynamically creating grammar sets for the text content and associating the grammar sets with the text content. Associating the grammar sets with the text content includes inserting markup in the translated data.
US08977635B2
A device includes a memory configured to store a program; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute a process based on the program. The process includes: for input data made of a combination of pieces of unit data and including a plurality of consecutive records each including data of a plurality of items, when a sequence of type information indicating a kind of each piece of the unit data in the input data is divided into partial sequences each having a certain length, analyzing a break position of the records in the input data by determining, as a length of each of the records, the length of each of the partial sequences when sequences of type information in all the partial sequences correspond to each other.
US08977634B2
The present invention is a software application that is capable of producing a music playlist or a video playlist according to upcoming concerts and a plurality of narrowing criteria. The software application can be accessed through a web browser. A concert database is searched to find all related concerts according to inputted concert narrowing criteria. A music playlist is generated by retrieving all artist tracks within a music database matching a plurality of music narrowing criteria. A video playlist is generated by retrieving all artist videos within a video database matching a plurality of video narrowing criteria. Music playing software and video playing software are provided to play the music playlist and the video playlist. The music playlist and the video playlist can continuously update according to updating criteria. Comedy and other non-music related acts at a concert can also be implemented into the music playlist and the video playlist.
US08977633B2
A method of generating a pool of matched content pieces from an available pool of content pieces based on a selected sample, including providing at least one consumer database containing a plurality of consumer profiles with consumer preference identifying data stored on a data storage device, providing at least one brand database containing details of brand clients, each having one or more branding parameters stored on a data storage device, providing at least one content database containing a plurality of pieces of content provided by at least one content provider with each piece of content having one or more content profile identifiers stored on a data storage device, selecting a number of representative content pieces based on one or more branding parameters of a brand client to convey a brand identity, testing the representative content pieces against a set of constraints based on one or more content profile identifiers to establish that a minimum number of content piece identifiers are chosen using a data processor, and generating a pool of matched content pieces by selecting a plurality of content pieces from the available pool based on comparing the one or more content profile identifiers of the representative content pieces with one or more content profile identifiers of each content piece in the available pool of content pieces and including matches in the matched content pool using a data processor.
US08977617B1
The disclosure includes a system and method for determining an influence score for a user. The system includes a classification module, a controller, a determination module, a ratio module and a score module. The classification module creates an influence profile for a first user. The controller determines activity data associated with a set of active users. The determination module determines how frequently the activity data associated with the active users describes the first user and a second user that has a second influence score. The determination module determines a first user activity score and a second user activity score. The ratio module compares the first user activity score to the second user activity score to determine an influence ratio. The score module determines a first influence score for the first user based at least in part on the influence ratio and the second influence score for the second user.
US08977609B1
Systems and methods for providing a search result are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving a query. The method also includes providing a first set of search results responsive to the query. The method also includes receiving a selected search result in the first set of search results. The method also includes determining a time specification based on the selected search result. The method also includes providing a second set of search results responsive to the query and the time specification.
US08977608B2
The subject matter disclosed herein provides, methods and apparatus, including computer program products for the management of a view of a data structure. In one aspect, there is provided a method that may include generating a view of a data structure. The data structure and the view may include a plurality of nodes and at least one association. This method may further include determining, at run time, whether the generated view is invalid based on an indicator. The indicator may represent whether a change has occurred to a system including the view. This method may further include deleting, at run time, the view based on the results of the determining. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US08977607B1
A system and method includes a network interface device to receive and retransmit electronic messages between a first user and a second user, an electronic data storage configured to store database entries related to electronic messages as received and retransmitted by the network interface device, at least some of the database entries including a latest message in thread flag identifying a latest electronic message in a thread of multiple electronic messages, and a processor. The processor may create a database entry corresponding to a first electronic message, the database entry including the latest message in thread flag indicating that the first electronic message is a latest electronic message of a thread, and change a status of a latest message in thread flag of a database entry corresponding to a second electronic message of the thread to indicate that the second electronic message is not a latest message in the thread.
US08977605B2
A method for processing structured search queries received at an internet search includes receiving at the internet search site a structured search query containing a user's search intent and other pertinent information about the user and the site. The structured search query is constructed as a conforming structured search string. The method further includes parsing the structured search query based on a grammar published for affiliates or partners to construct the structured search query. Still further, the method includes extracting individual breadcrumbs from the structured search query that were used to build the structured search query. This includes decoding the position and meaning of each respective breadcrumb in the structured search query. The method further includes forming match tokens from the identified individual breadcrumbs and combinations of breadcrumbs. Still further the method includes matching listings stored in a search listing database with the formed match token strings, forming a search result list, and ranking elements of the search result list according to strength of match tokens to the original user search intent.
US08977602B2
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for providing block-level verification of replicated file systems. Embodiments operate in context of data storage environments, which may typically have multiple file systems, snapshots of file systems, and replicas of file systems. In one illustrative scenario, a replica is created of a file system having multiple associated snapshots, and a user desires to verify the accuracy of the replica. A signature is created for each of the source active file system and the target replica file system, so that each signature includes records of both block-level signatures and block-level allocations. The signatures are compared to discover any differences. The differences may then be reconciled, where possible, to determine whether the differences indicate a corrupt or otherwise invalid replica.
US08977600B2
A system for continuous analytics comprises an in-memory storage and a processor. The processor receives a query that indicates an analytic function to be performed on a combination of static data and real-time data. The processor loads the in-memory storage from a first source external to the processor with data that was stored as the static data. At the same time that the in-memory storage is already loaded with the static data, the processor continuously receives ephemeral real-time data as it is being generated by a second source external to the processor. The processor runs the analytic function from the query against the in-memory storage loaded with the first data and the real-time data that is being continuously received, in combination, to produce a result of the analytic function. The result is stored and time-stamped in the in-memory storage as an analytic cube.
US08977599B2
A database-driven testing method and system for testing client-server applications are described. The system first receives a command to test a module on a server and identifies in a database a message list corresponding to the module. The message list indicates at least a request message and an expected response message supported by the module to be tested. The system then retrieves from the database a plurality of parameters for the messages in the message list and constructs the request message based on the parameters. The system then transmits the request message to the module on the server, receives a server response message from the server in response to the request message, and compares the server response message with the expected response message.
US08977581B1
Roughly described, a computer-implemented evolutionary data mining system includes a memory storing a candidate gene database in which each candidate individual has a respective fitness estimate; a gene pool processor which tests individuals from the candidate gene pool on training data and updates the fitness estimate associated with the individuals in dependence upon the tests; and a gene harvesting module for deploying selected individuals from the gene pool, wherein the gene pool processor includes a competition module which selects individuals for discarding in dependence upon both their testing experience level and a diversity measure of individuals in the gene pool.
US08977572B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for managing medical information. Certain embodiments provide a system for managing medical information. The system includes a data center for centrally storing patient medical data as unstructured encrypted data. The system also includes a patient interface providing storage and retrieval of patient medical data at the data center. The patient interface communicates with the data center to transmit encrypted patient medical data to the data center. The encrypted patient medical data is encrypted at the patient interface using a patient encryption key assigned to a patient. The patient interface is further configured to receive encrypted patient medical data from the data center and decrypt the patient medical data using the patient encryption key assigned to the patient.
US08977567B2
A system, apparatus, and method for processing payment transactions that are conducted using a mobile device that includes a contactless element, such as an integrated circuit chip. An account holder is enabled to generate transaction related data and append that data to a transaction record or transaction identifier. The appended data and transaction record or identifier may be stored in the mobile payment device and/or provided to an Issuer. If provided to an Issuer, the transaction related data generated by the account holder may be used to supplement an account statement. The additional information generated by the account holder may be used to assist the account holder in determining if a transaction is valid by providing information that helps the account holder to recall the location or other aspect of the transaction.
US08977565B2
A trading platform and trading method that allows access to additional pools of liquidity is described. Other embodiments are also described.
US08977559B2
An interactive direct response system combines the use of short text message systems transmitted via GSM-SMS enabled cell phones with a database and website to enable advertisers to view in real time customer responses to a direct response campaign. Customers are invited to respond to a defined advertisement on for example a billboard by responding to a single telephone number associated with the website by sending a text message linked to that particular advertisement, i.e. a single word. A computer receives and analysis the responses and sends an acknowledgement message to the customer.
US08977551B2
The present invention provides a parametric speech synthesis method and a parametric speech synthesis system. The method comprises sequentially processing each frame of speech of each phone in a phone sequence of an input text as follows: for a current phone, extracting a corresponding statistic model from a statistic model library and using model parameters of the statistic model that correspond to the current frame of the current phone as rough values of currently predicted speech parameters; according to the rough values and information about a predetermined number of speech frames occurring before the current time point, obtaining smoothed values of the currently predicted speech parameters; according to global mean values and global standard deviation ratios of the speech parameters obtained through statistics, performing global optimization on the smoothed values of the speech parameters to generate necessary speech parameters; and synthesizing the generated speech parameters to obtain a frame of speech synthesized for the current frame of the current phone. With this solution, the capacity of an RAM needed by speech synthesis will not increase with the length of the synthesized speech, and the time length of the synthesized speech is no longer limited by the RAM.
US08977550B2
Part units of speech information are arranged in a predetermined order to generate a sentence unit of a speech information set. To each of a plurality of speech part units of the speech information, an attribute of “interrupt possible after reproduction” with which reproduction of priority interrupt information can be started after the speech part unit of the speech information is reproduced or another attribute of “interrupt impossible after reproduction” with which reproduction of the priority interrupt information cannot be started even after the speech part unit of the speech information is reproduced is set. When the priority interrupt information having a high priority rank than the speech information set being currently reproduced is inputted, if the attribute of the speech information being reproduced at the point in time is “interrupt impossible after reproduction,” then the priority interrupt information is reproduced after the speech information is reproduced.
US08977544B2
A quantizing method is provided that includes quantizing an input signal by selecting one of a first quantization scheme not using an inter-frame prediction and a second quantization scheme using the inter-frame prediction, in consideration of one or more of a prediction mode, a predictive error and a transmission channel state.
US08977524B2
A method for approximating an optimal power flow of a smart electric power grid includes providing a cost function that models a smart electric power grid having buses connected by branches, deriving a set of linear equations that minimize the cost function subject to constraints from an expression of an extremum of the cost function with respect to all arguments, reducing a dimension of the linear equations by solving for a subset of the linear equations, re-organizing the reduced dimension linear equations into primal and dual parts, and decomposing the re-organized reduced dimensional linear equations into two systems of block matrix equations which can be solved by a series of back substitutions. A solution of the two systems of block matrix equations yields conditions for a lowest cost per kilowatthour delivered through the smart electric power grid.
US08977512B1
Techniques and architecture are disclosed for performing alignment harmonization of a collection of electro-optical and/or gimbaled componentry that is to operate within a common coordinate frame. In some cases, the techniques and architecture can provide a cost- and time-efficient approach to achieving alignment harmonization that is compatible, for example, with field-test and/or operational environments. In some instances, the techniques and architecture can be used in concert with error calibration techniques to further improve the accuracy of the alignment harmonization. The techniques and architecture can be utilized with a wide range of components (e.g., sensors, armaments, targeting systems, weapons systems, countermeasure systems, navigational systems, surveillance systems, etc.) on a wide variety of platforms. Numerous configurations and variations will be apparent in light of this disclosure.
US08977507B2
A damage detection and remediation system includes a sensing device for detecting damage events related to a structure of interest. Such damage events may include impact from a ballistic object, a tamper event, a physical impact, or other events that may affect structural integrity or cause failure. Illustratively, the sensing device is in communication with a measurement system to determine damage criteria, and a processing system which is configured to use the damage criteria to determine, for example, a direction of the initiation point of a ballistic causing the damage event.
US08977506B2
A computer having a memory stores instructions for receiving data. The data comprises one or more characteristics for each cellular constituent in a plurality of cellular constituents that have been measured in a test organism of a species or a test biological specimen from an organism of the species. The memory further stores instructions for computing a model in a plurality of models, wherein the model is characterized by a model score that represents the likelihood of a biological feature in the test organism or the test biological specimen. Computation of the model comprises determining the model score using one or more characteristics for one or more cellular constituents in the plurality of cellular constituents. The memory also stores instructions for repeating the instructions for computing one or more times, thereby computing the plurality of models. The memory also stores instructions for communicating computed model scores.
US08977493B2
An information processing apparatus including a positioning unit that determines a position of the information processing apparatus based on an external signal; a sensor unit that detects a change in position of the information processing apparatus; and a processing unit that measures, according to a change in position detected at the sensor unit, an amount of displacement of the information processing apparatus from a first time when the positioning unit starts to determine the position of the information processing apparatus to a second time when the positioning unit completes determining the position of the information processing apparatus; and identifies a position of the information processing apparatus at the first time by compensating the position of the information processing apparatus determined by the positioning unit at the second time with the amount of displacement of the information processing apparatus.
US08977484B1
A method is provided for inferring the aircraft intent of an aircraft from an observed trajectory. Aircraft performance data relating to that type of aircraft is retrieved from memory, along with atmospheric conditions along the observed trajectory. An initial set of candidate aircraft intents is generated. Each aircraft intent provides an unambiguous description of how the aircraft may be flown that allows a determination of an unambiguous resulting trajectory. A computer system calculates a trajectory defined by each candidate aircraft intent and forms a cost function from a comparison of each calculated trajectory to the observed trajectory. An evolutionary algorithm evolves the initial candidate aircraft intents, wherein the evolutionary algorithm uses a multi-objective cost function to obtain a cost function value that measures the suitability of each candidate aircraft intent.
US08977473B2
A method of operating a dual fuel compression ignition engine includes controlling a liquid fuel pressure within the liquid fuel common rail toward a desired liquid fuel pressure, and controlling a gaseous fuel pressure within the gaseous fuel common rail toward a desired gaseous fuel pressure that is less than the desired liquid fuel pressure. The method also includes commanding a change in the liquid fuel pressure to a decreased liquid fuel pressure that is less than both the desired liquid fuel pressure and a current gaseous fuel pressure. The liquid fuel pressure is maintained above the gaseous fuel pressure during a transition of the liquid fuel pressure toward the decreased liquid fuel pressure by executing the pressure control algorithm.
US08977467B2
A control unit for brake-slip-controlled operation of the brake device in a state in which braking torque is transferred from the rear to the front wheels by the coupling arrangement, at least one rotational speed sensor in a drive train of the vehicle for inputting into the control unit rotational speed signals representing the rotational behavior of the coupled front wheels and rear wheels, at least one acceleration sensor for inputting into the control unit acceleration signals representing the vehicle longitudinal acceleration, and/or a vehicle GPS device for inputting into the control unit position signals representing positions of the vehicle, the control unit determining at least one first variable, which is characteristic of a vehicle reference speed and/or a vehicle reference acceleration, based on the acceleration and/or position signals, and so as to determine a second variable, which is characteristic of the rotational behavior of the coupled front and rear wheels, based on the rotational speed signals, and to calculate the brake slip of the coupled front and rear wheels based on the first and second variables.
US08977466B2
Embodiments disclose a vehicle brake fluid pressure controller. The controller includes: a normally-open proportional solenoid valve provided in a hydraulic passage extending from a hydraulic pressure source to a wheel brake; a normally-closed solenoid valve provided in a hydraulic passage extending from the wheel brake to the hydraulic pressure source; an antilock brake control module configured to perform an antilock brake control for suppressing the locking of a wheel by performing a pressure increase control, a pressure decrease control and a pressure holding control for a hydraulic pressure of the wheel brake, using the normally-open proportional solenoid valve and the normally-closed solenoid valve.
US08977455B2
A power transmission apparatus includes a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a first transmission device, a first one-way power transmission mechanism, a second transmission device, a second one-way power transmission mechanism, and a controller. The first transmission device is to change power of the drive shaft. The first one-way power transmission mechanism is to transmit power changed by the first transmission device only in one direction to the driven shaft. The second transmission device is to change power of the driven shaft. The second one-way power transmission mechanism is to transmit power changed by the second transmission device only in one direction to the drive shaft. The controller is configured to change ratios of the first transmission device and the second transmission device. The controller is configured to make the ratio of the first transmission device larger than the ratio of the second transmission device.
US08977442B2
A civil engineering machine includes an arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing which has a calculating unit to determine data which defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the position of the front and rear running gear, both as a function of a steering angle and as a function of a mode of steering. The arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing also has an image detecting unit for detecting an image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine and a display unit for displaying the detected image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine. An image processing unit superimposes a representation of the at least one trajectory on the image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine which is displayed on the display unit.
US08977441B2
A machine includes a plurality of ground engaging elements and an operator control station supported on a frame. A work tool is pivotably attached to the frame using a lift arm assembly and a tilt linkage. At least one device measures a quantity associated with at least one of the lift arm assembly, the tilt linkage, and the work tool. An electronic controller, in communication with an operator display and the at least one device. The electronic controller is configured to store an operator selected orientation of the work tool, calculate a current orientation of the work tool based on the quantity, and calculate a deviation of the current orientation from the operator selected orientation. A visual representation of the deviation is displayed on the operator display.
US08977432B2
An ECU executes steering control in a vehicle including an electronic control power steering apparatus. In the steering control, it is determined that an assist motor is in a power generating state when a motor rotation speed ω which is the rotation speed of the assist motor is greater than an upper limit rotation speed ω1 set according to a motor command voltage Vq that is the driving voltage of the assist motor. When the assist motor is in the power generating state, the ECU interrupts the supply of current to the assist motor by controlling a relay portion of a drive apparatus that drives the assist motor so that it is open, thereby reducing the amount of power that is generated to zero. Also, when returning to an assist possible state, assist torque Tm is changed gradually with zero as the initial value in order to prevent it from changing suddenly.
US08977425B1
A system, method, and computer-readable medium to facilitate treatment of a damaged vehicle by gathering crash information, estimating an extent of vehicle damage, and requesting transport of the damaged vehicle from the crash site to a treatment facility.
US08977423B2
Methods and systems for providing. In an example, the computing device may be configured to receive vehicle information including identification information of a vehicle and/or information describing condition of the vehicle. The computing device also may be configured to match the vehicle information to content of a vehicle repair database so as to identify repair information relating to the vehicle. The computing device further may be configured to receive geographic information identifying a geographic location relating to the vehicle. The computing device also may be configured to provide, to a communication network, a subset of the identified repair information based on the geographic information. The service advisor may be able to access the subset of the identified repair information on a display device coupled to the computing device.
US08977421B2
A system, a method and a computer program to determine the usability of a lubricant such as, e.g., engine oil, and when to replace the lubricant in a particular engine. The system, method, and computer program are further configured to generate a lubricant discard interval for each engine in, e.g., a company's fleet of vehicles. The system, method, and computer program are configured to generate lubricant discard interval schedule for each of the vehicles in the company's fleet based on the lubricant discard intervals.
US08977419B2
A system and method for providing adaptive lane centering in an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle driving system includes activating a lane centering control system, detecting a driver steering override of the lane centering control system, monitoring a lane centering offset when a driver override condition is detected, determining if the lane centering offset represents a driver bias and adjusting the lane centering offset in the lane centering control system to compensate for the driver bias.
US08977417B2
A system and method for determining functionality of a single signal wire actuator of a vehicle monitor the signal wire for a heartbeat signal after commanding the actuator and waiting for a self-diagnostic period. In one embodiment, a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, an electric heater, a heater core and a valve positioned to route coolant through an engine and/or an electric heater. An actuator positioned to circulate coolant through the electric heater and the heater core is configured to transmit a heartbeat signal while connected to a power source and a ground terminal. A vehicle controller may be configured to store a diagnostic code, start the engine and/or control the valve to selectively route coolant through the engine and the heater core in response to a heat request and the heartbeat signal not being received from the actuator within a predetermined interval of time.
US08977416B2
An electric vehicle includes a sensor unit for measuring a vehicle state, an interface unit for receiving vehicle control setting parameters from a vehicle driver, a main controller for operating and controlling the electric vehicle in response to input data from the sensor unit and the interface unit, and a sub controller for diagnosing the main controller in response to state information and driving information received from the main controller, and performing emergency control of the vehicle when a malfunction occurs in the main controller, instead of the main controller, The sub controller, under the emergency control, controls acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, establishes a limit range of speed and torque of the vehicle, and controls the vehicle to be driven within the limit range.
US08977410B2
In one or more embodiments, an apparatus and method for operating an unmanned and autonomous vehicle includes a sensor management module configured to direct sensors as to what function they are to provide; a mission management module configured to provide execute function capabilities; an effects management module configured to provide launching and directing weapons to their target capabilities; a vehicle management module; a situation awareness management module configured to provide correlate sensor data of objects, threats, targets, geographic points of interest that the pilot requires in the immediate environment; a communications management module; an information management module configured to provide a database of intelligence-related data; a middleware module configured to interface with the sensor management module, the mission management module, the effects management module, the vehicle management module, the situation awareness management module, the communications management module, and the information management module.
US08977397B2
A method includes: forming an imaginary wall at a position spaced apart and outward from feet of the robot when the robot is in a double-leg-support state; kinetically calculating a variation in a distance between a body of the robot and the imaginary wall and a variation in a speed of the body of the robot relative to the imaginary wall using an angle of a joint and lengths of links of the robot; applying the variation in the distance and the variation in the speed to an imaginary spring-damper model formed between the body of the robot and the imaginary wall, and calculating an imaginary reaction force required by the body of the robot; and converting the calculated reaction force into a drive torque required by the body of the robot using a Jacobian transposed matrix.
US08977396B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a robotic assistant comprising a projector for projecting media on a surface, a sensor for sensing the media, and a motion control module for moving the robotic assistant.
US08977395B2
A first coordinate system CA of the hand unit, a second coordinate system CB of the first workpiece, and a third coordinate system CC of a second workpiece in a camera coordinate system are calculated (S2, S3, and S4). First and second coordinate transformation matrices ATB and ATC are calculated (S5 and S6). Coordinate data of a target point is set in the coordinate system of the first workpiece (S7). Coordinate data of an instruction point is set in the coordinate system of the second workpiece (S8). The coordinate data of the target point is subjected to coordinate transformation using the first coordinate transformation matrix ATB (S9). The coordinate data of the instruction point is subjected to coordinate transformation using the second coordinate transformation matrix ATC (S10). Operation instructions are generated using the converted coordinate data (S11).
US08977391B2
A method and apparatus comprising a location reference system and a control module. The location reference system is configured to generate location information for a number of mobile platforms in an environment. The control module is configured to receive the location information for the number of mobile platforms from the location reference system. The control module is further configured to generate command signals for the number of mobile platforms using the location information. The control module is further configured to send the command signals to the number of mobile platforms to operate the number of mobile platforms in the environment such that operation of the number of mobile platforms emulates the operation of a number of spacecraft systems in a non-Earth terrestrial environment.
US08977390B2
A dispensing station comprises beneficial products for patients of a health care provider. An inventory database tracks inventory available in the dispensing station. A patient is associated with a prescription record, which specifies a prescribed beneficial product. The patient may provide patient identifying information to the dispensing station, such as credentialed payment information, which may be used to identify a prescription record, authenticate the patient, transfer a payment, and/or dispense the prescribed beneficial product to the patient. The prescription record may be valid for a limited time period, may be restricted to fulfillment within a particular location, and/or may be restricted to one or more specified dispensing stations. The dispensing station may validate the beneficial products before dispensing the products to the patient.
US08977387B2
A system for managing semiconductor production includes a conveyor to convey a wafer carrier to or from an overhead hoist transfer system. The system also includes a cross-system transport apparatus to transfer the wafer carrier between the conveyor and an overhead shuttle system.
US08977380B2
The memory stores computer-readable instructions causing the sewing machine to perform operations including: extracting feature points of a design based on a captured image; extracting feature points of a unit design; generating feature points of a symmetrical design; cross-checking the extracted feature points of the design and the generated feature points of the symmetrical design; determining an arrangement of an embroidery pattern with respect to the symmetrical design; and causing a sewing portion to sew the embroidery pattern.
US08977379B2
In one aspect, a method of polishing includes polishing a substrate, and receiving an identification of a selected spectral feature and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing. The method includes measuring a sequence of spectra of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, where at least some of the spectra of the sequence differ due to material being removed during the polishing. The method of polishing includes determining a value of a characteristic of the selected spectral feature for each of the spectra in the sequence of spectra to generate a sequence of values for the characteristic, fitting a function to the sequence of values, and determining either a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the function.
US08977378B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for using hieroglyphs for communication in a rapid fabrication environment. The method includes receiving, by a control system for an articulated robotic arm, one or more images of a fabrication machine build space. The method includes identifying, by the control system, a hieroglyph present in the one or more images and translating the identified hieroglyph into one or more instructions for manipulation of the articulated robotic arm. The method includes causing the articulated robotic arm to carry out the instructions translated from the identified hieroglyph. Accordingly foreign objects are inserted into fabricated objects during an automated rapid fabrication process without extensive redesign of the rapid fabrication machine. In some implementations, an unmodified third-party stereolithographic rapid fabrication machine can be used.
US08977377B2
In various embodiments, digital manufacturing of jewelry items is provided, including a physical process and software automation for implementing the physical process. Further, models formed during the process, as well as the resultant jewelry items, are provided. In some embodiments, the method comprises forming a digital model of the jewelry item, forming a physical model of the jewelry item based on the digital model, and manufacturing the jewelry item in a lost wax process using the physical model.
US08977374B1
Described herein are methods and system for analyzing music audio. An example method includes obtaining a music audio track, calculating acoustic features of the music audio track, calculating geometric features of the music audio track in view of the acoustic features, and determining a mood of the music audio track in view of the geometric features.
US08977373B2
A control system is disclosed. The control system may have a physical sensor that may output a physical output value, and a virtual sensor network that may output a virtual output value. The control system may also have an electronic control module that may be configured to receive the physical output value from the physical sensor and receive the virtual output value from the virtual sensor. The electronic control module may be further configured to determine a trust level of the physical sensor based on the physical output value, and determine that the trust level of the physical sensor is below a first threshold trust value. The electronic control module may control a machine based on the virtual output value responsive to determining that the trust level of the physical sensor is below the first threshold trust value.
US08977359B2
A real time, heart rate monitor and a hemodynamic monitoring system are operably integrated with the programmer system for an implantable hypertension treatment device. A series of tests are automatically performed to set programmable parameters for the implantable hypertension treatment device without clinician intervention. In one embodiment, a predetermined level of a dose-response evaluation is initiated for each test in the series. Preferably, the programmer system monitors the heart rate to determine whether a hemodynamic measurement should be initiated at all for a given test, as well as whether the hemodynamic measurement should be initiated earlier or later than a predetermined settling period for assessing the sympathetic nervous response to the test dose. In one embodiment, this determination is based on heart rate stability/instability. Alternatively, other indicators of sympathetic/parasympathetic tone, such as heart rate variability, may be used to trigger/delay the timing of the hemodynamic measurement.
US08977358B2
An electrode stimulation delivery system is described having a unit and a network of wireless remote electrodes configured for implantation within a plurality of spaced apart locations in the tissue, e.g. myocardium, of a patient. The control unit is configured to be positioned at or subcutaneous to the patient's skin, and includes a processor, an antenna configured for delivering RF energy in proximity to the plurality of wireless remote electrodes, and programming executable on the processor for wirelessly communicating to the network of wireless remote electrodes via the delivered RF energy to individually control pacing of the plurality of wireless remote electrodes. Each of the plurality of wireless remote electrodes comprises a metamaterial-based biomimetic harvesting antenna comprising a Van Atta array zero-phase transmission lines to receive the RF energy to power activation of the plurality of wireless remote electrodes.
US08977352B2
The present invention involves systems and related methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments, including the use of neurophysiology-based monitoring to: (a) determine nerve proximity and nerve direction to surgical instruments employed in accessing a surgical target site; (b) assess the pathology (health or status) of a nerve or nerve root before, during, or after a surgical procedure; and/or (c) assess pedicle integrity before, during or after pedicle screw placement, all in an automated, easy to use, and easy to interpret fashion so as to provide a surgeon-driven system.
US08977349B2
A system is disclosed having a storage, a communications module for interacting with a medical measurement device, an analysis controller, and a test module that allows for the testing and evaluating of decision-support algorithms. A method for testing decision-support algorithms is disclosed having the steps of receiving into storage of a ruggedized, compact computer at least one decision-support algorithm; detecting with a communications module the initiation of a vital-sign monitoring session; receiving and storing vital-sign information into storage by the communications module; pushing the stored vital-sign information by an analysis controller to a test module running the stored at least one decision-support algorithm; and providing at least one output from the decision-support algorithm to at least one of a database and a display.
US08977346B2
A mechanism of quantitative dual-spectrum IR imaging (QDS-IR) system for examining the breast cancer is reported. The major mechanism of the system is a pair of long-wave Infra-red (LIR) and middle-wave Infra-red (MIR) cameras with the keen temperature sensitivity and the high spatial resolution. The optical axes of cameras are calibrated by the help of two calibration makers set up on the seat for carrying an object to make them parallel to each other and locate on the same level. The design provides an imaging system with the high reproducibility supported by 7 free degrees and the high adjustability. The proposed system could ensure the positions of the object and two cameras are the same at the different time points and find the best relative positions between the seat and two cameras for the objects with different body types. Therefore, it has potential ability to detect breast cancer or monitor the effect of chemotherapy.
US08977337B2
A photoacoustic diagnostic apparatus having a light source, a probe which receives an acoustic wave generated when light is directed onto an object from a light source and which converts the acoustic wave into an electrical signal, a memory unit which records the electrical signal and a memory control unit which controls whether or not to cause the memory unit to record the electrical signal. The memory control unit controls the memory unit on the basis of a timing at which the probe receives an acoustic wave generated from a portion other than a light absorbing material inside an object.
US08977336B2
A distributed medical sensing system including a first body sensing device configured to sense medical characteristics, the first body sensing device being located in a first sterile field and a second body sensing device configured to sense medical characteristics, the second body sensing device being located in a second sterile field, the second sterile field being spaced from the first sterile field. The system also includes a computing device outside of the first and second sterile fields and communicatively coupled to the first and second body sensing devices, the computing device configured to respectively receive first and second medical characteristic data from the first and second body sensing devices, process the first and second medical characteristic data, and transmit the processed first and second medical characteristic data to respective first and second user interface devices.
US08977330B2
An in-vehicle apparatus links up with a mobile device that executes an application. A memory of the in-vehicle apparatus stores acoustic data of a sound relevant to the application, and a receiver receives a direction signal transmitted from the mobile device at a timing specified by the application. An output part of the in-vehicle apparatus outputs the sound based on the acoustic data stored in the memory via a speaker in response to the direction signal received by the receiver.
US08977321B2
The present invention includes a device, method, and user interface for providing optimized entry of alphanumeric text. In one form, a method for providing selectable characters within a user interface includes determining an operating mode of a communication device and receiving an input associated with a selected input key. The method determines a group of characters associated with the selected key based on the operating mode and displays the group of characters within the user interface. The user interface may display a first character of the group of characters within a first portion of the user interface and the group of characters proximal to the first character within a second portion of the user interface.
US08977320B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, a display carried by the housing, a wireless transceiver carried by the housing, a display navigation input device carried by the housing and including an antenna and an oscillation circuit coupled to the antenna, and a controller coupled to the display, wireless transceiver, and display navigation input device.
US08977315B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for a compact and power efficient local oscillator generation architecture in multi-standard systems may include selection of an input frequency range of operation at a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) based on a particular wireless band of operation. An image rejection mixer may be enabled to mix a plurality of generated local oscillator signals. An inductive buffer may be enabled to generate an output signal by buffering the mixed plurality of generated local oscillator signals in a single backend stage. An in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component of the generated output signal may be generated by utilizing an RC-CR quadrature network.
US08977313B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for setting uplink power-control parameters for a cell within a wireless network. During operation, the system receives parameters associated with uplink power for a plurality of user devices within the cell over a predetermined time interval, and averages the received parameters over the user devices and the predetermined time interval to obtain an averaged parameter. The system then determines a set of power-control parameters for the cell based on the averaged parameter, and sends the set of power-control parameters to the user devices to allow the user devices to control transmission power using the set of power-control parameters.
US08977304B2
A method, performed by a mobile communication device, may include receiving a message; extracting one or more features associated with the message; and determining a priority level for the message, based on the extracted one or more features, using a model that relates the extracted one or more features to an expected response time for the message. The method may further include determining a context associated with the user of the mobile communication device; modifying the priority level based on the determined context; and providing the message to a list of messages based on the modified priority level. Additionally, the user may be provided with a notification tone associated with the modified priority level.
US08977302B1
At least one call paging message is sent to a wireless device to establish a call session with the wireless device, and it is determined whether a response is received from the wireless device to any of the at least one call paging message. When the call session is not established and a voice message is received which is intended for the wireless device, a timer comprising a timer value is initiated, wherein the timer value is based on a number of the at least one call paging message sent to the wireless device and whether a response is received from the wireless device to any of the at least one call paging message. A voice message page is sent to the wireless device when the timer expires, and a channel is established with the wireless device to provide the voice message to the wireless device.
US08977294B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium for securely locating a mobile device. In one implementation, a method is provided. The method includes receiving first information from a first device, where the first information is usable to identify a geographic location of the first device. The first information is verified as originating from the first device. A first request for the geographic location of the first device is received, where the first request includes second information associated with a user associated with the first device. The geographic location of the first device is provided to the user at a second device.
US08977281B2
In a method for communication by radio afrequency band that is subdivided into a plurality of subbands is used. Subbands are occupied by radio stations for sending signals. Before sending a signal, a radio station carries out a filtering operation by using a filter function and sends the signal on at least one subband. A parameter of the filter function depends on the occupation of at least one subband adjacent to the at least one subband.
US08977272B2
A mobile communication system includes a first radio control device that manages a first cell, a second radio control device that manages a second cell, and a third radio control device. The second cell is set as a handover destination cell of the first cell. The third radio control device manages the second cell as a redundant configuration of the second radio control device. The third radio control device notifies the first radio control device of the third radio control device managing the second cell as the redundant configuration of the second radio control device. The first radio control device sets so that the third radio control device manages the second cell as the redundant configuration of the second radio control device.
US08977260B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods that prevent clone devices from registering with a wireless communication network. In a particular embodiment, a wireless device exchanges communications with a wireless communication network during an initial period of time. The wireless device transfers an initial location of the wireless device during the initial period of time to an authorization system for the wireless communication network. During a second period of time, the wireless device transfers a registration request indicating a confirmation location and a location of the wireless device during the second period of time to the authorization system. The authorization system processes the registration request to validate the confirmation location based on the initial location. If the confirmation location is validated based on the initial location, then the authorization system allows the wireless device to access the wireless communication network during the second period of time.
US08977254B2
A method for device configuration is described comprising storing information about whether a mobile communication system comprising a mobile communication device operates correctly when a configuration is applied in a context of a configuration history to the mobile communication device; receiving a request for a configuration to be applied to mobile communication devices; and determining a configuration to be applied to the mobile communication devices based on the stored information.
US08977251B2
In general, apparatuses, methods and computer program products for transferring content to a mobile device are disclosed. Particularly, a system is disclosed that provides for pushing content from an external apparatus such as an automated teller machine (ATM), smart poster, contactless payment terminal, etc. to a mobile device or allowing the mobile device to pull such content from the external apparatus. The content may include one or more coupons, ads, or offers, images, financial receipts, account-related documentation, a reissued card, a new card, a prepaid card, or the like.
US08977249B2
A method in one embodiment includes receiving, by a mobile client device, an incoming call sent by a caller, a caller ID being associated with the incoming call. A node connected to a packet-based network is accessed to obtain information about the caller. Information about the caller is then received from the node by the mobile client device. This information is applied to a set of client rules that selects a specific ring tone from a plurality of ring tones stored on the mobile client device. Finally, the specific ring tone is generated on the mobile client device to announce the incoming call.
US08977245B2
An information-processing apparatus includes a communication unit that receives a telephone call from a telephone number of a calling party. The communication unit transmits a transmission of the telephone number to a search engine when the communication unit receives the telephone call. Further, the communication unit receives a result from the search engine after the transmission of the telephone number. The information-processing apparatus also includes a processing unit that determines whether a communication should be conducted with the calling party, by performing a textual search of the result for a plurality of predetermined words.
US08977244B2
The present invention provides an extensible phone application that uses extensions to interact with other applications executing in a mobile communication device. The extensible phone application is operable to handle wireless communication for the mobile communication device. Another application may interact with the extensible phone application by incorporating an extension. The extensible phone application enables the extension to register with the phone application for receiving a notification associated with an event. In response to the event, the extensible phone application sends the notification to the extension.
US08977242B1
A method and apparatus are provided for presenting multimedia content to caller and/or a called party in association with a telephone call. Content may be presented pre-ring (before the called party's telephone rings), in-call and/or post-call. Content presented to a party may be related to or selected by another party participating in the call, or may be related to a third party (e.g., an advertiser that paid for the ability to have its content presented). Presented content may be actuable, and allow a caller to change the destination of a call, take advantage of an offer presented to him, redeem a coupon, schedule or queue a subsequent call, etc. To find a desired destination party, a caller may initiate a manual or automatic search of his local contacts (on his telephone) and/or a central or global directory or contact list.
US08977239B2
A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for processing registration and authentication procedures by an IP-based femtocell system are provided. In one embodiment, the femtocell system includes a base transceiver station and a Session Initiation Protocol to Internet Operating System adapter. The femtocell system issues a location update request on behalf of a user equipment, transmits a register message to a core network, receives an authentication request from the core network, and transmits an authentication challenge to the user equipment.
US08977231B2
Embodiments provide a schema for representing data usage plans and data usage statistics. The data usage plan describes threshold values associated with network connections of computing devices of the user. A web service dynamically generates data usage statistics for the computing devices to represent data consumed by the computing devices under the data usage plan. The schema is updated with the data usage statistics and distributed to the computing devices for presentation to the user.
US08977230B2
Embodiments relating to an interactive personal surveillance and security (IPSS) system are provided for one or more users carrying one or more respective wireless personal communication devices (WCDs) that are capable of capturing and sending surveillance information (e.g., video, images, audio, sensor data, etc.) to one or more remotely located servers (RLSs). From the information, the RLSs can identify and secure dangerous environments, encounters, etc., and log events or take other actions. In some embodiments, the RLS is designed to follow user-definable parameters that establish the level or type of interactivity and that determine when alarms or messages to third parties are needed.
US08977217B1
Embodiments provide a switching device including one or more field-effect transistors (FETs). In embodiments, a negative bias circuit is configured to generate a negative voltage signal based on a radio frequency (RF) signal applied to the circuit. When the FET is in an off state, the negative voltage signal is provided to a gate terminal of the FET.
US08977216B2
A wireless device is described. The wireless device includes a tunable front end module. The tunable front end module includes a Tx microelectromechanical system bandpass filter. The tunable front end module also includes a first Rx microelectromechanical system bandpass filter. The wireless device also includes a power amplifier. The wireless device further includes a low noise amplifier.
US08977213B2
While a mobile station is in a reduced power state, the mobile station determines whether the mobile station has up-to-date neighbor cell information. In response to determining that the mobile station does not have up-to-date neighbor cell information, the mobile station transitions from the reduced power state to a higher power state, so that the mobile station can receive a message identifying neighbor cells.
US08977203B2
Of a wireless communication system, an RF tag which can operate normally even when a communication distance is extremely short, like the case where the RF tag is in contact with a reader/writer, whereby the reliability is improved. The RF tag which communicates data by wireless communication includes a comparison circuit which compares electric power supplied from outside with reference electric power and a protection circuit portion which is operated when the electric power supplied from outside is higher than the reference electric power in the comparison circuit.
US08977201B1
A computer-implemented method for communication between a first mobile device and a second mobile device using near field communication (NFC) is presented. The method includes determining, at the first mobile device, whether NFC is enabled with the second mobile device. The method includes determining, at the first mobile device, whether a share command has been initiated, the share command associated with an email to be shared with the second mobile device. The method includes sending a first identifier from the first mobile device to the second mobile device via an NFC transmission. The method includes receiving, at the first mobile device, a second identifier from the second mobile device, the second identifier comprising user information related to (i) a second user and (ii) the email to be shared. The method includes associating the second user as a recipient to the email to be shared.
US08977187B2
A post-processing device supplies a recoding medium when a punching unit is determined to have failed. The post-processing device allows the recording medium to be supplied to a stapling unit if passage of the recording medium supplied to the punching unit through an arrangement position of a second sensor is detected within a first time period after detection of passage of the recoding medium through an arrangement position of a first sensor.
US08977186B2
A drive transmission system includes a drive source and a gear. The drive source includes a rotating shaft, a magnet supported by the rotating shaft, and plural electromagnets. The plural electromagnets are arranged in a circumferential direction of the rotating shaft, and surround the magnet. The drive source drives the rotating shaft to rotate by a predetermined rotation angle by exciting at least one of the plural electromagnets in accordance with an input of an input signal and by periodically changing a magnetic pole to which each of the plural electromagnets is excited in response to an input of the input signal. The gear is supported by the rotating shaft.
US08977183B2
A cleaning device includes a case, a rotating member, a sheet member, and a cover member. The rotating member includes a peripheral face which comes into contact with the cylindrical face of an image carrier, is rotatively driven in a same direction as the image carrier at a contact position, and recovers a toner which has attached on the image carrier. The sheet member extends toward a direction approaching a straight line that connects the rotating axis of the image carrier and the contact position of the rotating member, and includes a leading end which comes into contact with the cylindrical face. The cover member is provided in the case so as to cover an upside of the sheet member, extends toward the direction approaching the straight line, and reaches a position above the leading end of the sheet member.
US08977181B2
According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an image erasing unit, and a control unit. The image forming unit performs an image forming process of forming an image on an image bearing body by a toner and transferring the toner image from the image bearing body onto a recording medium, and a refresh process of forming an image on the image bearing body by a toner and removing the toner image from the image bearing body. The control unit controls the image forming unit such that the image forming unit performs the refresh process together with the erasing process performed by the erasing unit.
US08977170B2
An image forming apparatus includes a toner case containing a toner and an installed member in which the toner case is installed. The toner case has a case main body in which rotating members are installed, and a following coupling. The case main body has a discharge port discharging the toner. The following coupling is connected to the rotating member and has a pressured part. The installed member has a drive coupling and a drive source rotating the drive coupling. The drive coupling is linked to the following coupling and has a pressuring part. The drive coupling and following coupling are rotated in the same rotation direction around the same rotation axis by pressuring the pressured part by the pressuring part. The pressured part is provided so as to come close to the rotation axis from an upper stream side to a lower stream side in the rotation direction.
US08977161B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, an exposure unit, and a main housing. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the image bearing member. The exposure unit includes an optical device that irradiates the image bearing member with light to form the electrostatic latent image, and a housing that defines a storage space in which the optical device is located. The main housing includes a partition wall that divides an inner space of the main housing into a first space in which the image bearing member is located and a second space in which the exposure unit is located. The housing includes a first opening wall having a first opening through which the storage space communicates with the second space. The optical device irradiates the image bearing member with light through the first opening.
US08977149B2
An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit configured to form an image on the image bearing member, a transfer unit configured to transfer the image on the image bearing member to a recording material, a conveyance unit configured to convey the recording material to the transfer unit, a controller configured to form a test sheet by causing a test image to be formed on the image bearing member such that the test image has a predetermined density and causing the test image to be transferred to the recording material, and a determination unit configured to determine a conveyance speed of the recording material such that a density difference between a density of the test image on the test sheet and the predetermined density is less than or equal to a threshold value.
US08977148B2
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable image carrier that carries a toner image having a length corresponding to at least a circumferential length of the carrier; an image density detector that detects a density of the image; a potential detector that detects, over at least the circumferential length, a surface potential of the carrier before toner adheres thereto; a first image forming device that adjusts the density with a first factor, and forms an image based on a first condition of the first factor; a second image forming device that adjusts the density with a second factor, and forms an image based on a second condition of the second factor; a first determining device that determines the first condition based on uneven density; and a second determining device that determines the second condition based on uneven density and a potential distribution of the surface potential.
US08977143B2
An image forming apparatus forms a pattern image on a first printing medium and creates a first image processing condition for adjusting a tone characteristic based on a first luminance value. When performing the calibration using a second printing medium different from the first printing medium, the apparatus corrects, based on a luminance value of a background region of the second printing medium, a second luminance value output in accordance with light reflected by the second printing medium, and creates the first image processing condition based on the corrected second luminance value.
US08977142B2
A malfunction inferring apparatus includes an obtaining unit and an inferring unit. The obtaining unit obtains, from a first image forming apparatus and a second image forming apparatus which are used alternatively with each other by plural users, a first usage status of the first image forming apparatus and a second usage status of the second image forming apparatus. If a first change occurs in the first usage status and if a second change corresponding to the first change occurs in the second usage status, the inferring unit infers that a malfunction has occurred in any one of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus, in accordance with the first usage status and the second usage status obtained by the obtaining unit.
US08977140B2
An optical receiver includes: an interference unit generating a first interference light signal (ILS1) and a second interference light signal (ILS2) with an approximately inverse phase to that of the first interference light signal, by causing a received light signal to interfere with local oscillator light; a first interference light subtraction unit generating a first interference light subtraction signal (ILSS1) representing the difference between signals obtained by photoelectric conversion of ILS1 and a local oscillator light proportional signal having light intensity based on the light intensity of the local oscillator light; a second interference light subtraction unit generating a second interference light subtraction signal (ILSS2) representing the difference between a signal obtained by photoelectric conversion of ILS2 and the signal obtained by photoelectric conversion of the local oscillator light proportional signal; and a difference output unit outputting a signal representing the difference between ILSS1 and ILSS2.
US08977120B2
In an apparatus for accommodating and multiplexing asynchronous client signals in which an idle signal is defined, the transmission side transmits client signals after synchronizing the client signals by inserting or removing, with reference to a specific client signal, an idle signal to/from the same type of another client signal, and in the receiving side, a PLL part is shared by recovering a clock from a client signal and distributing the clock for another client signal.
US08977118B2
In a variable magnification viewfinder device, information displayed on a liquid crystal panel and a viewfinder image are combined with each other through a prism. When a variable power lens is inserted in a viewfinder optical path, viewfinder magnification is changed. Based on the change in the viewfinder magnification, brightness of a backlight unit is changed and luminance of the information displayed on the liquid crystal panel is changed. In a viewfinder field of view, the information and the viewfinder image are displayed at substantially the same brightness.
US08977100B2
According to one embodiment, a video server reads a first type of video signal for one screen from a memory address related to a screen based on a clock pulse if first information in order to read the first type of video signal from the memory device with the first predetermined time interval and the clock pulse are received, and reads a second type of video signal for integral multiple screens from the playback controller in order to read the second type of video signal from the memory device with a changing point of the clock pulse level if the second information from the playback controller in order to read the second type of video signal from the memory device with the first predetermined time interval and the clock pulse are received.
US08977096B2
An optical fiber suitable for high-capacity transmission having a large effective core area, a low bending loss, and capable of single mode operation at 1550 nm is provided. The optical fiber 10 has an effective core area ≧175 μm2 at 1550 nm, a bending loss ≦10 dB/m at a bending diameter of 20 mm at 1550 nm, and a cut-off wavelength λc≦1550 nm. The optical fiber has a first core 11 at the center, which has a refractive index higher than that of the cladding 13; and a second core 12 around the first core 11, which has a refractive index lower than that of the cladding 13; a primary medium portion; and secondary medium portions, which have a refractive index lower than that of the primary medium portion and the secondary medium portions have a plurality of first secondary medium portions 15 around the first core 11 and a plurality of second secondary medium portions 16 around the first core 11 and outside of the first secondary medium portions 15.
US08977093B2
The present invention relates to a multimode optical fiber having a structure for stably reducing eccentricity relative to an insert hole of a connector ferrule to be mounted at an end thereof, wherein a fiber outer diameter of the multimode optical fiber along its longitudinal direction varies periodically in a range of ±0.5 μm with respect to a target fiber outer diameter.
US08977081B2
A polarization splitter includes a substrate, an asymmetric Y-shaped waveguide, and a pair of strip-shaped electrodes. The substrate is made of a birefringence crystal and includes a surface. The Y-shaped waveguide is formed into the surface and includes an input section for transmitting both transverse electric wave and transverse magnetic wave, a first branch for only transmitting the transverse electric wave, and a second branch for only transmitting the transverse magnetic wave. The first branch and the second branch branch off the input section. The electrodes are positioned on the surface, arranged at two opposite sides of the input section and substantially parallel with a central axis of the input section.
US08977080B2
The present invention relates to a multiplexer/demultiplexer with a connection for inputting and/or outputting an optical signal which has signal components of different wavelengths, a carrier plate (8) with at least one wavelength-sensitive element (11), a focussing member (13) with at least two focussing elements (14, 14′) as well as a detector or signal-generator plate (1), on which at least two detectors (4) or signal generators are arranged. To achieve this object, it is proposed according to the invention that both carrier plate (8) and focussing member (13) are connected to the detector or signal-generator plate (1).
US08977079B2
By steering wanted diffraction orders within a concentrated angular region and steering all unwanted diffraction orders outside that region, a wavelength selective switch achieves high port isolation and densely spaced ports. N inputs receive an optical signal. Optics spatially separate and direct wavelength channels from the signal. A phased array switching engine comprising cells steers a wanted diffraction order of each spatially separated wavelength channel from each cell at an angle within a concentrated angular region relative to the PASE, and steers all unwanted diffraction orders of spatially separated wavelength channels from cells outside the concentrated angular region. Optics direct each wanted diffraction order to one of N outputs in accordance with the steering of the wanted diffraction orders by the PASE. The concentrated angular region is defined by a largest and smallest steering angle wherein the largest steering angle is a margin less than the smallest steering angle.
US08977073B2
Disclosed is an apparatus to blend a high dynamic range (HDR) image or a plurality of images captured with different exposure settings to multiple images, and a method thereof. A multiple image blender receives a high dynamic range (HDR) image or a plurality of images captured with different exposure settings, and controls setting of one or more areas of interest or setting of one or more gradation levels, and combines and blends the HDR image or the plurality of images captured with different exposure settings corresponding to each area of interest or at each gradation level, and generates at least one multi-exposure image.
US08977067B1
A method is described that includes producing an audio spectrogram from a target sample, generating a number of fingerprints based on the audio spectrogram, comparing the series of fingerprints to samples in a data repository using wavelet coefficients, and identifying the target sample based on the matches found in the data repository.
US08977065B2
A first set of reconstruction data includes a symbol specifying an attribute setting of a parent element in a rendition of the signal at a first level of quality. The attribute setting can be one of multiple attribute settings of the parent element indicating how to configure the parent element for the rendition of the signal at a first level of quality. A signal processor divides the parent element into multiple sub-elements to reconstruct the signal at a second, higher level of quality. The signal processor utilizes the rendition of the signal at the first level of quality and the attribute setting of the parent element as specified by the symbol (at the first level of quality) to produce a default attribute setting for one or more respective sub-elements (into which the parent element is divided) unless reconstruction data to reconstruct the signal at a higher level of quality specifies a different attribute setting for the respective sub-elements.
US08977056B2
Faces in images are quickly detected with minimal memory resource usage. Instead of calculating a Haar-like feature value by subtracting the average pixel intensity value in one rectangular region from the average pixel intensity value in another, adjacent rectangular region, a face-detection system calculates that Haar-like feature value by dividing the average pixel intensity value in one rectangular region by the average pixel intensity value in another adjacent rectangular region. Thus, each Haar-like value is calculated as a ratio of average pixel intensity values rather than as a difference between such average pixel intensity values. The feature values are calculated using this ratio-based technique both during the machine-learning procedure, in which the numerical ranges for features in known face-containing images are learned based on labeled training data, and during the classifier-applying procedure, in which an unlabeled image's feature values are calculated and compared to the previously machine-learned numerical ranges.
US08977048B2
An encoding method, medium, and system encoding an image, with an image being encoded by generating a plurality of image slices as images of each color component of the image and encoding the image slices in parallel with each other and independently of each other. Accordingly, although an image to be encoded has a large number of color components, the image can be compressed promptly. In addition, a decoding method, medium, and system are also provided decoding an image, with a plurality of encoded image slices being included in a corresponding bitstream, which are images of each color component of the image to be restored, are decoded in parallel with each other and independently of each other so as to restore the image using the decoded image slices. Accordingly, although an image to be decoded has a large number of color components, the image can be restored promptly.
US08977045B2
A recognition method includes: retrieving a component image from an image source; utilizing SVD (singular value decomposition) to decompose the component image; and utilizing the decomposed component image for image recognition. In an embodiment, the recognition method further includes: utilizing a light compensation method to calculate at least one light compensation coefficient; utilizing the light compensation coefficient to process the component image to obtain a light-compensated component image; and utilizing the light-compensated component image for image recognition.
US08977040B2
A method and apparatus to generate an object descriptor using extended curvature gabor filters. The method and apparatus may increase a recognition rate of even a relatively small image with use of an extended number of curvature gabor filters having controllable curvatures and may reduce the amount of calculation required for face recognition by performing the face recognition using only some of the extended curvature gabor filters which have a great effect on the recognition rate. The object descriptor generating method includes extracting gabor features from an input object image by applying a plurality of curvature gabor filters, generated via combination of a plurality of curvatures and a plurality of Gaussian magnitudes, to the object image, and generating an object descriptor for object recognition by projecting the extracted features onto a predetermined base vector.
US08977037B1
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for creating stereoscopic images. A left-eye view image for a stereoscopic image and an imperfect right-eye view image may be received. A smooth optical flow may be generated from the received image representing the left-eye view to the imperfect image representing the right-eye view to produce a first candidate right-eye view. Objects are identified in the imperfect image, and merged into the first candidate right-eye view image to create a right-eye view image. A stereoscopic image is created from the left-eye view image and right-eye view image.
US08977023B2
Methods, systems and computer program products for managing frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) image resolution. A spectrum used to acquire an image of a subject is calibrated and default dispersion correction parameters are set. Default dispersion management parameters associated with a region of the image of the subject are also set. The image of the subject is acquires after setting the default dispersion correction parameters and the default dispersion management parameters. A quality of the acquired image is compared to a quality metric for the acquired image. The dispersion correction parameters are adjusted if the quality of the acquired image does not meet or exceed the quality metric for the acquired image. The acquired image is reprocesses based on the adjusted dispersion correction parameters. The steps of comparing, adjusting and reprocessing are repeated until the acquired image meets or exceeds the quality metric for the acquired image.
US08977019B2
A computer-aided detection system to detect clustered microcalcifications in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is disclosed. The system performs detection in 2D images and a reconstructed 3D volume. The system may include an initial prescreening of potential microcalcifications by using one or more 3D calcification response function (CRF) values modulated by an enhancement method to identify high response locations in the DBT volume as potential signals. Microcalcifications may be enhanced using a Multi-Channel Enhancement method. Locations detected using these methods can be identified and the potential microcalcifications may be extracted. The system may include object segmentation that uses region growing guided by the enhancement-modulated CRF values, gray level voxel values relative to a local background level, or the original DBT voxel values. False positives may be reduced by descriptors of characteristics of microcalcifications. Detected locations of clusters and a cluster significance rating of each cluster may be output and displayed.
US08977010B2
A method for discriminating between a real face and a two-dimensional reproduction of the face, in a biometric detection process, the method comprising: (a) making at least two digital recordings of the face or its reproduction in time sequence, one after the other; (b) dividing each of the recordings into a number of image components wherein each image component comprises a number of pixels; (c) determining the displacement of the individual image components from the first recording to the second recording by correlation and generating a displacement vector field therefrom; and (d) analyzing the displacement vector field for determining whether the recording has been made from a real face or from its reproduction.
US08977004B2
A system and method of localizing vascular patterns by receiving frames from a video camera, identifying and tracking an object within the frames, determining temporal features associated with the object; and localizing vascular patterns from the frames based on the temporal features associated with the object.
US08976991B2
An earpiece auditory device is described which includes a behind-the-ear component shaped to fit behind the ear of a user. The behind-the-ear component can also have at least one microphone and processing circuitry, where the processing circuitry is used to processes audio signal from the microphone. The device also includes a speaker sized to fit in the ear canal of a user, and an ear mold holding the speaker in place. The ear mold can also be position to touch the bony portion of the ear canal and provide sound attenuation in the ear canal. A connector physically and electrically connects the behind-the-ear component to the speaker. The connector is capable of being used to insert and remove the speaker and ear mold from the ear canal of the user.
US08976985B2
Provided is an acoustic sensor capable of improving an S/N ratio of a sensor without preventing reduction in size of the sensor. A diaphragm 43 as a movable electrode plate is formed on the top surface of a silicon substrate 42. The diaphragm 43 has a rectangular form, and four corners and midsections of long sides of the diaphragm 43 are supported by anchors 46. A displacement of the diaphragm 43 is minimal on a line D that connects between the anchors 46 at the midsections of the long sides. A displacement maximal point G, at which a displacement is maximal, is present on each side of the line D, and the line D extends in a direction intersecting with a line connecting between the displacement maximal points G.
US08976976B2
Electronic devices and accessories such as headsets for electronic devices are provided. A microphone may be included in an accessory to capture sound for an associated electronic device. Buttons and other user interfaces may be included in the accessories. An accessory may have an audio plug that connects to a mating audio jack in an electronic device, thereby establishing a wired communications link between the accessory and the electronic device. The electronic device may include power supply circuitry for applying bias voltages to the accessory. The bias voltages may bias a microphone and may adjust settings in the accessory such as settings related to operating modes. User input information may be conveyed between the accessory and the electronic device using ultrasonic tone transmission. The electronic device may also gather input from the accessory using a voltage detector coupled to lines in the communications path.
US08976973B2
Sound is outputted, without giving the sense of incongruity to the user, even if reproduction of animation is stopped by the user. An animation acquiring section 11 acquires animation data D1 representing an animation generated in advance based on a setting operation by the user, and sound data D2 representing a sound to be reproduced in association with the animation. A sound output control section 12 calculates stop time sound information representing a feature of the sound at a point of time at which reproduction of the animation is stopped, using sound attribute information D4, in response to input of a stop command by the user, and determines a predetermined output method of the sound that matches the animation, based on the calculated stop time sound information, to reproduce the sound by the determined output method.
US08976969B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed in which delay is applied to analog-sourced audio in a radio simulcast when the analog signal initially leads the digital signal. A radio receiver is configured to receive a simulcast radio program broadcast with an analog signal and a digital signal. The program content can be extracted from either the analog or digital signals, with the audio source eventually being blended to the digital signal. Audio is initially provided based on the analog signal. If the analog signal is initially leading the digital signal, delay is applied a data stream corresponding to the analog signal relative to a data stream corresponding to the digital signal. Delay applied to the data stream corresponding to the analog signal is increased at a rate that avoids audio artifacts of the output audio. The blend is performed when the data streams are aligned in time.
US08976963B2
Mobile clients can execute IPv6 applications in an IPv4 environment without the need for any specialized IPv6 hardware or upgrades to the network infrastructure. The architecture provides a seamless, disruption-free connectivity experience for mobile clients. Mobile clients are automatically connected to other mobile clients irrespective of their network connectively, whether wireless, wire line, IPv4, IPv6, public or private. Mobile clients communicate with other mobile clients using a secure, end-to-end IPv6 tunnel. This creates a persistent VPN connection between two clients using software.
US08976960B2
A method and an apparatus that generate a plurality of elements randomly as a split representation of an input used to provide an output data cryptographically representing an input data are described. The input may correspond to a result of a combination operation on the elements. Cryptographic operations may be performed on the input data and the elements to generate a plurality of data elements without providing data correlated with the key. The combination operation may be performed on the data elements for the output data.
US08976956B2
Systems and methods for removing noise from an audible signal are provided. More particularly, a vibration sensor is used to obtain a vibration signal from an environment including a communication device. The signal from the vibration sensor is combined with a signal from a microphone associated with the communication device, to create a modified audible signal. More particularly, a filtering or subtraction process can be performed with respect to the audible signal, at a time corresponding to an event detected as part of the vibration signal. The resulting modified audible signal can have reduced noise as compared to the original audible signal.
US08976948B2
A method, a communication device and a computer program product for displaying caller information are provided. In the present method, when the communication device is in a communication mode, a user interface of the communication mode is displayed, wherein the user interface comprises at least one on-screen button having caller information displaying function. Then, a selecting operation performed on one of the on-screen buttons by a user of the communication device is received, the caller information associated with a caller is retrieved according to the selected on-screen button, and the retrieved caller information is displayed. Thereby, in the present application, the user of the communication device can obtain information about the caller at the same time when the user is communicating with the caller, and accordingly communication is made more convenient.
US08976945B2
Disclosed is a visual IVR directory system for enabling a user to telephonically interact with organizations, the IVR system comprising a database comprising a plurality of organization entries wherein, each organization entry represents a organization registered therewith, each organization entry associated with at least one phone number and an visual IVR menu file, the execution of which leads to the display of a visual IVR menu comprising a plurality of graphical menu icons, the selection of each displays either a graphical submenu, organization information, or establishes an telephonic connection between the user and the organization, the IVR system configured such that, upon determining that a phone number dialed from a telephonic device of the user is listed within the database, the corresponding visual menu file is retrieved from the database and executed on the telephonic device, the telephonic device equipped with a display means.
US08976931B2
A mobile radiography apparatus has a moveable (e.g., wheeled) transport frame and an adjustable column mounted at the frame. A boom apparatus supported by the adjustable column can support an x-ray source. A display at the mobile radiography apparatus is configured to provide an examination procedure for a patient, the examination procedure to include a visual indication that at least one related prior image exists for the examination procedure.
US08976929B2
An apparatus and method for automatically generating radiation treatment planning parameters are disclosed. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a database is constructed that stores: (i) patient data and past treatment plans by expert human planners for these patients, and (ii) optimal treatment plans that are generated using multi-objective optimization and Pareto front search and that represent the best tradeoff opportunities of the patient case, and a predictive model (e.g., a neural network, a decision tree, a support vector machine [SVM], etc.) is then trained via a learning algorithm on a plurality of input/output mappings derived from the contents of the database. During training, the predictive model is trained to identify and infer patterns in the treatment plan data through a process of generalization. Once trained, the predictive model can then be used to automatically generate radiation treatment planning parameters for new patients.
US08976925B2
A cone-beam scanning system scans along a half circle. The reconstruction uses a weighting function which decreases for rows farther from the scan plane to take the redundancy of the projection data into account. Another embodiment uses a circle plus sparse helical scan geometry. Image data can be taken in real time.
US08976923B2
A multislice CT apparatus includes a setting unit, a correcting unit, a filtering unit and a reconstructing unit. The setting unit sets a weighting coefficient in such a way that data on a middle column is weighted high while data on columns on both sides of the middle column is weighted low on a middle channel in a multislice detector, and that a weight given to data on a middle column falls while a weight given to data on both side columns rises as shifting from the middle channel to an end channel. The correcting unit corrects the weighting coefficient in such a way that a weight rises as shifting from a central column to an end column. The filtering unit filters data on the basis of the corrected weighting coefficient in a column direction. The reconstructing unit reconstructs an image on the basis of the filtered data.
US08976917B2
A receiver communicating according to a wireless communication protocol standard for filtering a signal received at a single antenna. The receiver includes filter modules, receiver modules, and a summer. The filter modules receive from antennas multipath components of the signal as transmitted to the receiver. The signal includes bits of data. Each of the filter modules: receives corresponding ones of the multipath components of the signal as received at a respective one of the antennas; and according to the wireless communication protocol standard, filters the signal as received at the respective one of the antennas to generate a filtered signal. The receiver modules respectively receive the filtered signals. Each of the receiver modules combines the multipath components in the respective filtered signal to generate an output signal. Each of the output signals includes a respective version of the bits of data. The summer sums the output signals.
US08976916B2
Disclosed is a dual band receiver which includes an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert a dual band analog RF signal into a dual baseband digital signal; and a first signal extractor configured to generate a first path signal and a second path signal from the dual baseband signal and to extract a first baseband signal using a relative sample delay difference between the first and second path signals, wherein the dual baseband signal includes the first baseband signal and a second baseband signal, the first path signal is a signal obtained by sample delay of the dual baseband signal and then down sampling of a resultant signal, and the second path signal is a signal obtained by down sampling of the dual baseband signal without sample delay.
US08976914B2
A system for correcting gain imbalance and phase imbalance between first (IOUT) and second (QOUT) signals which are 90° out of phase, including circuitry for estimating the phase mismatch (φ) and gain mismatch (Δ) between the first signal and the second signal signals in a plurality of frequency bands. An inverse fast Fourier transform is performed on each of a number of arrays of the phase mismatch estimates and the gain mismatch estimates to generate correction filter coefficients (h[N]) for a N tap correction filter. The N tap correction filter filters an uncorrected value of the second signal to generate a corrected value of the second signal.
US08976908B1
A system including a receiver to receive, over a wireless channel, a packet including a preamble portion that includes a plurality of training fields and a first signal field and a controller to generate a first estimate of the wireless channel based on one or more of the plurality of training fields, and decode the first signal field based on the first estimate. Subsequent to decoding the first signal field, the controller re-encodes the first signal field to generate a second signal field. The controller verifies whether the first signal field was properly decoded by comparing the second signal field to the first signal field prior to being decoded. In response to the first signal field being correctly decoded, the controller generates a second estimate of the wireless channel based on the first signal field as decoded. The second estimate is usable to refine the first estimate.
US08976898B1
An amplification system and an integrated circuit include a bandpass filter and an amplifier. The bandpass filter filters an input digital bitstream or an amplified signal to provide a filtered signal. The bandpass filter exhibits constant input impedance over a passband associated with the input digital bitstream, and a stopband associated with shaped-noise energy, thereby increasing signal-to-noise ratio and/or signal-to-distortion ratio associated with the filtered signal. The amplifier amplifies at least one of the filtered signal and the input digital bitstream to provide the amplified signal. A method of providing amplification includes bandpass filtering an input digital bitstream or an amplified signal to provide a filtered signal, providing constant input impedance over a passband and a stopband by the bandpass filtering, and amplifying at least one of the filtered signal and the input digital bitstream to provide the amplified signal.
US08976897B2
The transmission path of a communication device includes, in part, N upconverters each of which receives M phases of a signal to be transmitted. Each upconverter further receives one of N sets of phases of a LO signal. Each of the N sets includes M phases of the LO signal. The communication device further includes at least one combiner, and N amplifiers each responsive to a different one of the N upconverters to generate N amplified signals. The combiner combines the N amplified signals to generate an output signal. By selecting the gain of one of the amplifiers to be different than the gain of the remaining amplifiers, the undesired harmonics of the signal to be transmitted, caused by non-linearity of the amplifiers, is reduced. Each upconverter optionally includes a multitude of upconverters whose outputs are combined to further reduce the spurious harmonic upconversion products and the counter-intermodulation distortion (IM3).
US08976884B2
A method and apparatus provide antenna array channel feedback. The method can include receiving a first set of channel state information reference signals on resource elements, and a second set of channel state information reference signals on resource elements. The method can include determining a first precoding matrix based on the received first set of channel state information reference signals. The first precoding matrix can be chosen from a first codebook. The method can include determining a second precoding matrix based on the second set of channel state information reference signals. The second precoding matrix can be chosen from a second codebook that is different than the first codebook. The method can include transmitting a representation of at least one of the first precoding matrix and the second precoding matrix.
US08976883B2
Method, receiver and computer program product for processing a signal, wherein the signal is received over a wireless network from a transmitter, the signal comprising a plurality of data streams. A selected one of the data streams is preferentially treated by reporting an adjusted value of a characteristic of the selected data stream to the transmitter and the received signal is decoded using a technique of successively decoding data streams in which the selected data stream is the first data stream to be decoded, a signal corresponding to the selected data stream being removed from the received signal prior to decoding at least one of the unselected data streams in the received signal.
US08976882B2
A precoding weight generation method involves generating a channel matrix having channel state information transmitted as feedback from mobile stations undergoing spatial multiplexing for each cell that base stations manage, and generating precoding weights. When data transmission is targeted for a first mobile station that transmits the channel state information as feedback as well as transmits the channel state information to a weight generation target cell that is a target for generation of precoding weights, precoding weights are generated so as not to suppress interference on a second mobile station that transmits the channel state information as feedback as well as transmits the channel state information to the weight generation target cell, while suppressing interference on a third mobile station that does not transmit the channel state information as feedback except to the weight generation target cell.
US08976879B2
A modulator performs a predetermined operation for making an absolute value of an operation result of at least one element of an input signal greater than 0 on the individual elements of the input signal. The modulator generates post-operation data by associating individual elements of the input signal with individual elements of a data series which is a set of pieces of data which are equal in number to the elements of the input signal and whose absolute values are equal to one another, and multiplying the individual elements of the input signal which are subjected to the predetermined operation by the elements of the data series. An IFFT calculator performs inverse fast Fourier transformation on the post-operation data, and a synthesizer synthesizes operation results from the IFFT calculator to generate a baseband signal. A transmitter generates a transmission signal from the baseband signal and transmits the transmission signal.
US08976876B2
In one embodiment, a configurable communications system accommodates a plurality of different transmission word sizes. In a transmit path, the system inserts a number of padding bits corresponding to missing user-data bits onto the end of an input data sequence to generate a set of data having N bits. The N bits are interleaved and error-correction (EC) encoded to generate parity bits corresponding to an EC codeword. The parity bits are de-interleaved and multiplexed with the input data stream to generate a transmission word. In a receive path, a channel detector recovers channel values corresponding to the transmission word. Padding values, corresponding to the missing-bit locations, are inserted among the channel values. The resulting channel values are interleaved and EC decoded to recover the EC codeword. The data bits of the codeword are de-interleaved, and the padding bits corresponding to the missing channel values are discarded.
US08976874B1
In a modular signal mirroring system each point-to-point RF transceiver end has a controller module coupled to one or more I/O modules. The I/O modules have various input and output circuits. A signal received at the near end is reconstructed at the far end after being transmitted in an RF packet. The reconstructed signal may be the same as the input signal, inverted from the input signal or level-shifted from the input signal. It is representative of the input signal following the input signal's state after a time-quantization latency. Transmission between the two ends is via a periodic transmission controlled in a master slave protocol. If a transmission is not received in a timely manner or, in some systems, if intentional interference with transmissions is detected, the reconstructed signal is forced to a safe state determined by local switch settings. The settings include the last known good state.
US08976873B2
An embodiment relates to performing error concealment of a corrupted block in a video frame, which is capable of performing a real time reconstruction of corrupted blocks which allow to precisely recover small details and fine movements, in particular, the error concealment apparatus and method according to an embodiment selects a replacement block by taking into account the luminance distortion and the motion characteristics of the video sequence. The latter is represented by the distance of the motion vectors chosen as candidate replacements and the average value of the motion vectors of the blocks surrounding the missing block in the current frame.
US08976871B2
A video coding apparatus may be configured to utilize media extractors in a media extractor track that reference two or more non-consecutive network access layer (NAL) units of a separate track. An example apparatus includes a multiplexer to construct a first track including a video sample comprising NAL units, based on encoded video data, wherein the video sample is included in an access unit, construct a second track including an extractor that identifies at least first one of the NAL units in the video sample of the first track, and wherein the extractor identifies a second NAL unit of the access unit, wherein the first identified NAL unit and the second identified NAL unit are non-consecutive, and include the first track and the second track in a video file conforming at least in part to ISO base media file format. The identified NAL units may be in separate tracks.
US08976865B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing a video signal, which can increase the accuracy of the motion vector prediction through motion vector scaling which takes a difference in the temporal distance between reference pictures into consideration. To this end, the present invention provides a video signal processing method and a video signal processing apparatus using the same, and the method comprises the steps of: scaling at least one neighboring partition motion vector for a motion vector prediction of the current partition; scaling the neighboring partition motion vector, which has been selected, when the reference picture of the neighboring partition motion vector is different from the reference picture of the current partition; acquiring a motion vector prediction value of the current partition using the scaled motion vector; and acquiring a motion vector of the current partition using the motion vector prediction value.
US08976860B2
A method and apparatus for motion estimation utilizing adaptive sliding window algorithm, the method includes estimating motion estimation search window size, transferring data from a previous picture relating to the search window, wherein the size of the search window is determined, and calculating motion vector of the current block by block matching the current block with data of the previous picture in search window.
US08976857B2
Various embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to quality-based video encoding. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a video compression system configured to compress a video item at a constant average quality to form compressed video data. Further, the system is configured to compare a bit rate of each portion of a plurality of portions of the compressed video data to a threshold bit rate, and if a bit rate of a selected portion of the compressed video data meets or exceeds the threshold bit rate, then adjust a compression process variable while compressing a segment of the video item corresponding to the selected portion of the compressed video data to reduce the bit rate of the portion of the compressed video data.
US08976849B2
A calibration signal generator for use in a balancing circuit calibration device in a radio receiver, the calibration signal generator comprising: a means of amplifying a clocking signal from a clocking signal generator to provide a first calibration signal; a means of generating a second calibration signal from the clocking signal, the first and second calibration signals being transmissible to a one or more mixing circuits in the balancing circuit calibration device; and a means synchronizing the operation of other circuit elements in the balancing circuit calibration device with the clocking signal; characterized in that the clocking signal generator is present in the radio receiver and used therein for other functions.
US08976846B2
A wireless transmission system includes a wireless HDMI transmitter and a wireless HDMI receiver. The wireless HDMI transmitter includes a carrier oscillator provided for each channel of an HDMI transmission path to output a carrier signal in a millimeter band, an OOK modulator provided for each carrier oscillator to perform on-off keying modulation on a carrier signal outputted by its corresponding carrier oscillator, and an input circuit provided for each channel of the HDMI transmission path to input a digital signal outputted by a source device to the OOK modulator. Radio signals have different planes of polarization from their adjacent channels.
US08976829B2
An edge-emitting semiconductor laser is specified. A semiconductor body includes an active zone suitable for producing electromagnetic radiation. At least two facets on the active zone form a resonator. At least two contact points are spaced apart from one another in a lateral direction by at least one intermediate region and are mounted on an outer face of the semiconductor body.
US08976828B1
A driving method of a laser diode includes setting a bias current, a modulation current, a first target corresponding to a predetermined average power, and a second target corresponding to a predetermined average modulation power; executing a first adjusting current step group; generating a temporary modulation current according to the modulation current; executing a second adjusting current step group; and executing the first adjusting current step group again.
US08976818B2
A communication device transmits a first packet to a first device via a network device, and receives a second packet from the first device. A transmission time between the communication device and the first device is calculated using time indicated by the communication device when the communication device transmitted the first packet, time indicated by the first device when the first device received the first packet, time indicated by the first device when the first device transmitted the second packet, time indicated by the communication device when the communication device received the second packet. A size of the first packet is set so that wait time of the first packet at the network device is within predetermined period. The wait time is calculated by assuming that a third packet transmitted from a second device is inputted to the network device before the first packet is inputted to the network device.
US08976814B2
A method of transporting data from a sending node to a destination node includes processing select data to form a stream of data packets at a sending node for transport to a destination node. The stream including a group of data packets. The group carrying a segment of the select data. The segment including fragments of the select data. The segment associated with a segment identifier. Each fragment associated with a fragment identifier. Each group data packet carries a corresponding fragment, a fragment identification value, a segment identification value, and a verification check value. A last group data packet carries an end of segment value. The method includes transmitting the group of data packets to the destination node, with the last data packet transmitted last such that the transmitting continues without waiting for a segment response message from the destination node between transmissions of the group of data packets.
US08976807B2
Techniques are disclosed for dynamically determining or learning hostnames. According to embodiments described herein, a solicitation message is received at a first network device. Based on the solicitation message, a hostname is determined for a second network device that sent the solicitation message. A first network address is also determined for the second network device that sent the solicitation message. A mapping between the hostname and the first network address is stored at the first network device.
US08976804B1
In a programmable logic device with a number of different types of serial interfaces, different power supply filtering schemes are applied to different interfaces. For interfaces operating at the lowest data rates—e.g., 1 Gbps—circuit-board level filtering including one or more decoupling capacitors may be provided. For interfaces operating at somewhat higher data rates—e.g., 3 Gbps—modest on-package filtering also may be provided, which may include power-island decoupling. For interfaces operating at still higher data rates—e.g., 6 Gbps—more substantial on-package filtering, including one or more on-package decoupling capacitors, also may be provided. For interfaces operating at the highest data rates—e.g., 10 Gbps—on-die filtering, which may include one or more on-die filtering or regulating networks, may be provided. The on-die regulators may be programmably bypassable allowing a user to trade off performance for power savings.
US08976801B2
Disclosed are various embodiments that provide short packet transmission by a network interface controller (NIC). The NIC may receive a signal indicating that a set of buffer descriptors is available for fetching from a host device. The NIC is configured to fetch the set of buffer descriptors from the host device, the set of buffer descriptors comprising a control flag, the control flag indicating whether the set of buffer descriptors comprises immediate packet data; and the NIC may transmit the immediate packet data as a transmit packet if the control flag indicates that the set of buffer descriptors comprises immediate packet data.
US08976788B2
Avoiding duplicative forwarding of multicast traffic is disclosed. A join message received at a first router is directed to a peer router of the first router from a first downstream node of the first router and the peer router without passing through the peer router. The join message indicates that one or more downstream nodes of the peer desire to receive from the peer multicast traffic specified in the join message. It is determined whether the join message from the first downstream node to the peer would result in duplicative forwarding by the peer of multicast traffic from an upstream source upstream of the peer and the first router based on the join message. Based at least in part on a determination that the join message would result in duplicative forwarding of the multicast traffic, an election procedure is initiated to avoid such duplicative forwarding of the multicast traffic.
US08976771B2
A wireless communication device communicable with a first type and a second type of networks based on a first type and a second type wireless setting data respectively, includes: an obtaining section obtaining an identifier of an access point when a detection section detects the disconnection with the second type network through a certain access point; and a trial section trying to connect with the second type network through the certain access point if at least one second type wireless setting data stored in the second storage includes the obtained identifier, and the trial section trying to connect with the first type network through the certain access point any of the second type wireless setting data stored in the second storage does not includes the obtained identifier but the first type wireless setting data stored in the first storage includes the obtained identifier.
US08976768B2
Described herein are systems and techniques related to maintaining wireless connections between stations (STAs). A message is communicated between the STAs to anticipate modulation type that may be used in transmitting a packet under the Wireless Gigabit alliance (WiGig) specification and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ad standard. The message may be used in disabling or enabling automatic gain control (AGC) at a receiving STA end.
US08976749B2
A method and base station for dynamic adjustment of a carrier resource are disclosed. First, a cell-edge traffic volume of a local cell is detected; then, if the cell-edge traffic volume of the local cell is reduced, an idle primary subcarrier resource in the cell is released as a secondary subcarrier according to a degree of reduction of the cell-edge traffic volume and according to a multiple of a predetermined minimum granularity. With it, when the cell-edge traffic volume of the local cell is changed, the allocation of a primary subcarrier and a secondary subcarrier may be adjusted dynamically, which increases a utilization rate of a spectrum and ensures that carrier resources can be utilized properly and adequately.
US08976733B2
A structured wireless mesh network is disclosed where a tree-like connection topology is formed. In one embodiment, each node has separate uplink and downlink radios operating on different channels. When a cluster of such nodes becomes isolated as in the case of a mobile mesh application, a node in the cluster according to this invention acts as a root node thus enabling the tree structure to persist, even in isolation. Example methods of joining sub networks are disclosed that guide the joining of mesh networks and channel management. Nodes that may operate in isolation also support a distributed DHCP capability such that IP addresses are assigned to clients even when a connection to a central DHCP server is unavailable.
US08976727B2
Techniques for improving data rates at mobile terminals that are subject to periodic channel interruptions in a beyond-line-of-sight communication system are disclosed, including improved encoding and decoding systems that identify blockages and modify receiver operation during blockages to reduce data errors. In certain embodiments, encoding, symbol mapping, interleaving, and use of unique periodic identifiers function to enable a series of packets that may be received in a blockage impaired channel with reduced errors.
US08976708B1
A controller in a communication network may be responsible for generating a device model that defines intended forwarding behavior of a network. The device model may be generated using a target-independent universal language of network primitives. The controller may assign a first set of parameters to the device model to generate a first parameterized device model. The controller may assign a second set of parameters to the device model to generate a second parameterized device model. The controller may send the first parameterized device model or the second parameterized device model to a target device. The target device may statically or dynamically translate the received parameterized device model(s) to implementation. The controller is not required to generate a new device model for each modification made to the network: the controller may parameterized a generic device model to reflect the modifications.
US08976707B2
An RF front-end module includes power amplifiers, transmission-side filters, a reception-side filter, and a switch IC. A first transmission signal is output from a first transmission signal input terminal to a first common terminal via the power amplifier and the transmission-side filter. A second transmission signal is output from a second transmission signal input terminal to a second common terminal via the power amplifier and the transmission-side filter. A first reception signal input from the first common terminal and a second reception signal input from the second common terminal are input via the switch IC to the reception-side filter, common to the first and second reception signals, and are output from the reception-side filter to a reception signal output terminal.
US08976698B2
Certain aspects provide methods and apparatus for performing radio link monitoring (RLM) based on channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs). Such RLM may be performed for certain carriers, such as New Carrier Type (NCT) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, for example, in which reference signals conventionally used for RLM (e.g., common reference signals (CRSs) in LTE Rel-8/9/10) are not available in every subframe. Radio link failure (RLF) may be declared based on the RLM. One example method generally includes determining at least one of a first set of CSI-RS resources for use in channel estimation to perform RLM measurements or a second set of CSI-RS resources for use in interference estimation to perform the RLM measurements and performing the RLM measurements based on the one or more determined sets of CSI-RS resources. Certain aspects provide methods and apparatus for performing radio resource management (RRM) based on CSI-RSs.
US08976696B2
Methods and systems for simultaneous determination of channel resource allocations and beam vectors for uplink frames are disclosed. One method includes receiving batch information from client devices indicating amounts of data to be transmitted on the uplink by the client devices. Further, signal quality can be measured on channel resources for each of the client devices and for each of a plurality of beam vectors. Additionally, rate information for the channel resources for each of the client devices is determined based on signal quality measurements. Moreover, the method includes computing, based on the batch information and the rate information, utilities for allocations of the channel resources to the client devices and for the beam vectors for at least one uplink frame and selecting, based on the utilities, at least one of the beam vectors and at least one of the allocations for transmission of the data on the uplink frame(s).
US08976695B2
A wireless communications system may include different wireless communications networks, an application server, and an intermediate server configured to communicate with the application server. The wireless communications system may also include a mobile wireless communications device configured to communicate with the intermediate server over each of the different wireless communications networks to determine a selected wireless communications network. The mobile wireless communications device may also be configured to communicate with the application server via the intermediate server over the selected wireless communications network.
US08976690B2
The various embodiments of the present invention relate generally to femto-relay systems and methods. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a femto-relay system comprising a relay-radio, a femto-radio, a joint femto-relay resource management module, and an IP-backhaul QoS monitoring module. The relay-radio is in communication with a macro-cell base-station. The femto-radio is in communication with the relay-radio and configured to route signals between a core network and at least one femto-cell user equipment through an IP-backhaul link. The joint femto-relay resource management module is configured to intelligently manage radio resources between the femto-radio and the relay-radio to reduce cross-tier interference. The IP-backhaul QoS monitoring module is configured to monitor a QoS being delivered by the IP-backhaul link and notify the relay-radio to route signals between the femto-cell user equipment and core network through the macro-cell base-station if the QoS fall below a predetermined threshold.
US08976689B2
Network performance management includes identifying a location of a test unit, providing a test protocol to the test unit over a network, and transmitting a stream of data packets to the test unit. The network performance management also includes identifying, via the location of the test unit, a transmission path of network elements through which the stream of packets flows. The network performance management further includes tracking measurements associated with the stream of data packets transmitted to the test unit and return data packets received from the test unit. The measurements are tracked for segments associated with each of the network elements in the transmission path.
US08976685B1
A priority allocation system may be adapted to regulate the priority which different users of a wireless mobile communication system are given to one or more of its various services. It may include a priority level data storage system, a priority enforcement system, an administrator interface, and a subscriber interface. The priority data storage system may be configured to store priority information for each of a plurality of subscriber groups. Each subscriber group may be assigned to one or more wireless mobile communication devices. The priority information for each subscriber group may be indicative of one or more priorities relating to use of the mobile communication system by all of the wireless mobile communication devices which are assigned to the subscriber group.
US08976675B2
An exemplary technique disclosed herein is that the transmitter of a VOIP stream can assess the psycho-acoustic importance of each packet, and then use a protocol that supports redundant transmission to retransmit only the packets that are judged to be important for voice quality and intelligibility. Illustratively, a packet containing a plosive might be retransmitted redundantly because of its disproportionate contribution to intelligibility, but a packet that occurs entirely within a long-duration fricative transmitted only once. An exemplary aspect may also support multiple levels of transmission redundancy based on multiple levels of packet importance, with the levels varying based on the relative psycho-acoustic importance of each packet and/or the degree of network congestion.
US08976657B2
A mobile communications infrastructure with coordinated data session offloading of mobile subscriber devices from a primary communication medium to a secondary communication medium. The infrastructure comprises a primary communications infrastructure which provides a primary communications medium for mobile subscriber devices and a secondary communications infrastructure which provides a secondary communication medium that is accessible by authorized mobile subscriber devices. An offload management system is configured to control offload of mobile subscriber devices from the primary communication medium to the secondary communication medium during a data session with a data network based on an offload profile associated with the mobile subscriber device and resource status information relating to the available capacity of the secondary communication medium.
US08976656B2
A packet generation unit (10) generates a predetermined number of measurement packets at predetermined transmission intervals that increase in equal increments, and a transmission/reception unit (13) transmits the measurement packets to a reception device (2) in accordance with control performed by a transmission control unit (12). A calculation unit (21) calculates an available bandwidth in accordance with the reception intervals of the measurement packets received by a transmission/reception unit (20), and the transmission/reception unit (20) transmits the available bandwidth to a transmission device (1). A resolution alteration unit (14) determines, in accordance with the available bandwidth received by the transmission/reception unit (13), whether or not to change the measurement resolution. A size alteration unit (15) changes the minimum packet size, maximum packet size and packet size incremental increase amount when the resolution alteration unit (14) determines that the measurement resolution is to be changed. The packet generation unit (10) newly generates measurement packets in accordance with the changed values.
US08976646B2
In one aspect, the disclosure includes an apparatus comprising a processor configured to function as a merge point (MP) in a point to multi-point (P2MP) backup label switching path (LSP) for a primary LSP, receive P2MP backup LSP information originating from a protected node, wherein the P2MP backup LSP information comprises the identity of a point of local repair (PLR), determine a backup label switching router (LSR), and send a message with the identity of the backup LSR to an upstream node.
US08976640B2
An information recording medium includes a plurality of wobbled tracks, in which a phase mismatch range of an adjacent wobble is a portion of a range of one track.
US08976634B2
Devices that include a near field transducer (NFT), the NFT including a peg having five exposed surfaces, the peg including a first material; an overlying structure; at least one intermixing layer, positioned between the peg and the overlying structure, the at least one intermixing layer positioned on at least one of the five surfaces of the peg, the intermixing layer including at least the first material and a second material.
US08976633B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a disk, a head comprising a laser configured to heat the disk while writing data to the disk, and a fly height actuator (FHA) configured to actuate the head vertically over the disk based on an FHA setting. A write laser power applied to the laser during a write operation is calibrated, a first fly height of the head is measured at a first laser power setting, and a second fly height of the head is measured at a second laser power setting different from the first laser power setting. A FHA write setting is generated based on the calibrated write laser power and the first and second fly height measurements, where the FHA write setting is applied to the FHA during the write operation.
US08976631B2
With the conventional timepiece, when watching the timepiece at a casual glance, it has not been easy to comprehend the starting point of a physical quantity indicated at the present time by the timepiece, and the physical quantity at the present time. To solve the problem, a timepiece is provided, comprising; a dual-purpose scale, indicating time and a below-mentioned physical quantity; a driving unit for hand, driving a hand for pointing the dual-purpose scale according to time; an acquisition unit for physical quantity, acquiring information of the physical quantity from predetermined time designated as a starting point; and a driving unit for indicator of physical quantity, driving an indicator of physical quantity for indicating the acquired physical quantity on the dual-purpose scale, where a position on the dual-purpose scale pointed to by the hand at the predetermined time is designated as an original position for the physical quantity.
US08976629B2
Clockwork movement for a wristwatch, comprising a kinematic chain including at least one belt (20, 21) for transmitting the movements and/or couples between at least two pulleys. The pulleys are held on the bottom plate or the bridges by ball bearings (151, 161, 171, 181). The movement is rewound by means of linear oscillating mass (14) charging four barrels (15, 16, 17, 18) through a couple distributor (40). The barrels are non-parallel to one another. The back cover is covered by inclined glasses (110, 120, 130) allowing the barrels, the linear oscillating mass and at least certain pulleys to be seen. The regulating organ (51) is removable.
US08976623B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for controlling spread and/or depth in a geophysical survey. An embodiment discloses a method for geophysical surveying, comprising: towing two streamers laterally spaced apart through a body of water at a depth of at least about 25 meters, each of the streamers comprising geophysical sensors disposed thereon at spaced apart locations; maintaining lateral separation of at least about 150 meters between the two streamers using at least two submersible deflectors, the two submersible deflectors being individually coupled to one of the two streamers; and detecting signals using the two geophysical sensors while the two streamers are towed at the depth of at least about 25 meters.
US08976619B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a phase detecting unit that continuously detects a first delay amount during a read operation, based on a phase difference between an external clock signal and an internal clock signal; a generating unit that generates a second control signal by delaying a first control signal by a second delay amount that when added to the first delay amount, the sum is a specific time period, a valid time period of the first control signal starts when the read operation starts and is at least to equal a read time for one data signal and less than the specific time period that is from the start of the read operation until output of a received data signal; and a delay control unit that delays the data signal by the first delay amount detected at a start of a valid time period of the generated second control signal.
US08976615B2
A semiconductor memory device includes an internal address generating circuit; an internal command generating circuit; and a memory cell array including one or more memory bank groups. The semiconductor memory device is configured such that when a read command or a write command is input, if a first portion of a plurality of memory banks of a first memory bank group from among one or more memory bank groups of the memory cell array performs a read operation or a write operation, a second portion of the plurality of memory banks of the first memory bank group performs a refresh operation.
US08976613B2
A circuit for a differential current sensing scheme includes first and second cell segments, first and second reference cells, and first and second current sense amplifiers. The first and second reference cells are configured to store opposite logic values. The first and second current sense amplifiers are each configured with a first node and a second node for currents therethrough to be compared with each other. A cell of the first cell segment and a cell of the second cell segment are coupled to the first nodes of the first and second current sense amplifiers, respectively, and the first and second reference cells are coupled to both the second nodes of the first and second current sense amplifiers.
US08976600B2
A memory circuit includes word lines coupled to a memory array, including a first set of one or more word lines deselected in an erase operation, and a second set of one or more word lines selected in the erase operation. Control circuitry couples the first set of one or more word lines deselected in the erase operation to a reference voltage, responsive to receiving an erase command for the erase operation. Some examples further include a first transistor that switchably couples a word line to a global word line, and a second transistor that switchably couples the word line to a ground voltage. The control circuitry is coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor, wherein the control circuitry has a plurality of modes including at least an erase operation. In a first mode, the first transistor couples the word line to the global word line, and the second transistor decouples the word line from the ground voltage. In a second mode, the first transistor decouples the word line from the global word line, and the second transistor couples the word line to the ground voltage.
US08976596B1
According to one embodiment, CONTROLLER includes a phase comparator that receives a data strobe signal outputted from a memory in response to a read enable signal, and a delayed data strobe signal formed by applying a delay to the data strobe signal, and outputs a result of comparison between phases of two signals. The controller also includes a Duty control unit that corrects a Duty of the read enable signal outputted to the memory based upon the comparison result of the phase comparator.
US08976595B2
A nonvolatile memory device comprises a cell array connected to a plurality of bit lines in an all bit line structure, a page buffer circuit connected to the plurality of bit lines, and control logic configured to control the page buffer circuit. The control logic controls the page buffer circuit to sense memory cells corresponding to both even-numbered and odd-numbered columns of a selected page in a first read mode and to sense memory cells corresponding to one of the even-numbered and odd-numbered columns of the selected page in a second read mode. A sensing operation is performed at least twice in the first read mode and once in the second read mode.
US08976585B2
Memory module for simultaneously providing at least one secure and at least one insecure memory area
A memory module has at least one secure and at least one insecure memory area, separate write/read electronic units for each of the memory areas and at least one shared analog circuit part such as a voltage supply circuit for supplying the write/read electronic units and/or the memory areas.
US08976582B2
A memory device that includes a sample and hold circuit coupled to a bit line. The sample and hold circuit stores a target threshold voltage for a selected memory cell. The memory cell is programmed and then verified with a ramped read voltage. The read voltage that turns on the memory cell is stored in the sample and hold circuit. The target threshold voltage is compared with the read voltage by a comparator circuit. When the read voltage is at least substantially equal to (i.e., is substantially equal to and/or starts to exceed) the target threshold voltage, the comparator circuit generates an inhibit signal.
US08976575B1
A semiconductor circuit can include an array of static random access memory (SRAM) cells. A first SRAM cell may provide a first current through an insulated gate field effect transistor (IGFET) having a first conductivity type. A second SRAM cell may provide a second current through an IGFET having a second conductivity type. A first current division slew circuit can provide a first slew output current proportional to the first current to change the charge on a first slew capacitor. A second current division slew circuit can provide a second slew output current proportional to the second current to change the charge on a second slew capacitor. A pulse may be generated having a first edge determined by a launch signal and a second edge determined by the time the first or the second capacitor reach a predetermined potential.
US08976574B2
An integrated circuit is disclosed. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of bit-cells arranged to store data. The integrated circuit also includes a sensor configured to generate an output for determining whether the bit-cells are operating at a process corner. The sensor comprises the same circuitry as the bit-cells.
US08976573B2
A memory cell comprises a first word line in a first interconnect layer, a first VSS line, a first bit line, a power source line, a second bit line and a second VSS line formed a second interconnect layer, a second word line in a third interconnect layer. The memory cell further comprises a word line strap structure formed between the power source line and the second bit line, wherein the word line strap structure couples the first word line and the second word line.
US08976572B2
A memory includes a DRAM array having memory cells, wordlines and bitlines coupled to the memory cells, and sense amplifiers. The memory can be configured to perform a method in which a wordline of the DRAM array is set to an active state. While the wordline is active, signals develop on the respective bitlines according to the flows of charge between the memory cells coupled to the wordline and the respective bitlines. The sense amplifiers connected to the respective bitlines can remain inactive such that the sense amplifiers do not amplify the signals to storable signal levels. Then, when the wordline is set again to the inactive state, insufficient charge remains in the memory cells coupled to the wordline such that the data stored in memory cells coupled to the wordline are erased. These steps can be repeated using each of a remaining number of wordlines of all or a selected range of the DRAM array so as to erase the data stored in all of the DRAM array or a selected range.
US08976565B2
MIMCAP diodes are provided that can be suitable for memory device applications, such as current selector devices for cross point memory array. The MIMCAP diodes can have lower thermal budget as compared to Schottky diodes and controllable lower barrier height and lower series resistance as compared to MIMCAP tunneling diodes. The MIMCAP diode can include a barrier height modification layer, a low leakage dielectric layer and a high leakage dielectric layer. The layers can be sandwiched between two electrodes.
US08976564B2
A memory device includes an anti-fuse cell array including a plurality of anti-fuse cells. Each anti-fuse cell includes a first cell transistor connected to a common node, a second cell transistor connected to the common node, and an access transistor connected to the common node. The first cell transistor is configured to store data and the second cell transistor is configured to store data when the first cell transistor has defect data.
US08976563B2
In a memory device having a hierarchical bit line architecture, a main memory array is divided into two sub-memory arrays. The number of sub bit lines is twice the number of main bit lines, and global data lines are formed in the same metal interconnect layer as the main bit lines, thereby reducing an increase in the number of interconnects used in a memory macro. Furthermore, after charge sharing of the bit lines, the global data lines are kept in a pre-charge state at the time of amplification using sense amplifiers so that the global data lines function as shields of the main bit lines. This largely reduces interference noise between adjacent main bit lines to improve operating characteristics.
US08976558B2
According to one embodiment, a power supply device includes a rectifying circuit configured to rectify an alternating-current power supply, a first capacitor configured to smooth a voltage after rectification, and a falling voltage chopper circuit configured to supply electric power to a load. The first capacitor is set to a capacity in which a section where a voltage after smoothing drops to an output voltage to the load is provided in a rectified half period of the alternating-current power supply. The falling voltage chopper circuit includes at least one switching element configured to receive an input of the voltage after smoothing, operate in a section where the voltage after smoothing exceeds the output voltage, and pause in a section of the output voltage and a second capacitor provided on an output side and having a capacity larger than the capacity of the first capacitor.
US08976555B2
A converter has converting groups with a first stage connected to input lines thereof and a second stage connected to output lines. The first and second stages have positive and negative branches that are connected together.
US08976554B2
A cascaded multi-level inverter is controlled in fault bypass operation. Rather than relying on approximations or feedback forms, the reference voltages are generated as an analytic solution. The analytic solution and its implementation are not affected by the output frequency of the inverter and it is able to provide maximum possible balanced line-line voltage to a three-phase motor. In addition, the analytic solution provides exact limits for the allowable operation region of the motor power factor in order to prevent overvoltage conditions of the cell inverter.
US08976553B2
A power conversion device according to an aspect of an embodiment includes a power conversion unit and a control unit. The power conversion unit includes N (N is an integer number not less than two) power converters that output voltages on the basis of base signals having the same period and phase differences equivalent to ½N of the period of the base signal. The control unit controls the N power converters by using ½ of the period of the base signal as a control period and shifts each of control timings of the N power converters by the ½N of the period of the base signal.
US08976550B2
A power supply having a power protection circuit has a rectification circuit and a converter. An input terminal of the rectification circuit is connected with the AC mains. A first voltage dependent resistor is connected with the AC mains. The converter has a transformer. A primary side of the transformer is connected with an output terminal of the rectification circuit, and the secondary side is connected to a power output terminal and a ground terminal. A Y capacitor is connected between the primary side of the transformer and the ground terminal. A surge protection module is connected between the first voltage dependent resistor and the Y capacitor. When a surge occurs between the primary and secondary sides of the transformer, a surge current is shunted by the surge protection module to the ground terminal through the Y capacitor without damaging internal components or circuits inside the power supply.
US08976549B2
A startup circuit with reduced power dissipation, method of operating the same and a power converter employing the startup circuit. In one embodiment, the startup circuit for a controller includes a charge accumulation circuit having a resistor series-coupled to a capacitor and a first Schmitt trigger having an input coupled to the capacitor. The startup circuit also includes a second Schmitt trigger having an input coupled to an output of the first Schmitt trigger and configured to provide a bias voltage for the controller via the capacitor when an input voltage thereto exceeds a trip voltage.
US08976545B2
A current resonance power supply includes a current detecting unit detecting a current flowing through a primary side of a transformer and a current compensating unit compensating the current detected by the current detecting unit in accordance with a variation in voltage input into the primary side of the transformer. The current resonance power supply detects overcurrent on the basis of an output from the current compensating unit.
US08976521B2
A surface contact card holder includes a housing and a tray assembly. The housing includes a receiving frame and defining a receiving hole. The tray assembly includes a tray and a cover. The tray is slidable and receivable in the receiving frame from the receiving hole, the tray is configured for carrying a surface contact card therein. The cover is pivotally attached to the tray and covering the receiving hole. The cover includes a first end and a second end. When the first end of the cover is pressed to pivot the cover, the second end of the cover moves out of the receiving hole, the tray is slid out of the receiving frame to allow insertion and removal of the surface contact card from the housing.
US08976511B1
The present invention provides for a protective enclosure comprising a base comprising a first continuous mating surface and at least one conveyance aperture, a cover comprising a second continuous mating surface, wherein the second continuous mating surface is configured to form a seal with the first continuous mating surface, and a clamp, wherein at least a portion of the clamp is coupleable to the base, wherein a mouth of the clamp is configured to be offset from the aperture when the clamp is coupled to the base, wherein the clamp comprises a first sealing layer, and wherein the clamp is configured to seal the aperture against contaminants. The protective enclosure may be configured for use in a remotely controllable model vehicle to protect a control module.
US08976508B2
The electrochemical cell of the present invention is provided with a hermetic container having a base member, a jointing material fixed to the base member, and a lid member welded on the base member via the jointing material, and in which a housing space sealed between the base member and the lid member is defined, and an electrochemical element which is housed inside the housing space and which is available to effect charging and discharging, wherein the lid member is made of stainless steel.
US08976502B2
A switching device comprising control means for controlling the switching operations of the device, the control means receiving the sensing signals generated by a sensor means; the control means are arranged so that, during execution of a switching operation, the control means send a first control signal to a power supply means to start with the supply of excitation current from a first instant onwards; determine, on the base of the information provided by the sensing signals, a second instant, at which the power supply means have to stop with the supply of excitation current, the second instant occurring before the movable plunger has reached the stop position during the movement from the start position towards the stop position; send a second control signal to the power supply means to stop with supply of excitation current from the second instant and until a movable plunger reaches the stop position.
US08976491B1
A head suspension assembly for a disk drive includes a load beam extending from a load beam supported end to a load beam distal end, and a laminated flexure supported by the load beam. The laminated flexure includes a structural layer having a head mounting tongue, a conductive layer having a plurality of patterned traces, and a dielectric layer between the structural layer and the conductive layer. The structural layer of the laminated flexure includes a distal limiter that has a first limiter arm and a second limiter arm adjoining at a distal apex. The distal apex is disposed closer to the load beam distal end than is the head mounting tongue. Each of the first and second limiter arms splits into a plurality of branches.
US08976490B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording head includes a main pole configured to apply a recording magnetic field to a recording layer of a recording medium, a trailing shield opposed to the main pole with a write gap therebetween, and a high-frequency oscillator between the main pole and the trailing shield in a range of a width of the main pole in a track width direction, and configured to generate a high-frequency magnetic field. The high-frequency oscillator includes a spin injection layer, an intermediate layer, and an oscillation layer, and at least the oscillation layer comprises divided oscillation regions.
US08976488B1
A hub for a disk drive assembly including an upper member formed of a first material; and a lower member formed from a second material that supports and reinforces the upper member. The second material has a rigidity greater than the rigidity of the first material. Additionally, a disk drive assembly may be performed by combining a hub, a disk media mounted to the hub and a clamping mechanism attached to the hub and providing a clamping force to the disk media.
US08976487B2
A rotating device comprises: a hub on which a magnetic recording disk is to be mounted; a base configured to rotatably support the hub via a bearing; a shaft configured such that it extends along the rotational axis of the hub; and a chassis arranged such that it faces the magnetic recording disk, and configured to have a Young's modulus that is smaller than that of the base. A base hole is provided to the upper face of the chassis that faces the magnetic recording disk such that it extends along the rotational axis. Furthermore, the base is fitted into the base hole, thereby fixedly mounting the base on the chassis.
US08976486B2
A rotating device is provided with: a hub that is rotatably supported by the base and on which a recording disk is to be mounted; a yoke that is fixedly provided on the hub and is configured to hold a magnet; a bearing unit in which one end thereof is fixedly provided on the base and in which the other end thereof is configured to hold the hub; and a coil that is fixedly provided on the base and is configured to generate electromagnetic interaction with the magnet. The hub has a screw hole in which a screw for fixing a clamper, which is used to fix the recording disk to the hub, to the hub is screwed. The screw hole penetrates the hub. The yoke is configured such that the yoke covers one end of the screw hole.
US08976483B1
An apparatus includes a feedback controller receiving feedback from a position error signal of a hard drive read/write head. The feedback controller provides respective voice coil motor and microactuator control signals to a voice coil and microactuator that together position the hard drive read/write head in response to a position control signal. A rotational vibration feed-forward compensator receives vibration measurements via a sensor and providing a rotational vibration compensation signal in response thereto. A dynamic control allocator is coupled to the feedback controller and the rotational vibration feed-forward compensator. The dynamic control allocator is configured to combine a high frequency component of the rotational vibration compensation signal with the microactuator control signal; and to combine a low frequency component of the rotational vibration compensation signal with the voice coil motor control signal.
US08976470B2
A tape cartridge library that is equipped with a cleaning device is described. The tape cartridge library essentially includes a plurality of tape cartridges each possessing recording tape media. A plurality of tape drives that read and write data to and from each of the tape cartridges. A tape cleaning drive incapable of transferring data to and from the recording tape media which is independent of the tape drives, the tape cleaning drive disposed entirely within the tape cartridge library. The tape cleaning drive automatically receives one of the tape cartridges and cleans its respective recording tape medium when a predetermined reason for cleaning the tape cartridge is justified.
US08976467B2
The present invention provides a mobile device and an optical imaging lens thereof. The optical imaging lens comprises an aperture stop, first, second, third and fourth lens elements positioned sequentially from an object side to an image side. The first lens element with positive refracting power has a surface facing toward the object side. The second lens element with negative refracting power has a convex surface facing toward the object. The third lens element has a positive refracting power. The fourth lens element has a surface facing toward the object side with a concave portion in the vicinity of the optical axis and a surface facing toward the image side with a convex portion in the peripheral vicinity. The optical imaging lens of the present invention is capable of shortening the total length of the optical imaging lens efficiently and has good optical characteristics.
US08976457B2
An aperture stop is arranged on the reduction side of the most reduction-side lens element in a fourth group; during zooming from the tele-end to the wide-end through a middle position that fulfills conditional formula 0.99
US08976455B2
A variable-magnification projection optical system substantially consists of a negative first lens group that is disposed at the most enlargement-side position and is fixed during magnification change, a positive last lens group that is disposed at the most reduction-side position and is fixed during magnification change, and a plurality of lens groups that are disposed between the first lens group and last lens group and are moved during magnification change. The most enlargement-side lens group (the second lens group) of the lens groups that are moved during magnification change has a negative refractive power. Predetermined conditional expressions relating to a back focus of the entire system on the reduction side at the wide-angle end, a focal length of the entire system at the wide-angle end, a focal length of the second lens group and a focal length of the last lens group are satisfied.
US08976446B2
A system and method for producing Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) is disclosed. A single optical fiber or Raman oscillator is optically pumped by a pump laser of sufficient power to generate SRS to generate several Stokes shifts of energy. This generates a multi-wavelength output or a single wavelength with several stokes energy shifts from the pump wavelength. A selective, monolithic-coated Raman fiber oscillator laser is utilized to increase the efficiency of frequency shifting by providing frequency-specific feedback at both facets of a free space coupled optical fiber oscillator. Frequencies that lie several bands away from the primary pump frequency may be efficiently achieved in a fiber oscillator by re-circulating the required stokes-shifted frequencies via selective high-reflection coatings. By re-circulating the intra-band stokes frequencies, the required intensities in each respective frequency will be increased, thereby dropping the respective Raman threshold in the optical fiber.
US08976438B2
There are provided a display and an electronic unit capable of enhancing visibility. The display includes: a plurality of pixels each including a light-emission device, and having a light-transmission region in at least a part thereof; and one or more transmittance control devices capable of controlling a transmittance of incident light.
US08976424B1
A computing device is equipped with a liquid crystal display (LCD) device primarily for display purpose. Techniques are described to modify such an LCD device to have the scanning capability. Without affecting the display functions of an LCD device, an image sensing module is provided behind an LCD unit in the LCD device. By controlling the liquid crystals in the LCD unit, the reflected light from an object placed against the LCD device being imaged is allowed to pass through the liquid crystals and onto an array of photosensors in the image sensing module to generate an image of the object. Thus many LCD devices can readily provide scanning functions.
US08976417B2
An optical scanning device performs sequential scanning passes. Individual pixels are scanned in response to a clock whose frequency is dithered in repeatable cycles to reduce electro-magnetic interference, and scanning passes are coordinated with the repeatable cycles.
US08976415B2
A method is provided for processing a rasterized relief image, comprising customary color channels for indicating a color of each pixel and a height channel for indicating a height of each pixel into several pass images that are printed using a printer with several colorants including a white colorant. For each pixel a relief part, a white part and a skin part are discriminated in order to combine the demands for height and color variation across the surface of the image. The skin part comprises pixels for which a colorant composition based on the color channels of the rasterized relief image is established. In order to print a color in the skin part that is independent of a height of the pixel and independent of the colorant composition of a neighboring pixels, pass images are composed that include only neighboring pass pixels that do not disturb the color forming of a pass pixel contributing to a skin part.
US08976413B2
A color processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit, a setting unit, and a color converting unit. The obtaining unit obtains a predetermined corresponding relationship between total amount limit information regarding limitation of a total amount of inks of colors, and a combination in which, among droplet diameters of inks of colors ejectable to satisfy the total amount limit information, droplet diameters of at least two or more inks are made uniform, and the types of droplet diameters of inks of the colors are two or fewer types. The setting unit sets the combination of droplet diameters corresponding to the accepted ink total amount limit information, on the basis of the obtained corresponding relationship. The color converting unit converts a color in an input color gamut reproducible by an input device into a color in an output color gamut in accordance with the set combination of droplet diameters.
US08976410B2
According to one example, there is provided a method of controlling a printing system. The method comprises: obtaining a print job to print on a substrate; obtaining a value of a factor material to an undesirable condition occurring; determining a quantity of printing fluid to be deposited on a substrate when printing a portion of the print job; determining, based on the obtained value and the determined quantity of printing fluid to be deposited, whether the undesirable condition is likely to occur whilst printing the portion of the print job; and temporarily reducing the throughput of the printing system whilst printing the portion of the print job where it is determined that the undesirable condition is likely to occur whilst printing the portion of the print job.
US08976401B2
In an image forming apparatus provided with an image output portion, paper supply portions, a display image generating portion, a display panel, and an operation unit including an operation unit side control portion having a preview display function, a specified display image generating function and a paper display image generating function are included as the display image generating portion and a specified paper supply portion displaying function and an output state displaying function are included as the operation unit side control portion, for displaying a preview of a situation of a paper supply portion and sheets of paper on the display panel.
US08976390B2
An image processing apparatus having improved user-friendliness in setting the setting values that represent contents of operation to be performed by the image processing apparatus. In a case that a login user has changed at least one setting value during the login, a CPU of the image processing apparatus causes a SRAM to store a setting value before change corresponding to the changed setting value. When the user logs out, the setting value changed by the user during the login is returned to the setting value before change that is stored in the SRAM.
US08976389B2
A printing apparatus receives a transmission request of information to be used by an information processing apparatus to transmit an image to the printing apparatus via an image processing apparatus from the information processing apparatus including the image. The printing apparatus transmits the information to the information processing apparatus if the transmission request is received. Then, the printing apparatus acquires the image that the information processing apparatus transmits using the information and prints the acquired image.
US08976385B2
A printing apparatus is caused to print an image in which elements included in a document are arranged on a page by a print control method. The document, which includes the elements and information for arranging the elements, is acquired. An element disposed on an edge of the page is detected from among the elements included in the acquired document. The printing apparatus is caused to print an image in which the elements included in the document are arranged on the page and in which the element disposed on the edge of the page is expanded to a predetermined output area.
US08976383B2
Disclosed is a method and system for document printing management and control and source tracking. A printing management service program runs at a server end. A printing monitoring service program runs at a client end. The printing management service program saves client end information, monitors and manages a client end computer, sets a printing management policy, and delivers operation instructions to the client end. The printing monitoring service program collects the client end information, sends the client end information to the server end, and executes the operation instruction.
US08976378B2
A method for validating a splitting operation accesses a document and a catalog tree. The method selects a subset of the total pages in the document. The method splits a section of branches from the catalog tree using a splitter in a user device. Each branch corresponds to a page included in the subset. The method processes the subset using the branches to generate split output pages. The method analyzes each split output page to determine if the file split correctly. In response to a split failure, the method determines if the split failure is related to one of a structure error and a metadata syntax error. In response to a correct split, the method provides the print job to an associated output device in communication with the user device.
US08976377B2
An image forming apparatus including a first power supply state, a second power supply state, and a third power supply state includes a receiving unit configured to receive a job, a determination unit configured to determine whether the image forming apparatus is shifted from the first power supply state to the second power supply state, or from the first power supply state to the third power supply state based on a type of the received job, and a control unit configured to shift the power supply state of the image forming apparatus based on the determination result of the determination unit.
US08976370B2
An measuring apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store a relationship, regarding an irradiation condition predetermined based on a correlation between a characteristic of each of beams of reflected light obtained from a plurality of patterns different from one another in a thickness of a residual layer in a recessed portion and the thickness of the residual layer of each of the plurality of patterns, between the characteristic of the reflected light from each pattern and the thickness of the residual layer of the pattern; and a processing unit configured to, based on a characteristic of reflected light from a pattern formed on a substrate irradiated with light under the irradiation condition and the relationship stored in the storage unit, obtain a thickness of a residual layer in a recessed portion of the pattern formed on the substrate.
US08976359B2
The present disclosure pertains to metal or dielectric nanostructures of the subwavelength scale within the grating lines of optical diffraction gratings. The nanostructures have surface plasmon resonances or non-plasmon optical resonances. A linear photodetector array is used to capture the resonance spectra from one of the diffraction orders. The combined nanostructure super-grating and photodetector array eliminates the use of external optical spectrometers for measuring surface plasmon or optical resonance frequency shift caused by the presence of chemical and biological agents. The nanostructure super-gratings can be used for building integrated surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrometers. The nanostructures within the diffraction grating lines enhance Raman scattering signal light while the diffraction grating pattern of the nanostructures diffracts Raman scattering light to different directions of propagation according to their wavelengths. Therefore, the nanostructure super-gratings allows for the use of a photodetector array to capture the surface enhanced Raman scattering spectra.
US08976358B2
Validation verification data quantifying an intensity of light reaching a detector of a spectrometer from a light source of the spectrometer after the light passes through a validation gas across a known path length can be collected or received. The validation gas can include an amount of an analyte compound and an undisturbed background composition that is representative of a sample gas background composition of a sample gas to be analyzed using a spectrometer. The sample gas background composition can include one or more background components. The validation verification data can be compared with stored calibration data for the spectrometer to calculate a concentration adjustment factor, and sample measurement data collected with the spectrometer can be modified using this adjustment factor to compensate for collisional broadening of a spectral peak of the analyte compound by the background components. Related methods, articles of manufacture, systems, and the like are described.
US08976355B2
A substrate is loaded onto a substrate support of a lithographic apparatus, after which the apparatus measures locations of substrate alignment marks. These measurements define first correction information allowing the apparatus to apply a pattern at one or more desired locations on the substrate. Additional second correction information is used to enhance accuracy of pattern positioning, in particular to correct higher order distortions of a nominal alignment grid. The second correction information may be based on measurements of locations of alignment marks made when applying a previous pattern to the same substrate. The second correction information may alternatively or in addition be based on measurements made on similar substrates that have been patterned prior to the current substrate.
US08976351B2
A system that simultaneously measures the translational temperature, bulk velocity, and density in gases by collecting, referencing, and analyzing nanosecond time-scale Rayleigh scattered light from molecules is described. A narrow-band pulsed laser source is used to probe two largely separated measurement locations, one of which is used for reference. The elastically scattered photons containing information from both measurement locations are collected at the same time and analyzed spectrally using a planar Fabry-Perot interferometer. A practical means of referencing the measurement of velocity using the laser frequency, and the density and temperature using the information from the reference measurement location maintained at constant properties is provided.
US08976348B2
Wafer inspection method to perform wafer inspection based on photo map information. The wafer inspection method may include: detecting a sample center location on a wafer; compensating the detected sample center location to a compensated center location based on photo map information; and detecting defective dies included in the wafer based on the compensated center location.
US08976347B2
Light that is scattered by a defect on a wafer is very weak, and a PMT and an MPPC are used as detection methods for measuring the weak light with high speed and sensitivity. The methods have a function of photoelectronically converting the weak light and multiplying an electron, but have a problem in that a signal light is lost and an S/N ratio is reduced because the quantum efficiency of the photoelectron conversion is as low as 50% or less. Direct light is amplified prior to the photoelectron conversion. The optical amplification is an amplification method in which the signal light and light of pump light are introduced into a rare-earth doped fiber, a stimulated emission is caused, and the signal light is amplified. In the present invention, the optical amplification is used. The amplification factor is changed according to various conditions.
US08976344B2
A live fiber identifier tool includes a head portion having a slot. A cable containing a pair of optical fibers can be inserted in the slot and forced to bend inside the head portion when a trigger is operated. Any light signal in a given fiber partially leaks from the fiber and exits the cable bend. Two photo detectors are located so that one of the detectors receives more light from the cable bend than the other detector depending on the signal direction in the given fiber. Processing components coupled to the detectors and the indicator define a threshold factor that corresponds to a determined difference between the outputs of the detectors. If the difference between the detector outputs does not exceed the threshold factor, an indicator on the tool reports that light signals are traveling in the pair of optical fibers in opposite directions along the cable.
US08976343B2
Method and system for laser crystal degradation compensation are disclosed. The method includes: defining a plurality of sites on a frequency converting crystal; determining a degradation rate associated with each of the plurality of sites; determining an amount of time T wherein a site is continuously operable within a tolerated variation of at least one beam parameter, the amount of time T being determined based on the tolerated variation of the at least one beam parameter and the degradation rate; determining an amount of time t wherein t is a fraction of T; and iteratively shifting among the plurality of sites, wherein each of the plurality of sites is utilized continuously for a duration of time t for each iteration.
US08976340B2
A system for landing or docking a mobile platform is enabled by a flash LADAR sensor having an adaptive controller with Automatic Gain Control (AGC). Range gating in the LADAR sensor penetrates through diffuse reflectors. The LADAR sensor adapted for landing/approach comprises a system controller, pulsed laser transmitter, transmit optics, receive optics, a focal plane array of detectors, a readout integrated circuit, camera support electronics and image processor, an image analysis and bias calculation processor, and a detector array bias control circuit. The system is capable of developing a complete 3-D scene from a single point of view.
US08976327B2
Optical shutter (50), e.g. fort-stereoscopic shutter glasses, is disclosed. The optical shutter includes a light source, e.g. LCD, CRT or plasma display, that emits polarized light (12) that has a first polarization state, a first polymeric substrate (100) that receives the polarized light and transmits the polarized light without substantially changing the first polarization state of the polarized light, a second polymeric substrate (107) that faces the first polymeric substrate, and an optical stack (60) that is disposed between the first and second polymeric substrates. The optical stack includes first and second electrically conductive layers (101, 102), first and second oriented chromonics alignment layer (103, 106), and an oriented liquid crystal layer (105).
US08976319B2
Provided is a display device that includes: a display panel (7) that has a display surface that displays an image; a fan (500); an ion-generating device (520) that can generate ions; and a guiding mechanism (620) that can selectively guiding air from the fan (500) to the display surface and to the rear side of the display surface. The air that is guided to the display surface is guided together with ions that are generated by the ion-generating device (520).
US08976312B2
The present invention provides a flat panel display device, which includes a backlight system and a display panel, wherein the backlight system includes an LED light source, which includes an LED lamp and an LED substrate carrying the LED lamp; a back frame, which is disposed below the LED substrate and includes at least two primary assembling pieces, the at least two primary assembling pieces being joined to form a main frame structure of the back frame; and a PCB, which is disposed below the back frame and fixed to the LED substrate. The present invention also provides a stereoscopic display device. The flat panel display device and the stereoscopic display device of the present invention save the material and space of the back frame, and lower down the cost of the flat panel display device and the stereoscopic display device.
US08976310B2
An array substrate for a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display, and the display are discussed. According to an embodiment, the array substrate includes a display area including pixel areas defined gate lines and data lines crossing the gate lines, each pixel area including a switching thin film transistor and a plate-shaped pixel electrode connected to the switching thin film transistor, the display area of the display further including a common electrode having openings in correspondence with the pixel electrodes, the common electrode being formed over the pixel electrodes throughout an entire area of the display area; and first through fourth non-display areas surrounding the display area and including pixel areas surrounding the display area, wherein each test pixel area includes a test thin film transistor and a test electrode connected to the corresponding test thin film transistor.
US08976307B2
A patterned retarder 3D liquid crystal display is disclosed. The liquid crystal display includes a display panel, a polarizer, and a patterned retarder film. The display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate spaced apart from each other. The second substrate includes an up stutter and a down surface, and the up surface is farther to the first substrate than the down surface. A black matrix is arranged on the down surface of the second substrate. A mask is arranged on a first surface or the second surface of the polarizer. The first surface of the polarizer is adjacent to the patterned retarder film and the second surface of the polarizer is adjacent to the second substrate. The mask corresponds to portions of the black matrix. In addition, a manufacturing method of the patterned retarder 3D liquid crystal display is also disclosed.
US08976300B2
A display control apparatus receives an input of a video signal from an input device and makes a control that causes a video to be displayed on a display apparatus. The display control apparatus includes a capturing unit (410) configured to capture image data that represents a frame image of the input video signal; a signal detector (420) configured to detect whether the video signal is input and issue an instruction to cause the display apparatus to display the video or the frame image on the basis of a result of the detection; and a control unit (400, 430, 440, 450, 460) configured to generate the frame image from the image data captured most recently to cause the display apparatus to display the generated frame image when it is detected that the video signal is not input and the control unit receives the instruction to cause the display apparatus to display the frame image.
US08976299B2
A method for determining a scene boundary location dividing a first scene and a second scene in an input video sequence. The scene boundary location is determined responsive to a merit function value, which is a function of the candidate scene boundary location. The merit function value for a particular candidate scene boundary location is determined by representing the dynamic scene content for the input video frames before and after candidate scene boundary using sparse combinations of a set of basis functions, wherein the sparse combinations of the basis functions are determined by finding a sparse vector of weighting coefficients for each of the basis functions. The weighting coefficients determined for each of the input video frames are combined to determine the merit function value. The candidate scene boundary providing the smallest merit function value is designated to be the scene boundary location.
US08976298B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for performing video denoising (VDN). An adaptive noise threshold is dynamically determined and used to distinguish between frame to frame differences in pixel values that relate to image motion from those differences that relate to noise. The disclosed techniques enable the noise threshold to be continuously updated, for example as frequently as once per frame, so that the noise threshold may closely track to varying levels of noise in the input video data. The techniques may be implemented in, for example, a video format conversion apparatus. Advantageously, the techniques may be incorporated in programmable logic devices (PLD's) or Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA's) configurable to perform video format conversion, while adding only modest additional computational demands on the apparatus.
US08976292B2
A method of improving the perceptual video quality of video sequences containing black bars. Horizontal or vertical black bars caused by a missmatch between the aspect ratio of the encoded video and the display device. The presence of black bars is detected, and the encoding process is adjusted to eliminate visual depredation of the reproduced video.
US08976291B2
Image sensor module with substrate defining gas pressure relieving hole and camera module using same
An image sensor module includes a ceramic substrate, an image sensor, and a filter. The ceramic substrate defines a light transmitting hole and a receiving recess communicating with the light transmitting hole. The image sensor is received in the receiving recess. The filter is positioned on the ceramic substrate.
US08976285B2
A photographing device includes a photographing unit which generates a photographing data by performing photographing with a photographing component, a display unit which displays an image which is photographed in the photographing unit, a sensor unit which senses whether the photographing device rotates, and a control unit which changes a reading order of the photographing component according to a rotation direction and a rotation degree when the photographing device rotates in a recording stand-by mode state, and controls the photographing unit in order to generate the photographing data by maintaining the reading order if the photographing device rotates in a recording mode state.
US08976270B2
An imaging device and a control method for an imaging device of the present invention comprise an imaging section for photoelectrically converting a subject image and outputting image data, and a display section for performing live view display of the subject image based on the image data, wherein, with respect to whether or not a main body is being held, by determining if the main body is in a portrait orientation, and is being held by a touch surface area or with both hands, if this determination is that the main body is not being held a shooting command is received using only a release button, while if it is determined that the main body is being held a shooting command is received by touching the display section.
US08976267B2
An image pickup device may include a storage unit that maps photographing position information to at least two pieces of target direction information, and stores the mapped information; an acquisition unit that acquires apparatus position information and photographing direction information; a calculation unit that selects at least one from among the plurality of pieces of photographing position information stored in the storage unit based on the apparatus position information acquired by the acquisition unit, and calculates at least two direction differences that are differences between the at least two pieces of target direction information, which are mapped to the selected photographing position information and are stored in the storage unit, and the photographing direction information acquired by the acquisition unit; and a display unit that displays information corresponding to the at least two direction differences calculated by the calculation unit.
US08976265B2
An apparatus for capturing image and sound during interactivity with a computer game in a game environment is provided. The apparatus includes a housing and a base stand for supporting the housing. An image capture device is defined along a front portion of the housing. Also, an array of microphones is defined along the front portion of the housing. The array of microphones is defined by a single microphone positioned on a first lateral side of the image capture device and two or more microphones positioned on a second lateral side of the image capture device opposite the first side. The apparatus also includes a connector for connecting to a computing device.
US08976260B2
An image processing apparatus obtains moving image data having a pixel array of a Bayer structure, transmits the obtained moving image data in accordance with a transmission method of transmitting image data having a pixel array different from the Bayer structure and auxiliary data indicating transparency of a plurality of pieces of color data included in the image data by using a plurality of channels, and controls image data of predetermined one of a plurality of colors where the number of pixels corresponding to the predetermined color is larger than that of other color of the plurality of colors, by using a channel for transmitting the auxiliary data.
US08976259B2
Imaging methods and systems providing wavelength diversity compensation to images distorted by turbulence includes capturing a subject image set in a single image frame, with the images in the set being captured at diverse wavelengths. The compensation includes using an error metric insensitive to variation in object brightness between a region of interest of an image and a corresponding region of interest in a second image in the set that is at a diverse wavelength.
US08976247B1
A camera vision system for a vehicle includes a rear backup video camera operable to capture video images rearward of the vehicle during a rear backup maneuver of the vehicle. A display device is operable to display video images captured by the rear backup video camera when the vehicle is shifted into reverse gear and the display continues during short term forward movement of the vehicle. An overlay is displayed with the video images to assist the driver during the rear backup maneuver. The display device is operable to display video images with a display intensity greater than 200 candelas/sq. meter. A control includes an image processor that image processes video images to detect objects that are within the rearward field of view of the rear backup video camera. The image processing by the image processor of captured video images includes use of an edge detection algorithm.
US08976239B2
The present invention concerns a system and method for calibration and adjustment of the pixel color values represented within a digital image of a sample by a transmission microscope. Furthermore the present invention is directed to providing sufficient color information in order to generate a color mapping matrix that allows for the creation of a synthetic image to depict the sample under a desired illumination. The system and method provides a solution that generates a destination-device independent image that is configurable to any calibrated display device.
US08976235B2
A display apparatus includes a controller which generates a control signal based on at least one of a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional stereoscopic image inputted from an outside, a panel including a plurality of pixels, where the plurality of pixels is arranged along a first direction and along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and displays the three-dimensional stereoscopic image having a plurality of viewpoints different from each other in each frame, a lens part including a plurality of lens units, where the plurality of lens units is disposed over the panel overlapping the pixels along the first direction and having a plurality of focal points which shifts in each frame, and a light source which supplies light to the panel.
US08976230B1
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computer-implemented image capture and processing, and more particularly, to user interfaces, systems, computer-readable media, and methods for approximating torso dimensions of a subject in an image to, for example, simulate appearance of the subject in various states of dress and/or generate imagery including different simulated layers of clothing for the subject of the image.
US08976228B2
A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit, and a positive fourth lens unit. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens unit moves with a locus convex toward the image side, and the third lens unit moves toward the object side. The first lens unit includes, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative first lens, a positive second lens, and a positive third lens. A distance (d12) between the first lens and the second lens, a focal length (fw) of the entire zoom lens at the wide-angle end, and a refractive index (Np) of a positive lens having the lowest refractive index among the refractive indices of materials of all positive lenses included in the first lens unit are appropriately set based on predetermined mathematical conditions.
US08976214B2
The invention relates to a device for marking and/or scanning an object comprising a head, in particular a marking head or a scanning head, having a plurality of regular operating elements for marking and/or scanning the object, and comprising a driving mechanism for providing a relative movement of the object relative to the head in an advance direction during a working operation, at least a part of the regular operating elements being arranged in a rectangular pattern of rows and columns. The inventive device is characterized in that at least one spare operating element is provided, which is idle in case that all regular operating elements are functioning, the at least one spare operating element is movable relative to the regular operating elements, in case that one of the regular operating elements is defective, the at least one spare operating element is movable into a position in which the defective operating element is replaced by the spare operating element and the at least one spare operating element is settable to an active state. The invention further relates to a method for marking and/or scanning an object.
US08976211B2
According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium includes an image forming material erasable by heat, a storage medium having stored therein information concerning temperature for heating the image forming material, and a controller configured to control an image forming operation on the basis of the information concerning the temperature stored in the storage medium. The information concerning the temperature includes forming temperature, which is temperature for heating the image forming material during image formation, and erasing temperature, which is temperature for heating the image forming material during image erasing.
US08976209B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal panel including a scan signal line (16x), a data signal line (15x), and a transistor (12a) that is connected to the scan signal line (16x) and the data signal line (15x). A pixel (101) is provided with pixel electrodes (17a and 17b). The pixel electrode (17a) is connected to the data signal line (15x) through the transistor (12a). The liquid crystal panel further includes capacitance electrodes (37a and 38a) that are formed in the same layer as the scan signal line (16x). The capacitance electrodes (37a and 38a) are electrically connected to the pixel electrode (17a), and form a capacitance with the pixel electrode (17b). Consequently, the yield of a capacitance coupling type pixel division system active matrix substrate can be improved.
US08976208B2
A display device which includes pixels, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, a gate driver configured to drive the plurality of gate lines, a data driver configured to drive the plurality of data lines, and a timing controller configured to control the gate driver and the data driver. The timing controller receives a first image signal and outputs a second image signal to the data driver. The timing controller sequentially outputs a boosting signal and the first image signal as the second image signal. The boosting signal is based on the first image signal and the previous first image signal.
US08976195B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for generating a batch clip state stored in clip state machine (CSM) associated with a batch of vertices. Per-vertex clip state is generated for each vertex in the batch of vertices based on the position of each vertex relative to each clip plane. For a given vertex, per-vertex clip state indicates whether the vertex is inside or outside each of the one or more clip planes. The per-vertex clip states of all the vertices in the batch of vertices are coalesced into a batch clip state by determining whether each vertex in the batch of vertices is inside every clip plane, each vertex is outside at least one clip plane or neither. The batch clip state is stored in the CSM associated with the thread group that processes the batch of vertices that can be accessed by further stages of the graphics pipeline.
US08976191B1
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for creating a realistic color for a virtual object in an Augmented Reality environment produced by an Augmented Reality application. In one embodiment, the functions implemented include: selecting a reference image target frame; selecting a plurality of sample points in the reference image target frame; acquiring a subsequent new image target frame; determining a plurality of corresponding sample points in the new image target frame wherein the plurality of corresponding sample points correspond to the plurality of sample points in the reference image target frame; comparing a color of each of the plurality of sample points in the reference image target frame with a color of each of the corresponding sample points in the new image target frame and computing a Color Transfer function based at least in part on the comparison; and applying the Color Transfer function to the color of the virtual object.
US08976186B2
This invention provides an image processing apparatus and an image processing method. By calculation of the pixel difference that is the difference of each corresponding pixels between the current image and the previous image with its neighbor pixel difference, this invention can determine the blending value. Furthermore, the image processing apparatus comprises a pixel buffer unit for storing the current image and the previous image; a pixel difference calculating unit for calculating a plurality of pixel differences; a moving judgment unit, coupled to the pixel difference calculating unit, for determining the pixel moving or static according to by the plurality of pixel differences; a blending value determining unit, coupled to the moving judgment unit, for determining a new blending value when the pixel is static; and an output unit, coupled to the blending value determining unit, for generating an output image by adding the pixels belonging to the same positions pixels on the current image and the previous image with a weighting according to the blending value.
US08976183B2
A method and system for approximating a curve, and a graphic display control method and apparatus are disclosed. The method for approximating a curve comprises the steps of acquiring number information of subdividing points for subdividing a curve needed to be approximated based on coordinate information of control points of the curve, acquiring coordinate information of the subdividing points based on the number information of the subdividing points and the coordinate information of the control points, and connecting the subdividing points with straight lines based on the coordinate information of the subdividing points. The invention could achieve efficient curve approximation and in turn achieve efficient graphic-display control.
US08976180B2
A 3D graphics rendering method, medium and system that provide a motion blur effect. Clone objects of an object are generated based on animation information of the object to which a motion blur effect is to be applied and 3D graphics data including the generated clone objects is rendered, thereby providing a motion blur effect without using accumulation buffers.
US08976179B2
Methods and systems are provided for determining and transmitting applicable lighting information, applicable viewing perspective, and a 3D model for an object in response to a search query. An example method includes receiving, at a server, a search query regarding an object. A 3D model for the object is determined. The 3D model includes three-dimensional shape information about the object. The method also includes determining, based on a plurality of stored images of the object, at least one applicable light field and at least one applicable viewing perspective. A search query result is transmitted from the server. The search query result may include the 3D model, the applicable light field(s), and the applicable viewing perspective(s). A server and a non-transitory computer readable medium are also disclosed that could perform a similar method.
US08976176B2
A method and apparatus for realistically expressing teeth performs rendering on a shape model of the teeth using a hybrid normal map based on materials and characteristics of the teeth in order to more realistically express the teeth.
US08976174B2
In a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an automated, computerized method for manipulating an image comprises the steps of manipulating the image to provide an intensity adjusted image, deriving a bi-illuminant dichromatic reflection model representation of the image and utilizing the bi-illuminant dichromatic reflection model representation to manipulate the intensity adjusted image to generate a color correct intensity adjusted image. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step of manipulating the image to provide an intensity adjusted image is carried out by executing a gamma correction method.
US08976172B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a method and system for operating a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes a camera that obtains a set of images and one or more inertial sensors that obtain inertial data associated with the portable electronic device. The portable electronic device also includes an analysis apparatus that uses the set of images to obtain a set of features in proximity to the portable electronic device. Next, the analysis apparatus updates a set of locations of the features based on the set of images and the inertial data. Finally, the analysis apparatus uses the set of features and the set of locations to provide a model of an environment around the portable electronic device without requiring the use of specialized hardware to track the features and the locations.
US08976171B2
An RB rate calculator calculates an RB rate based on an R signal and a B signal. A starting point changing unit changes a starting point based on the RB rate. An offset calculating unit calculates an offset value to adjust for selection of a basic depth model type based on a bottom high frequency component evaluation value. An adding unit adds a signal from the starting point changing unit and an offset. Another adding unit adds an offset-added signal from the adding unit and a basic depth model-composed image signal supplied from a composing unit, and generates depth estimation data wherein a degree of superimposition of object information is changed according to a composition of a composed image of basic depth models selected to be composed.
US08976168B2
Systems and methods for mesh generation from depth images are provided. According to one aspect, a method executable by a compression device for sending compressed depth information is provided. The method may comprise, at a compression module executed on the compression device, receiving a depth image of a scene from a depth camera. The depth image may include a matrix of pixels, each pixel in the matrix including a depth value indicating a depth of an object in the scene observed at that pixel. The method may further comprise compressing the depth image into a tree data structure, and sending the tree data structure via a communication path to a rendering device for generating a mesh of the scene at the rendering device.
US08976167B2
A driving circuit includes a power supply, a plurality of conductive paths and a plurality of driving controller. The power supply is configured for providing a predetermined voltage. The conductive paths are connected to the power supply to receive the predetermined voltage. The driving controllers are connected to the conductive paths correspondingly. A first driving controller of the driving controllers has a first internal circuit configured for employing an internal voltage to perform functions provided by the first driving controller, and a resistance adjustment unit. The resistance adjustment unit is connected between a special conductive path and the first internal circuit. The second driving controller has a second internal circuit configured for employing a second internal voltage to perform functions provided by the second driving controller. A resistance value of the resistance adjustment unit is adjustable to make the first internal voltage same to the second internal voltage.
US08976155B2
A semiconductor device includes a photodiode, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor. The second transistor and the third transistor have a function of retaining a charge accumulated in a gate of the first transistor. In a period during which the second transistor and the third transistor are off, a voltage level of a voltage applied to a gate of the second transistor is set to be lower than a voltage level of a source of the second transistor and a voltage level of a drain of the second transistor, and a voltage level of a voltage applied to a gate of the third transistor is set to be lower than a voltage level of a source of the third transistor and a voltage level of a drain of the third transistor.
US08976146B2
A method of reducing computation of water tolerance by projecting touch data is disclosed, targeting the handheld devices. The method targets first at obtaining a difference array, followed by extracting minimum values of rows and columns of the difference array to obtain a row projection list and a column projection list respectively. By repeated implementing of mutual capacitance detection, ghost water blocks can be wiped out from the multiple water blocks. Once integrating with a local spatial boundary detection algorithm, the sensed signals of intended input located within a rectangular water block yet beyond a real water block are consequently detected. The computational algorithm of the water tolerance of this invention is successfully built into the touch panel controller due to its substantially reduced computation.
US08976145B2
Decreasing the cost of a touchpad by avoiding the cost of simultaneously measuring all signals from sense electrodes by using a limited number of measuring circuits to accomplish noise reduction and de-ghosting of signal data to thereby obtain the precise location of multiple fingers on a touchpad, wherein the touchpad separates the drive electrodes into groups to thereby provide a means for obtaining granular location information for de-ghosting the touchpad, and wherein overlapping measurements are made of groups of sense electrodes to obtain data that is separated in time to thereby obtain an averaged signal for each electrode and thereby reduce sensitivity to noise.
US08976144B2
A touch panel 10, which has first and second metal resistive thin films (movable transparent electrode 12 and fixed transparent electrode 13) formed respectively on opposing surfaces of two layers of film or glass (movable glass 11 and fixed glass 14) disposed opposite each other at a predetermined space, is configured such that a predetermined radio frequency signal can be inputted/outputted to/from the movable transparent electrode 12, and ground required for detecting an operation position in the touch panel 10 is connected via an inductive circuit of coils L3, L4 and the like, thereby providing a configuration in which radio waves inputted/outputted to/from the movable transparent electrodes 12 are not grounded in terms of radio frequency.
US08976137B2
A touch barrier panel having a touch sensing capability and a 3-dimensional image display capability is disposed on a display panel such that manufacturing cost may be reduced and the thickness thereof is relatively thin. Also, the negative liquid crystal that is not affected by the vertical electric field is used such that a mode change speed and response speed may be improved.
US08976134B2
According to an aspect, a character input device includes: a touch panel capable of detecting touches on a plurality of points; and a control unit for displaying a plurality of buttons on the touch panel and determining whether a first touch gesture in which a touch position with respect to the touch panel is continuously changed occurs. When detecting occurrence of a second touch gesture being a further touch on a different area from an area where the first touch gesture occurs while the first touch gesture occurs in the area where the buttons are displayed, the control unit is configured to receive, as an input, a character corresponding to the button corresponding to the touch position of the first touch gesture when the second touch gesture occurs.
US08976133B2
Methods and devices for improving image quality in a display having multiple common voltage layers (VCOMs) are provided. In one example, a method may include maintaining a deactivation signal on pixels of the display after programming a frame of data onto the pixels of the display, but before a touch sequence. The method may also include supplying a first data signal to each pixel of a first set of pixels coupled to a first VCOM while maintaining the deactivation signal. The method may include supplying a second data signal to each pixel of a second set of pixels coupled to a second VCOM while supplying the first data signal. The first data signal is supplied to each pixel of the first set of pixels and the second data signal is supplied to each pixel of the second set of pixels to inhibit image distortion during the touch sequence.
US08976131B2
There is provided an information processing device including a display control unit configured to acquire hover coordinates on the touch screen in accordance with a transition of mode to a hover mode, and determine both the acquired hover coordinates and coordinates obtained by adding a desired offset value to the hover coordinates as a range of a hover display to be displayed on the touch screen.
US08976126B2
A washing machine to provide a user interface environment using a full-touch LCD to perform communication over a network and a method of controlling the same. It is possible to provide a user interface by simple and convenient touch manipulation and display information regarding a user manipulation state and an operation state of the washing machine according to various visual/tactile tastes.
US08976113B2
A mouse housing structure includes a housing having a main body of a front wall, and a tongue portion defining a position wall, at least a track device disposed at the tongue portion and defining first and second position ends at two opposite ends thereof, and a sliding device including a sliding body and at least a rotatable shaft having first and second engaging portions. The first engaging portion is movably and rotatably disposed in the track device, and the second engaging portion is spaced away from the track device for pivotally engaging with a coupling slot of the sliding body. When the sliding body moves forwards to where the first engaging portion slides against the first position end, the sliding body rotates towards the position wall, and is restrained by the position wall so as to expand the mouse housing structure for use.
US08976112B2
Systems and methods for transmitting haptic messages are disclosed. For example, one disclosed method includes the steps of: receiving at least one sensor signal from at least one sensor of a mobile device, the at least one sensor signal associated with a movement of the mobile device, determining a message to be displayed in a user interface based at least in part on the at least one sensor signal, and causing the message to be displayed.
US08976109B2
Based on captured images obtained when an image capture device takes images in an image capture range, a change in the moving speed of one passerby or each of a plurality of passerby contained in the captured images is calculated. When there is a passerby whose moving speed is decreased in the image capture range, the passerby is paying attention to the content, and therefore content to be outputted by a content output device is switched from ordinary content to specific content. On the other hand, when only passerby who are moving at constant speed are present in the image capture range, the passerby are not paying attention to the content, and hence the content output device continues to output the ordinary content.
US08976104B2
A display device comprises a optical member, a plurality of light sources to illuminate the optical member, a representative determining part to determine representative values of image blocks based on image signals applied to the image blocks, wherein the image blocks are arranged in a matrix and correspond to portions of a display panel, a representative integration part to integrate the representative values of the image blocks in one of a row and a column direction of the matrix and determine integrated representative values, and a light control part to control the plurality of light sources based on the integrated representative values.
US08976100B2
According to one embodiment, a display includes pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, gate lines extending along rows, signal lines extending along columns, storage capacitance lines extending along the rows to superpose a voltage on the pixel electrodes, a counterelectrode opposed to the pixel electrodes, a driver to drive the gate lines, the signal lines, and the storage capacitance lines, and a controller to control the driver. The controller sequentially drives the gate lines to write from the signal lines to the pixel electrodes and, after the write to the pixel electrodes, changes a potential of each of the storage capacitance lines to cause alignment of the liquid crystal layer to make a transition from splay alignment to bend alignment.
US08976091B2
A display including multiple OLED pixels is provided. Each OLED pixel includes and OLED, a driving transistor, a switch transistor, a first compensation block and a second compensation block. The driving transistor has a first terminal coupled to an anode of the OLED, a second terminal for receiving an operating voltage, and a control terminal for receiving a data voltage. The switch transistor has a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the driving transistor, a second terminal for receiving the data voltage, and a control terminal for receiving a first control signal. The first compensation block is coupled to the first terminal and the control terminal of the driving transistor. The second compensation block is coupled to the first terminal of the driving transistor, and receives the first control signal and the data voltage.
US08976082B2
A synchronizing method and a system for marks on electronic maps and a recording medium using the same are provided. In the present synchronizing method, an input signal is received by a first electronic device, so as to draw a mark on the electronic map displayed thereon. The mark is then converted into positioning information of a plurality of positioning points on the electronic map and transmitted to a second electronic device via a wireless transmission network, wherein the positioning information is used for drawing the positioning points on the electronic map displayed on the second electronic device so as to reconstruct the mark. Accordingly, the mark on the electronic map of both communication ends can be synchronized.
US08976070B2
A broadcasting antenna for a vehicle and a shark fin antenna apparatus having the same are provided. The broadcasting antenna includes a main board on which a feeder circuit and a ground plane are formed, a helical radiation unit which includes a plurality of helical radiators that are electrically connected to the feeder circuit and the ground plane of the main board, that are formed in a first direction, and that are coupled apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and which has a coupling feed structure, and an extended radiation unit which includes a plurality of top loaders that are electrically connected to ends of the plurality of helical radiators, respectively, that are formed in a second direction, and that are coupled to each other.
US08976063B1
In one example, a method includes determining, based on first motion data, that a change in an angle of a mobile computing device relative to gravity satisfies a threshold amount of change, and, responsive to determining that the change in the angle satisfies the threshold amount of change, initiating, at a first position of the mobile computing device, storage of second motion data, wherein the first position is a reference position. The method may also include determining, based on an external signal, a second position of the mobile computing device, wherein the second position is a current position of the mobile computing device that is different from the reference position, and, responsive to determining the second position of the mobile computing device, determining, based on the second motion data and the current position, the reference position of the mobile computing device.
US08976059B2
In one aspect, a method to identify and remove a false detection includes receiving a detection from a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) processor, performing a first similarity measure on adjacent coherent integration time values (CITs) corresponding to the detection, performing a second similarity measure on neighbor CITs corresponding to the detection, determining if at least one of the first or second similarity measure is below a threshold and discarding the detection if at least one of the first or second similarity measures is below the threshold.
US08976057B1
A system and method for operational placement of Traffic Collision and Avoidance System (TCAS) antennas on an aerial vehicle. A TCAS primary directional antenna is configured to mount on a lower surface of the aerial vehicle wherein the directional antenna receives and determines a direction of reception of an RF signal. The omnidirectional antenna is mounted on an upper surface of the aerial vehicle for transmission and reception of TCAS signals. A TCAS processor has associated ports to send and receive signals to each antenna for communicating with TCAS target aircraft. The TCAS processor is configured to recognize a mounted location of the antennas via signals received from the inputs. The TCAS processor is further configured to accept a plurality of inputs via the associated ports from the lower mounted directional antenna yet still output accurate TCAS information to the TCAS display.
US08976056B2
Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) collect and transmit information about ice floe thickness; this is combined with SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR images from satellites to identify and track dangerously thick regions of ice. The overlayed data is presented graphically to allow tracking of the thick ice regions over time. This information is used to alert drilling platforms in icy ocean conditions of pending ice floe dangers.
US08976050B1
Mixed-signal circuitry, comprising: a first switching-circuitry unit for use in an analog-to-digital converter; and a second switching-circuitry unit for use in a digital-to-analog converter, wherein: the first switching-circuitry unit is configured to sample an input analog signal and output a plurality of samples based on a first plurality of clock signals; the second switching-circuitry unit is configured to generate an output analog signal based on a plurality of data signals and a second plurality of clock signals; and the first and second pluralities of dock signals have the same specifications as one another.
US08976049B2
The present invention generally relates to storing sequence read data. The invention can involve obtaining a plurality of sequence reads from a sample, identifying one or more sets of duplicative sequence reads within the plurality of sequence reads, and storing only one of the sequence reads from each set of duplicative sequence reads in a text file using nucleotide characters.
US08976048B2
A method of decoding Huffman-encoded data may comprise receiving a symbol associated with the Huffman encoded data, selecting a target group for the symbol based on a bit length value associated with the symbol, associating the symbol with the target group, associating the symbol with a code, and incrementing a starting code for each of a plurality of groups associated with a starting code that is equal to or greater than the starting code of the target group.
US08976037B2
To accurately grasp a generation situation of a warning generated in an operation machine, the operation machine is provided with: warning generation means 55 adapted to determine whether or not there is abnormality, and in the case where there is abnormality, generate a warning; warning storage means 56 adapted to store warning information on the warning; display means adapted to display the warning information stored in the warning storage means 56; and warning erasing means adapted to erase the warning information, wherein the warning storage means 56 is configured to store warning information on a warning generated after the erasure by the warning erasing means 57.
US08976033B2
Techniques for providing the status of a port to a controller are provided. A port may have a visual indicator indicating the status of the port. A controller may have an input for receiving a signal. The visual indicator of the port may be coupled to the input of the controller to determine the operational status of the port.
US08976029B1
A system of managing product at a location in which a weight-sensing RFID tag is utilized to determine the weight or pressure applied to a substrate and then this information is read by an RFID reader and then transmitted to a data storage repository and processing program for further handling of the data. The data storage repository and processing program may be near the RFID reader or may be remotely located with respect to the RFID reader.
US08976024B2
An electronic control device for interfering with locomotion by a human or animal target includes a processor and stimulus signal generator. Upon engagement of a trigger by an operator, a stimulus signal is provided to electrodes for a time period to interfere with the skeletal muscles of the target. An indication is provided to the operator corresponding to the time period to alert the operator before deactivation of the stimulus signal. In response to the alert, the operator may reengage the trigger to continue or resume the stimulus signal.
US08976011B2
A circuit board structure for a low noise block down-converter is disclosed. The circuit board structure is used for transmitting a first radio-frequency signal and a second radio-frequency signal across each other, and includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a first wire for transmitting the first radio-frequency signal, a first grounded wire formed in parallel to a side of the first wire, and a second grounded wire formed in parallel to another side of the first wire. The second substrate is electrically connected to the first substrate, and includes a second wire for transmitting the second radio-frequency signal, a third wire formed on a side of the second wire and a fourth wire formed on another side of the second wire.
US08976009B2
Provided is a system and method of updating a message displayed on an electronic screen via wireless communications device or remote website. Messages are entered into the communications device (input terminal) or web interface via verbal commands or entered text. The input is then transmitted to one or more electronic screens, where the message is displayed. Thus, users can update an electronic display without directly manipulating the display screen. Each electronic screen is in enabled to wirelessly communicate over cellular networks and via BlueTooth connections. These connection methods enable pairing of multiple electronic screens to a single wireless communications device, as well as allowing multiple communications devices to manipulate any given screen directly or via web interface.
US08976001B2
A protective device includes a substrate, two first electrodes, a low-melting point metal layer and an assisting layer. The first electrodes are respectively arranged at two opposite sides of the substrate. The low melting point metal layer is arranged over the two first electrodes. The assisting layer is formed on the low melting point metal layer. The liquidus temperature of the assisting layer is below the liquidus temperature of the low melting point metal layer, and the liquidus temperature of the assisting layer is not below a predetermined temperature which is below the maximum working temperature of reflow soldering process by 25 degrees.
US08975989B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a contact switching device having a smaller height dimension. For this, there is provided a contact switching device in which a movable iron core (142) provided at one end portion of a movable shaft (145) is attracted to a fixed iron core (138), based on excitation and degauss of an electromagnet portion, by which the movable shaft (145) reciprocates in a shaft center direction, and a movable contact (148a) of a movable contact piece (148) arranged at another end portion of the movable shaft (145) contacts and departs from a fixed contact (133a). Two coil springs (147a, 147b) different in length and diameter are put on the movable shaft (145), and one of the coil springs (147a) is arranged inside the other coil spring (147b).
US08975982B2
Provided is a transmission and reception signal detecting apparatus, which includes a directional coupler and a signal detecting part. The directional coupler includes a first port and a second port. The signal detecting part is connected to the first and second ports of the directional coupler and detects an output of a first signal transmitted through the first port and an output of a second signal transmitted through the second port. The signal detecting part is connected to the first port under a first operation condition. The signal detecting part is connected to the second port under a second operation condition.
US08975981B2
Reconfigurable impedance matching circuits with multiple configurations are disclosed. A reconfigurable impedance matching circuit may be implemented with a set of reactive elements (e.g., inductors and/or capacitors) and a set of switches. Different configurations may be obtained with different settings of the switches and may be associated with different impedance tuning curves. This may enable the reconfigurable impedance matching circuit to provide better impedance matching for a load circuit (e.g., an antenna). In an exemplary design, the reconfigurable impedance matching circuit includes at least one variable reactive element configured to tune the impedance of the reconfigurable impedance matching circuit in order to provide better impedance matching. In an exemplary design, the reconfigurable impedance matching circuit may include at least one reconfigurable reactive element, each of which can be connected as a series element or a shunt element.
US08975974B2
A wide frequency, low voltage oscillator includes multiple delay elements, in which each delay element includes two inverters coupled through a latching element into a differential-type configuration. Two current-source PMOS devices bias the latching element in a high-gain region at low-voltage. By coupling these current-source PMOS devices into the delay elements, the start-up voltage of the latching element is reduced. Each delay element is also biased using a replica bias circuit that scales the supply/control voltage of the oscillator and provides the scaled supply/control voltage to control the lower rail of oscillation amplitude. By coupling the replica bias circuit to the lower rail, the lower rail of the oscillation amplitude follows the changes to the supply/control voltage.
US08975970B2
A controlled oscillator is tuned to produce a desired, temperature independent frequency. A first frequency ratio is determined between a first frequency of the output signal generated by the controlled oscillator and a frequency of an output signal from another oscillator. The first frequency is determined based on a sensed temperature. A desired frequency of the output signal of the controlled oscillator is used to determine a desired frequency ratio between the desired frequency and the frequency of the output signal from the other oscillator. The controlled oscillator is tuned and the frequency ratio measured until the tuning has caused the desired frequency ratio to be achieved, thereby causing the controlled oscillator to provide the desired frequency.
US08975962B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to improving the slew rate of an amplifier as the amplifier charges or discharges a capacitive load. In one embodiment, the amplifier is coupled to a slew-enhancing circuit which uses a control signal from the amplifier to aid the amplifier when charging or discharging the load. For example, the control signal may be an internal voltage used by the amplifier to control circuit elements within the amplifier. By routing the control signal to the slew-enhancing circuit, the control signal biases the circuit elements within the slew-enhancing circuit to source a boost current when charging the capacitive load or sink the boost current when discharging the capacitive load.
US08975957B1
Systems and methods are provided for amplifying multiple input signals to generate multiple output signals. An example system includes a first channel, a second channel, and a third channel. The first channel is configured to receive one or more first input signals, process information associated with the one or more first input signals and a first ramp signal, and generate one or more first output signals. The second channel is configured to receive one or more second input signals, process information associated with the one or more second input signals and a second ramp signal, and generate one or more second output signals. The first ramp signal corresponds to a first phase. The second ramp signal corresponds to a second phase. The first phase and the second phase are different.
US08975951B2
Electronic apparatus that can suppress the operating voltage of an incorporated semiconductor integrated circuit to a low voltage is provided. Electronic apparatus 1 includes a power supply circuit 13, a semiconductor integrated circuit 10 that operates by a supply voltage supplied from the power supply circuit 13, and a temperature sensor 11 that measures the temperature of the semiconductor integrated circuit 10. The power supply circuit 13 decreases the supply voltage according to a rise in the measured temperature.
US08975947B1
A shunt switch includes first switching elements provided in series between a first node and a second node. Second switching elements are provided in series between the nodes but not in series with the first switching elements. A distortion generation element connected in series with second switching elements generates a distortion which may be used for compensating for a signal distortion at the first node. A distortion changeover element is connected in parallel with the distortion generation element and is configured to have a conductance state that is opposite to the conductance state of the first switching elements, such that the changeover element is conducting when the first switching elements are in an non-conductive state and non-conducting when the first switching elements are in a conducting state.
US08975944B2
A level shift circuit does not affect delay time, regardless of the size of resistor resistance value. The level shift circuit includes first and second series circuits wherein first and second resistors and first and second switching elements are connected in series, rise detector circuits that compare the rise potentials of output signals of the first and second series circuits with a predetermined threshold value, and output first and second output signals, which are pulse outputs of a constant duration, when the threshold value is exceeded, and third and fourth switching elements connected in parallel to the first and second resistors respectively. The gate terminals of the third and fourth switching elements are connected to the rise detector circuits, and the third and fourth switching elements are turned on by the first and second output signals respectively.
US08975942B2
A clock shifter circuit may receive a input clock in a first voltage domain and may generate a level-shifted output clock in a second voltage domain. The circuit may include a cross-coupled pair of transistor switches and a pair of capacitors. Each switch may have a drain coupled to one of the capacitors, a source coupled to a circuit supply voltage, and a gate coupled to the other capacitor. One capacitor may receive a true input clock version, while the other may receive a complement version. Each capacitor, in an alternating manner, may activate an opposing transistor switch to charge its capacitor during an active phase of its respective input clock. The circuit may generate the output clock from an output node connected between one of the transistor switches and its capacitor. The output clock may drive a load directly coupled to the output node.
US08975930B2
Direct-path current is reduced in a semiconductor device including CMOS circuits. One embodiment of the present invention is a method for driving a semiconductor device that includes a first CMOS circuit between power supply lines, a first transistor between the power supply lines, a second CMOS circuit between the power supply lines, and a second transistor between an output terminal of the first CMOS circuit and an input terminal of the second CMOS circuit. The first transistor and the second transistor each have lower off-state current than a transistor included in the first CMOS circuit. In a period during which the voltage of a first signal input to the first CMOS circuit is changed, a second signal is input to the first transistor and the second transistor to turn off the first transistor and the second transistor.
US08975928B1
Input-output (IO) buffer circuitry is provided that is operable to drive signals off an integrated circuit. The input-output circuitry may include an input-output driver having an asymmetric transistor and/or a low-threshold voltage transistor. The asymmetric transistor may include a first source-drain region at a first dopant concentration level and a second source-drain region at a second dopant concentration level. The first dopant concentration level and the second dopant concentration level may be different. The IO buffer circuitry may be able to prevent issues with regards to hot carrier injection when driving signals with elevated voltages. The IO buffer circuit may also be manufactured without increasing the overall cost.
US08975923B2
Apparatus and methods for a protective multiplexer, among other things, are provided. In an example, a protective multiplexer circuit can include a first switch that in a first state can be configured to couple an input of a power supply to at least one of first or second signal nodes of a passgate when a first voltage of the at least one of the first or second signal nodes is below a first limit voltage.
US08975915B2
A driver circuit for a digital signal transmitting bus includes a main switch. The main switch is connected to the bus, is controllable by the digital signal to be transmitted, and has one on-switching state in which it has maximum electrical conductivity, one off-switching state in which it has minimum electrical conductivity and at least one intermediate switching state with an electrical conductivity between the minimum and maximum conductivity. The digital signal has a first logic state and a second logic state, the first logic state controls the main switch to be in the on-switching state and the second logic state controls the main switch to be in the off-switching state. The main switch is in the intermediate switching state during switching from the on-switching state to the off-switching state and/or vice versa.
US08975913B2
A circuit structure (200) for suppressing single event transients (SETs) or glitches in digital electronic circuits is provided. The circuit structure includes a first input (100) which receives an output of a digital electronic circuit (A), a second input (100′) which receives a redundant or duplicated output of the digital electronic circuit (A′), and two sub-circuits (102, 106) that each receive the inputs and have one output. One of the sub-circuits is insensitive to a change in the value of one of its inputs when the inputs are in a first logic state and the other sub-circuit is insensitive to a change in the value of one of the inputs when the inputs are in a second, inverted logic state. The sub-circuit outputs are input into a two-input multiplexer (202) which has its output (204) connected to its selection port (SEL), and the sub-circuits are arranged so that the sub-circuit which is insensitive to a change in the value of one of its inputs is selected whenever the output of the multiplexer changes. The multiplexer output (204) is provided as a final output in which SETs and glitches have been suppressed.
US08975912B2
A tunable superconducting circuit includes a first charge island, a second charge island, a third charge island, a fourth charge island, a first junction loop electrically coupled to the first and third charge islands, a second junction loop coupled to the second and third charge islands and a third junction loop coupled to the third and fourth charge islands, wherein the first, second and third junction loops are tuned in frequency to operate together as a qubit.
US08975910B2
A TSV structure, method of making the TSV structure and methods of testing the TSV structure. The structure including: a trench extending from a top surface of a semiconductor substrate to a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate, the trench surrounding a core region of the semiconductor substrate; a dielectric liner on all sidewalls of the trench; and an electrical conductor filling all remaining space in the trench, the dielectric liner electrically isolating the electrical conductor from the semiconductor substrate and from the core region.
US08975882B2
A regulating circuit includes a first comparator configured to control a turning on and a turning off of a first transistor based on a first comparison a reference voltage to a feedback voltage. The first transistor is coupled between an output node and a first voltage supply. A second comparator is configured to control a turning on and a turning off of a second transistor based on a second comparison of the reference voltage to the feedback voltage. The second transistor is coupled to the output node. A high-impedance circuit is coupled in series with the second transistor such that the high-impedance block is disposed between the second transistor and a second power supply. The high-impedance circuit is configured to generate a constant current between the output node and the second voltage supply when the second transistor is turned on.
US08975879B2
This invention provides a switching converter having a plurality N of outputs providing N output signals and at least one inductor, comprising a first controlling device for controlling the total energy flowing over the inductor to the N outputs dependent on a first control signal, at least a second controlling device for distributing the total energy between the N outputs by means of at least a second control signal, wherein the first controlling device is coupled to all N outputs for receiving a number M of the respective feedback output signals of the N outputs, M≦N, wherein the first controlling device comprises first means for weighting the M feedback output signals and second means for providing the first control signal dependent on the weighted M feedback output signals.
US08975869B2
Disclosed is a portable terminal, a battery pack and an apparatus for controlling a battery unit. The battery pack includes k battery units, wherein k is an integer of 2 or more; a power supply control unit that conducts control operation such that at least one of the k battery units supplies a power to a load by a time period, and other battery units except for the at least one are in an idle state in a whole or part of the time period.
US08975867B2
Disclosed herein is a secondary battery pack including a battery cell having a pair of coupling grooves, each of the coupling grooves having a predetermined depth, an insulative mounting member mounted to the top of the battery cell, a protection circuit module (PCM) having a pair of connection coupling members protruding downward, and an insulative cap coupled to the top of the battery cell, wherein the connection coupling members are inserted into coupling grooves formed at electrode terminals of the battery cell through openings of the insulative mounting member in a state in which the insulative mounting member is mounted to the top of the battery cell, thereby achieving the coupling of the PCM to the battery cell and the insulative mounting member and the electrical connection between the battery cell and the PCM.
US08975865B2
A source resonator includes a housing having a convex shape. The source resonator is associated with a vehicular electrical charging system used to electrically charge an energy storage device disposed on a vehicle. The source resonator is adapted for attachment to a ground surface with the convex shaped cover extending outwardly away therefrom. The convex shaped cover of the source resonator, when disposed beneath an undercarriage of a vehicle, fills a space intermediate the source resonator and the undercarriage of the vehicle such that animals, such as a dog or a cat, are discouraged from overlyingly residing thereon. External surface segments of the convex shaped cover depend or slope away from a peak point of the convex shaped cover so that foreign objects, like a soda can or a tool that engage the convex shaped cover, may passively slide off of the housing to ensure optimal performance of the source resonator.
US08975855B2
A control system for compensating a hysteresis band of a switched reluctance (SR) machine having a rotor and a stator is provided. The control system may include a converter circuit and a controller. The converter circuit may be operatively coupled to the stator and include a plurality of switches in selective communication with each phase of the stator. The controller may be in communication with each of the stator and the converter circuit, and configured to monitor at least one phase current of the SR machine relative to a current threshold of the hysteresis band, determine an adjustment value based on a difference between the phase current and the current threshold if the phase current exceeds the current threshold, and compensate the current threshold by the adjustment value.
US08975849B2
There are provided a first notch filter disposed in a feedback control system, an oscillation extracting filter for outputting signal x1 containing an oscillation component, a second notch filter for inputting signal x1, a notch control portion for changing a notch center frequency based on signal x1 and second notch filter output signal x2, a notch depth control portion for changing a notch depth of the first notch filter based on signal x1, and a control determining portion for carrying out control to operate either the notch control portion or the notch depth control portion.
US08975842B2
A three-phase permanent magnet motor is controlled by generating two-phase control signals. A rotation speed value is generated representing a rotation speed of the permanent magnet motor based on a q-current reference value and a q-current feedback value, the q-current reference value and the q-current feedback value corresponding to a q-phase winding. A d-phase voltage change value is generated based on a d-current reference value and a d-current feedback value, the d-current reference value and the d-current feedback value corresponding to the d-phase winding. A first d-phase voltage value is generated based on the rotation speed value, the d-phase voltage change value, the d-current reference value and the q-current reference value. A first q-phase voltage value is generated based on the rotation speed value, the q-current reference value and the d-current reference value.
US08975841B2
A motor control device includes a torque computing section which computes an output torque of an electric motor which is capable of generating magnetic torque by permanent magnets and reluctance torque, a flux weakening angle computing section which determines an angle of a flux weakening current vector that is added to a reference current vector so that a command torque value and the computed torque value correspond with each other, a voltage acquiring section which acquires a terminal voltage of the motor, a flux weakening amplitude computing section which determines an amplitude of the flux weakening current vector so that the terminal voltage of the motor is not more than a maximum voltage applicable to the motor, and a command current computing section which computes a command current vector by adding the flux weakening current vector to the reference current vector.
US08975840B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling an IPMSM, the apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure including a first generating unit generating a q-axis reference voltage of a synchronous reference frame from a reference frequency, a current converter generating a current of the synchronous reference frame from a 3-phase current of the IPMSM, and a voltage controller generating a d-axis reference voltage compensating a voltage in response to a load change.
US08975836B2
A cyclotron for ion acceleration is magnetically shielded during ion acceleration by passing electrical current in the same direction through both the first and second superconducting primary coils. A first magnetic-field-shielding coil is on the same side of the mid plane as the first superconducting primary coil, while a second magnetic-field-shielding coil is on the same side of the midplane as the second superconducting primary coil and beyond the outer radius of the second superconducting primary coil. Electrical current is also passed through the magnetic-field-shielding coils in a direction opposite to the direction in which electrical current is passed through the superconducting primary coils and generates a canceling magnetic field that reduces the magnetic field generated at radii from the central axis beyond the magnetic-field-shielding coils.
US08975835B2
The present invention relates to a backlight dimmer circuit and a backlight dimming method. The backlight dimmer circuit includes a PLL dimming module, which detects a rising edge of a 3D synchronous signal to generate multiple channels of 3D mode dimming signal in phase with the 3D synchronous signal; a phase delay module, which generates time-divided outputs of the multiple channels of 3D mode dimming signal according to a delay set value; an external dimming module, which receives an external dimming signal to generate a 2D mode dimming signal; and a trigger, which receives the 2D mode dimming signal and the multiple channels of 3D mode dimming signal and determines whether to output the 2D mode dimming signal or the multiple channels of 3D mode dimming signal according to a 2D/3D conversion signal.
US08975832B2
A display and method of making a display, comprising first and second stacked, non-inverted, dielectrically isolated, organic light emitting diodes formed on a silicon on insulator substrate. The display includes a means for applying both a positive or negative voltage across the stack, and a common intermediate control node situated between the diodes. The control node is electrically connected through vias to receive a control voltage signal, such that altering the relationship between the control voltage signal and the voltage applied across the stack regulates the actuation of the individual diodes.
US08975827B2
A lighting network where control of the lighting fixtures in the network may be distributed among the lighting fixtures. The lighting fixtures may be broken into groups that are associated with different lighting zones. Certain lighting fixtures will have or be associated with one or more sensors, such as occupancy sensors, ambient light sensors, and the like. Within the lighting network or the various lighting zones, lighting fixtures may share sensor data. Each lighting fixture may process sensor data provided by its own sensor, a remote standalone sensor, or lighting fixture, and process the sensor data according to the lighting fixture's own internal logic to control operation. The lighting fixtures may also receive control input from other lighting fixtures, control nodes, light switches, and commissioning tools. The control input may be processed along with the sensor data according to the internal logic to further enhance control of the lighting fixture.
US08975824B2
Provided is a PWM driving circuit and a PWM driving method. The PWM driving circuit includes a dimmer switching unit turning on a first switch to apply a first reference signal varied according to an input voltage of a system when an output voltage level of a dimmer is a reference level or less, and turning on a second switch to apply a second reference signal, unrelated to the input voltage of the system, when the output voltage level of the dimmer is more than the reference level, an error amplification unit comparing the first reference signal or the second reference signal with an output detection signal to amplify an error and outputting an error amplification signal, and a PWM control signal generating unit comparing the error amplification signal of the error amplification unit with a predetermined reference waveform to output a PWM control signal.
US08975823B2
Provided is an LED control apparatus for controlling a color temperature of at least one LED light module, and the LED control apparatus includes an LED driver electrically connected to the LED light modules; a power conversion module; and a microcontroller unit electrically connected to the power conversion module to control a current output ratio of the LED driver; the microcontroller unit comprises a first control point connected to the LED driver and second and third control points connected to the LED modules; wherein the second and third control points are electrically connected to current controllers for controlling a current therethrough. By using the microcontroller connected to the LED driver to control the current outputs to the LED light modules, the current ratio of the LED light modules can be effectively controlled in order to change the color temperatures of the LED light modules.
US08975821B2
A LAM/ICM assembly comprises an integrated control module (ICM) and an LED array member (LAM). The ICM includes interconnect through which power from outside the assembly is received. In a first novel aspect, active circuitry is embedded in the ICM. In one example, the circuitry monitors LED operation, controls and supplies power to the LEDs, and communicates information into and out of the assembly. In a second novel aspect, a lighting system comprises an AC-to-DC converter and a LAM/ICM assembly. The AC-to-DC converter outputs a substantially constant current or voltage. The magnitude of the current or voltage is adjusted by a signal output from the LAM/ICM. In a third novel aspect, the ICM includes a built-in switching DC-to-DC converter. An AC-to-DC power supply supplies a roughly regulated supply voltage. The switching converter within the LAM/ICM receives the roughly regulated voltage and supplies a regulated LED drive current to its LEDs.
US08975819B2
Sensor devices (1) are provided with trigger signal generators (2) for repeatedly generating trigger signals and light detectors (12) for detecting light parameters such as intensities and colors and color temperatures and patterns and fluctuations of light (43) at a location and transmitters (9) for, in response to trigger signals, transmitting control signals based on detections to control devices (20) for controlling light sources (40) to influence the light (43) at the location. The sensor devices (1) may further comprise theme code generators (3), location code generators (4), processors (5), scanners (10), and position detectors (6). The control devices (20) comprise receivers (27) for receiving the control signals from the sensor devices (1) and controllers (26) for, in response to the control signals, controlling the light sources (40) and may further comprise theme code detectors (21) and/or processors (22) and/or location code detectors (23) and/or setting detectors (24) and/or communicators (28) for communication with scanners (10) and/or transmitters (29) and/or arbiters (25).
US08975818B2
A LED illumination device and validation methodology of LED illumination device's lifespan, comprises a controller, timing chip and low-voltage DC power supply, the controller is connected to the display terminal, the timing chip is positioned inside the LED illumination device, so as to get real-time recording of the operating time of the LED illumination device which is transmitted to the display terminal for display; meanwhile, a light sensor is placed in the luminous zone to obtain luminosity data so as to measure real-time luminous maintenance rate. When the measured luminous maintenance rate gets lower than the luminous maintenance rate predetermined for critical lifespan, the operating time recorded by the LED illumination device at this moment is the lifespan of this LED illumination device.
US08975811B2
A light emitting display device includes: a substrate; a first electrode disposed on the substrate in each pixel area; an insulating film disposed on the substrate, where a first opening, which exposes the first electrode, is defined in the insulating film; a blocking film disposed on a side surface of the insulating film, which defines the first opening; a light emitting layer disposed in the first opening and on the first electrode, where the light emitting layer is in contact with the blocking film; and a second electrode disposed on the light emitting layer.
US08975808B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide light diffusion into edge lines of a modular display, and thus provide a modular display that is capable of displaying a single, continuous image without visible edge lines between individual display modules. One display module includes a multitude of pixels that contain red, green, blue, and white light sources. The replacement of an edge line blocking dam with the light diffusion edge line of the individual display module can provide a single, continuous image to be displayed thereon without visible, image-quality-reducing edge lines. With various heights of the buffer layer, the light can concentrate on the edge line in modular display. The individual display modules can be light emitting diode (LED), organic LED (OLED), UV LED, RGB LED, Phosphor-based LED, Quantum dot LED, or displays based upon a combination thereof. Furthermore, the variable height buffer layer allows for a modular display image in 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional formats.
US08975807B2
An organic light emitting device including a first substrate, a second substrate parallel to the first substrate, and an organic light emitting unit disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate is provided. The first substrate has a plurality of first light guiding microstructures. A distribution density of the first light guiding microstructures is in a range of 100 to 2000 pcs/mm, wherein the first light guiding microstructures are located inside the first substrate and a material of the first substrate includes a photosensitive material.
US08975788B2
An example apparatus includes a power-factor correction (PFC) circuit coupleable to a primary load that exhibits a change in resistance with a change in applied voltage, with the respective voltage being a primary-load voltage, and current through the primary load being a primary-load current. The PFC circuit is configured to provide an auxiliary load and control current therethrough, with the respective current being an auxiliary-load current. In this regard, the PFC circuit is configured to control the auxiliary-load current such that the sum of the primary-load current and auxiliary-load current is a substantially-constant proportion of the primary-load voltage, the respective sum being a sum current.
US08975787B2
An appliance's control and sensing circuit selectively applies AC electrical power to a load (72). The circuit includes a relay (44) having contacts (52) connected in series between an AC power source and the load (72). When energized, the relay's electromagnetic coil (54) changes the contacts (52) to supplying electrical power to the load (72) or conversely. The control and sensing circuit measures AC voltage induced in the coil (54) by an alternating magnetic field produced by AC electrical current supplied to the load (72) through the relay's contacts (52). A microcontroller (46) included in the control and sensing circuit: 1. measures the AC voltage produced by the coil (54); 2. compensates the measured voltage for inductive coupling between the AC current flowing through the contacts (52) and the coil (54); and 3. determines various characteristics of the AC power supplied to the load (72).
US08975786B2
When portable electronic equipment drops, CPU stops power supply to a prescribed unit. A prescribed unit is a unit that is not necessary for the continuous operation of the portable electronic equipment. When the portable electronic equipment collides with the floor or the ground, the battery terminal may be momentarily detached from the connector. In this case, instantaneous voltage drop or momentary power failure may occur. Power supply to a prescribed unit is stopped while power supply to CPU and RAM is continued. Therefore, power supply to CPU and RAM can be continued with electric charge stored in a capacitor inside the portable electronic equipment.
US08975781B2
Method and system for supplying emergency power to nuclear power plant, wherein the method includes, providing accumulator battery system, connected to emergency bus, the accumulator battery system is monitored by online monitoring system; in case of power loss of electrical devices of the nuclear power plant, the online monitoring system starts the accumulator battery system to provide power supply to the electrical devices of the nuclear power plant via the emergency bus. The present application is adapt to the key technologies and battery management technologies of million kilowatt-class advanced pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant, facilitating to improve the safety of the nuclear power plant in case of serious natural disasters beyond design working conditions.
US08975770B2
A wind power turbine electric generator, the electric generator having a tubular first supporting structure extending about an axis of rotation; a second supporting structure extending about the axis of rotation, substantially coaxial with the first supporting structure, and fitted to the first supporting structure to rotate about the axis of rotation; first active parts fitted to the first supporting structure; second active parts fitted to the second supporting structure, facing the first active parts, and separated from the first active parts by an annular gap; and a radial tensioning device configured to adjust the shape of the first supporting structure about the axis of rotation.
US08975764B1
A power generating electronic cigarette includes a partially hollowed body having an enclosed distal end, and a filter cartridge attached at a proximal end of the body. The cigarette operates using power stored within a portable power storage media integrated within the body. A power generating subassembly is located within the hollowed body, wherein the power generating subassembly generates an electrical current to charge the power storage media. The power generating subassembly utilizes motion of a magnet in proximity of a coil to generate an electrical current within the coil. The current can be converted into stored electrical power. Motion of the magnet can result from shaking or rolling the electronic cigarette. Alternately, the magnet can be rotated by an airflow driven device operated by airflow applied to the cigarette.
US08975761B2
A display apparatus and an organic display apparatus are disclosed. In one aspect, the display apparatus includes a display substrate divided into a display region for displaying an image via a plurality of pixels for emitting light and a non-display region around the display region. It includes a pad unit formed on the non-display region. It also includes a fan-out unit for connecting the display region and the pad unit. It further includes a plurality of line groups sequentially formed, wherein each line group includes a first fan-out line, a second fan-out line insulated from the first fan-out line by a first insulating layer, and a third fan-out line insulated from the second fan-out line by a second insulating layer, and wherein the third fan-out line at least partially overlaps with at least one of the first and second fan-out lines.
US08975758B2
A semiconductor package includes a first structural body having a first surface and a second surface which faces away from the first surface, and formed with first connection members on the first surface; a second structural body placed over the first structural body, and formed with second connection members on a surface thereof which faces the first surface of the first structural body; and an interposer interposed between the first structural body and the second structural body, and having a body which is formed with openings into which the first connection members and the second connection members are inserted and a conductive layer which is formed to fill the openings.
US08975757B2
Solder used for flip chip bonding inside a semiconductor package was a Sn—Pb solder such as a Pb-5Sn composition. Lead-free solders which have been studied are hard and easily form intermetallic compounds with Sn, so they were not suitable for a flip chip connection structure inside a semiconductor package, which requires stress relaxation properties. This problem is eliminated by a flip chip connection structure inside a semiconductor package using a lead-free solder which is characterized by consisting essentially of 0.01-0.5 mass percent of Ni and a remainder of Sn. 0.3-0.9 mass percent of Cu and 0.001-0.01 mass percent of P may be added to this solder composition.
US08975733B2
There is provided a technology enabling the improvement of the reliability of a semiconductor device manufactured by physically fixing separately formed chip mounting portion and lead frame. A feature of an embodiment resides in that, a second junction portion formed in a suspension lead is fitted into a first junction portion formed in a chip mounting portion, thereby to physically fix the chip mounting portion and the suspension lead. Specifically, the first junction portion is formed of a concave part disposed in the surface of the chip mounting portion. The second junction portion forms a part of the suspension lead.
US08975728B2
A second epitaxial layer is grown epitaxially over a first epitaxial layer. The first epitaxial layer includes an epitaxially grown layer and a defect layer. The defect layer is disposed over the epitaxially grown layer and serves as a surface layer of the first epitaxial layer. The defect density of the defect layer is 5×1017 cm−2 or more. Defects penetrating through the defect layer form loops in the second epitaxial layer.
US08975727B2
A resistor structure incorporated into a resistive switching memory cell with improved performance and lifetime is provided. The resistor structure may be a two-terminal structure designed to reduce the maximum current flowing through a memory cell. A method is also provided for making such a memory cell. The method includes depositing a resistor structure and depositing a variable resistance layer of a resistive switching memory cell of the memory cell, where the resistor structure is disposed in series with the variable resistance layer to limit the switching current of the memory cell. The incorporation of the resistor structure is very useful in obtaining desirable levels of switching currents that meet the switching specification of various types of memory cells. The memory cells may be formed as part of a high-capacity nonvolatile memory integrated circuit, which can be used in various electronic devices.
US08975722B2
A MEMS logic device comprising agate which pivots on a torsion hinge, two conductive channels on the gate, one on each side of the torsion hinge, source and drain landing pads under the channels, and two body bias elements under the gate, one on each side of the torsion hinge, so that applying a threshold bias between one body bias element and the gate will pivot the gate so that one channel connects the respective source and drain landing pad, and vice versa. An integrated circuit with MEMS logic devices on the dielectric layer, with the source and drain landing pads connected to metal interconnects of the integrated circuit. A process of forming the MEM switch.
US08975720B2
A superjunction device and methods for layout design and fabrication of a superjunction device are disclosed. A layout of active cell column structures can be configured so that a charge due to first conductivity type dopants balances out charge due to second conductivity type dopants in a doped layer in an active cell region. A layout of end portions of the active cell column structures proximate termination column structures can be configured so that a charge due to the first conductivity type dopants in the end portions and a charge due to the first conductivity type dopants in the termination column structures balances out charge due to the second conductivity type dopants in a portion of the doped layer between the termination column structures and the end portions.
US08975717B2
A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. A trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. The trench structure may include a textured surface for increased solar radiation collection. Among other advantages, the resulting structure increases efficiency by providing isolation between adjacent P-type and N-type doped regions, thereby preventing recombination in a space charge region where the doped regions would have touched.
US08975715B2
A photodetector includes a substrate and an insulating arrangement formed in the substrate. The insulating arrangement electrically insulates a confined region of the substrate. The confined region is configured to generate free charge carriers in response to an irradiation. The photodetector further includes a read-out electrode arrangement configured to provide a photocurrent formed by at least a portion of the free charge carriers that are generated in response to the irradiation. The photodetector also includes a biasing electrode arrangement that is electrically insulated against the confined region by means of the insulating arrangement. The biasing electrode arrangement is configured to cause an influence on a spatial charge carrier distribution within the confined region so that fewer of the free charge carriers recombine at boundaries of the confined region compared to an unbiased state.
US08975713B2
Disclosed is an ultrasonic probe comprising: CMUT cells (13) that mutually convert ultrasonic waves and electrical signals; a semiconductor substrate (15) that has a plurality of the CMUT cells (13) formed on the surface thereof; an acoustic lens (3) that is provided on the front face side of the CMUT cells (13); and a backing layer (5) that is provided on the rear face side of the semiconductor substrate (15). The backing layer (5) is formed by a first backing layer (27) that makes contact with the semiconductor substrate, and a second backing layer (29) that is provided on the rear face side of the backing layer (27). The acoustic impedance of the backing layer (27) is set based on the sheet thickness of the semiconductor substrate (15). The backing layer (29) is formed by attenuating material capable of attenuating ultrasonic waves transmitted through the backing layer (27). Multiple reflection of reflection echoes is suppressed by setting the acoustic impedance of the backing layer (29) to match the acoustic impedance of the backing layer (27).
US08975709B2
An object is to prevent an operation defect and to reduce an influence of fluctuation in threshold voltage of a field-effect transistor. A field-effect transistor, a switch, and a capacitor are provided. The field-effect transistor includes a first gate and a second gate which overlap with each other with a channel formation region therebetween, and the threshold voltage of the field-effect transistor varies depending on the potential of the second gate. The switch has a function of determining whether electrical connection between one of a source and a drain of the field-effect transistor and the second gate of the field-effect transistor is established. The capacitor has a function of holding a voltage between the second gate of the field-effect transistor and the other of the source and the drain of the field-effect transistor.
US08975706B2
Provided are field effect transistor (FET) assemblies and methods of forming thereof. An FET assembly may include a dielectric layer formed from tantalum silicon oxide and having the atomic ratio of silicon to tantalum and silicon (Si/(Ta+Si)) of less than 5% to provide a low trap density. The dielectric layer may be disposed over an interface layer, which is disposed over a channel region. The same type of the dielectric layer may be used a common gate dielectric of an nMOSFET (e.g., III-V materials) and a pMOSFET (e.g., germanium). The channel region may include one of indium gallium arsenide, indium phosphate, or germanium. The interface layer may include silicon oxide to provide a higher energy barrier. The dielectric layer may be formed using an atomic layer deposition technique by adsorbing both tantalum and silicon containing precursors on the deposition surface and then oxidizing both precursors in the same operation.
US08975704B2
A HKMG device with PMOS eSiGe source/drain regions is provided. Embodiments include forming first and second HKMG gate stacks on a substrate, each including a SiO2 cap, forming extension regions at opposite sides of the first HKMG gate stack, forming a nitride liner and oxide spacers on each side of HKMG gate stack; forming a hardmask over the second HKMG gate stack; forming eSiGe at opposite sides of the first HKMG gate stack, removing the hardmask, forming a conformal liner and nitride spacers on the oxide spacers of each of the first and second HKMG gate stacks, and forming deep source/drain regions at opposite sides of the second HKMG gate stack.
US08975700B2
The invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing such a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the invention comprises: a substrate which comprises a base layer, an insulating layer on the base layer, and a semiconductor layer on the insulating layer; and a first transistor and a second transistor formed on the substrate, the first and second transistors being isolated from each other by a trench isolation structure formed in the substrate. Wherein at least a part of the base layer under at least one of the first and second transistors is strained, and the strained part of the base layer is adjacent to the insulating layer. The semiconductor device according to the invention increases the speed of the device and thus improves the performance of the device.
US08975698B2
A device includes a substrate, an isolation region at a top surface of the substrate, and a semiconductor fin over the isolation region. The semiconductor fin has a fin height smaller than about 400 Å, wherein the fin height is measured from a top surface of the semiconductor fin to a top surface of the isolation region.
US08975697B2
A structure includes a gate stack or gate stack precursor disposed on a SOI layer disposed upon a BOX that is disposed upon a surface of a crystalline semiconductor substrate. A transistor channel is disposed within the SOI layer. The structure further includes a channel stressor layer disposed at least partially within a recess in the substrate and disposed about the channel, and a layer of crystalline dielectric material disposed between the stressor layer and a surface of the substrate.
US08975693B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a buried layer a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type on the substrate and an epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type on the buried layer. The device further includes a pocket well of the first conductivity type in the epitaxial layer, a first drift region in the epitaxial layer at least partially overlapping the pocket well, a second drift region in the epitaxial layer and spaced apart from the first drift region, and a body region of the first conductivity type in the pocket well. A gate electrode is disposed on the body region, the pocket well and the first drift region and has an edge overlying the epitaxial region between the first and second drift regions.
US08975684B2
Disclosed are non-volatile memory devices and methods of manufacturing the same. The non-volatile memory device includes device isolation patterns defining active portions in a substrate and gate structures disposed on the substrate. The active portions are spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The gate structures are spaced apart from each other in the second direction and extend in the first direction. Each of the device isolation patterns includes a first air gap, and each of a top surface and a bottom surface of the first air gap has a wave-shape in a cross-sectional view taken along the second direction.
US08975664B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe apparatuses, methods, and systems of an integrated circuit (IC) device. The IC device may include a buffer layer disposed on a substrate, the buffer layer including gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N), a barrier layer disposed on the buffer layer, the barrier layer including aluminum (Al) and nitrogen (N), a regrown structure disposed in and epitaxially coupled with the barrier layer, the regrown structure including nitrogen (N) and at least one of aluminum (Al) or gallium (Ga) and being epitaxially deposited at a temperature less than or equal to 600° C., and a gate terminal disposed in the barrier layer, wherein the regrown structure is disposed between the gate terminal and the buffer layer. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US08975659B2
A chip on board light emitting diode (LED) device includes a LED device, a printed circuit board (PCB) and a dissipation unit array. The LED device includes a LED substrate, a first contact pad and a second contact pad above the LED substrate and a thermal layer formed on top surface of the LED device. The thermal layer includes a thermal conductive material. A printed circuit board (PCB) includes a PCB substrate with a thermal projection extending from surface of the PCB substrate, and a first and a second electrode pads above the PCB substrate. The thermal projection and the PCB substrate include the thermal conductive material. The dissipation unit array includes a plurality of dissipation units each disposed between the LED device and the PCB. The thermal layer is thermally coupled to the thermal projection via at least one dissipation unit. Each of the first and second contact pads is electrically coupled to the corresponding electrode pad via at least one dissipation unit.
US08975654B2
A light-reflective conductive particle for an anisotropic conductive adhesive used for connecting a light-emitting element to a wiring board by anisotropic conductive connection includes a core particle covered with a metal material and a light reflecting layer formed of a light-reflective inorganic particle having a refractive index of 1.52 or greater on the surface of the core particle. Examples of the light-reflective inorganic particles having a refractive index of 1.52 or greater include a titanium oxide particle, a zinc oxide particle, and an aluminum oxide particle. The coverage of the light reflecting layer on the surface of the core particle is 70% or more.
US08975642B2
Various embodiments provide transistor devices and fabrication methods. An exemplary transistor device with improved carrier mobility can be formed by first forming a confining layer on a semiconductor substrate to confine impurity ions diffused from the semiconductor substrate to the confining layer. An epitaxial silicon layer can be formed on the confining layer, followed by forming a gate structure on the epitaxial silicon layer. A portion of the epitaxial silicon layer can be used as an intrinsic channel region. A source region and a drain region can be formed in portions of each of the epitaxial silicon layer, the confining layer, and the semiconductor substrate.
US08975640B2
A heterojunction semiconductor device having a semiconductor body is provided. The semiconductor body includes a first semiconductor region comprising aluminum gallium nitride, a second semiconductor region comprising gallium nitride and forming a heterojunction with the first semiconductor region, an n-type third semiconductor region, a p-type fourth semiconductor region forming a first rectifying junction with the third semiconductor region, and an n-type seventh semiconductor region adjoining the heterojunction formed between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. The first rectifying junction forms a rectifying junction of a transistor structure which is in ohmic contact with the seventh semiconductor region. Further, a method for producing such a heterojunction semiconductor device is provided.
US08975639B2
A surface of a substrate consists of a plurality of neighboring stripes. Longer edges of the flat surfaces are parallel one to another and planes of these surfaces are disoriented relatively to the crystallographic plane of gallium nitride crystal defined by Miller-Bravais indices (0001), (11-22) or (11-20). The disorientation angle of each of the flat surfaces is between 0 and 3 degrees and is different for each pair of neighboring flat surfaces. The substrate according to the invention allows epitaxial growth of a layered AlInGaN structure by a MOCVD or MBE method which allow to obtain a non-absorbing mirrors laser diode emitting a light in the wavelength from 380 to 550 nm.
US08975637B2
A thin film diode (100A) includes a semiconductor layer (130) having first, second, and third semiconductor regions, a first insulating layer (122) formed on the semiconductor layer (130), and a second insulating layer (123) formed on the first insulating layer (122). The first semiconductor region (134A) contains an impurity of a first-conductivity type at a first concentration; the second semiconductor region (135A) contains an impurity of a second-conductivity type different from the first conductivity type at a second concentration; and the third semiconductor region (133A) contains the first-conductivity type impurity at a third concentration lower than the first concentration, or contains the second-conductivity type impurity at a third concentration lower than the second concentration. The first semiconductor region (134A) conforms to an aperture pattern in the second insulating layer (123), or the second semiconductor region (135A) conforms to an aperture pattern in the second insulating layer (123).
US08975618B2
A resonant tunneling device includes a first semiconductor material with an energy difference between valence and conduction bands of Eg1, and a second semiconductor material with an energy difference between valence and conduction bands of Eg2, wherein Eg1 and Eg2 are different from one another. The device further includes an energy selectively transmissive interface connecting the first and second semiconductor materials.
US08975617B2
A device to produce an output based on interference of electron waves is disclosed. Said device comprised out of two areas having different medium properties for propagation of an electron wave, where the first of said areas is connected to a source to inject electrons and the second of said areas is connected to a drain to collect electrons while said electrons have a propagation path through the device starting at the source and ending at the drain. Said areas are designed in a manner to result in advancing and reflected waves having interleaved sections along said path which yield interference, either constructive or destructive, thus determining the transport probability of the electron through the device. Said device is operated either as a switch, in a first embodiment, by adding a control gate, or as a detector, in a second embodiment, used for measurement of external particle ensemble properties.
US08975614B2
Wavelength converters for solid state lighting devices, and associated systems and methods. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a solid state radiative semiconductor structure having a first region and a second region. The first region is positioned to receive radiation at a first wavelength and has a first composition and an associated first bandgap energy. The second region is positioned adjacent to the first region to receive energy from the first region and emit radiation at a second wavelength different than the first wavelength. The second region has a second composition different than the first composition, and an associated second bandgap energy that is less than the first bandgap energy.
US08975611B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile variable resistance device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a first layer, and a second layer. The second electrode includes a metal element. The first layer is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and includes a semiconductor element. The second layer is inserted between the second electrode and the first layer and includes the semiconductor element. The percentage of the semiconductor element being unterminated is higher in the second layer than in the first layer.
US08975603B2
Systems and methods for plasma doping microfeature workpieces are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of implanting boron ions into a region of a workpiece includes generating a plasma in a chamber, selectively applying a pulsed electrical potential to the workpiece with a duty cycle of between approximately 20 percent and approximately 50 percent, and implanting an ion specie into the region of the workpiece.
US08975599B2
The invention relates to an image sensor for detection of an aerial image formed by a beam of radiation in a lithographic projection apparatus for exposing a pattern onto a substrate held in a substrate plane by a substrate holder. The image sensor has an image detector and a lens. The lens is arranged to project at least part of the aerial image onto the image detector. The image sensor is positioned such within the substrate holder that the lens is positioned proximate the substrate plane.
US08975594B2
A multispectral staring array comprises, amongst other things, at least two sensors where each sensor is adapted to detect an image in a different predetermined spectral sensitivity; a first lens to focus capture spectral bands; a spectral filter between the lens and the sensors to subdivide the incident spectral bands; and a second lens to direct and focus the subdivided incident spectral bands on each of the sensors.
US08975591B2
A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment includes a plurality of signal output units. Each of the plurality of signal output units includes an input terminal electrode group including terminal electrodes for inputting a reset signal, a hold signal, a horizontal start signal, and a horizontal clock signal and an output terminal electrode for providing an output signal. The solid-state imaging device further includes common lines that are provided across the plurality of signal output units. A terminal electrode for the reset signal and a terminal electrode for the hold signal are connected to the corresponding common lines through the corresponding switches.
US08975587B2
When calculating a system matrix (detection probability), adjustment is made by fitting a point spread function (PSF) expressed by a Gauss function to a profile of count values of radiation with respect to a distance from a point source which emits radiation of the same type as the positron-emitting drug, and a distance range of the above PSF is adjusted for each layer in a depth direction of gamma-ray detectors indicating an incident direction in which the radiation strikes. By calculating the system matrix (detection probability) after adjusting the distance range of the function for each layer, improvement can be made in image quality of a reconstructed image.
US08975586B2
A diffuse reflector of radiation in the near and mid infrared regions includes (i) an assembly that has a reflecting element and a diffusing element that is made of one or more layers of calcium fluoride, sapphire, or alumina; or (ii) a diffusively reflective surface configured as a metallic layer with a rough surface. The diffuse reflector can be incorporated into systems for measuring properties of sheet materials and particularly into optical sensors that include a measurement window configured with one or more of the diffuse reflectors that cause incident radiation from a sensor light source to be diffused and reflected a plurality of times within a layer of material before being detected by the sensor receiver.
US08975579B2
A mass spectrometer having a mass filter which applies a transient voltage profile to accelerate ion packets. The voltage profile is chosen to have a functional form which imparts each ion species with a kinetic energy which is larger the larger the mass-to-charge ratio and a velocity which is smaller the larger the mass-to-charge ratio. The ions are detected in an ion detector which discriminates between different ion species based on their kinetic energy and taking account of the functional form of the voltage profile. Suitable voltage profiles include periodic functions such as sinusoids, triangles and sawtooths, which allow the amplification of drive pulses in the mass filter to be carried out with narrow band amplification stages, which are simple and inexpensive to construct.
US08975561B2
The invention describes a heating apparatus comprising at least one heater (9) in which one or more electric heating elements (11) are arranged, and at least one heat transmitter (1), which is connected with the at least one heater (9), comprises heat transmitter surfaces and is formed from an extruded profile (1a, 28, 28a) in which the at least one heater (9) is fitted,in which at least part of the walls (6, 22, 22a) of the extruded profile (1a), which are not in contact with a heating element (11), is provided with openings through which a gaseous or liquid medium can flow through the extruded profile (1a, 28, 28a) in transverse direction to the direction of extrusion (17).
US08975552B2
A plurality of plate-like workpieces held by a workpiece holder are subjected to discharge machining by a wire electric discharge machine. The workpiece holder includes a cylindrical member in which the plurality of plate-like workpieces are housed in a stacked state, lid members placed on upper and lower ends of the plate-like workpieces housed in the cylindrical member so as to press the plate-like workpieces, and a workpiece stage mount member having an insertion hole in which the cylindrical member is inserted and housed. Concave sections are formed in positions corresponding to a machining start point and a machining end point on an inner circumference surface of the cylindrical member.
US08975531B2
Various embodiments include interconnect structures and methods of forming such structures. The interconnect structures can include a composite copper wire which includes at least two distinct copper sections. The uppermost copper section can have a thickness of approximately 1 micrometer or less, which inhibits surface roughening in that uppermost section, and helps to enhance cap adhesion with overlying layers.
US08975529B2
There is provided an interposer which meets the need of improving electrical reliability of an electronic device. An interposer includes a substrate including a penetrating-hole in a thickness direction thereof, and a penetrating conductor disposed in the penetrating-hole. The substrate includes a first insulating layer and a second inorganic insulating layer which are separated from each other in the thickness direction, and a first resin layer interposed between the first inorganic insulating layer and the second inorganic insulating layer and being in contact with the first inorganic insulating layer and the second inorganic insulating layer. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the first resin layer in thickness and planar directions thereof is larger than those of the first inorganic insulating layer and the second inorganic insulating layer.
US08975522B2
The adhesive film includes an insulating film, an adhesive layer provided over one side of the insulating film, and an anchor coat layer provided between the one side of the insulating film and the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is a copolymer polyamide resin which is soluble in a solvent at 25 degrees Celsius and has a melting point of 100 degrees Celsius or more and 150 degrees Celsius or less. The anchor coat layer enhances the adhesion between the insulating film and the adhesive layer.
US08975518B1
A two-gang pre-wired TV bridge kit including a kit, package, or assembly of components for mounting a TV to a wall with minimal disruption to the wall surface. The kit includes a fully assembled two-gang pre-wired electrical box with a pre-wired receptacle, a pre-wired junction box including a flexible cord connected thereto by a cord grip fitting, a trim plate and a cover plate. The cord grip fitting enables a secure connection between the pre-wired electrical box and the flexible cable that is permanently secured to the electrical box. The trim plate includes deep sidewalls for creating a recessed area for positioning the junction box behind the wall surface and rotatable flags for securing the junction box to wallboard. A cover plate secures to the trim plate within the recessed area. The flexible cord is plugged into an existing electrical outlet to feed electricity to the pre-wired receptacle.
US08975517B2
An electronic component package has a first sealing member main surface with mounted electronic element, and a second sealing member. An outer circumference portion of a second sealing member is molded into a tapered shape, providing a tapered area in at least part of the outer circumference. A flat area adjacent to the tapered area is provided in at least part of a flat portion inward of the outer circumference portion of the surface of the second sealing member. A first area corresponding to the tapered area and a second area corresponding to the flat area are provided adjacent to each other on a first main surface of the first sealing member with mounted electronic component element. A width W2 of the second area is 0.66 to 1.2 times a width W4 of the flat area. First and second bonding layers are formed and bonded with each other by heating.
US08975514B2
Cable assemblies include at least a first wire and a second wire. The wires are enclosed, using injection molding, by a respective layer of thermo-resistant material. During the injection molding, the first wire and second wire are kept substantially straight so as to avoid kinks in at least one of the first wire and the second wire that can develop subsequent to the molding if a wire is not substantially straight. The tension associated with the first wire and the second wire is kept within a predetermined range or below a predetermined threshold. The predetermined range/threshold depends on a temperature associated with the injection molding. The injection molding can provide a zip structure over the wires such that the zip structure can be zipped-together and zipped-apart to prevent entanglement of the wires when used by a user.
US08975512B2
Tandem photovoltaic cells having a recombination layer, as well as related systems, methods, and components, are disclosed.
US08975509B2
A recombination layer with a gradient work function is provided which increases the power-conversion efficiency of multijunction photovoltaic devices by reducing the energy barrier to charge carriers migrating between pairs of photovoltaic junctions thereby facilitating the optimal recombination of opposing electron and hole currents generated when the photovoltaic is illuminated.
US08975505B2
The invention, the Concentrated Solar Thermoelectric Power System, herein abbreviated as C-STEPS, is a thermo-optical system configuration for the purpose of achieving a high solar energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency based on thermoelectric (TE) devices that use the Seebeck effect. It does so by implementing a system for concentrated solar energy using a design that combines a dual-function reflector/radiator component with an active or passive heat convection mechanism to ensure that TE module operation is maintained in a safe elevated temperature range with respect to the ambient temperature. Unsafe module temperatures are avoided by automatically adjusting the TE module hot side temperature directly or indirectly by regulating the TE cold side temperature using a variety of passive or active mechanisms, including the reflector/radiator component, phase change material, or convection/conduction mechanisms. A Numerical Design Model is used to optimize the configuration geometry and performance in various terrestrial and space applications and it is a central feature of the invention.
US08975504B2
An embedded optical element package module uses a thermocouple, which increases the optical output efficiency of an optical element, dissipates high-temperature heat generated by the optical element having high output to prevent degradation, converts waste heat into electrical energy, and supplies the electrical energy as a power source for the optical element to reutilize resources, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed by the optical element and minimizing costs.
US08975502B1
A very efficient guitar design, light weight and having a body-mounted tuning system to assist with performance is disclosed. The guitar comprises two main components: an acoustic body and a housing. This separation is intended so that the acoustic body is isolated from the housing and free to vibrate. The guitar further optionally comprises seven strings, twelve-strings, a vibrato system and a retractable built-in stand attached to the back of the housing.
US08975497B2
A vibration transmission adapter for the transmission of vibrations from strings of a string musical instrument to a sound reverberator device equipped with at least one spring is presented herein to enhance the sound generated by the instrument. The strings are supported in contact with a bridge saddle of the instrument. The vibration transmission adapter includes a rigid metallic member shaped to define a saddle connecting section and an integrally formed spring connecting section. The saddle connecting section is engageable into the bridge saddle and is shaped to extend between and spaced from at least two adjacent strings of a pair of strings. The spring connecting section extends in a rearward direction from a top end of the saddle connecting section and has a spring connecting free end.
US08975492B1
A novel maize variety designated X85C457 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X85C457 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X85C457 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X85C457, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X85C457. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X85C457.
US08975484B2
A soybean cultivar designated 15333091 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 15333091, to the plants of soybean cultivar 15333091, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 15333091, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 15333091. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 15333091. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 15333091, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 15333091 with another soybean cultivar.
US08975478B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP48009 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP48009, cells from soybean variety XBP48009, plants of soybean XBP48009, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP48009. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP48009 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XBP48009, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP48009, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XBP48009. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP48009 are further provided.
US08975477B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026620. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026620. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026620 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026620 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08975464B2
The present invention provides a method of increasing the efficiency of exothermic CO2 capture processes. The method relates to withdrawing heat generated during the exothermic capture of CO2 with various sorbents via heat exchange with a working fluid. The working fluid is provided at a temperature and pressure such that it is in the liquid state, and has a vaporization temperature in a range such that the heat arising from the reaction of the CO2 and the sorbent causes a phase change from liquid to vapor state in whole or in part and transfers heat from to the working fluid. The resulting heated working fluid may subsequently be used to generate power.
US08975457B2
Described herein are methods for producing fuels and solvents from fatty acid resources. In general, the pyrolysis products of fatty acids are extracted in order to remove residual fatty acids and produce very pure hydrocarbon compositions composed of alkanes and alkenes. The fatty acids removed from the extraction step can be further pyrolyzed to produce additional hydrocarbons or, in the alternative, the fatty acids can be isolated and used in other applications. Also disclosed herein are fuels and solvents produced by the methods described herein.
US08975452B2
Hydrocarbons are oxidized to ethylene and/or oxygenates that comprise acetic acid. The acetic acid may be converted to ethanol by hydrogenation. The ethylene may be converted to ethanol by hydration.
US08975437B2
A continuous process is provided for selective formation of a vinyl ester by reactive distillation from a corresponding carboxylic acid. Carboxylic acid, vinyl acetate, and a palladium acetate—bidentate ligand catalyst complex are provided and reacted in a typical embodiment. Acetic acid and vinyl acetate are continuously removed from the reaction mixture and vinyl acetate is recycled to the reaction mixture. The vinyl ester product is separated from the vinyl acetate, residual carboxylic acid, residual acetic acid, and catalyst.
