US07699199B2
A method for producing glass plates of any desired contour from sheet glass, comprising the following steps: scribing scribe lines into a least one face of the sheet glass along the contour down to a depth, using a cutting device, and positioning the glass plate on a support. The method is further characterized in that a defined force F is applied to the sheet glass so that it breaks along the scribe lines, said break extending through the entire thickness of the sheet glass. The flat glass may be sandwiched between two flexible plates prior to being placed on a base pad and being subjected to the breaking force.
US07699193B2
The invention relates to a self-closing valve for the dispensing of flowable media from a container comprising a curved membrane, a support segment, a connecting wall as well as a slitting provided in said membrane.
US07699190B2
An aerosol valve actuator with a top portion rotatable on a bottom portion. The entire top portion in one rotatable position is depressible vertically to actuate the valve. A click post and clicking rib provide a single click in each direction of rotation. Flanges on top and bottom portions interact to stop rotation as soon as each click occurs. Plastic springs interact with spring biasing members only when the top portion is in actuating position, and assure return of the actuator top portion to full upward position for rotation after actuation of even a short-stemmed valve. Downwardly extending flexible connecting flanges connect the actuator top and bottom portions. The top portion has a lower periphery with a plurality of upwardly extending indentations to overlie lateral ribs in the lower portion in actuation position. The top and bottom portions have interfitting cylinders to stabilize the top portion and maintain verticality.
US07699185B2
A multi-compartment liner bag is disposed within a receptacle and includes a first compartment having a height that is greater than that of the receptacle and a volume that is at least about equal to that of the receptacle. A second bag compartment is attached to and folds to the side of the first compartment when placed in the receptacle and has an entry folded over the receptacle top to form at least a visual seal to the compartment contents. Indicia means, which may be either visual or tactile, are provided along the second compartment entry to allow easy location of the compartment entry.
US07699182B2
The invention relates to a plastic container having a neck, shoulder, base and body portion. There are longitudinal base panel portions with rounded, longitudinal base panel edges separating each of said flattened portions from each other at a waist. The waist has a circumferential dimension less than the base and is positioned between the body portion and the base. The body portion is positioned between the waist and the circular shoulder and has flexible, substantially flat longitudinal body panels and rounded, longitudinal body panel edges separating adjacent body panels from each other and merging with the longitudinal panel edges of said base. The longitudinal body edges increase in width as the body longitudinally merges with the circular shoulder portion, and the circular shoulder portion has a rounded portion transitioning into and merging with the body panels, and a sloping portion of reducing diameter merging with the neck.
US07699176B2
A tool box includes a cover pivotably connected to a base, at least one torsion spring is located between the cover and the base to maintain the cover at opened status when in use. A magnetic member is connected to an inside of the cover so that the user can position the spare bits by the magnetic member. A plurality of storage racks are pivotably connected to the base so as to receive bits and tools, the storage racks are cooperated with torsion springs so that when the cover is opened, the storage racks are pivoted an angle.
US07699174B2
An inventory control system, comprising a blister pack having a pierceable sheet that includes a plurality of printed circuits overlying each of the compartments of the blister pack. The printed circuits are in electrical communication with a connector assembly, the connector assembly being in electrical communication with a removable header. The header is in communication with a microprocessor controlled device having a memory; wherein the microprocessor controlled device determines the contents of the blister pack. The blister pack and connector assembly are removed from the substantially fixed header so the contents can be distributed. As the contents are distributed from the blister pack, the printed circuits are broken. When the connector assembly is reattached to the blister pack, electrical signals transmitted through the connector assembly and the blister pack determines the number of broken circuits, indicative of the contents of the blister pack. The connector assembly is a reusable device that includes a board that provides for electrical communication between the header and the blister pack and also facilitates assembly and removal of the connector to the header.
US07699172B2
A two position stacking delivery tray is provided which is capable of stacking with itself, and also stacking with existing single position stacking delivery trays. A single uneven upstanding tongue is positioned along a top edge of each of a first side wall and a second side wall. The uneven upstanding tongue defines a first engagement with peaks and valleys. Tongue receivers are positioned in the bottom defining an uneven groove adapted to mate with a single upstanding tongue of an underlying tray having a single stacking product height position. The uneven groove defines a second engagement with peaks and valleys. The peaks and valleys of the first engagement and the second engagement are asymmetrically positioned, so as to provide two stacking product height positions by relative rotation of stacking trays by 180 degrees.
US07699165B2
An organizer system comprising: (A) an organizer folder having front and back covers, optionally at least one page positioned between the front and back covers and at least one of the following components associated with at least one surface of the front or back covers or the at least one page: (1) a planner having planning diagram associated with the at least one surface, and at least one object that is repositionable on the planning diagram; or (2) at least one pocket for storing materials; (B) a self-standing folder holder having a receptacle for receiving at least one folder in a stored configuration; and (C) a carrier having a receptacle for receiving at least one holder in a stored configuration and a handle for grasping by the user. The organizer folder can be used with the organizer system, or separate from the organizer system, and can comprise: (1) a front cover; (2) a back cover; (3) optionally at least one page positioned between the front and back covers; (4) a planner associated with at least one side of the front cover, the back cover or the at least one page, and comprising a planning diagram associated with the at least one side, and optionally at least one object that is repositionable on the planning diagram, or at least one erasable writing surface; and (5) at least one pocket for storing materials associated with at least one side of the front cover, the back cover or the at least one page.
US07699164B2
The carrier has a vertical support structure, a pair of foldable receptacles extending from opposite sides of said vertical support structure. The receptacles have automatically unfolding bottom walls. Each receptacle has at least one divider member extending upwardly and laterally from the upper edge of one side-wall of each receptacle to a reinforcing panel secured to said vertical support structure. The dividers and reinforcing panels are formed in a foldable blank from a single sheet of material and need no gluing to secure them to the carrier structure.
US07699144B2
An active break release device externally attached to a door controller. The door controller includes a housing for receiving a first motor which rotates a rotary shaft to reel the door; a braking device installed around the periphery of the rotary shaft. The active break release device comprises: at least a brake releasing rod, one end of which is to activate the braking device while the other end of which extends to the outside of the door controller; at least a second motor, for moving the other end of the brake releasing rod; a circuit having a backup power source used to temperately supply electricity to the second motor if electricity fails, so that the one end releases the braking.
US07699143B2
In a method for setting the floor associations of a plurality of operating units of an elevator installation, a plurality of operating units is distributed over a plurality of floors. These floors can be traveled to by an elevator car having a transmitter unit. In the method, the elevator car is moved to a predetermined one of the floors. The operating unit allocated to the moved-to floor is activated. The position data describing the floor at which the operating unit is located are communicated from the transmitter unit to the operating unit and/or to a central control unit. The position data are stored in a memory unit of the operating unit and/or in the central control unit.
US07699141B2
The invention is a device mounted on a forklift to provide the operator with information of the distance from the pallet load to the upright part of the fork/tines. The invention has a source of a range determining signal such as sonic waves but other signals such as infra red or radar waves may be used. The emitted signals hit the palletized goods and are reflected to a detector or sensor and processed. The range information is transferred to a distance display device. The range/distance between the upright part of forklift tines and the palletized load combined with knowledge of the length of floor parallel tines of the forks will provide information to prevent any excessive penetration of the pallet hollow which excessive penetration can cause damage to either truck trailer walls, warehouse structures, or other palletized loads.
US07699126B2
A drill bit for drilling a borehole includes a cutter element comprising a base portion. In addition, the cutter element comprises a cutting portion extending from the base portion and terminating in an elongate crest extending between a first crest end and a second crest end, and having an intermediate portion therebetween. The first crest end has a width W1 and the second end has a width W2 that is greater than the width W1. Still further, the intermediate portion of the crest has a width W3 that is less than the width W2 and less than or equal to the width W1.
US07699123B2
A bore hole sleeve reaming apparatus which is characterized by one or more subterranean bore clearing devices or sleeves for use with one or more clearing or bursting heads attached to a pull rod or cable and a pulling apparatus. One or more tapered sleeves are attached in spaced-apart relationship to a string of tandem-mounted plastic pipe when the clearing or bursting head or heads are attached to the pipe string to be pulled through the bore hole. The tapered sleeves are designed to straighten bore irregularities and clean, smooth and free the bore hole from collapsing earth, roots and/or rock and broken pipe and facilitate pulling the pipe string through the bore hole with minimum friction on the pipe string. The clearing sleeve elements are sequentially pulled through the bore hole with the clearing or bursting head(s) and pipe string from an entry pit using a pull rod or cable and a pulling apparatus is seated in a corresponding exit pit spaced from the entry pit and receives the opposite end of the pull rod or cable. A method for clearing and cleaning a subterranean pilot bore or tunnel is also disclosed.
US07699121B2
A system for coupling a pipe segment to a pipe string is provided that includes a top drive assembly having a threaded output shaft; and a pipe running tool threadingly coupled to the threaded output shaft of the top drive assembly such that the primary load of the pipe running tool is supported by the threads of the output shaft of the top drive assembly, and wherein the pipe running tool is rotatable by the output shaft and further includes a pipe engaging portion for grippingly engaging the pipe segment sufficient to transmit a torque from the top drive output shaft to the pipe segment.
US07699120B2
A downhole tool includes a tubular body having an upper connection and a lower connection and an axial borehole therethrough, wherein the upper and lower connections are configured to connect to a drilling assembly. The downhole tool further includes at least one expandable component coupled to the tubular body and configured to selectively extend radially therefrom and an actuation mechanism configured to selectively extend the at least one component in response to a change in a circulating fluid pressure in the axial borehole.
US07699117B2
A nondestructive retrofit fire sprinkler protection system including a sprinkler fitting with a unique shape that inserts behind a wall surface and that securely connects a sprinkler head emerging from a wall location to preferably concealed sprinkler piping located in a room at a point where the ceiling surface meets a wall surfaces. In addition, a room coupler fitting is adapted to be inserted between wall structures to connect sprinkler piping in adjacent rooms.
US07699112B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and methods of forming a lateral wellbore wherein the monobore characteristic is maintained. In one embodiment, a method of completing a lateral wellbore comprises inserting a first tubular into a main wellbore; forming one or more oversized portions on the first tubular; and intersecting the lateral wellbore with the main wellbore. The method further includes inserting a second tubular into the lateral wellbore, wherein a portion of the second tubular is positioned adjacent the one or more oversized portions and expanding the portion of the second tubular adjacent the one or more oversized portions.
US07699099B2
A Christmas tree is used between production tubing elevation and flow line elevation. The tree has a lower portion, an intermediate portion, and an upper portion. The intermediate portion is positioned between the production tubing elevation and the flow line elevation and has an axial dimension configured to substantially maintain the axial dimension between the elevations. The intermediate portion has first and second shut-off valves for closing fluid communication of the axial bore. A hanger is positioned in the axial bore of the intermediate portion between the first and second shut-off valves. The hanger defines a bore and a port. The port communicates a side of the hanger with the lower end of the hanger. The coil tubing attaches to the port at the lower end of the hanger, and the port at the side of the hanger communicates with the feed line of the intermediate portion.
US07699097B2
Mover stabilizing and stator cooling arrangement of a 3-phase linear motor of a submersible oil pump
A mover stabilizing and stator cooling arrangement includes an upper sleeve surrounding the mover of the linear motor, a lower sleeve, a thermoconducting sleeve surrounding the stator and axially connected between the upper sleeve and the lower sleeve. The arrangement further includes a thermal grease filled in the space defined between the upper sleeve and the mover, the space defined between the thermoconducting sleeve and the stator, and the space defined between the lower sleeve and the outer tube for quick dissipation of waste heat. A stabilizer ring is set between the upper sleeve and the mover to stabilize axial movement of the mover. A piston and multiple one-way valve sets are mounted in the space between the lower sleeve and the outer tube for allowing adjustment of the volume in the thermoconducting sleeve responsive to expansion/contraction of the thermal grease due to temperature changes.
US07699090B2
A disengageable master carrier assembly for a motor driven drapery is provided, having a master carrier block section and a locking block section. The locking block section has entrance ramps and a detent pocket sized to receive an engagement member mounted to the master carrier block section. The master carrier block assembly has a support arm for supporting a leading edge of drapery fabric, the support arm being supported by a first resilient member. The engagement member is sized for fitting into the detent pocket of the locking block member and is resiliently urged by a second resilient member disposed between a movable portion of the support arm and the engagement member such that the engagement member will be displaced into its engaged position in the detent pocket when the engagement member is aligned with the detent pocket and will be moved to its disengaged position when the support arm is moved to its disengaged position.
US07699082B2
An electric multi-pencil sharpener includes an entering pencil vase, a sending mechanism, a hustling mechanism, a sharpening mechanism, and an exit pencil vase. The entering pencil vase includes a pushing mechanism for pushing pencils. The hustling mechanism is for clamping pencils to take the pencils into or out of the sharpening mechanism. The sharpening mechanism is for sharpening the pencils. The exit pencil vase has an exit mechanism. The sending mechanism connects the pushing mechanism, the hustling mechanism, and the exit mechanism, to move the pencils from the pushing mechanism to the hustling mechanism and move the pencils sharpened by the sharpening mechanism to the exit mechanism.
US07699080B2
An apparatus for distributing a medium to containers may include a distribution chamber which is arranged with respect to a rotation axis and which has a plurality of openings through which the medium can be guided out of the distribution chamber. A sleeve may be arranged on the distribution chamber, wherein the sleeve extends in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution chamber. According to the invention, the apparatus has a supply tube for supplying the medium to the distribution chamber. Furthermore, the supply tube extends at least partially in the direction of the rotation axis of the distribution chamber, and the sleeve is designed such that it can rotate with respect to the supply tube. A gap through which the medium can pass is formed between the sleeve and the supply tube and extends in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis.
US07699076B2
A valve assembly for plumbing installations. The valve assembly has a unitary valve body with three interconnected ports and a fluid control mechanism. Connector portions are formed about each port of the unitary valve body to thereby enable connection of the valve assembly into a fluid supply line and for connecting an appliance and various devices and fluid lines to the valve assembly. The fluid control mechanism of the valve assembly is constructed to direct fluid through the valve body and to enable the fluid flow to be shut off.
US07699068B2
An improved tent covers a hammock suspended from a pair of upright members by suspending means at each end of the hammock. The tent is formed from top and bottom portions that interact to provide a tent opening that prevents the entry of atmospheric precipitation when the tent opening is open. The tent also provides improved visibility from inside the tent, by enabling a horizontal field of view.
US07699065B2
A concrete wash-out bin includes a primary receptacle having a rim positioned at an elevation that exceeds the elevation of a discharge port of certain items of concrete-handling equipment. An auxiliary receptacle is positioned in leading relation to the primary receptacle and is hingedly mounted to the primary receptacle. The auxiliary receptacle has a position of repose where it is horizontally disposed at an elevation lower than the discharge port of the concrete-handling equipment and a discharge position where it is disposed in elevated and angled relation to the position of repose. The discharge position is effective to discharge the contents of the auxiliary receptacle into the primary receptacle. The auxiliary receptacle is repeatedly lifted and lowered as needed until the concrete-handling equipment is free of residual concrete or until the primary bin is full.
US07699038B2
The invention concerns a method for controlling the opening of an internal combustion engine throttle valve body assembly, characterized in that it includes the following steps: specifically mapping the engine, limiting the opening angle of the throttle valve body assembly, and defining particular operating points requiring replacement of the usual mapping by the specific mapping.
US07699035B1
A compression release assembly is disclosed, the assembly including a camshaft rotatable about a camshaft axis, a trigger rotatable about a trigger axis substantially perpendicular to the camshaft axis, and a spring position between the trigger and the camshaft. Preferably, the trigger is rotated from an engagement position toward a disengagement position when a rotational velocity of the camshaft achieves a known value, and is rotated from the disengagement position toward the engagement position when the rotational velocity of the camshaft is below the known value.
US07699032B2
With a camshaft for an automotive internal combustion engine in particular, having two concentrically arranged shafts mounted to rotate in opposite directions, namely an inside shaft (3) and an outside shaft (4), at least one single cam (1) fixedly connected to the inside shaft (3) by a pin (5) passing radially through the outside shaft (4) and passing radially through the outside shaft (4), a bearing of the pin (5) in the respective pin receptacles (6), each running radially, in the cam and the inside shaft (3), a lateral projection as the receptacle (6) on the cams (1), a space-saving design of the at least one adjustable single cam should be achieved. To this end, various space-saving pin receptacle designs are proposed. A space-saving measure is also provided with respect to an arrangement of an adjustable cam in close proximity to a cam fixedly connected to the outside shaft by adjustment of the shaft of the neighboring cam to the pin receptacle of the adjustable single cam.
US07699023B2
Embodiments as described herein provide an apparatus and a method for performing an atomic layer deposition process. In one embodiment, a deposition chamber assembly contains a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, and a chamber lid containing a tapered passageway extending from a central portion of the chamber lid, and a bottom surface extending from the passageway to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid, the bottom surface shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The system also includes one or more valves coupled to the gradually expanding channel, and one or more gas sources coupled to each valve. In one example, the gas source is a gas box assembly which is attached to the deposition chamber by at least one disconnect fitting and contains an inlet tube directed away from the gas outlet.
US07699022B2
The invention relates to equipment for area-based surface treatment of an article by electric dielectric barrier discharge in the presence of a non-atmospheric controlled gaseous mixture, comprising a hollow metal electrode enabling the gaseous mixture to circulate therewithin and the mixture to be transported to a discharge area, whereby said electrode is divided into individual elements which can each be pivoted about a central axis to ensure sufficient distance between the element which is considered as being pivoted and the area of the article opposite the element in question so that the discharge cannot develop; the central pivoting axis is used as a channel for the circulation of the gaseous mixture inside the electrode and is provided with openings enabling the gaseous mixture to be evacuated to the discharge area; pivoting one of the elements of the electrodes blocks up the evacuating opening associated therewith and the gaseous mixture can only be evacuated via the evacuating openings of non-pivoted elements.
US07699013B1
A water uptake device for directing water flow into a moving boat that allows the volume and pressure of the water flow entering the device to be adjusted from full force to no flow at all by simple adjustment of how much of its scooping member protrudes beyond its through-hull fitting into the water stream. Water enters the device through an opening in its deployable scooping member, and operator positioning of the scooping member relative to the through-hull fitting, including complete withdrawal of the scoop into the distal end of the through-hull fitting, is remotely accomplished so that the operator can remain at the helm. Multiple devices can be used on the same marine vessel, with all devices mounted on the bottom of its hull, in a standard fashion for through-hull fittings mounted below the waterline. Applications may include the filling of ballast bags for the sport of wakeboarding.
US07699005B2
The invention relates to an ammunition arrangement. The ammunition arrangement comprises at least two active parts (2, 3), each with its own active charge (4, 6), arranged axially one behind the other. In order to make large holes in walls and the like without problems of great weight, the second active charge (6) is designed to act essentially in the radial direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the active charge.
US07698997B2
An improved processing method and system for producing tomato paste and other food products affected by viscosity. Tomatoes are processed into tomato juice. The juice is provided to a decanter that separates or fractionates the juice into two portions—a thicker, more viscous cake portion and a thinner, less viscous serum portion. The serum portion is concentrated by removing a portion of water using an evaporator such as a thin film or juice evaporator. The cake portion can be concentrated if necessary with a drier. The serum and cake portions are re-combined to produce a tomato paste having improved color, texture, flavor and nutrition.
US07698992B2
The present invention provides a multi-function coffee maker, comprising at least two brewing accessories including an espresso coffee brewing accessory and a drip coffee brewing accessory, which are interchangeable and each can be loaded within said brewing room of said cover assembly to form an individual brewing chamber. Said multi-function coffee maker further comprises a control circuit including a detection circuit for the brewing accessory. By a water distributor assembly and said control circuit, water flow of suitable pressure is provided into said brewing chamber and the brewing accessory in use is detected automatically so as to initiate a corresponding work mode according to desire.
US07698984B2
A ballistic projectile resistant barrier apparatus combines the advantages provided by both high hardness material barriers and multiple laminate layer barriers. An outer tier of the barrier is comprised of a plurality of interconnected hard tiles. Each of the tiles has an outer, front surface designed that, upon impact by a ballistic projectile, the projectile is immediately deflected from its initial path. Subsequent tiers of the barrier are comprised of layers of a flexible material interspersed with layers of a ballistic liquid or at least one layer of ballistic fiber. When tiles are impacted by a projectile, the impacted tile is pushed into the laminate layers of the barrier, thereby substantially multiplying the area of the barrier that resists the impact force of the projectile as the projectile enters the barrier.
US07698977B2
An apparatus for providing groups of shingled slices comprises a jump conveyor and a slicing machine. The slicing machine includes a slicing blade. The jump conveyor includes a first slice receiving section and a second slice receiving section, the first slice receiving section having a first slice receiving surface, and the second slice receiving section having a second slice receiving surface. The jump conveyor is located adjacent the slicing blade so that the first slice receiving surface receives slices cut by the slicing blade directly. The first slice receiving section is articulated with respect to the second slice receiving section to be articulatingly movable relative to the second slice receiving section to vary the angular orientation of the first slice receiving surface.
US07698968B2
In a wave gear device provided with a cup-shaped flexible external gear, the difference in the direction of the thrust force applied to the wave generator during speed reduction or speed increase is used to reduce the input-side holding torque. During speed reduction, thrust force F1 is applied to the wave generator in the direction toward the open side of the flexible external gear, and during speed increase, thrust force F2 is applied in the opposite direction. The plug of the wave generator is pressed against the friction plate mounted on the motor housing by the thrust force F2 applied during speed increase, and the friction force that is produced is used as part of the input-side holding torque for restraining the wave generator from rotating.
US07698965B2
The invention relates to a transmission device for a motor vehicle comprising a plurality of connecting elements that are mounted in an axially movable manner and are each provided with a shift mouthpiece and comprising an actuating device having a control shaft that is mounted in a swiveling and axially movable manner, on which is provided a main control element and at least one secondary control element, the at least one secondary control element having functional regions for a movement in the same direction as well as functional regions for movement in the opposite direction, the at least one secondary control element extending in its neutral position essentially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the connecting elements, and, with respect to this neutral position on the secondary control element and on at least one shift mouthpiece, the particular functional regions for the movement in the same direction being designed with a bent shape and being axially symmetric to the particular, likewise bent functional regions for the movement in the opposite direction, and specifically with respect to a plane that is defined by the axis of rotation of the control shaft and the direction of movement of the connecting element.
US07698956B2
A Coriolis flow meter (11) with a vibrating direction restriction means includes flow tubes (13, 13), a drive means (14) for driving the flow tubes (13, 13), and phase difference detection means (15, 15) for detecting a phase difference in proportion to a Coriolis force. The Coriolis flow meter further includes plate springs (16, 16) functioning as vibrating direction restriction means, and a flow tube fixing member (17) also functioning as a vibrating direction restriction means and serving to fix the flow tubes (13, 13) in position.
US07698954B2
A flowmeter is disclosed. The flowmeter includes a vibratable flowtube, and a driver connected to the flowtube that is operable to impart motion to the flowtube. A sensor is connected to the flowtube and is operable to sense the motion of the flowtube and generate a sensor signal. A controller is connected to receive the sensor signal. The controller is operable to determine an individual flow rate of each phase within a multi-phase flow through the flowtube.
US07698949B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods for inspecting and monitoring bolted joints of metallic and composite structures for defects such as delamination and fatigue cracking are provided that incorporate ultrasonic transducers with load bearing washers. These active washers may be used for inspecting and monitoring a structure beneath such load bearing fasteners as bolts and nuts. Active washers may be used for continuous, periodic, and controlled inspections of bolted joints. Ultrasonic transducers may be permanently applied to a surface of a washer or recessed in a cavity on a surface of the washer. Inspection signals may be transmitted from ultrasonic transducers into a structure and reflected in pulse-echo application or received by another active washer on the opposing side of the structure in a through-transmission application.
US07698944B2
Even in measurement in which the measurement time is limited to a short time, soundness of a spot weld zone can be evaluated with high reliability without being influenced by a positional deviation between an ultrasonic probe and the spot weld zone and the coupling condition between an ultrasonic probe and a metal sheet. Specifically, ultrasonic waves propagating along the surface of a test object are transmitted in a plurality of directions from a plurality of wave sending positions outside the spot weld zone in metal sheets (1a, 1b), and ultrasonic waves propagating along the surface of the test object with propagation paths not including the spot weld zone and ultrasonic waves propagating along the surface of the test object with propagation paths including the spot weld zone are received at a plurality of wave receiving positions outside the spot weld zone to evaluate the soundness of the spot weld zone.
US07698940B2
A device for determining and/or monitoring the fill level of a medium in a container, including: a first conductive element; a second conductive element; and a sealing ceramic. The sealing ceramic being arranged in a region between the two conductive elements, for the purpose of process separation. A first seal, which is provided between the first conductive element and the sealing ceramic, a second seal, which is provided between the sealing ceramic and the second conductive element, and a control/evaluation unit, which determines the fill level of the medium in the container on the basis of a capacitance measurement or on the basis of a measuring of travel time of measurement signals are also included.
US07698938B2
To provide a flowmeter producing stable measurement results and coincidentally achieving miniaturization, a bent portion is provided in a flow path located between an inlet port of fluids to the flowmeter and a second flow path at which a sensor detecting a flow rate is positioned, thus forming at a sensor an almost uniform flow-velocity distribution in cross-section of the fluids and a reproducible and constant flow-velocity distribution.
US07698934B2
Procedure for diagnosis of an emission treatment method and procedures to carry out same said method
A procedure specifically for the execution of a diagnosis of an emission treatment system is being introduced. The pressure of the reagent between the first and second valve and/or between the second valve and the injector valve is measured and the pressure measuring signal are the basis of the diagnosis. The first and second valve, are opened in an alternating cycle, where the opening time, and/or the period duration of the first and second valves are set in such a way that the emerging diagnostic flow volume is smaller than the measuring flow volume. The procedures pursuant to the invention thereby reduce the influence of dynamic precursors of the reagent flow in the reagent line and enables, aside from an increase in reliability of the diagnosis results, a diagnosis possibility of small leakages.
US07698930B2
Method and apparatus for measuring pressure drop of magneto-rheological suspensions in microchannels
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for characterizing flow of magneto-rheological suspensions through microchannels. The apparatus includes a pump for pumping a the magneto-rheological suspension; a microchannel hydraulically coupled to the pump and configured to receive the magneto-rheological suspension from the pump; a manifold hydraulically coupled between an outlet of the microchannel and the pump; a static pressure tap configured to convey a static pressure of the manifold; a pressure sensor hydraulically coupled to the pressure tap and configured to receive the static pressure conveyed therefrom; and a magnet positioned to direct a magnetic field toward the microchannel and contents disposed therein.
US07698921B2
A cylinder and key combination including a pin operated cylinder including a cylinder body, a plug rotatable within the cylinder body and defining a keyway and first pin assemblies and at least one second pin assembly communicating with the keyway and being selectably positionable by key cuts on a key inserted into the keyway for positioning the pin assemblies with respect to a shear line between the cylinder body and the plug to permit rotation of the plug with respect to the cylinder body and a key, including a shank defining at least one planar surface configured to define a longitudinally extending key-cut region thereon, the longitudinally extending region having formed thereon a plurality of first key cuts configured to position a plurality of first pins at a desired shear line position and having pre-formed thereon at least one second key cut configured to position a corresponding at least one second pin assembly at a desired shear line position.
US07698916B2
A lock with a core rotatable in an intermediate shell that is rotatable in an outer shell of the lock's body resists attack by the application of excessive torque to the keyway or drilling into the core.
US07698915B2
A locking device includes a first and second body members that may optionally include laterally projecting arms. A retainer element has end portions respectively received in the interiors of the first and second body members and mechanically links them for longitudinal movement between collapsed and expanded orientations. The retainer element also moves between a retain position and a release position that respectively secure the body members in the collapsed orientation and allows them to move to the expanded orientation. A lock core is operative to engage the retainer element. In a locked state, the lock core holds the retainer element in the retain position and in an unlocked state that moves the retainer element to the release position. A shackle may extend between arms on the first and second body members in order to enclose a locking region when the bodies are in the collapsed orientation.
US07698901B2
A refrigerator icemaker assembly includes a bin having a bottom wall, as well as first and second pairs of opposing side walls. One of the first pair of opposing side walls includes an opening within which is movably mounted a coupler. The coupler is provided with a recessed portion having formed therein an aperture and a cog member. An auger is rotatably mounted in the bin and includes a first end portion that extends through the aperture of the coupler. A drive member extends into the coupler and drives the auger in a first direction to dispense ice cubes and in a second direction to dispense crushed ice. The driver engages with the cog member when being rotated in the first direction and directly engages the first end of the auger when being driven in the second direction.
US07698900B2
An ice making device having a water supply unit for controlling a water supply to an ice making unit, including: a water pipe connected to a water supply source; and a valve member so disposed as to open and shut off the water pipe. The valve member is so disposed as to be controlled in opening and shutting off by a control switch. The water pipe may be so mounted as to be connected to a water supply source outside of a refrigerator, or may be so mounted as to be connected to a water supply tank attachably and detachably equipped inside the refrigerator.
US07698896B2
An eductor assembly is provided that includes a primary nozzle, a cooler plenum, and a surge plenum. In one embodiment, and by way of example only, the primary nozzle is configured to accelerate and discharge turbine exhaust gas therefrom and the cooler plenum surrounds the primary nozzle and includes at least a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The surge plenum partially surrounds the primary nozzle and the cooler plenum and includes at least a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The surge plenum fluid outlet axially aligns and is coterminous with the cooler plenum fluid outlet.
US07698887B2
An apparatus comprises an emissions trap and a loading determination device. The emissions trap is configured to trap emissions present in exhaust gas and comprises a first local region and a second local region. The loading determination device is configured to determine emissions loading of the first local region and emissions loading of the second local region. An associated method is disclosed.
US07698881B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a control assembly and method of manufacturing a walk-behind mower having a transmission and an engine electrically connected to an operator presence switch. The control assembly can include a left drive lever and a right drive lever. The control assembly can also include a left control member and a right control member each coupled to the transmission. The control assembly can further include a left operator presence lever and a right operator presence lever coupled to the operator presence switch. The operator presence switch can allow the engine to operate when either the left operator presence lever is moved toward the left drive lever or the right operator presence lever is moved toward the right drive lever.
US07698880B2
A coin wrapping machine includes a discrimination unit which detects images of the front face and rear face of coins during conveyance, and which discriminates the coins, a sorting unit which sorts the coins to one of a first side and a second side based on the discrimination results of the discrimination unit, a stacking unit which stacks the coins sorted to the first side by this sorting unit into columnar form with a prescribed number of coins, a wrapping unit which wraps stack of coins in columnar form, and a controller which controls the sorting unit based on the discrimination results so that at least one of an outside face of a coin at one end of the stack of coins and a second outside face of a coin at the other end of the stack of coins is the rear face.
US07698872B2
Disclosed herein is a portable panel having numerous favorable characteristics. The panel comprises a core having a length, a width, a first side and a second side. A first fiber layer is attached to the first side while a second fiber layer is attached to the second side. A first polyurethane layer is impregnated in the first fiber layer while a second polyurethane layer is impregnated into the second fiber layer. A first skin is attached to the first polyurethane layer while a second skin is attached to the second polyurethane layer. The panel can be used in the manufacture of tables, flooring, risers, stages, bleachers, and the like.
US07698871B2
A closure frame includes at least one end rail, at least one side rail and a corner joint between ends of the corner and side rails. The corner joint includes a rail insert secured within a first of the rails. A threaded fastener is secured against rotation within the insert and extends from an open end of the first rail into a second of the rails. A nut is disposed within the second rail in threaded engagement with the end of the fastener and clamps the second rail against the open end of the first rail. The corner joint preferably is a butt joint, and a pair of rail inserts preferably are disposed within the end of the first rail so that a pair of threaded fasteners extend into the second rail and are engaged by associated nuts in the second rail. A washer plate preferably is disposed in the second rail beneath the nuts, and a gasket preferably is disposed between the second rail and the open end of the first rail to seal the corner joint.
US07698864B2
A polymer siding panel for mounting on a wall surface that in one embodiment includes at least two horizontal adjacent sections and a plurality of decorative elements integrally formed with the said panel and disposed in at least one row. The panel may also include an upwardly facing channel formed on a rear side of the siding panel opposite the front face; and at least two splicing members. The splicing members may be transparent or translucent and manufactured from a polymer that is the same or different than the polymer of the siding panel, and one of the splicing members may be welded to and joining the sections to one another. The other splicing member can be welded to one of the sections at a side edge opposite the side edge adjoining the other section. The other splicing member may extend beyond the respective side edge.
US07698860B2
An Emergency Isolation and Treatment Shelter (EITS) deck system is constructed from a multiple of deck unit modules. Each deck unit module includes four adjustable leg assemblies attachable together by a lower truss between each leg assembly so as to support a deck surface panel. The size of the deck unit module defines the modularity of the EITS. Each leg assembly includes a primary leg, an intermediate leg, and a screw foot each in telescopic relationship. Each leg assembly may be telescoped independently to provide a level deck surface irrespective of the underlying terrain.
US07698855B2
A opening control apparatus for a sliding door of a vehicle, includes a driving source, a clutch arranged to connect the driving source and the sliding door in an engaged state and to disconnect the driving source and the sliding door in a disengaged state, and a control section. The control section brings the clutch from the disengaged state to the engaged state when a measured distance of movement of the sliding door from a stop position to a position in one of an opening direction and a closing direction reaches a first predetermined distance and then a measured distance of movement of the sliding door from the position in the one of the opening and closing directions reaches a second predetermined distance, and drives the sliding door to move in the one of the opening and closing directions by the driving source.
US07698846B2
The invention presented in this work creates the possibility of a portable gun—revolver, pistol, carbine, riffle or hand-machine gun, to recognize its owner, in progressive levels of handling safety. Three levels of handling safety are established based on the evaluation of the grip force or its effect through material deformation or strain gage measurement. The first level of handling safety does not allow persons with grip force bellow a given limit, to shoot with a gun. The second level of handling safety enables the portable gun to recognize an individual as belonging to a smaller group than the first level. Now, the gun will only recognize for a successful firing an individual whose grip force, measured by one strain gage, fit into a small operational range, established and stored at the moment of acquisition by the owner. The third level of handling safety enables a portable gun to recognize an individual, as belonging to an even smaller group than in the second level. In practice this group is unitary and is composed by the person that grasped the handle to establish the average local grip forces, measured by six strain gages, at the acquisition moment.
US07698839B1
Molded polymer elevator buckets are reinforced by tapering the thickness of front and sidewalls and integral arcuate corner parts to improve bucket life without significant weight increase or reduced bucket capacity. Front lip wear indicators may be molded into the front wall section delimited by the lip and/or on the arcuate corner parts.
US07698835B2
A stability device that increases foot security on the footbed of a shoe, provides lateral or medial stability, shock dampening, and optimizes flexibility. The stability device includes a resilient bladder insert having a horizontal sole portion underneath a wearer's foot, and a foot portion positioned along a lateral or medial side edge of a wearer's foot. The sole portion and the foot portion are in fluid communication. The stability device can be generally L-shaped to cradle a portion of the foot. The stability device can also include a plurality of finger-shaped elements that encircle the top of the foot and expand down onto the foot due to an increase in fluid pressure therein.
US07698828B2
A safety rule includes a rule body, which has a stop flange protruded from and extending along one long side thereof, a protective plate, which has one long side pivotally coupled to the rule body so that the protective plate can be set in a collapsed position and closely attached to the top surface of the rule body when the safety rule is not in use or lifted from the rule body to a lifted position for protecting the user's hand to avoid accidental hand injury when the safety rule is used to guide a cutter in cutting a sheet member.
US07698826B2
A surveying type target has a precisely located aperture that achieves tolerances, within +/−0.0005 inch, in the assembly and usage of a retro-reflective photogrammetry target for use with close range industrial photogrammetry. The dot the target may also be refurbished and reconditioned in the field under all weather conditions. This target has a precisely machined ring that fits into a precisely machined socket of a body to eliminate assembly irregularities. This target precisely locates the ring upon the body forming a finished target with a known centerline and height location within +/−0.0005 inch tolerance.
US07698819B2
A shaving apparatus includes at least one cutting unit having an inner cutter rotationally drivable with respect to an outer cutter by driving shaft of a driving device. The driving shaft exerts a prestress force on the inner cutter in the direction of the outer cutter. During cutting of a hair, the hair exerts a cutting force on the inner cutter directed opposite the driving force. The driving shaft bears axially on the outer cutter via at least one driving surface of a coupling element which is rotationally drivable. The inner cutter includes at least one driven surface for cooperating with the driving surface for exerting the driving force. The direction of the driving force is substantially perpendicular to the driving surface and the driven surface.
US07698816B2
A method of defining a new pinion for use with a given face gear set. Tooth geometry of the new pinion is generated by a plane taking the given face gear set as reference and maintaining true conjugate actions among the original pinion, the face gear, the new pinion and the generating plane. This method makes it possible to eliminate adapter gears for applications requiring different shaft settings and/or ratios than those of the given gear set.
US07698814B2
A method for linearizing potentiometric sensors is provided, the method can include the steps of: insertion in a measurement and/or processing station of a potentiometric sensor provided with a resistive track; application of a defined voltage and/or of a defined current across the resistive track; placement of a number of sensing elements composed of metallic contacts distributed at uniform intervals over the length of the resistive track; acquisition of the individual measured values of the sensing elements and determination of the curve of the resistance of the resistive track, and linearization of the resistance of the resistive track by means of sequential adjustment of the resistance of the resistive track. A means for marking the contact points of the sensing elements is placed on the resistive track prior to the placement of the sensing elements, and then the sensing elements are placed on the means, and the means are removed once the contact points of the sensing elements have been marked, and the position of the contact points of the sensing elements is taken into account in determining the curve of the resistance of the resistive track.
US07698811B2
An exemplary inner substrate for manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards is provided. The inner substrate has a number of substrate units and a number of transverse folding portions alternately arranged along a longitudinal direction of the inner substrate. Each of the substrate units is configured for forming a unitary printed circuit board. Each of the folding portions is interconnected between neighboring substrate units. Each of the folding portions defines at least one line weakness perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner substrate for facilitating folding and unfolding the neighboring substrate units to each other. An exemplary method for manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards using the inner substrate is also provided. The method can improve efficiency of manufacturing multilayer printed circuit boards.
US07698808B2
A substrate is prepared that includes substrate segments arranged in series in the X and Y directions. The substrate segments are respectively provided with circuit patterns on its one side and electrodes on the other side. Sets of IC devices including bobbins are mounted on the sides with the circuit patterns of the respective substrates. A conductor is wound around the bobbins successively to form the windings. Portions of the conductor extending between the adjacent windings are pressed against and connected to the circuit patterns to form leading and trailing ends of the windings connected to the circuit patterns. Thereafter, the substrate is severed to provide surface-mount coil packages each comprising the circuit board and the set of IC devices including the coil.
US07698790B2
A reusable slider stop member has a solid body shaped to fit over a tooth element in a slide fastener assembly. The solid body has a central through channel defined by a pair of parallel prongs which fit over a tooth element. Each prong has an internal shoulder that engages a portion of the tooth element to retain the stop in place. The stop may be removed without damaging the stop or the tooth element, thus permitting easy repair of slide fastener assembly components. The stop is installed by aligning the channel at a right angle to the axis of the array of tooth elements, pressing the stop partially onto the tooth element, twisting the stop into alignment with the array and pressing the stop fully onto the tooth element to engage the internal shoulder of the stop with the tooth element.
US07698781B2
A drapery arrangement includes a drapery fabric, a sliding track, and a plurality of sliding wheels. Each of the sliding wheels includes a sliding hanger, a wheel seat, a central connecting shaft, and a plurality of sliding elements. The wheel seat, having a rotating groove, is adapted to fittedly receive in a toggle cavity of the sliding hanger, wherein the wheel seat has a through connecting channel extended along a radial direction thereof. The central connecting shaft penetrates though the connecting channel enhancing a structural rigidity of the respective sliding wheel, and evenly distributing a load imposed on the sliding wheel. The plurality of sliding elements is rotatably received in the rotating groove for running on a circular sidewall of the toggle cavity, wherein the sliding wheel is slidably mounted on the sliding track for sliding therealong.
US07698773B2
A holder for hygienic wipes and the like includes triangular-shaped a base member that is suitable sized and shaped for securing a wiping sheet thereto. An adjustable handle is removably attached to the base member. The base member is also configured as a wedge for allowing a user to comfortably position the apparatus between the buttocks. Gripping members are positioned on the base member bottom surface on either side thereof for securing the wiping sheet to the top surface of the base member. Each gripping member includes raised teeth for securing the wipe in place. The handle is substantially cylindrically-shaped and is telescopically extendable, allowing the apparatus to be used by larger individuals. The handle is hingedly connected to the base member, enabling the user to angle the base member for optimal contact and comfort.
US07698769B2
An apparatus for the rapid loading, launching and retrieval of foam pellets for tube cleaning. The apparatus uses a block configuration to allow gravity feed and rapid firing of pellets into tubes. The apparatus includes a hopper feeder attachment, which is self-adjusting during pellet jams.
US07698767B2
One embodiment of the present patent application is a device, comprising a first piece and a second piece. The first piece includes a stirring spoon, a bottle opener, and a corkscrew. The corkscrew has a corkscrew base. The second piece includes a removable cover that attaches to the corkscrew base to cover the corkscrew.
US07698761B2
An adjustable bed includes a stationary seat deck board and independently movable front and rear carriages powered by linear actuators supported by a stationary base. A head deck board is hingedly secured to the front carriage and moves with it. Leg and foot deck boards hingedly joined together are supported by the rear carriage and move with it. Additional linear actuators move the head deck board and leg deck boards between horizontal and inclined positions independently.
US07703147B2
The present disclosure relates to a method for fabricating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) nanoneedle probe using an ion beam, a SPM nanoneedle probe, a method of fabricating a critical dimension scanning probe microscope (CD-SPM) nanoneedle probe using an ion beam, a CD-SPM nanoneedle probe, and uses thereof. A disclosed method can comprise: positioning the probe so that a tip of the probe on which the nanoneedle is attached faces toward a direction in which the ion beam is irradiated; and aligning the nanoneedle attached on the tip of the probe with the ion beam in parallel by irradiating the ion beam toward the tip of the probe on which the nanoneedle is attached.
US07703145B2
A method is described for controlling customer installations of software or data by providing to the customer an encrypted list of authorized installation targets, whereby the installation program reads and decrypts the list, and only allows installation to proceed if the customer's installation target has a serial number that matches one of the vendor-provided serial numbers in the authorization list. Provision is also made for allowing customers to add serial numbers to the list, within constraints predetermined by the software vendor. Also provided is a method for a customer to perform a predetermined number of installations, whereby the software maintains and decrements a counter in an encrypted file on a storage medium, keeping track of how many remaining installations a customer may perform.
US07703143B2
An information processing apparatus deleting, from a second recording medium, a copy of electronic data once recorded in the second recording medium, an original of the electronic data being recorded in a first recording medium different from the second recording medium, includes: an electronic data deleting part deleting the copy of the electronic data from the second recording medium, which copy can be used when authentication is succeeded in based on medium identification information which is prepared for identifying the first recording medium; an electronic data validating part validating the electronic data once invalidated when the copy of the electronic data was created in the second recording medium; and a medium identification information deleting part deleting the medium identification information of the first recording medium which was recorded in a predetermined storage area when the copy was created in the second recording medium.
US07703142B1
An authorization system is described that includes a first interface, a processing system, and a second interface. The first interface is configured to receive an authorization instruction from an enterprise and receive an authorization request from a user device. The authorization instructions indicate authorization parameters. The user device transfers the authorization request each time the application is selected for execution. The authorization instructions are based on a license obtained by the enterprise for an application and wherein a user device operated by a user has the application. The processing system is configured to process the authorization request and authorization parameters to determine if the execution of the application is authorized. The second interface is configured to transfer an authorized message to the user device if the execution of the application is authorized and transfer an unauthorized message to the user device if the execution of the application is not authorized.
US07703139B2
A method for suppressing the generation of an event includes checking an in-kernel cache to determine if data relating to a file is within the in-kernel cache. Determining whether the file has been modified since a last time an event was generated for the file where data relating to a particular file is found to be within the in-kernel cache. Suppressing the generation of an event for the file where it is determined that the file has not been modified since the last time an event was generated for the file.
US07703132B2
The invention comprises three extensions of the IEEE 802.1Q VLAN bridge model. The first extension is the cryptographic separation of VLANs over trunk links. A LAN segment type referred to as an encapsulated LAN segment is introduced. All frames on such a segment are encapsulated according to an encryption and authentication code scheme. The second extension is the division of a trunk port into inbound and outbound ports. The third extension is a protocol that automatically infers for each outbound port in a bridged VLAN, a set of LAN segment types for the port that minimizes the number of transfers between encapsulated and unencapsulated segments required to transport a frame in the bridged VLAN.
US07703128B2
One aspect relates to a process and associated device for managing digital ID lifecycles for application programs, and abstracting application programs for multiple types of credentials through a common Digital Identity Management System (DIMS) and Application Programming Interface (API) layer.
US07703124B2
A network security system is provided comprising a plurality of network bubbles wherein each bubble includes bubble members configured to transmit and receive data. Bubbles have network security policies that may be enforced by a plurality of network control point devices. The system further includes a private virtual backbone configured to interconnect the plurality of network control points connected to known bubbles. The privacy of the private virtual backbone is maintained by an inter-bubble device and/or set of two network control points. The inter-bubble device and set of control points enforce the network security policies of any connected bubble and relay data packets between address spaces. The private virtual backbone may operate in private address space. The system also includes an instance-specific virtual backbone that interconnects only bubble partitions from the same network bubble, thus simplifying the enforcement of a network security policy.
US07703101B2
Incoming work units (e.g., requests) in a computing workload are analyzed and classified according to predicted execution. Preferred embodiments track which instrumented wait points are encountered by the executing work units, and this information is analyzed to dynamically and autonomically create one or more recognizers to programmatically recognize similar, subsequently-received work units. When a work unit is recognized, its execution behavior is then predicted. Execution resources are then allocated to the work units in view of these predictions. The recognizers may be autonomically evaluated or tuned, thereby adjusting to changing workload characteristics. The disclosed techniques may be used advantageously in application servers, message-processing software, and so forth.
US07703097B2
A DLI call from the batch application is intercepted, wherein the DLI call is made for the purpose of accessing a hierarchical database. It is then determined if the access to the hierarchical database is a checkpoint trigger event. A segment counter for a trigger segment in a checkpoint trigger for the checkpoint trigger event is incremented if the trigger segment is identified by the DLI call. The segment counter is compared to a segment commit threshold in the checkpoint trigger and commit point processing is performed on behalf of the batch application if the segment counter is in a predetermined relation to the segment commit threshold.
US07703092B1
Remote installation of an application program is provided via a configuration of the application program corresponding to a particular user of the local application. The configuration is defined and stored on a remote server. In response to a user request, a determination is made that the stored configuration corresponds to the requesting user, the user is authenticated, and data is downloaded from the remote server according to the stored configuration. This stored configuration is also encrypted and stored in a manifest file which is also downloaded. Responsive to the user authentication, the manifest file is decrypted, and the application program is constructed pursuant to the configuration decrypted from the manifest file.
US07703087B1
A code placement technique that organizes code units to at least reduce layout conflicts among caller/callee code units. A code preparation environment determines those code units of a code representation that have overlapping memory mappings with their counterpart caller/callee code units. To at least reduce the layout conflicts, or overlapping memory mappings, the code preparation environment arranges the caller/callee code units to eliminate the layout conflicts among the caller/callee code units.
US07703085B2
A system and method for compiling computer code written to conform to a high-level language standard to generate a unified executable containing the hardware logic for a reconfigurable processor, the instructions for a traditional processor (instruction processor), and the associated support code for managing execution on a hybrid hardware platform. Explicit knowledge of writing hardware-level design code is not required since the problem can be represented in a high-level language syntax. A top-level driver invokes a standard-conforming compiler that provides syntactic and semantic analysis. The driver invokes a compilation phase that translates the CFG representation being generated into a hybrid controlflow-dataflow graph representation representing optimized pipelined logic which may be processed into a hardware description representation. The driver invokes a hardware description language (HDL) compiler to produce a netlist file that can be used to start the place-and-route compilation needed to produce a bitstream for the reconfigurable computer. The programming environment then provides support for taking the output from the compilation driver and combining all the necessary components together to produce a unified executable capable of running on both the instruction processor and reconfigurable processor.
US07703079B1
Overall system performance improvements resulting from improvements to individual system components may be predicted by analyzing the effects of artificial performance degradations inserted into the individual components. Measuring and analyzing a negative overall system effect caused by negative changes to an individual component may predict a positive overall system performance improvement resulting from an improvement to the individual component of similar magnitude to the inserted negative changes. System performance prediction may be used to analyze and predict system performance changes related to various computing resources, such as execution time (speed), memory usage, network bandwidth, file I/O, and/or disk storage space, among others. Additionally, by comparing predicted system performance improvements resulting from potential improvements to various components of a software system, the individual components may be ranked according to the amount of improvement required to realize the predicted system performance improvements.
US07703073B2
Device interoperability format and method for assembling self-contained executable device interoperability software application package conforming to an interoperability format that is completely self-contained and sufficient to carry out an intended purpose of the application on a plurality of connected or intermittently connected devices, the executable device interoperability software application package when executed allowing the plurality of devices to interoperate with each other. Method of forming a linearly contiguous binary encoded part images, and packaging the formed part images together into an executable device interoperability software application package. Computer program product for execution on a computer, information appliance, or other device. Data structure for self-contained executable device interoperability software application package.
US07703068B2
Photomask patterns are represented using contours defined by level-set functions. Given target pattern, contours are optimized such that defined photomask, when used in photolithographic process, prints wafer pattern faithful to target pattern. Optimization utilizes “merit function” for encoding aspects of photolithographic process, preferences relating to resulting pattern (e.g. restriction to rectilinear patterns), robustness against process variations, as well as restrictions imposed relating to practical and economic manufacturability of photomasks.
US07703067B2
A memory is encoded with a data structure that represents a pattern having a range for one or more dimensions and/or positions of line segments therein. The data structure identifies two or more line segments that are located at a boundary of the pattern. The data structure also includes at least one set of values that identify a maximum limit and a minimum limit (i.e. the range) between which relative location and/or dimension of an additional line segment of the pattern in a portion of a layout of an integrated circuit (IC) chip, represents a defect in the IC chip when fabricated. In most embodiments, multiple ranges are specified in such a range defining pattern for example a width range is specified for the width of a trace of material in the layout and a spacing range is specified for the separation distance between two adjacent traces in the layout.
US07703054B2
A synthesizer processes a register transfer level (RTL) netlist description of a circuit to produce a non-optimized gate level netlist preserving all signals referenced by the RTL netlist. The gate level netlist is then processed to identify the circuit's memory devices and to determine logical relationships between its internal signals (all signals other than circuit and memory device input and output signals) and its other signals (circuit and memory device input and output signals). The synthesizer then again processes the RTL netlist to produce an optimized gate level netlist that preserves the identified memory devices, but which omits reference to some or all of the internal signals. A circuit verification system then processes the optimized gate level netlist to produce waveform data representing time-varying behavior of the other signals of the circuit. The waveform data is then processed to produce additional waveform data representing behavior of the internal signals referenced by the RTL netlist in accordance with the determined logical relationships between the internal signals and the other signals.
US07703051B2
There is described methods and circuits for trimming a temperature coefficient of change of a parameter of at least one electrical component while maintaining a substantially constant parameter value, the method comprising applying a heating cycle to trim said parameter value away from a target parameter value and back to said target parameter value, whereby the temperature coefficient of change is modified after applying said heating cycle.
US07703047B2
A notepad computer with a page display region displaying a page of a document on which a user can write using a pen or stylus type writing tool is provided. Associated with the page is an interface that can be used with the pen. The interface includes a core task tool region adjacent to the page where tool icons are partially visible until the pen is brought near one of the icons. The tool icon becomes fully visible when the pen is within the region of the icon. The tool when activated can pop-up a radial pop-up menu located at an edge of the document where all the menu choices are located in a semi-circle away from the edge so that the users hand while holding the pen and making a selection does not block the choices. A page flipping tool is located in a corner of the page and is an explicit two-stroke menu allowing selection of a next or previous page. A page scrolling tool is located along an edge of the page, the scrolling tool when activated is an implicit button allowing scrolling in one implied direction. The interface also includes a stack region adjacent to said page display region having one or more stack icons each representing a stack of documents. The icon is also an explicit two-stroke radial pop-up menu having forward and backward choices for selecting documents in the stack and a stack document list display displaying a list of documents in the stack when the stack icon is touched by an input pen. The interface also includes a typing tool overlaying a portion of the page and including a writing zone where a user handwrites strokes and, a page zone comprising part of the page where typed text corresponding to the handwritten strokes is displayed as the handwriting occurs.
US07703043B2
A graphical user interface is disclosed which achieves an easy search for a desired item upon scrolling. Plural first icons representing first items of a high hierarchy are arrayed along a direction of a display screen, and plural second icons representing second items of a low hierarchy which belong to a selected one of the first items are arrayed along an intersecting direction with the selected first item positioned at the intersecting position. The selected noticed icon from among the plural second icons is displayed emphatically at a fixed position on the display screen, and explanation information of the noticed item icon is displayed in the proximity of the display position of the noticed icon. In response to a scrolling instruction, scrolling is executed while explanation information of the second icons other than the noticed item icon is displayed.
US07703033B2
Access to information instances is administered using selectively activatable rules. A computer program product includes rules establishing authorizations to information instances in a computer system, each of the rules authorizing a predefined subject to perform a predefined action on a predefined object. The computer program product includes an activation function for an administrator to selectively activate at least one of the rules, the activated rule to be applied upon a user seeking to perform an action on any of the information instances.
US07703029B2
A graphical user interface (GUI) includes a graph with vectors and nodes for visualizing a computer grid, the nodes representing computers running grid managers and the vectors representing relations between pairs of grid managers, each of the relations defining a first grid manager to be superior to a second grid manager and a vector points from a node representing the first grid manager to a node representing the second grid manager. The GUI also includes, for each node, an expandable structure showing computer grid applications running on a computer represented by the node, and an event handler configured to receive a request to view management services running on a computer and to generate a display showing the management services running on the computer.
US07703019B2
A method, apparatus, and system are provided for a visual administrator for specifying service references to support a service. According to one embodiment, a hierarchical tree structure having one or more tree nodes is displayed in a graphical user interface. Each of the one or more tree nodes may represent a resource of an application server. In an embodiment, at least one of the tree nodes represents a service of the application server. The tree node representing the service may be selected via a cursor control device. In one embodiment, upon selecting the tree node, a list of one or more service references associated with the service is displayed in the graphical user interface. Each listed service reference may include, for example, a server reference name, a service reference type, and/or a relationship value. In one embodiment, the relationship value specifies whether the listed service reference is to be automatically started when the service represented by the selected tree node is started.
US07703016B2
A method of mirroring Lotus Notes Domino documents to a non-Domino web server, while preserving document sections. Each request for expansion or collapsing of a section is handled at the client end when serving the mirrored copies of the original document. The number of fetches is reduced during retrieval of each state of the Lotus Notes Domino document. Each fetch resides on a mirrored document of a non-Domino web server in a form that does not require a unique html document for each fetch.
US07703015B2
Method, system and computer program product for delta-handling. A server stores a page-document that comprises at least one component. The page-document is translated into a browser-document that is displayed by a client. The server receives a request from the client resulting in an update of a specific component of the page-document with an application-delta. The specific component has a writer-function. The server generates a browser-delta by applying the writer-function to the application-delta. The server sends the browser-delta to the client for updating the browser-document on the client.
US07703014B2
A music score display data arranging unit provides music score display data for displaying a music score by placing music score notational elements on a given display area in one or more staff tiers, each staff tier containing one or more measures of variable lengths based on inputted music performance representing data. The sizes of the music score notational elements and the size of the display area are determinable. A measures apportioning unit calculates, for each measure based on the sizes of the music score notational elements, a minimum horizontal length for placing at least one kind of notational elements in the measure without an overlap in the horizontal direction, and apportions a number of measures in each staff tier such that the notational elements of each measure shall be placed on the apportioned staff tier in a length of the calculated minimum horizontal length or more.
US07703003B2
An apparatus may be configured to generate document data representing a document for use in providing a service comprising a number of different activities that are to be carried out in providing the service. The apparatus may enable a user to retrieve previously stored document portions in accordance with the activity to which the document portion relates so that it is not necessary for the user to identify a specific document portion, a specific filename or an inventory part number allocated to that document portion. In one embodiment, an apparatus may be configured to generate a document that enables a user to assemble a document in accordance with the activities to which the document relates rather than to the actual content of the document. Thus, the user wishing to assemble a document may be concerned with the activities instead of which precise document portions to include in the document.
US07702997B2
A system architecture integrates spreadsheet functionality into text. The architecture allows insertion of discrete individual fields, referred to as “free floating fields”, inline with normal textual sentences. In an HTML document, for example, the free floating fields are elements constructed along with text elements and rendered together as an integrated document. Once rendered, the free floating fields present contents that resemble normal text consistent with the surrounding text. The free floating fields offer spreadsheet functionality, including the ability to handle complex formulas, reference values in a separate free floating field or table, and automatically recalculate the formulas when a source value changes.
US07702988B2
Presented herein are systems and methods for checking the integrity of data transmissions between or within one or more digital processing systems by identifying a data characteristic that is likely to change if there is an error in transmission. According to one embodiment, data messages are modified to achieve a selected characteristic according to a predetermined protocol, and changes to the data are recorded in a longitudinal check code (LCC) word, which is used by the receiver to decode the data message and restore the original data.
US07702981B2
A boundary scan technique to generate toggling waveform such as a square wave signal to perform structural testing is disclosed. An instr_extesttoggle command is provided that enables IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan cell to selectively generate the toggling signal on the pre-specified output pads of the integrated circuit. The frequency of the toggling signal may be controlled by the JTAG clock signal and the frequency of the toggling signal may be independent of the length of the boundary scan chain. Such an approach circumvents provisioning test points on the interconnects of a printed circuit board.
US07702978B2
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that detect whether a soft error that occurs in stored configuration data is a false positive that can be ignored such that reloading configuration data or other remedial measures are not unnecessarily performed. One example provides an integrated circuit including an error detection circuit and a sensitivity processor. The error detection circuit detects the presence of errors. The sensitivity processor determines whether a detected error can be ignored, or whether remedial action, such as providing an error flag, reconfiguring the device, or correcting the error, should be commenced. The sensitivity processor may make this determination based on whether the error occurred in a memory cell that configures unused circuitry. The sensitivity processor may make use of an error log to track known errors that may be ignored, so that this determination does not need to be done each time the configuration data is checked.
US07702977B1
In one embodiment, a programmable logic device includes a first multiplexer; a first memory adapted to store an identification code of the programmable logic device; and a second memory adapted to store an identification code of the programmable logic device. Inputs of a second multiplexer are coupled to the first memory and the second memory, and an output of the multiplexer is coupled to an input of the first multiplexer. The second multiplexer is adapted to select between the identification code stored in the first memory and the identification code stored in the second memory to provide the selected identification code to the first multiplexer.
US07702975B2
A method, an integrated circuit structure, and an associated design structure for the integrated circuit structure have a plurality of logic blocks, at least one of which is a redundant logic block. In addition, the structure includes a logic built-in self test device (LBIST) operatively connected to the logic blocks that determines the functionality of each of the logic blocks. An array of memory elements is included within the structure and is operatively connected to the logic blocks. At least one of the memory elements comprises a redundant memory element. The structure also includes an array built-in self test device (ABIST) operatively connected to the array of memory elements that determines the functionality of each of the memory elements. One feature is the use of a single controller operatively connected to the register, the logic blocks, and the memory elements. The single controller repairs both the logic blocks elements that have failing functionality and the memory elements that have failing functionality.
US07702968B2
Embodiments disclosed herein address the need in the art for an efficient multi-symbol deinterleaver. In one aspect, a plurality of memory banks are deployed to receive and simultaneously store a plurality of values, such as soft decision values determined from a modulation constellation, in accordance with a storing pattern. In another aspect, the storing pattern comprises a plurality of cycles, a selected subset of the plurality of memory banks and an address offset for use in determining the address for storing into the respective memory banks indicated for each cycle. In yet another aspect, the stored values may be accessed in order with a sequentially increasing index, such as an address. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of allowing multiple symbol values to be deinterleaved in an efficient manner, thus meeting computation time constraints, and conserving power.
US07702961B2
A recording medium for storing start position information for each zone and a method of managing data using the information. In a disc having a plurality of zones which form a group, and a spare area which is allocated at the start portion or the end portion of the group for replacing defects, when start logical sector numbers of each zone are changed by slipping replacement during initialization or reinitialization, the information is stored in the defect management area to thereby increase the compatibility of the medium. In particular, by the method of managing data using information stored in a defect management area, generation of errors is prevented in reading or writing due to the change of a physical position of a real-recorded file which are caused by wrong calculation of the start logical sector numbers for each zone.
US07702956B2
A system on chip processor, that is, a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a processor, a cache memory and the like are integrated into one chip, includes a test controller, and a trace memory. The test controller generates test control signals in response to test flag signals generated from a processor. The trace memory stores a transmission data signal between the processor and a cache memory, a device under test, in response to the test control signals. Since the trace memory is provided within the integrated circuit, an operation of the device under test, which is configured in the integrated circuit, can be tested without disassembling the integrated circuit even after the integrated circuit is completely manufactured.
US07702954B2
A stored data processing apparatus comprises: a calculation section that performs calculation for each bit position using data of all first blocks in a second block that has been specified as an update target on a storage medium and outputs a result of the calculation as calculation data; a write section that writes the calculation data in the third block associated with the update target; and a read section that reads out data from the first block specified as a read target. In the case where it is determined that a plurality of data can be read out from the read target, the read section sets the read target as a duplication block, reads out data from the first blocks other than the duplication block which belong to the second block including the read target so as to set the read out data as determination data, reads out data from the third block corresponding to the read target so as to set the read out data as redundant data, sets one of the plurality of data that can be read out from the duplication block as selection data, and determines whether the selection data is correct data using the determination data, redundant data, and selection data.
US07702953B2
Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein synchronous replication of data is initiated from a first site to a second site. At least one part of the data is sent asynchronously from the second site to a third site, wherein the asynchronously sent at least one part of the data is stored at the second site while the at least one part of data is in flight from the second site to the third site. The at least one part of the data stored at the second site is deleted, in response to the at least one part of the data being securely stored at the third site.
US07702950B2
A gaming machine may include memory, a software program loaded into the memory and a trusted cache. The trusted cache may include a context data save engine, a context data recovery engine and a restart engine. The context data save engine may be configured to save the context and state of the gaming machine at least upon sensing a failure condition. The context data recovery engine may be configured to load the context and state from the context data save engine back into memory, and the restart engine may be configured to restart the gaming machine and restore execution of the software program, and may be further configured to carry out a multi-stage recovery process that may include a soft reboot, a hardware reset and a power-off and, after a predetermined delay, a power-on of the gaming machine, attempting to restart the software program between each stage of the process.
US07702949B2
A mechanism and method for maintaining a consistent state in a non-volatile random access memory system without constraining normal computer operation is provided, thereby enabling a computer system to recover from faults, power loss, or other computer system failure without a loss of data or processing continuity. In a typical computer system, checkpointing data is either very slow, very inefficient or would not survive a power failure. In embodiments of the present invention, a non-volatile random access memory system is used to capture checkpointed data, and can later be used to rollback the computer system to a previous checkpoint. This structure and protocol can efficiently and quickly enable a computer system to recover from faults, power loss, or other computer system failure.
US07702948B1
A computer-implemented method of automatically configuring a platform of storage devices includes querying components of the platform to gather information about the capability of the platform, locating one or more storage devices within the platform, automatically determining one or more RAID levels that are supported by the platform, and automatically configuring one or more storage devices within the platform as a RAID system having a particular RAID level, where the particular RAID level is selected based on the capability of the platform.
US07702947B2
A system and method for enabling site failover in an application server or clustered environment. In addition to providing HTTP session state replication across servers within a cluster, the invention provides the ability to replicate HTTP session state across multiple clusters. This improves high-availability and fault tolerance by allowing clusters to be spread across multiple geographic regions, power grids, and Internet service providers.
US07702939B2
A method and system for controlling computer operation time is provided for counting how long the time for using the computer lasts. The steps of the time counting method are as following. First step is counting an operation time period for using the computer at the computer powered on; second step is determining the operation time period equal to a predetermined operating-time limit; third step is controlling the computer into an interrupted operating state when the operation time period is equal to the predetermined operating-time limit, wherein an interrupted time period for the computer stayed in the interrupted operating state is counted; fourth step is determining the interrupted time period equal to a predetermined suspension time; and fifth step is controlling the computer back to a normal operating state when the interrupted time period is equal to the predetermined suspension time, wherein the operation time period is re-counted.
US07702935B2
Apparatus and associated systems, methods and computer program products relate to using information stored in a flash memory to adjust the operating voltage supplied to the flash memory. The voltage information indicates a minimum operating voltage at which to operate the flash memory device. In general, operating a flash memory device near a minimal operating voltage may substantially minimize power consumption. The minimum operating voltage for individual flash memory devices may vary from IC to IC, by manufacturing lot, and by manufacturer. In a product, the minimum operating voltage for a particular flash memory may be determined, for example, by a controller built-in to a flash memory reporting (automatically or in response to a query) the minimum operating voltage (e.g., 2.5 V, 3.15 V) to a memory controller or microprocessor. The stored voltage information may further include information to adjust the operating voltage based on temperature.
US07702934B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a basic module having a memory cell unit composed of first nonvolatile memory cells or a processor unit on a part of the substrate, an authentication module which has second nonvolatile memory cells in an area different from that of the basic module on the substrate, and stores an authentication code, and a lifetime control module which has aging devices configured by third nonvolatile memory cells in an area different from those of the basic module and the authentication module on the substrate, and which is turned on for a fixed period by storage of charges and permits reading of the authentication module only during an on-period of the aging devices.
US07702928B2
A memory module includes memory devices and a power tracker for monitoring power consumption by the memory devices. The power tracker generates digital power consumption data that can be stored and used to anticipate and/or diagnose of power-related problems. The invention allows accurate monitoring of conditions that could otherwise lead to failure and provides a source of diagnostic data in the event of system failure related to excessive power consumption. Modules that self-monitor power consumption can provide highly accurate data to the user and/or the system, which has significant advantages over error-prone theoretical measurements or estimations.
US07702925B2
In some embodiments, the invention is a personal digital network (“PDN”) including hardware (sometimes referred to as Ingress circuitry) configured to transcrypt encrypted content that enters the PDN. Typically, the transcryption (decryption followed by re-encryption) is performed in hardware within the Ingress circuitry and the re-encryption occurs before the decrypted content is accessible by hardware or software external to the Ingress circuitry. Typically, transcrypted content that leaves the Ingress circuitry remains in re-encrypted form within the PDN whenever it is transferred between integrated circuits or is otherwise easily accessible by software, until it is decrypted within hardware (sometimes referred to as Egress circuitry) for display or playback or output from the PDN. Typically, the PDN is implemented so that no secret in Ingress or Egress circuitry (for use or transfer by the Ingress or Egress circuitry) is accessible in unencrypted form to software or firmware within the PDN or to any entity external to the PDN. Other aspects of the invention are methods for protecting content in a PDN (e.g., an open computing system) and devices (e.g., multimedia graphics cards, set top boxes, or video processors) for use in a PDN.
US07702924B2
Reliable end-to-end messaging in which tracking and acknowledgement information are contained in the electronic message that is visible to layers above the transport layer, thereby being independent of what transport protocols, and whether different transport protocols, are used to communicate between the two end points. Furthermore, acknowledgment messages may identify multiple ranges of sequence numbers corresponding to received electronic messages, thereby permitting further flexibility and completeness in acknowledging received messages.
US07702917B2
The described systems, methods, and data structures are directed at data transfer using Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) query strings. A block of data is partitioned into sections. Each section is encoded in a query string of a HTTP message. Each HTTP message is sent to a server by redirecting through a client. Multiple redirected messages are sent until the entire block of data is transferred to the server. The data block may be stored as a cookie on the client so that the data block does not have to persist on any server. Data transfer using HTTP query strings may be implemented to transfer a security token from a security token service (STS) server to an application server.
US07702912B2
To effect a change to the system, a user process makes a request. An interface receives the request, and attempts to authenticate the user. Assuming the user is authenticated, the interface determines the user's UID. The interface determines a provider process that can make the requested change, and forwards the request to the provider process. The interface also assigns the user's UID to the provider process's eUID. The provider process then attempts to make the change, provided the change can be made given the eUID assignment. The provider process then attempts to run under the new eUID, enabling the system to prohibit it from doing something that is not authorized for that user. This protects the system from inadvertently executing management operations by one provider process that is not expected or intended by the user of another provider process.
US07702910B2
A method of processing a message to determine a tag value from the message and from a key according to a message authentication code. The method including the steps of selecting one of a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols forming a codeword encoding a data item derived from the message, the codeword encoding the data item according to an error correcting code, wherein said key determines which one of said plurality of symbols is selected; and determining the tag value to be the selected symbol.
US07702906B1
A system for securing kernel metadata communication in environments employing distributed software services includes a first and a second host linked by a network, where a distributed software service stack at each host includes a respective user-mode software layer and a respective kernel-mode software layer. The first host may be configured to establish a user-mode connection with the second host, e.g., using a secure user-mode communication protocol such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). The first and the second hosts may then exchange respective security keys over the secure user-mode connection, upload the security keys to the respective kernel-mode software layers, and use the security keys to secure communication over a kernel-mode connection between the two hosts.
US07702905B2
Method for distributing keys for encrypted data transmission in a preferably wireless sensor network
In a method for distributing keys for encrypted data transmission in a sensor network, nodes store a subset of keys from a set of keys. A sink node triggers the key election procedure and sensor nodes choose from a locally broadcasted keyID list, with one key to be stored on each node. All other initially stored keys are subsequently deleted. The process is repeated until the edge of the network is reached. Such key predistribution is suitable for the encryption of reverse multicast traffic to the sink node which is the predominant traffic pattern in wireless sensor networks.
US07702902B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling encrypted communication capabilities for a Subscriber's Web Site, thereby allowing Customers to access the Subscriber's Web Site in a secure manner. The Subscriber may register a domain name associated with the Subscriber's Web Site using a proxy domain name service, thereby hindering its Customers ability to verify the owner of the Subscriber's Web Site. A Hosting Provider hosts the Subscriber's Web Site and a Certificate Authority (CA) verifies the identity of the Subscriber. In combination the Hosting Provider and CA provide the Subscriber's Web Site with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypted communications capability. The Hosting Provider and CA communicate directly with each other as needed, typically via the Internet, without using the Subscriber as an intermediary in their communications.
US07702898B2
A method for operating a first computational device to facilitate the secure transfer of a message between the first computation device and a second computational device is described. The method comprises operating the first computational device according to the following steps: forming an encrypted message from the message on the basis of a key derived from one or more codes associated with the second computational device; transmitting the encrypted message to the second computational device; purging the message and the encrypted message from the first computational device; receiving the encrypted message and said one or more codes from the second computational device; upon decrypting the message on the basis of the one or more codes transmitting the decrypted message to the second computational device.
US07702897B2
The present invention provides a system and method to quarantine in the storage operating system and configuration information in which the storage operating system is stored in a designated partition on a removable nonvolatile memory device, such as a compact flash or a personal computer (PC) card that is interfaced with a motherboard of a filer system server. By providing for separate partitions, a failure or error arising during an upgrade to the storage operating system will not corrupt the other partitions.
US07702896B1
Firmware is interactively recoverable prior to loading an operating system on a computer. Rather than proceeding through a recovery without user input, user input about a recovery is solicited after determining that an update is needed. Prior to recovering the firmware, users may be able to, for example, specify configuration options about the recovery, cancel the update altogether, and specify a firmware image location. Once input is received, the firmware recovery proceeds.
US07702890B2
A information processing apparatus and a program are disclosed which make it possible to perform processing of an application on a secondary memory apparatus without the necessity for alteration to an OS incorporated in the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes a central processing unit, a main storage apparatus and a secondary storage apparatus, and starts and executes a program on the main storage apparatus under the control of an OS incorporated therein. Even where the OS does not provide a function of handling an application on the secondary storage apparatus, a first program for performing supporting for copying the application into the main storage apparatus and executing the application is provided in the mains storage apparatus. A second program including place information of the application on the secondary storage apparatus and a starting code for starting the first program is produced on the first storage apparatus. A launcher can operate the second program similarly to the other applications on the main storage apparatus.
US07702888B2
An apparatus for executing branch predictor directed prefetch operations. During operation, a branch prediction unit may provide an address of a first instruction to the fetch unit. The fetch unit may send a fetch request for the first instruction to the instruction cache to perform a fetch operation. In response to detecting a cache miss corresponding to the first instruction, the fetch unit may execute one or more prefetch operation while the cache miss corresponding to the first instruction is being serviced. The branch prediction unit may provide an address of a predicted next instruction in the instruction stream to the fetch unit. The fetch unit may send a prefetch request for the predicted next instruction to the instruction cache to execute the prefetch operation. The fetch unit may store prefetched instruction data obtained from a next level of memory in the instruction cache or in a prefetch buffer.
US07702884B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a reconfigurable circuit including a plurality of computing units interconnected in a reconfigurable manner, a processing circuit including at least one of a fixed logic circuit configured to perform predetermined processing and a parameter-defined special-purpose hardware unit configured to change processing specifications according to parameter settings, a network having reconfigurable connections and coupled to the reconfigurable circuit and to the processing circuit, and at least two interfaces each coupled to the network to provide external coupling for the network.
US07702867B2
A method and system of data backup for a computer system is disclosed. Full and incremental backups of data stored to a first storage device coupled to the computer system are stored to a backup storage device coupled to the computer system. The backup storage device may be remotely located and coupled via a network. Data representative of the relationship of each incremental backup to its respective parent backup is stored in a dependency data structure, preferably a tree-like structure. Different types of incremental backups may be performed to provide different data granularity. When two or more storage media are used in a rotational manner, each medium always contains a complete backup. The backup storage device is automatically managed by paring at least one of a full and incremental backup at the backup storage device automatically in accordance with a plan. The plan is preferably configured to manage an amount of available storage space at the backup storage device. When restoring data from a backup, data to be restored that is stored in a parent backup is automatically located and restored. Stored backups may be encrypted and decrypted when restored.
US07702859B2
A new and useful DMA-like arrangement provides fast inter-system transfers of large data volumes. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a data-transfer-out system and further includes a data-transfer-in system. At least one of the systems has a dual ported memory structure configured in a way so that data can move out of a memory module of the structure from one port while other data can independently move into the memory module through the other port. The systems are detachable with respect to each other, and the memory modules of both systems are correspondingly paired with compatible specifications such as module sizes. Furthermore, these memory modules are physically configured in a way so that inter-system data transfer occurs in a parallel (i.e., module to module) manner without the aid of the CPU of the system that has the dual ported memory structure.
US07702856B2
The prefetch distance to be used by a prefetch instruction may not always be correctly calculated using compile-time information. In one embodiment, the present invention generates prefetch distance calculation code to dynamically calculate a prefetch distance used by a prefetch instruction at run-time.
US07702854B2
An apparatus for processing information, includes a memory storing a plurality of content items different in type and metadata containing time information of the content items, a cache processor for fetching from the memory the content item and the metadata of the content item to be displayed on a display and storing the fetched content item and the metadata thereof on a cache memory, a display controller for displaying on the display the metadata of the content items from the cache memory arranged in accordance with the time information and a selection operator selecting metadata corresponding to a content item desired to be processed, out of the metadata displayed, and a content processor for fetching from the cache memory a content item corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operator by referencing the cache memory in response to the selected metadata, and for performing a process responsive to the fetched content item.
US07702852B2
A consumption value of each storage medium and an upper limit related to writing are managed. Respective consumption value and the upper limit of each of two or more storage media out of a plurality of storage media constituting a storage media group are specified, and a remaining use period value is computed for each of the storage media using the upper limit and the consumption value. Based on each of the computed remaining use period values, data in at least one storage medium out of a plurality of storage media belonging to the selected storage area group is shifted to a storage medium which is different form the storage area group.
US07702849B2
The invention relates to a method for storing data (DATA) on a memory medium (MEM). The data (DATA) forms a file totality (FILE) and the memory medium (MEM) includes several unit-storage areas (U1-U10). At least one first bookkeeping (FDE, FAT) is maintained of the storage state of the memory medium, which consists of information of the location in the unit-storage areas of the data belonging to each file totality. In the storing process—the data is stored in the unit storage areas and—the said first bookkeeping, for example, concerning the location of the data in the unit storage areas, is updated. The data forming the said file totality is stored as file parts (file1, file2, fileN), on the data (data1, data2, . . . , dataN) of which the said storing process is performed.
US07702847B2
A digital Storage Element is described. A device is configured including a Storage Element for access by a user responsive to a native control code. A processing arrangement executes a control program for controlling the overall device and executing at least a portion of the native control code as part of the control program for interfacing with the Storage Element. A programming arrangement is provided separate from the device for customizing a read channel within the Storage Element. Command, user interaction and data transfer execution are discussed for mitigation of potential mechanical shock effects. Status indications relating to the Storage Element are provided including head position and mechanical shock. Calibration, test and operational monitoring procedures, for using head position status, are described. Failure configuration monitoring is provided in tracking overall performance and design considerations.
US07702845B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for managing blocks according to the update type of data in block-type memory. The method includes receiving data to be stored from an application; determining an update frequency of the data; extracting information of nonvolatile memory space in which the data will be stored according to the update frequency of the data; and transmitting information about the data and the space to the nonvolatile memory so that the data is stored in the space using information of the extracted space.
US07702841B2
An ASIC includes a receiving unit, a transmission interface, a reception interface, a buffer, and a control unit. When the receiving unit receives a second write request while the transmission interface is in process of transmitting to a transmission line a first write request and write data, the control unit causes the receiving unit to store the second write request in the buffer. When the receiving unit receives a read request while the second write request is present in the buffer, the control unit causes the receiving unit to send the read request to the transmission interface prior to the second write request.
US07702837B2
A portable computer adapted for electrical connection to a docking station having multiple power modes of operation is described. The portable computer has one or more CPU chips which have at least two power modes of operation, a low power mode and a high power mode. When the portable computer is operated as a stand-alone computer, it operates in the low power mode. When the portable computer is operated while electrically connected to the docking station, it operates in a high power mode. The docking station has greater cooling capacity than the portable computer alone to provide enhanced cooling of the high power mode of operation.
US07702830B2
A data backup system comprises a USB flash drive that includes an emulation component and a flash memory. The emulation component is configured to represent the flash memory as if it were an auto-launch device. Accordingly, a data source, such as a personal computer, will interact with the flash memory as if it were the auto-launch device. As some operating systems are configured to recognize auto-launch devices upon connection and automatically execute applications stored thereon, merely connecting the USB flash drive to a data source running such an operating system will cause a backup application stored by the flash memory to automatically execute on the data source. Here, the backup application is configured to selectively back up data files from the data source to a networked storage such as a server of a commercial service provider.
US07702829B2
This invention relates to a method, system and computer program product for reading data from a storage controller in storage area network. A read data instruction is received from an application requesting data from the storage controller using a primary data path. If the data on the primary data path is not transferred in a defined time interval using the primary data path, data is requested from the storage controller using one or more alternative data paths. Data is received from the storage controller on one of data paths and into a buffer. When the read instruction has completed and that the data is in the buffer, the application is notified. Each data path is associated with a buffer and the data is received into a buffer associated with the path. The application is informed which buffer holds the data and the application accesses the data from this buffer.
US07702826B2
An apparatus and method related to performing Remote Direct Memory Access Request (“RDMA”) is presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises Remote direct memory access (“RDMA”) logic that executes a direct memory access (“DMA”) request from the remote peer. The apparatus further comprising a protection checking logic to verify a key and a target address in the DMA request and conversion logic to convert the target address to an input/output virtual address (“IOVA”) if the conversion is required. The IOVA is to be translated to the host physical address by an address translation unit at another hardware subsystem.
US07702824B2
A system and method for low impact backup. In one embodiment, a method may comprise monitoring utilization of a system resource and a data management process selectively performing I/O operations dependent upon the monitored utilization of the system resource. The data management process may include functionality to backup desired data from a storage medium to a backup medium. In one particular implementation, the I/O operations may be allowed to be performed in response to the utilization of the system resource falling below a predetermined threshold. In another embodiment a method may comprise performing a plurality of I/O operations to complete a data management process executed by an application. The application separates said plurality of I/O operations with intermittent delays to achieve time-slicing of the data management process with respect to one or more other applications.
US07702816B2
A technique that facilitates application synchronization with a reservation protocol at a sender without application receiver participation in a computer network. According to the novel technique, the sender sends a path request message to a reservation receiver and may include a request for fast path failure notification to be returned to the sender. The reservation receiver (e.g., a reservation receiver proxy upstream from the application receiver) receives the path request, and in response, returns a reservation request message to the sender, including a request for fast reservation failure notification also to be sent to the sender (e.g., in response to detecting the fast path failure notification request, local policy/configuration, etc.). In the event that an intermediate node between the sender and reservation receiver detects an error during the path request or reservation request, the intermediate node sends corresponding fast failure notification to the sender. The sender may then synchronize, e.g., an application with the reservation protocol, based on receipt of a fast failure notification or a successful reservation request message.
US07702814B2
A method for downloading HTML formatted Web pages is provided. The method includes the steps of writing a URL of a Web page to be downloaded to an XQuery script; analyzing the XQuery script to obtain the URL of the HTML Web page and saving the downloaded Web page in a database as the local Web page; analyzing the contents of the local Web page to obtain target contents; converting the relative URLs of all image files to the absolute URLs; downloading all the image files according to the absolute URLs; replacing the absolute URLs of the image files with an local image file path; converting the relative URLs of the embedded links to the absolute URLs of the embedded links; saving all the converted absolute URLs in the database, creating identifiers; replacing the converted absolute URLs of the embedded links with an embedded link local path. A related system is also disclosed.
US07702812B2
An address allocation system including a client and a server is provided. The server includes a setting module, a detecting module, and a converting module. The setting module is for setting a filtering code. The detecting module is for detecting whether a physical-layer address of the client corresponds to the filtering code. The converting module is for converting the physical-layer address into a network-layer address if the physical-layer address corresponds to the filtering code, and for allocating the network-layer address to the client. An address allocation method is also provided.
US07702802B2
A sharing infrastructure is directed at providing a framework for sharing resources between initiators and participants. The sharing infrastructure is designed to manage and direct various sharing providers, articulate information about sharing relationships, and to provide a framework for pluggable data sharing, data discovery, schema translation, and conflict resolution. The infrastructure allows for common sharing operations to be implemented in a more centralized fashion, and eases the cost of implementing new sharing providers. An extensible and pluggable provider model eases remote and local configuration; schema mapping; and protocol handling. A sharing protocol is defined that relates to establishing and managing a sharing relationship.
US07702784B2
A method and system for balancing server work load for cellular phone client-proxy applications in an environment where the clients change position within a given geographic area is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of mapping, monitoring, automatically re-mapping the system when required, updating a map address book, and updating a client address book. The system has a mapping system and a communication system connected to a plurality of servers, proxy servers and applications by an internal network. The proxy servers are connected to a plurality of clients by the Internet. If a threshold is exceeded, the monitoring program sends a message to a mapping program. Upon receipt of the message, the mapping program uses a rules engine to calculate a new map graph to remove load from an overloaded server (or servers) and to adjust communication requirements for data by reconfiguring partitions.
US07702783B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium for selectively monitoring transactions in a cluster computing environment are disclosed. A transaction is received by a load balancer. A transaction monitoring manager determines if the received transaction is a candidate for monitoring. If it is, then the resource thresholds defined in the transaction's corresponding TMP are determined. The load balancer is then interrogated to determine which application server instance is assigned to process the transaction. Once determined, resource usage information is collected from the target application server instance and provided to the transaction monitoring manager. The collected resource information is compared to the transaction's corresponding TMP. If resource usage exceeds resource threshold values contained in the TPM, then the transaction is monitored. Otherwise it is not.
US07702772B2
A device, system, and method are directed towards determining network information. A network address is determined for a possible proxy. A determination is made whether a port on the possible proxy is open and/or if the port supports an HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) proxy request. A request is sent to the possible proxy over the port, the request being configured to be forwarded to a network device. A type of the possible proxy is determined based in part on a behavior of the network device. The behavior may indicate whether the request is received by the network device, or whether the possible proxy obscures an origin of the request. The proxy type may include whether the possible proxy is a non-proxy, an anonymous-proxy, a controlled-proxy, and/or an open-proxy. Various types of network analysis may then be performed using the possible proxy and the determined proxy type.
US07702771B2
An electrical power distribution unit can include a power distribution unit enclosure, a power input associated with the power distribution unit enclosure, and a plurality of power outputs associated with the power distribution unit enclosure. At least certain power outputs can be connectable to one or more electrical loads external to the power distribution unit enclosure and to the power input. In some embodiments, an intelligent power section can communicate with at least one of the power outputs and can connect to a communications network external to the power distribution unit enclosure.
US07702763B2
A management data distribution apparatus has, a control unit, a buffer memory element, at least one input port, and a telecommunications output. The at least one input port is arranged to receive management data from devices located within a network and to pass the management data to the control unit. The control unit is arranged to control output of the management data via the telecommunications output to a remote monitoring site over a telecommunications network. The control unit is also arranged to store management data arriving at the at least one input port when the said telecommunications output is in use in the buffer memory element, temporarily.
US07702758B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that allows secure deployment delegation and management of applications in a distributed-computing infrastructure. During operation, the system assigns a deployment-role to a user, which enables the user to deploy an application in the distributed-computing infrastructure. Moreover, by assigning the deployment-role to the user, the system also delegates the privilege to assign a run-time-role to the application. Note that the set of run-time roles a user is allowed to assign (or grant) can depend on the deployment role that has been assigned to the user. Furthermore, assigning the run-time-role to the application grants permission to the application to access a resource in the shared infrastructure, which allows the application to operate properly. Furthermore, note that by delegating to users the privilege of assigning roles to applications simplifies the secure deployment and management of applications in the distributed-computing infrastructure.
US07702757B2
A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing control to a networked storage architecture is disclosed. A networked storage device is provided. Controllers are coupled to the at least one networked storage device for controlling input/output operations of the networked storage device. The networked storage device includes a file system for storing data provided by a first of the controllers for retrieval by the other controllers.
US07702744B2
A semantic information-oriented network provides delivering network of an event comprising semantic information and data. For delivering event information, the semantic information-oriented network comprises an apparatus that provides an event place that is a place for comparing an event from an event sender with a filter being information related to an event receiver, and that is the smallest unit required to guarantee a common ontology system, and is an event delivery range.
US07702740B2
A system for deploying applications that comprises a data storage component capable of containing at least one application to be deployed and an administration component capable of deploying the application from the data storage component to a managed component. The managed component is capable of receiving the application from the data storage component preparing the received application for deployment on the managed component; and activating the deployment once the managed component is prepared. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.
US07702738B2
A method of selecting a recipient of a message on the basis of data identifying access to previously transmitted messages, wherein each said message includes content data for display within a display area of a receiving terminal and control data including data indicative of a user selectable portion within the display area. The method includes receiving content data having one of a plurality of different types for use in creating said message, accessing tracking data corresponding to a previously transmitted message containing content data of a given type, the tracking data being indicative of selection of said user selectable portion upon display thereof at said receiving terminal, and selecting a recipient of the message on the basis of the received content data and the tracking data.
US07702736B2
The present invention relates to workflow systems and methods. In one embodiment, the invention relates to integration of a calendar system with a workflow system where a calendar event can initiate a workflow by sending a message to a form route manager. The completion of a workflow or step in the workflow can result in sending a message to a calendar system to generate an event. In another embodiment, the invention relates to the integration of workflow with a project management system that includes project segments, which are processes that can be defined and controlled by workflow routes. The project management system sends a message to the workflow system to initiate workflow and the workflow system sends a message to the project management system, for example, at the completion of the workflow route. The relationship between the workflow routes can maintain the relationship between the project segments. If the relationships between project segments change, the relationship between the workflow routes changes without added effort.
US07702735B2
The present invention discloses a method and a corresponding system for controlling delivery of information in a forum. In the method (300a, 300b) of the invention a user provides (306) the text of a new message to be submitted to the forum. The user then selects (315) every confidential portion of the text, and inputs (318) corresponding replacement information. A confidential version of the message (consisting of the original text) is made available (345, 351) only to a specific subset of the participants in the forum; a public version of the message, obtained substituting (366) the replacement information for the corresponding confidential portions of the original text, is made available to all the other participants.
US07702732B1
An autoconfiguring data router is connected to a communications network subnet having a second network data router. The autoconfiguring data router includes a configuration determination module that determines configuration attributes for operably connecting the autoconfiguring data router to the subnet, and an autoconfiguration module that configures the autoconfiguring data router according to the configuration attributes so that the autoconfiguring data router is operably connected to the subnet.
US07702726B1
A system and methods are shown for providing presence state services in an Internet Protocol network. One exemplary system includes a central presence element configured to track and provide user presence state information, and a local presence element in communication with the central presence element and further in communication with a signaling entity. According to one embodiment, the local presence element is configured to create and manage local presence state authorization data generated based on user presence state information being received from the central presence element. Further, the local presence element is configured to authorize a user service request using the local presence authorization data before providing access to a service requested by the user in the user service request.
US07702724B1
A web services message broker architecture. In one embodiment, a system may include a server system and a plurality of applications, each configured to implement one or more enterprise functions and to execute on the server system. The system may further include a web services message broker configured to execute on the server system and to present a central web services interface to the plurality of applications, through which a given one of the plurality of applications is configured to communicate with a web service. In one specific implementation of the system, the web services message broker may be further configured to receive an incoming web service request and to convey the incoming web service request to one of the plurality of applications.
US07702721B2
A method and apparatus for providing music information for a wireless CD player is disclosed. The CD player may transmit a substantially unique CD tag to a music information service computer system across a network via a wireless communications protocol. The music information service system then matches the CD tag to music data stored in a database. This music data is then transmitted to the CD player to be displayed to the user.
US07702720B1
A method and system for conducting multiple Internet-based conventions, events, conferences, trade shows and meetings (“conventions”) includes a plurality of meeting planner clients (102), exhibitor/sponsor clients (103) and attendee clients (101), all using web browser computers and a central website server (200) on the Internet (104). The system receives and stores initial convention data, and control parameter rules from meeting planner clients (102). Then the system receives and stores exhibit booth display data and control parameter rules for said convention from exhibitor/sponsor clients (103). Based on search criteria provided by the participating attendee client (101), the central website server (200) releases stored database convention information and provides a wide array of convention activity simulated with the program instructions and the databases. Thus, the system allows the creation of a “virtual convention venue” for conventions that exist only on the central website server (200) and available using the Internet (104). Additionally, the system supports and augments a convention being held in a physical or venue-based center (e.g., Moscone Center in San Francisco).
US07702719B1
In accordance with a dual-MVC (Model-View-Controller) approach of the invention, the client machine maintains part of the Model, eliminating many round-trips to the server. The invention provides an implementation approach for constructing the frame(s) contained in the client's browser software to allow it to be refreshed locally. The invention addresses development and maintenance by specifying a library of functions that a programmer can use to construct the View and Controller on the client machine. When part of the Model is maintained on the client, the client has the ability to respond to user interaction without paying the performance penalty of continually interacting with the server.
US07702716B2
An analogue multiplier circuit has an input coefficient voltage dependent adjustment of its frequency response. The multiplier contains a multiplier cell (MC) with an RF input (Vin+, Vin−) and a coefficient signal input (Vcoeff+, Vcoeff−), one or more capacitors (Cp1, Cp2) as peaking capacitors, which one contact connects to the multiplier cell (MC) and the other to a variable resistance (Mp1, Mp2), i.e. a MOS transistor, and a control circuit (CT) for controlling the variable resistance (Mp1, Mp2). The control circuit (CT) is connected to the coefficient signal input (Vcoeff+, Vcoeff−) of the multiplier. In the case of a four-quadrant multiplier a rectifier (RT) is connected between the coefficient input (Vcoeff+, Vcoeff−) of the multiplier and the control circuit (CT).
US07702714B2
The present invention provides a system for evaluating a correlation between a plurality of time-series data. The system includes a calculating section which calculates characteristic quantities indicating symmetry of a diagram drawn by a graph, on which data values included in the plurality of time-series data are plotted in a multidimensional space in which each coordinate axis represents the data value of each time-series data; and an evaluating section which evaluates the correlation between the plurality of time-series data, based on the calculated characteristic quantities.
US07702708B2
An apparatus employing control words to present a synthesized output signal having an output frequency and a delay with respect to an input signal includes: (a) A multiplexer receiving the input signal and having an output and an address input. (b) An output unit generates the output signal in response to a drive signal from the multiplexer. (c) A first register coupled with the multiplexer output. (d) A second register coupled with the multiplexer and the first register. The first register responds to a multiplexer output signal to provide a first control signal to the second register based upon the control words. The second register responds to the multiplexer output signal to provide a second control signal to the address input based upon the first control signal and the control words. The multiplexer presents the drive signal in response to the second control signal.
US07702706B2
The state transition of a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) controlled by a clock (310) with length N and step size W, W being at least two, is accomplished via a next-state function (320). The next-state function deploys a state transition matrix (350). The state vector (330), which represents the contents of the LFSR, is either multiplied sequentially by the state transition matrix or multiplied by the state transition matrix to the power of W (multiple state transition matrix). The method and the LFSR according to the invention are characterized in that the multiple state transition matrix is decomposed in a first matrix (360) and a second matrix (370), the first matrix comprising at most N+W+1 different expressions and the second matrix comprising at most N+W+1 different expressions. The LFSR further comprises means to multiply the state vector by the second matrix and the first matrix, and means for computing the first matrix. The invention overcomes the shortcomings of configurable multi-step linear feedback shift registers because the amount of time needed to generate the output can be reduced significantly.
US07702705B2
A random number generation circuit has a ring oscillator which has odd number of inverting amplifiers connected in ring shape, a delay control circuit which generates a predetermined clock signal by delaying a reference clock signal, a first sampling circuit which samples an oscillation signal generated by the ring oscillator with the predetermined clock signal, a first logical equalization circuit which equalizes occurrence frequency of “0” and “1” of a sampling signal sampled by the first sampling circuit, a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) which generates random serial data based on an output signal of the first logical equalization circuit, and a serial-parallel converter which generates random parallel data used for controlling a delay amount of the delay control circuit by converting the random serial data from serial to parallel.
US07702704B2
A random number generating method for an electronic device including a plurality of unit circuits each first and second logic circuits, each logic circuit having a same shape and being formed through a same fabrication process, and an amplifier circuit for forming a binary signal by amplifying a noise superposed on the differential voltage of threshold voltages of the first and the second logic circuits; and a signal variation detecting circuit for forming an output signal in response to a variation in any of a plurality of binary signals outputted from the plurality of unit circuits, wherein a plurality of binary signals outputted from the signal variation detecting circuit are combined to generate a random number.
US07702693B1
A method and system for role-based access control enforced by an Operating System filesystem are provided. A file representing a resource is created and stored in the Operating System filesystem. A user requests access to the resource and provides user-identifying information and a resource identifier. An access identifier is created based on the user-identifying information and the resource identifier, and is formatted as the file attribute used by the Operating System to manage file access. A system call to the Operating System is made to perform an operation on the file representing the resource, where the system call uses the access identifier to gain access to the file. The user is granted access to the resource only if the operating system successfully performs the operation on the file representing the resource.
US07702690B2
The invention comprises a set of complementary techniques that dramatically improve enterprise search and navigation results. The core of the invention is an expertise or knowledge index, called UseRank that tracks the behavior of website visitors. The expertise-index is designed to focus on the four key discoveries of enterprise attributes: Subject Authority, Work Patterns, Content Freshness, and Group Know-how. The invention produces useful, timely, cross-application, expertise-based search and navigation results. In contrast, traditional Information Retrieval technologies such as inverted index, NLP, or taxonomy tackle the same problem with an opposite set of attributes than what the enterprise needs: Content Population, Word Patterns, Content Existence, and Statistical Trends. Overall, the invention emcompasses Baynote Search—a enhancement over existing IR searches, Baynote Guide —a set of community-driven navigations, and Baynote Insights—aggregated views of visitor interests and trends and content gaps.
US07702686B2
Systems and methods that enable consistent navigation (for a database and memory environment) in object relational mapping. This typically ensures fidelity of object graph via restrictions on collections of persistent objects (e.g., entity sets, entity refs . . . ). Moreover, a tracking component can detect changes as they occur, and only a copy of the objects that have changed can be created, to optimize operation.
US07702685B2
A data model models a social network. The data model can be embodied as a person profile schema and a connector profile schema. The person profile schema defines properties of persons in the social network. The connector profile schema defines connectivity properties of persons that connect a searcher to the persons in social network that the searcher desires to find. Query languages can be based on the data model and can be used to express queries of social networks. Queries can be for persons, for connecting persons, or for both.
US07702682B2
A search query may be run against a plurality of container registers encapsulated and logically defined in a plurality of containers to identify one or more container registers responsive to the search query. Thereafter, a list characterizing the identified containers may be provided. Related methods, apparatus, computer program products, and computer systems are also described.
US07702681B2
An image query system, and associated method and computer program product are disclosed that enhance and accelerate image-based querying. To this end, the present invention presents a digital image query with implict and explicit associated metadata and retrieval of visually similar images or other pertinent information from a large collection of images stored on local, networked, or web-linked repositories.
US07702676B2
A system and method for managing a domain comprised of a plurality of database systems, wherein each of the database systems performs database queries to retrieve data stored by the database systems. There are one or more virtual regulators for managing the domain and one or more closed-loop system management (CLSM) regulators for managing each of the database systems in the domain. Both the virtual regulators and CLSM regulators perform parallel virtual optimization of the database queries performed by the database systems.
US07702673B2
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). In one particular embodiment, the MMR system includes an MMR user, a MMR computer, a user printer that produces a printed document, a networked media server, an office portal, a service provider server, an electronic display that is electrically connected to a set-top box, a document scanner, a network, a capture device, a cellular infrastructure, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology, Bluetooth® technology, infrared (IR) technology, wired technology, and a geo location mechanism. The MMR system of the present invention provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types, such as printed paper as a first medium and a digital photograph, digital movie, digital audio file, or web link as a second medium. Furthermore, the MMR system of the present invention facilitates business methods that take advantage of the combination of a portable electronic device, such as a cellular camera phone, and a paper document.
US07702672B2
A method and system are disclosed for displaying a search result list in response to a search request from a searcher using a computer network. Ranks in the search result list are auctioned for a search term for a determined display period. A database is maintained to include search listings, where the search listings are associated with a winning bidder for a specified rank in the search result list, the search term and the determined display period. The search result list displayed to the searcher includes search listings ordered in accordance with respective ranks, for the determined display period.
US07702670B1
This invention is a system and method for assisting the performance of incremental copying of data in a data storage environment and includes a tracking mechanism. In one embodiment, the tracking mechanism is implemented in such a way that it is able to track changes while allowing access to production data by carrying out unique methodology. In other embodiments, implementations include a system, a computer program product, or an apparatus, wherein each embodiment is configured for carrying out the steps involved in the methodology.
US07702668B2
A system and method facilitating asset composition based, at least in part, upon metadata (e.g., asset specification) describing compositional property(ies) of the asset(s) is provided. Asset specification(s) (e.g., metadata) that describe asset(s) to efficiently search and/or match asset(s) are employed. The system can facilitate matching (e.g., automatically) the particular software component to available server(s). Thus, the system can provide a flexible manner of describing asset(s) and an efficient way of locating matching description(s).
US07702667B2
Systems and processes for determining and validating accessibility and currency, i.e., the actual status, of data replicated in a networked environment are disclosed. According to the disclosed process, a replicated-data policy for replicating data is defined, and access paths between network devices or between applications running on the network devices are monitored, for example, by a replicated-data monitor. Also monitored are the data replication activities in the network. The currency, i.e., timeliness, and accessibility of a replica by a network device is then compared with the requirements in the replicated-data policy and discrepancies with the replicated-data policy are identified, optionally accompanied by a notification.
US07702663B2
A garbage collection system that needs to meet real-time requirements utilizes a read barrier that is implemented in an optimizing compiler. The read barrier is implemented with a forwarding pointer positioned in a header of each object. The forwarding pointer points to the object unless the object has been moved. The barrier is optimized by breaking the barrier and applying barrier sinking to sink the read barrier to its point of use and by using sub-expression elimination. A null-check for the read barrier is combined with a null-check required by the real-time application. All objects are located and moved with the collector to minimize variations in mutator utilization.
US07702662B2
A system for managing a file system. In response to a user selecting an image of the file system to perform a rollback operation, each data block in the file system that is owned by the image is searched for. Then, it is determined whether a data block owned by the image is marked in a first map and a second map. In response to determining that the data block owned by the image is marked in the first map and the second map, the data block is marked in a third map. In response to determining that the data block owned by the image is marked in the third map, a new data block is allocated in the file system. Subsequently, data from the data block owned by the image is copied to the new data block in the file system prior to performing the rollback operation to avoid a collision that causes data corruption.
US07702659B2
A method of managing a data storage medium. One portion of the medium is reserved for storing data files and directories. Another, separate portion of the medium is reserved for storing allocation information related to the data in the first portion. Upon beginning a change of one of the data files or directories in the first portion, that data file or directory is flagged robustly until the change is completed. As needed, for example when the medium is mounted on a host system, the incomplete changes to the flagged data files and directories are undone or completed.
US07702648B1
The present invention provides a localization entity in association with a business entity requested by a requester. During instantiation of the requested business entity, a localization event is triggered which causes a policy handler to implement a localization policy to identify localization values (found in the associated localization entity) for attributes in the business entity. The localization values are received from the localization entity associated with the business entity and are placed in the business entity, as localized values.
US07702647B2
A structure and method are provided which can model and use information in a systematic, domain-independent manner, which can flexibly represent declarative data such as concepts, instances, relations and contexts and data views, and which may serve as a middleware module for user applications. The invention teaches a syntax and functionality of a set of software objects that represent, store and dynamically retrieve information on behalf of user applications.
US07702646B2
A thin-client user interface includes a user interface and an application server. The user interface is executed on a client device, such as a personal computer having a display. The user interface includes a client application for displaying data. The application server is coupled with the user interface and with a remote database via an electronic data network and is configured to receive a request for data from the user interface, to generate a query request based on the request for data, to access the database and submit the query request to the database, to receive results from the database in response to the query request, and transmit a portion of the results to the user interface.
US07702643B2
A system and methods for comparing differences and similarities of at least two models including generating corresponding metamodel maps, visual representation of the models, and conducting a series of phases of comparison of the models using a mapping index, wherein the mapping index includes the metamodel maps and the visual representation of the models to produce a comparison output.
US07702640B1
According to one embodiment, a system may include a number of computing nodes configured to implement a number of index data structures each configured to map ones of a plurality of input values to one or more corresponding data items. Each of the index data structures may include a respective plurality of index nodes arranged hierarchically and each having an associated tag value, where each of the data items corresponds to a respective one of the index nodes, and where for a given one of the data items having a given corresponding index node, each tag value associated with each ancestor of the given corresponding index node is a prefix of a corresponding input value mapping to the given data item.
US07702638B2
Systems and methods consistent with the invention may analyze a business application's data, operations, and relationships and create a corresponding object oriented programming (OOP) model corresponding to the business application entities. In one embodiment the OOP model may be realized in the Java programming language and may include OOP objects, functions, and operators. Each OOP model accurately represents the data, relationships, and rules associated with the corresponding business entity. Once converted to an OOP model, systems and methods consistent with the invention may use standard OOP tools to understand, manipulate, design, redesign, analyze, and modify the business application. This can be done independently of the native business application system, as the OOP model is separate and independent from the business application entities. Modifications made to the OOP model may then be converted back into business application entities and installed in the native system.
US07702637B2
A method and system for fragment-based serialization places one or more object members in fragments. Fragments may comprise a header and a payload. A header can provide useful information about the fragment, such as an indication of fragment type and an indication of fragment length. A payload may comprise one or more members of an object. Primitive members may be stored in a Binary Fragment with a record format payload. LOB and FS members may be stored in fragments that have a Value Type field for setting forth additional properties of the fragment. Collections may be stored in a series of fragments, a first fragment to indicate a start of a collection, one or more second fragments to serialize collection elements, and a Terminator Fragment to indicate the end of a collection. Fragment-serialized objects minimize storage overhead while providing fast instantiation and low-cost location and updating.
US07702634B1
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for supporting direct write access from many nodes of a multi-mode network to a file managed by a single node file system. The network includes first and second nodes coupled to each other via a first communication link, and a peripheral data storage device coupled to the first and second nodes via a second communication link. In one embodiment, the method includes the first node receiving data. The first node transmits a first message to the second node via the first communication link in response to the first node receiving the data. A software module such as a single node file system, executing on the second node, allocates storage memory of the peripheral data storage device for the data received by the first node in response to the second node receiving the first message. The first node writes the data to the allocated storage memory via the second communication link such that the data is written to the allocated storage memory without the data first transmitting through the first communication link.
US07702630B2
A method and apparatus are used for finding the longest prefix match in a variable length prefix search when searching a direct table within a routing table structure of a network processor. The search through the routing table structure is expedited by hashing a first segment of an internet protocol address with a virtual private network number followed by concatenating the unhashed bits of the IP address to the result of the hash operation to form an input key. Patterns are compared a bit at a time until an exact match or the best match is found. The search is conducted in a search tree that provides that the matching results will be the best possible match.
US07702624B2
A facility for navigating an electronic document is described. The facility receives user input selecting a portion of the content of a rendered document that constitutes a sentence fragment. In response to receiving the user input, the facility identifies an electronic document contained in a corpus of electronic documents, the identified electronic document containing the selected document portion. In response to receiving the user input, the facility further identifies a position within the identified electronic document at which the selected document portion occurs.
US07702619B2
A method for identifying joined rows in a database comprising a plurality of tables. The method comprises selecting a group of tables directly or indirectly joined with each other, selecting an order of the group based on relationships among the tables, generating an intermediate data structure which identifies the group of tables, a number of virtual tables equal to one less than the number of tables in the group, and an indication of an adjacent table, and a common table and key for at least some of the group of tables and the virtual tables, generating indexing data structures for the group of tables and virtual tables, and, inserting information from rows of the group of tables into the indexing data structures using the intermediate data structure. The indexing data structure for one virtual table indicates which of the rows of the tables have common data elements.
US07702618B1
An information retrieval system uses phrases to index, retrieve, organize and describe documents. Phrases are identified that predict the presence of other phrases in documents. Documents are the indexed according to their included phrases. Index data for multiple versions or instances of documents is also maintained. Each document instance is associated with a date range and relevance data derived from the document for the date range.
US07702613B1
Software-based systems and methods that may be used to validate and distribute test data are disclosed. In some embodiments, the data distribution method comprises combining data requests from multiple users into a single request, copying test data from enterprise databases in response to that request, and storing the data in a test data database. The data distribution method further comprises selecting test data contained in the test data database and copying that data to an output file in response to a user's access, and may further include deleting the test data copied from the test data database. The data distribution method may further comprise validating the test data and deleting erroneous test data from the test database. Copying selected test data to an output file may be performed in accordance with a user-selected format and a user-defined output file name and path.
US07702610B2
A usage model and the underlying technology used to provide sequence analysis as part of a relational database system. Included components include the semantic and syntactic integration of the sequence analysis with an existing query language, the storage methods for the sequence data, and the design of a multipart execution scheme that runs the sequence analysis as part of a potentially larger database query, especially using parallel execution techniques.
US07702604B1
A method for constructing an agent in an execution environment that utilizes a set of supplied canonical rules and a set of environment resident canonical rules comprising retrieving a first canonical rule set for the agent, retrieving a second canonical rule set for the agent and merging the two rule sets.
US07702589B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a method for storing a normal scrambled digital program is provided. The method includes receiving a scrambled program, and receiving a plurality of access requirements. Each access requirement can descramble the scrambled program. The method also includes selecting at least one of the access requirements, and storing the scrambled program and the selected requirement.
US07702585B2
A system and method for determining and displaying a payment lead time or expected payment delivery time in an electronic payment system is disclosed. A payee associated with a payor is identified. Prior to receiving a payment request to pay the payee on behalf of the payor, an expected payment delivery time for a payment to fulfill the payment request is determined. The expected payment delivery time is based on at least one payment attribute associated with the payee and at least one payment attribute associated with the payor. An interface screen is then generated for displaying the determined expected payment delivery time.
US07702579B2
An automated electronic invoicing and payment consolidation system for providing remote customer review of customer account information from at least two invoicers. In the preferred embodiment, the system includes three primary components: a consolidated invoicer interface; a remote customer interface for accessing the consolidated invoicer interface; and a payment engine. In the preferred embodiment, the consolidated invoicer interface provides at least one access point to each of the invoicers; sets the access point of each of the invoicers for at least one customer; authenticates each of the customers; and automatically requests account information for the customers directly from each of the invoicers. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the payment engine sends the customer payment instructions from the customer directly to each of the invoicers.
US07702578B2
A method, system and computer readable medium for managing a user online financial transaction at a destination ecommerce web site using a credit or debit card account of the user, including a) transmitting an activation command to a financial institution processing financial transactions for activating the credit or debit card account of the user; b) submitting a charge request for the credit or debit card account to the financial institution via a destination e-commerce web site to which the user is logged in while the credit or debit card account is in the activated status; and c) transmitting a de-activation command to said financial institution for de-activating the credit or debit card account, wherein the financial institution only accepts and processes charge requests received from e-commerce web sites while the credit or debit card account is in the activated status and wherein the financial institution declines charge requests while said credit or debit card account is in the de-activated status, and wherein steps a) to c) are repeated at least once.
US07702566B2
A method and system for reducing the time it takes for a trader to place a trade when electronically trading on an exchange, thus increasing the likelihood that the trader will have orders filled at desirable prices and quantities. The “Mercury” display and trading method of the present invention ensure fast and accurate execution of trades by displaying market depth on a vertical or horizontal plane, which fluctuates logically up or down, left or right across the plane as the market prices fluctuate. This allows the trader to trade quickly and efficiently. The price consolidation feature of the present invention, as described herein, enables a trader to consolidate a number of prices in order to condense the display. Such action allows a trader to view a greater range of prices and a greater number of orders in the market at any given time. By consolidating prices, and therefore orders, a trader reduces the risk of a favorable order scrolling from the screen prior to filling a bid or ask on that order at a favorable price.
US07702557B2
A portfolio of debt instruments, managed by an asset manager according to the terms of an asset management agreement between the asset manager and a sponsor, is a debt index. Multiple deals, as collateralized obligations, are linked to the debt index. Changes to the index by the asset manager are reflected in the linked deals. A break in the linkage to the index can be triggered by different events.
US07702554B2
A method for assessing the performance of a company includes: receiving financial data about the company; determining a future value of the company; decomposing the future value into a plurality of future value components, where the plurality of future value components includes an economy component that defines an implied amount of growth of the company attributable to the growth of the economy in general; and displaying at least one of the future value components.
US07702549B2
The invention concerns a method of sharing state information. In the method, data presented to a user from a template file of a referring site of a distributed computer network is presented to the user in a style dictated by the referring site. During interaction between the user and the referring site, user entered data is captured at the referring site where it is used to modify data of the template file as part of a transaction. At a point in the transaction at which it is desired or required to transfer transaction data to a nominated site to further process the transaction, state information comprising both data from the template file and style data concerning the style of the referring site are transferred by the referring site to the nominated site. Thereafter, the nominated site when continuing processing of the transaction utilises the style data of the referring site.
US07702544B2
A method is provided for use in connection with build ahead configurations (BAC's), for enabling a manufacturer to quickly identify the available BAC that is most suitable for use in completing a product order. In one embodiment, directed to a method for increasing efficiency in constructing individual products of a particular product type, each individual product has an associated specification set. A number of BAC's are initially constructed, wherein each BAC comprises an at least partially complete product of the particular type, and likewise has an associated specification set. An order is received for an individual product of the particular type, wherein the order defines each specification in the specification set for the ordered product. Respective specifications for the ordered product are compared with the specifications of each BAC, in order to calculate a metric for each BAC, wherein the metric for a given BAC represents the effort required to modify the given BAC to conform to all specifications set of the ordered product.
US07702539B2
A picture order receiving apparatus is provided with a monitor constructed by a touch panel unit for displaying order screens including operation descriptive texts describing methods for inputting a print order or the like and displaying operation keys used to input various operation commands by touching corresponding parts of the order screens; an order screen information storage for saving the operation descriptive texts prepared in a plurality of languages, a selecting screen displaying section for causing the monitor to display a language selecting screen, and an order screen displaying section for reading the operation descriptive text in the language selected on the language selecting screen from the order screen information storage and causing the monitor to display it. The operation descriptive texts can be displayed on the monitor in the language selected by an orderer when an order is received by the picture order receiving apparatus.
US07702533B2
A system for deploying to a client accounting installation a general procurement and accounts payable application specifically configured for the client by an enterprise includes a database server for (1) maintaining on a storage device a database of templates describing procedures for assessing, preparing, developing, deploying and supporting the application, and for (2) serving these templates to team members operating web-enabled terminals for coordinating, recording and tracking team activities with respect to the application while generating a description for adapting a front end server and an accounting system server to the requirements of the client.
US07702532B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a method, system, and storage medium for providing a disciplined approach to business management activities. The method includes developing an activity list of tasks and behaviors that relate to an identified opportunity, performing a time study of observable behaviors associated with the activity, and collecting data resulting from the time study and the performance of work activities. The method also includes identifying issues presented as a result of analyzing the data, generating and implementing a roadmap for resolving the issues, and training individuals affected by the roadmap in accordance with action items contained in the roadmap. The method further includes forecasting future resource requirements based upon reports generated as a result of collecting the data and identifying the issues.
US07702521B2
Providing improvements in searching, identifying, and publishing information over computer networks, and on individual computers or other information access devices, by creating and sharing link relationships between documents distributed on the network, computers, or other devices. Further providing methods for billing for the use of link relationships to relate and search document objects. Methods for enabling users of a network to provide other users with access to link relationships between documents are described. In one example, this is accomplished by creating link directories for storing link relationships between documents and making the link relationships accessible to users. The users may populate the link directories with link relationships. Furthermore, the methods include a step of billing users based upon the link directories created and/or a step of billing users based upon the activity of users accessing the link directories.
US07702502B2
The present invention provides a system and method for representing quasi-periodic (“qp”) waveforms comprising, representing a plurality of limited decompositions of the qp waveform, wherein each decomposition includes a first and second amplitude value and at least one time value. In some embodiments, each of the decompositions is phase adjusted such that the arithmetic sum of the plurality of limited decompositions reconstructs the qp waveform. These decompositions are stored into a data structure having a plurality of attributes. Optionally, these attributes are used to reconstruct the qp waveform, or patterns or features of the qp wave can be determined by using various pattern-recognition techniques. Some embodiments provide a system that uses software, embedded hardware or firmware to carry out the above-described method. Some embodiments use a computer-readable medium to store the data structure and/or instructions to execute the method.
US07702500B2
A method for processing natural language includes receiving an information input string. Referent tridbits corresponding to stimuli in the information input string are generated. Assert tridbits defining relationships between the referent tridbits are generated. A language processing system including a rules database and a meaning engine. The rules database is operable to store a plurality of syntax rules. The meaning engine is operable to receiving an information input string, generate referent tridbits corresponding to stimuli in the information input string based on the syntax rules, and generate assert tridbits defining relationships between the referent tridbits based on the syntax rules.
US07702497B2
Method and computer program product for recommending cost effective upgrades for a computer system. At least one performance parameter is determined for an existing computer system. Up to date performance specifications for available upgrade components are obtained. A variety of potential systems are modeled utilizing at least one upgrade component, and at least one component from the existing system to create upgrade scenarios. At least one performance parameter is predicted for each upgrade scenario. The performance parameters for the upgrade scenarios are compared to the performance parameters of the existing computer system. The cost-effectiveness is determined for each upgrade scenario, and upgrade recommendations are made when the cost-effectiveness meets or exceeds a target value.
US07702487B2
A system management human-machine interface application for use in a process control system is described herein that enables users to view/monitor information regarding system status and performance and to initiate changes to the operation of system equipment, checkpoint control stations and execute diagnostics. A system management graphical user interface includes a number of features that address the accessibility of system status information to users. Such features include rendering selectable diagnostic information (e.g., online/offline status) on a system component navigation view. The GUI also provides access to a variety of system information including: alarms, messages, watched system management parameters, and a legend for symbols displayed in a system management navigation tree. Other features include: a search function for locating a device in the system to render detailed information, a navigation tree that displays equipment status via icons, and propagating fault statuses up to a highest level of the navigation tree.
US07702484B2
An apparatus and method for monitoring the status of a steam trap include a device for sensing a process condition of the steam trap and a device for processing the sensed condition. The apparatus can include a processor positioned on a steam trap. The connection of the monitoring device to the steam trap can be to the trap itself or to an adjacent pipe or other apparatus.
US07702482B2
Based on the time series data from multiple components, the systems administrator or other managing entity may desire to find the temporal dependencies between the different time series data over time. For example, based on actions indicated in time series data from two or more servers in a server network, a dependency structure may be determined which indicates a parent/child or dependent relationship between the two or more servers. In some cases, it may also be beneficial to predict the state of a child component, and/or predict the average time to a state change or event of a child component based on the parent time series data. These determinations and predications may reflect the logical connections between actions of components. The relationships and/or predictions may be expressed graphically and/or in terms of a probability distribution.
US07702481B2
The present invention provides a diagnostic and control system for a patient support, wherein the patient support includes one or more of a plurality of electronic elements. Such elements may include load sensors, tilt sensors, actuators for adjusting patient support angles, in addition to other electronic elements. The diagnostic and control system can enable the specific control of each of these electronic element for desired operation thereof and further can enable monitoring of the operating conditions of these electronic elements and additional patient support conditions.
US07702480B2
A manufacturing test and programming system (100) is presented including providing a PCB tester (108), providing an in-system programmer (102) electrically attached to the PCB tester (108), mounting a device under test (114) having a programmable device (116) attached thereon and programming the programmable device (116) with the in-system programmer (102).
US07702476B2
A system for controlling the quality of industrial processes including the steps of: having one or more reference signals relating to the industrial process, acquiring one or more real signals which are indicative of the quality of said industrial process, obtaining a transformed signal from the reference signal, obtaining a transformed signal from the real signal, calculating energies of the transformed reference and real signals, comparing the one or more reference signals to the one or more real signals to identify defects in the industrial process. Also, the comparing step includes: comparing the energies of the transformed reference and real signals to each other to extract corresponding time frequency distributions for selected frequency values, calculating energies of the time frequency distributions, and comparing the energies of the time frequency distributions with threshold values to identify energy values associated to defects.
US07702475B2
An inspecting method includes registering a pre-obtained relationship between contact time of probes with a target object having a predetermined temperature and tip positions of the probes which vary in accordance with the contact time. The method further includes inspecting one or more chips at a time by estimating the tip positions of the probes based on the relationship and the contact time of the probes with the one or more chips and then correcting the tip positions of the probes from previous tip positions based on the estimated tip positions until the probes are stable without being extended or contracted.
US07702474B2
A method for testing a data transfer rate of an electronic device includes: receiving data transmitted from the electronic device and converting the data into test data; analyzing the test data; encoding the analyzed data to generate output data; and displaying a state of the data transfer rate based on the output data.
US07702470B2
Techniques for displaying chromatographic data using a graphical user interface are provided. Chromatographic separation data that represent a series of measurements for multiple samples at a detection location over time can be displayed on a display device as a series of bands, the bands being arranged to resemble output from an electrophoresis gel. Additionally, the chromatographic separation data may be displayed in the form of measured intensity at the detection location versus time.
US07702466B1
Probe selection techniques are based, at least in part, on empirical evidence concerning the hybridization of candidate probes across a panel of diverse biological isolates. Various principles concerning the behavior of the most preferable probes across a panel of diverse biological isolates are applied to select from among a set of candidate probes or to eliminate candidate probes from further consideration.
US07702461B2
A method and system for locating aircraft with respect to airport runways and taxiways, generating and annunciating situational awareness advisories as a function of aircraft state parameters relative to a determination of the aircraft location.
US07702460B2
A first navigation unit of an apparatus in one example comprises a hybrid global positioning system (GPS)/inertial navigation system (INS) component. The hybrid GPS/INS component provides first GPS information and first INS information for the first navigation unit. The first navigation unit is configured to receive second GPS information and second INS information from a second navigation unit. The second navigation unit comprises a GPS component configured to determine a double-differenced GPS carrier phase measurement through employment of the first GPS information and the second GPS information. The first navigation unit comprises a relative Kalman filter configured to update an INS error estimate for an estimate of a relative position between the first and second navigation units based on the double-differenced GPS carrier phase measurement and the first and second INS information.
US07702455B2
A location tagged data provision and display system. A personal communication device (PCD) with electromagnetic communication capability has a GPS receiver and a display. The PCD requests maps and location tagged data from data providers and other for display on the PCD. The data providers respond to requests by using searching and sorting schemes to interrogate data bases and then automatically transmitting data responsive to the requests to the requesting PCD.
US07702453B2
A method for guiding an aircraft toward a stopping position within an aircraft stand of an airport includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that is carried by the aircraft. The RF signal comprises aircraft-type data that is retrievably stored in an integrated circuit of the RFID tag, the aircraft-type data being indicative of a type of the aircraft. A current location of the aircraft is sensed, and based on the aircraft-type data and the sensed current location of the aircraft, instructions are determined for guiding the aircraft from the current location thereof to a predetermined stopping position for the type of the aircraft. Using a visual docking guidance system (VDGS) associated with the aircraft stand, the instructions are displayed in human-intelligible form for being viewed by a user aboard the aircraft.
US07702448B2
A driving amount controller for reducing a response delay or erroneous deviation in control of a driving amount of a controlled system. The driving amount controller includes an ECU that increases an add-in amount to a duty ratio DUT of a control signal according to an increase in the speed variation ΔDTHR of a target opening DTRH of the throttle valve 16 when the speed variation ΔDTHR is positive. In addition, the ECU increases the add-in amount to the duty ratio DUT of the control signal according to a decrease in the speed variation ΔDTHR when the speed variation ΔDTHR is negative. A throttle valve on a vehicle is an example of the controlled system.
US07702447B2
An isolation method and system is described for distinguishing between turbine case cooling (TCC) and high pressure turbine (HPT) performance faults. A trend is observed in gas path parameter data during cruise and a resulting percent Δ signature across the shift in the gas path parameters is assignable to either an HPT or TCC performance fault. During either fault, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) will shift upward. Since take-off EGT margin is calculated from take-off data, the shift, or lack of shift in EGT margin may be used to differentiate between TCC and HPT faults.
US07702442B2
A control device for a vehicle is equipped with a vehicle model motion determining device for determining a motion of a vehicle (a vehicle model motion) on a vehicle model expressing the dynamic characteristics of a vehicle on the basis of drive manipulated variables, such as an angle of steering by a driver, and a state amount error reaction control device for determining control inputs to an actuator control device of the actual vehicle and the vehicle model motion determining device according to a feedback law on the basis of a difference between a state amount of a vehicle model motion (model state amounts, such as a position or a posture of a vehicle) and a state amount of a motion of the actual vehicle 1 (a state amount error). Based on a state amount error, not only a motion of an actual vehicle but also a vehicle model motion is manipulated, thereby enhancing robustness against disturbance factors or their changes while conducting actuator operation control that is suited to a behavior of the actual vehicle as much as possible.
US07702436B2
A method of determining a preferred order of implementing maintenance tasks and determining a plurality of maintenance tasks related to a received maintenance request is disclosed. A first expected cost of implementing the plurality of maintenance tasks in a first order and a second expected cost of implementing the plurality of maintenance tasks in a second order are determined. An implementation order for the plurality of maintenance tasks is selected based at least in part on the first and second expected costs. Expected costs may be determined based at least in part on the cost of implementing each maintenance task and based on the probability that the problem has not yet been addressed by preceding tasks.
US07702432B2
A regeneration control portion sets a torque command value (in general, a negative value) of a motor generator at a time of regenerative braking. A braking cooperative control portion calculates a total braking force (power) required for the entire vehicle based on a brake depression force BK of a driver and also controls the shares of the output of the total braking force between a hydraulic brake and the motor generator. An MG-ECU drives and controls the motor generator so that a regenerative torque is generated according to a torque command value. The regeneration control portion puts a limitation such that the absolute value of the regenerative torque is smaller at a time of downhill travel than at a time of flat-road travel, for the same brake operation.
US07702427B1
Method and system for evaluating and implementing air traffic management tools and approaches for managing and avoiding an air traffic incident before the incident occurs. The invention provides flight plan routing and direct routing or wind optimal routing, using great circle navigation and spherical Earth geometry. The invention provides for aircraft dynamics effects, such as wind effects at each altitude, altitude changes, airspeed changes and aircraft turns to provide predictions of aircraft trajectory (and, optionally, aircraft fuel use). A second system provides several aviation applications using the first system. These applications include conflict detection and resolution, miles-in trail or minutes-in-trail aircraft separation, flight arrival management, flight re-routing, weather prediction and analysis and interpolation of weather variables based upon sparse measurements.
US07702421B2
An HVAC control system that accommodates and/or facilitates control from a remote location. The HVAC control system may include a web-enabled building control appliance having a controller, a first port and a second port. The controller may implement a web server that is coupled to the first port for serving up one or more web pages on a first network and for receiving a number of responses. The controller may be coupled to the second port so as to communicate with one or more communicating thermostats via a second network. The web server may provide one or more web-pages via the first port that display a graphical floor plan of the building, and permit a user to drag and drop individual building control device images that correspond to the one or more building control devices onto the floor plan.
US07702416B2
A system and method for utilizing a drawing specification for motion control. A plurality of elements in the drawing specification may be automatically identified. The elements may include one or more lines, polygons, arcs, splines, alphanumeric characters, and/or ellipses. Additionally, the drawing specification may be a drawing or digital drafting file, such as an AutoCAD file, among others. An order of the plurality of elements may be automatically determined according to a sorting algorithm. The sorting algorithm may include a geometric and/or radial sorting algorithm. The radial sorting algorithm may specify the order of the elements according to nesting and/or distance from the center of the drawing specification. Code may be automatically generated for implementing motion control based on the identified elements and the determined order. The generated code may include inserted operations such as raise, lower, and move operations, among others.
US07702415B2
A method and an arrangement for placing an embroidery in the desired position on a sewing material for embroidering on a sewing machine which has a memory for embroidery elements and a processor for reading stitch data for a selected embroidery element and for manoeuvring the sewing machine to execute stitches associated with the selected embroidery element on the sewing material, in which pattern points are assigned to the embroidery element and registered in the processor, and in which fabric points are marked on the sewing material at points where corresponding pattern points are to be located when embroidering, the sewing machine processor automatically orienting and scaling executed patterns of the embroidery element on the sewing material.
US07702409B2
Graphic elements and graphic displays are provided for use in a process environment to display information to one or more users about the process environment, such as the current state of device within a process plant. The graphic elements and display may be associated with various logical and physical elements within the process plant during configuration of the process plant, and may be configured and downloaded to the hardware within the process plant along with other configuration items, such as control routines. In particular, the graphic elements and graphic displays may be created and stored in a library, and may then be configured by being associated with various logical or physical entities within the plant. During the configuration process, the graphic elements and graphic displays may be associated with areas, equipment, process modules, control routines or control strategies of the plant as defined elsewhere in the plant configuration, or may be associated with interfaces or display devices, to define the hardware on which the graphic displays will execute during runtime, as well as to define the process entities to which these displays will be bound for display purposes. Still further, each of the graphic displays may be defined with a role or a functional use, such as an operator view, a maintenance view, etc., and these roles may be used to defined the proper access and use of the graphic displays within the runtime environment.
US07702408B2
A system and method for playing audio material is described. The audio material is illustratively downloaded from a network, or from a storage media, each coupled to a loudspeaker through a speaker drive unit. A speaker authorization signal is provided to the speaker drive unit from the network or storage media. The speaker drive unit provides an audio signal to the loudspeaker if the authorization signal indicates that the loudspeaker is authorized to play the audio material. The speaker drive unit does not provide an audio signal to the loudspeaker if the authorization signal indicates that the loudspeaker is not authorized to play the audio material. The system and method includes a monitoring unit to furnish a signal indicating the sound generated by the loudspeaker, to be stored, and to determine whether the loudspeaker has played the audio material.
US07702403B1
A system and method that allows digital audio files, either streaming or stored to be controlled and selected and provides an analog audio signal for broadcast by a radio or amplifier without interfering with the operation of the host PC. A remote device is provided which facilitates control of the system.
US07702402B2
When, from a standby screen of a terminal device, a user depresses a motion key (S11) and performs a registered movement (S13), a sensor unit observes the movement of the terminal device, and a movement parameter calculation unit calculates a movement parameter. A movement parameter change decision unit decides (S15 and S16) whether or not a change of the movement parameter which is calculated, and a change of the movement parameter corresponding to a predetermined function registered in advance, agrees with one another. If the result of this decision is affirmative, a function control unit starts the corresponding function (S17). As a result, it is possible to set the terminal device to a state in which the predetermined function can be employed, with a simple and easily remembered actuation.
US07702401B2
A system for preserving process variable data relating to the operation of a process is provided. The system is adapted to preserve process variable data obtained before, during, and after the occurrence of an abnormal situation or event. The preserved process variable data maybe communicated from smart field devices or other intelligent equipment relating to the control of the process to a process controller or other higher level control device. The process controller or other higher level control device may then cause the preserved data to be displayed for an operator or other maintenance personnel. The preserved data may also be provided to other process control modules or abnormal situation prevention systems for further analysis to develop methods for preventing the abnormal situation from recurring in the future, or for taking additional steps based on the abnormal situation data to minimize or prevent a further deterioration of the process operation.
US07702399B2
An implantable subcutaneous device includes a lead and electrode for cardiac monitoring and intervention. The device has an implantable lead including a lead body, a subcutaneous electrode supported by the lead body and a pharmacological agent impelled from the device using phoresis. The pharmacological agent provides a therapeutic treatment to subcutaneous non-intrathoracic tissue. A method of implanting subcutaneous leads involves providing a lead including a lead body, a subcutaneous electrode, and a pharmacological agent and using phoresis to impel the pharmacological agent into subcutaneous non-intrathoracic tissue surrounding the lead.
US07702379B2
A system and method for hybrid tracking in surgical navigation is disclosed. A plurality of tracking technologies is used in a medical procedure where a reconciler determines an active tracking technology. The reconciler determines the active tracking technology during the medical procedure. A switch may then activate one or more tracking technologies. The determination of which technology or technologies are to be activated may be based, for example, on metrics measured by each of the technologies, such as an accuracy measurement. In addition, a display may present representations based on at least data obtained by one or more of the tracking technologies. The switch may employ weighted switching to gradually switch the display of a first representation corresponding to a first tracking technology to the display of a second representation corresponding to a second tracking technology, where the first technology is deactivated and the second technology is activated.
US07702376B2
Method for ECG triggering a measuring sequence of a magnetic resonance device, with ECG signals of a patient being detected over two channels, with the triggering of the measuring sequence being carried out when the ECG signal of at least one channel, said ECG signal being subjected to a digital signal processing, exceeds a threshold value, and at the same time the derivation of the ECG signal or the norm of the derivation of the ECG signal lies within a defined interval in both channels.
US07702368B2
An apparatus and method for controlling a speaker's volume of a push-to-talk (PTT) phone avoid an undesirably loud volume sound from the speaker that may be caused due to inadvertence of the user during a PTT call mode. While in a PTT call mode, physical contact between the user and a contact sensing unit, provided at a PTT button or at an earpiece, is sensed. The speaker volume is automatically adjusted according to how the user is holding the phone, as determined by the contact sensing unit. Thus, the emanation of undesirably loud sounds from a loud speaker of the phone (e.g. as occurs during a PTT session) can be prevented when it is determined that the user has the earpiece adjacent to their ear (e.g. as occurs during a normal mobile telephone conversation).
US07702367B2
Provided are a method for switching between screens using an abbreviation key in a mobile telecommunication and a mobile telecommunication capable of switching between screens using an abbreviation key. The present invention makes it possible to read again the received short message during the time of composing a short message by pressing at least one abbreviation key, and to switch to the composing-unfinished short message to resume the composing of the short message by pressing at least one abbreviation key. This provides the user with an advantage of promptly switching between screens in comprising the short message.
US07702366B2
Terminals #1 to #3 which have already been connected and a terminal #4 which wants to make a new connection send packets to a base station in that order. The base station queues the packets from the terminals #1 to #3 at a non-priority queue and the packet from the terminal #4 at a priority queue. For example, a predetermined amount of packets from a new connection is queued at the priority queue. Packets in the priority queue are dequeued with priority. Therefore, the packet sent from the terminal #4 is first sent to a base-station controller, and then the packets sent from the terminals #1 to #3 are sent to the base-station controller. As a result, the base-station controller first receives the packet sent from the terminal #4, and the period of time required for the terminal #4 to establish a connection is reduced.
US07702365B2
The invention relates to a method and system for multiple access wireless communication system using transmitter-receivers supported by remote, software-configured, signal processing devices. An illustrative embodiment of the downlink transmission system includes a method and for receiving signals from the internet, PSTN, or other networks and assigning the signal to one of several shared, software configured, signal processing devices that processes these signals, digitizes them, and compresses them before forwarding them to a thin client transmitter. This thin client transmitter system decompresses the received signals, and transmits it to remote users using the appropriate wireless protocol. The embodiment also comprises an uplink transmission system that includes: an antenna for receiving analog RF signals transmitted by remote users; an analog to digital convertor that converts these analog signals into digital signals; a method for compressing the digital signals; and a method and for transporting the compressed digital signals to a remotely located, software configured, shared signal processing system. The shared remote signal processing system decompresses these signals; assigns the decompressed signal to one of several shared, software configurable signal processing devices that processes these signals and transmits the signals onwards via the internet, switched telephone, or other networks.
US07702364B2
A base station in a wireless communication network saves connection information that enables it to recognize currently authenticated mobile stations. The base station carries out localized connection management processing for authenticated mobile stations, at least for certain types of packet data connection events. By carrying out localized processing, the base station skips the connection management signaling between it and a supporting mobile switching center that would otherwise be required for processing such events. Thus, in a cdma2000 base station embodying such localized processing, the MSC's involvement in packet data connection state transitions, short data burst deliveries, etc., can be eliminated or at least greatly reduced, thereby minimizing the MSC's role in supporting packet data services. In conjunction with localized processing, the base station still may require MSC-based re-authentication by individual mobile stations according to some timed schedule, or according to some form of packet data activity monitoring.
US07702356B2
A keypad assembly for a mobile station comprises a base pad adapted to support a plurality of keys, the plurality of keys comprising a plurality of first keys and a plurality of second keys. The keypad assembly also comprises the plurality of first keys and the plurality of second keys arranged on the base pad, the plurality of second keys defined by horizontal center lines and vertical center lines of the plurality of first keys. The plurality of second keys may be further defined by outer perimeters of the plurality of first keys. The keypad assembly may further comprise a strength reinforcing plate coupled to the base pad, adapted to mechanically strengthen the keypad assembly. An alphabetic character may be assigned to each of the plurality of first keys. A numeral may be assigned to at least one of the plurality of second keys.
US07702350B2
Techniques to quickly adjust an SIR target toward a final value needed to achieve a specified target BLER for a data transmission. The outer loop may be implemented with multiple modes. The SIR target may be maintained fixed in a hold mode, adjusted in large down steps to speed up convergence in an acquisition mode, and adjusted by a small down step and a large up step for good and erased blocks, respectively, in a tracking mode. Various schemes may be used to adjust the SIR target by larger down steps in the acquisition mode. These schemes may be used even if data is transmitted intermittently, the target BLER is set to a low value, and/or one or multiple transport channels are used for data transmission. The SIR target may be boosted by a particular amount upon transitioning from the acquisition mode to the tracking mode.
US07702340B2
A system and apparatus to create text messages and the like on a standard computing device keyboard and the like and then send the messages to destinations via a cell phone has been presented. The text messages are created with a standard keyboard and transmitted via the computing device's wireless port or a wired port to a user's cell phone for sending to the recipient(s) using telephony standards such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). The system provides an “off-line” solution where the user does not have to be connected to a network. Interfaces are provided for users to enter the destination number, to select a port from available ports, enter the text, and select options.
US07702339B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a base station 10, a mobile station 11 and a radio network controller 50 which can reduce the load on the radio network controller 50 during multicast communication. The base station 10 supporting multicast communication comprises a response signal relay 10b configured to transfer response signals transmitted from a plurality of mobile stations 11, 12, 21, 41, 42 to a radio network controller 50. The response signals respond to a control signal for a multicast group. The response signal relay 10b transfers only a predetermined number of response signals to the radio network controller 50. Any following response signals are retained.
US07702331B2
Disclosed is an enhanced system and method for bridging calls across telecommunications networks, including an illustrative application of the invention as it relates to international roaming among prepaid wireless subscribers. For instance, whenever wireless subscribers roam internationally they may invoke the system by keying in an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) short code followed by the number to be dialed. Said subscriber's prepaid account is then decremented in real-time (until such account is fully depleted). A key feature of the disclosure generally is the bridging of the call legs between the wireless subscriber initiating the telephone communication and that of the receiving party through a series of general purpose databases and computers without requiring modifications to existing core network or handset infrastructure.
US07702312B2
A car telephone system having a telephone module (3) which has a telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5), can be connected to a transmitting and receiving antenna (7), can be connected to a central control bus (1) of the vehicle and can be controlled by a central controller (2) via the control bus (1) enables telephone operation, via the telephone module (3), using user-specific data from a mobile telephone (9) by virtue of the fact that the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5) is provided with a wireless data and signal transmission unit (6) which can be used to transmit user-specific data from a mobile telephone (9) to the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5), and by virtue of the fact that the telephone transmitting and receiving unit (5) is also connected to a separate card reader (11) for a memory card which contains the user-specific data from the mobile telephone (9).
US07702303B2
A wireless local area network includes multiple access points with overlapping coverage, and modes of different power consumption are available to the access points. It is assessed whether the traffic load of the network may be adequately supported using fewer access points in an active mode. If so, the traffic load is redistributed from certain active access points among the remaining access points in the active mode. The certain access points are switched into a mode of lower power consumption than the active mode. Similarly, it is assessed whether the traffic load of the network is adequately supported by the current number of access points in an active mode. If not, certain access points which are in a mode of lower power consumption are switched to the active mode. The traffic load is redistributed among the access points in the active mode including the certain access points.
US07702300B1
In an embodiment of the invention, a system provides for efficient polar and linear signal modulation. The system has a controller coupled to a voltage converter and a modulator. The system also has an amplifier coupled to the voltage converter and the phase modulator. The controller is for receiving an input and providing a polar signal. The voltage converter is for receiving the polar signal, receiving a voltage input, and providing a power signal. The amplifier is for amplifying the modulated signal based on the power signal. The voltage converter provides a feedback signal to the controller, and the controller adjusts a scale of modulation, such as a peak of the modulation signal, based on the feedback signal, such that the output power and the amplification by the amplifier are based on the feedback signal.
US07702298B2
Methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for spatial processing in a radio receiver. One embodiment is a radio receiver for operation in a wireless communication system. The radio receiver may include a receive processing unit to process signals received by an antenna array by applying a selected spatial processing mode of a plurality of spatial processing modes. The modes include one or more modes of one or more spatial processing methods. The receiver also includes a selector to select the spatial processing mode from the plurality of spatial processing modes. The selecting includes selecting the spatial processing method in the case that the set of spatial processing modes are of more than one spatial processing method.
US07702296B2
A radio frequency (RF) transmit/receive switch. The transmit/receive switch comprises an impedance matching circuit and a voltage scaling circuit. The impedance matching circuit matches an incoming RF signal to a low noise amplifier and an outgoing RF signal from a power amplifier. The voltage scaling circuit, coupled to the impedance matching circuit, the power amplifier, and the low noise amplifier, attenuates the outgoing RF signal to a scaled signal within a breakdown voltage of a transistor device in the low noise amplifier during transmission of the outgoing RF signal.
US07702288B2
In order to compensate for performance degradation caused by inferior low-cost analog radio component tolerances of an analog radio, a wireless communication transmitter employs a control process to implement numerous digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to compensate for deficiencies of such analog components so that modern specifications may be relaxed. By monitoring a plurality of parameters associated with the analog radio, such as temperature, bias current or the like, enhanced phase and amplitude compensation, as well as many other radio frequency (RF) parameters may be implemented.
US07702282B2
Interactions with a trigger device and/or body motions, such as motions detected with an accelerometer, may be used to augment user input interaction with a mobile terminal. In one implementation, logic senses when a first trigger device enters close proximity to the mobile terminal. A command for the mobile terminal is then executed based on the trigger device. The trigger device may be, for example, integrated with jewelry or clothing.
US07702277B2
An image forming apparatus and a maintenance method thereof are provided to enable rotation and replacement of a peeling claw at a suitable timing before the peeling claw is deformed or damaged. Several peeling members are disposed in a width direction of a drum-shaped photoreceptor. Each peeling member is disposed with a peeling claw and a collision sensor detecting that the peeling claw collides with a sheet. A collision history value of each peeling claw is stored and managed based on a collision detection signal from the collision sensor; if the peeling claw reaching a preset rotation request value exists in the read collision history values of the peeling claws, a rotation request of the relevant peeling claw is reported; the collision history value of the rotated peeling claw is rewritten; and if the peeling claw reaching the rotation request value does not exist, a print process is performed.
US07702271B2
An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member; a charger; a light irradiator; a developing device; a transfer device; an image bearing member's cleaner; and a fixing device, wherein the fixing device includes a fixing member configured to fix a toner image upon application of heat and pressure thereto; a pressing member configured to press the recording material toward the fixing member; and a cleaning member configured to clean a surface of the fixing member and/or the pressing member, wherein the cleaning member has an outermost layer including a reactive material which increases viscoelasticity of a binder resin of the toner by reacting with the binder resin.
US07702269B2
The present invention provides an endless belt for an image forming apparatus having at least two layers of an inner layer and an outermost layer, in which the average regular reflectance of the surface of the outermost layer is 5.0% or more and the fluctuation of the regular reflectance of the surface of the outermost layer is kept within ±10%, and an image forming apparatus having the endless belt for an image forming apparatus.
US07702266B2
One embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus provided with a one-component development apparatus having a toner layer regulating blade for regulating a thickness of a toner layer on a surface of a developer bearing member that contacts a photosensitive body, wherein at a non-development time after completion of operation of the developer bearing member, the developer bearing member is caused to rotate slightly in a direction reverse to that during development.
US07702265B2
A developing unit for transferring toner onto a latent image on an image carrier so as to develop the latent image includes a toner carrier, an electric field generator and a separating force applicator. The toner carrier including a plurality of electrodes disposed along the surface thereof and insulated from each other transports the toner to a developing area facing the image carrier. The electric field generator applies a periodic voltage to the plurality of electrodes of the toner carrier so that an electric field is generated on the toner carrier surface to cause the toner charged to a given polarity and borne on the surface of the toner carrier to hop. The separating force applicator applies a separating force to separate the toner on the toner carrier from the surface thereof outside the developing area. The separating force applicator is disposed separately from the electric field generator.
US07702259B2
Provided are a multi-pass image forming apparatus and an image forming method using the same. The multi-pass image forming apparatus includes a plurality of developers for forming a plurality of electrostatic latent images using toners having different polarities and colors in one development process and for forming a multi-color image in at least two development processes; an exposure unit for forming the plurality of the electrostatic latent images on a photosensitive medium; and an intermediate transferring unit for having a toner images transferred thereon from the photosensitive medium that overlap to form the multi-color image, wherein the toner image may overlap another toner image on the intermediate transferring unit.
US07702246B2
An optical label-switching method and apparatus in which a payload signal is modulated on an optical carrier through differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) by a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), and a label signal is imposed on the DPSK signal by the same MZM through an optical amplitude change effected by modulating the DPSK drive signal or MZM bias.
US07702245B1
Utility data modulation is superimposed on a payload data modulator optical signal by exploiting spread spectrum techniques by virtue of one embodiment of the present invention. Utility data transmission rates of e.g., 200 Kbps, can be achieved without impairment to payload data transmission. The utility data modulated signal spectrum overlaps or is entirely within the payload data modulation spectrum, therefore, overcoming problems with optical amplifier gain control and pink noise.
US07702243B2
Optical node (1) comprising at least one input port (PA, PC, PE) and a plurality of output ports (PB, PD, PF), at least one add unit (3B, 3D, 3F) for adding at least one signal on an output port (PB, PD, PF), a broadcasting unit (8) for broadcasting on at least two output ports (PB, PD, PF) the express traffic received on an input port (PA, PC, PE), characterized in that the broadcasting unit (8) is configured for broadcasting at least one added signal on at least two output ports (PB, PD, PF).
US07702241B2
A regenerator (7.x, 7.1-7.3) for regenerating optical signals on optical transmission links (4), in particular for use in a Dense Wavelength Division Multiplex (DWDM) optical transmission system. The regenerator (7.x, 7.1-7.3) comprises optical amplification means (7.xa, 7.xd) for compensating optical power losses, and a deterministic adaptation unit (7.xb) comprising means being adapted to compensate deterministic transmission impairments of the optical transmission link (4), in particular optical dispersion compensating means being adapted to compensate for chromatic dispersion of said link (4). The proposed regenerator (7.x, 7.1-7.3) further comprises a non-deterministic adaptation unit (7.xc) comprising means for compensating time variant non-deterministic transmission impairments, in particular polarisation mode dispersion. In this way, the proposed regenerator overcomes transmission limitations and improves robustness of long and ultra-long-haul multi-span DWDM transmission systems with respect to deterministic and non-deterministic transmission impairments.
US07702236B2
A digital image acquisition device has an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, an aperture and optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor. The device includes a light source located in the body of the device. The light source is periodically activated with one of the aperture or shutter closed, and the device derives a map of defects on the surface of the sensor from a calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by the light source.
US07702233B2
An image photographing apparatus for automatically focusing a photographed image to improve the image quality. The image photographing apparatus automatically focuses the image through a zoom actuator for changing a zoom ratio and a focus actuator for controlling the focus to thereby enhance the image quality. Also, the image photographing apparatus adds a zooming function to diversify the application fields of image photographing.
US07702230B2
To provide a digital camera capable of causing a focus sensor to detect a focus while outputting to an image sensor image data for providing appropriate exposure after having adjusted an aperture ratio of an aperture in an image capture optical system such that appropriate exposure is achieved. A digital camera divides light from a subject having passed through an aperture into two beams of light; causes one of the beams to enter the image sensor to thus cause the image sensor to capture a subject image; and causes the other beam to enter the focus sensor to thus cause the focus sensor to detect a focus from the other beam of light. The digital camera adjusts an aperture ratio of the aperture such that the quantity of the other beam reaches the minimum quantity of light at or above which the focus sensor can detect a focus.
US07702214B2
An information storage medium includes: a video zone for recording audio/video information including video information and audio information associated with the video information; an audio zone for recording audio information; first navigation information for a video player which can reproduce the audio/video information; second navigation information for an audio player which can reproduce the audio information in the video zone and the audio information in the audio zone; and third navigation information for a compatible player which can reproduce both the audio/video information and the audio information. The first navigation information, the second navigation information and the third navigation information are recorded separately from each other.
US07702213B2
The present invention provides remarkably improved availability in a data recording method and apparatus, a data recording medium, and a data reproducing method and apparatus. By recording additional information for data reproduction in each sector on a data reproducing medium as a subcode separately from data when the data is recorded in the unit of sector, reproduction of data can be controlled using the subcode, thus making it possible to remarkably improve the availability of the data recording medium.
US07702211B2
A method of storing multi angle data. Data for a plurality of angles of a scene are stored in interleaved blocks. Sizes of the interleaved blocks are integral multiples of sizes of integral numbered aligned units that include packets. Angle change points are included in each of the interleaved blocks, allowing a reproducing apparatus to seamlessly jump from one angle to another angle during reproduction of the multi angle data. A number of the angle points recorded on the information storage medium is computed so that a jumping distance required by the data during reproduction does not exceed a maximum jumping distance of a reproducing apparatus.
US07702201B2
An optical amplifier is disclosed having a substantially uniform spectral gain. In an exemplary embodiment, the optical amplifier comprises a planar waveguide including a substrate, which includes a region doped with rare earth element. The optical amplifier also comprises an optical fiber including a core doped with the rare earth element. The optical fiber is optically coupled to the planar waveguide.
US07702197B2
In an SOA array optical module, the central axis of a beam output from each intra-SOA waveguide is oblique by 22.3 degrees to a normal to an end face of an SOA array on the output side (the same applies to the input side) of the SOA array having intra-SOA waveguides of 8 channels. First and second lens arrays are arranged for the SOA array so that the central axis of the beam that is output obliquely by 22.3 degrees from the SOA array, the optical axis of a lens convex part of each channel of the first lens array, and the optical axis of a lens convex part of each channel of the second lens array agree with one another. Level differences are provided respectively on faces opposite to the lens convex parts of the first and the second lens arrays.
US07702196B2
A laser handpiece is disclosed, including a shaped fiber optic tip having a side-firing output end with a double bevel-cut shape. The shaped fiber optic tip can be configured to side-fire laser energy in a direction away from a laser handpiece and toward sidewalls of a treatment or target site.
US07702194B2
An optical system comprising two or more optical switches co-packaged together comprising discrete sets of input fiber ports (N per set) and an output fiber port (1 per set), wherein λn from said set of multiple input fiber ports (N) is focused on λn mirrors via the use of shared free space optics, wherein said beam steering elements steers λn from any point in the optical path to any other point; and discrete arrays of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors in a shared array, wherein a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select and switch selected wavelengths from the first set of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port of the same set, and wherein a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics as the first MEMS array is utilized to produce yet another fiber optic switch.
US07702183B1
Methods and systems for detecting the insertion, removal, and change of objects of interest through the use of imagery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes performing a scene registration including aligning image patterns in the first image to those in the second image; performing a feature content analysis to determine a likelihood of change for each pixel in the first and second images; performing a region identification to group pixels within the first and second images into one or more image regions based upon their likelihood of change; and performing an image region partitioning to prioritize the one or more image regions according to an image region score for each of the one or more image regions, the image region score being indicative of at least one of insertion, removal, and change of an object of interest within the common area of interest. Embodiments of the invention may advantageously provide an autonomous capability to detect the insertion, removal, and change of objects of interest.
US07702182B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates creating a high-fidelity glyph prototype from low-resolution glyph images. The system operates by receiving a plurality of glyph images, wherein a glyph image specifies a characteristic shape of a character in a font, and wherein each glyph image in the plurality of glyph images is a separate instance of the same glyph image. Next, the system determines an average blackness for the plurality of glyph images, wherein the blackness of a given glyph image is the number of black pixels in the given glyph image. The system then creates a composite grayscale glyph image from the plurality of glyph images. Finally, the system creates a monochrome glyph image from the composite grayscale glyph image, wherein the monochrome glyph image has the same blackness as the average blackness of the plurality of glyph images.
US07702181B2
A method is provided of producing a multiple focus stack image of a target. The stack image has a plurality of images of the target, each image having a corresponding focal range or position. The method utilizes relative scanning movement between the target and an array of light detectors, the array being used to repeatedly receive image information as scan lines from the target during the scan. During the scan the relative focus between the target and the array is modified between the focal range or position of the respective images so as to obtain the images in the stack. Each image is thereby formed from the image information obtained at the respective focal range or position during the scan. Apparatus for performing the method is likewise provided.
US07702180B2
Disclosed are an imaging method and an arrangement for the computer-assisted evaluation of projected object trajectories obtained from a computer-tomographic measurement. According to the inventive method, the trajectories are arranged in a previously known sequence into a projection matrix as traces of the respective voluminous elements, and the following steps are iterated until a sufficient reconstruction quality has been attained; (a) at least one of the traces is selected; (b) a reconstructed element that is true to the original position is formed from each of the selected traces so as to be added to a reconstructed image; (c) the selected traces are removed from the projection matrix.
US07702173B2
An image processing method, for extracting a base component from image data including a detailed component and the base component, containing the steps of extracting the base component by application of an edge preserving filter to the image data; and correcting the portion, of the extracted base component, corresponding to a predetermined frequency component of the original image data.
US07702160B2
A transferring system for huge and high quality images on network and a method thereof are disclosed, wherein various individual image data are converted into high quality image data to be converted into layered image data, and classified into a plurality of sub cells, then stored in database as a compressed form. A client system connected to a server requires information, immediately downloads the required information, releases the compression, and then displays on a screen real time. In the present invention, a user can fast see only his wanted part since images of a newspaper and a magazine are converted as they were. Also, various additional information is provided with image, thereby providing multimedia digital publication services on wire or wireless network.
US07702158B2
Plural window elements are set in one edge window, and edge detection is performed every each the window element, and calculation and determination about its result are made inside an image processing apparatus. A user can freely set a width of the window element and a distance between the adjacent window elements.
US07702149B2
An image correction method comprising the steps of: specifying a region including the face of one person in an image of people displayed in a screen of image display means in response to an input from an operator; extracting a correction target region including at least the face of the person in the image, based on information on at least one of hue, saturation, lightness, and a position of an outline of the specified region; setting a degree of correction to be carried out on each position in the correction target region in such a manner that the degree of correction becomes lower from the inside of the correction target region to the outside thereof near a boundary of the correction target region; and correcting at least one of hue, saturation and lightness in the correction target region based on the degree of correction.
US07702146B2
A method for correcting a color value generated by a forward model for a color input device. A color value generated by the forward model is mapped into a color space. The color value is clipped to a locus of a visual gamut in the color space if the color value falls outside of the visual gamut. Clipping the mapped color value ensures that the color input device generates color values that represent colors within the human visual system. Clipping may be accomplished by clipping a color value to an intersection of a locus boundary and a vector between the color value and a white point. The locus used may be the CIE spectral locus projected into the color space. Any number of standard color spaces may be used in the method, such as CIEXYZ, CIELUV, or CIELAB.
US07702144B2
An improved method for accurately and correctly encoding and printing complete checks on blank paper sheets from graphic check images. The method includes inputting into a computer a graphic image of a check. Scanning the graphic image, in computer memory, and identifying the MICR character codes with their locations. Printing said MICR codes with magnetic ink in MICR fonts in a designated “clear band”. Reformatting the scanned graphic image with the MICR images deleted and printing the reformatted graphic image above the “clear band” to provide a negotiable check instrument.
US07702143B2
A method and apparatus for reading MICR characters is disclosed, in which both magnetic and optical data may be read and stored. Each type of data is analyzed to identify possible character values. In one disclosed analysis method, the data is first evaluated in a coarse analysis then analyzed using a fine analysis which may lead to the identification of characters. The analysis of characters may involve generating frequency spectrum data from scanned data and assigning character values based on the frequency spectrum data.
US07702142B2
A method and a system for using tomosynthesis projection images of a patient's breast to reconstruct slice tomosynthesis images such that anatomical structures that appear superimposed in a mammogram are at conforming locations in the reconstructed images.
US07702141B2
A computer-implemented method for quantifying an object in a larger structure using a reconstructed image obtained from an imaging apparatus includes identifying an object boundary in a region of interest of the image and a region of exclusion, and determining a mean value of intensity in a neighborhood of the object to estimate a background value, excluding the region of exclusion. The method further includes determining an interior region, a transition region, and a background region of the object using the object boundary and a transfer function of the imaging apparatus, and determining and displaying a measure of object quantification utilizing intensities of at least one of the determined interior region or the transition region a method for quantifying an object in a larger structure using a reconstructed image obtained from an imaging apparatus.
US07702129B2
The present invention relates to a device and a method for displaying images. To combat the copying of images by a camcorder in a cinema auditorium, modulating the luminance of the pixels of a pattern around the value to be displayed to a high frequency which makes the pattern invisible to the human eye but which generates artifacts on the sequence filmed by the camcorder is known. According to the invention, it is proposed to temporally modulate the pattern only in the fixed areas (background or indoor scenes) or, where appropriate, the areas with weak movements. Thus, rather than degrading the image in the areas with movement by applying to them the temporal modulation processing, a decision is taken not to temporally modulate the pattern in these critical areas.
US07702128B2
A system and method for scanning a business card or a driver's license from within MS Outlook directly into the address book of MS Outlook. The system includes a scanning device and a program application that is integrated with MS Outlook. The application controls the card scanner connected to the personal computer, stores the acquired image of the scanned card, extracts the text data and image data using an OCR module, opens a new contact in the MS Outlook address book and inserts the extracted textual and image data into said contact each in its appropriate field.
US07702124B2
The penetration of moisture and dirt often leads to a premature failure of electroacoustic miniature transducers that are used in hearing aids. A transducer membrane of a miniature transducer is provided at least in part with a hydrophobic and/or oliophobic and/or biofilm-inhibiting coating that, because its layer thickness is less than 10 μm, does not significantly influence the acoustic characteristic of the miniature transducer, and that prevents degradation of the transmission characteristic due to moisture, or moisture-caused damage to the miniature transducer. In addition, the adherence of dirt particles is prevented.
US07702119B2
A method and apparatus for selecting and mixing electronic signals. The circuit has an operational amplifier and two or more ganged, tapped-resistors in which the tap divides the resistance into a first and a second resistance. The tapped-resistors are connected so that either the first or the second resistance provides the effective input resistance for that signal at the operational amplifier. The second resistance of one of the tapped-resistors provides the output resistance for all signals at operational amplifier. As the tapped resistors are equivalent and their taps ganged, when the signals are mixed, those signals whose effective input resistance at the operational amplifier is selected to be the second resistance have unit gain, while those signals whose effective input resistance at the operational amplifier is selected to be the first resistance have a gain equal to the second resistance divide by the first resistance.
US07702117B2
The present invention relates to a method of adjusting the sound levels originating from several audio sources, within a television receiver. The audio components originating from at least two audiovisual or audio sources are received in an audiovisual receiver and mixed so as to generate a single audio signal. The levels assigned to each source can be adjusted by the user with the aid of an icon displayed on a screen. The icon comprises at least two points representing the two sources and a cursor which moves along two dimensions, the distance between this cursor and the point representing a source being proportional to the sound level assigned to this source. The present invention also relates to the audiovisual terminal for the implementation of the method.
US07702110B2
A document protection method may include retrieving a document from a memory device, encrypting the document using an encryption tool, imaging a decryption key on an imaging medium, and reading the decryption key to decrypt the document. A document protection system may include at least one controller configured to control imaging of a decryption key on a medium, a memory storage device configured to store a document, an decryption tool configured to encrypt the document, and a decryption tool configured to read the decryption key to decrypt the document.
US07702102B2
The invention relates to a method for data transmission, comprising the following steps: first data from a stochastic process is inputted into at least a first and a second subscriber of a communication network; and a symmetrical key is produced on the basis of the first data in both the first and the second subscriber, and stored in the same, for an encoded data transmission between said subscribers.
US07702100B2
An apparatus for generating round-key words in accordance with a Rijndael algorithm. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes (a) a key expansion register block, having a key expansion register adapted to receive a final cipher key of a key expansion schedule in accordance with the Rijndael algorithm; (b) a round constant generator; (c) a first XOR adder adapted to add a first word of the key expansion register to a second word to generate and provide a first sum to the key expansion register block; (d) a transformation block adapted to generate a transformed word based on the first sum and the current round constant over four counts of a first cyclical counter; and (e) a second XOR adder adapted to add the transformed word to the first word of the key expansion register to generate and provide a second sum to the key expansion register block.
US07702097B2
A method and apparatus for authentication of data includes inputting of data into a first layer of a hashing function for rotation based hashing, then inputting results from the first layer to a second layer of the hashing function for substitution based hashing. Feedback is provided from the second layer to the first layer and digests are output from the first and second layers.
US07702093B2
A call center environment is provided that allows a customer service representative to populate a workstation display screen with data using either keystrokes or voice input. The voice input is provided to the workstation using a voice overlay and voice platform to convert audio into data usable by the workstation to populate the screen.
US07702087B2
An apparatus equipped with Radio Frequency Identity (RFID) reader and LAN/WAN access reads an RFID tag attached to a Video and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone. The apparatus retrieves phone information, including such information as an Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) address from the RFID tag and requests that a VoIP call server register the phone automatically. A VoIP service operator can register multiple phones without opening phone packaging. Additional information such as a directory number (DN) or a phone user name can be associated with the phone during the registration process using the apparatus.
US07702086B2
A method for verifying access authorization for voice telephony in a fixed network line or mobile telephone line, as well as a communications network having such access authorization verification are described. The access authorization is verified by analysis of a voice signal which was entered by the subscriber placing the call, before or during a call in progress. In one variant, the voice signal is entered as a password before the connection is established; in another variant, voice signals are analyzed for voice recognition and subscriber identification, the same voice signals also being transmitted to the person being called, making concealed access verification possible which does not hamper the normal flow of conversation.
US07702078B2
A method for analyzing automatic line insulation testing (ALIT) data comprising inserting ALIT error data into an ALIT database that includes records for exceptions located in the error data. A number of exceptions occurring on a selected summary date is calculated in response to receiving a summary request from a user including the selected summary date. Input to the calculating is the selected summary date and the ALIT database. The number of exceptions occurring on the summary date is transmitted to the user in response to the calculating. The user records located in the ALIT database that include a selected detail date are transmitted to the user in response to receiving from the user a request including the selected detail date. The ALIT database is updated with repair package information in response to receiving an add repair package request.
US07702077B2
A modular insulator assembly for an x-ray tube includes an annular insulator having a cylindrical perimeter wall, the insulator constructed of an electrically insulative material. A wall member is fixedly attached to and extending beyond the cylindrical perimeter wall, and a first shield positioned adjacent to the wall member and having an end extending proximate a corner formed by the wall member and the insulator.
US07702073B2
A method for developing a secondary collimator is described. The method includes orienting a plurality of collimator elements in a plane such that a gap is defined between a first collimator element and a second collimator element. The first collimator element has a first curved end, and the first curved end faces the second collimator element across the gap.
US07702062B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic sensor including capture means producing a signals comprising x pulses during a given capture time, such that a′
US07702056B2
A system and method for synchronizing a system clock in accordance with a program clock reference of a content data stream includes application of incremental delays to a local clock signal having a higher frequency than that specified by the program clock reference. The delay is made over a period defined by phase comparison between a system clock signal and a minimum delay value. Delay values are incremented proportionally to a number of clock cycles over the period. The subject system allows for display of jitter free audio or video decoded from the content data stream, and is realized in circuitry that is readily implement on an integrated circuit.
US07702050B2
Various aspects of a system for an adaptive VBLAST receiver for wireless MIMO detection may comprise utilizing log likelihood ratios (LLR) to selectively cancel interference in a received signal when information contained in one or more layers is encoded. Following the selective cancellation of interference, further computations may be performed on the residual received signal. Various aspects of the invention may comprise a linear detector with improved performance in comparison to some conventional VBLAST receivers. Performance may be measured by, for example, a packet error rate (PER) for a given signal to noise ratio (SNR) associated with the received signal.
US07702047B2
An RF receiving apparatus and method which can remove a leakage component in a received signal are provided. In the RF receiving apparatus, a noise removing unit estimates a signal corresponding to a noise component introduced into a received RF signal RXIN by controlling a gain and a phase of a local signal LOI and removes the estimated noise signal from the received RF signal RXIN. An RF signal in which the noise is removed is frequency-down converted in a receiving unit. Also, the noise removing unit utilizes a Q signal of the local signal LOI, LOQ, to control the phase of the local signal LOI.
US07702045B2
Method for the estimation of channel parameters in a wireless communication system. In accordance with the method several levels of the wireless channel parameters estimation take place to address the specific requirements of the channel. Based on the level of estimation required an appropriate estimation algorithm is selected to achieve the desired results. The evaluation of the channel state and thereafter determining the appropriate parameter estimation requirements provide for a superior overall performance of the wireless system.
US07702042B2
An arrangement (300) and method, for iterative channel impulse response estimation in a system such as a GSM/EDGE system employing a transmission channel, by: producing (310) from a received signal (y) a channel impulse response estimate signal (p); and producing (320) from the received signal (y) a noise estimate signal (w) which is iteratively fed back to improve the channel impulse response estimate signal (p). The noise estimate signal comprises a matrix (w) respresenting the inverse of noise covariance; the matrix may be calculated at each iteration or may be selected from predetermined values corresponding to statistics of expected noise. This provides the advantages of reduced complexity, independence of the equalization method used to produce the channel impulse response estimate signal, and consequent performance improvement.
US07702030B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for incorporating secondary data for transmission as part of or concurrently with network data. In one embodiment, the secondary data comprises communication system data for use in controlling or monitoring a communication system. In one example embodiment, the secondary data is utilized to control the transmit timing of the network data to thereby jitter modulate the secondary data into the transmission of the network data. By monitoring the timing variation, or jitter, of the received network data signal, the secondary data may be recovered. In one embodiment, the secondary data is encoded to reduce the amount of time variation, i.e., jitter, that occurs when transmitting the network data. Decoding may occur upon reception of the time adjusted network data signal. In one embodiment, the encoding comprises CDMA type encoding utilizing one or more orthogonal codes.
US07702027B2
In a transfer apparatus to which MIMO-OFDM is applied, a data transmission method and a data reception method are provided in which, even when there are frequency errors varying among transfer paths, the precision of estimation of an inverse propagation coefficient function can be improved, thereby making it possible to suppress a degradation in characteristics. Among symbols composed of a plurality of subcarriers orthognal to each other, the transfer apparatus uses, as a synchronization symbol, a symbol in which predetermined amplitudes and phases are assigned to a plurality of subcarriers spaced at predetermined frequency intervals. The synchronization symbol is divided into transmission antennas to generate a plurality of synchronization subsymbols, which are in turn simultaneously transmitted from a plurality of transmission antennas. A reception apparatus estimates a frequency error for each transfer path based on synchronization subsymbols included in signals received by a plurality of reception antennas, and based on the estimated frequency errors, corrects the received signals.
US07702018B2
A video encoding method comprises selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations each including a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture, generating a prediction picture signal in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination, generating a predictive error signal representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal, and encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination.
US07702017B2
In a moving picture encoding apparatus 10, as an embodiment of the present invention, a predicted image generator 16 generates a predicted image with respect to a target image, using a reference image stored in a frame memory 20. A difference image generator 18 performs a difference operation between the target image and the predicted image to generate a difference image. An encoder 22 encodes the difference image to generate an encoded difference signal. A decoder 28 decodes the encoded difference signal to generate a decoded difference image. A reproduced image generator 30 performs a summation of the decoded difference image and the predicted image to generate a reproduced image. An image updater 32 performs a weighted summation of a first image which is one of the reproduced image and the reference image, and a second image which is the other of the reproduced image and the reference image, to generate an updated image. The updated image is stored into the frame memory 20 to be used as a reference image in encoding of another target image.
US07702014B1
A system for processing video segments is disclosed. The system includes a descriptor instantiator for creating a descriptor and ascribing at least one value thereto for a corresponding video segment. The system also includes a video constructor for assembling an output video production from at least two video segments, including means for selecting the at least two video segments according to values of at least one descriptor corresponding to the at least two video segments and means for sequencing the at least two video segments according to values of at least one descriptor corresponding to the at least two video segments.
US07702013B2
The present invention describes a method and an arrangement for coding transform coefficients in picture and/or video coders and decoders and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium, which can particularly be employed as a novel efficient method for binary-arithmetic coding transform coefficients in the field of video coding.For this, it is suggested that, for blocks of (video) pictures containing significant transform coefficients, coding of the transform coefficients takes place in such a way that, for each block in a scan process, the positions of significant transform coefficients in the block and subsequently, in a reverse scan order—starting from the last significant transform coefficient within the block—the values (levels) of the significant transform coefficients are determined and coded.
US07702011B2
Serial data signal receiver circuitry for inclusion on a PLD includes a plurality of equalizer circuits that are connected in series and that are individually controllable so that collectively they can compensate for a wide range of possible input signal attenuation characteristics. Other circuit features may be connected in relation to the equalizer circuits to give the receiver circuitry other capabilities. For example, these other features may include various types of loop-back test circuits, controllable termination resistance, controllable common mode voltage, and a controllable threshold for detection of an input signal. Various aspects of control of the receiver circuitry may be programmable.
US07702004B2
Bidirectional differential point to point simultaneous high speed signalling is provided between integrated circuits with highly effective echo canceling. Each integrated circuit comprises a transmitter for transmitting a first signal to another integrated circuit and a receiver for receiving a second signal from the other integrated circuit. The transmitter has an output buffer; a receiver has a receiver buffer and is co-located on the same integrated circuit; and a differential buffer is coupled between the input of the transmitter buffer and the output of the receiver buffer. To increase the quality of receiving the second signal, a third signal adjusted in phase and amplitude is coupled at the output of the receive buffer, so that the echoing of the first signal is canceled. Preferably, the rise time of the third signal is also adjusted.
US07702000B1
The present invention comprises a method and system for weight generation in an adaptive array with spread spectrum signals. Signals received by each antenna are amplified, weighted and summed. Complex weighting is achieved by splitting the signal into inphase and quadrature components, and adjusting the gain of each of these components before combining these weighted components. The output signal after combining of the weighted signals from each antenna is downconverted to baseband, creating inphase and quadrature baseband components. The baseband components are multiplied by the spread spectrum sequence to despread the output signal and reduce the bandwidth of the desired spread spectrum signal to the original desired signal bandwidth. The signals received by each antenna are also downconverted to baseband inphase and quadrature components. Each of these components is multiplied by the spread spectrum sequence to despread the output signal and reduce the bandwidth of the desired spread spectrum signal to the original desired signal bandwidth. The despread/filtered individual antenna signals are multiplied by the despread/filtered output signal to generate antenna weights.
US07701997B2
A novel and useful fast hopping frequency synthesizer and transmitter associated therewith. The frequency synthesizer and transmitter incorporates a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) adapted to operate open loop. Instantaneous frequency switching is achieved by changing an oscillator tuning word (OTW) to imitate the three oscillators of a UWB transmitter. In one embodiment, the DCO can change the frequency instantaneously within the 1/fT of the varactor devices used to construct the DCO. An all digital phase lock loop (ADPLL) is used for offline calibration prior to the start of packet transmission or reception. Any phase shift during the switching is tracked by a digital circuit in the transmitter. In a second embodiment, additional frequency accuracy is provided by use of a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) that functions to generate a fine resolution complex exponential waveform which effectively shifts the synthesized frequency. A mixer applies the waveform to the I and Q data samples prior to conversion to the digital domain.
US07701987B1
Apparatus and method for generating controlled-linewidth laser-seed-signals for high-powered fiber-laser amplifier systems. In some embodiments, the natural chirp (frequency change of laser light over a short start-up time) of a DBR laser diode when driven by pulsed current is used to broaden the linewidth of the laser output, while adjusting the peak current and/or the pulse duration to obtain the desired linewidth.
US07701986B2
Disclosed is a laser light source apparatus. The laser light source apparatus includes a pumping light source and a pair of resonator mirrors. In the laser light source apparatus, the pumping light source includes at least a laser medium and a wavelength conversion element, and the laser medium is pumped by light having a multi-transversal mode pattern and the wavelength conversion element are irradiated with a line beam of fundamental wave obtained by the oscillation by the laser medium to output a line beam of converted wave. The laser light source apparatus further includes at least one reflector bending light path is provided in the resonator such that a longitudinal direction of the line beam of fundamental wave is approximately perpendicular to an incident plane of the reflection unit.
US07701981B2
The invention relates to interpreting the change in the increment of the RTP TS field as occurring either due to silence suppression for a voice flow or a change in sampling/frame rate of a video flow. By interpreting this change correctly, the value of the TS_STRIDE field in robust header compression may be correctly calculated leading to efficient header compression performance. In one aspect, there is disclosed a method of improving ROHC between an Access Network (AN) having a compressor and an Access Terminal (AT) having a decompressor, comprising providing flow information to the compressor relating to a change in the increment of an RTP TS field of a header; determining the change in the increment of an RTP TS field as occurring either due to silence suppression or due to a change in a sampling/frame rate; and taking appropriate action for TS_STRIDE.
US07701972B1
Included are methods for facilitating routing of control data associated with a communication to a plurality of recorders. One such method, among others, includes receiving control data related to a communication and routing the received control data to at least one recorder via a layer 3 protocol.
US07701971B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for addressing compatibility in a session protocol environment is provided that includes a communications platform operable to communicate with a first endpoint and a second endpoint and to recognize signaling capabilities of the first and second endpoints. The apparatus also includes a media termination point (MTP) operable to communicate with the endpoints and the communications platform, the media termination point being provisioned by the communications platform in a stream that involves the first and second endpoints if a signaling compatibility issue is present amongst the endpoints. If an out-of-band digit from the first endpoint is received by the communications platform, the out-of-band digit is sent to the MTP, which is operable to inject a digit associated with the second protocol into the communication session such that a mapping occurs between the digits for the first and second protocols.
US07701969B2
An IP-to-PLMN gateway (IPG) enables extension of the PLMN messaging domain into IP domains. Enhanced service functions in a PLMN (such as store and forward, message waiting) are carried over into the messaging service available in the IP domains. The IPG has an SME interface which interfaces on the mobile network side with an SMSC. A presence management function detects and maintains data relating to presence status of users in the IP domain.
US07701968B2
A device and a method for transmitting a MAC service data unit (MSDU) in a network system are disclosed. The MSDU has a plurality of pieces of frame data. The method includes receiving the pieces of frame data of the MSDU; and when finishing receiving each piece of frame data, even if not all of the pieces of frame data of the MSDU have been received, converting the received piece of frame data into a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) and outputting the MPDU.
US07701965B2
The communication device according to the present invention includes a communication condition detection unit that detects communication conditions with regard to communication with other communication devices, a link adaptation decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not link adaptation needs to be executed in correspondence to the communication conditions, a link adaptation parameter selection unit that selects a link adaptation parameter to be used for the link adaptation when the link adaptation is judged to be necessary, a transfer rate decision-making unit that makes an advance decision as to whether or not the data transfer rate is to become, lower compared to the pre-link adaptation state if the link adaptation is executed based upon the selected link adaptation parameter and a link adaptation unit that executes the link adaptation based upon the selected link adaptation parameter if the data transfer rate is judged not to become lower.
US07701963B2
Micro-tunnels are used to provide multiple data service sessions to the same mobile node in a wireless communications system. Further, the flexibility of the micro-tunnels optimizes the resources of the system. On request for a data service, an encapsulation configuration record is generated. An encapsulation header is created in response to the encapsulation configuration. The encapsulation header includes a packet service identifier and a micro-tunnel identifier.
US07701960B2
An apparatus and method of assigning a public long code mask (PLCM) to a mobile terminal in a mobile communications network is provided. The invention comprises assigning a first PLCM type, when the PLCM for the mobile terminal is based on an international mobile station identification number that is based on a mobile identification number (MIN) associated with the mobile terminal and assigning a second PLCM type, when the PLCM for the mobile terminal is provided by a service provider.
US07701958B2
This disclosure is directed to techniques for supporting transition between network communication protocols in a communication network. The techniques may be applicable to different network communication protocols, but are especially useful in the transition from the IPv4 communication protocol to the IPv6 communication protocol in a wireless communication network. In general, to reduce consumption of scarce IPv4 address during the transition period, a network communication device implementing a dual IPv4/IPv6 stack acquires an IPv4 address only when necessary to communicate with IPv4 resources on the network. The network communication device uses an IPv6 address at the start of a communication session, and does not acquire an IPv4 address unless a need arises later in the session for communication with an IPv4 resource. The IPv4 address may be acquired for a limited period of time, such as fixed period of time or a period of actual usage, to further promote availability of IPv4 addresses.
US07701953B2
An SVC is established between a client and a host by dynamically configuring a host CPE device using a custom module designed for the host CPE device. The configured host CPE device enables communication between the client and the host via the SVC connection.
US07701950B2
Prioritizing workload and tasks by first determining if a prioritization state change is necessary, and if so setting priorities to change the prioritization state, and if not examining prioritization state determining inputs, calculating new prioritization states, and updating prioritization states. Next interrupts are processes and prioritization states are updates. The resulting settings and prioritization states are examines, new prioritization states calculated, the new prioritization states compared with existing prioritization states, and the prioritization states changed as a function of present prioritization states and calculated new prioritization states. As a last step either a new prioritization state is set and saved, or the existing prioritization states saved.
US07701937B2
A method and apparatus for multicast communication, wherein the apparatus is configured for performing the method that includes the steps of: communicating (210) a request to a server to join a first multicast group, the first multicast group associated with a first multicast address; determining (220) a second multicast group corresponding to the first multicast group, the second multicast group having a second multicast address; joining (230) the second multicast group to create a corresponding multicast tunnel; receiving (240) a first multicast packet from the server using the multicast tunnel, the first multicast packet comprising the first and second multicast addresses; removing (250) the second multicast address from the first multicast packet; and forwarding (260) the first multicast packet comprising the first multicast address to an entity.
US07701930B2
A technique and method provide virtual N-way video conferencing to participants having IP stations/videophones, which have limited processing capacity, by auto-selecting a limited subset of the participants for video display and restricting the rest of the participants to voice-only mode which requires reduced processing capability. The method uses a virtual n-way conferencing module (VNCM) to provide the video conferencing, and an auto caller select module (ACSM) for causing selective video display. Some of the participants might have VoIP terminals instead of IP videophones. The invention includes a technique, e.g., by using a video transmission control module (VTCM) for reducing the bandwidth requirement of IP videophones by signaling the participants in voice-only mode not to transmit the video information in bandwidth-constrained situations. Also taught herein is an article comprising a storage medium having instructions thereon which when executed by a computing platform will result in execution of the method.
US07701928B2
A communication system includes communication devices; a switch device having coaxial terminal units to which the communication device are connected, a switch unit of entirely or individually connecting the coaxial terminal units, and a switch control unit of controlling the connection status of the switch unit; and a transmittal right control device. The transmittal right control device is connected to the terminal, and manages the connection status of the switch unit, receives from the communication devices requests for time for communication with other communication devices, determines assignment of time for communications between the communication devices, notifies the communication devices of the assignment, and instructs the switch control unit not to make signals interfere among the communication devices in different combinations for communications in the same time period.
US07701927B2
The invention relates to a method for transmitting communication data in a communication system (CSY) between a calling first communication unit (IPPA) and a called second communication unit (IPPD), wherein, in a first step a primary connection is set up starting from the first communication unit (IPPA) via at least one node unit to the second communication unit (IPPD) with transmission of addressing data of the communication units (IPPA,IPPD) and node units participating in the setup of the primary connection. Following this, the first communication unit (IPPA) and/or a first node unit disposed along the primary connection which have a valid addressing data element are registered as the ingress node. Furthermore, the second communication unit (IPPD) and/or a last node unit disposed along the primary connection which have a valid addressing data element are registered as the egress node. With the embodiment of a secondary connection (DMC) between the egress and the ingress node via a network which is available in the communication system (CSY), communication data is finally transmitted via the secondary connection (DMC).
US07701925B1
A presence registration and routing node receives a message indicative of a telephony-related action performed by a user. In response to the message, the presence registration and routing node sends a message to a presence server for updating presence information regarding the user in a presence server database.
US07701920B2
A communication system for carrying out data communication among a plurality of communication stations is disclosed in which a first communication station for transmitting to other communication stations a Request To Send (RTS) signal for requesting a transmission upon the start of the data transmission; and a plurality of second communication stations transmitting to other communication stations a Clear To Send (CTS) signal for notifying the completion of preparing the reception, wherein the first communication station transmits the RTS signal describing at least each of addresses the second communication stations that are desired to receive the data, and receives a plurality of CTS signals transmitted from each of the second communication stations in order to increase communication capacity.
US07701919B2
In an embodiment of the method, uplink reference signals are assigned to users in a group of cells. For example, a first constant amplitude sequence having low cyclic cross correlation is assigned to each user in a first cell of the group of cells. Here, each user is assigned the first sequence. Also, simultaneously transmitting users in the first cell are assigned to different sub-carriers. A second constant amplitude sequence having low cyclic cross correlation is assigned to each user in a second cell of the group of cells. Here, each user in the second cell is assigned the second sequence. The first sequence and the second sequence are different sequences, and the first cell and the second cell are adjacent. Also, simultaneously transmitting users in the second cell are assigned to different sub-carriers. The sub-carriers to which the simultaneously transmitting users of the second cell are assigned overlap in frequency with the sub-carriers to which the simultaneously transmitting users of the first cell are assigned.
US07701916B2
A circuit is designed with a matched filter circuit including a plurality of fingers (700, 702, 704) coupled to receive a data symbol. Each finger corresponds to a respective path of the data symbol. Each finger produces a respective output signal. A plurality of decoder circuits (706, 708, 710) receives the respective output signal from a respective finger of the plurality of fingers. Each decoder circuit produces a respective output signal. A joint detector circuit (1310) is coupled to receive each respective output signal from the plurality of decoder circuits. The joint detector circuit produces an output signal corresponding to a predetermined code.
US07701915B2
A method in a communication system, a communication system and a communication device wherein in the method media streams are transmitted from a sending communication device to a receiving communication device at least partly via a wireless communication network. At least one media stream is selected to be transmitted to the receiving communication device. QoS requirements for transmitting the selected at least one media stream are defined, transmission resources are reserved from the wireless communication network for the transmission of at least one media stream, and a setup procedure is performed between the receiving communication device and the sending communication device for activating the one packet data transmission connection.
US07701909B2
Information is transmitted over selected, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) sub-channels to avoid frequencies with unacceptable congestion, noise or interference levels. Using frequency hopping, selected non-contiguous OFDM sub-channels used for transmission may vary with time. Once a group of OFDM sub-channels is selected, a power level and modulation technique may also be selected based on channel quality.
US07701888B2
An apparatus is provided for efficiently allocating a transmission period in a WLAN system. An access point (AP) transmits a PSMP message providing a downlink period and an uplink period provided to each station (STA), and at least one sub PSMP frame indicating a period of at least one of a downlink and an uplink for an STA requiring additional resource allocation. After exchanging data with the AP in the downlink and uplink periods provided by the PSMP frame, if there is a need for additional resource allocation, the STA receives the at least one sub PSMP frame and exchanges data with the AP in the period provided by the each sub PSMP frame.
US07701883B2
Telephone number binding in a voice-over-Internet system is provided. One embodiment is a method for provisioning a customer voice-over-Internet device for voice-over-Internet service. One such method comprises: providing a customer voice-over-Internet device for communicating with an existing telephone line and a data network; providing a telephone number associated with the existing telephone line to a voice-over-Internet platform; and linking the existing telephone number to a unique identifier associated with the customer voice-over-Internet device.
US07701874B2
The present invention provides a method, system, and program product for the deployment and use of an intelligent sensor network. More particularly, the method, system, and program product of the present invention enable the deployment and use of fused sensors in an arbitrary area or volume. In a first aspect, the invention provides a method for employing a multi-sensor network, the method comprising the steps of employing a first sensor, employing a plurality of additional sensors, a position of each additional sensor within the network being relative in at least two dimensions to only one of the first sensor and an adjacent sensor nearer the first sensor, and employing a routing algorithm for determining a routing path for data in the network.
US07701872B2
A method and apparatus for packet data service discovery are described. A current blacklist comprising entries for wireless networks not providing packet data services (i.e. either not supporting the services or not having a packet data services roaming agreement) is kept in memory of the mobile device based on previous attempts to connect to such networks. Current preferred roaming lists identify whether a given wireless network can be acquired, but do not identify whether a data services roaming agreement exists. At least one of the following advantages is provided: no advance knowledge of data services roaming agreements is required; no mobile device software change is required when the data services roaming agreement changes; mobile device can notify a server of a wireless network status change; significant power savings at the mobile device; and avoid unnecessary network access, which in turn saves network resources and capacity.
US07701867B2
A method and system for performing diagnostic tests on a communications system. Diagnostic test signals are generated by a transceiver included within the communications system. Diagnostic data signals generated within the communications system in response to the diagnostic test signals are collected by the transceiver. The communications transceiver may operate alone, with an assisting communications transceiver, or with a non-assisting communications transceiver. The collected diagnostic data signals are stored and made available for later analysis. The method and system are used to generate and store ECHO Crosstalk, Near End Cross Talk (NEXT) and Far End CrossTalk (FEXT) data signals.
US07701866B2
A method and device for determining a parameter (RTO) associated with a retransmission time-out feature in a data unit transmitter implementing a protocol (TCP) that provides an acknowledgment feature and a retransmission time-out feature, where according to one aspect decreasing values of the round trip time (RTT) are treated differently with respect to their influence on a mean deviation parameter (RTTVAR) than increasing values of the round trip time, where according to another aspect weight values (g, h, w) used in the determination of the parameter (RTO) are chosen such that at least one of them is time variable, and where according to a further aspect the parameter (RTO) is also calculated on the basis of a value (SR) indicative of the number of spurious time-outs in the communication.
US07701863B2
A decentralized SLS monitoring structure (30) includes a measurement preparation and minimization module (32), measurement launching coordination module (34), measurement scheduler module (36) and measurement initialization and results module (38). The monitoring structure (30) prepares throughput tests to be performed on measurement engines (50), including a tapper (52) for splitting the data flow, packet collector (54) for time stamping packet headers, packet filter (56) for filtering packets according to a flow definition and packet recorder (58) for providing information to the measurement initialization and results module (38) for computing throughput.
US07701860B2
A method and apparatus for establishing a test connection to verify the ability to automatically re-establish control plane connections, if necessary, in a PNNI network. Certain routing features such as restricted transit feature and policy based routing features or the current stat of the network itself can limit access to nodes and links between nodes. If these features are implemented in a network or the network state changes after a control plane connection has been established, then these changed conditions will not affect the current connection but may prevent the re-establishment of the connection if it is unintentionally dropped. According to the invention a test connection is periodically set-up through the network and if the test connection fails an alarm or other notice is given. This allows for preventative action to be taken in order to avoid disruption to the network.
US07701859B2
An SLO (service level objective) is represented by a model that includes nodes that represent elements in a system that are used to fulfill the SLO and information that represents dependencies between the elements. Telemetry information is received describing a condition of an element in the system. The telemetry information can be applied to a particular procedure associated with a particular node in the model to determine if there is a problem associated with the element represented by the particular node. At least a portion of the telemetry information is applied to procedures to determine problem cause information describing which elements have problems relating to the SLO. A relative contribution of elements to a problem associated with the SLO is determined by analyzing the problem cause information and the dependencies between the elements.
US07701854B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for differentiated handling of VoIP call control messages according to their importance and functionality, thus providing to VoIP infrastructures a level of robust call control similar to that in PSTN networks. SIP messages are classified by their type or content, and resources of a VoIP call control server are allocated to the SIP messages according to a policy. The scheme also provides overload protection and prioritized handling of certain kinds of requests in VoIP call control servers.
US07701852B1
A method for analyzing performance of a network, e.g., a communications network, is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes measuring detailed information relating to packet delays in routers and reporting the gathered information, for instance, using Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The method hereof provides insight into through-router delays, such insights being particularly useful, for instance, for network providers who may have to comply with allowable delay statistics values across the domains they control.
US07701837B2
Plural grooves or lands formed in an information recording carrier include at least a wobbling region and data is recorded wobblingly in this wobbling region by frequency shift modulation while recorded digitally with a single or multiple waves as a channel bit.
US07701836B2
An optical disk structure and optical disk recorder which enables data to be re-written onto the recording layer of the optical disk. A clock reference structure is permanently formed along servo tracks of the optical disk. An optical transducer is coupled to the clock reference structure and generates a clock reference signal simultaneously with writing new data onto the recording layer of the optical disk. The data is written as data marks along the servo tracks. Each of the data marks includes edges. The edges of the data marks are recorded in synchronization with a write clock. The write clock is phase-locked with the clock reference signal. Therefore, the edges of the data marks are aligned with the clock reference structure with sub-bit accuracy. Standard DVD-ROM disk readers are not able to detect the high spatial frequency of the clock reference structure. Therefore, the optical disk structure and optical disk recorder of this invention allow production of re-writable optical disks which can be read by standard DVD-ROM disk readers.
US07701835B2
The data structure includes a navigation area of a computer readable medium storing navigation data associated with a data stream representing a portion of at least one reproduction path. The navigation data includes indication information, and the indication information indicates whether the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths or the data stream represents a single reproduction path. If the indication information indicates the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths, the navigation data includes path number information and an indicator associated with each reproduction path. The path number information identifies a number of the multiple reproduction paths, and each indicator indicates a file associated with the associated one of the multiple reproduction paths.
US07701833B2
An automatic gain controller includes a voltage control gain amplifier amplifying input signals in response to a control voltage and producing output signals. A level detector detects peak and bottom levels of the output signals of the voltage control gain amplifier, and an analog-digital converter (ADC) converts the detected peak and bottom levels into digital signals. A peak detector detects a digital peak in response to a difference between the digital peak level and digital bottom level, and a voltage controller compares the digital peak and a reference voltage, and controls the control voltage.
US07701831B2
An information recording medium (100) is provided with: a first recording layer (L0 layer) and a second recording layer (L1 layer) in each of which record information can be recorded, the information recording medium includes a plurality of block areas, each of which is a unit of recording the record information and each of which includes a partial recording area of the first recording layer (105a) and a partial recording area of the second recording layer (115a) located in a position facing the partial recording area of the first recording layer.
US07701823B2
A recording medium, and a method and apparatus for recording management information on the recording medium are discussed. According to an embodiment, the invention provides a method of recording management information on a recording medium, the recording medium including a temporary defect management area (TDMA) and a final defect management area (DMA), the DMA including a defect list area, the method comprising: recording, in the TDMA, defect list information produced while the recording medium is in use, and recording, in the defect list area of the DMA, the latest defect list information included in the TDMA when the recording medium is to be finalized, wherein the defect list area of the DMA includes a plurality of recording units, and the latest defect list information is recorded on at least one of the recording units of the defect list area.
US07701814B2
An optical pickup device for recording and reproducing information by tilting and horizontally driving a lens holder, holding an objective lens, to irradiate an optical disk with a recording/reproducing laser light from a light source. The optical pickup device has a reflector for reflecting a portion of the recording/reproducing laser light led to the lens holder from the light source; a detector fixedly placed at a position at which the amount of received light for detection, which is the recording/reproducing laser light reflected by the reflector, varies according to the tilt angle of the lens holder; and tilt angle acquisition means for acquiring the tilt angle of the objective lens from the light receiving amount detected by the detector.
US07701813B2
A method for recording and reproducing information to/from with an optical recording medium, with which either in-groove recording or on-groove recording is selected according to a type of the recording medium, and information can be recorded and reproduced with good signal quality. In this method a laser beam is reflected by an information recording layer and is received by a photodetector that has been split into at least two parts by a split line parallel to the direction of the grooves. Further, the laser beam is reflected in a region in which a groove width is greater than a width between grooves, and the method determines whether the grooves on a side where the laser beam is incident are convex or concave based on a sum signal and a difference signal of photodetection signals outputted from the photodetector.
US07701812B2
An optical element driving apparatus includes a holder that holds a plurality of switchable optical elements for focusing light on a recording medium, a resiliently deformable supporting unit that supports the holder, a focusing driving unit that drives the holder in a direction of optical axes of the optical elements, and a tracking driving unit that drives the holder in a tracking direction perpendicular to the direction of the optical axes. The switching of the optical elements is performed by moving the holder by means of the tracking driving unit, so as to select one of the optical elements that focuses light on the recording medium.
US07701808B2
The present invention relates generally to the storage of information on magnetic and/or optical storage media by using one or more novel approaches alone or in combination. These novel approaches are capable of using at least one code which may comprise more than two values (i.e., more than a “0” and a “1”). A first series of approaches for the storage of information applies generally to optical storage/retrieval systems (e.g., CD's, DVD's, etc.); while a second series of approaches applies generally to electric and/or magnetic storage/retrieval systems (e.g., magnetic, magneto-optic, etc.). Each series of approaches is capable of storing information in one or more codes, wherein such approaches permit, if desired, the use of at least one higher order code which is different from the traditional binary code of “0's” and “1's” currently utilized for the storage of digital information. Said at least one higher order code may comprise three or more optical and/or magnetic values or bits that are used to represent, for example, ASCII or Unicode characters that are currently represented predominantly by the traditional binary code. This higher order code may also be an analog or analog-like code.
US07701793B2
One embodiment includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines intersecting with the plurality of word lines, a plurality of memory cells formed at intersections of and connected to the plurality of word lines and the plurality of bit lines. Each of the plurality of memory cells may be a floating body cell. A bit line selecting circuit may be configured to selectively connect each of the plurality of bit lines to an output bit line. The embodiment may further include plurality of sense amplifiers, where the plurality of sense amplifiers is greater than one and less than the plurality of bit lines in number. A sense amplifier switching structure may be configured to selectively connect each of the plurality of sense amplifiers to the output bit line.
US07701791B2
A low read current architecture for memory. Bit lines of a cross point memory array are allowed to be charged by a selected word line until a minimum voltage differential between a memory state and a reference level is assured.
US07701789B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of bonding pads as bonding option, and a test circuit for performing an operation test using particular bonding pads and testing interconnects connecting internal circuits to the remaining bonding pads which are not used in the operation test.
US07701778B2
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and more specifically relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory with increased program throughput. The present invention provides a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with a plurality of block source lines corresponding to the memory blocks, arranged in parallel to the word lines, a plurality of global source lines arranged in perpendicular to the block source lines; and a plurality of switches for selectively connecting corresponding ones of the block source lines and the global source lines.
US07701777B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a sense amp circuit. The memory cell array includes bit lines connected to memory cells operative to store first logic data and second logic data smaller in cell current than the first logic. The sense amp circuit has a clamp transistor operative to clamp a bit line voltage. The sense amp circuit is operative to detect data in a selected memory cell via the clamp transistor and the bit line. The sense amp circuit is operative to read data from the selected memory cell in at least the two of first and second read cycles while a control voltage is applied to a gate of the clamp transistor. Different control voltages are applied to the gate of the clamp transistor in the first and second read cycles.
US07701776B2
A sense amplifier for multiple level flash memory cells is comprised of a voltage ramp generator that generates a ramp voltage signal. Reference sense amplifiers compare an input reference current to a ramp current generated from the ramp voltage signal. When the ramp voltage signal is greater than the reference current, an output latch signal is toggled. A sense amplifier compares an input bit line current to a threshold and outputs a logical low when the bit line current goes over the threshold. The sense amplifier output is latched into one of three digital latches at a time determined by the latch signals. An encoder encodes the data from the three digital latches into two bits of output data.
US07701775B2
A flash memory device is configured to store multi-bit data on one cell utilizing fewer program operations. The flash memory device includes a memory cell, a sense amplifier and a write driver circuit. The sense amplifier is connected to a word line and a bit line. The sense amplifier and write driver circuit store data bits to be programmed on the memory cell. The sense amplifier and write driver circuit drives the bit line through a program voltage during a program execution period when at least one bit from among the data bits to be programmed is a program data bit, and performs a verify read operation when a program verify code representing a verify read period corresponds to a state of the data bits to be programmed.
US07701773B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of electronically reprogrammable memory cells, a circuit for applying a plurality of pulse signals having corresponding high level potentials increasing step by step to said memory cell, and verify circuit for detecting a threshold value of said memory cell after applying said plurality of pulse signals. Further, the circuit for applying said plurality of pulse signals includes a first circuit for generating a first clock having a first amplitude voltage and a second clock having a second amplitude voltage which is higher than said first amplitude voltage, a second circuit for generating said plurality of said pulse signal having corresponding predetermined voltages based on said first clock or said second clock input from said first circuit respectively, and a third circuit for stopping an input of said first clock and said second clock to said second circuit when said plurality of pulse signals generated by said second circuit reach said corresponding predetermined voltages respectively.
US07701770B2
A method of programming a flash memory device including performing a first program for programming cells to a first state and a second state higher than the first state, and performing a second program simultaneously together with the first program, for programming cells to the second state and a third state higher than the second state.
US07701768B2
A method for programming an MLC flash memory device minimizes interference between adjacent cells during a program operation, such that threshold voltage distribution becomes narrow and uniform. According to the method, an auxiliary program operation is performed on memory cells to be programmed, such that a majority of the memory cells have a positive threshold voltage. An LSB of a particular memory cell is programmed to a predetermined level, and data of the programmed LSB is sensed. An MSB of the particular memory cell is programmed to a predetermined level according to the sensed data of the LSB.
US07701767B2
A semiconductor device with multiple strap-contact configurations for a memory cell array. An array with memory cells interconnected with bit-lines, control-gate lines, erase gate lines, common-source lines, and word-lines is provided. In one aspect of an illustrative embodiment, a strap-contact corridor is spaced at n bit-line intervals (n>1) across the array. The strap-contact corridor comprises strap-contact cells, which provide electrical interconnection between control-gate lines, erase gate lines, common-source lines, and word-lines and their respective straps.
US07701766B2
A non-volatile memory device according to one example embodiment of the present invention includes a page buffer configured to have a first register for receiving data and storing temporarily the received data to be inputted to a pair of first bit lines, a second register coupled selectively to the first register and for storing temporarily data to be inputted to a pair of second bit lines, and a third register for storing temporarily specific data in accordance with a level of the data stored in the first register; a first bit line selecting circuit configured to couple selectively a given bit line of the first bit lines to the first register; and a second bit line selecting circuit configured to couple selectively a certain bit line of the second bit lines to the second register.
US07701760B2
Resistance variable memory device with sputtered metal-chalcogenide region and method of fabrication
A chalcogenide-based programmable conductor memory device and method of forming the device, wherein a chalcogenide glass region is provided with a plurality of alternating tin chalcogenide and metal layers proximate thereto. The method of forming the device comprises sputtering the alternating tin chalcogenide and metal layers.
US07701759B2
A memory device including a memory cell comprising phase change material is described along with methods for programming the memory device. A method for programming disclosed herein includes determining a data value for the memory cell, and applying a pulse pair to store the data value. The pulse pair includes an initial pulse having a pulse shape adapted to preset the phase change material in the memory cell to a normalizing resistance state, and a subsequent pulse having a pulse shape adapted to set the phase change material from the normalizing resistance state to a resistance corresponding to the determined data value.
US07701756B2
A sensing device includes a sensor, a control unit, an input/output (I/O) interface, and a non-volatile magnetic memory device having one or more memory cells, each of the memory cells, wherein each memory cell of the non-volatile magnetic memory device includes a magnetic switch including a magnetic component and a write coil located proximate the magnetic component, the write coil coupled to receive a current sufficient to create a remnant magnetic polarity in the magnetic component, and a Hall sensor, positioned proximate the magnetic component, to detect the remnant magnetic polarity indicative of a stored data bit.
US07701754B1
An electromechanical memory cell utilizes a cantilever and a laterally positioned electrode. The cantilever is spaced apart from the electrode by a distance that is greater than the elastic limit of the cantilever. The memory cell is programmed by applying voltages to the cantilever and the electrode which causes the cantilever to move into a region of plastic deformation without ever touching the electrode.
US07701753B2
A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) having DRAM cells coupled to wordlines and bitlines. In a self-refresh mode, the cells coupled with the even numbered rows retain main data previously stored therein and the assistant data, which is logically opposite to the main data, is overwritten into the cells coupled with the wordlines of the odd numbered rows. When the DRAM enters the self-refresh mode, a starting refresh address for the self-refresh mode is detected. If the detected starting refresh address does not match with a predetermined correct address set for the self-refresh operation mode, a dummy refresh cycle will be established in an entry-burst self-refresh period. During the dummy refresh cycle, a dummy refresh command is added to increment an internal row address counter that provides row addresses for self-refreshing the cells of the selected wordlines within the cell array.
US07701747B2
A non-volatile memory device, in which data values are determined by polarities at cell terminals, includes a memory cell array. The memory cell array is divided into multiple sub cell arrays, each sub cell array including at least one input/output line and an X-decoder/driver. First input/output lines included in different sub cell arrays may be simultaneously activated and bias voltages may be applied to the activated first input/output lines in accordance with the data values. The non-volatile memory device may be a bi-directional resistive random access memory (RRAM).
US07701740B2
A power conversion method comprising detecting a three-phase source voltage of the three-phase AC power supply every control sampling cycle. The three-phase source voltage is allocated to a maximum voltage, an intermediate voltage and a minimum voltage as seen from a virtual neutral point voltage. A one-phase fixing switching mode is detected for fixing one of output phases into a predetermined state without switching and switching the other phases during a PWM cycle or a full phase switching mode for switching all of the phases during the PWM cycle based on an output voltage command and the three-phase source voltage. ON/OFF pattern of a bidirectional switch is determined from the switching mode thus selected, the output voltage command and the three-phase source voltage. The bidirectional switch is turned ON/OFF based on the ON/OFF pattern.
US07701738B2
A power supply and method of operating the same. The method includes the steps of: operating first and second switches to an “On” position; operating said first switch to a “Off” position, causing a flow of a first free-wheeling current through a first free-wheeling current path; measuring a value of said free-wheeling current; controlling the switching of said second switch responsive to said value of said free-wheeling current; and regulating power from said power supply unit. The power supply includes: an inductive converter; a first free-wheeling current path comprising: a first switch connected in series with said inductive converter and a first means for measuring a first free-wheeling current flowing through said first free-wheeling current path; and a second free-wheeling current path comprising: a second switch connected in series with said inductive converter and a second means for measuring a second free-wheeling current flowing through said second free-wheeling current path.
US07701737B2
A DC-AC converter includes a signal generating module, a first switch, a first capacitor, a transformer, and a trigger signal generating module. The signal generating module generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal according to a trigger signal. The first switch has a control terminal receiving the PWM signal, and a first terminal and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal and a second terminal of the first capacitor respectively. The transformer has a primary winding coupled to the second terminal of the first switch, and a secondary winding coupled to a load. The transformer generates a driving signal to the load according to a signal variation of the primary winding. The trigger signal generating module compares a first signal outputted from the second terminal of the first switch with a phase delay signal thereof and thereby generates the trigger signal for controlling the frequency of the PWM signal.
US07701733B2
A synchronous rectifying circuit is provided for power converter. A pulse signal generator is utilized to generate a pulse signal in response to the leading edge and the trailing edge of a switching signal. The switching signal is used for switching the transformer of the power converter. An isolation device such as pulse transformer or small capacitors is coupled to the pulse signal generator for transferring the pulse signal through an isolation barrier of a transformer. A synchronous rectifier includes a power switch and a control circuit. The power switch is equipped in between the secondary side of the transformer and the output of the power converter for the rectifying. The control circuit having a latch is operated to receive the pulse signal for turning on/off the power switch.
US07701732B2
A high-voltage AC-DC converter is provided that converts alternating current into high-voltage direct current to be provided to a load, e.g. for use as an electrostatic precipitator. The converter includes at least one transformer, wherein the transformer includes at least one primary winding on the AC-side and at least two secondary windings on the DC-side. The converter further includes at least one rectifier rectifying alternating input current, comprising at least one transistor bridge converting the resulting direct current into alternating current, the transformer transforming the resulting alternating current, and comprising at least two high-voltage rectifiers connected to each of the secondary windings, wherein the output voltage of the high-voltage rectifiers is connected in series.
US07701724B2
A shield structure for information technology equipments includes an opening part provided in a portion of the shield structure and a lid covering the opening part. A signal ground line is provided on a printed circuit board accommodated in the enclosure. An electric connection material extends between the lid and the signal ground line of the printed circuit board and has at least a surface formed by an electrically conductive material. The electric connection material is in contact with the signal ground line of the printed circuit board.
US07701723B2
A protecting apparatus is provided for protecting a chip that is mounted on a subminiature circuit board. The protecting apparatus includes a supporting seat for mounting the subminiature circuit board thereon, and a protective cover for receiving the subminiature circuit board and the supporting seat therein. The supporting seat includes a locking element. The protective cover includes a connecting element corresponding to the locking element. The supporting seat is fixed in the protective cover via the locking element engaging with the connecting element.
US07701706B2
An exemplary fixing apparatus is for mounting a hard disk drive (HDD) having a plurality of holes defined in sidewalls and includes a first side plate, a bracket, and a plurality of fixing pins. The bracket includes an end plate, and a second side plate perpendicular to the end plate. One end of the first side plate is pivotably attached to a free end of the end plate of the bracket. The other end of the first plate includes a latch extending therefrom. The second side plate includes a latch extending from a free end thereof, to detachably engage with the latch of the first side plate. The fixing pins are attached to the first side plate and the second side plate to engage in the holes of the HDD.
US07701705B1
A novel information storage device is disclosed and claimed. The information storage device includes a disk drive and a sheet metal support attached to the disk drive. The sheet metal support includes a plurality of sheet metal projections, each including a major surface. Each of at least two of the plurality of sheet metal projections includes at least one tab bent out of a plane that includes the major surface of that sheet metal projection. The information storage device also includes a plurality of elastomeric inserts. Each of the plurality of elastomeric inserts includes a cavity sized to receive one of the plurality of sheet metal projections. The information storage device also includes a housing. The housing includes a plurality of receptacles, each sized to receive one of the plurality of elastomeric inserts.
US07701697B2
The method for manufacturing a supercapacitor according to the present invention includes the following steps. First, stack a bottom electrode plate and a top electrode plate in parallel. Then, install a first rubber frame and a second rubber frame face-to-face on the bottom and the top electrode plates. The first rubber frame is adapted with a first opening, while the second rubber frame is adapted with a second opening. Next, install an isolation membrane in a space surrounded by the first and the second rubber frames. Afterwards, bind the first and the second rubber frames. Then, produce vacuum in the space. Next, place the bottom and the top electrode plates into an electrolyte to make the electrolyte flow into the space. Finally, use a first resin to seal the first and the second openings. Thereby, the short-circuit phenomenon caused by long-term usage of the supercapacitor can be prevented. In addition, the structural strength of the supercapacitor can be reinforced to avoid electrolyte-leakage phenomenon.
US07701696B2
A first terminal electrode has a first electrode portion disposed on a first face and connected to a first internal electrode, and a second electrode portion disposed on a third face and connected to the first electrode portion. A second terminal electrode has a first electrode portion disposed on a second face and connected to a second internal electrode, and a second electrode portion disposed on the third face and connected to the first electrode portion. Each of the second electrode portions of the first and second terminal electrodes, when viewed along a third direction perpendicular to the third face, is arranged with a gap in the second direction so as to sandwich at least a portion of an end in the first direction of an element body region sandwiched between the first internal electrode and the second internal electrode, at an end in the first direction of the second electrode portion.
US07701681B2
A method and apparatus for mitigating arc faults in a power generation system includes reducing and/or eliminating voltage when an arc is present, to protect the system from associated damage.
US07701680B2
An improved ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) device has a moveable lock plate controlled by a relay to block a hole under the reset guiding member to prevent reset of the device. The moveable lock plate blocks the hole and prevents reset when the relay is not energized, and expose the hole to allow reset when the relay is energized. The relay is powered by a power supply circuit which is connected in series with a solenoid across the input side of the GFCI. The solenoid is controlled by a control circuit, and causes a disconnecting assembly to disconnect the input and output sides of the GFCI when a leakage current is detected. If the solenoid malfunctions, or if the GFCI device is reversely wired, the relay is not energized and the device cannot be reset.
US07701669B2
When the flying height of a magnetic head slider lowers, there arises the problem that the magnetic head slider assumes a forwardly falling attitude and a front edge portion of a leading end of the magnetic head slider comes into contact with a magnetic disk surface, causing damage to the disk surface. To address the problem, one aspect of the invention is directed to a magnetic head slider which includes an air bearing surface, a leading end and a trailing end. Three flying pads are formed on the air bearing surface and a step bearing surface is formed around the first and second flying pads near the leading end and a negative pressure groove for producing a negative pressure is formed in such a manner that the leading side is surrounded by the step bearing surface. The third flying pad is formed near the trailing end and is provided with a magnetic head. A step bearing is formed on the leading side of the third flying pad. Further, the magnetic head slider is formed with an aperture in a front edge portion of the leading end.
US07701668B2
A system and method form a nanodisk that can be used to form isolated data bits on a memory disk. The imprint stamp is formed from first and second overlapping patterns, where the patterns are selectively etched. The selective etching leaves either pits or posts on the imprint stamp. The pits or posts are imprinted on the memory disk, leaving either pits or posts on the memory disk. The pits or posts on the memory disk are processed to form relatively small and dense isolated data bits. Instability of the isolated data bits caused by outside magnetic and thermal influences is substantially eliminated.
US07701656B2
A permanent magnet degausser includes at least one magnetic field generator comprising magnetic elements arranged near a media conveyance path and a conveyor for transporting magnetic media through a magnetic media conveyance path. A passive belt or protector plate may be provided to assist the passage of the magnetic media through the applied magnetic field. The conveyor may be a continuous motion conveyor belt including cleats for holding the magnetic media or a reciprocal media conveyor including magnetic storage media bin. The magnetic field generator may include permanent magnets of varying intrinsic coercivities and/or remanences.
US07701645B2
An object is to provide a zoom lens system that can realize high image quality, a large aperture and a small size simultaneously and that can optically compensate blur of the image due to hand blur, vibration or the like, an imaging device and a camera. The present invention relates to a zoom lens system, in order from the object side to the image side, comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein variable magnification is achieved by moving at least three lens units in an optical axis direction, focusing is achieved by moving the fourth lens unit in the optical axis direction, blur of the image is compensated by moving the third lens unit in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and at least one of a condition (1): 0<(|ΔL|·fW)/(fT·IM)<10×10−2 and a condition (2): 0.005<(|ΔL3|·fW)/(fT·IM)<0.15 (here, Z=fT/fW>8.0) is satisfied, an imaging device and a camera.
US07701641B2
The subject invention provides methods for creating wavefront aberrators with a desired refractive index profile that is stable against thermal and/or solar exposure. The invention further provides wavefront aberrators produced according to the methods described herein.
US07701631B2
Described herein are systems, devices, and methods relating to packaging electronic devices, for example, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, including optical modulators such as interferometric optical modulators. The packaging system disclosed herein comprises a patterned spacer that, in some embodiments, is fabricated using thin-film methods. In some embodiments, the spacer together with a substrate and backplate package an electronic device.
US07701629B2
Various aspects of the present invention are directed to photonic devices, such as electro-optic modulators, passive filters, and tunable filters. In one aspect of the present invention, a photonic device includes a semiconductor structure having a p-region and an n-region. A doped region is formed on or within the semiconductor structure. The doped region includes at least one generally periodic array of recesses, with the at least one generally periodic array configured to transmit electromagnetic radiation at a selected dominant wavelength. The selected dominant wavelength is tunable by varying the refractive index of the semiconductor structure.
US07701628B2
The invention relates to an electro-optic light control element, electro-optic displays containing said elements and display systems such as TV screens and computer monitors. The inventive light control elements contain a mesogenic control medium which is present in the isotropic phase during operation of the light control elements and arc characterized both by good contrast and low angular field dependence and particularly by very short switching, times. The invention also relates to the mesogenic control media used in the electro-optic light control elements.
US07701614B2
The image processing method for performing halftoning of a digital image constituted by an array of pixels having grayscale values which correspond to a content of the digital image, the method comprises the steps of: grouping the pixels constituting the digital image into a first group comprising pixels in pixel positions from which a quantization error generated through quantization is diffused to a peripheral pixel, and a second group comprising pixels in pixel positions from which the quantization error generated through quantization is not diffused to a peripheral pixel; performing a first quantization process on the pixels belonging to the first group using a threshold matrix; determining the quantization error generated during the first quantization process; diffusing the quantization error obtained in the quantization error determining step to at least one non-quantized pixel belonging to the second group which is adjacent to the pixel subjected to the first quantization process; and performing a second quantization process, using a threshold matrix, on the non-quantized pixel to which an error value is diffused during the quantization error diffusing step.
US07701609B2
A sheet is wound up on a frictional carrier drum having a circumferential length longer than a sheet length so that the length of the wound-up sheet is a quarter or more of the circumferential length, and contact elements for pressing the sheet against the frictional carrier drum are provided at four or more positions around the frictional carrier drum so as not to generate a slip of the sheet, whereby it is possible to prevent a slip between the sheet and the frictional carrier drum, and it is also possible to prevent the superposition deviation of colors in a transfer process repeated several times.
US07701608B2
An automatic counting device for measuring the number of target objects included in an image, which includes a discrimination section, a counting section, and a correction section. The discrimination section discriminates the target objects included in the image based on face information extracted from the image. The counting section measures the number of target objects discriminated by the discrimination means. The correction section corrects the number of each type of target object measured by the counting section such that the counting error arising from the difference in the discrimination accuracy between each type of target object is minimized based on information related to the discrimination accuracy for each type of target object.
US07701603B2
A print processing apparatus is disclosed that performs print data processing based on a print command from an application. The apparatus includes a print data generating part that generates print data in a first format recognizable by a printing apparatus that executes a printing process, the print data being generated based on a print setting value for the print data and a notification setting value pertaining to notification of a processing state of the print data. The apparatus also includes a monitoring part that transmits the print data to the printing apparatus, monitors the processing state of the print data, and determines whether to conduct the notification pertaining to the processing state of the print data according to the notification setting value.
US07701592B2
Systems and methods are provided for targetless optical measurement and optical information projection. A non-contact optical measurement device is provided for determining at least one of position and orientation of a workpiece. A projector is provided for projecting a part definition on the workpiece. Advantageously, beams from the non-contact optical measurement device and the projector pass through common optics.
US07701588B2
A surface emission laser light source is used as a tunable laser light source. Since the surface emission laser light source can realize a broad frequency scanning range at a high speed and in the single mode, a coherent length is longer than that of a multi mode light source. For this reason, when a tomography image is calculated by executing the Fourier transform for an output obtained from an interference optical device, measuring depth can be deepened.
US07701580B2
A filter arrangement can transmit and/or reflect light emanating from a moving object so that the emanating light has time variation, and the time variation can include information about the object, such as its type. For example, emanating light from segments of a path can be transmitted/reflected through positions of a filter assembly, and the transmission functions of the positions can be sufficiently different that time variation occurs in the emanating light between segments. Or emanating light from a segment can be transmitted/reflected through a filter component in which simpler transmission functions are superimposed, so that time variation occurs in the emanating light in accordance with superposition of two simpler non-uniform transmission functions. Many filter arrangements could be used, e.g. the filter component could include the filter assembly, which can have one of the simpler non-uniform transmission functions. Time-varying waveforms from sensing results can be compared to obtain spectral differences.
US07701576B2
A method and apparatus for sorting and performing redundant analysis of particles in an aerosol is disclosed. Redundant analysis reduces the possibility of false positive analyses, which is advantageous in the art. The apparatus may comprise an aerosol concentrator, an optical particle analyzer, an electrosprayer and a charged particle analyzer. A method according to the invention may comprise delivering a concentrated aerosol stream to an optical particle analyzer; analyzing each particle of interest and selectively triggering an electrosprayer to electrospray each particle of interest; adding a charge to the particle, which is then moved by electrostatic forces to a charged particle analyzer; and performing a second, redundant analysis of each charged particle collected on the charged particle analyzer to confirm the identity of the particle of interest. The apparatus and method may also be adapted to perform redundant analysis of disguised particles that are coated to disguise their payload.
US07701572B2
The disclosure relates to systems and method for chemical imaging of microarrays. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a system for simultaneous spectral imaging of a plurality of samples arranged on an array. The system includes an illumination source for providing illuminating photons to said plurality of samples, the illuminating photons interacting with each of the plurality of samples to emit interacted photons; an array for receiving said plurality of samples, the array having an external dimension such that the samples are within a simultaneous field of view of the optical device; an optical device for collecting the interacted photons and directing the photons to an imaging device, the imaging device simultaneously forming a plurality of images corresponding to each of the plurality of samples.
US07701561B2
A polarization imaging apparatus measures the Stokes image of a sample. The apparatus consists of an optical lens set 11, a linear polarizer 14 with its optical axis 18, a first variable phase retarder 12 with its optical axis 16 aligned 22.5° to axis 18, a second variable phase retarder 13 with its optical axis 17 aligned 45° to axis 18, a imaging sensor 15 for sensing the intensity images of the sample, a controller 101 and a computer 102. Two variable phase retarders 12 and 13 were controlled independently by a computer 102 through a controller unit 101 which generates a sequential of voltages to control the phase retardations of VPRs 12 and 13. A set of four intensity images, I0, I1, I2 and I3 of the sample were captured by imaging sensor 15 when the phase retardations of VPRs 12 and 13 were set at (0,0), (π,0), (π,π) and (π/2,π), respectively Then four Stokes components of a Stokes image, S0, S1, S2 and S3 were calculated using the four intensity images.
US07701559B2
A laser device and method capable of one or more dimensional absolute distance measurements and/or surface scanning and/or coordinate measurements of a moving external retroreflector or other moving target surfaces without using an incremental interferometer.
US07701556B2
A light detecting circuit includes a power source circuit, an optoelectronic component, a switch and a Trans Impedance Amplifier (TIA) circuit. The power source circuit provides an electric signal. When the optoelectronic component is biased at a bias voltage, the optoelectronic component generates a corresponding current according to the received light density. The switch has a trigger receiver. After the trigger receiver receives a trigger signal, the switch turns on and the optoelectronic component is biased at the bias voltage. The TIA circuit transforms the corresponding current to a corresponding voltage and then calculates the corresponding voltage to obtain the light density.
US07701554B2
An optical component for use in a lithographic apparatus. The optical component includes an optical element having an optical surface for reflecting electromagnetic radiation, and a protective zone covering the optical surface. The protective zone is provided with a material that substantially protects the optical surface against sputtering when the optical component is in use. The material has a refractive index that approximately equals unity for at least a predetermined wavelength of electromagnetic radiation to which the optical surface is exposed.
US07701548B2
An LCD device and a method for manufacturing the same is disclosed, to prevent a sealant from being coagulated or disconnected at a predetermined portion, the method comprising preparing lower and upper substrates; dispensing a sealant on any one of the lower and upper substrates by a dispenser; dispensing liquid crystal on any one of the lower and upper substrates; and bonding the lower and upper substrates to each other, wherein the process of dispensing the sealant includes sequential steps of dispensing a first dummy sealant in the periphery of a main sealant pattern, dispensing the main sealant pattern after forming the first dummy sealant, and dispensing a second dummy sealant pattern in the periphery of the main sealant pattern after forming the main sealant pattern.
US07701542B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a pixel matrix where a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines cross each other and a plurality of liquid crystal cells are arranged, first data switching thin film transistors respectively connected to data lines of a first group of the data lines, and second data switching thin film transistors respectively connected to data lines of a second group of the data lines.
US07701534B2
A display panel includes an opposite substrate and an array substrate, the array substrate includes a first base substrate, a plurality of pixels and a color filter. The opposite substrate includes a second base substrate, a first black matrix and a second black matrix. The first black matrix maintains an interval between the second base substrate and the array substrate, and the first black matrix is formed to correspond to a display area to block light. The second black matrix includes a first area and a second area. The first area surrounds the color filter and the second area surrounds the first area. The second area includes a height different from a height of the first area when viewed in a plan view.
US07701531B2
A liquid crystal display is provided with a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp including a glass mantle tube having an inside surface coated with a fluorescent film, cup-shaped electrodes disposed in opposite end parts of the mantle tube with their open ends opening into a discharge region in the mantle tube. A discharge inducing ITO film is formed in a part near each of the cup-shaped electrodes of the inside surface of the mantle tube. Cosmic rays from space penetrated the transparent glass tube and the fluorescent film and received by the discharge inducing ITO films activate free electrons moving in the glass tube and, at the same time, electrons emitted by the cup-shaped electrodes when a voltage is applied across the cup-shaped electrodes induces an electric discharge to make the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp light instantly.
US07701525B2
A liquid crystal panel includes a line extending between a first pixel and a second pixel which are adjacent to each other; a first pixel element portion for the first pixel; and a second pixel element portion for the second pixel. The first pixel element portion is provided on a side with respect to the line where the first pixel is disposed. The second pixel element portion is provided, along with the first pixel element portion, on the side with respect to the line where the first pixel is disposed.
US07701514B2
A system and system for performing adaptive recursive noise reduction with still pixel detection on a video stream is presented. After processing a field pixels that were modified are stored in the field so that processing of later fields uses the modified pixels. Furthermore, the system uses novel still pixel detection routines that include multiple thresholds and multiple windows of pixels so that noise reduction is only performed on still pixels.
US07701509B2
A method for performing motion compensated video spatial up-conversion on video. The horizontal samples in successive fields are first interpolated using a spatial interpolation technique. This is followed by interpolating the corresponding vertical samples using a motion compensated deinterlacing technique. Such techniques can include an adaptively recursive motion compensated video spatial up-conversion or an adaptively recursive motion compensated video spatial up-conversion using a generalized sampling theorem. The present invention can be used to convert video captured on a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, so that it can be subsequently and adequately displayed on a television.
US07701508B2
A method for de-interlacing is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining a plurality of target mode values for a target pixel being synthesized to convert a current field into a current frame, wherein at least two of the target mode values are based on both (i) a plurality of original pixels and (ii) a plurality of synthesized pixels in a plurality of synthesized frames, (B) generating a plurality of candidate values for the target pixel using a plurality of interpolation techniques that includes a motion estimation interpolation utilizing a particular one of the synthesized frames and (C) selecting a particular one of the candidate values for the target pixel in response to the target mode values.
US07701500B2
A concept such as an album is introduced with respect to management and arrangement of image files, and several albums are electronically classified and managed for an electronic camera apparatus. According to one embodiment, a method comprises capturing an image, recording the image as an image file, creating a plurality of albums used for classifying and arranging the image file, and displaying album identifier information corresponding to each of the created plurality of albums during the shooting mode or the playback mode.
US07701497B2
Systems, methods and devices related to detecting and transmitting images. Imaging system and devices, as well as methods of using such that are provided herein include flicker detection and/or correction; and/or built-in self test associated with various analog circuitry in the imaging devices; and/or power reduction ability; and/or pixels with charge evacuation functionality; and/or parallel to serial conversion unit and associated serial output interface; and/or other advanced functionality.
US07701469B2
A method is provided for reducing or eliminating degradation effects in a display 22, 22′ of a portable device 10 and a portable device for performing such a method. The method comprises the steps of presenting particles 410 of a particle system 400 on the display 22, 22′ and moving the particles 410 in the particle system 400 so that the display 22, 22′ is substantially uniformly utilized.
US07701466B2
Systems and methods for processing signals are disclosed. The method may include, in a communication device that includes a chip operating to processing video signals, receiving video data from a camera. The received video data may include alternating YUV formatted video data and RGB formatted video data. The received video data may be separated into separate YUV images and separate RGB images. The separate YUV images may be transferred to a first device, and the separate RGB images may be transferred to a second device. The camera may be configured to generate the video data that includes alternating YUV formatted video data and RGB formatted video data. The separate YUV images may be DMA transferred to the first device. A DMA controller may be configured to alternately transfer the separate YUV images and separate RGB images. The alternate transfer via the DMA controller may occur without assistance from on-chip processor.
US07701463B2
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for accelerated rendering of images with transparent pixels using a spatial index. A determination is made whether anything exists behind an object in an image. If not, then transparent pixels within the object are converted to a background color and rendered as opaque pixels.
US07701461B2
A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. Techniques for efficiently buffering graphics data between a producer and a consumer within a low-cost graphics systems such as a 3D home video game overcome the problem that a small-sized FIFO buffer in the graphics hardware may not adequately load balance a producer and consumer—causing the producer to stall when the consumer renders bit primitives. One aspect of the invention solves this invention by allocating part of main memory to provide a variable number of variable sized graphics commands buffers. Applications can specify the number of buffers and the size of each. All writes to the graphics FIFO can be routed a buffer in main memory. The producer and consumer independently maintain their own read and write pointers, decoupling the producer from the consumer. The consumer does not write to the buffer, but uses its write pointer to keep track of data valid positions within the buffer. The producer can write a read command to a buffer that directs the consumer to read a string of graphics commands (e.g., display list) stored elsewhere in the memory, and to subsequently return to reading the rest of the buffer. Display lists can be created by simply writing a command that redirects the output of the producer to a display list buffer.
US07701458B2
A method is disclosed that allows a content provider to transmit font information to a receiver, and that further allows a receiver terminal to receive and apply such information, thus giving improved possibilities for the content provider to define how to render the transmitted text or symbols on a display. The method is good for data streaming systems, in particular MPEG-4 based systems. Advantageously, the received font information can be stored if the terminal contains an appropriate storage device.
US07701457B2
A pen-based system allows users, such as artists, graphic designers and illustrators, and the like, to create accurate curve models by sketching. A tool set implemented in software that runs on a computer system combines paper sketch metaphors and a minimalist gesture set. This tool set provides an environment where the artists can focus on the creative task at hand rather than the details of operating software. A pen-based drawing method and system allows users to create and edit three dimensional (“3D”) objects by sketching.
US07701455B2
The fundamental concept of expressing brightness level of a geometric primitive is to control the number of rendered display elements, representing desired brightness level, in the geometric primitive as a fraction of the maximum number of display elements, representing the maximum brightness level, that can be placed in it. There are two approaches to achieve this control: Point-based Rendering and Intersection-based Rendering. In Point-based Rendering, a geometric primitive is converted into a representation of sampling points and then the sampling points are rendered. In Intersection-based Rendering, the intersections of a geometric primitive with the frame slices are rendered. The basic procedure to render a texture-mapped surface is to divide the surface into a number of regions, each region having a different intensity range, and then render each region with a different density of display elements to represent different brightness level. The procedure of rendering a 3D volume with gray scale distribution is similar.
US07701437B2
An interactive display (100) comprising a camera (400) that record a message presented to the interactive display. This message comprises the name of the person for whom the message is intended. When this person is identified via the camera (400) by face recognition or via a voice recorder (102) by voice recognition, the interactive display (100) displays the message to this person. When the interactive display (100) is not used, i.e. it is not used to record a message and there are no persons within sight of the camera (400) that can trigger a message being displayed, the interactive camera can be used as a mirror.
US07701430B2
There is provided a driving circuit of a liquid crystal display device capable of solving a problem of power consumption while solving a problem of time required for charge/discharge of source lines by virtue of shorting by use of precharge. The driving circuit of the liquid crystal display device comprises first shorting means, second shorting means, third shorting means, and fourth shorting means. With the use of the fourth shorting means, in particular, the source lines can be driven starting from a predetermined potential generated by a gradation voltage generation circuit, and a drive start potential is changed from a conventional common electrode potential to potentials generated by the gradation voltage generation circuit, so that power consumption can be effectively reduced (by about 8% on average as compared with the conventional case).
US07701429B2
A method of driving a liquid crystal display device includes multiplying a frame frequency of an inputted current frame to generate a multiplied odd-numbered frame and a multiplied even-numbered frame; determining whether said current frame is a still image frame or a dynamic image frame; detecting an edge area at which a motion blur occurs from the multiplied odd-numbered frame and the multiplied even-numbered frame; converting gray level values of pixels positioned at the detected edge area at the multiplied odd-numbered frame and the multiplied even-numbered frame; and continuously outputting the multiplied odd-numbered still image frame and the multiplied even-numbered still image frame or continuously outputting the multiplied odd-numbered dynamic image frame and the multiplied even-numbered dynamic image frame having the converted gray level values in accordance with the determined result. A liquid crystal display device is also disclosed.
US07701426B2
In each horizontal period, by switching ON switches respectively provided for three data signal lines for R, G and B in a group at the same time only in a predetermined period, the data signal lines in the group are preliminary charged to a predetermined potential at the same time before a data signal supply period. In a subsequent data signal supply period, respective switches of data signal lines for R, G and B are switched ON sequentially, to sequentially supply respective data for R, G and B to pixels on a scanning signal line as selected are supplied via data signal lines. As a result, in a display device driven by time-division based on a group of sequentially provided data signal lines, it is possible to suppress up-throw potential fluctuations when display.
US07701420B2
The present invention enhances a display quality of a display device as a task. As means for solving such a task, the present invention provides a display device including a light emitting element and a switching element in a pixel, wherein the switching element is provided for supplying a power source to the light emitting element and is constituted of a first switching element and a second switching element. The first switching element and the second switching element are configured to be operated, in response to inputting of data signals into the inside of the pixel, one switching element assumes a positive bias state and another switching element assumes a reverse bias state, and the bias states are alternately changed over between the first switching element and the second switching element in response to time-sequential inputting of the data signals, and the supply of the power source to the light emitting element is performed by way of either one of the first switching element and the second switching element.
US07701419B2
A first group of data drivers is connected to a sub-field processor, a first power recovery circuit, and a PDP, and a second group of data drivers is connected to a sub-field processor, a second power recovery circuit, and a PDP. The first and second groups of data drivers apply to the PDP data pulses that differ in phases. The first and second power recovery circuits generate a voltage for generating the data pulses to the first and second groups of data drivers due to LC resonance, and discharge and recover charges to and from the PDP. Recovery potentials of recovery capacitors in the first and second power recovery circuits are changed depending on the number of times of switching between discharges and non-discharges of discharge cells in the PDP.
US07701398B2
The present invention relates to an antenna unit (500, 600) and a portable device (10) comprising such an antenna unit. The antenna unit (500, 600) may include at least two antenna elements (510B, 510C) forming a television antenna (600) arranged in a cable adapted for detachably connecting an auxiliary device (500) to the portable device (10). The at least two antenna elements form a dipole antenna that provides good properties over a known frequency range without requiring any additional circuitry or signal processing for the device (10) and without requiring or occupying any space within the device (10).
US07701373B2
A multi-channel current steering DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), for example, a 2-channel current steering DAC, includes a plurality of current sources I1, I2, . . . corresponding to the number of bits of a digital input signal DS in each of channels A, B. Each of the plurality of current sources I1, I2, . . . is formed by two small-current sources (I11, I12), (I21, I22), . . . . In the case where a full-scale current is limited to a small value in any of the channels, one of the two divided current sources is turned off by switches Sa1, Sa2. Accordingly, a full-scale current of each channel can be adjusted with a common bias circuit without degrading the resolution.
US07701368B2
A method and apparatus for balancing an output load using data bus inversion is disclosed. In brief, one such technique comprises measuring the “balance” of data bits across a data bus (e.g., the number of zero values compared to the number of one values in a set of parallel data bits). If the data bits are unbalanced by a specified amount, a portion of the bits on the data bus are inverted, and the data bits, including the inverted portion, are transmitted. Also, a data bus inversion bit is set to a particular value and transmitted with the data bits to indicate that data bus inversion was used. If the data signal is not unbalanced (i.e., the bits on the data bus do not comprise an unbalanced number of logic values), then the bits on the data bus are transmitted as they are detected, and the data bus inversion bit is set to another particular value to indicate that data bus inversion was not used.
US07701366B2
Embodiments of the present invention enable compression and decompression of data. Applications of the present invention are its use in embodiments of systems for compression and decompression of GPS long-term Ephemeris (LTE) data, although the present invention is not limited to such applications. In embodiments, the LTE data may be grouped into a set of data values associated with a parameter. In embodiments, a data set may be compressed by using a multi-order differencing scheme. In such a scheme, a set of the differences between values may be compressed because the differences have smaller magnitudes than the values. In embodiments, a multi-order differencing scheme determines how many levels (orders) of differencing may be applied to an original data set before it is compressed. In embodiments, the original data may be recovered from a compressed data set based on the type of multi-order differencing scheme used to generate the compressed data.
US07701361B2
A parking information sensing device is disclosed. Each parking space in a parking lot is disposed with a parking information sensing device, detecting whether a car on the parking space. By means of a driving control circuit, the sensing device drives a light emitting unit to emit a light and a reflecting element of the parking space is on a pathway of the light. Light is reflected by the reflecting element and then passes light sensing unit that detects the reflected light and generates a first sensing signal sent to the driving control circuit. Thus the driving control circuit judges if there is no vehicle on the parking space. On the other hand, it judges if there is a car on the parking space according to another sensing signal. The sensing device further includes a first transmitting/receiving unit that forms a wireless mesh network among parking information sensing devices.
US07701353B1
Individual System Performance Management apparatus employs in one manifestation Sequential Empirical Optimization (SEO) in its illustrative version to manage a sequence of periodic readjustment to adjust inputs of an input/output system with the aim to maximize the cumulative sequence of overall value delivered by the system. SEO continually updates its learning from the stored run data. In this discussion, the term “adjusting” control inputs is used the same as “setting” control inputs, including adjusting or setting things by hand.
US07701352B2
An RFID label includes a release liner having an opening or window, to allow placement of an interposer through the window, and in contact with end portions of an antenna. By coupling the interposer to the antenna through the window in the release liner, the coupling may be performed at a later point than usual in the fabrication of the label. This allows the label to be fabricated with less wear and tear on the interposer, which is a relatively expensive and fragile part of the antenna. In addition, testing of the interposers before applying them to a web of labels may save costs by eliminating waste of material. Testing of the straps alone can allow prediction of performance of the finished label.
US07701351B2
The invention provides a tag communication system, an interference preventing method and a tag communication controller suitable for prevention of a radio wave interference able to be caused by radio waves mutually emitted when plural tag communication devices are arranged. Plural reader-writers are oppositely arranged through a belt conveyer for conveying an article. A null of the reader-writer is opposed to a null of the reader-writer. A null of the reader-writer is opposed to a null of the reader-writer. Main lobes are directed to a direction causing no mutual interference.
US07701349B2
An IC tag read-write apparatus includes a control circuit, a transmission link, and a plurality of antenna units. The control circuit controls data relative to an outgoing carrier wave and an incoming carrier wave. The antenna units correspond to a plurality of IC tags. Each of the antenna units includes a modem, a first antenna, and an indication circuit. The modem is connected to the control circuit through the transmission link and modulates the carrier wave based on the data in a data writing operation and demodulates the incoming carrier wave in a data reading operation. The first antenna sends the modulated carrier wave by air to a second antenna of a corresponding one of the IC tags. The indication circuit generates property information with respect to the antenna unit.
US07701341B2
The subject invention provides a system and/or a method that facilitates interacting with a device component to provide uniform communication, discovery, and management. A device service provider interface (DSPI) component can provide a uniform manner to communicate and/or manage a radio frequency identification (RFID) device. The DSPI component can include a receiver component that receives one or more RFID server data and RFID device data. The DSPI component can define an interface that facilitates communication of the one or more of RFID server data and RFID device data between an RFID device and an RFID server in a uniform manner. The interface(s) can be defined to handle discovery, configuration, communication, and connection management.
US07701340B2
A method of detecting and identifying an object (O) which is provided with identification elements (Io) and wireless transmission elements (Ao), the object being disposed close to one receiver module (Mi) from among a plurality of receiver modules (M1, . . . , Mi, . . . , Mn). The inventive method includes: (i) an electromagnetic coupling between the object's wireless transmission elements (Ao) and a fixed antenna (Ai) which is associated with the aforementioned receiver module (Mi); and (ii) an electrical coupling between the fixed antenna (Ai) of the receiver module (Mi) and a secondary fixed antenna (3) which is common to all of the fixed antennas (A1, Ai, . . . , An) of the receiver module. Moreover, the common secondary fixed antenna (3) is electromagnetically coupled to a primary fixed antenna (2) which is connected to a read module (4) that is designed to read the identification data originating from the identification elements (Io).
US07701335B2
A security system for not enabling, enabling or disabling electrical devices for deterring theft, or preventing unauthorized use of such devices. The security system comprises a plurality of electrical devices which are operationally linked via a bi-directional communication medium, which may be via a mains power supply or a microwave or radiowave medium. Programmable means are provided for controlling operation of the operative parts of the electrical devices. The programmable means may have a signal transmitting and receiving means associated with it for transmitting and receiving control signals over the communication medium.
US07701331B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for sending a code from a mesh network key and wirelessly communicating the code with one or more mesh network appliances over a mesh network such as ZigBee; receiving the code over the mesh network by a mesh network lock controller; and providing access to the secured area upon authenticating the code.
US07701329B2
A room monitor having a second display includes a controller, a first display and a second display. The first display is preferably a touch screen monitor, which allows the entry of data into the controller without the need for a keyboard. However, the controller may be programmed through a keyboard. The controller includes a plurality of inputs and outputs for monitoring and/or controlling such room environmental factors as pressure, temperature, humidity and lighting. The inputs are used to read sensors. The outputs are used to actuate control devices. The first display includes a plurality of menus for controlling at least one environmental factor. The second display shows information the condition of a critical environment room. There is at least one message displayed on the second display. A second embodiment of the room monitor includes a controller and the first display. The first display must be a touch screen monitor.
US07701328B2
An alarm management system includes an alarm management system server (“alarm server”), one or more data sources, and one or more system users (and associated user devices), all of which can be communicably connected through a communications network. The system can be configured by defining the data sources and users, defining attributes, assigning and associating attribute values with the data sources and users, and defining alarm conditions in terms of attribute values and measurements. The data sources generate measurement data which is provided to the alarm server, and the alarm server evaluates the data to determine whether the alarm conditions have been met. A data set of data sources matching alarm conditions can be generated and reported to one or more of the users.
US07701325B2
The present invention provides a communication device for use with a power line communication system. One embodiment of the present invention forms a bypass device and comprises a LV coupler, a LV signal conditioner, a controller, a MV modem, a first MV signal conditioner, an isolator, a second MV signal conditioner, and a MV coupler. The controller may provide routing functions to give priority to certain types of data, control access to the network, filter data packets, process software upgrades, and provision new subscriber devices. In addition, the controller may monitor, process, and transmit traffic data, measured power data, errors, and other collected data.
US07701324B2
A collaborative wireless micro-control system applied to a detached space comprises a main control unit, and a plurality of interior control unit. Wherein, the main control unit has a microprocessor, a transmitter, and a receiver. The receiver receives the outside wireless signal from the electronic apparatus. The microprocessor parses the outside wireless signal and sends out a wireless control signal inside the detached space by using the transmitter. Each of the interior control units has a microprocessor, a transmitter, and a receiver. The control unit is utilized as a user interface (human machine interface) for controlling a respective electronic apparatus. The receiver of the interior control unit receives the wireless control signal from the main control unit. The microprocessor of the interior control unit tells whether the wireless control signal can trigger the respective electronic apparatus or not. If so, the interior control unit adjusts the respective electronic apparatus according to the wireless control signal. If not, the transmitter of the interior control unit passes the wireless control signal to another interior control unit.
US07701309B2
A power inserter module includes an FIC male first port for a direct connection without use of cable to a female F-type output port of a DC source of power, an F-type female second port for connection to an RF amplifier to provide DC power thereto and receive RF signals therefrom, an F-type female connector third port for delivering the RF signals to a subscriber, and an electrical circuit for both connecting DC power from the first port to the second port while blocking RF signals from the first port, and connecting RF signals from the second port to the third port while blocking DC power from the latter.
US07701308B1
A radio frequency modulator system having a radio frequency amplifier controlled by a pulse modulator. The pulse modulator includes: a first switching circuit response to an input pulse for coupling a dc voltage relative to a reference potential to the output electrode when the radio frequency signal is to be amplified by the radio frequency amplifier and for decoupling the dc voltage from the output electrode when the radio frequency signal is to be decoupled from the output electrode wherein charge is stored in the storage element when the dc voltage is coupled to the output electrode; and: a second switching circuit responsive to the input pulse for discharging the stored charge when the dc voltage is decoupled from the output electrode.
US07701301B2
Systems and methods for implementing a temperature compensated two-stage ring oscillator are described. At least one embodiment includes a system for generating a clock signal comprising a self-starting oscillator comprising two delay stages in a ring configuration. The two-stage ring oscillator is configured to generate the clock signal, wherein the delay stages are configured such that the two-stage ring oscillator has a single right-half plane (RHP) pole in each of the two delay stages where feedback is always positive.For some embodiments, the system further comprises a compensation module configured to sense temperature and process variations and adjust a supply voltage for the two-stage ring oscillator to compensate for temperature and process variations in order to maintain a constant frequency clock signal. For such embodiments, the compensation module comprises a replica circuit configured to mirror operation of the n-channel devices within the two-stage ring oscillator. The compensation module further comprises a constant gm circuit configured to provide a biasing current to the replica circuit, wherein the replica circuit receives the biasing current to generate a reference voltage. The compensation module further comprises a voltage regulator configured to receive the reference voltage from the replica circuit, wherein the voltage regulator is further configured to provide a supply voltage to the two-stage ring oscillator.
US07701296B2
A current limiting circuit is connected to the gate (input terminal) of an amplifying transistor. The current limiting circuit includes a protecting transistor, a first protecting resistor connecting the drain to the gate of the protecting transistor, and a second protecting resistor connecting the source to the gate of the protecting transistor. The current limiting circuit limits current, so that electric power larger than the maximum electric power allowable for the amplifying transistor does not pass.
US07701290B2
An amplifier gain control circuit for the wireless transceiver comprises at least one amplifier, an analog to digital converter (ADC), a digital to analog converter (DAC) and a bias circuit, wherein the ADC is used for receiving an analog gain control voltage to generate a digital control signal that can be used for controlling the gain of the amplifier, the DAC is used for receiving the digital signal to generate an analog signal, and the bias circuit is used for receiving the analog signal and the analog gain control voltage to further fine-tune the gain of the amplifier by the analog process for correcting the least bit error during the digital process, therefore, the amplifier during the gain adjustment will be prevented to operate in the nonlinear area.
US07701289B2
A variable gain amplifier to convert an amplifier input voltage to an amplifier output voltage, the variable gain amplifier includes: a plurality of cascode amplifiers coupled in series; a plurality of switching transistor pair circuits coupled in series; and a bias circuit coupled to provide bias voltages to each of the plurality of cascode amplifiers; wherein each of the switching transistor pair circuits is further coupled between two consecutive ones of the cascode amplifiers; a first one of the cascode amplifiers is configured to receive the amplifier input voltage; and a last one of the cascode amplifiers is configured to provide the amplifier output voltage.
US07701281B1
Systems and methods of flyback capacitor level shifter feedback regulation for negative pumps. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a feedback regulator for a negative output charge pump comprises a flyback capacitor for inverting an output of the negative output charge pump to a positive voltage. The feedback regulator further comprises a voltage comparator for comparing the positive voltage to a reference voltage. The voltage comparator is also for producing an enable signal for control of pump driving signals to the negative output charge pump. The feedback regulator further comprises a first plurality of switches for selectively coupling a first terminal of the flyback capacitor between a low voltage and the output and a second plurality of switches for selectively coupling a second terminal of the flyback capacitor between a low voltage and the voltage comparator. Further, the feedback regulator comprises switch control logic for controlling the plurality of switches.
US07701278B2
A TOP level switch for use in a drive circuit in power-electronic systems having a half-bridge circuit formed by two power switches, a first so-called TOP switch and a second so-called BOT switch, which are arranged connected in series. The TOP level shifter transmits an input signal from drive logic to a TOP driver. In this case, the TOP level shifter is designed as an arrangement of an UP and a DOWN level shifter path, as well as a downstream signal evaluation circuit. In the associated method for transmission of this input signal, the signal evaluation circuit passes an output signal to the TOP driver when either the UP or the DOWN, or both, level shifter paths emit a signal to the respectively associated input of the signal evaluation circuit.
US07701263B2
An apparatus including a bias voltage generator and one or more cascode drivers. Each of the one or more cascode drivers may include a plurality of cascode transistors. The bias voltage generator may control the cascode bias voltages provided to the cascode transistors based on a plurality of programmable control bits received by the bias voltage generator. The received plurality of programmable control bits may include a first set of programmable control bits, which may be used to control the magnitude of the cascode bias voltages, and a second set of programmable control bits, which may be used to control the stability of the cascode bias voltages.
US07701253B2
A booster circuit for reducing the nominal latency of a logic gate. The booster circuit includes a charge sharing mechanism to transfer a stored charge to the output of the logic gate in response to a logic state transition on the input of the logic gate. The transfer of stored charge also reduces the charge drawn from the supply during the output transition.
US07701250B1
A logic module and flip-flop includes input multiplexers having data inputs coupled to routing resources. A clock multiplexer has inputs coupled to clock resources, and an output. An input-select multiplexer has a first input coupled to the output of an input multiplexer. A flip-flop has a clock input coupled to the output of the clock multiplexer, and a data output coupled to an input of the input-select multiplexer. A logic module has data inputs coupled to the output of the input select multiplexers. A flip-flop multiplexer is coupled to the data input of the flip-flop, and has inputs input coupled to the output of the first input multiplexer, the data output of the logic module, and a third input coupled to routing resources.
US07701248B2
The present invention is a storage element for controlling a logic circuit and a logic device having a plurality of storage elements. The storage element has a first and a second non-volatile memory cells connected in series at an output node. Each of the first and second non-volatile memory cells is for storing a state opposite to the other. A demultiplexer has an input, a switched input and two outputs. The output node is connected to the input of the demultiplexer. One of the outputs is used to control the logic circuit. The other output is connected to a bit line which is connected to a sense amplifier. Finally, the switched input receives a switch signal and outputs the signal from the output node to either the one output or the other output.
US07701235B2
Substrate test probing equipment having a force-receiving pattern for a probe card and a forcing part for a test head, and methods of using the same, in which with the force-receiving pattern for the probe card and the forcing part for the test head, thermal expansion and contraction of the probe card can be suppressed when the semiconductor substrate is being tested at high and low temperatures. To this end, to substrate test probing equipment having a substrate mover, a probe card, and a test head is prepared, in which the test head has a forcing part and the probe card has a force-receiving plate. A semiconductor substrate is placed on the substrate mover to be electrically connected with the probe card. The semiconductor substrate is electrically tested by the probe card and the test head. When the semiconductor substrate is being tested, the forcing part of the test head is brought into contact with the force-receiving pattern of the probe card.
US07701233B2
A heat-resistant lens kit configured within the pogo tower of the wafer tester is disclosed. The heat-resistant lens kit has two parallel lenses and a main body with a through hole. The main body and two parallel lenses enclose a vacuum room within the through hole.
US07701232B2
A semiconductor wafer prober is configured to rotate a semiconductor wafer into relative alignment with a wafer-interface probe adapted to simultaneously probe a number of integrated circuits within a sector of the semiconductor wafer. The wafer can include integrated circuits having different orientations, such that all of the integrated circuits within a given sector being tested have the same orientation. For example, a semiconductor wafer can include two semicircular sectors, with the integrated circuits on either sector having a common orientation rotated 180 degrees from a common orientation of the integrated circuits of the other sector. A wafer-interface probe, or probe card, adapted to test the entire semicircular sector during a single touch down is able to test the entire wafer with one rotational translation between testing.
US07701230B2
One embodiment of the invention relates to an apparatus for profiling an ion beam. The apparatus includes a current measuring device having a measurement region, wherein a cross-sectional area of the ion beam enters the measurement region. The apparatus also includes a controller configured to periodically take beam current measurements of the ion beam and to determine a two dimensional profile of the ion beam by relating the beam current measurements to sub-regions within the current measuring device. Other apparatus and methods are also disclosed.
US07701216B2
To reduce high SAR values in the field of magnetic resonance imaging, and particularly with a whole body coil assembly for an MRI apparatus, at least a bracket is added between the supporting tube of a whole body coil assembly and the connecting copper sheet in order to radially raise the connecting copper sheet and the capacitors away from the human body. In addition to effectively solving the problem of a high SAR value, at the same time no significant loss of the imaging performance occurs. Moreover, the structure is simple, so the costs of modification or production are low.
US07701214B2
When a magnetic resonance signal is received more than once, while a table (transfer unit) is moved, a gradient magnetic field is applied in the table moving direction, and an application amount (intensity and application time) of the gradient magnetic field in the table moving direction is changed every acquisition of data. As for the encoding by the gradient magnetic field in the table moving direction, a series of phase encode is performed at different positions of an examination target, unlike a conventional phase encode. Therefore, the Fourier transform cannot be applied to the image reconstruction. Given this situation, a magnetization map of total FOV of the examination target is determined in such a manner that a sum of the square of an absolute value of a difference is minimized, the difference between a received signal and a signal calculated from the magnetization map set as a variable, and then, the reconstruction is performed. Even when a size of signal acquisition area in the table moving direction is narrow, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus of the present invention is capable of taking an image of a wide field of view at high speed, by performing the imaging while the table is moved continuously.
US07701212B2
A low temperature probe having a coil used in an NMR apparatus includes an opposed heat exchanger cooling a cooling medium, and a cooling apparatus having a first cooling stage capable of cooling to no more than 10K and a second cooling stage capable of cooling to at least 10K in series cooling the cooling medium from the opposed heat exchanger. A probe portion has a first heat exchanging portion executing heat exchange between the cooling medium and the coil, a circulation structure which circulates the cooling medium into the opposed heat exchanger, a second heat exchanging portion executing heat exchange between the cooling medium and a heat radiation shield. The heat radiation shield has a heat capacity greater than the heat capacity of the cooling medium.
US07701211B2
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging system (1) comprising a plurality of RF coils (4) forming a multi-coil array and furthermore to a magnetic resonance imaging method for such a system. In order to provide an MR imaging system and method in which a desired excitation pattern is achieved in a simple way, it is suggested to utilize an analytical procedure how to combine the single coil elements to obtain the most homogeneous B1 excitation possible with a given coil array. In other words, the homogeneity of the B1 field is improved in a very simple way. The sensitivity of each RF coil (4) of the coil array is scaled or weighted by a complex factor, i.e. phase and amplitude of each coil drive signal is adjusted accordingly. These complex factors are determined analytically utilizing the sensitivities S(8) of the coil elements (4) and the desired excitation pattern P (IO, 11). The invention allows an optimized control of the field distribution (RF shimming) for arbitrary RF coil arrays. With the invention a fast and easy independent phase and amplitude control of the coil elements (4) is provided for reducing body-induced RF non-uniformities, which appear in high field MR systems.
US07701194B2
A system for detecting a direct current (DC) component of a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal includes a modulator configured to provide at least one PWM signal to an input of an amplifier. A DC detector is configured to detect a DC component of a selected one of the at least one PWM signal as a function of a switching frequency of the selected PWM signal. The DC detector provides at least one report signal that indicates a level of the DC component of the selected PWM signal relative to a predetermined threshold.
US07701192B2
A method of preparing a signal for measurement includes receiving the signal and selecting a first edge and a second edge within the signal. The method also includes delivering the first edge to a time interval measurement system after expiration of a first delay period and delivering the second edge to a time interval measurement system after expiration of a second delay period.
US07701185B2
A direct current stabilization power supply apparatus, comprising: an output control device which generates a voltage corresponding to a drive current given and outputs it as an output voltage; a direct current stabilization portion which gives the drive current to the output control device to equalize a comparison voltage corresponding to the output voltage with a predetermined reference voltage and makes the output control device generate a desired output voltage; and a drive current limitation portion which monitors the comparison voltage and lowers the drive current according to a drop in the comparison voltage, wherein, when the comparison voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold voltage, the drive current limitation portion carries out an operation to hold the drive current at a predetermined lower-limit current value, or an operation to clamp a lower-limit value of the comparison voltage at a predetermined voltage value. Accordingly, even if the output voltage becomes a negative voltage, it is possible to secure a suitable drive current.
US07701179B2
A control circuit of a multi-mode buck-boost switching regulator and a method thereof are provided. The control circuit imposes ON/OFF timing sequences on switches according to the relationship between two controlling triangle waves and the load fluctuation. In each working cycle of each mode of the regulator, at most two switches perform switching operations. The control circuit is simple to design, which only includes simple digital elements, such as comparators, logic gates etc., instead of complicated analog circuits.
US07701176B2
This invention discloses a charging/discharging protective circuit for a secondary battery pack, having an over-charging/discharging voltage comparator, a reference voltage source and a battery status decision circuit. There is also a sampling circuit having a sequential pulse generator for generating pulses for selecting one of the batteries in the battery pack for testing purposes. The pulse generator provides M-channel gating pulses to the selection circuit of the battery under test and provides sampling pulses to the over-charging/discharging voltage comparators. The reference voltage source has a regulated output circuit. This invention uses time division inspection methods to provide a cost-effective solution for inspecting batteries in a battery pack.
