US08171511B2
Systems and methods for push-based dynamic bandwidth allocation deliver addressable, advertising content in a digital network. Bandwidth is allocated on a push basis in response to receiving a cue tone from a broadcast stream. The cue tone contains data indicating an addressable break. A portion of bandwidth is then allocated to an addressable content stream based on the data of the cue tone. The addressable content stream is then streamed to a receiver during the addressable break and the receiver is tuned from the broadcast stream to the addressable content stream for the duration of the addressable break. The additional bandwidth is de-allocated at the end of the addressable break.
US08171504B1
A method, system and computer program product for providing driver functionality in computing system includes installing an operating system on the computing system; forming a plurality of isolated sandboxes running on the computing system under control of the operating system; during an attempt to install a driver, installing driver stub in the operating system; installing the driver in one of the isolated sandboxes, wherein the driver directly uses at least part of system resources; using a gateway between the driver stub and the installed driver to provide an interface for transmitting requests from the driver stub to driver.
US08171503B2
Image processing conditions that have been set are divided into a plurality of processes, and devices capable of executing the processes are searched for. Based on functions of devices that are found as a result of the search and the set image processing conditions, operation flows to be executed by the devices are assigned to the devices, and the assigned operation flows and the names of the corresponding devices are displayed. The operation flows are then executed. Thus, a desired output can be achieved by a plurality of devices that cooperate with each other.
US08171493B2
A system to allow external applications to interact with an operating VXML browser include a VXML browser operating on a processor having a VXML interpreter. A control is operably interconnected between the external application and the VXML interpreter using a communication channel. The control inserts the commands into the VXML interpreter, which are processed by the VXML browser in a conventional manner to allow the external application to interact with the operating VXML browser.
US08171479B2
A method for presenting an aggregate view of native resources includes the step of enumerating a plurality of system-scoped native resources provided by a system scope. A plurality of application-scoped native resources provided by an application isolation scope are enumerated, some of which correspond to some of the plurality of system-scoped resources. For one of the plurality of system-scoped resources, the existence of a corresponding one of the plurality of application-scoped resources is determined and the corresponding one of the plurality of application-scoped resources is included in an aggregate view of native resources.
US08171475B2
Method for issuing and monitoring a remote batch job, method for processing a batch job, and system for processing a remote batch job. The method for issuing and monitoring a remote batch job includes formatting a command to be sent to a remote server to include a sequence identification composed of an issuing server identification and a time stamp, forwarding the command from the issuing server to the remote server for processing, and determining success or failure of the processing of the command at the remote server. When the failure of the processing of the command at the remote server is determined, the method further includes instructing the remote server to retry the command processing.
US08171470B2
This specification describes technologies relating to software installation. In general, a method of installing software can include obtaining a first installation package distributed for installation on multiple different platforms, the first installation package including program content and package information, the package information including information stored in a platform independent format and useable in an installation sequence; converting the first installation package into a second installation package stored in a format native to a target platform, wherein the second, native installation package includes at least a portion of the program content and the information useable in the installation sequence; and initiating installation on the target platform with the second, native installation package.
US08171469B2
One method embodiment includes defining a first package to be opened by a computing device. The method includes associating installation content to be installed on the computing device with the first package. The first package includes a second package that includes the installation content to be installed and the first package includes package functionality information to determine whether a particular package functionality can be utilized by the computing device.
US08171467B1
Malicious code patterns of an antivirus may be updated using public DNS (domain name system) servers. An update to the malicious code patterns may be generated and divided into several portions for inclusion in DNS records. The DNS records may be published for caching in public DNS servers. An update client in a client computer may send out DNS queries to receive contents of the DNS records, which include the portions of the update. The update client may combine the portions to update the malicious code patterns in the client computer.
US08171459B2
A system and method for determining a frustration index for a software suite based upon the measurements of the software's performance. The frustration index communicates the overall state of a customer's performance-related user experience as defined by a set of testing criteria and specified testing scenarios. Actual test measurements of one or more pre-specified criteria in one or more pre-specified testing scenarios or operating environments are first received, calculated or otherwise determined. Priority weights are provided for each of the pre-specified criteria in each of the pre-specified testing scenarios. Actual test measurements are then compared to target quantities, to provide a delta percentage between the actual measurements and the target quantities. The frustration index (or indices) is calculated as the result of a ratio of the delta percentage between the actual and the target to the priority weight of the criterion.
US08171456B2
A method is provided for auditing compliance of an electronic platform, referred to as the platform being tested, and/or a computer program being tested, which is present on the platform being tested. The method includes the following steps: transmitting the same data set, via an auditing device, to the platform being tested, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to a compliant reference platform present in the auditing device; and deciding upon the compliance of the platform being tested and/or the computer program being tested, based on an analysis of the respective behaviors of the platform being tested and the reference platform. The auditing device then issues a compliance decision.
US08171453B2
Systems and methods are provided with respect to computer programming. Program behavior can be tuned to provide a seamless mixture of semantic behavior across a single program language syntax. Semantic behavior can be explicitly specified at arbitrary levels of syntactic granularity (e.g. expressions, members, types, compilation units . . . ), wherein semantic scope is commensurate with the specified level of granularity.
US08171452B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for accepting user input defining a first modification at a first enhancement point of a first source code component, the first source code component not being modified. Creating a second source code component for the first enhancement point, the second source code component being separate from the first source code component. Incorporating into the second source code component the first source code component and an expression of the first modification. And creating a compiled program using the second source code component.
US08171451B2
A report web service system comprises a web service interface, a report service manager, and a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) generator. The web service interface receives from a Client Application a request for a web service definition for a report as a web service, and transports to the client application the requested web service definition. The report service manager converts definitions of one or more objects in a report definition in a report store that corresponds to the requested report into web service definitions, and generates an object model based on the web service definitions to reflect a structure of the objects of the report. The WSDL generator generates a WSDL definition for the web service based on the object model. When a report as defined in the WSDL definition is rendered, a selector selects relevant objects from a generalized model of the rendered results based on information in the WSDL definition, and a representation formatter formats representation of the relevant objects.
US08171444B2
A layout design support apparatus divides a first module obtained by dividing a semiconductor integrated circuit into a plurality of second modules in order to support a layout design for determining the disposition of each cell constituting the semiconductor integrated circuit and wiring, and makes the detailed design of a layout for determining the disposition of each cell in the second module and wiring for each second module.
US08171439B2
A warning device checks for errors in design object data and issues a warning for detected errors by storing allowance information, which allows issuance of warning prevention, cancel information, which cancels relevant allowance information to permit issuance of warning for each error identification, and instruction identification, which identifies an edit command for editing generated design object data for error identification. When said edit command is accepted, the error identification for the instruction identification of edit command is acquired. Cancel information can be registered for error identification. Respective errors corresponding to error identifications are checked, when an operation for checking the design object data is accepted, and when a type of an error is identified, whether to issue a warning based on the allowance information and cancel information for relevant error identification is determined.
US08171437B2
A method, system and computer program product for X-Saturated ternary simulation based reduction. An X-Saturated ternary simulation (XSTS) utility, which executes on a computer system, receives design information, where the design information includes a netlist. The XSTS utility initializes one or more data structures and/or variables and simulates, in a ternary fashion, the netlist at a time value by applying logical X values to all RANDOM gates of the netlist and to registers marked X_SATURATED. For each register of the netlist XSTS utility: determines whether or not the register departs from its expected prefix behavior, and if the register departs from its expected prefix behavior, the register is marked as X_SATURATED and the current state is updated with an X value upon the register. XSTS utility can store the current state in a data structure and can use the information from the data structure to simplify the design.
US08171428B2
An interactive user interface (UI) to manage searching of data is disclosed. The UI includes a first display panel configured to display a parent context view and a child context view thereon and a second display panel configured to display a diagram of an enlarged portion of the child context view.
US08171420B2
A graphical user interface and method for displaying on an agent's desktop. The graphical user interface of the present invention being capable of automatically displaying, in a designated area, a managed application according to a workflow. The graphical user interface of the present invention also includes the ability to control the display of managed applications manually. Further, the graphical user interface and method of the present invention allows an Agent access to non-managed applications without restricting the agent's access to the managed applications.
US08171413B2
An interface for a database. The database contains information about subnets in a large network, such as the Internet. The interface displays the information in a hierarchical fashion. However, because all subnets cannot be displayed on a display at once, some subnets are displayed, and a user reaches other subnets by calling for subsets of the subnets displayed.
US08171404B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems, methods and devices for manipulating documents. According to one aspect of the present invention, the responses, from multiple examinees, to a question on an examination may be combined to form a combined document associated with the question for grading, scoring or other analysis. According to a second aspect of the present invention, markings made by the examination grader, on the combined document, associated with an examinee may be combined with the examinee's examination document to produce a modified examination document.
US08171401B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for vertically and/or horizontally resizing a zone or DIV element of a Web page via a browser-based Web authoring tool, while preserving a DIV element's ability to dynamically size to its Web content. Drag and drop vertical resizing of a DIV element is accomplished by creating two hidden DIV elements that are set to the specific left/top anchor, width, and altered HTML content of the DIV element to be resized. The two hidden DIV elements provide specific top and bottom pixel height limits to determine when a line break should be appended or decremented to the original DIV element's HTML content. By utilizing line breaks to vertically resize, a DIV element maintains its capability of sizing to dynamic Web content.
US08171398B2
A server system for generating information to be delivered to a client having an RSS reader according to this invention, includes a layout unit configured to execute layout processing of content data acquired from a content server in accordance with template data, a generation unit configured to generate, when an error has occurred in the layout processing by the layout unit, syndication data including link information to data associated with the error, and an information providing unit configured to provide the syndication data generated by the generation unit to the client, and to provide, when an acquisition request of the data designated by the link information included in the syndication data is issued, that data to the request source.
US08171397B2
In a complex workflow environment, a data-type-definition (DTD) schema drives a dynamic business component instantiation and execution framework that integrates documents with data and information created by various applications, potentially operating on several different platforms, enabling complex workflow and collaboration to occur over a communication network such as the Internet. The DTD execution language is preferably an industry specific XML-based tag set that defines business component instantiation, execution, input and output parameters, workflow, user profile, and collaboration specifications for a given task or data in a complex workflow process. Business and data processing components available on systems both within and outside the complex workflow system are called upon to provide the processing, interpretation, and transformation functions for the complex workflow system. The results of such processing are then returned to the complex workflow system for integration within the workflow process. The system and method also contemplates the conversion of an extensible markup language (XML) file, such as a WellXML™ file, to data elements that are accessible by a server.
US08171396B2
The present invention includes a method and device for updating a self-describing, structured document. A further aspect of the present invention is enabling client-based modification of the document. Additional aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
US08171390B1
A method and system for viewing and transferring data between documents whereby source data a user desires to transfer from a source document to the one or more data fields and/or locations of a given target electronic form, or other target document, is transformed into clipboard content data. The clipboard content data is then linked to a selected cursor/pointer, or other user interface device, such that the clipboard content data can be displayed along with the target electronic form, or other target document, on the same user interface screen, wherever the selected cursor/pointer is located on the user interface screen. This allows the user to quickly view and transfer the source data to the target electronic form, or other target document, within the same given user interface screen, and within a common display context, without having to toggle between the target electronic form, or other target document.
US08171386B2
Sequential storage circuitry for a integrated circuit is provided, comprising a first storage element, a second storage element and an additional storage element. The first storage element stores, during a first phase of a clock signal, a first indication of an input data value received by the sequential storage circuitry. The second storage element is coupled to an output of the first storage element, and stores a second indication of the input data value during a second phase of the clock signal. The additional storage element is driven by a pulse signal derived from the clock signal, and is arranged on occurrence of that pulse signal to store a third indication of the input data value. Error detection circuitry is then provided for detecting a single event upset error in either the first storage element or the second storage element. In particular, during the first phase of the clock signal, the error detection circuitry detects the single event upset error in the first storage element if there is a difference in the input data value as indicated by the first indication and the third indication. Further, during the second phase of the clock signal, the error detection circuitry detects a single event upset error in the second storage element if there is a difference in the input data value as indicated by the second indication and the third indication. Such an arrangement provides a simple mechanism for detecting soft errors in both the first storage element and the second storage element using only one additional storage element.
US08171385B1
A system for maximizing the efficiency of a load balancing server for an asymmetric web farm utilizes a TCP stack and data packets to send and receive client service requests. An internal buffer enables each web server in the web farm to balance their loading based on the contents of the client service request. Data switching between the address portion of the user space and the address portion of the kernel space within the load balancing server is eliminated.
US08171378B2
A flash memory system includes a flash memory for storing input data, and a memory controller controlling the flash memory, wherein the memory controller generates a first error correction code corresponding to the input data, and encrypts the first error correction code, and the flash memory includes a main area for storing the input data and a spare area for storing the encrypted first error correction code.
US08171363B2
A method for counting correctly substantial transmission times of a data unit such as an RLC-PDU even if the data unit is divided before being transmitted is provided. The method includes the steps of preparing a counter for the RLC-PDU (#503), making a storage portion store a pointer indicating a position of a division PDU of the RLC-PDU to be transmitted every time when the division PDU obtained by dividing the RLC-PDU is transmitted (#504), determining whether or not the transmission times should be counted along with a transmission of the division PDU to be transmitted based on the pointer of the division PDU to be transmitted and the pointer of a division PDU that was transmitted last time (#505, #506 and #507), and making the counter perform the count process when it is determined that the transmission times should be counted (#508).
US08171360B2
A TAP linking module (21, 51) permits plural TAPs (TAPs 1-4) to be controlled and accessed from a test bus (13) via a single TAP interface (20).
US08171359B2
A TAP linking module (21, 51) permits plural TAPs (TAPs 1-4) to be controlled and accessed from a test bus (13) via a single TAP interface (20).
US08171356B2
Reducing writes, and estimating and displaying estimated remaining lifetime of non-volatile memories
Techniques are taught for reducing writes, and estimating and displaying estimated remaining lifetime of non-volatile memories. The write reducing is optionally via determining a difference between write operation results and data stored in the non-volatile memories. The estimated remaining lifetime is optionally based at least in part on a previous lifetime. The displaying is optionally via a gauge.
US08171355B2
Disclosed is a communication system that transmits data through a transmission path between a transmission side apparatus and a reception side apparatus, wherein the transmission side apparatus comprises a coding apparatus that creates redundantly-coded data from original data; a transmitting apparatus that sends the coded data coded by the coding unit to the transmission path; and a coding rate determining apparatus that sets and controls a coding rate in the coding unit, wherein the reception side apparatus comprises a receiving apparatus that receives the coded data sent through the transmission path; a decoding apparatus that decodes the original data from the coded data received; and a loss rate estimating apparatus that measures the loss rate on the path of the coded data sent, and wherein the coding rate determining apparatus of the transmission side apparatus varies and controls the coding rate in the coding apparatus based on the loss rate obtained.
US08171343B2
Techniques for performing diagnostics are described. In one embodiment, in response to an alert or a request to perform diagnostics, a topological relationship is generated comprising a set of applications and a set of systems determined based upon information in the alert or request. The topological relationship encapsulates relationships between the set of applications and the set of systems. In one embodiment, a set of causal network models to be used for performing the diagnostics is determined based upon the applications and systems in the topological relationship.
US08171340B2
A system for providing software performance counters includes an operating system that receives a first request of a first application to monitor performance of a second application, the first request identifying a type of event to monitor during the execution of the second application. The operating system determines that the event is a software event, monitors the performance of the second application with respect to the type of the software event, and updates a counter associated with the type of the software event based on the monitoring. Further, the operating system receives a second request of the first application for performance data associated with the type of the software event counter, and provides the value of the counter to the first application.
US08171336B2
A method for protecting a secured real time clock module, the method includes: locking multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are idle during at least a first duration; unlocking the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module if a predefined high frequency code is received over a control input port of the secured real time clock module; and providing a secured real time clock signal when the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are locked and when the multiple input ports of the secured real time clock module are unlocked; wherein changes in a supply voltage results in a supply voltage induced changes of an input signal provided to an input port of the secured real time clock module; wherein a maximal frequency of the supply voltage induced changes of the input signal is lower than the high frequency of the predefined high frequency code.
US08171334B2
A gearbox is placed between two clock domains to allow data to be transferred from one domain to the other. Although the two domains may operate at the same clock frequency, typically one domain has a faster clock speed than the other. The gearbox is disposed between the two clock domains to control timing of data transfer from one to the other, by selecting a pattern which identifies when data is made transparent for the transfer. The gearbox allows a number of clock ratios to be selected, so that a particular clock ratio between the two domains may be readily selected in the gearbox for the data transfer.
US08171331B2
A memory agent may have a redrive circuit having a plurality of redrive paths, and a deskew circuit separate from the plurality of redrive paths. A deskew circuit may be integral with or separate from a redrive circuit having the plurality of redrive paths. A deskew circuit may be coupled between a redrive circuit and a memory device or interface.
US08171324B2
An information processing apparatus comprises: a creation unit creating a preset number of pieces of second data by duplicating first data, and holding the second data in a predetermined area or sending the second data to another information processing apparatus; a first writing unit for writing the first data in a first storage device; an activation unit activating power to a second storage device at a predetermined time, the second storage device being in a stopped state; a second writing unit for writing the second data in the second storage device activated by the activation unit by retrieving the second data from the predetermined area or another information processing apparatus after the second storage device is activated by the activation unit; a stop unit stopping power to the second storage device in which the second data is written by the second writing unit.
US08171306B2
Program obfuscation is accomplished with tamper proof token including an embedded oracle. A public obfuscation function can be applied to any program/circuit to produce a new obfuscated program/circuit that makes calls to the corresponding oracle to facilitate program execution. A universal circuit representation can be employ with respect to obfuscation to hide circuit wiring and allow the whole circuit to be public. Furthermore, the token or embedded oracle can be universal and stateless to enable a single token to be employed with respect to many programs.
US08171304B2
A method, system and computer program product which allows identification of an enrollment biometric template having a highest probability of matching a sample biometric template from a plurality of enrolled biometric templates without compromising or significantly compromising system security. In one embodiment of the invention, first feature set information is derived from sample and enrollment biometric templates. The first feature set information generally comprises spatially dependent information associated with a fingerprint. The first feature set information is then used to determine which enrollment biometric template has the highest probability of matching the sample biometric template. Second feature set information is then derived from the biometric sample template and the determined enrollment biometric template and used to perform a one-to-one match. The second feature set information generally comprises pattern dependent information associated with a fingerprint.
US08171301B2
Method and system for the integrated securing and managing of virtual machines and virtual appliances are presented. Sealing the virtual appliance at the computer of a sender, verifying authenticity of the sender at a recipient computer and managing the execution of the VA are performed in a seamless fashion.
US08171286B2
A method for distributing a password protected content file without revealing the password to a recipient. An unlocking program that has access to at least one password corresponding to the password protecting the password protected content file is distributed to the recipient's computer. The password protected content file is distributed to the recipient's computer wherein upon activation of the unlocking program, the unlocking program automatically supplies the at least one password upon loading of the password protected content file.
US08171283B2
The present invention advantageously provides a system and method for management of cryptographic keys and certificates for a plurality of vehicles. Each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles generates public/private key pairs, requests multiple time-distributed certificates, creates an encrypted identity, and surrenders expired certificates. An assigning authority receives the public/private key pairs, the request for multiple time-distributed certificates, the encrypted identity, and the expired certificates from said vehicle. The assigning authority authorizes the vehicle with an authorizing authority, validates the expired certificates, proves ownership, and distributes the requested time-distributed certificates to said vehicle. Validation can comprise checking expired certificates against misused, compromised and/or previously surrendered certificates. Time-distributed certificates can have lifetimes adjustable based on certificate misuse detection system algorithms, amount of malicious activity detected, and/or certificate authority capacity.
US08171271B2
A server device and a method of sharing a basic input/output system (BIOS) include a plurality of mainboards, a circuit board, and a memory unit, and a switching unit disposed on the circuit board. A single memory unit stores a plurality of BIOS entity program segments respectively corresponding to a mainboard model, and transmits the BIOS entity program segments corresponding to the model of the mainboard for receiving the BIOS to the mainboard through the switching unit, so that the mainboards of various models may share the BIOS.
US08171266B2
A method for look-ahead load pre-fetching that reduces the effects of instruction stalls caused by high latency instructions. Look-ahead load pre-fetching is accomplished by searching an instruction stream for load memory instructions while the instruction stream is stalled waiting for completion of a previous instruction in the instruction stream. A pre-fetch operation is issued for each load memory instruction found. The pre-fetch operations cause data for the corresponding load memory instructions to be copied to a cache, thereby avoiding long latencies in the subsequent execution of the load memory instructions.
US08171264B2
A sub-unit judges whether an instruction received from an external unit is executable. If the instruction is judged to be executable, the sub-unit executes it. If, on the other hand, the instruction is judged to be unexecutable, the sub-unit notifies the external unit of an executable plan.
US08171261B2
A system and method for fencing memory accesses. Memory loads can be fenced, or all memory access can be fenced. The system receives a fencing instruction that separates memory access instructions into older accesses and newer accesses. A buffer within the memory ordering unit is allocated to the instruction. The access instructions newer than the fencing instruction are stalled. The older access instructions are gradually retired. When all older memory accesses are retired, the fencing instruction is dispatched from the buffer.
US08171254B2
According to one embodiment, a memory controller comprises a counter and a setting module. The counter is configured to count the number of valid pages in a block includes a page to be invalidated, when data is written in a nonvolatile memory. The setting module is configured to set the block as an object of compaction when the number of valid pages counted by the counter is smaller than a predetermined number.
US08171253B2
A storage area network can include a storage virtualization entity—intelligent storage application resource (iSAR)—either as a separate device in the fabric, or as an integrated module in one or more switches within the fabric. All I/O operations can be re-directed to iSAR for processing. iSAR can segment virtual storage and physical storage into units, where each unit of the virtual storage is mapped to a single unit in physical storage. Data associated with incoming I/O operation can be compressed before being stored in physical storage. iSAR includes overflow reserve storage at the block, sub-page and page level to accommodate changes in compressed data size on subsequent I/O operations. These measures can improve I/O performance and reduce fragmentation. iSAR can also employ deduplication of incoming data stored on physical storage to improve storage efficiency.
US08171252B2
A method and a system for sharing files recorded by non-divisible sections in a first memory, including dividing each section into subsets to which are respectively assigned specific access rights; storing, in a second memory, separate from the first one, a specification table comprising at least the location of each subset in the section, at least one key conditioning the access to this subset, and the rights assigned to the key; and conditioning the accesses to the subsets to their respective specifications by a control performed by a microprocessor.
US08171233B2
A multiport semiconductor memory device and a multiprocessor system employing the same directly accesses a shared nonvolatile memory. The multiport semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of port units coupled with respective corresponding processors. A shared memory area is accessed by both the processors through the port units. A data path control unit controls a data path between the shared memory area and the port units and data transmission/reception is performed between the processors through the shared memory area. An access authority information storage unit is positioned outside of the memory cell array and stores information for an access authority of nonvolatile memory and provides the information to the processors. Accordingly, a direct access is performed by a processor indirectly connected to nonvolatile memory.
US08171231B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a processor comprises a memory, a plurality of core-cache clusters and a scalability agent unit that operates as an interface between an on-die interconnect and multiple core-cache clusters. The scalability agent operates in accordance with a protocol to ensure that the plurality of core-cache clusters appear as a single caching agent.
US08171208B2
A memory system includes a DRAM 20 that performs writing and readout in a unit equal to or smaller than a cluster, a NAND memory 10 that performs writing and readout in a page unit, and a management table group in which management information including storage locations of data stored in the DRAM 20 and the NAND memory 10 is stored. When a readout request is received from the outside, a data managing unit 120 notifies, when an unwritten logical address area is present in a storage area of the NAND memory to which a logical address area requested to be read out is mapped, fixed data stored in the DRAM 20 to the outside in association with the logical address area.
US08171204B2
A flash memory system stores blocks of data in Non-Volatile Memory Devices (NVMD) that are addressed by a logical block address (LBA). The LBA is remapped for wear-leveling and bad-block relocation by the NVMD. The NVMD are interleaved in channels that are accessed by a NVMD controller. The NVMD controller has a controller cache that caches blocks stored in NVMD in that channel, while the NVMD also contain high-speed cache. The multiple levels of caching reduce access latency. Power is managed in multiple levels by a power controller in the NVMD controller that sets power policies for power managers inside the NVMD. Multiple NVMD controllers in the flash system may each controller many channels of NVMD. The flash system with NVMD may include a fingerprint reader for security.
US08171200B1
A method includes indexing a translation table stored in memory with a first index of a virtual address corresponding to a first memory region size by querying the translation table at first locations associated with the first index. Indexing the translation table with a second index of the virtual address corresponding to a second memory region size by querying the translation table at second locations associated with the second index. The translation table includes translations for mapping address tags of the virtual address to physical addresses. The first index is different than the second index, and the first memory region size is different than the second memory region size.
US08171197B2
The present invention relates to a main electronic device (1) for communicating within a network (7) comprising an interface (6) for enabling communication within the network (7) and a controller (4) for sending polling messages via the network (7) to logical addresses via said interface (6) in order to request information from at least one further electronic device (1a, 1b . . . 1f).The present invention further relates to a method for operating a main electronic device (1) for communicating within a network (7).
US08171189B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes a clock input buffer, an asynchronous data input buffer, and a synchronous data input buffer. The clock input buffer is configured to buffer an external clocks in order to generate an internal clock. The asynchronous data input buffer is configured to buffer data input through a data pad and output the buffered data. The synchronous data input buffer is configured to be synchronous with the internal clock to buffer the buffered data. The semiconductor apparatus is arranged so that the length of a line for transferring the internal clock to the synchronous data input buffer and the length of a line for transferring the buffered data to the synchronous data input buffer are substantially equal to each other.
US08171185B2
This invention provides an electronic device that can suppress the undesired influence of signals flowing on the bus as interference on devices connected to the bus. The electronic device has two ports connected to the bus with corresponding physical layer processing means. The physical layer processing means may optionally be connected together permitting separate connection to separate busses. Thus a bus reset on first bus will not interfere with processing on the second bus.
US08171183B2
An information processing apparatus communicates within a system by using identification information for identifying a device includes, a first device in which a first identifier is uniquely set, a holding part that holds a second identifier settable arbitrarily for a device in the system, an acquiring part that acquires identification information corresponding to a second device connected in the system and is different from the first device, a determining part that determines whether the second identifier to be set for the first device is used in the system as the identification information based on the identification information corresponding to the second device acquired by the acquiring part and the second identifier held in the holding part, and a setting part that sets the second identifier as the identification information of the first device based on the determination by that the second identifier is not used in the system.
US08171164B2
An illustrative embodiment provides a computer-implemented method for target routing by initiator, using Internet small computer system interface. The computer-implemented method obtains a logical unit number configuration, containing a set of logical unit numbers, determines whether an initiator Internet protocol address, associated with a requester, has a mapping to a logical unit number in the set of logical unit numbers. The computer implemented method further sets a path for an input output/request from the requester to a backing file, according to the mapping, and returns success to the requester.
US08171162B2
Methods and apparatus for allowing routers in an autonomous system to implement LDP and RSVP at the same time. RSVP can be used in the network core with LDP being used in network regions surrounding the core. LDP LSPs are tunneled through the RSVP network core using RSVP LSPs and label stacking techniques. During route selection LDP LSPs which use an RSVP LSP tunnel are preferred over alternative LDP LSPs having an equal cost associated with them to create a preference for traffic engineered routes.
US08171158B1
A portable apparatus for viewing digital content received from a data communication network, includes: a non-volatile storage medium capable to store digital content received from a data communication network; a display communicatively coupled to the non-volatile storage medium and capable to display images of the digital content; a processor communicatively coupled to the non-volatile storage medium; and a content browsing engine executable by the processor and capable to select digital content stored in the non-volatile storage medium. An apparatus for receiving datacast transmission, includes: a base station including a receiver; a portable browser device capable to be coupled to the base station and including a non-volatile storage; and a filtering engine communicatively coupled to the non-volatile storage and capable to store into the non-volatile storage content bundles requested by a user, the content bundles being transmitted from a data cast transmission received by the receiver.
US08171152B2
The present disclosure is related to transmitting and receiving media channels, such as audio and video channels. These channels may be transmitted as packets from one or more transmitting devices to one or more receiving devices for playout. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and computer-readable media for determining latency of a data network for synchronized playout of received signals. Additionally, certain embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and computer-readable media for synchronizing playout among devices connected to a data network.
US08171142B2
A system for managing physical and virtual inventory in a data center is disclosed. The system includes a resource management system for managing computing resources of the data center, an inventory management system for tracking physical locations of the plurality of hosts and the plurality of virtual machines in the data center and a smart rack for housing a plurality of hosts. The computing resources include a plurality of hosts and a plurality of virtual machines running on one or more of the plurality of virtual machines. The smart rack has sensors for detecting movement of each of the plurality of hosts in the data center. The smart rack also has a control unit to control the sensors and collecting data from sensors. The control unit is coupled to the inventory management system and configured to transmit the collected data to the inventory management system through a network. The plurality of hosts, the resource management system and the control unit are coupled together through the network.
US08171137B1
A first client device or system performs a method that includes retaining in memory registration information for a respective application indicating the respective application is registered for sharing application state with other client devices or systems. The method further includes storing an application state of a respective application, and detecting a transfer triggering condition. The transfer triggering condition includes presence of a second client device or system within a predefined proximity of the first client device or system, and the predefined proximity is a predefined proximity for near field communication. Furthermore, upon detecting the triggering condition, the first client device or system determines, in accordance with the stored registration information, that the respective application is registered for application state sharing, and transmits the application state of the respective application to the second client device or system.
US08171131B2
A device (D) is dedicated to managing multimedia content that is to be transmitted to communication terminals (T). This device (D) comprises management means (MM) tasked, when in the presence of a multimedia content stream to be transmitted, with determining in real time which complementary content should be inserted into selected points of said stream, from among a set of complementary content each associated with a preset profile and which may be at least partially contained within said stream, and depending on at least one criterion dealing with at least one portion of said profiles.
US08171130B2
Improved problem diagnosis techniques for use in accordance with computing systems, e.g., distributed computing systems, are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for diagnosing a problem associated with a computing system comprises the following steps/operations. One or more probes are executed in accordance with at least a portion of a previously selected probe schedule. When a result of one or more of the probes of the previously selected probe schedule indicates, at least, a potential problem associated with the computing system, one or more probes which optimize at least one criterion are selected in real-time. The one or more selected probes are executed so as to diagnose the potential problem.
US08171125B2
Embodiments describe scalable distributed storage delivery method that can utilize commodity storage devices, thus there is little, if any, modification of the existing storage hardware or storage clients. According to an aspect is a system that can include a plurality of primary servers and application servers to deliver data to the storage client. The client can request information from the primary server, which can in some embodiments, authenticate the client. The primary server can determine a set of application servers that can deliver the information. The information data can be served to the client transparently from the application servers. The application servers can read the information content from a local cache or directly from storage devices.
US08171124B2
The present invention provides improvements to the integration between a metric exchange protocol and a monitoring mechanism supporting load balancing by a Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) appliance in a GSLB hierarchy of appliances, using a method for triggering a monitor on a remote service. The method includes receiving, by a first appliance, metrics of a second appliance via a metric exchange connection between the first and second appliances. The first appliance includes a GSLB service and identifies a service provided via the second appliance as a remote service for GSLB. The first appliance may identify via the metrics that a state of the service is up, and determine that the metric exchange connection is down. Responsive to the determination, the first appliance may trigger a monitor to monitor the status of the service. Further, the first appliance may obtain via the monitor a second status of the service.
US08171115B2
An exemplary component for managing requests for resources in a data center includes a service request module for receiving requests for resources from a plurality of services and a resource module to monitor resources in a data center and to match received requests to resources. Such a component optionally includes an application programming interface (API) that provides for sending information in response to an API call made by a service. Other methods, devices and systems are also disclosed.
US08171107B2
The system provides a method and apparatus for editing, filtering, ranking and approving content. In one embodiment, the system provides a browsing environment for children that routes all internet requests through a central server. A request to a blocked website is automatically forwarded to one of a plurality of editors who can then access the site and determine on a page or site basis as to whether the request is suitable for the browsing environment. The system includes a workflow management system that determines which of the plurality of editors will be assigned a link to review. Approved content is categorized by the age and gender of the users of the content. The approved content is also categorized as a resource or reference to assist in accomplishing homework assignments. Parents can receive updates and can manage the content remotely.
US08171098B1
A method provides a storage service, and is performed on a set of computerized devices. The method includes connecting the computerized devices to a computer network. The computerized devices include direct attached storage devices (e.g., SCSI disk drives). The method further includes configuring the computerized devices to behave as hosts which individually and logically couple to an array of storage devices through a shared bus, and performing a host IO operation among the computerized devices. The host IO operation involves accessing data from a particular computerized device through the computer network to the direct attached storage devices of the computerized devices in lieu of accessing the data from the particular computerized device through an actual shared bus to an actual array of storage devices.
US08171096B2
An electronic mail communication device may be provided with a receiving device that receives an electronic mail, a sequence map creation device, and an output device. The sequence map creation device may create a sequence map in which correspondent objects corresponding to the correspondents of a series of electronic mails relating to the electronic mail received by the receiving device are arranged along an x direction, and transmission objects indicating from whom and to whom each of the series of electronic mails was transmitted are arranged along a y direction in order of the date and time of communication. The output device may output the sequence map created by the sequence map creation device.
US08171094B2
A device is provided for connecting a medical apparatus to a network. The device collects data from the medical apparatus and performs a variety of processing functions, such as trending, protocol translation, generating reports, etc. related to the collected data. The device then transmits the collected data over a network to interested parties. In some implementations, the device can transmit the collected data as an email message.
US08171090B2
Transmission data is generated depending on the status change of a device according to a message indicating the status information about the device and the destination information about the message and is transmitted by electronic mail, and the user who manages the device can be notified of the status of the device at an appropriate timing by a data transfer process apparatus, a device, a network system, a data transfer method, and a storage medium.
US08171089B2
A method is provided for email processing to recipients based on user defined visibility settings. Input of email addresses for recipients in a privileged list and for recipients not in the privileged list is received. An email message is transmitted to recipients in the privileged list and to recipients not in the privileged list. The recipients in the privileged list are able to visibly distinguish recipients in the privileged list from the recipients not in the privileged list. The recipients not in the privileged list are unable to visibly distinguish the recipients in the privileged list. Input of email addresses for recipients in a restricted list and for recipients not in the restricted list is received. An email message is transmitted to recipients in the restricted list and to recipients not in the restricted list. Recipients in the restricted list are unable to visibly see recipients in the restricted list.
US08171080B2
A method and system for generating meeting maker requests as efficiently and with as few steps as possible. Here, a software API or program automatically generates and populates a meeting maker request by using information already located within an electronic message, such as an e-mail, to compose the meeting maker request. One embodiment includes a method for converting an electronic message into a meeting maker. The method comprises receiving an electronic message. Meeting information is located within the received electronic message. Invited attendees to the meeting are determined based on information within the electronic message. A meeting maker request is automatically generated using the determined information.
US08171078B2
A particular method includes receiving, via an interactive voice response unit, an audio content item during a first call. An indication of an insertion point at which to insert audio advertising in the audio content item is also received. The method further includes receiving via the interactive voice response unit an audio advertisement during a second call. The audio advertisement is automatically inserted into the audio content item at the insertion point to create a package.
US08171075B2
An information technology (IT) environment includes IT managed resources in which the resources are abstracted using a model. In response to determining that a request for information received from a client is non-optimal in terms of processing the request, a first hint can be constructed that indicates how future requests are to be formulated by the client so that they are more optimal in terms of processing the future requests. In response to determining that the information is internally structured non-optimally in terms of processing the request, a second hint can be constructed that indicates how the information is to be internally structured more optimally in terms of processing future requests. In response to determining that processing the request will be non-optimal, a third hint can be constructed relating to a characteristic that results in non-optimal processing of the request, and logged within a hint log for offline analysis.
US08171074B2
A schedule execution unit accesses a storage unit for storing a call list registered in a database and determines whether or not there is a Web service call to be executed. If the presence of a Web service call to be executed is confirmed, the schedule execution unit reads out the Web service address and process details and calls the Web service. By so doing, the apparatus that provides the function and the apparatus that carries out the call can be separated, thus enabling a particular program to be executed simply and flexibly according to a schedule.
US08171073B2
A computer system connected to a data communications network, wherein the computer system is reliably protected against computer viruses, unauthorized access to internal data, and loss of data in the event of infection with computer viruses. The computer system has a first computer (1) and a second computer (2) that is independent of and redundant to the first computer. The two computers match themselves by comparing their work results. The receipt of data from the data communications network (6) is limited to the first computer, and the transmission of data to the data communications network is limited to the second computer. At least the initial processing of received data is limited to the first computer, and non-verified or non-verifiable data received by the first computer are stored in the second computer only in locked form, i.e., in non-processable form.
US08171068B2
A method of generating a set of unique pseudorandom N-digit base-B integers includes the steps of selecting an integer A, wherein A is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than BN−1, and adding to integer A an integer P, modulus BN, wherein P is equal to or greater than 0 and equal to or less than BN−1, and wherein P and N are relatively prime, to obtain a first element of the set. The method generates a second element of the set by adding P to the first element, modulus BN. The method generates the complete set of unique pseudorandom N-digit base-B integers by repeating the process BN times. Elements of the set may be used to populate a data set.
US08171065B2
A system and method is described for managing data objects in a fixed-content storage system. Metadata is provided for each variable size packet and may include offset information, packet size data, reference content blocks, and the like. Using this information, intelligently decomposed objects, consolidated objects, differenced objects, and composite objects may be stored in the storage system. The data structure provided by these objects allows for the reduction of necessary storage resources and the total number of stored objects.
US08171064B2
Methods and systems for concurrently reading direct and indirect data blocks of a data object stored in a network storage server system. In one embodiment, upon receiving a request to read a data object, the storage server identifies a location of an indirect data-block of the data object and a total number of direct data-blocks associated with the data object. Using this information, the storage server concurrently reads, using a single read operation, both the indirect data-block and a specific number of data blocks that are contiguous with the location of the indirect data-block. The specific number is commensurate with the total number of direct-data blocks associated with the data object. In one embodiment, the storage server verifies whether the data object is represented using a contiguous-mode layout scheme before performing the concurrent single-read operation to read the data object.
US08171057B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for modeling party identities in computer storage systems. A federated identity fabric models identity data and relationships between portions of indentify data in computer storage systems in accordance with a uniform schema. The federated identity fabric can federate distributed identity and identity relationship data from computer storage systems within the variety of different computing environments. Code and metadata at computing environments associated with the federated identity fabric can interoperate to facilitate uniformly storing, accessing, modifying, deleting, and securing identity and identity relationship data within the federated identify fabric. Embodiments of the invention include utilizing an identity key table entry to locate party identity information and performing key transformations between different types of identity keys.
US08171056B2
A data processor includes a storage unit, a decompressing module, an interface module, and a data retrieving module. The storage unit stores therein a compressed setting data file including setting data files each compressed in a compression format. The decompressing module decompresses a setting data file, in the compressed setting data file, corresponding to a model of a printer selected for printing. The interface module displays a setting screen corresponding to the setting data file decompressed by the decompressing module. The data retrieving module sets print settings based on settings specified on the setting screen.
US08171055B2
A system for generating communication subscriber description information includes an information labeling unit adapted to label original information of a specific communication subscriber, and a subscriber information generating unit adapted to generate communication subscriber description information according to communication records. A method for generating communication subscriber description information applies Ontology in the communication field, so as to obtain subscriber demand information for generating communication subscriber description information by analyzing actual communication records of the subscriber. Moreover, the generated communication subscriber description information truly reflects characteristics and requirements of the communication subscriber, thus ensuring the accuracy of the generated communication subscriber description information. The present invention is applicable to communication behaviors such as voice communication, data communication, and short messages of a subscriber.
US08171030B2
A multi-dimensional database and indexes and operations on the multi-dimensional database are described which include video search applications or other similar sequence or structure searches. Traversal indexes utilize highly discriminative information about images and video sequences or about object shapes. Global and local signatures around keypoints are used for compact and robust retrieval and discriminative information content of images or video sequences of interest. For other objects or structures relevant signature of pattern or structure are used for traversal indexes. Traversal indexes are stored in leaf nodes along with distance measures and occurrence of similar images in the database. During a sequence query, correlation scores are calculated for single frame, for frame sequence, and video clips, or for other objects or structures.
US08171027B1
A computing device-implemented method includes receiving an additive tree; assigning data associated with the additive tree to one or more initial clusters; partitioning the additive tree into one or more pairs of additive sub-trees corresponding to one or more binary segmentations; computing a set that includes partitions resulting from a combination of the one or more initial clusters and the one or more pairs of additive sub-trees; evaluating one or more partitions of the set with one or more cluster validation criteria; storing one or more evaluation results for the one or more partitions; selecting at least one partition from the one or more partitions of the set that satisfies the one or more cluster validation criteria, where the at least one partition is associated with an optimal evaluation result; and removing at least one of the binary segmentations that corresponds to the at least one partition.
US08171025B2
A density-based data clustering method, comprising a parameter-setting step for setting a scanning radius and a minimum threshold value, a dividing step for dividing a space of a plurality of data points according to the scanning radius, a data-retrieving step for retrieving one data point out of the plurality of data points as a core data point, a searching step for calculating a distance between the core data point and each of the query points, a grouping determination step for determining whether a number of the neighboring points is smaller than the minimum threshold value.
US08171022B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for combining conjoint analysis with customer relationship management software, search engine software, and auction software are disclosed. According to one method, conjoint analysis is used to facilitate user interaction with a search engine. According to the method, search keywords are received as a user and treated as attributes by a conjoint analysis application. The conjoint analysis application presents the user with paired trade-off questions regarding the search keywords. Conjoint analysis is performed based on user responses to the questions. Based on the user's responses to the questions, relative importance weightings are computed for keywords. The keywords and the relative importance weightings are input to a search engine. The search is performed using the keywords. Results to be output to the user are selected based on occurrences of the keywords in the search results and the relative importance weightings.
US08171015B2
The subject matter described herein relates to systems and techniques for optimizing, distributing, and tracking the use of content online in, for example, Internet search engines and other Internet distribution networks.
US08171013B2
A system, method and computer program product for indexing a product identifier and logical parts thereof includes receiving a product identifier; splitting the product identifier into logical parts; indexing the product identifier and the individual logical parts in an index; and storing the index, wherein the index is created by encoding the product identifier and the individual logical parts of the product identifier into separate fields of a document, wherein different weights are assigned to separate fields based on the field types such as product identifier or logical parts of the product identifier field, wherein different weights are assigned to words based on the word types including bi-words, wherein the fields and weights are encoded to word positions in the document, wherein the weights affect a score generated upon performing a query using the index. A system, method and computer program product for processing a search query is also presented.
US08171009B2
A computer-implemented method and system for performing a trusted search is described. A credibility score is assigned to a Web site based on whether the Web site meets at least a portion of trust criteria. The Web site is stored in an index of trusted Web sites if the credibility score assigned to the Web site is within a predefined range of credibility scores. The Web site is displayed on a machine if the Web site is determined to contain information that is relevant to a search query.
US08171000B2
A method and system for conducting an integrity check of system and user metadata when the metadata is mounted. A filesystem reviewer is embedded within software of a server node. A mutual exclusion lock is obtained on the selected metadata. An automated verification of the locked metadata is conducted while the filesystem is mounted. In addition, an automated salvage of the locked metadata may be conducted while the filesystem is mounted. The verification and/or salvage of the locked metadata can be applied to system, user, and/or a portion of the user metadata.
US08170994B2
Techniques for virtual archiving are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for performing virtual archiving comprising applying archiving rules to a backup catalog, generating a virtual archive catalog based at least in part on a result of applying archiving rules to the backup catalog, determining a backup image associated with the virtual archive catalog becoming expired and converting the backup image into an archive image.
US08170991B1
Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for managing an image of a storage volume are described. File extents for each of a plurality of files as defined in an original block layout of the image are obtained. A re-ordered block layout is generated by re-ordering, for each file of the plurality of files, blocks as defined by the original block layout based on the file extents of the respective file such that the blocks are contiguous. Layout metadata indicative of a mapping between the original block layout and the re-ordered block layout is generated. An archive image having the re-ordered block layout and the layout metadata is stored to a sequential storage device.
US08170990B2
Remote replication is implemented with hierarchical storage. In exemplary embodiments, a first storage site has a first storage system providing an upper tier of storage and a second storage system providing a lower tier of storage. A remote second storage site has third and fourth storage systems configured to receive remote replication from the first and second storage systems, respectively. When a file is migrated from the upper tier to the lower tier, a stub file is stored in place of the migrated file indicating a storage location of the migrated file on the second storage system. When copies of the migrated file and the stub file are replicated to the fourth and third storage systems, respectively, information is transmitted to the second storage site for linking the copy of the stub file at the third storage system to the copy of the migrated file at the fourth storage system.
US08170983B2
Managing data across a semantic data view and a presentation data view may be provided. A semantic model may be represented in a semantic data view and a presentation model may be represented in a presentation data view. The presentation model may correspond to a graphical representation of the semantic model. In addition, a command may be received directed toward the semantic data view or the presentation data view. The semantic model and the presentation model may be operated upon according to the received command. Furthermore, the semantic model represented in the semantic data view and the presentation model represented in the presentation data view may be updated in response to operating on the semantic model and the presentation model according to the received command. The semantic model and the presentation model may be simultaneously maintained in a volatile memory in a computer.
US08170979B2
A website may allow users to rate content items displayed thereon. The user ratings associated with the content items may be weighted according to user rating weight. The rating weight of a particular user may be based, in whole or part, upon whether the user consistently rates content items similarly to one or more “expert” raters. The experts may be selected based on various factors including: professional training, experience, reputation on the website, or the like. If a particular user consistently rates content items similarly to the experts, the user may be given a high rating weight. Users whose ratings consistently diverge from the ratings assigned by the experts may be given a lower rating weight. The weights may be displayed in connection with a user profile, or may be hidden from the user community. The rating weights may be used in calculating an overall rating of a particular content item.
US08170976B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are present for performing a simulation. The simulation is executed. Simulation data is collected while executing the simulation to form collected simulation data. A number of events is generated by applying a first number of rules to the collected simulation data to form a number of generated events. A number of commands is generated as a reaction to the number of generated events by applying a second number of rules to the number of generated events to form a number of simulation commands. The number of simulation commands is sent to the simulation.
US08170975B1
A rule stored in a tangible computer-readable memory is adapted to be programmatically applied by a computer to automatically detect occurrences of a particular problem in a deployment of a software application. The rule comprises a plurality of atomic gates and a plurality of operator gates. The atomic gates have predicates for detecting occurrences of a plurality of conditions in the software application deployment. The operator gates are configured to detect predefined logical combinations of outputs of the atomic gates to generate a rule output that indicates whether the problem is currently detected in the deployment. The rule contains a plurality of free logical variables which can be assigned values. The free logical variables are configured for use in input pattern matching and output binding substitutions to supply information to a remedy for the problem. Each substitution comprises an assignment of a value to a variable.
US08170974B2
A method of determining one or more association rules includes: specifying site-sequence values for users, wherein each user is identified with one of a plurality of engagement levels, and the site-sequence values indicate a sequence from a first site to a second site for at least one user identified with a corresponding engagement level; determining cumulative site-sequence values from the site-sequence values for combinations of pairs of sites and distinct engagement levels; determining likelihood values from the cumulative site-sequence values, wherein the likelihood values characterize probabilities for sequences between sites at distinct engagement levels; determining one or more association rules for pairs of sites from one or more corresponding likelihood values at one or more engagement levels, wherein each association rule indicates a sequential association between a corresponding pair of sites; determining one or more confidence values for the one or more association rules by calculating one or more variations of the likelihood values across the engagement levels; and saving one or more values for the one or more associations rules (e.g., likelihood values or confidence values).
US08170965B2
Described is a method for governing the operation of a generalist agent within a multi-agent complex adaptive system such that the generalist agent maintains the stability of the system. The method includes the steps of migrating about the system, badging with the specialty agents, participating in the respective function performed by the specialty agents, collecting information while functionally participating as a specialty agent, evaluating the collected information, reconfiguring source code in view of the evaluated information, testing the reconfigured source code through additional functional participation, determining the usefulness of the reconfigured source code, archiving any reconfigured source code determined to be useful, and distributing the useful reconfigured source code.
US08170959B2
A label and a method for providing a label to a user is described. The label may be a mailing label to be placed on letters or parcels. The label includes information such as postage, delivery address, return address, and a barcode for tracking delivery information. A user may request both a label and postage in what, to the user, appears to be a single computerized connection on a single internet web-page. A postage indicia is provided through a postage provider with whom the user has a deposit or credit. The label itself may be generated through a label-generating application hosted or generated by an entity separate from the postage provider.
US08170955B2
A method, system and software for permitting use of digital works having rights associated therewith in a system having repositories configured to enable use of the digital work in accordance with the rights, including associating a transfer right with a digital work, the transfer right specifying that the digital work is transferred from a first repository to a second repository; transferring the digital work from the first repository to the second repository in accordance with the transfer right; and in response to the transferring, step updating transfer right information in respect of the digital work.
US08170953B1
Methods and systems for anti money laundering screening are provided. The method includes determining a risk score and a first validation code associated with the risk score, based on information related to a funds transfer transaction and independently calculating a second validation code and comparing with the first validation code. The method further includes including the risk score and the validation score in a payment authorization message. The receiving financial entity accepts or denies the incoming funds transfer based on the risk score included in the payment authorization message.
US08170946B2
A quantity of an item referenced within a multilevel bill of material (BOM) is determined. A price bid for the item is received into an application framework from a supplier. The price bid is associated with the item. The cost of the multilevel BOM is determined based on the quantity of the item and the price bid.
US08170934B2
Systems and methods are provided to determine an estimated value of a traded fund whose assets are not publicly disclosed on a daily basis, where a computer system includes one or more computers and is programmed to determine an estimated value of the traded fund. Embodiments include operating the computer system to calculate an estimated value of the traded fund based on the value of a proxy portfolio, where the identities of the assets of the traded fund are not disclosed to an investor who trades shares of the traded fund on a secondary market, and publicly disclosing the estimated value of the traded fund periodically throughout a trading day.
US08170932B1
A transaction management system includes a database system configured to receive and store data for a plurality of financial transactions, the data for the plurality of financial transactions being associated with a plurality of financial accounts of a user. The system further includes a server system coupled to the database system and configured to categorize the plurality of financial transactions into a plurality of categories, the categories including merchant categories and payment method categories, the server system being further configured to provide a plurality of user interfaces to the user, each user interface providing a display of a different portion of the plurality of financial transactions, each user interface configured to enable a user to select a link configured to direct the user to an image of a check associated with one of the plurality of financial transactions; and categorize the financial transaction into a one of the merchant categories.
US08170929B1
A centralized database system for supporting transactions in property. The central database is accessed by system users over a public network such as the Internet. The central database forms a title registry recording the entitlements of the users, who are a defined group, to perform prescribed actions in relation to electronically created records. The electronically created records represent a strictly defined series of rights and obligations in relation to underlying property with one record being created for support of one transaction. The users become entitled by virtue of their designation to prescribed roles by a previously entitled user. Designation of a user to a prescribed role in a record takes place by means of a system user sending an electronic instruction to the database, these electronic instructions being referred to as registry instructions or title registry instructions.
US08170920B1
Disclosed is a method of providing continuing education for keeping professionals aware and informed of developments in easily accessed categorized topical areas of interest utilizing an electronic network (eg. the Internet), primarily as an audio format distribution means. The method can include a client providing attestation of access and listened-to-grasping of the information over the internet, the client making permanent library copies, and the client accessing information utilizing time and/or topic tags.
US08170913B1
The efficient allocation of advertisements, also known as creatives, on one or more web sites is provided for while ensuring that guarantees to advertisers are honored. In one embodiment, a linear program solver allocates creatives to advertising slots according to an optimizing function designed to maximize revenue for the site. The linear program solver takes as input a set of creatives, creative performance data, constraints, and slot identifiers. The output of the linear program solver is an optimized schedule not violative of any of the input constraints.
US08170907B2
A system for optimizing incentive-based spending parameters associated with goods provided by a manufacturer in fragmented markets includes a data collection component configured to aggregate data, and an analysis module, which applies regression analysis based on key segmentation variables. A segmentation module separates the aggregated data into final segments based on identified key segmentation variables. The analysis module applies regression analysis to each final segment to identify incentive-based spending parameters and generates response curves. A report generator provides a graphical output of the respective response curves.
US08170905B2
A computer implemented method for determining the reference values of sensitivities and strategies for price optimization demand models from a profit function and current product price. A total profit objective is expressed as the maximization of profit and volume, where a strategy parameter represents the relationship between profit and volume. From the total profit objective, the bounds of the strategy parameter are expressed as conditional inequalities relating the bounds to functions of the unit profit at the current rate and average volume. The strategy parameter is then set to the average of these bounds. The reference elasticity is expressed as a function of the unit profit function and average volume. The resulting reference values can be used in a price optimization system to generate recommended prices that relate to an industry's current pricing scheme.
US08170898B2
Techniques for facilitating evaluation, in connection with the procurement or delivery of products or services, in a context of at least one of (i) a financial transaction and (ii) operation of an enterprise, are disclosed. The techniques involve retrieving party and counterparty preference profile data from digital storage media; performing multilateral analyses of the combined preference data by computing a closeness-of-fit value; and delivering a list matching the selected party and the at least one counterparty using the computed closeness-of-fit values.
US08170897B1
Techniques are described for facilitating automated validation of results of performance of tasks. In some situations, task requesters may specify various automated validation criteria for tasks that they submit, and those specified validation criteria may automatically be used to determine whether results of performance of those tasks by task performers are validated. To facilitate such automated validation, predefined types of validation criteria may be provided that a user may select and/or configure. The outcome of automated validation of results may be used in various ways, such as to indicate when results have been validated and/or have not been validated, to determine whether to provide results to a task requester (e.g., if results are not provided unless they have been validated, or if results that fail validation are corrected or replaced with results that pass validation) and/or to compensate task performers for providing the results.
US08170896B2
A system and method for performing a business transaction including delivering a business message, comprising providing in a first transaction the business message to a first workflow process; transferring the business message from the first workflow process to a second process wherein the transfer is not part of the first transaction; wherein the business message is transferred to the second process using a protocol; and wherein transferring the business message to the second process will be successful even if the first workflow process abnormally terminates.
US08170876B2
A word dictionary including sets of a character string which constitutes a word, a phoneme sequence which constitutes pronunciation of the word and a part of speech of the word is referenced, an entered text is analyzed, the entered text is divided into one or more subtexts, a phoneme sequence and a part of speech sequence are generated for each subtext, the part of speech sequence of the subtext and a list of part of speech sequence are collated to determine whether the phonetic sound of the subtext is to be converted or not, and the phonetic sounds of the phoneme sequence in the subtext whose phonetic sounds are determined to be converted are converted.
US08170870B2
In an audio signal processing apparatus, a generation section generates an audio signal representing a voice. A distribution section distributes the audio signal generated by the generation section to a first channel and a second channel, respectively. A delay section delays the audio signal of the first channel relative to the audio signal of the second channel for creating a phase difference between the audio signal of the first channel and the audio signal of the second channel such that the created phase difference has a duration corresponding to either an added value of a first duration which is approximately one half of a period of the audio signal generated by the generation section and a second duration which is set shorter than the first duration, or a difference value of the first duration and the second duration. An addition section adds the audio signal of the first channel and the audio signal of the second channel with one another, between which the phase difference is created by the delay section, and outputs the added audio signal which represents natural voice with various characteristics.
US08170869B2
A language model back-off system can be used with a user interface employing one or more language models to constrain navigation of selectable user interface input components. A user input interpretation module receives user input and interprets the user input to determine if a selection is made of one or more user interface input components. If a selection is not made, the user input interpretation module determines whether conditions are met for backing off one or more language models employed to constrain navigation of the user interface input components. If the conditions are met, a language model back-off module backs off the one or more language models.
US08170862B2
A document image processing device includes a region dividing unit that divides a document image into sentence regions, a character recognizing unit that recognizes characters in each sentence region obtained by the region dividing unit, a classifying unit that classifies the sentence regions into groups based on first character sizes and first line spacings, a translation unit that translates the characters constituting a character string in each sentence region, a calculating unit that calculates second character sizes and second line spacings, and a correcting unit that corrects the second character sizes and the second line spacings of the sentence regions classified into a same group by the classified unit so that differences in second character size and second line spacing between the sentence regions of the same group is substantially equal to or less than predetermined values.
US08170849B2
A spray injection analysis and nozzle configuration system is described having a user input unit that collects spray system input parameters and relays the collected parameters to a fluid performance matching unit and/or problem geometry unit for subsequent processing. The user inputs basic system parameters, including the desired spray fluid characteristics, to obtain suggested system configuration, including spray nozzle types and quantities. Accuracy of suggested spray nozzle type and configuration is increased via approximating the viscosity and/or surface tension parameters of the desired spray fluid with that of collected performance data. When a user already knows the desired spray nozzle type and associated system parameters, the user input unit routes this information to the problem geometry unit for creation of a problem geometry file, including calculation of the drop size distribution and spray velocity, and performance modeling via the fluid modeling unit.
US08170846B2
In a method of computing the overall material constant of a composite material, a virtual composite material is defined as the one that a first material component is dispersed in a form of inner spherical particles in a matrix phase and each of the inner spherical particles is enveloped by the second material component, in a form of outer shell layers, as a coating layer. Based on this, a nonlinear equation is prepared, which has the material constant of the virtual composite material as an unknown. Next, the material constant of the virtual composite material is computed by solving the equation. In the equation, the material constant in each of the surrounding areas of the outer shell layers coating the inner spherical particles is defined as the overall material constant of the virtual composite material to be computed. The volume fractions of the material components in the composite material are computed using the equation.
US08170839B2
A tire design method is provided for a tire having a tire tread with a plurality of circumferential ribs separated by circumferential continuous grooves where at least two circumferential ribs are unlocked by at least one circumferential groove. The method may include modeling a lug in each of the at least two circumferential ribs to determine a circumferential shear stiffness and a circumferential shear stiffness per unit length for each rib. The tire design method may further include determining an ideal rib stiffness, an optimal rib stiffness, and a corresponding ideal number of lugs and an optimal number of lugs for each of the at least two circumferential ribs. In one embodiment, the tire design method includes modifying the tire design so the number of lugs in each rib is equal to the optimal number of lugs determined in the tire design method.
US08170835B2
A system and method of monitoring equipment performance and predicting failures. The system can include a data historian that stores data for a piece of equipment and designates the data to tags. The tags can correspond to sensors that gather the data from the piece of equipment. A matrix model builder application can allow a user to generate regression models for various time spans to determine whether new data is within a normal operating range.
US08170830B2
Various aspects of the present invention are shown and described, each of which has stand alone utility in a navigated medical environment. A receiver position calibration system and method facilitates calibration of a reference frame prior to each navigated procedure. A concept and application of confidence weights is introduced. Confidence weights can be applied to distance calculations to mitigate the effects of interference and increase the tolerance of the navigated medical system. Multi-path interference is minimized through the transmission of a signal having a pattern of unique frequencies and filtering of the distance calculations for each frequency to identify the “best” distance in the presence of multi-path interference. A position determination method and system that transmits a signal having multiple frequency components permits positions to be identified with high resolution over a large area.
US08170826B2
The present invention relates to a method for the calibration of a position determination system of a rear axle steering actuator for a motor vehicle. The rear axle steering actuator has an actuator element which can be driven by a rotary movement of a rotor to a translation movement and whose geometrical center position is determined by a reference measurement. The position determination system includes a linear sensor and a rotary sensor. During calibration, a piece of calibration information is generated which includes a piece of zero point information of the linear sensor and a piece of sector information. The measurement range of the rotary sensor is divided into at least two sectors. The sector information identifies that angle at which the angular position of the rotor lies when the actuator element is arranged in its geometrical center position. The calibration information is stored in the linear sensor.
US08170821B2
In order to automatically measure a signal skew between a first test signal and a second test signal by using an oscilloscope, a method is provided by the present invention. The method includes: capturing a band center of the first test signal; capturing a first sampling point and a second sampling point of the second test signal; comparing a voltage difference between the first sampling point and the second sampling point of the second test signal with a threshold value so as to decide and capture a rising band center and a falling band center of the second test signal. By using the invented method, the signal skew between the first test signal and the second test signal can be calculated according to the band center of the first test signal, the rising band center and the falling band center of the second test signal.
US08170819B2
A method for measuring non-linear characteristics of a power amplifier is described. A calibration waveform is calculated during a testing procedure period. Amplitude characteristics of the calibration waveform at the output of the power amplifier are measured during the testing procedure period. Phase characteristics of the calibration waveform at the output of the power amplifier are measured during the testing procedure period. Pre-distortion techniques are configured based on the amplitude characteristics and the phase characteristics to be used during a normal operation period of a transmitter.
US08170814B2
In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving data related to a customer premise equipment (CPE) device and determining an impedance mismatch between a transmission line and the CPE device based on the received data. The method further includes initiating removal of a source of the impedance mismatch in response to determining the impedance mismatch.
US08170808B2
Methods and software products for analysis of alternative splicing are disclosed. In general the methods involve normalizing probe set or exon intensity to an expression level measurement of the gene. The methods may be used to identify tissue-specific alternative splicing events.
US08170806B2
In particular, this invention provides novel methods of populating data structures for use in evolutionary modeling. In particular, this invention provides methods of populating a data structure with a plurality of character strings. The methods involve encoding two or more biological molecules into character strings to provide a collection of two or more different initial character strings; selecting at least two substrings from the pool of character strings; concatenating the substrings to form one or more product strings about the same length as one or more of the initial character strings; adding the product strings to a collection of strings; and optionally repeating this process using one or more of the product strings as an initial string in the collection of initial character strings.
US08170805B2
Provided herein are methods for evaluating associations between candidate genes and a trait of interest in a population. The methods include a combination of genome-wide association analysis and one or more of nested association mapping (NAM), expression QTL analysis (eQTL), and allele epistastic analysis (AEA). Markers are selected or prioritized if they are shown to be positively-correlated with a trait of interest using GWA and a combination of one or both of NAM and eQTL. Also provided are models for evaluating the association between a candidate marker and a trait in a nested population of organisms. These methods include single marker regression and multiple marker regression models. Markers identified using the methods of the invention can be used in marker assisted breeding and selection, as genetic markers for constructing linkage maps, for gene discovery, for identifying genes contributing to a trait of interest, and for generating transgenic organisms having a desired trait.
US08170803B2
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for evaluating sensor data from a continuous analyte sensor including receiving first and second sensor data points from the continuous analyte sensor and comparing the first and second sensor data points to determine a presence or an absence of aberrant data.
US08170796B2
An apparatus comprising a position system configured to determine a global positioning (GPS) change vector, and an inertial navigation system (INS) change vector. The position system is configured to determine a relative position between a first platform and a second platform based on the GPS change vector and the INS change vector, and the position system is configured to correct a GPS position calculation error based on the GPS change vector and the INS change vector.
US08170792B2
A vehicle control device which can at least provide compatibility between a high grip performance and fuel efficiency or compatibility between quietness and fuel efficiency is provided. When a camber angle of a wheel 2 is adjusted to a negative camber, ground contact in a first tread 21 is increased and ground contact in a second tread 22 is decreased. Accordingly, the high grip performance or the quietness is provided. On the other hand, when the camber angle of the wheel 2 is adjusted to a positive camber, the ground contact in the first tread 21 is decreased and the ground contact in the second tread 22 is increased. Accordingly, a rolling resistance becomes low, and fuel saving is achieved. In this manner, by adjusting the camber angle of the wheel 2, the compatibility can be provided between conflicting performances of the high grip performance or the quietness and the fuel saving.
US08170777B2
To reduce the complexity of an indicating system 6 on an internal combustion engine for determining a parameter, the invention provides that on the basis of the measured variable a computing unit 8 for the indicating system 6 computes crank angle information, and on the basis of the crank angle information thus computed and the measured variable determines an engine parameter.
US08170775B2
The device including: a fuel correction value calculating unit for calculating a correction value for a fuel injection quantity so that an actual air-fuel ratio becomes equal to a target air-fuel ratio; a fuel switching detecting unit for detecting that fuel switching has occurred; a fuel property estimating unit for setting a period, in which there is a possibility that a fuel property changes, as a property change period when the fuel switching is detected to calculate a fuel property correction value corresponding to another correction value for the fuel injection quantity based on the correction value within the property change period; and a property change judging unit for judging whether or not a change in the correction value is due to the change in the fuel property in a case where the correction value becomes out of a predetermined range even though the property change period is not set.
US08170766B2
A system and method for supplying power to an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) for a vehicle includes: determining whether an ignition key has been turned on; comparing voltage of a first battery unit, configured to apply the power to an ABS actuation unit, with voltage of a second battery unit, connected to the first battery unit, if the ignition key has been turned on; determining whether the ABS actuation unit is operating if the voltage of the first battery unit is lower than the voltage of the second battery unit; and charging the first battery unit with the power if the ABS actuation unit is operating, and balancing the voltage of the first battery unit and the voltage of the second battery unit if the ABS actuation unit is not operating.
US08170760B2
A vehicle driving apparatus that can execute cranking of an internal combustion engine by transmitting a mechanical power from a rotor of a motor to an engine output shaft without executing an engaging/disengaging operation of a clutch. A driving apparatus of a hybrid vehicle includes a first speed change mechanism capable of receiving mechanical power from an engine output shaft by a first input shaft and transmitting the mechanical power to drive wheels, a second speed change mechanism capable of receiving the mechanical power from the engine output shaft and a rotor by a second input shaft engaged with the rotor and transmitting the mechanical power to the drive wheels, a first clutch capable of engaging the engine output shaft with the first input shaft, and a second clutch capable of engaging the engine output shaft with the second input shaft.
US08170748B1
An information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the interior cabin of a vehicle and a video display screen disposed in the interior rearview mirror assembly. The video display screen is operable to display video images captured by a backup camera of the equipped vehicle for assisting the driver during a reversing maneuver. A transmitter is disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly, and a graphical user interface generates instructions for operation of the transmitter. The video display screen is operable to selectively display video images captured by the backup camera and instructions from the graphical user interface. When the equipped vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver, the information display system displays the video images captured by the backup camera. The graphical user interface interactively operates with the user input for display of instructions for operation of the transmitter.
US08170746B2
A method for identifying unstable driving states is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps: (a) detecting whether the magnitude of a difference between a first value of a driving state variable that is detected by means of a first sensor, and a second value of the driving states variable that is calculated from measured values of at least one further sensor, increases over time, (b) filtering the difference by means of a delay element after it has been established that the difference has increased, (c) comparing the filters difference and the unfiltered difference, and (d) establishing the presence of an unstable driving states when the comparison shows that a deviation between the filtered difference and the unfiltered difference exceeds a predefined threshold value. The method enables an unstable driving state to be identified even when a driving states variable has an offset error which is of the desired size.
US08170733B2
A vehicle control system includes a first powertrain, a second powertrain, and a third powertrain. The first powertrain includes a first power source. The second powertrain includes a second power source. The third powertrain includes a third power source. The vehicle control system also includes an operator control interface. The operator control interface includes a first portion configured to receive a first operator input and a second portion configured to receive a second operator input. The first operator input and the second operator input are indicative of a desired speed and a desired direction. The vehicle control system additionally includes a controller configured to deliver a power control signal to at least one of the first powertrain, the second powertrain, and the third powertrain. The power control signal is a function of the first operator input and the second operator input.
US08170724B2
Computer systems and associated methods for cooling computer components are disclosed herein. One embodiment of a computer system includes a computer cabinet having an air inlet spaced apart from an air outlet. The computer system also includes heat exchangers positioned in the computer cabinet, and a heat removal system in fluid communication with the heat exchangers. The computer system additionally includes at least one sensor for monitoring heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room. The computer system further includes a control system operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the control system including a computer-readable medium holding instructions for determining whether heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room is balanced based on information from the sensor, and if not, adjusting a parameter to balance the heat transfer.
US08170719B2
A control apparatus for a robot arm includes an operation information database in which pieces of information relating to operations of the robot arm are stored, a force detection unit that detects a force of a person, and an operation correction unit that corrects the operation information of the operation information database in accordance with the force of the person.
US08170716B2
Methods and apparatus for enhancing surgical planning provide enhanced planning of entry port placement and/or robot position for laparoscopic, robotic, and other minimally invasive surgery. Various embodiments may be used in robotic surgery systems to identify advantageous entry ports for multiple robotic surgical tools into a patient to access a surgical site. Generally, data such as imaging data is processed and used to create a model of a surgical site, which can then be used to select advantageous entry port sites for two or more surgical tools based on multiple criteria. Advantageous robot positioning may also be determined, based on the entry port locations and other factors. Validation and simulation may then be provided to ensure feasibility of the selected port placements and/or robot positions. Such methods, apparatus and systems may also be used in non-surgical contexts, such as for robotic port placement in munitions diffusion or hazardous waste handling.
US08170706B2
A system for creating a package includes a processor, a memory, and computer-readable instructions that instruct the processor to receive a package description and generate content, formatting instructions, and a structural design features for a package. The system applies the content and structural design features to a substrate to convert a flat substrate into a three-dimensional package.
US08170704B2
The throughput of complex cluster tools of a semiconductor manufacturing environment may be determined for a desired manufacturing scenario on the basis of automatically generated throughput models. The throughput models may be established on the basis of rule messages with high statistical relevance.
US08170699B2
A metering system for measuring the electrical power used to charge a vehicle is provided. The metering system includes an electrical meter operably coupled to a conductor connected to the vehicle and an electrical outlet. A controller receives signals from the meter to record the measured electrical consumption. The controller includes a plurality of communications devices for communicating with different communications carriers. In one embodiment, the controller selects one of the communications devices based on availability and a desired criterion. The selected communications device then transmits the measured electrical power consumption to a utility provider. In one embodiment, the metering system is mobile.
US08170693B2
The present system teaches an autostop system for a stage control system in which some of all of the device implemented effects associated with a production may be automatically stopped when certain conditions exist. The conditions causing the effects to stop may be configurable by the show creator to prevent injury to the persons involved with the production and damage to the scenery and equipment.
US08170682B2
The present application deals generally with the stimulation of neural tissue by electronic means and specifically with controlling the level of electrical stimulation in order to prevent damage to the neural tissue. Methods presented in the disclosure include detecting current leakage via electrode impedance measurement, electrode capacitance measurement, and testing the electrode response to test current pulse. Apparatus presented in the disclosure include circuitry and systems capable of performing the methods disclosed.
US08170679B2
Psychophysical tests are administered to cochlear implant (CI) users to determine a spectral modulation transfer function (SMTF), smallest detectable spectral contrast as a function of spectral modulation frequency, for each individual CI user. The determined SMTF for individual CI user is compared against a SMTF of a normal hearing person to determine the specific enhancements needed. A profile of spectral enhancement achievable with variation of filter parameters, sigma and maximum that best fits the needed enhancements for the individual CI user is selected. Based on the corresponding sigma and maximum selected, a sound processing strategy is adjusted to provide customized spectral contrast enhancement for the individual CI user. The sound processing strategy implemented includes an outer hair cell model.
US08170674B2
The present invention involves a method and a system for using electrical stimulation to treat gastrointestinal and/or eating disorders. More particularly, the method comprises surgically implanting an electrical stimulation lead that is in communication with predetermined thoracic vertebral segments to cause spinal nervous tissue stimulation, thus treating a wide variety of gastrointestinal disorders.
US08170672B2
Electrotherapeutic implant for stimulation of body tissue, comprising at least two electrode poles (14) which are connected to electric feeder lines, a demodulation unit (22), at least one electric feeder line (20), which is designed as an antenna and contacts the demodulation unit (22), wherein the implant (10) is fabricated from one piece, can be affixed (16) at the treatment site and is equipped with a biocompatible insulation, whereby the components of the implant (10) are designed so that a therapeutic energy which can be injected from the outside over the antenna (20) during the treatment is delivered to the therapeutic target region without intermediate storage.
US08170661B2
Systems and methods for temporarily pacing a patient's heart are provided. One system includes a vascular treatment system having a vascular access system and a therapy system. The therapy system includes an indeflator and an elongate medical device and the elongate medical device has an inflatable member and an electrode. The indeflator is adapted to provide pressurized fluid to the inflatable member and electrical signals to the electrode, with its operation manually or automatically controlled. Devices for electrically and fluidly coupling the indeflator and the elongate medical device are also provided.
US08170657B1
A delivery catheter for delivery, then photo-activation of photo sensitive material has a photo-sensitive substance-delivery part and an activation part. The catheter delivers substances such as biomaterials to a target site, followed by illumination of the target using optics located at the distal tip of the catheter which are optically coupled to an extracorporeal light source. In another aspect a deployable light-delivery catheter is disclosed that can illuminate a large area of tissue.
US08170655B2
A data acquisition module for use in monitoring a plurality of physiological signals is disclosed herein. The data acquisition module may include a first signal processing path for biopotential data, a second signal processing path for therapeutic event data, and a processing unit that receives and processes the data from the first and second signal processing paths. The data acquisition module may further compare identified likely therapeutic events in each of a plurality of psychological signals.
US08170653B2
A system for the detection of cardiac events occurring in a human patient is provided. At least two electrodes are included in the system for obtaining an electrical signal from a patient's heart. An electrical signal processor is electrically coupled to the electrodes for processing the electrical signal and a patient alarm means is further provided and electrically coupled to the electrical signal processor. The electrical signal is acquired in the form of electrogram segments, which are categorized according to heart rate, ST segment shift and type heart rhythm (normal or abnormal). Baseline electrogram segments are tracked over time.
US08170638B2
A method of fabricating a MEMS flexible substrate neural probe is provided. The method can include applying an insulation layer on a substrate, and depositing a plurality of metal traces on the insulation layer and electroplating each of the plurality of traces. The method also can include encapsulating the insulation layer and metal traces deposited thereon with an insulation layer. Additionally the method can include etching the insulation layer to form a plurality bond pad sites and probes to form a flexible ribbon cable having a plurality of bond pad sites disposed on a surface of the flexible cable and a plurality of neural probes extending from the flexible cable. The method further can include separating the substrate from the insulation layer and depositing insulation on each of the neural probes, each probe comprising insulated portion and exposed metallic tip. Moreover, the method can include cutting each of the exposed metallic tips, and plating each of the exposed metallic tips and each of the plurality of bond pad sites.
US08170632B2
An electronic device and an operation method thereof are provided. The electronic device includes a fixing element, a first main body and a second main body. The fixing element has a first arc-shaped groove, which passes through the fixing element. The second main body has a second arc-shaped groove and a first straight groove, wherein the second arc-shaped groove and the first straight groove are interconnected. The first main body has a first protrusion which passes through the first arc-shaped groove and lodges in the first straight groove. While the first protrusion is slid for a first predetermined distance from one end of the first straight groove, the first arc-shaped groove and the second arc-shaped groove are overlapped, so that the first protrusion is slid along the first arc-shaped groove which overlaps the second arc-shaped groove for driving the first main body.
US08170630B2
A mobile terminal device including a first housing, a second housing and a hinge foldably connecting the first housing and the second housing is provided. The mobile terminal device includes a hinge including a hinge mechanism which rotatably connects the first housing and the second housing. The device includes a flexible joint which liquid-tightly connects the first housing and the second housing and liquid-tightly contains the hinge mechanism.
US08170623B2
An arrangement for charging an electronic accessory (such as a wireless headset) using a docking station that obtains power from at least one of a power port and a data port of an attached electronic device (such as the pairing cellular phone). The docking station provides mechanical support and a convenient storage arrangement for the electronic accessory, as well as power conditioning. In another embodiment, the charging and storage functions for the electronic accessory are provided by a cigarette lighter plug employed to charge the electronic device.
US08170615B2
Basic personal data of an individual is stored as different data files based on content or intended use. The selection of personal data for inclusion in a data file may be performed in accordance with service provider requests or by the end user, preferably with the assistance of templates. Each data file is assigned a unique identifier and is preferably stored in a network server (or, alternatively, in the user's mobile device). The data files may be organized into groups according to content or intended use. For each of the stored files, a graphical symbol is stored in the user's mobile device. When displayed to the user, the symbol preferably resembles a card. Moreover, each group of data files is preferably displayed as a pack of cards. In this manner, the organization of the cards is such that the user can easily select a card needed to obtain a service.
US08170614B2
A dual-SIM mobile terminal and operation method for the same are disclosed. The dual-SIM mobile terminal checks the number of installed SIM cards during booting, and activates and deactivates the SIM switching mode according to the identified SIM card information. The operation method includes: detecting whether a first SIM card and second SIM card are installed in a first card socket and second card socket; storing SIM identification information regarding the detected SIM card; and performing a boot procedure on the basis of the detected SIM card. In particular, the SIM switching menu is displayed in an activated or deactivated state according to the identified SIM card information. Hence, the user can readily identify the number of installed SIM cards and the availability of SIM card switching through display status of the SIM switching menu.
US08170612B2
A communication device communicates with another communication device via an information managing device. The communication device includes a transmitter unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The transmitter unit transmits presence information to the other communication device via the information managing device. The storage unit stores a program. If the communication device executes the program, the control unit judges whether the presence information currently registered needs to be changed based on executing the program. If the control unit judges that the presence information currently registered needs to be changed, the control unit changes the presence information based on executing the program. The control unit controls the transmitter unit to transmit the changed presence information as updated presence information to the other communication device via the information managing device.
US08170607B2
A method for communication is disclosed and includes performing by one or more processors in a first access point, receiving a first messaging protocol message from a first switch. The first messaging protocol message is also communicated from the first switch to at least a second switch. A second messaging protocol message may be communicated to the second switch and/or a second access point based on the receiving of the first messaging protocol message. Operation of the first switch, the second switch, the first access point, the second access point, and/or at least one of a plurality of access devices may be controlled utilizing the first messaging protocol message and/or at least the second messaging protocol message. The first messaging protocol message may be generated by the first switch. The first messaging protocol message and the second messaging protocol message may be an access point status message.
US08170604B2
The invention concerns a method (200) and system (100) for managing communications for a multi-mode communications device (130). The method can include the steps of establishing (210) communications with at least a first wireless network (110) and advising (216) the first wireless network of the multi-mode nature of the multi-mode communications device. As such, the first wireless network can be made aware that the multi-mode communications device is capable of communicating with a second wireless network (120).
US08170596B2
A system, method, and wireless communication device that allow the transmission of secondary data in a group-communication data stream between wireless communication devices across a wireless communication network. The wireless communication device selectively transmits at least group-directed voice communication data to other members of a communication group, such as a push-to-talk (PTT) group, in a communication channel having a limited bandwidth thereof, and can selectively transmit secondary data in the same communication channel. A group-communication server preferably receives the voice communication data and secondary data and selectively transmits at least the voice communication data to other member wireless communication devices of the communication group. In one embodiment, the wireless communication device reduces the data size of the voice communication data to a second data size that is less than the bandwidth of the communication channel such that secondary data can be transmitted within the communication channel.
US08170592B2
Method and system for frame timing acquisition in evolved universal terrestrial radio access (EUTRA)
Aspects of a method and system for frame timing acquisition in evolved universal terrestrial radio access (EUTRA) may include determining a received secondary synchronization sequence (SSS) based on a selected cyclic prefix length and on synchronization of a primary synchronization sequence (PSS). A first portion of information associated with the received SSS may be processed separately from a second portion of information associated with the received SSS. A frame timing and/or base station identifier may be determined by comparing the processed first portion of information with the processed second portion of information. The cyclic prefix length may be selected from a finite set of possible cyclic prefix lengths. The cyclic prefix length may be, for example, 9 samples or 32 samples. The primary synchronization sequence synchronization may be determined via correlation.
US08170586B2
A moving body terminal is basically provided with a position information acquiring section, a receiving section and a control section. The position information acquiring section is configured to acquire position information indicating a current position of the moving body terminal. The receiving section is configured to receive from an information providing apparatus simple map information which includes information transmission determining information indicating an information transmission unnecessary region of the simple map information where the position information of the moving body terminal is not required to be transmitted from the moving body terminal to the information providing apparatus. The control section is configured to prohibit a transmission of the position information to the information providing apparatus when the position information acquired by the position information acquiring section is inside the information transmission unnecessary region contained in the simple map information that was received.
US08170584B2
A network device, method, and apparatus are directed towards intercepting a message, such as an SMS, EMS, MMS message, email message, or the like, from a source device directed towards a mobile device. The intercepted message's contents are analyzed. In addition, a mobile user profile is determined from characteristics of the mobile device and tracked usage of a mobile user of the mobile device. An actionable event may then be inserted into the intercepted message based, in part, on the analysis and the mobile user profile. The modified message is then provided to the mobile device, where the mobile user may select the actionable event to receive non-requested content.
US08170580B2
A location based system is provided is configured to provide messages to a recipient based on time and location based information. The a method includes detecting when a mobile user has crossed within a predefined geo-boundary. The method further includes sending a message to the mobile user when the mobile user has crossed within the predefined geo-boundary during a predetermined time period set by an originator of the message.
US08170575B2
In a wireless communication system, a base station adaptively schedule CQI reports form mobile stations. By adaptively prioritizing the CQI report from the mobile station against the uplink traffic and control data, the CQI reporting rate avoids unnecessary overhead in the uplink while maintaining good performance. The CQI reports are requested in response to a calculated weighting factor which is based on channel coherence time that can be estimated by the base station. The adaptivity in the CQI reporting allows achieving an optimal tradeoff between uplink traffic data and downlink control feedback signaling.
US08170568B2
An apparatus of setting multi-channels in a network system includes a mobile station transmitting at least one piece of channel information on a request message, wherein the request message requests to set a connection identifier for a communication service; and a control station calculating a bandwidth according to number of channels using the request message received from the mobile station and setting the calculated bandwidth as a service bandwidth of the connection identifier. The control station such as an ACR supports multi-channels through one frame structure (i.e., a communication structure of a connection identifier) and thus radio resources (e.g., bandwidth) to be provided to the mobile station are reduced.
US08170567B2
Radio resource management for wireless cellular networks equipped with relay stations for multi-hop packet or protocol data unit (PDU) relaying.
US08170564B2
A communication terminal apparatus wherein even if there occurs a dropout or overtaking of call control messages, the current service can be continued without increasing the load of an apparatus such as a server in the network. In this apparatus, a VoIP call control part (103) performs call controls including both a call establishment of a VoIP telephone conversation using a wireless LAN system and a call disconnection thereof. A line switching call control part (104) performs call controls including both a call establishment of a line switching telephone conversation using a mobile communication (cellular) system and a call disconnection thereof. A handover part (105) determines the reception quality of the wireless LAN system and that of the mobile communication (cellular) system and controls, based on the determination results, the handover between the wireless LAN system and the mobile communication (cellular) system.
US08170561B2
A system for maintaining wireless communication with a plurality of base stations in a communication network is disclosed. A portable terminal having a communication unit is configured to measure signal strength of a transmission signal for neighboring base stations in a frequency band being used by the communication unit, and create a first handoff candidate list in which one or more handoff candidates in a same frequency band are recorded. A handoff using the first handoff candidate list is performed by the portable terminal. Thereafter, the portable terminal measures signal strength of one or more base stations included in a second handoff candidate list. The result of the signal strength measurements are reported to the currently communicating base station, and a handoff is performed based on a response to the report at the portable terminal.
US08170556B2
A method for initiating uplink signaling proactively by the MBMS UE, comprising steps of: the UE moving to a new cell; listening to information on a MCCH; initiating an uplink signaling according to information on the MCCH; sending a response message to the UE by a RNC, or if no UE moving to the new cell, initiating the uplink signaling proactively by the UE if the information received from the MCCH includes an indication for UE counting; and sending a response message to the UE by the RNC. The UE in URA_PCH mode and IDLE mode can response to the MBMS Notification message sent by the RNC, and can initiate the Cell Update process or the RRC Connection process in order to obtain the MBMS parameters. The RNC sets different contents for the response message according to different reasons of message initiation.
US08170552B2
Methods and apparatus for performing optimizations for a mobile network device such as a Mobile Node or Mobile Router supporting multiple links to a Home Agent (or Correspondent Node in a Mobile IPv6 environment) are disclosed. During the registration process, link characteristics are transmitted in the registration request. From the link characteristics, it is possible to determine whether the mobile network device has roamed from a high to a low bandwidth link, or vice versa. A first set of optimizations may be performed when the mobile network device has roamed from a high to a low bandwidth link, while a second set of optimizations may be performed when the mobile network device has roamed from a low to a high bandwidth link. Some optimizations may be performed during the establishment of a TCP session, while others may be performed during or upon completion of the Mobile IP registration process.
US08170543B1
A method for displaying multiple orthogonal code layers on a display device wherein a first axis is indicative of the identity of the code channel of a signal and a second axis is indicative of a measured value of the code channel signal. The method includes displaying a bar for each of a plurality of base code channel signals, the bar having a position on the first axis corresponding to the base code index of the base code channel signal and a height with respect to the second axis corresponding to a measured value of the base code channel signal; and displaying a tie line for each group of base code channels in an active channel, the tie line being located intermediately to the ends of the bars.
US08170538B2
A device for programming user-defined information into an electronic device is provided. The programmer allows a user to program customized information, such as user-selected audio, video, or Internet access information into his or her programmable device. Such electronic devices include wireless telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants. The programmer allows a user to, among other things, customize the device to suit his or her particular taste.
US08170526B2
Long-range remote communication and control of a vehicle is achieved with primary and secondary cellular devices provided by the vehicle user. The primary cellular device is retained by the user, while the secondary cellular device is dedicated to the vehicle and placed in a docking station provided in the vehicle passenger compartment. The vehicle docking station is equipped with typical cell phone electrical interfaces to supply power and to establish a bi-directional data communication link between the secondary cellular device and an on-board vehicle computer. The secondary cellular device remains activated, and provides a low-cost remotely accessible communication link between the on-board vehicle computer and the primary cellular device or any other phone, provided that specified security conditions are satisfied.
US08170524B2
A power line communication system including a plurality of intelligent devices in communication with a power line and operable to monitor energy usage at a site and communicate usage data onto the power line, and a controller also in communication with the power line, wherein each intelligent device maintains a routing table identifying a first set of other intelligent devices downstream of it relative to the controller that it can communicate with directly and identifying a second set of other intelligent devices downstream of it relative to the controller that it can communicate with through one or more of the first set of other intelligent devices.
US08170519B2
A waveform reconstruction circuit receives an rf signal from an antenna, digitizes it, and then generates an undistorted reconstructed waveform. The reconstructed waveform can then be conventionally mixed and demodulated to extract useful signal information with enhanced receiver fidelity and sensitivity.
US08170515B2
A plurality of phases of sniff operations are performed for detecting wake-up signals being received by an implantable medical device (IMD), including a phase that performs a staged detection of whether the integrated frequency deviation of a received signal is outside of an expected frequency deviation range, where sniff operations are aborted if the integrated frequency deviation of the received signal falls outside of corresponding high and low thresholds in any stage, wherein the difference between the high and low thresholds tightens with each subsequent stage and an average frequency deviation over all completed stages are used in the calculations. One phase of sniff operations includes a dual frequency modulation (FM) detector including a first FM detector that introduces a small delay in a received signal providing an average frequency estimate and a second FM detector having a larger delay that is adjusted based on the estimated average frequency.
US08170507B2
Predistortion methods and apparatus for transmitter linearization in a communication transceiver are disclosed. An example apparatus to linearize a digitally controlled pre-power amplifier included in a transmitter of a communication transceiver disclosed herein comprises a predistorter to predistort an input signal to be processed by the digitally controlled pre-power amplifier, a coupling path within the communication transceiver to couple an output of the digitally controlled pre-power amplifier to an input of a receiver included in the communication transceiver without enabling an output power amplifier stage of a multi-stage power amplifier coupled to an output of the digitally controlled pre-power amplifier, wherein no additional hardware components are required to implement the coupling path within the communication transceiver, and a predistortion evaluator comprising a predistortion calibrator and a predistortion compensator to process data demodulated by the receiver to generate and update predistortion values for use by the predistorter.
US08170488B2
When a device in one wireless network receives interfering transmissions from an overlapping neighboring network, the neighboring network may be notified of the interference so that non-interfering schedules can be worked out. In one embodiment, the device receiving the interference may broadcast its own communications schedule. Device(s) in the interfering network may pick up that schedule, and pass it on to their controller, which can rearrange its own network schedule to be non-interfering. In another embodiment, the device receiving the interference may notify its own network controller with the pertinent information, and that controller may contact the controller of the interfering network to coordinate non-interfering schedules.
US08170466B2
A system and method for automated assessment of constrained constructed responses provides for automatic, e.g., programmatic, assessing of a test subject response to a constrained constructed response item or question. In one embodiment, paper test materials with test subject markings thereon are converted to electronic form. Test subject markings are further isolated, for example, by registration, sizing and removal of markings other than a graphic response. The subject markings are further compared with a baseline response, correctness deviation criteria and incorrectness deviation criteria (e.g., correctness, incorrectness, substantial correctness, substantial incorrectness, and so on) from which one or more of a score, further learning or other assessment results may be determined. Cluster analysis or other post-evaluation or post-assessment processing may also be conducted, or re-evaluation or re-assessment may also be conducted.
US08170460B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, an adhesion processing device, an adhesion device, and a fixing device. The image forming device forms an image on a light-transmitting medium with image formation toner. The adhesion processing device sets whether or not to make the light-transmitting medium contact a light-reflecting medium for each of multiple areas of the image. The adhesion device adheres adhesive toner to an area of the light-transmitting medium. The fixing device aligns the light-reflecting medium with the light-transmitting medium such that the light-reflecting medium contacts a surface of the light-transmitting medium to which the adhesive toner adheres and fixes the light-reflecting medium to the light-transmitting medium.
US08170454B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image holder that holds on its surface an electrostatic latent image in which an image portion and a non-image portion have different potentials; a toner carrying roller that carries a toner layer including both contact toner which directly contacts a surface of the roller and non-contact toner which contacts the contact toner but does not contact the surface of the roller; and an electric field forming unit that forms an alternating electric field to cause an electric field strength exerted between the non-image portion on the surface of the latent image holder and the surface of the toner carrying roller to be lower than a contact toner fly start electric field strength and higher than a non-contact toner fly start electric field strength, between the latent image holder and the toner carrying roller, as a toner fly electric field.
US08170444B2
A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a positioning portion, a rotatable urging member taking an urging position for urging the cartridge to the positioning portion, and retracted and stand-by positions. The cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a process device actable on the drum, a positionable portion, a displacing portion moving the urging member from the stand-by to the retracted position by contacting a portion-to-be-displaced disposed at a position remoter from the rotation axis of the urging portion than the urging portion when the cartridge advances along an axial direction of the drum in the main assembly, the displacing portion moving the urging member to the retracted position by contacting the urging member when the cartridge advances in the main assembly, and an urgable portion urgable by the urging portion when the cartridge is set in the main assembly.
US08170437B2
When displaying in the energy saving mode, an operation screen having operation buttons related to functions that can be used in the energy saving mode, control is carried out so that the operation buttons related to the functions that can be used in the energy saving mode are displayed in a form that is different from that of the operation buttons related to the functions that can be used only during the normal mode. For example, the operation buttons that can only be used in the normal mode are not displayed in the operation screen of the energy saving mode, or else, the operation buttons that can only be used in the normal mode and the operation buttons that can be used in the energy saving mode are displayed in different colors.
US08170426B2
Provides is an image forming system, comprising an image forming device and an information processing device connected to the image forming device, further comprising a function-detecting unit detecting that a second function is added to the image forming device having a first function, and a notification unit notifying the user using the first function of the fact that the second function is added when addition thereof is detected by the function-detecting unit.
US08170422B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide an FSK demodulator which can be used in the optical information and telecommunications and the like, and which can appropriately demodulate an FSK signal by compensating a delay of an optical FSK modulated signal due to dispersion and the like of an optical fiber.The above-mentioned problem is solved by a frequency shift keying (FSK) demodulator (1) composed of a branching filter (2) for branching an optical signal according to wavelengths thereof; a delay adjusting apparatus (3) for adjusting a delay time of two lights branched by the branching filter; a first photodetector (4) for detecting one optical signal branched by the branching filter; a second photodetector (5) for detecting a remaining optical signal branched by the branching filter; and a means (6) for calculating a difference between an output signal of the first photodetector and an output signal of the second photodetector.
US08170421B2
A clock recovery method and apparatus is provided. The high-order demultiplexing-demapping unit (102) demultiplexes and demaps the high-order OTN frame (101) into N low-order ODTUjk frames (103), and transmits the N low-order ODTUjk frames (103) to the low-order demapping unit (104); the low-order demapping unit (104) respectively demaps the N ODTUjk frames (103) into N ODUj frames (105), and writes the ODUj frames from memory unit 1 (106) to memory unit n (108) into memory unit n+1 (109) to memory unit 2n (111) by using the clock signal whose gaps are uniformly distributed; and the ODUj frame clock generating unit (113) adjusts the read out clock in memory unit n+1 (109) to memory unit 2n (111), i.e. ODUj frame clock (114), according to the data volume stored in memory unit n+1 (109) to memory unit 2n (111). The embodiments of the invention effectively filter a great deal of jitter generated during the mapping and demapping process, and can recovery high quality clock signal from the high-order OTN frame (101), so as to meet the requirement of the OTN service on jitter.
US08170417B2
A system and method for limiting the impact of an unstable wavelength on other wavelengths in a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) network are disclosed. The method generally comprises measuring optical channel power at prescribed time intervals; for each measurement of channel power falling outside a predefined threshold, recording a threshold crossing event; comparing the recorded threshold crossing events to stored criteria indicative of an unstable wavelength channel; and removing an unstable wavelength from the ROADM network if the threshold crossing events exceed the stored criteria.
US08170402B2
A portable data storage device compatible with both standard and high definition digital video cameras is provided. The device includes at least one SDI I/O, and preferably at least one audio I/O and preferably at least one medium speed I/O interface. A device controller takes the high speed serial data, packetizes it, and then sends it out to a plurality of memory modules. Preferably each memory module includes four NAND clusters, each NAND cluster consisting of a flash memory controller and two NAND flash memories. Interposed between the device controller and the memory modules are a plurality of memory controllers, each memory controller controlling a group of memory modules. A user interface is coupled to the device controller, the interface including a display capable of at least two user-selectable orientations, record/playback controls and a four-way directional control pad.
US08170394B2
A digital content reproducing apparatus is provided with a plurality of user operation interfaces, e.g., a linear content operation panel and an interactive content operation panel, a data monitor unit monitors information on digital contents, and upon occurrence of a change, the plurality of user operation panels are automatically and exclusively displayed in an operation panel display area. Accordingly, only usable operation keys can be displayed, user operation learning time can be shortened, since the panel rendering area is made small, a mouse motion distance can be shortened, and easy to use can be improved. Further, since the panel rendering area is made small, the image display area can be made relatively large.
US08170391B2
A fiber optic strain relief assembly includes a housing having a first end and an oppositely disposed second end. The housing defines a bore that extends between the first end and the second end. The fiber optic strain relief assembly further includes a strain relief plate disposed in the bore of the housing. The strain relief plate includes a retention portion that is adapted to receive a strength member of a fiber optic cable. The retention portion includes a plurality of gripping tabs adapted to engage an outer surface of the strength member.
US08170388B2
A method for trimming an effective refractive index of optical waveguiding structures made for example in a high refractive index contrast material system. By compaction of cladding material in a compaction area next to patterns or ridges that are formed in the core material for realizing an optical waveguiding structure, the effective index of refraction of the optical waveguiding structure can be trimmed. Thus, the operating wavelength of an optical component comprising such an optical waveguiding structure can be trimmed. An optical waveguide structure thus obtained is also disclosed.
US08170386B2
Optical pulse compressor having a chirp unit including a normal dispersion fiber that provides a positive chirp to an input pulse and having a dispersion compensator including an anomalous fiber is provided. The nonlinear coefficient and the absolute value of the second-order group-velocity dispersion of the anomalous fiber that forms the dispersion compensator is set such that a soliton order becomes one or more, and the fiber length of the anomalous dispersion fiber is made to be equal to or smaller than a length required for optical soliton formation.
US08170385B2
The present invention provides a light coupler and a manufacturing method thereof. The light coupler of the invention includes a plurality of light input terminals, a plurality of light output terminals, a plurality of half mirrors, and an optical wave guide connecting the plurality of the light input terminals, the plurality of the light output terminals and the plurality of the half mirrors. The optical wave guide has kinked line shape and each of the plurality of half mirrors is placed at a respective corner of the kinked line shape. Especially, the kinked line shape includes a polygon network.
US08170383B2
An optical converter comprises: a first waveguide, a second waveguide, and a tapered waveguide arranged between both the waveguides, wherein heights of a core of the first waveguide and a core of the second waveguide are different; both ends in a direction of wave guiding of a core of the tapered waveguide are respectively connected to the core of the first waveguide and the core of the second waveguide; cross-sectional shapes and refractive indexes of cores of two waveguides that are connected change continuously or in a stepwise manner at each connection part; and a cross-sectional shape and refractive index of the core of the tapered waveguide change continuously or in a stepwise manner along a direction of wave guiding.
US08170376B2
A super-resolution device and method for setting at least one of a plurality of pixels included in image data as target pixels, the image data including pixels arranged in a screen and pixel values representing brightness, an area including the target pixel and peripheral pixels as a target area, and an area for searching pixel value change patterns in the target pixel area; calculating a difference between a first change pattern and second change pattern; comparing a difference between the first and second change patterns; calculating a pixel value of a super-resolution image having a number of pixels larger than a number of pixels included in the image data on the basis of a decimal-accuracy-vector, an extrapolated vector, and pixel values obtained from the image data.
US08170375B2
An image processing apparatus includes an input unit receiving an encoded image data stream; a decoding processor decoding the stream to obtain image data; a first storage storing the image data; a second storage storing the image data and having a storage area storing at least one picture whose size is the largest of image data to be decoded; a controller analyzing the stream and storing the image data in the first and second storages according to an analysis result; and an output unit reading and outputting the stored pictures in a display order. The controller sets storage areas in the first storage according to image size information, stores the image data in the storage areas, determines whether the image size changes according to the analysis result, and, when the image size changes, stores image data of a picture displayed immediately before the image size changes in the second storage.
US08170371B2
A method for pre-recognition processing of forms with non-fixed fields. One or more objects that are present on a form can be reliably identified after conversion of the form into an electronic state. Objects are preliminarily assigned to act as reference points for spatial binding of data input fields or groups thereof. In the case of a text object as a reference point, text recognition is additionally performed. The spatial location of a reference point may be not fixed. A reference point may be described as alternative. Field identification may be performed either automatically or manually.
US08170366B2
Processing image information includes receiving light having image information. A first optical transform is performed on the light to yield a first optically transformed light, and a second optical transform is performed on the light to yield a second optically transformed light. A first metric is generated in accordance with the first optically transformed light, and a second metric is generated in accordance with the second optically transformed light. The first metric and the second metric are processed to yield a processed metric. An inverse optical transform is performed on the processed metric to process the image information of the light.
US08170361B2
The invention provides for automatically identifying the location of a displayed video window based upon a characterization of selected portions of the image for realness based upon a distribution of luminance values for the selected portions. The image is then searched mathematically for a large rectangle of realness, and if found, a similar operation is performed in a smaller rectangle around each of the edges of the large rectangle, in turn, zooming in to a resolution of one pixel, thus identifying the position of the edge. This process can be repeated as often as necessary in order to maintain a fix on the edges of the video window.
US08170356B2
The method, system, and apparatus of linear temporal reference scheme having non-reference predictive frames is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of a temporal reference scheme includes creating a non-reference predictive frame and a reference predictive frame from a reference frame, increasing a quantization factor of the non-reference predictive frame by a threshold value, and decreasing the quantization factor of the reference predictive frame by the threshold value. The method may include toggling between the temporal reference scheme and another temporal reference scheme in which there may be no non-reference predictive frames and only reference predictive frames based on a scenario. The method may also include calculating a target bit rate across a communication channel through a bit rate calculation algorithm that considers a bandwidth capacity across the communication channel.
US08170351B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products on storage devices for shape clustering and applications in processing various documents, including an output of an optical character recognition (OCR) process. The output of an OCR process is classified into a plurality of clusters of clip images and a representative image for each cluster is generated to identify clusters whose clip images were incorrectly assigned character codes by the OCR process.
US08170350B2
An analysis and classification tool compares at least a portion of a captured image and a reference image of nominally the same scene. One of the captured and reference images is taken with flash and the other is taken without flash. The tool provides a measure of the difference in illumination between the captured image and the reference image. The tool compares the measure with a threshold and segments a foreground region from a background region based on the measure.
US08170349B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to the processing of graphical rating images.
US08170347B2
A method and apparatus of comparing the results of medical imaging by, for example, PET scanning dispenses with the need for intensity normalization. The relationships between features extracted from relevant regions of interest in the image are studied. In one example, mean intensities in the principle brain lobes are compared to each other and a short image ID is constructed and used to derive population statistics and diagnosis. The population statistics are compared with ‘reference’ statistics in order to assess abnormality. Comparison by a number of methods is possible, and the invention further provides concerns a novel voting mechanism which derives abnormality scores for each region.
US08170338B2
A disclosed information processing apparatus includes an image data obtaining unit configured to obtain image data generated by scanning a confirmation/correction form on a recording medium; a workflow definition obtaining unit configured to obtain a workflow definition of a workflow that includes a workflow step corresponding to the recording medium; a form definition obtaining unit configured to obtain a form definition of the confirmation/correction form corresponding to the workflow step based on the workflow definition; a field image extracting unit configured to extract a field image of a field of the confirmation/correction form from the image data based on the form definition; and a handwriting image extracting unit configured to remove a previous handwriting image and extract a current handwriting image from the field image if the field image contains both the previous handwriting image and the current handwriting image.
US08170333B2
A system for processing an image includes a an image data input port, a compressed image data output port or a compressed image data storage node, a non-transitory memory component storing a set of executable instructions, and a scalable tile processing device. The executable instructions cause the system to receive image data, partition the image data into tiles, transmit a tile to the scalable tile processing device, receive an encoded bit stream corresponding to the transmitted tile from the tile processing device, and output compressed image data including the encoded bit stream. The scalable tile processing device receives the tile including tile image data, wavelet transforms, quantizes, segments, and encodes the tile image data to generate a plurality of encoded code blocks, and transmits an encoded bit stream including the plurality of encoded code blocks to the system.
US08170332B2
Automatic red-eye object classification in digital images using a boosting-based framework. In a first example embodiment, a method for classifying a candidate red-eye object in a digital photographic image includes several acts. First, a candidate red-eye object in a digital photographic image is selected. Next, a search scale set and a search region for the candidate red-eye object where an eye object may reside is determined. Then, the number of subwindows that satisfy an AdaBoost classifier is determined. This number is denoted as a vote. Next, the maximum size of the subwindows that satisfy the AdaBoost classifier is determined. Then, a normalized threshold is calculated by multiplying a predetermined constant threshold by the calculated maximum size. Next, the vote is compared with the normalized threshold. Finally, the candidate red-eye object is transformed into a true red-eye object if the vote is greater than the normalized threshold.
US08170331B2
Apparatus and method for pattern interpolation are disclosed. Horizontally interpolated green, red and blue pixel values, and vertically interpolated green, red and blue pixel values are generated according to the pixels received from a pattern color filter. Subsequently, a direction is selected for the green value interpolation according to the horizontally and vertically interpolated pixel values.
US08170328B2
Extracting a luminal or line-like three-dimensional structure from a three-dimensional image of a target object, then generating a projection image by projecting a portion of the entirety of the three-dimensional structure on a cross-sectional image of the target object intersecting the three-dimensional structure, the portion being a portion located within a range of a predetermined thickness from a cross-section represented by the cross-sectional image or a portion located within a range of a predetermined distance from a position where the three-dimensional structure is intersecting the cross-sectional image, and displaying the generated projection image.
US08170327B2
A method and system for (semi-) automatic dental implant planning (A) is described including (a) means for creating 3D models of a tooth setup (b) and/or means for creating 3D models of parts of the jaw, (c) means for detecting zones in the jaw where implants can (or optionally cannot be placed), (d) means for detecting restorative elements in the tooth setup, (e) means for determining candidate implant dimensions, positions, orientations and configurations, (f) means for obtaining implant plans, (g) means for comparing implant plans to each other or to given criteria, (h) means for selecting or improving an implant plan.
US08170319B2
An apparatus, method, system, and means to detect motion of a subject by direct imaging on a treatment plane during a radiotherapy treatment, the method includes delivering a radiotherapy treatment beam to a volume of interest of the subject during a treatment time, acquiring image data during the treatment time associated with the delivery of the radiotherapy treatment beam by a direct imaging of a projection of the treatment volume of interest, providing a real-time display of the acquired image data, determining the occurrence of a motion in the volume of interest during the treatment time, determining the motion exceeds a pre-determined threshold, and outputting an indication the determined motion exceeds the pre-determined threshold during the treatment time.
US08170317B2
An automated and semi-automated determination of an optimal table position for rotational angiography is provided which is performed on the basis of the determination of a translation vector pointing from a point of gravity of the object of interest to an iso-center of the examination apparatus. This may reduce the amount of X-ray and contrast agent dose for the iso-centering procedure and may not depend on the user's skills.
US08170305B2
Quantitative tract-of-interest metrics for white matter integrity based on diffusion tensor MRI data
The exemplary embodiments of this invention relate at least in part to a method, apparatus and system to characterize white matter, such as for detecting a presence of a white matter impairment. An exemplary method to characterize white matter includes identifying at least one tract of interest (TOI) in the brain of a subject of interest, the tract of interest having a set of streamtubes representing white matter fibers; determining a set of quantitative tractography metrics associated with the tract of interest, the set of quantitative tractography metrics having a plurality of members; and comparing at least one member of the determined set of quantitative tractography metrics to a corresponding member of a reference set of quantitative tractography metrics, or comparison of one TOI in a single subject or group of subjects and other TOI in the same subject(s).
US08170302B1
A method and related system for generating motion corrected tomographic images includes the steps of illuminating a region of interest (ROI) to be imaged being part of an unrestrained live subject and having at least three spaced apart optical markers thereon. Simultaneous images are acquired from a first and a second camera of the markers from different angles. Motion data comprising 3D position and orientation of the markers relative to an initial reference position is then calculated. Motion corrected tomographic data obtained from the ROI using the motion data is then obtained, where motion corrected tomographic images obtained therefrom.
US08170299B2
Provided is an image output method of outputting predetermined image data from plural pieces of image data, the method including: acquiring a group including plural pieces of image data which are similar to each other; detecting a face turning angle with respect to a face image plane included in an image indicated by each image data belonging to the same group and a face rotation angle indicating a rotation angle in the face image plane; and outputting image data, in which the face turning angle and the face rotation angle are smaller than those of other image data, among the image data belonging to the same group.
US08170297B2
A face authentication system includes: a data processing section for performing a predetermined data processing operation; a first data input section for inputting three-dimensional data on a face area of a subject to the data processing section; and a second data input section for inputting two-dimensional image data on the face area of the subject to the data processing section, the two-dimensional image data corresponding to the three-dimensional data to be inputted to the data processing section, wherein the data processing section includes: a quality rating section for rating the quality of the three-dimensional data based on the two-dimensional image data, and generating quality data, and an authentication processing section for executing a registration process or a verification process of authentication data based on the three-dimensional data, if the quality data satisfies a predetermined requirement.
US08170295B2
A personal authentication system comprises an imaging section for capturing an image of a user's eye including the iris; pupil/iris region extraction section for extracting a pupil region and an iris region from the captured image; a three-dimensional polar coordinate image creation section for estimating the three-dimensional center position of the eyeball based on the extracted pupil region and iris region and for creating a three-dimensional polar coordinate image by converting the iris region into three-dimensional coordinates with reference to the center position of the eyeball; and a three-dimensional polar coordinate image coding section for creating a three-dimensional polar coordinate image code formed by extracting and coding a characteristic of the created three-dimensional polar coordinate image. The personal authentication system can create iris information highly accurately representing characteristics of a user's iris independent of the direction of line of sight of the user.
US08170289B1
Systems and methods for character-by-character alignment of two character sequences (such as OCR output from a scanned document and an electronic version of the same document) using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) in a hierarchical fashion are disclosed. The method may include aligning two character sequences utilizing multiple hierarchical levels. For each hierarchical level above a final hierarchical level, the aligning may include parsing character subsequences from the two character sequences, performing an alignment of the character subsequences, and designating aligned character subsequences as the anchors, the parsing and performing the alignment being between the anchors generated from an immediately previous hierarchical level if the current hierarchical level is below the first hierarchical level. For the final hierarchical level, the aligning includes performing a character-by-character alignment of characters between anchors generated from the immediately previous hierarchical level. At each hierarchical level, an HMM may be constructed and Viterbi algorithm may be employed to solve for the alignment.
US08170285B2
An image processing system and the like capable of recognizing a lane mark in a road image with high accuracy are provided even if a light illumination state on a road surface is partially different. According to the image processing system (100) mounted on a vehicle (10), a color component (Rij, Gij, Bij) of the first pixel (Pij) included in an area (Aij) set in the road image is corrected with reference to a color component (Rik, Gik, Bik) of a second pixel (Pik) in view of a fact that it is highly probable that the color component of the second pixel included in the area along with the first pixel is affected by a shadow or light on the road surface. This reduces the effect of the shadow or light on the road surface and the actual color of a road surface portion corresponding to the first pixel can be sufficiently reflected in the color components (Rij, Gij, Bij) of the first pixel (Pij) and consequently in a feature value (Qij). Therefore, a lane mark (M) and its edge (E) are recognized in the road image on the basis of the feature value (Qij) of each pixel (Pij) in the road image.
US08170279B2
An automatic target recognition system with adaptive metric selection. The novel system includes an adaptive metric selector for selecting a match metric based on the presence or absence of a particular feature in an image and a matcher for identifying a target in the image using the selected match metric. In an illustrative embodiment, the adaptive metric selector is designed to detect a shadow in the image and select a first metric if a shadow is detected and not cut off, and select a second metric otherwise. The system may also include an automatic target cuer for detecting targets in a full-scene image and outputting one or more target chips, each chip containing one target. The adaptive metric selector adaptively selects the match metric for each chip separately, and may also adaptively select an appropriate chip size such that a shadow in the chip is not unnecessarily cut off.
US08170277B2
An automatic tracking apparatus is provided, which is capable of solving a failure occurred in an automatic tracking operation in connection with a zooming operation, and capable of tracking an object in a stable manner, while a zooming-up operation, or a zooming-down operation is carried out in a high speed.The automatic tracking apparatus is equipped with: a first object detecting unit 52 for detecting an object from an image photographed by a camera and inputted; a first zooming control unit 53 for changing zooming magnification of the camera in such a case that a dimension of the detected object is smaller than a predetermined dimension on the image; a second object detecting unit 55 for detecting the object from an image again photographed by the camera after the zooming magnification has been changed; a template matching unit 56 for comparing the object detected by the second object detecting unit with the image photographed by the camera so as to specify a position of the object and to track the object on the image; and a second zooming control unit 57 for controlling the zooming magnification of the camera in such a manner that a dimension of the object to be tracked becomes a predetermined dimension on an image which is photographed by the camera.
US08170266B2
Portable computer structures are provided. The portable computer structures may include speaker grill structures. A speaker grill structure may be formed by creating an array of small holes (perforations) in a portable computer housing structure such as a planar housing wall. A speaker may be mounted adjacent to the array of holes. The planar housing wall may be formed in a block of milled aluminum and may have a thickness of less than 1 mm. The speaker holes may have with small diameters without overly attenuating sound from a speaker.
US08170261B2
A personal audio device including a flexible headband is disclosed. The flexible headband includes a left and right headband portion. The headband has a longitudinal centerline which occupies a substantially single plane. The personal audio device also includes a left earphone, which is secured to a first end of the left headband portion, and a right earphone, which is secured to a first end of the right headband portion. A connector portion connects a second end of the left headband portion with a second end of the right headband portion. The connector portion is linearly adjustable, which enables a distance between the left headband portion and right headband portion to be variable. A change in the distance causes an inversely proportional change in bent compression force applied by a left earphone and applied by the right earphone.
US08170255B2
An enclosure with a substantial rectangular configuration, adapted to contain an apparatus sensitive to acoustic vibrations, the enclosure comprising walls and acoustic damping material located within the wall, wherein the acoustic damping material comprises at least one absorbing body of acoustic energy absorbing material located adjacent to a rib of the enclosure.The acoustic vibrations most disturbing the processes in the apparatus within the enclosure are caused by standing acoustic waves within the enclosure with frequencies in the range between 50 Hz and 1000 Hz. These acoustic waves are efficiently damped by the provision of a block of acoustic absorbing material adjacent to one of the ribs of the enclosure, to such an extent that the need for thick walls of the enclosure is substantially obviated, leading to a less voluminous enclosure.
US08170253B1
An assistive listening device cap attaches to a headpiece of a cochlear implant behind-the-ear (BTE) unit, an other BTE unit, an earhook, or an external component unit to supplement or replace components thereof. The cap may receive signals from sources outside the BTE unit(s), earhook, and/or external component unit. The cap communicates with the BTE unit(s), earhook, and/or external component unit using direct, wired, or wireless technology.
US08170247B2
This hearing aid comprises a microphone (101) and an external input terminal (102), a hearing aid processor (150) to which audio signals from the microphone (101) and the external input terminal (102) are inputted, and a receiver (113) to which audio signals that have undergone hearing aid processing by this hearing aid processor (150) are outputted. The hearing aid processor (150) has a mixer (112) that mixes audio signals from the microphone (101) with audio signals from the external input terminal (102) and outputs these audio signals to the receiver (113), a mix ratio determination unit (111) for determining the mix ratio between audio signals from the microphone (101) and audio signals from the external input terminal (102) in this mixer (112), and a facial movement detector (110) that is connected to this mix ratio determination unit (111).
US08170236B2
Band-pass filter suppresses frequency components of a sound signal that are lower than a low-side cutoff frequency and that are higher than a high-side cutoff frequency. Pitch detection section detects a pitch of the sound signal having been processed by the band-pass filter. Target setting section variably sets a low-side target value lower than the pitch detected by the pitch detection section and a high-side target value higher than the detected pitch. Filter control section causes the low-side cutoff frequency to approach the low-side target value over time and causes the high-side cutoff frequency to approach the high-side target value over time. In this way, a pass band of the band-pass filter can be smoothly variably controlled in accordance with pitch change of the sound signal that is an object of pitch detection.
US08170227B2
A noise control device includes: four or more noise detectors each for detecting a plurality of noises arriving thereat, and outputting the noises as a noise signal; a control speaker for radiating, to a control point, a control sound based on each noise signal; and a filter section for signal-processing noise signals from the noise detectors by using filter coefficients which respectively correspond to the four or more noise detectors and which are set such that the control sound from the control speaker reduces the plurality of noises arriving at the control point, and for adding up all the signal-processed noise signals, and for outputting a resultant signal to the control speaker. The control point and the control speaker are provided within a polyhedral-shaped space whose apexes are placement positions of the noise detectors.
US08170224B2
Processing requirements for acoustic echo cancellation in voice communications are significant and are even more so as the bandwidth of the communication increases. Whilst voice communication occupies a relatively narrow band of frequencies the processing requirements and so forth for wideband communication render acoustic echo cancellation difficult to achieve in a cost effective manner. The invention provides for acoustic echo cancellation within wideband communications by dividing the communications into sub-bands and applying acoustic echo cancellation to some sub-bands whilst processing other sub-bands according to the status of the communications. Additional sub-bands are transmitted at either full-duplex or half-duplex.
US08170213B1
A method is provided for effectively managing encryption keys. A storage processor requests a key associated with a particular object ID associated with a particular device address range from a key server. The key server provides a unique key associated with the object ID. Old keys may be deleted either upon a determination by the storage processor that the key is no longer needed, or upon a signal from the key server indicating that the key is to be deleted. In either case, the storage processor deletes the key from all locations in memory and sends a confirmation signal to the key server. The key server then lists the key as disabled for possible future re-use. Embodiments are also directed to apparatus for use in practicing the method.
US08170201B2
Terminals are connected via cables in a star-shaped fashion with respect to a HUB in a LAN. Each of the cables includes therein signal lines and power feed lines. The HUB includes therein a power feed section. The power feed section and the power feed lines of each cable are connected to measure a value of current which flows in the power feed lines. If it is judged based on the measured current value that the terminal connected to the corresponding cable is a telephone terminal, the power feeding to the corresponding power feed lines is continued. On the other hand, if the terminal is judged to be a terminal other than the telephone terminal, the power feeding is stopped.
US08170184B2
Included are embodiments for channel mapping. At least one embodiment of a system includes an initiating component configured to initiate a communication with a communications device, the communications device being coupled to a first extension. Some embodiments include a receiving component configured to receive recording data from a plurality of extensions at a plurality of recording resources, the plurality of extensions including the first extension and at least one other extension. Similarly, some embodiments include a first determining component configured to determine a channel that received the initiated communication.
US08170181B1
A compact multifunction 5-terminal type compatible telephone line tester has batteries fitted in its frontal access shaft that fits into a to be tested connector between tightly arrayed protectors assembled in a cross connect box. A light powered by the battery is integrated at the tester front face in between the connection pins. The protector removed from the to be tested connector may be inserted in a terminal that laterally extends from the tester. An electric circuit tests and indicates the protector condition and switches the light on upon manual pushing of a switch. The electric circuitry is powered by the batteries. A mechanical switch is actuated by the protector housing while the protector is connected to the terminal for automated protector through connection to the to be tested connector. Lateral terminals and a jack connector on the back side provide access to the connector.
US08170164B2
A multi-channel architecture comprising a central facility that is under clock control of a central facility's clock signal, and a central transfer clock generator adapted for deriving a central transfer clock signal from the central facility's clock signal. The multi-channel architecture further comprises a set of n channels, with n being a natural number, wherein each channel is under clock control of one out of a plurality of clock signals. Each of the channels comprises a channel transfer clock generator adapted for deriving a channel transfer clock signal from a clock signal of the respective channel, wherein the central facility's clock signal and the clock signals of the channels comprise at least two different clock signals. The transfer clock period of the central transfer clock signal is substantially equal to each of the transfer clock periods of the channel transfer clock signals.
US08170151B2
A receiver includes a band-pass filter that limits a passband of an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal, an FSK detector that detects the IF signal passing through the band-pass filter to generate a detection signal, and a control block that controls a modulation sensitivity of the FSK detector and a pass bandwidth of the band-pass filter, in which the control block controls the modulation sensitivity of the FSK detector according to the pass bandwidth of the band-pass filter.
US08170150B2
Digitally controlled phase interpolator circuit. A phase selection control word undergoes decoding to generate a switch control word. The phase selection control word includes 2 quadrant indicating bits and phase interpolating bits for a 4 clock scheme (e.g., 4 clocks having phases 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°). Such a phase selection control word could includes 3 sector indicating bits and phase interpolating bits for an 8 clock scheme (e.g., 8 clocks having phases 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, and 315°). The gates of a number of differential pairs of transistors receive the various clock signals. A number of switching circuits direct current from corresponding current sources/supplies to coupled sources of the differential pairs of transistors, and an output clock is taken from coupled drains of the differential pairs of transistors. One or more current sources/supplies can be implemented to provide continuous current (e.g., in an always on manner) to the differential pairs of transistors.
US08170149B2
An OFDM receiver apparatus receives an OFDM signal including a plurality of DBPSK signals transmitting identical information. An extraction unit extracts the plurality of DBPSK signals from the OFDM signal. A phase difference calculation unit calculates a phase difference between symbols of each of the plurality of extracted DBPSK signals. An accumulation unit accumulates the plurality of phase differences. A decision unit decides data transmitted by the DBPSK signals on the basis of an accumulation result.
US08170144B2
A distributed translator and an operation method of the distributed translator are proposed. The distributed translator includes: a demodulator demodulating a received signal to extract a transport stream and synchronization information from the received signal; a modulator generating an output frame based on the synchronization information to modulate the output frame; and a transmitter transmitting the modulated output frame according to a transmission timing.
US08170135B2
A method is provided for coordinating detection of emitted signals by a receiver with transmission of signals by a transmitter, wherein the receiver and the transmitter are located on the same platform. The receiver scans a surrounding environment to detect emitted signals in multiple frequency ranges while the transmitter transmits signals in a predetermined frequency range. The receiver may employ dwells which may be defined as receiver configurations. A dwell, when executed, may be used to detect signals in a certain frequency range. If a frequency range of the dwell conflicts with the frequency range of transmitter signals, which may result in interference of transmitter signals with detection of emitted signals, execution of the dwell may be delayed. If the frequency range of the dwell is such that transmitter signals do not interfere with execution of the dwell, the dwell can be executed.
US08170122B2
Method and apparatus for inserting digital media advertisements into statistical multiplexed streams
A method and system for the insertion of local signals, including digital media advertisements, into statistically multiplexed streams is presented. The rate control and timing information is computed and is used to specify the insertion time and rate parameters for digital advertisements. In one embodiment, a maximum bit rate over the advertisement duration is specified. The maximum bit rate may be constant or may vary in time, such that high bit rate portions of the advertisement are supported. High bit rate portions of the advertisements in different program streams may be staggered, such that the total bandwidth required does not exceed a maximum, but allowing for high bit rate portions of advertisements. Custom bit rate profiles for advertisements may also be defined, with the profiles being defined at a high granularity or a low granularity.
US08170114B2
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a first reference frame picture list and a second reference frame picture list including multiple reference frame pictures respectively. A reference frame picture index is determined based on display order information for the multiple reference frame pictures. The method further includes obtaining first motion vector information and second motion vector information for the macroblock and obtaining a first reference field picture index and a second reference field picture index associated with the macroblock. A first reference frame picture and a second reference frame picture are determined. The method further includes selecting first and second reference field pictures for the macroblock. The macroblock is decoded based on the first and second motion vector information and the selected first and second reference field pictures.
US08170113B2
An encoder includes a prediction unit and a code generation unit. The prediction unit predicts target data and judges whether prediction is right or wrong. When the prediction unit judges that consecutive predictions for respective target data are wrong, the code generation unit generates coded data including symbols corresponding to the respective target data for which the consecutive wrong predictions are made, using a code representing number of the consecutive predictions judged as wrong.
US08170101B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for low-complexity data compression.
US08170099B2
A system and method that support both progressive and interlaced format video transmission and display. The system utilizes de-interlacing techniques to convert input interlaced format video to progressive format video, and compress and vertically scale the progressive format video to communicate videos more efficiently in a progressive format. The system also supports interlaced and progressive displays, where after decompressing and vertically rescaling the communicated compressed progressive format video, the video may be converted to interlaced format if the display supports interlaced format video. The system is capable of dynamically switching between the progressive and the interlaced format modes.
US08170095B2
Methods, medium, and machines associated with image processing performance are disclosed. Image data may be copied from input memory to main memory before performing CPU intensive operations, and efficiently copied from memory thereafter. CPU intensive operations may include decryption, decompression, image enhancement, or reformatting. Real time compression may be achieved by sub-sampling each frame. A separate plane compression aspect may provide for distinguishing between regions of an image, separating and/or masking the original image into multiple image planes, and compressing each separated image plane with a compression method that is optimal for its characteristics.
US08170093B2
An equalizing filter circuit includes a first transmission line in which a plurality of first delay devices 104a are connected in cascade to input terminal 101, a second transmission line in which a plurality of second delay devices 107a are connected in cascade to output terminal 102, a plurality of weighting circuits 105a connected in parallel between the first transmission line and the second transmission line and having a gain which is adjustable by setting coefficients, and variable adjusting circuit 108a arranged at the output side of at least one of weighting circuits 105a for correcting a fluctuation of the output characteristics of the weighting circuits.
US08170092B2
A data processing apparatus to map input data symbols to be communicated onto sub-carrier signals of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbols. The number of sub-carrier signals available from each of the OFDM symbols being variable between OFDM symbols and the input data symbols include first sets of data symbols and second sets of input data symbols. The data processing apparatus includes a controller, an address generator, and an interleaver memory. The controller is configured, when operating in accordance with an even interleaving process to read out a first set of the input data symbols from the interleaver memory on to the sub-carrier signals of an even OFDM symbol using read addresses generated by the address generator, and to write in a second set of the input data symbols into the interleaver memory using the addresses generated by the address generator.
US08170087B2
Apparatus and method for providing correlation in a CDMA receiver. A Generic Correlation Coprocessor comprises one or more correlation blocks. Each correlation block comprises a correlation input buffer coupled to one or more correlators. The correlators are coupled to an interpolator input buffer and to a correlator output buffer. One or more interpolators are coupled to the interpolation input buffer and to the correlation output buffer. The correlators correlate the received signal with PN codes to produce a correlated signal. The correlated signal is stored in the correlator output buffer and/or the interpolation input buffer, and provided from the interpolation input buffer to the one or more interpolators. The one or more interpolators interpolate the correlated signal to produce an interpolated signal. The interpolated signal is stored in the correlator output buffer. Signals are provided from the correlator output buffer to other receiver processing systems.
US08170057B2
A transmitter and a receiver each have an apparatus for carrying out retransmission processing at a TCP layer and an apparatus for carrying out encrypted-data communication at an IPSec layer. The apparatus operating at the IPSec layer has a buffer for storing encrypted data transmitted by the transmitter. When a request for retransmission of data is received from the receiver, in spite of an operation carried out at an IP layer, information available at the TCP layer is obtained and data corresponding to the encrypted data stored in the buffer is returned to the receiver in response to the request.
US08170048B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which access allocations to a spectrum band and transmit rights to the access allocations are defined. Real-time auction bids for the transmit rights to the access allocations to the spectrum band are sent from a participating device, and the participating device iteratively increments the bids until a maximum bid is reached or a transmit right is awarded to the participating device.
US08170047B2
Techniques for transmitting data and training sequence efficiently using new slot and block formats are described. A transmitter processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and partitions) a data block to obtain multiple output blocks. For each output block, the transmitter generates multiple bursts having a training sequence that is shared by these bursts. The transmitter sends the multiple bursts for each output block in multiple time slots, e.g., consecutive time slots in one frame. The multiple bursts for each output block may (1) include one or more short training sequences, (2) omit guard periods between adjacent bursts, (3) include a first tail bit field at the start of the first burst and a second tail bit field at the end of the last burst, (4) include at least one stealing flag field, or (5) have any combination of the above.
US08170044B2
A switching device comprising one or more processors coupled to a media access control (MAC) interface and a memory structure for switching packets rapidly between one or more source devices and one or more destination devices. Packets are pipelined through a series of first processing segments to perform a plurality of first sub-operations involving the initial processing of packets received from source devices to be buffered in the memory structure. Packets are pipelined through a series of second processing segments to perform a plurality of second sub-operations involved in retrieving packets from the memory structure and preparing packets for transmission. Packets are pipelined through a series of third processing segments to perform a plurality of third sub-operations involved in scheduling transmission of packets to the MAC interface for transmission to one or more destination devices.
US08170042B2
Embodiments of a transmit-side scaler and method for processing outgoing information packets using thread-based queues are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, a process ID stored in a token area may be compared with a process ID of an application that generated an outgoing information packet to obtain a transmit queue. The token area may be updated with a process ID stored in an active threads table when the process ID stored in the token area does not match the process ID of the application.
US08170041B1
In message passing implementations, associative matching structures are used to permit list entries to be searched in parallel fashion, thereby avoiding the delay of linear list traversal. List management capabilities are provided to support list entry turnover semantics and priority ordering semantics.
US08170034B2
In a forwarding device connected to a network including a plurality of communication nodes connected to each other, in which a plurality of communication routes, each for forwarding a signal through at least one of the communication nodes can be present between arbitrary ones of the communication nodes, a forwarding method according to the present invention determines that the received packet is a BPDU or a local BPDU, and discards the BPDU if the received packet is the BPDU and fetches an original BPDU from the local BPDU if it is the local BPDU. In the case where the BPDU is to be transmitted, the BPDU is created and wrapped in a format of the local BPDU. Then, the wrapped BPDU is broadcasted. In this manner, the local BPDU can be exchanged without affecting the other bridges having a normal spanning tree function.
US08170024B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing a pointer and stake model for frame alteration code in a network processor. A current pointer and a stake are provided for a packet selected for transmit. The current pointer is maintained for tracking a current position for frame alteration operations in the packet. The stake is maintained for tracking a start of a current header for frame alteration operations in the packet. The current pointer is used by frame alteration code instructions to specify a sequence of operations relative to the current pointer. The specified frame alteration sequence is compact in terms of code size to operate on data within a small window of bytes. Advance pointer instructions allow the current and stake pointers to be advanced an arbitrary number of bytes into the packet.
US08170023B2
A method of sending data through a network from a first computing device to a second computing device is described, where the computing devices adhere to a packet-based network protocol. A connection between the first computing device and the second computing device is established for a session according to the network protocol. A packet header template is defined having a plurality of static fields filled with static values valid for all packets sent during the session and variable fields that can acquire packet-dependent values for different packets sent during a session. A packet header is created based on the header template by defining, in a central processing unit, at least one value of a variable field and by reusing the static values for the static fields. The packet header is pre-pended to payload data to form a packet, and the packet is sent to the second computing device.
US08170012B2
A device is operative to send packets in a packet communication network having at least two stations. According to an exemplary embodiment, the device operates by: extracting image pips on the basis of a synchronization signal; initializing a first counter on the basis of the the image pips; initializing a second counter according to zero-crossings of the first counter; sampling the second counter every period Tsmp, where Tsmp emanates from a time base synchronized on all the stations of the network; sending packets containing the samples of the second counter in the network; receiving at least one phase deviation value Δφ to be applied; and sending the at least one phase deviation value Δφ in the network. The present invention also pertains to a device operative to receive packets in a packet communication network having at least two stations.
US08170010B2
The invention relates to a method for node management in a packet-switched network, wherein a first node acts as a proxy for a second node, both nodes having network-layer addresses and link-layer addresses, the network-layer addresses at the network layer and the link-layer addresses at the link layer being used for communication in the packet-switched network. The method comprises the following steps performed by the first node: The first node receives from the second node a request to receive and forward packets addressed to the second node's network-layer address, whereby the same network-layer address is associated with the first node and the second node, and the first node and the second node have distinct link-layer addresses. The first node advertises to nodes attached to the packet-switched network the first node's link-layer address as a destination address for the second node's network-layer address, while the second node does not advertise. The first node receives in response to advertising, packets destined to the second node's network-layer address having the first node's link-layer address; and forwards packets addressed to the second node's network-layer address to the second node using its link-layer address.
US08170009B2
A method and apparatus for receiving digital broadcasting data. The method for receiving digital broadcasting data includes: extracting location information of second service data which already received first service data refers to, from the first service data; by analyzing the location information, determining whether the second service data is in-band service data transmitted through an in-band channel, or out-of-band service data transmitted through an out-of-band channel; and if the second service data is transmitted through an out-of-band channel, determining the location information as the program number of the second service data.
US08170005B2
The present invention provides a call session control server assignment method and system for equalizing loads of a plurality of call session control servers (S-CSCF servers). For this end, the HSS server 40 is provided with an S-CSCF selection table 41A that stores priority information indicating the order of priority at the time of assigning user equipment in response to the current operation condition of the plurality of S-CSCF servers 20, 21, 22 and the like in correspondence with the respective S-CSCF servers. When an interrogating call session control server (I-CSCF server) 30 sends an interrogation to the HSS server 40 for determining a particular S-CSCF server for registering the user equipment and administering a call session control for the user equipment at the registration time of the user equipment, a reference is made to the S-CSCF selection table 41A for selecting a particular S-CSCF server to be assigned in response to the current operation condition of the respective S-CSCF servers 20, 21, 22 and the like and also the information in the S-CSCF selection table 41A is sent back to the I-CSCF server 30.
US08169992B2
The technology described in this case facilitates random access by a user terminal with a radio base station. A user terminal determines one of a first type of uplink scrambling sequences and generates a random access message using the determined one of the first type of uplink scrambling sequences. The random access message is transmitted to the base station. The user terminal receives from the base station a second, different type of uplink scrambling sequence and uses it for subsequent communication with the radio base station. For example, the first uplink scrambling sequences may be specifically associated with the radio base station's cell area or a random access radio channel associated with the radio base station, but they are not specifically assigned to any user terminal, and the second uplink scrambling sequence may be selected from a second set of uplink scrambling sequences specifically assignable to individual user terminals.
US08169984B2
There are provided a communication system, a radio LAN base station control device, and a radio LAN base station device capable of increasing the control reliability and improving communication stability and safety between the radio LAN base station control device and the radio LAN base station device. In this communication system (10), a plurality of data tunnels are formed between an AP control device (100) and the radio LAN base station device (200) and the data tunnels are used according to the frame type (control data frame, data frame, etc.) so as to increase the reliability that the AP control frame reaches the radio LAN base station device (200). As a result, control reliability between the AP control device (100) and the radio LAN base station device (200) is increased. Thus, it is possible to improve the communication stability and safety in the communication system (10).
US08169975B2
Provided is a method for reserving a propagation time by estimating a channel environment in a wireless personal area network. The method includes the steps of: a) measuring a propagation range to the reception station upon starting data transaction with the reception station; b) measuring an average Strength Signal (ARSS) for determining a final transfer speed upon checking a transfer speed corresponding to the propagation range to the measured reception station based on a pre-defined table; c) determining a final transfer speed based on the transfer speed corresponding to the propagation range to the reception station according to a result that the measured ARSS is compared with Upper Bound RSS (URSS) and Lower Bound RSS (LRSS); and d) reserving a next propagation time according to the determined final transfer speed.
US08169969B2
This invention employs an inherent tradeoff in a radio bearer dependent data handling method for intra-E-UTRA handoffs. For user equipment using real time data, the source node forwards to the target node not yet acknowledged real time service data units and disconnects. This makes the handoff latency short at the expense of data traffic between nodes. For user equipment not needing real time data, the source node continues to receive user equipment acknowledgements during a time out period and only forwards service data units acknowledged during the time out period. This reduces X2 interface traffic between the source and target nodes but extends the handoff latency.
US08169966B2
The invention deals with managing handovers between access networks in a packet data communication environment. According to the invention, the possibility to control access network resources will improve by having a mobility manager node (160) managing such handovers. The mobility manager node will decide to handover a mobile node (105) from a first access network (110) to a second access network (120) based on received information relevant to the handover process. After the decision, the mobility manager node will instruct a home agent (141) or similar node to register a new care-of address or other locator of the mobile node's point of attachment, which is valid in the second access network and which can be used for contacting the mobile node in the second access network. The mobility manager node will thereafter instruct the mobile node to de-attach from the first network and attach to the second network. The invention will be especially advantageous for mobile operators managing a communication environment with heterogeneous networks, such as WLAN and WCDMA networks.
US08169965B2
There is disclosed a method of packet switched handover in a communications system having at least two modes of operation, the method comprising, at a terminal of the system, associating identifiers of each mode of operation, and responsive to a packet switched connection handover to a new mode, allocating the connection from an identifier of the existing mode to the associated identifier of the new mode.
US08169963B2
Allocation of different signal-to-noise margins to different carriers in a multi-carrier system is described. A preferred embodiment comprises assigning signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) margins to carriers in a multi-carrier system, comprises assigning a first SNR margin to a first data service based upon a first service characteristic, assigning a second SNR margin to a second data service based upon a second service characteristic, transmitting data associated with the first data service using the first signal-to-noise margin, and transmitting data associated with the second data service using the second signal-to-noise margin.
US08169959B2
A peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction method, known as system-aided PAPR reduction (SAPR), is disclosed. Based on a TR algorithm, the SAPR method avoids the drawbacks of conventional tone reservation implementations, and reduces PAPR significantly, in some embodiments. The SAPR method may be applied to next generation OFDMA-based wireless broadband technologies, to increase system throughput and cell coverage.
US08169949B1
Ways for facilitating a method of controlling a media session that includes audio and video data are provide. One variation of the method includes establishing a wireless communications link between a source device and a target wireless device, receiving from the source device a media stream that includes audio information and video information, communicating a first portion of the audio information and video information to the target device, receiving an indication of a desire to receive a different portion of one or more of audio information and video information (the different portion being different from the first portion), and communicating to the target device, a modified portion of the media stream that is consistent with the indication.
US08169942B2
Technology for a wireless multi-hop network is disclosed. a plurality of nodes in the wireless multi-hop network are synchronized to a period sequentially including a first interval and a second interval and are in an active state at the start time of the first interval. a node transmits a control frame at the start time of the first interval, the control frame indicating that data will be transmitted in the second interval, and then transitions to a sleep state which is maintained until a wake-up time in response to determining that the control frame has been successfully received by a next hop node. The wake-up time is a point in time when a node transitions to an active state to transmit the data and is present in the second interval.
US08169939B2
The present invention provides a mobile computation device and a data packet reception method thereof. The mobile computation device comprising a network communication module and a mobile computation unit, wherein the mobile computation device has a power supply for supplying power to the network communication module when the mobile computation device is in a power-off status, so that the network communication module receives a data packet from a network when the mobile computation device is in a power-off status. The method comprises sending an instruction of initiating downloading of communication content upon the reception of the data packet from the network, powering on relevant hardware necessary for the downloading of the communication content, initializing the relevant hardware and starting software corresponding to the downloading of the communication content, and downloading communication content needed to be downloaded from the network to a local harddisk. The present invention enables real time reception of communication service, fast power-on and automatic power-off of the device and reduction in power consumption.
US08169937B2
The invention relates to a method for managing a packet switched, centralized conference call between a plurality of terminals 13. In order to enable an enhancement of the user comfort, it is proposed that the method comprises at a conference call server 12 receiving data packets from all terminals 13. Based on these data packets, then at least one terminal 13 currently providing voice data is determined. In a next step, the data received in the data packets is mixed, and the mixed data is inserted into new data packets together with at least one identifier associated to one of the terminals 13 which were determined to provide voice data, such that the at least one identifier can be distinguished from any other information in the data packets. Finally, the new data packets are transmitted to terminals 13 participating in the conference call. The invention relates equally to a, corresponding server and to a corresponding terminal
US08169931B2
In wireless system, a group of Base station (BTSs) with smaller footprints have the capability to communicate with each other as well as with the BTSs with relatively larger footprints via wireless air-interfaces. One of such example is coordinated cell systems. A coordinated cell system comprises a group of coordinated cell base stations that have the capability to communicate with each other as well as with relevant macro cell or Pico cell base stations via wireless air-interfaces. Each coordinated cell BTS consists of an over the air control unit in addition to the conventional coordinated cell BTS system. A set of protocols in the form of messages and database are also defined to enable the networking capability. This enables enhancement in performing a variety of tasks by coordinated cell systems, including interference management and coordination, registration and authentication, quality of service coordination, installation and maintenance, location services, etc.
US08169918B2
An apparatus for monitoring of received information in a communication device comprises a first buffer having a plurality of storage elements adapted to store respective portions of the received information, a second buffer coupled to the first buffer and having a plurality of storage elements corresponding to respective ones of the storage elements of the first buffer, and controller circuitry coupled to the buffers and operative to detect a message sequence comprising a plurality of the portions of the received information. The second buffer stores a previously-detected message sequence loaded from the first buffer into the second buffer under control of the controller circuitry. The controller circuitry in detecting a current message sequence is configurable in at least first and second different monitoring modes each associated with a different message format. The monitoring mode of the controller circuitry may be adaptively configured based at least in part on a detected message sequence.
US08169916B1
A system and a method are disclosed for delivering a video to a destination device using multiple sources and multiple protocols. The video can be on demand or a live video. A video is divided into several chunks distributed across devices and servers in the network. A node is selected for delivering a video chunk based on criteria including the cost of delivery of the chunk from the node to the destination node. This also improves the throughput of the entire system. Different nodes can use different communication protocols for delivering chunks of videos. Portions of videos are forward-cached to a node before a request for the video is made by the node. Activities associated with a device are gathered to determine a profile for the device. The profile of the device is used to select videos to be forward-cached to the peer device.
US08169907B1
A method, system, and computer readable media are provided for transmitting multi-user packets in an evolution data only (EVDO) network. Upon receipt of the data rate control requests of access terminals in the network, an access node can group particular access terminals into groups of shared data rate control access terminals. The access node will generate and later send a multi-user packet based on the requested data rate control of a group of shared data rate control access terminals. The transmission of the multi-user packet shall be accomplished at the requested data rate control of the group of shared data rate control access terminals.
US08169883B2
An optical disk includes a first information recording layer, and second to N-th information recording layers (with N being an integer of two or greater) that are arranged further toward the side from which laser light is irradiated than the first information recording layer and which are arranged in order from the side near the first information recording layer. The first information recording layer includes a read-only control data region, a first recording learning region for learning recording parameters to record data, and a first user data recording region for recording user data. When taking at least one of the second to N-th information recording layers as an i-th information recording layer (with i being an integer satisfying 2≦i≦N), that i-th information recording layer includes an i-th recording learning region for learning recording parameters to record data in the i-th information recording layer, and an i-th user data recording region for recording user data. The first recording learning region and the i-th recording learning region are arranged at different radial positions, and the i-th recording learning region is arranged within a region of radial positions at which the control data region is provided.
US08169881B2
According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film having a main body and a ridge extending from the main body and an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, a light guiding core layer of the optical waveguide being spaced from the near field transducer by less than about 100 nanometers and greater than 0 nanometers. In another embodiment, a method includes forming a near field transducer structure and removing a portion of the near field transducer structure. The method also includes forming a cladding layer adjacent a remaining portion of the near field transducer structure, wherein a portion of the cladding layer extends along the remaining portion of the near field transducer structure and forming a core layer above the cladding layer. Other apparatuses and methods are also included in the invention.
US08169877B2
An optical disc apparatus for use of an optical disc including a plurality of recording layers sets an amount of correction of spherical aberration for each of the recording layers of the disc during a focus sweep. A photodetector portion produces a signal in response to returned light for each of the recording layers.
US08169876B2
An optical information recording method of recording information three-dimensionally by irradiating a laser light beam onto a medium having a servo information plane on which address information and/or servo information is recorded, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: dividing a laser light beam from one laser light source into laser light beams, the beam including a first light beam for reading the information, and a second light beam for recording information onto the recording medium; irradiating the first light beam onto the servo information plane to read the information from reflected light of the first light beam to read the information in which optical axes of the first light beam and second light beam are arranged coaxially; and irradiating the second light beam based on the read information to be focused onto a position in a depth direction perpendicular to a horizontal direction of the recording medium.
US08169875B2
An optical pickup device includes a holder which holds an LD and a light-receiving element and an optical pickup case on which the holder is adhesively fixed via an ultraviolet cure adhesive, and is provided with a through hole on a bonding surface of the holder in order to reduce shrinkage when ultraviolet light is irradiated and to form a blind portion on which the ultraviolet light is not irradiated from a specific direction for adhesively fixing with high position accuracy.
US08169871B2
Provided herein are hybrid laser diode drivers (LDDs) that drive a laser diode in response to receiving enable signals from a controller. In accordance with specific embodiments, a hybrid LDD includes a read channel to selectively output a read current, one or more write channel each to selectively output a write current, and an oscillator channel to selectively output an oscillator current. Additionally, in specific embodiments the hybrid LDD includes a state machine that receives the enable signals from the controller, and based on the enable signals, controls timing of the currents output by the read, write and oscillator channels.
US08169870B2
A recording/reproducing device includes a laser and a laser drive carried by a pickup having a drive for movement. A control controls the drives to irradiate the recording medium with laser pulse sequences forming recording marks having recording mark lengths between a predetermined and maximum lengths, a top section, a last section including a cooling period, and an intermediate period. Heat of mark front edges is controlled by recording parameters for top sections that are classified according to recording mark lengths and recording parameters of the first through the maximum recording mark lengths are classified into a same group. Heat of mark rear edges is controlled by cooling start positions for cooling periods classified according to recording mark lengths. Cooling start positions for a second predetermined mark length through the maximum mark length are classified into a same group. The second mark length is longer than the first mark length.
US08169862B1
A turntable having multiple-point touch function for a digital sound-signal device includes a base formed with a central insert hole having a lower side provided with a load sensor, with a photo-sensor installed at one inner end of the base. A multiple-point touch-induction circuit is fixed on the base, having different sensing regions and bored with a central through hole. A touch-control turntable assembled on the circuit board has a central post protruding downward to be inserted through both the through hole and the insert hole for combining the base, the circuit board and the turntable together, the combining post having its lower end touching the load sensor. The turntable has its outer end edge provided with lots of light-obstructing plates protruding downward for obstructing light with the photo-sensor. The touch-control turntable is preset with plural memory regions to be touched for outputting different sound effects.
US08169858B2
The invention relates to a timepiece (1) fitted with a glass (3) having an inside face and an outside face to the timepiece and a lighting device (4) comprising at least one ultraviolet or infrared light-emitting diode (4a) to illuminate at least one zone (9) integrating fluorescent and/or phosphorescent pigments of an indicator element (7) visible through the glass, characterized in that the light-emitting diode is arranged on the periphery of the glass forming a waveguide capable of diffusing the ultraviolet or infrared light, and that means for diffusing ultraviolet or infrared light (12; 13; 15; 19; 20) from the glass towards the interior of the timepiece are arranged in the path of the ultraviolet or infrared light.
US08169850B2
In one embodiment, link logic of a multi-chip processor (MCP) formed using multiple processors may interface with a first point-to-point (PtP) link coupled between the MCP and an off-package agent and another PtP link coupled between first and second processors of the MCP, where the on-package PtP link operates at a greater bandwidth than the first PtP link. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08169848B2
Power consumption required for making a nonvolatile storage device having a radio communication function operate as a file server for a radio host device is great for a host device which supplies the power. The present invention enables a user to operate a host device to which the nonvolatile storage device having the radio communication function is attached so as to activate and inactivate the radio communication function of the nonvolatile storage device. This reduces unnecessary power consumption by the radio communication function.
US08169847B2
A semiconductor memory apparatus and refresh control method are presented. The semiconductor memory apparatus includes a memory cell block composed of a multiplicity of floating body cell (FBC) transistors. Each FBC transistor has a gate connected to a word line, a drain connected to a bit line, and a source connected to a source line. FBC transistor pairs are formed by sharing the source lines in the plurality of the floating body cell transistors. When a refresh signal is enabled, the semiconductor memory apparatus is configured to read data stored in the memory cell block by enabling a refresh read signal and then configured to rewrite the read data in the memory cell block by enabling a refresh write signal.
US08169841B2
A strobe signal is received in a device and execution of an operation in the device is delayed when the strobe signal includes a preamble. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08169840B2
An address latch circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a control signal generating section configured to generate a control signal in response to an external command signal and a RAS idle signal, a clock control section configured to output a clock signal as a control clock signal when the control signal is enabled and to fix the control clock signal to a predetermined level when the control signal is disabled, and an address latch section configured to latch an address signal in response to the control clock signal.
US08169839B2
A memory device for use with a primary power source including: non-volatile memory; volatile memory; an interface for connecting to a backup power source; isolation logic for controlling access to the volatile memory by a host processor, said isolation logic having a first mode during which the isolation logic provides the host processor with access to the volatile memory for storing or reading data and a second mode during which the isolation logic isolates the volatile memory from access by the host processor; and a controller controlling the isolation logic, said controller programmed to place the isolation logic in the first mode when the volatile memory is being powered by the primary power source and, when power to the volatile memory from the primary power source is interrupted, to place the isolation logic in the second mode and transfer data from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory.
US08169831B2
Sensing circuits for sensing a conduction current of a memory cell among a group of non-volatile memory cells being sensed in parallel and providing the result thereof to a data bus are presented. A precharge circuit is coupled to a node for charging the node to an initial voltage. An intermediate circuit is also coupled to the node and connectable to the memory cell, whereby current from the precharge circuit can be supplied to the memory cell. The circuit also includes a comparator circuit to perform a determination the conduction current by a rate of discharge at the node; a data latch coupled to the comparator circuit to hold the result of said determination; and a transfer gate coupled to the data latch to supply a result latched therein to the data bus independently of the node. This arrangement improves sensing performance and can help to eliminate noise on the analog sensing path during sensing and reduce switching current.
US08169823B2
Multi-bit semiconductor memory devices having both volatile and nonvolatile memory characteristics and methods of operating the same are disclosed, the semiconductor memory device including a floating body on an upper region of a substrate, a gate electrode on the floating body and electrically insulated from the floating body, source and drain regions on the substrate adjacent to the gate electrode and a charge trap layer between the floating body and the gate electrode, where first bit data is written in one of the charge trap layer and the floating body, and second bit data is written in one of the charge trap layer and the floating body in which first bit data is not written.
US08169822B2
In a programming operation, selected storage elements on a selected word line are programmed while unselected storage elements on the selected word line are inhibited from programming by channel boosting. To provide a sufficient but not excessive level of boosting, the amount of boosting can be set based on a data state of the unselected storage element. A greater amount of boosting can be provided for a lower data state which represents a lower threshold voltage and hence is more vulnerable to program disturb. A common boosting scheme can be used for groups of multiple data states. The amount of boosting can be set by adjusting the timing and magnitude of voltages used for a channel pre-charge operation and for pass voltages which are applied to word lines. In one approach, stepped pass voltages on unselected word lines can be used to adjust boosting for channels with selected data states.
US08169821B1
A spin-torque transfer memory random access memory (STTMRAM) element is disclosed and has a fixed layer, a barrier layer formed upon the fixed layer, and a free layer comprised of a low-crystallization temperature alloy of CoFeB—Z where Z is below 25 atomic percent of one or more of titanium, (Ti), yittrium (Y), zirconium (Zr), and vanadium (V), wherein during a write operation, a bidirectional electric current is applied across the STTMRAM element to switch the magnetization of the free layer between parallel and anti-parallel states relative to the magnetization of the fixed layer.
US08169819B2
There is provided a semiconductor storage device which is capable of further reducing a size of a memory cell, and increasing a storage capacity. Plural memory cells each including a transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a variable resistive device having a resistance value changed by voltage supply and connected between source and drain terminals of the transistor are arranged longitudinally and in an array to configure a three-dimensional memory cell array. A memory cell structure has a double channel structure in which an inside of a switching transistor is filled with a variable resistance element, particularly, a phase change material. The switching transistor is turned off by application of a voltage to increase a channel resistance so that a current flows in the internal phase change material to operate the memory.
US08169817B2
A magnetoresistive device includes: a magnetic recording layer including a first magnetic layer having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and a second magnetic layer having in-plane magnetic anisotropy and being exchange-coupled to the first magnetic layer, Curie temperature of the second magnetic layer being lower than Curie temperature of the first magnetic layer, and the magnetic recording layer having a magnetization direction perpendicular to a film plane; a magnetic reference layer having a magnetization direction which is perpendicular to a film plane and is invariable; and a nonmagnetic layer provided between the magnetic recording layer and the magnetic reference layer. The magnetization direction of the magnetic recording layer is changeable by spin-polarized electrons caused by flowing current between the magnetic recording layer and the magnetic reference layer in a direction perpendicular to the film plane.
US08169814B2
The present invention provides a Schmitt trigger-based FinFET static random access memory (SRAM) cell, which is an 8-FinFET structure. A FinFET has the functions of two independent gates. The new SRAM cell uses only 8 FinFET per cell, compared with the 10-FinFET structure in previous works. As a result, the cell structure of the present invention can save chip area and raise chip density. Furthermore, this new SRAM cell can effectively solve the conventional problem that the 6T SRAM cell is likely to have read errors at a low operating voltage.
US08169811B2
A memory device including a non-volatile re-programmable memory cell is provided. In connection with various example embodiments, the memory cell is a single resistor located between a first and second node. The resistor stores different resistance states corresponding to different resistance values set by SiCr-facilitated migration. The SiCr-facilitated migration occurs in response to energy presented between the first and second nodes. The application of a signal to a first node of the memory cell resistor forces the migration of elements along the memory cell resistor to set the resistance value of the memory cell resistor. The application of a second signal of approximately equal strength to the second node reverses the change and resistance and returns the memory cell to the previous resistance level. In some implementations the resistor is made of SiCr.
US08169810B2
A magnetic tunnel junction cell includes a ferromagnetic reference layer, a ferromagnetic free layer, and a non-magnetic barrier layer separating the ferromagnetic reference layer from the ferromagnetic free layer. The magnetic tunnel junction cell has an asymmetric energy barrier for switching between a high resistance data state and a low resistance data state.
US08169808B2
NAND architecture non-volatile content addressable (CAM) memory devices and methods are described that allows for high density, low cost CAM devices. In addition, the NAND architecture non-volatile CAM memory operates with reduced power consumption characteristics for low power and portable applications. In one NAND architecture non-volatile CAM memory embodiment a wired NOR match line array is utilized. In another embodiment a NAND match line array is shown. In yet other embodiments, hierarchal addressing, hash addressing, tree search and algorithmic/hardware engine based search is detailed utilizing both conventional NAND architecture non-volatile Flash memory arrays and dedicated NAND architecture CAM arrays utilizing wired NOR and wired NAND match lines.
US08169804B2
The configurations of a three-phase buck-boost power factor correction (PFC) circuit are provided. The circuit includes a first single-phase buck-boost PFC circuit receiving a first phase voltage and having a first and a second output terminals and a neutral-point for outputting a first and a second output voltages, a second single-phase buck-boost PFC circuit receiving a third phase voltage and coupled to the first and the second output terminals and the neutral-point, a first to a fourth thyristors, each of which has an anode and a cathode. The anodes of the first and the third thyristors and the cathodes of the second and the fourth thyristors receive a second phase voltage, and the cathode of the first thyristor and the anode of the second thyristor are coupled to the first single-phase buck-boost PFC circuit.
US08169797B2
An AC/DC intermediate-circuit converter has a very wide AC input voltage range with a ZVS three-level DC/DC resonant converter with an LLC series-resonant circuit. Two intermediate-circuit capacitors are connected in series between DC intermediate-circuit connections with their common connection point forming a DC intermediate-circuit center connection (5). The DC intermediate-circuit connections are connected to the DC connections of a rectifier whose AC input connections have an AC input voltage applied thereto. A range changeover switch is arranged between an AC input connection and the DC intermediate-circuit center connection. The range changeover switch is closed in a lower AC input voltage range, when the ZVS three-level DC/DC resonant converter is operated on the basis of a “two-level operating mode” modulation strategy, such that the LLC series-resonant circuit has the full DC input voltage present between the DC intermediate-circuit connections applied to it. The range changeover switch is open in a central AC input voltage range when the ZVS three-level DC/DC resonant converter is operated on the basis of the “two-level operating mode” modulation strategy. The range changeover switch is open in an upper AC input voltage range when the ZVS three-level DC/DC resonant converter is operated on the basis of a “three-level operating mode” modulation strategy, such that the LLC series-resonant circuit has only half the DC input voltage that is present between the DC intermediate-circuit connections applied to it.
US08169796B2
In an isolated switching power supply apparatus, by performing on/off control of a first switching device and a second switching device, energy is transmitted from the primary side to the secondary side using a second primary winding and a second secondary winding while the first switching device is on, and energy is transmitted by a first primary winding and a first secondary winding while the second switching device is on. The first secondary winding and the second secondary winding are connected in series with one another, and an inductor is inserted in series to the second secondary winding. An output current is made to flow through the inductor irrespective of whether the first switching device is on or the second switching device is on.
US08169788B2
A printed board to be loaded into a printed-board-receiving structure having a backboard and a guide rail, the backboard having a connector plug-in connectable to a connector on the printed board, the guide rail guiding the printed board toward the backboard and having a groove including a sloping portion, the printed board includes a sloping portion forming a projection at an end of the printed board, the projection being fittable and slidable along the groove in the guide rail.
US08169786B2
There is provided a housing for a rugged handheld device, which includes: a main housing including: a main circuit board space sealed from an exterior environment, for supporting a main circuit board; and a compartment space for supporting a removable compartment for holding a device component for operation of the handheld device, such as a docking connector board, a display assembly, a keyboard assembly, where the compartment space is sealed from the external environment by a removable compartment cover for sealing the compartment space from the exterior environment, independently from the sealing of the main circuit board space and/or the device component placed into the compartment space.
US08169783B2
A latch assembly for a pluggable electronic module matable with a receptacle assembly includes a lever actuatable between a latched position and an unlatched position, a yoke assembly operatively coupled to the lever, and a latch element coupled to the latch end of the yoke assembly. The yoke assembly has a latch end rotatable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch element is movable between an engaged position and an unengaged position as the latch end is rotated between the latched and unlatched positions, respectively. The latch element is configured to engage the receptacle assembly to lock the pluggable electronic module within the receptacle assembly when the latch element is in the engaged position.
US08169777B2
A modular computer includes a main board unit, a power supply unit, a CPU, a graphic/display unit, a data reading/writing unit and a plurality of fasteners. Each of the units is formed into a rectangular six-face-boxed modular. A connector is provided on one of the faces of the units. The units are stacked in vertical direction or arranged in horizontal direction. The units are fixed together by the fasteners. The connectors provide electrical connection among the units.
US08169773B2
The present invention provides an electrochemical capacitor, which includes: a cell electrode unit which includes cathodes, anodes, and separators interposed between the cathodes and the anodes which are alternately stacked in multiple layers; cathode terminals which are extended to one side of each of the cathodes and are stacked one above another; anode terminals which are extended to one side of each of the anodes and are stacked one above another with a separation space from the cathode terminals; a housing for receiving the cell electrode unit, the cathode terminals, and the anode terminals; and an output terminal unit which is insert-molded to penetrate from the inside to the outside of the housing, electrically connected to at least one of each of the stacked cathode and anode terminals, and immobilizes the cell electrode unit into the housing.
US08169769B2
A detection circuit is provided for a power supply for an electrostatic chuck generating a trapezoidal waveform with approximately flat tops and minimal dead-time between phase reversals. The detection circuit includes an amplifying circuit which receives inputs from a secondary winding of a transformer of the power supply and produces an amplified buffered signal. A chucking detect circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and is configured to produce a first signal indicative of a substrate on the electrostatic chuck and a second signal indicative of an electrostatic chuck without a substrate. A chucking quality circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of a quality of the chucking of the substrate. A movement detection circuit receives the signal from the amplifying circuit and produces a signal indicative of movement of the substrate on the electrostatic chuck.
US08169768B1
An electrostatic chuck for retaining a substrate. The chuck has a clamping surface for receiving the substrate, where the clamping surface is formed of a hard polymeric material filled with carbon nanotubes. Electrodes are disposed beneath the clamping surface, for inducing localized electrostatic charges in the substrate and thereby retaining the substrate against the clamping surface. A base supports the clamping surface and the electrodes.
US08169767B2
Novel boron nitride agglomerated powders are provided having controlled density and fracture strength features. In addition methods for producing same are provided. One method calls for providing a feedstock powder including boron nitride agglomerates, and heat treating the feedstock powder to form a heat treated boron nitride agglomerated powder. In one embodiment the feedstock powder has a controlled crystal size. In another, the feedstock powder is derived from a bulk source. Devices, such as microelectronic devices and printed circuit boards, which include boron nitride agglomerates with controlled fracture strength features are also disclosed.
US08169764B2
In an embodiment, an integrated circuit comprises a plurality of temperature sensors and a power manager coupled thereto. The temperature sensors are physically distributed over an area of the integrated circuit that is occupied by logic circuitry implementing the operations for which the integrated circuit is designed. The power manager is configured to transmit a power supply voltage request to an external power supply module, the power supply voltage request indicating a requested magnitude of the power supply voltage for the integrated circuit. The power manager is configured to modify the requested magnitude responsive to indications from each of the plurality of temperatures sensors that represent a temperature of the integrated circuit sensed by each of the plurality of temperature sensors.
US08169755B2
A power supply system is provided with devices of generating an electric power, controlling an amount of power generation, charging an electric power having been generated, converting an electric power having been generated, charging an electric power having been converted, operating an electric load by an electric power having been converted, and detecting a short-circuit fault of input/output of a DC converter. In the case of detecting an input/output short-circuit fault of the DC converter, from the input/output short-circuit detector to the generator controller, an instruction is given such that the generator is switched to make a power generation at a predetermined constant voltage determined based on a voltage of the circuit arrangement.
US08169751B2
A structure for preventing Electrostatic Discharge (LSD) damage to a magnetoresistive sensor during manufacture. The structure includes a switching element that can be switched off during testing of the sensor and then switched back on to provide ESD shunting to the sensor. The switch can be a thermally activated mechanical relay built onto the slider. The switch could also be a programmable resistor that includes to solid electrolyte sandwiched between first and second electrodes. One of the electrodes functions as an anode. When voltage is applied in a first direction an ion bridge forms across through the electrolyte across electrodes making the resistor conductive. When a voltage is applied in a second direction, the ion bridge recedes and the programmable resistor becomes essentially non-conductive.
US08169748B2
Method and apparatus for attenuating resonances in a flex circuit which interconnects a stationary element and a moveable element, such as a connector and a head stack assembly (HSA) in a data storage device. An intermediary portion of the flex circuit forms a dynamic loop between the stationary element and the moveable element. A damper member is attached to the flex circuit so as to continuously extend adjacent the stationary element and along less than an overall extent of the dynamic loop. The damper member attenuates resonances excited in the flex circuit during movement of the moveable element.
US08169743B2
Minimizing slider vibration effects on a magnetic transducer coupled to a slider are described herein. In one embodiment, a method is described for minimizing slider vibration effects on a magnetic transducer coupled to the slider. A mass component of the slider is adjusted such that at least one pitch nodal line and/or at least one roll nodal line of the slider approximately coincide with an intersection point, and the magnetic transducer is positioned to approximately coincide with the intersection point.
US08169738B1
A fluid dynamic bearing mechanism includes a stationary bearing portion including a sleeve portion, and a rotating bearing portion including an outer rotating portion. A lubricating oil is arranged between the stationary and rotating bearing portions. A first dynamic pressure groove array is arranged in an upper surface of the sleeve portion or a lower surface of the outer rotating portion. A second dynamic pressure groove array is arranged in a surface of the outer rotating portion or a surface of the stationary bearing portion in a region between the first array and a liquid surface. An end of the second array closer to the liquid surface is arranged radially inward of an opposite end of the second array. An upper end opening of a communicating channel defined in the sleeve portion is arranged radially outward of a radially inner end of the first array.
US08169735B1
A system including a read module, a clock generator module, and a write module. The read module generates read signals in response to reading servo spirals from a magnetic medium of a hard disk drive. The clock generator module generates a spiral clock based on the read signals, and generates, based on the spiral clock, (i) a first write clock and (ii) a second write clock. The spiral clock has a first frequency, the first write clock has a second frequency, and the second write clock has a third frequency. The write module is configured to (i) write a first servo wedge on a first zone of the magnetic medium of the hard disk drive based on the first write clock, and (ii) write a second servo wedge on a second zone of the magnetic medium of the hard disk drive based on the second write clock.
US08169731B2
Provided is a near-field light transducer with a propagation edge in which the generation of defects is suppressed. The transducer is formed of a Ag alloy and comprises an edge, the edge comprising a portion to be coupled with a light in a surface plasmon mode, the edge extending from the portion to a near-field light generating end surface, and the edge being configured to propagate surface plasmon excited by the light. Further, a curvature radius of the rounded edge is set in the range from 6.25 nm to 20 nm. In the edge and its vicinity, the generation of defects such as cracking and chipping is suppressed. Thereby improved are a propagation efficiency of surface plasmon and a light use efficiency of the transducer. The Ag alloy preferably contains at least one element selected from a group of Pd, Au, Cu, Ru, Rh and Ir.
US08169728B2
To avoid the occurrence of a recording error by suppressing the influence that a magneto-static interaction acting between the pattern dots exerts on a recording process and expand a margin for recording synchronization timing lag or tracking misregistration on the pattern dot. Each pattern dot has a structure in which a plurality of parts having different magnetization reversal fields are bonded with exchange interaction in the in-plane direction of a medium, substrate. The positional relationship between the parts having different magnetization reversal fields is substantially coincident between the adjacent pattern dots, which are arranged to have a gradient of magnetization reversal field in a track direction or track transverse direction. Further, the recording is performed by adapting a gradient of recording magnetic field to the gradient of magnetization reversal field. Other methods and systems are described as well.
US08169726B2
An apparatus including one or more reader circuits, one or more writer circuits, and a loopback channel. The one or more reader circuits may be configured to read data from a magnetic medium. The one or more writer circuits may be configured to write data to the magnetic medium. The loopback channel is coupled between the one or more reader circuits and the one or more writer circuits.
US08169723B2
To provide a vibration actuator having good driving performance even when miniaturized, and a lens barrel and camera provided with the same. A first aspect of the present invention is to provide a vibration actuator comprising, an electromechanical conversion element, having a first joining face, and which is subject to excitation, an elastic body having a second joining face which is joined to the first joining face, and a driving face which gives rise to vibration waves as a result of said excitation, and a relative moving member, having a contact face which is in pressure contact with the driving face, which is driven by the vibration waves, and which moves relative to the elastic body, wherein an outer shape of said first joining face has a shape which differs from an outer shape of said contact face.
US08169718B2
The present invention is directed to wide-angle zoom lenses dedicated to single-lens reflex digital cameras, which attains zoom ratio greater than 2. Such a wide-angle zoom lens has four groups of lens pieces, namely comprising the leading or foremost 1st lens group of negative refractivity closest to an objective field, the succeeding 2nd lens group of positive refractivity, the third lens group of negative refractivity, and the trailing 4th lens group of positive refractivity arranged in this order to move each lens group to vary optical power; and the 1st lens group includes a front subset of the lens pieces of negative refractive power and a rear subset of negative refractive power. The front-end lens piece in the 1st lens group is shaped in negative meniscus lens that has its concave surface faced toward an imaging plane and has the opposite surfaces shaped aspherical. The front and rear subsets of the 1st lens group meet requirements of a focal length as expressed in the following formula: 3.5≦|f1b/f1a|≦6.0 where f1a is a focal length of the front subset of the lens pieces in the 1st lens group and f1b is the focal length of the rear subset in the 1st lens group.
US08169711B2
A zoom lens comprises a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a rear group including at least one lens unit, in order from an object side to an image side. Each of the lens units is configured to move so that a total lens length at a wide-angle end is longer than that at a telephoto end to perform a zoom operation. A movement amount M1 of the first lens unit at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end with respect to an imaging surface, a focal length f1 of the first lens unit, and focal lengths fw and ft of a whole system at the wide-angle end and the telephoto end are appropriately set.
US08169709B2
A high performance zoom lens system suitable for use with a camera is disclosed. The zoom lens systems employs liquid optics and a movable lens group to provide optical performance over the zoom focal length range at focus distances from close to infinity. The system also provides compensation for undesirable thermally induced effects by adjustments of the zoom group and the variably shaped optical surface in the liquid lens cell.
US08169707B2
A sheet-like optical member being difficult to damage a shape of a lens part. The sheet-like optical member includes: a substrate; and a lens part, which is formed on the substrate, is made of an active energy ray-curable resin, and has a plurality of unit prisms. The maximum logarithmic attenuation rate ΔE of the lens part measured by a rigid body pendulum method is 0.4 or less.
US08169703B1
An optical apparatus comprises at least one primary diffraction grating and at least one reference diffraction grating each formed on or within a common grating substrate. The reference diffraction grating is arranged so as to diffract and disperse spatially according to wavelength a reference optical signal incident on the reference diffraction grating at an input incidence angle. The primary diffraction grating is arranged so as to diffract and disperse spatially according to wavelength an input optical signal incident on the primary diffraction grating at the input incidence angle. The reference and primary diffraction gratings exhibit at least one differing grating structural parameter. The reference and primary diffraction gratings are arranged so that a diffracted and spatially dispersed reference optical signal having at least one known wavelength component defines at least one spatial wavelength calibration reference for the diffracted and spatially dispersed input optical signal.
US08169688B2
A system and method of reducing color shift in a display includes an interferometric modulator display configured to reflect light from at least one light source and through at least one converging optical element in an optical path from the light source to a viewer via the display. In one embodiment, the converging optical element comprises a diffractive optical element.
US08169686B2
A display with patterned photovoltaic (PV) material integrated on the front side and/or back side of the display is disclosed. Light may reach PV material situated behind a display through fully or partially transmissive features or gaps within the display. Display-generated light may also reach PV material behind a display. A patterned PV material situated in front of a display may collect both ambient light as well as display-generated light.
US08169683B2
An apparatus includes an optical train pulse generator for generating continuous optical pulses each having a narrow width; a clock source having a high frequency for triggering the generator and operable as a sampling clock; a digital-to-analog converter DAC for converting an input signal from a digital signal processor, the DAC responsive to the sampling clock; a data modulator responsive to an amplified output from the DAC to modulate the continuous optical pulses from the train pulse generator; and a filter for removing higher frequency harmonics from the modulated continuous optical pulses out of the data modulator.
US08169682B2
A light modulator is disclosed for representing complex-valued data, comprising an encoding area that has an arrangement of pixels, the phase of which can be controlled. This largely avoids an interfering optical path difference between adjacent pixels or pixel groups when a complex value is encoded in several adjacent phase pixels of the encoding area, the optical path difference varying according to the angle. One respective specific structured delaying layer, which causes the optical path of an incident linearly polarized beam to change according to the angle, is associated with at least one predefined pixel of a group of adjacent pixels of the encoding area. The thickness of the delaying layer is designed such that the modification of the optical path caused by the delaying layer runs in the opposite direction from the angle-related modification of the optical path difference between individual pixels of the pixel group.
US08169677B2
A scanner motor is disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the scanner motor includes a shaft, a housing having an insertion-hole formed in a center thereof, in which the shaft is inserted into the insertion-hole, a polygonal mirror, which is mounted on an upper side of the housing and has a through-hole formed in a center thereof in such a way that the shaft penetrates through the polygonal mirror, and a compression spring, which is formed on an upper side of the polygonal mirror and includes a V-shaped curved part bent downwardly in such a way that the V-shaped curved part compresses an upper edge of an inner circumferential surface of the polygonal mirror both horizontally and vertically.
US08169673B2
An illuminating device includes a linear light source mounted on a mounting surface of a board, with a plurality of light-emitting elements being arrayed thereon, for irradiating light toward an illuminating target, a white reflecting surface provided in a planar shape parallel to an optical axis of the linear light source on a surface including the mounting surface, to reflect the light from the linear light source, and a mirror surface formed in a planar shape that reflects the light from the linear light source and reflected light from the white reflecting surface. The linear light source, the white reflecting surface, and the mirror surface are arranged such that a third plane crosses a first plane on the illuminating target side than a second plane, and 0°<θW<θR<90° is satisfied.
US08169671B2
A lighting unit, includes: a light source section wherein a plurality of light-emitting sources are arranged in a direction perpendicular to a direction of each light-emitting optical axis of each light-emitting source and linearly at predetermined intervals; and a reflecting section which reflects light emitted toward a direction along a document mounting surface from the light source section arranged along the document mounting surface toward an irradiated region of the document mounting surface, the reflecting section having: a first reflecting surface disposed closer to the light source section than to the irradiated region; and a second reflecting surface disposed more distant from the light source section than from the irradiated region.
US08169664B2
A quantizing unit, error detector, error diffusion matrix, and adder quantize a pixel of interest of an input image by an error diffusion method. A calculation unit and gain adjuster calculate a value to be added to the pixel of interest with reference to quantized pixels. The adder adds the calculated value to the pixel of interest. A control unit controls the calculation of the gain adjuster.
US08169663B2
An image processing apparatus includes (i) a repulsive force generating section for setting repulsive force values RVa and RVu of a quantized pixel according to an output pixel value of the quantized pixel, (ii) a repulsive force calculating section for calculating a repulsive force value RVC to be used in quantizing a quantization-target pixel by attenuating, according to a distance between the quantized pixel and the quantization-target pixel, the repulsive force values RVa and RVu set for the quantized pixel; and (iii) a threshold value correcting section for correcting a threshold value T used in quantizing the quantization-target pixel according to the repulsive force value RVC. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in the number of processing steps and amount of processing when an image is processed with an error diffusion method. At the same time, it is possible to prevent decrease in image uniformity and formation of a pattern unique to the error diffusion method.
US08169650B2
According to this invention, the date range can be intuitively designated by designating up, down, left, and right directions, and images stored in a storage medium can be easily restricted to images which may be subjected to printing. In order to restrict images stored in a memory card on the basis of the date, a region for inputting the start date of the date range is displayed at the upper portion of a display window on a display device, and a region for inputting the end date is displayed at the lower portion. One of the regions is designated and selected with up and down direction keys. A date in the selected region is changed with left and right direction keys. Images having storage dates between the start date and the end date are decided as printing target candidates.
US08169640B2
A network system and network system setting method including a control apparatus connected to a network and an image processing apparatus connected to the control apparatus so as to access the network, where when setup information for the image processing apparatus is transmitted to another image processing apparatus, setup information for the control apparatus is also transmitted.
US08169639B2
An image processing device is configured to provide a service relating to at least one of (1) the image data generated by the function of the image processing device and (2) image data representing the image to be formed, in response to a request from the image processing device. The image processing device may include a parameter designating unit, a service request unit, and a function implementation unit that is adapted to implement the function of the image processing device based on the service providing parameter designated by the parameter designating unit. The service providing device is provided with a service provision executing unit that is adapted to execute a process to provide the service to the image processing device after receiving the request from the service request unit provided to the image processing device.
US08169638B2
In order to share user identification information among a plurality of MFPs without using a server, each of a plurality of MFPs forming an image processing system stores in a HDD registered user information which at least includes the user identification information for identifying a user, requests another MFP to transmit registered user information stored in the HDD provided in that MFP, receives the registered user information transmitted by that MFP according to the request made by a request portion, and stores in the HDD user data that at least includes the received registered user information.
US08169634B2
In a watermark process section in an image processing apparatus, a visible watermark pattern read-out section reads out a visible watermark pattern that is stored in a memory. An invisible watermark generating section draws an invisible watermark on the read-out visible watermark pattern. Image data, which includes both the visible watermark and drawn invisible watermark, is multiplied by an overlay ratio. An adder section adds the visible/invisible watermark image data, which is multiplied by the overlay ratio, and input image data. Thus, watermark-overlaid image data is generated.
US08169629B2
Display control is made so as to obtain an optimum setting picture plane in accordance with a change in designation of an outputting method of a distribution printing, a multiple-address printing, an automatic substitute printing, or the like without allowing the user to be conscious thereof.
US08169616B2
In some embodiments, the pathlength difference (retardation) in a step scanning infrared (IR) spectrometer interferometer is maintained under AC servomechanism (servo) control for a first period following a step change, and under DC servo control for a second period following the first period. Data is acquired during and/or after the DC servo control period. Switching off the AC servo control prior to data acquisition allows limiting the dither-frequency noise that could otherwise affect signals of interest, particularly in fast-time-scale applications such as high-speed time-resolved spectroscopy (TSR). A mirror position control circuit controls a mirror position stepping as well as switching a mirror servo control from AC to DC.
US08169610B2
An apparatus for detecting labeled beads is provided. The apparatus can include: one or more irradiation sources disposed for irradiating the one or more detection zones with radiation; at least one detector disposed for collecting charges corresponding to light signals emitted from labeled beads in the one or more detection zones, which have been excited by the radiation; and a system coupled to the at least one detector for effecting time delay integration of the charges by accumulating the charges before reading the charges at the output of the at least one detector.
US08169604B2
The present invention refers to a parameter detection system for detecting in a non-mechanical manner at least one parameter of an object (1) to be examined. The parameter detection system includes a mounting device (2) for holding the object, and a mobile unit (14) which is freely movable and adapted for indicating a position on the object. A sensing means is provided for sensing the position on the object indicated by the mobile unit and for outputting corresponding detection signals indicative of the sensed position. A calculation means (13) is provided for calculating the at least one parameter from the position on object based on the detection signals.
US08169600B2
Methods and apparatus for analyzing surface properties of particles are provided. A method for analyzing the surface properties of the particle includes a associating a first particle with a first capture zone having a specific binding affinity for a first chemical species, applying an optical force to the first particle, sensing a response of the first particle to the optical force, and using the sensed response to determine the presence, absence or quantity of the first chemical species on the first particle surface. This process may be repeated in parallel to test multiple particles. In addition to directly testing the surface properties of the particles, the method can be used in direct, indirect and competitive assays to determine the presence, absence or quantity of free or immobilized analytes. A fluidic cartridge with capture zones having avidities that are tuned for the use of optical forces is provided. A software routine for performing the method is also provided.
US08169595B2
The disclosure relates to an optical apparatus including a light source that emits light in the form of light pulses having a pulse frequency, and including at least one optical element. The disclosure also relates to a projection exposure machine including a pulsed light source and a projection objective, and to a method for modifying the imaging behavior of such an apparatus, such as in a projection exposure machine.
US08169592B2
An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a surface and movable to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element. The apparatus also includes a cleaning system which cleans the surface of the member.
US08169583B2
A thin film transistor array panel includes; a substrate including a display area and a peripheral area, a display area signal line disposed in the display area, a display area thin film transistor connected to the display area signal line, a plurality of peripheral area signal lines disposed in the peripheral area, a light-blocking member disposed on the display area signal line, the display area thin film transistor, and the plurality of peripheral area signal lines, a transparent connection electrically connecting the plurality of peripheral area signal lines to each other through a plurality of first contact holes, and a pixel electrode connected to the display area thin film transistor through a second contact hole, wherein an area density of the first contact hole in the peripheral area is less than or equal to about three times an area density of the second contact hole in the display area.
US08169576B2
To provide a production method of a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display device, in which generation of a joint line on a display screen is suppressed and yield can be improved even if a substrate is subjected to an alignment treatment by completing exposure for the substrate through several exposures in a liquid crystal display device including pixels each having two or more domains. The present invention is a production method of a production method of a liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device including: a pair of opposed substrates; a liquid crystal layer formed between the pair of opposed substrates; and an alignment film arranged on a liquid crystal layer side surface of at least one of the pair of opposed substrates, and the liquid crystal display device having two or more regions which differ in alignment azimuth in a pixel, wherein the production method comprises an exposure step of exposing the alignment film in such a way that a substrate plane is divided into two or more exposure regions through a photomask in each exposure region, and in the exposure step, exposure is performed in such a way that adjacent two exposure regions have an overlapping exposure region where the adjacent two exposure regions partly overlap with each other, and the photomask has a halftone part corresponding to the overlapping exposure region.
US08169569B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first insulating substrate, a data insulating layer disposed on a data wire of the first insulating substrate, and a color filter layer, an organic film layer, and a light shielding layer disposed on the data insulating layer. The organic film layer is positioned on the color filter layer, and the light shielding layer is positioned on the organic film layer in the screen display area. The color filter layer and the light shielding layer contact each other in the peripheral area.
US08169566B2
A backlight unit includes a light source, a lower frame including of a lighting unit supporting portion for supporting the light source and a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel supporting portion having a lower thermal conductivity than the lighting unit supporting portion, a reflection plate formed between the light source and the lower frame, and an upper frame coupled to the lower frame.
US08169562B2
An exemplary liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel, and a plastic frame accommodating the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a display region, and peripheral regions adjacent to the display region. The plastic frame includes an opening defined in portions where a first side wall is located, two second side walls adjacent to the first side wall, two sliding guides defined at opposite inner sides of portions of the plastic frame that are adjacent to the second side walls, and a stopping board. The opening allows the liquid crystal panel to be inserted into the plastic frame therethrough. The sliding guides communicate with the opening, and are allow the liquid crystal panel to slide into the plastic frame therealong. The stopping board abuts the peripheral regions of the liquid crystal panel for limiting the liquid crystal panel from undesirably departing from the plastic frame.
US08169555B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having a first electrode and a second electrode, a second substrate, a liquid crystal interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, pixels each having a transmissive portion for performing a transmissive display and a reflective portion for performing a reflective display, and a driving circuit driving the pixels. Here, a third electrode is disposed in the second substrate opposed to the first substrate with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween. The first electrode is disposed in the transmissive portion along with the second electrode and is also disposed in the reflective portion along with the third electrode. The driving circuit is provided to independently apply potentials to the second electrode and the third electrode.
US08169547B2
The present invention relates to a video image processor (1) that is configured to compare (7) a single frame included in the received video signal (3) with a preceding processed frame so as to detect changes. In order to enable the video being compressed in as compact a format as possible the processor (1) is configured to detect (7) changes by dividing the pixels of a single frame into movement blocks and to detect the movement block as changed if in said movement block there is a given number of pixels whose color value change as compared with the corresponding pixels of the preceding processed frame exceeds a predetermined threshold, to exchange (8) the color values of the pixels of the unchanged movement blocks in the frame under process for predetermined values and to generate a signal (4) that indicates the changes.
US08169538B2
An image rotation adapter that is configured to be detachably mounted between an image capturing lens and a camera main body in a camera and includes a first prism configured to invert the object image passed through the image capturing lens by reflecting an odd number of times object light passed through the image capturing lens and a second prism that is supported rotatably about the optical axis, and that is configured to further invert the object image inverted by the first prism by reflecting an odd number of times the object light passed through the first prism; an operation device configured to perform an operation to rotate the second prism; and a relay optical system configured to re-form the object image passed through the second prism on the light receiving surface of the image pickup device.
US08169534B2
A system constructs an image using virtual lenslets.
US08169527B2
Relative to an image processing apparatus that processes image data containing a distortion of an image pickup optical section, which is obtained by picking up an optical image from a subject through the image pickup optical section giving the distortion, an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program therefor, a recording medium in which the program is recorded, an image pickup apparatus, which are easily used by the user conveniently, are provided. A data output section (13d) outputs the image data of a display image that corresponds to a display mode by using a subject image whose selected region which indicates a part of a field of view represented by the image data is made identifiable and a distortion-corrected image of the selected region. A display mode setting section (13c) performs setting of the display mode. In accordance with switching of the selected region, a control section (13e) changes a first display mode in which the subject image whose selected region is made identifiable is not used in the display image to a second display mode in which the subject image whose selected region is made identifiable is used in the display image.
US08169517B2
A solid state imager converts analog pixel values to digital form on an arrayed per-column basis. An N-bit counter supplies an N-bit DAC to produce an analog ramp output with a level that varies corresponding to the contents of the counter. A latch/counter or equivalent is associated with each respective column. A clock supplies clock signal(s) to the counter elements. When the analog ramp equals the pixel value for that column, the latch/counter latches the value. The black level can be pre-set in the latch/counter or can be subtracted separately to reduce fixed pattern noise. The pixels can be oversampled for some number of times, e.g., n=16, to reduce the thermal noise of the sensors. Also, two or more pixels sharing a common sense node may be binned together, and two (or more) pixels having different integration times may be combined to obtain an output signal with enhanced dynamic range.
US08169515B2
A method of processing data from a CCD 1 having a line of light sensitive CCD elements is provided. The method comprises the steps of receiving measured illumination data readout from the CCD corresponding to measurements of charge associated with each element of the line of light sensitive CCD elements and removing from the measured illumination data in respect of each CCD element a component dependent upon illumination recorded by each of the other CCD elements through which the charge from the CCD element passed during the readout process.
US08169510B2
The present invention relates to a data processing device, a data processing method, and a recording medium that enable a user to have a bodily sensation of collection of a material such as image data or the like, and editing.A processing section 31 generates first object image data as image data having a wider angle than image data obtained by image pickup by an image pickup device, and a manipulating section 35 extracts image data for one frame (extraction image data) from the first object image data according to an image pickup parameter set according to an operation of a user. Further, the manipulating section 35 superimposes the image data of a telop as second object image data on the extraction image data according to an editing parameter set according to an operation of the user. The present invention is applicable to television receivers receiving programs, for example.
US08169508B2
At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an image input apparatus including a plurality of pixel sections, each including a light-sensitive element configured to generate electric charge by photoelectric conversion, a semiconductor region configured to receive a signal transferred from the light-sensitive element, and a transfer switch configured to transfer the signal from the light-sensitive element to the semiconductor region. An image is formed based on a composite signal obtained by combining a saturation signal representing photoelectric charge overflowing from the light-sensitive element and flowing into the semiconductor region and a photoelectric conversion signal stored in the light-sensitive element. Formation of the image is controlled based on a corrected composite signal obtained by correcting a component corresponding to a noise component. The noise component includes a noise component generated in the semiconductor region during a charge accumulation period during which the light-sensitive element performs the photoelectric conversion.
US08169506B2
An image storage apparatus comprises an image capture unit configured to sequentially capture images of a subject, a storage unit including storage areas to store the images of the subject captured by the image capture unit, a storage controller configured to overwrite a storage area which is permitted to be overwritten with an image of the subject captured by the image capture unit, a life setting unit configured to set a life of the storage area which is overwritten by the storage controller, a life controller configured to change gradually the life of the storage area set by the life setting unit, a determination unit configured to determine whether the life of the storage area changed by the life controller expires or not, and a permission unit configured to permit to overwrite a storage area when the determination unit determines that the life of the storage area expires.
US08169492B2
In one general sense, a user may be presented with a multimedia experience corresponding to an entertainment event or venue by managing a sensor array having at least two sensors that are made configured to provide a stream of data units, associating location information with sensors in the sensor array, enabling the user to perceive a map related to an entertainment event or venue, relating the perceived map to one or more sensors within the sensor array, receiving a user request identifying a selected position within the map, identifying one or more sensors within the sensor array corresponding to the selection, and presenting to the user a multimedia experience based on one or more streams of data units associated with the selected sensors.
US08169485B2
An anti-shake apparatus for image stabilizing comprises a movable unit and a controller. The movable unit is movable for an anti-shake operation. The controller stops the anti-shake operation after an exposure time and moves the movable unit to a first position after the anti-shake operation. The first position is a position of the movable unit before the exposure time and before the anti-shake operation. The controller moves the movable unit at a decelerated, low rate of speed before finishing its movement to the first position.
US08169476B2
An in-cylinder imaging apparatus is provided for an internal combustion engine defining a combustion chamber. The in-cylinder imaging apparatus includes a high-speed imaging device such as a high-speed digital camera. A borescope is provided in communication with the combustion chamber and is operable to communicate images of the combustion chamber to the high-speed imaging device. A high intensity light source, for example, a xenon light source, is operable to substantially illuminate the combustion chamber. The high-speed imaging device and borescope are in axial alignment with respect to each other and are mounted with respect to the internal combustion engine. A method of imaging the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine during engine operation employing the disclosed in-cylinder imaging apparatus is also provided.
US08169475B2
An image processing system comprising an image data acquisition unit for acquiring captured image data, with a first image processing unit for performing first image processing relating to color correction and gradation correction on the image data, a second image processing unit for performing second image processing relating to color correction based on a Color Appearance Model on the image data, a parameter calculation unit for calculating an image processing parameter used in the first image processing from the image data before the second image processing and the image data after the second image processing, and a control unit for setting the image processing parameter to the first image processing unit.
US08169472B2
An image display apparatus 104 according to the present invention includes a DB 130 which stores patient information of a subject, a display unit 140 that displays a group of intra-subject images of the subject and patient information, an input unit 120 that inputs at least a part of the patient information of the subject, a control unit 150, and an I/F 160 that is communicatively connected to an external receiving device. The control unit 150 searches the DB 130 for patient information of a desired subject based on information input by the input unit 120, and displays the searched patient information on the display unit 140. The patient information is transferred to the external receiving device via the I/F 160, and registered in the external receiving device.
US08169465B2
A 3D video processor that outputs a left-eye image and a right-eye image to be superimposed on main video includes: a left-eye object processing unit that outputs the left-eye image; a right-eye object processing unit that outputs the right-eye image; and an image output control unit that controls the left-eye object processing unit and the right-eye object processing unit so that the left-eye image and the right-eye image are synchronously outputted. The left-eye object processing unit determines whether or not image output preparation of the left-eye image is completed. The right-eye object processing unit determines whether or not image output preparation of the right-eye image is completed. The image output control unit instructs to skip the output of both the left-eye image and the right-eye image, when the image output preparation of one of the left-eye image and the right-eye image is not completed.
US08169464B2
Video processing architectures, systems, and methods for a multipoint control unit are provided. In one example, a video processing system includes a motherboard and at least one daughterboard, each daughterboard having a plurality of processors interconnected via a daughterboard switch, where the daughterboard switch is configured to switch data between the plurality of processors and between the motherboard and daughterboard. The video processing system may further include a plurality of daughterboards each having an identical hardware and/or mechanical configuration. The plurality of daughterboards may be configured to be mechanically and electrically couplable together in any order, and may be stackable to form a series chain of daughterboards extending from the motherboard, each respective daughterboard switch being further configured to switch data to a daughterboard switch on another daughterboard to permit data flow along said series chain.
US08169461B2
A mobile radio terminal includes a radio circuit for establishing communication with a communication network, a first camera sensor for taking digital photographs and a second camera sensor for acquiring image data information, wherein the second camera sensor stores the acquired image data information in a storage element. A control circuit is coupled to the radio circuit, the first camera sensor, the second camera sensor and the memory and the control circuit is configured to execute logic to: store image data information acquired from the second camera sensor in the memory; detect initiation of a camera application by an associated user; generate a control signal to launch the camera application, wherein at least a portion of the acquired image data information is provided to the camera application as one or more parameters upon launching of the camera application; and acquiring image information from the first camera sensor for taking a photograph.
US08169460B2
A holding unit turns, while holding a latent image writing unit, centered on a turning axis that is arranged on a main body of an image forming apparatus between an opening position and a closing position with respect to the main body. A positioning unit arranged on the main body positions the latent image writing unit with respect to the image carrier, when the holding unit is at the closing position. A biasing unit biases the latent image writing unit to make a contact with the positioning unit. A shock absorbing unit absorbs a shock received by the holding unit and the latent image writing unit when the holding unit is moved from the opening position to the closing position.
US08169453B2
A thermal printer having reduced electrical charge built at point of separation of a donor web and a receiver web, includes at least one thermal printhead and at least one platen roller with a nip is formed between the at least one thermal printhead and the at least one platen roller through which the donor web and the receiver web are drawn. A heat sink is attached to the at least one thermal printhead and a peel member is located downstream of the nip. The peel member is substantially electrically isolated from ground.
US08169451B2
A content transmission apparatus includes a communication module configured to carry out wireless communication with a partner apparatus, a detection module configured to detect a motion of the content transmission apparatus, and a transmission control module configured to control the communication module to transmit content to the partner apparatus and to transmit correction information corresponding to the motion of the content transmission apparatus detected by the detection module during transmission of the content to the partner apparatus.
US08169450B2
The techniques of the present invention relate to automatically controlling display intensity. The present invention includes a calibration step in which the display intensity settings are correlated to the ambient light intensity conditions. The present invention also includes an automatic adjustment step in which the ambient light intensity is measured and the display intensity is automatically adjusted according to a correlation defined in the calibration step.
US08169448B2
A display unit includes a transparent light emitting element and displaying information on both sides thereof; a sensing unit for detecting the direction in which the screen of the display unit faces; and a controller for determining a placed state of the display unit according to the detected screen direction and changing information displayed on the display unit according to the determined placed state of the display unit. The screen direction may be one of a first direction in which a front surface of the display unit faces upward, and a second direction in which a rear surface of the display unit faces upward. By using the transparent display device, information can be displayed by using both surfaces of the display device, and displayed information can be changed according to a placed state of the display device. Thus, the users' interest and fun can be aroused and user convenience can be provided.
US08169439B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally related to image processing, and more specifically to vector units for supporting image processing. A combined vector/scalar unit is provided wherein one or more processing lanes of the vector unit are used for performing scalar operations. An integrated register file is also provided for storing vector and scalar data. Therefore, the transfer of data to memory to exchange data between independent vector and scalar units is obviated and a significant amount of chip area is saved.
US08169435B2
A method, and apparatus, and a computer-readable medium encoded with instructions to carry out a method. The method is of rendering a model of a surface of wrinkly material such as paper or foil, e.g., a model of packaging on a display device. The method includes accepting a description of the different parts of the surface of the packaging, and how and where any of the parts are connected, discretizing to form a mesh, modelling the physics of the mesh, running a simulation to find a stable end-state for the mesh, modifying the mesh to visually smooth the mesh in a way that is perceived as typical for flexible packaging material; and rendering the model on a display device. The modifying the mesh is to visually smooth the mesh includes modifying during the rendering or modifying prior to the rendering.
US08169432B2
A sampling transistor in embodiments of the present invention is kept at the on-state with a time width shorter than one horizontal cycle, during the period from the rising of a control pulse supplied from a scanner to the falling of the control pulse, and samples a video signal Vsig from a signal line SL to write the video signal Vsig to a hold capacitor. A sampling transistor T1 has a double gate structure in which a pair of transistor elements are connected in common. This suppresses change in the threshold voltage of the sampling transistor.
US08169430B2
A display system is disclosed in the present invention, which includes a low drop-out voltage regulator (LDO) for receiving an input voltage and providing a stable output voltage. The low drop-out voltage regulator includes a regulating circuit, a first switch, a current source circuit and an inverting circuit. The regulating circuit has a regulating circuit input, a regulating circuit output and a regulating circuit control terminal. The first switch selectively forms short or open circuit in accordance with ON/OFF states thereof. The current source circuit provides a fixed current to the control terminal and the output of the regulating circuit. The inverting circuit has an inverting circuit input coupled to the regulating circuit output and an inverting circuit output terminal coupled to the regulating circuit control terminal, the inverting circuit inverting the output voltage from the regulating circuit output. The regulating circuit control terminal adjusts the output voltage in accordance with a control voltage received thereof.
US08169426B2
Methods and systems for electrical sensing, measurement and characterization of display elements are described. An embodiment includes integrating the electrical sensing, measurement and characterization with the display drive scheme. This embodiment allows for measurement of DC or operational hysteresis voltages and/or response times of interferometric modulator MEMS devices, for example, to be fully integrated with the display driver IC and/or the display drive scheme. Another embodiment allows these measurements to be performed and used without resulting in display artifacts visible to a human user. Another embodiment allows the measurement circuitry to be integrated with the display driver IC and/or the display drive scheme re-using several existing circuitry components and features, thus allowing for integration of the measurement method and its use relatively easily.
US08169420B2
An integrated resolution switching surface detection system for an optical navigation device. The integrated resolution switching surface detection system includes a resolution switching engine, a surface detection engine, and a navigation engine. The resolution switching engine sets a resolution status based on a motion speed of a tracking surface relative to a navigation sensor, wherein the motion speed is a measure of motion data over time. The surface detection engine sets a surface detection status based on the resolution status that is set by the resolution engine. The navigation engine reads motion data from the navigation sensor and reports the motion data to a computing device according to the surface detection status that is set by the surface detection engine. Embodiments of the integrated resolution switching surface detection system maintain smooth and predictable cursor movement associated with a plurality of finger assert and finger de-assert events.
US08169416B2
The present invention provides a capacitive touch screen (1) which includes a substrate (10), a first electrode plate (20), an elastic spacer (30), a second electrode plate (40) and a transparent panel (50). The substrate (10) is made of a plate having a rim (11). The first electrode plate (20) is placed on the rim (11) of the substrate (10). The elastic spacer (30) is interposed between the first electrode plate (20) and second electrode plate (40). One of the first and second electrode plates comprises four or more electrode plates arranged along the rim (11) of the substrate (10). When a pressure is applied to the transparent panel (50), a distance (d) between the first and second electrode plate changes. Thereby, capacitances are varied at sensing points (S) corresponding to locations of the four or more electrode plates, and a touch location and a touch pressure are determined by variation rates of the measured capacitances.
US08169413B2
A method for operating a touch input device and a portable terminal using the touch input device may prevent a malfunction of the touch input device due to an abrupt change of external temperature. The method for operating a touch input device measures a temperature, calculates a temperature difference value between temperatures measured at a current time point and a previous time point, and compensates a recognition threshold value used for detecting a touch event with a predefined compensation value based on the temperature difference value.
US08169411B2
A touch screen device and an operating method thereof are provided. More specifically, a touch screen device is provided which allows a user to selectively restrict input through a touch screen. The touch screen device includes a screen that includes a display configured to display images thereon and a detector configured to detect a touch on the display and convert the touch into an electrical signal, and a controller configured to cause images to be displayed on the display and receive and process signals from the detector. Further, a user may determine whether the controller is operated according to the signal input into the detector. The determination may be made either by a switch separately installed on an earphone or by inputting a signal into the detector by a user.
US08169403B2
An image processing apparatus comprises a display module, a control module and a scroll wheel module. The display module is used to display a digital image. The control module is connected to the display module for controlling the display module and conducting image processing. The scroll wheel module is connected to the control module for providing at least five operation modes, each in a different direction, and generating at least five control signals for controlling the control module to conduct image processing.
US08169386B2
An organic light emitting diode display is disclosed. In one embodiment, the display includes 1) an organic light emitting diode comprising i) a pixel electrode, ii) an organic emission layer formed on the pixel electrode, and iii) a common electrode formed on the organic emission layer, 2) a dual brightness enhancement film formed over the common electrode of the organic light emitting diode, 3) a first phase delaying plate formed on the dual brightness enhancement film, 4) a corner cube film formed on the first phase delaying plate, 5) a second phase delaying plate formed on the corner cube film and a 6) polarizing plate formed on the second phase delaying plate, wherein at least one of the elements 2)-5) is configured to reduce reflection of external light incident onto the polarizing plate and/or reduce the loss of light emitted from the organic emission layer before outputting the emitted light through the polarizing plate.
US08169378B2
A system for stabilizing an electronic array includes at least one component having a notch and at least one stabilizing bar. The stabilizing bar comprises a first pair of contact points. The at least one stabilizing bar is positioned upon the at least one component such that the first pair of points deform against the at least one component below the notch.
US08169371B1
Disclosed herein is a patch antenna comprises a planar conductive patch attached to a ground plane by a support member, and a probe connector in electrical communication with the conductive patch arranged to conduct electromagnetic energy to or from the conductive patch, wherein the conductive patch is disposed essentially parallel to the ground plane and is separated from the ground plane by a spacing distance; wherein the support member comprises a plurality of sides disposed about a central axis oriented perpendicular to the conductive patch and the ground plane; wherein the conductive patch is solely supported above the ground plane by the support member; and wherein the support member provides electrical communication between the planer conductive patch and the ground plane.
US08169364B2
For enhancing the quality of a relative positioning, a filter is adjusted depending on information on a movement of a satellite signal receiver. A position of the satellite signal receiver is determined relative to a reference station using the filter, wherein measurements on satellite signals received by the satellite signal receiver and measurements on satellite signals provided for the reference station are used as input to the filter. The measurements for the reference station may be received in messages which are assembled and provided for transmission and which may include in addition an indication of a current movement of the reference station.
US08169363B2
An antenna device includes an antenna substrate and a feed line substrate. The antenna substrate includes subarray antennas, feeding interfaces and a back surface. The subarray antennas are arranged parallel with an interval on a plane. Each subarray antenna includes antenna elements and first feed lines. The first feed lines feed signals from the feeding interface on back surface to the antenna elements. The feed line substrate is attached along back surface and includes second feed lines, first and second mode transformers. Each second feed line has one and other ends portions. Other end portion has wider width than one end portion. Each first mode transformer is located in one end portion and connected to the feeding interface. Each second mode transformer is located in other end portion. One end portions are arranged in a line with interval, and other end portions are alternately arranged across one end portions.
US08169350B2
A wireless receiving circuit having an analog-digital converter of digital calibration type constituted by plural analog-digital converter units, shares portions about digital calibration, and applies the result of calibration of one analog-digital converter unit to other analog-digital converter units to appropriately perform each digital calibration of the plural analog-digital converter units. For example, in a wireless receiving circuit having an analog-digital converter of digital calibration type constituted of an analog-digital converter unit of I side and an analog-digital converter unit of Q side, portions about digital calibration are shared, and a calibration result of I side is applied to Q side.
US08169349B2
A communication device and the method thereof are disclosed in embodiments of the present invention. The communication device includes a level determining module, an digital to analog converter and an analog to digital converter. The level determining module determines a plurality of voltage levels and voltage intensity thereof according to an estimating signal to generate a first digital signal. The digital to analog converter converts the first digital signal into a pulse shaped analog signal according to the plurality of voltage levels and voltage intensity thereof. The analog to digital converter converts a first difference signal into a second digital signal wherein the first difference signal equals the result of subtracting the pulse shaped analog signal from a receiving signal.
US08169343B2
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for storing, referencing, retrieving, and graphically displaying spatial and non-spatial related information of a mobile computing device, such as a laptop computer or a cellular telephone. The spatial-related information may be obtained by using positioning tracking systems such as a global positioning system, whereas the non-spatial related information may include communication activities associated with the mobile computing device, such as phone calls, e-mails, text messages, pages, etc. The present invention also provides methods and apparatus of sharing event information between mobile communication devices as well as related navigational information for traveling to an event from a real-time position of a mobile communication device.
US08169339B2
There is provided a method for displaying a traffic situation in a traffic situation display system, the method comprising: transmitting image data obtained by imaging an imaging region including roads from a road-side device; receiving the transmitted image data in an in-vehicle device; displaying an image on the basis of the received image data; storing, by the road-side device, corresponding information in which a pixel coordinate in the image and positional information of the imaging region are corresponded to each other; transmitting, by the road-side device, the stored corresponding information; receiving, by the in-vehicle device, the corresponding information; acquiring, by the in-vehicle device, positional information of an own vehicle; specifying, by the in-vehicle device, an own vehicle position on the image based on the received corresponding information and the acquired positional information; and displaying, by the in-vehicle device, the specified own vehicle position on the image.
US08169336B1
A gratuity receptacle that contains a gratuity sensor to detect when gratuity has been inserted into the opening of the gratuity receptacle. When gratuity has been inserted into the gratuity receptacle, the gratuity sensor activates a notification means to alert patrons and employees that gratuity has been inserted into the gratuity receptacle. The notification may be any combination of a visual, motion, and/or a sound notification. The notification may be related to an advertising campaign.
US08169327B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed which involve an improved way to coerce use of a soap dispenser (or other hygiene device). A soap dispenser according to at least one embodiment, includes a teaching or entertaining device that is fun and informative that is triggered when the soap dispenser is utilized. The soap dispenser may also be utilized as an advertising tool.
US08169315B2
A device and method for sending medic alert information electronically. The device may have a memory component and a processing component. The memory component may store medic alert information. The processing component may generate an electronic message containing the medic alert information and send the electronic message via a communications network. The device may also have an input component for receiving a user request to initiate a connection with an emergency contact, such as a 911 dispatcher. The electronic message may be automatically generated and sent in response to the user request.
US08169308B2
A method is disclosed for checking the switching region of a touch-free switching system with at least one sensor and at least one signal emitter, wherein the signal emitter sends data to the sensor. An extremely flexible and practical switching region check is achieved in at least one embodiment by the fact that a change in at least one system parameter of the switching system derives at least one first piece of information on the position of the signal emitter. The method represents an inexpensive possibility for checking a switching region, which has options for the definition and allocation of the switch-on, switch-off, and hysteresis regions.
US08169297B2
An electronic assembly includes a terminal unit, a signal connector and a memory device. The terminal unit includes a plurality of terminals consisting of a set of coupler terminals and a set of control terminals. The signal connector is utilized for electrically connecting to the coupler terminals, wherein electrical connection of the signal connector to the coupler terminals results in a first relation signal. The memory device is utilized for storing a first relation data corresponding to the first relation signal. Once the signal connector is electrically disconnected from the coupler terminals and upon required the signal connector is again electrically connected to the terminal unit results in a second relation signal such that the electronic assembly is prevented from being operated in case the second relation signal fails to conform to the first relation signal.
US08169295B2
A manually operable position sensor is shown, for providing control signals to an electronic device, such as an audio player. A fabric ribbon (101) has a length substantially longer than its width with insulating yarns and electrically conducting yarns included therein. The conducting yarns define three conductive tracks (103, 104, 105) running the length of the fabric. The conductive tracks are configured to interface with an electronic device at a first end. At a second end, an active region of the fabric forms part of a sensor assembly that is receptive to a manually applied pressure.
US08169286B2
A coil unit includes a planar coil, a printed circuit board that includes a planar coil placement section that receives the planar coil, a protective sheet that is provided on a transmission side of the planar coil and protects the planar coil, and a magnetic sheet that is provided on a non-transmission side of the planar coil. The planar coil is placed in the planar coil placement section and is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. The planar coil placement section has a shape that corresponds to an external shape of the planar coil.
US08169283B2
A support for anchoring a trip unit of a circuit breaker to a base thereof to prevent separation of the trip unit from the base during a short circuit fault. The support has top-facing two locking tabs that snap into place behind a wall in a lug-receiving area of the base. The support also has an opening through which a terminal of the trip unit is received snugly. The locking tabs keep the support in place and prevent forces produced by gasses during a fault from forcing the trip unit away from the base. The terminal, attached to the trip unit, is retained by the opening, which transfers upward forces to the top of the support, which is positioned against a top section of the base. The snug fit by the terminal through the opening and retention of the support in the lug-receiving area during a fault increases post-fault dielectric performance.
US08169271B2
With some embodiments, a VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) operates at an integer multiple (N) above a desired transmission frequency. In accordance with one embodiment, a chip is provided with a VCO to generate a signal and a frequency dividing circuit to provide a reduced frequency version of the signal to a transmit mixer. The transmit mixer is followed by a power amplifier that is on the same die as the VCO. The power amplifier is to generate an OFDM output transmission.
US08169267B2
Circuitry for establishing a traveling wave on a rotary traveling wave oscillator is described. The circuitry includes a gain portion that establishes a wave in a preferred direction by degenerating any wave traveling opposite to the preferred direction and regenerating any wave traveling in the preferred direction. If there are two such gain portions, each having opposite preferred directions, then a wave that is presently established in one direction can be degenerated and a new wave can be established in the opposite direction, thereby achieving reversibility of the traveling wave in real time. Each of the gain portions included in a plurality of regeneration/degeneration elements present on the rotary oscillator. Each of the regeneration/degeneration elements is connected to a pair of taps on the oscillator, the taps being separated by a direction dependent phase difference.
US08169255B2
The present invention discloses an offset cancellation current mirror and method thereof. The offset cancellation current minor comprises a first current mirror, a second current minor, switches and resistors. The first current minor comprises two transistors and a capacitance, the capacitance is used to store an electrical potential difference when the switches are turned on in ways of connecting the first current mirror with the resistor. When the switches is turned off in ways of disconnecting the first current mirror with the resistor and connecting the first current mirror with the second current minor, the electrical potential difference stored in the capacitance is used to correct the difference of the two transistors due to manufacture process.
US08169251B2
A capacitor interface circuit is provided. A capacitor under test (CUT) is divided into a variable portion and an invariable portion, and the capacitance of an offset capacitor is designed to equal to or close to the fixed capacitance of the CUT. The offset capacitor is used to store the charges opposite to the invariable portion of the CUT for neutralizing the effect of the invariable portion of the CUT. Thereupon, the charge converter composed by the fully-differential amplifier and the feedback capacitors only responses for the variable portion of the CUT so as to increase the accuracy of the follow-up data processing.
US08169249B2
In a signal monitoring system, a circuit includes an input terminal and an output terminal. In addition, a processor coupled to the circuit is operable for calculating a parameter indicative of an error factor of the circuit by setting a level difference between an input signal at the input terminal and an output signal at the output terminal to a predetermined level.
US08169247B2
The multiphase clock generation circuit includes a variable slew rate circuit and a phase interpolation circuit. In the variable slew rate circuit, the slew rate varies according to a first control signal. Two reference clocks having a phase difference of 90° from each other are supplied to the phase interpolation circuit via the variable slew rate circuit. The phase interpolation circuit interpolates the two reference clocks having a phase difference of 90° from each other according to a second control signal to thereby generate an output clock having an intermediate phase.
US08169246B2
A latch circuit. The latch circuit may include an input circuit, a precharge circuit, and a transfer circuit. The precharge circuit may precharge a first node during a first phase of a clock signal. Based on an input signal received at a first logic value, the input signal may drive the first node to a second logic value during the second clock phase. The transfer circuit may include a discharge circuit that is active during an evaluation phase beginning at a delay time subsequent to the clock signal entering the second phase and ending when the clock signal re-enters the first phase. The transfer circuit may also include pull-up and pull-down transistors, one of which may drive a logic value to a second node during the evaluation phase.
US08169243B2
Techniques for generating precise non-overlap time and clock phase delay time across a desired frequency range are provided. In one configuration, a device includes a non-overlapping clock generation circuit which comprises a delay lock loop (DLL) circuit that in turn generates a control voltage to a clock generator circuit coupled thereto. The control voltage operates to maintain precise timing relationship of non-overlapping delayed clock signals generated by the clock generator circuit. In one aspect, the DLL circuit receives an input clock with a known duty cycle and derives an output control voltage to fix the unit delay to a certain portion of the input clock cycle. In a further aspect, the clock generator circuit includes a plurality of voltage-controlled delay cells coupled to the DLL circuit to generate a first set of clock signals and a second set of clock signals delayed from the first set of clock signals by a non-overlapping time (tnlp) that is independent of manufacturing process variations.
US08169233B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer program products, for providing termination resistance in a memory module are provided. An apparatus is provided that includes a plurality of memory circuits; an interface circuit operable to communicate with the plurality of memory circuits and to communicate with a memory controller; and a transmission line electrically coupling the interface circuit to a memory controller, wherein the interface circuit is operable to terminate the transmission line with a single termination resistance that is selected based on a plurality of resistance-setting commands received from the memory controller.
US08169229B2
An active device array includes a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of pixel structures, a first testing circuit, a second testing circuit, a third testing circuit and a fourth testing circuit. Each of the pixel structures is connected to one of the scan lines and one of the data lines. The first testing circuit is electrically connected to the odd scan lines; the second testing circuit is electrically connected to the (4n+1)th scan lines wherein n is zero or a positive integer; the third testing circuit is electrically connected to the even scan lines; the fourth testing circuit is electrically connected to the (4n+2)th scan lines.
US08169228B2
A chip testing circuit is disclosed. The chip testing circuit uses a judging circuit to switch the connection of the data compressing circuit between data compressing base units which compresses 4 XIOs, so as to obtain testing data by one single interface circuit and to increase the testing throughput.
US08169222B2
A method for designing a controlled-source electromagnetic survey that will discriminate between a defined deep marginal-interest reservoir (2) and specified false positive resistivity structures of concern (3, 4, 5). A reservoir model and a false positive model are constructed for each false positive scenario. The resistivity of the false positive model may be tuned to give electromagnetic data similar enough to the reservoir model when forward modeled that any differences fall in the model null space. A null-space discriminating ratio (“NSDR”) is defined, for example as the peak normalized difference of the two related modeled electromagnetic field data sets. An area coverage display of NSDR values (6) allows determination of such additional data as may be needed to distinguish the false positive body, and a survey design is developed accordingly (7). Reduction of the number of variables affecting the area coverage displays is a key feature of the method.
US08169220B2
A gradient coil and an insert gradient coil for a magnetic resonance imaging system include a primary coil. The primary coil includes an upper primary coil portion and a lower primary coil portion, the lower primary coil portion being less curved in cross-section than the upper primary coil portion. The gradient coil also includes a shielding coil disposed outside of the primary coil. The shielding coil includes an upper shielding coil portion and a lower shielding coil portion, the lower shielding coil portion being less curved in cross-section than the upper shielding coil portion.
US08169218B2
In one aspect, a method of inducing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals from a region of an object having at least a portion of at least one pulmonary vein using at least one coil adapted to emit electromagnetic signals to induce an NMR effect is provided. The method comprises operating the at least one coil to provide at least one imaging sequence at an effective off-resonance frequency adapted to cause NMR signals to be emitted from the at least one pulmonary vein, and detecting at least some of the NMR signals to obtain NMR data corresponding to the at least one pulmonary vein.
US08169214B2
An angular position sensor and method that relies on a stationary circular array of Hall sensors and a rotatable circular array of magnets arranged about a common axis. A periodic and simultaneous reading of all of the Hall sensor outputs is used to determine angular velocity.
US08169211B2
A method for verifying the bandwidth and phase of a digital power control system according to the present invention includes steps of: A. Disturbance Order Reading in which an A/D conversion unit receives an analog signal order and mix it with existing command components in a digital system unit; B. Phase Delay Compensation in which a phase lead compensator is designed that is based on the different sampling frequencies and time delay parameters of the digital system unit, and the phase lead compensator is added to the digital system unit; and C. System Measuring in which a mixed wave calculation unit and a supply unit are added to the digital system unit to make the analog command signal pass through the digital system unit and the mixed wave calculation unit to the supply unit and to further drive a power circuit.
US08169210B2
In the illustrated embodiment of the invention a scanning system is provided for scanning a chargeable surface for latent image detection. The chargeable surface is charged to a first potential, and a scanner probe is charged to a second potential within a predetermined potential difference from the first potential. The scanner probe is oscillated at a selected frequency and reads or measures the oscillation current that is induced from the oscillation and detects any latent images or other electrostatic distributions on the chargeable surface. A processor processes the probe measurements for determining the potential of a latent image on the chargeable surface based on the scanner probe readings.
US08169206B2
The duty of a PWM signal in a power converter is extracted to feed forward to modulate the slope of a linear oscillating ramp signal or the voltage level of an error signal, so as to modulate the duty of the PWM signal, by which the transient response of the power converter and the stability of the PWM loop both are improved.
US08169205B2
Methods and circuits for power supply arrangement and control are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a switching regulator can include: (i) a filter network coupled to an output terminal, where an output voltage is generated at the output terminal from an input source; (ii) an active switch to connect the input source to the filter network by periodically operating between on and off states over a switching period, where a duty cycle of the on state relative to the switching period is modulated based on a PWM control signal; (iii) a comparator receiving an output feedback signal, a hysteresis signal, and a reference level, and providing the PWM control signal therefrom; and (iv) a hysteresis programming circuit generating the hysteresis signal, and a ramp control signal, where the hysteresis signal is programmed based on conditions at the input source and the output voltage to achieve a pseudo constant frequency operation.
US08169201B2
An output compensator for a regulator is provided that can improve the dynamic response of a regulator, and which does not require the redesigning of the power conversion stage or control stage of the regulator, but simple circuit connection of the compensator circuit to the output stage of the regulator. The compensator senses an output signal at a passive component at an output of the regulator; generates a compensating signal based on a difference signal, the difference being a difference between a level of a reference signal for the regulator and the sensed output signal; and applies the compensating signal to the passive output component to reduce the difference between the level of the reference signal and the sensed output signal. The passive output component may be, for example, a capacitor or an inductor, depending on the operation of the regulator.
US08169200B2
A power converter and method of controlling a power switch therein to improve power conversion efficiency at low output current. In one embodiment, the power converter includes a first power switch coupled to a source of electrical power and a second power switch coupled to the first power switch and to an output terminal of the power converter. The power converter also includes a controller configured to alternately enable conduction of the first and the second power switches with a duty cycle in response to an output characteristic of the power converter. The controller is configured to control a level of current in the first power switch when the second power switch is substantially disabled to conduct.
US08169195B1
A first input receives an indication as to a temperature of a positive terminal from a first temperature probe. A second input receives an indication as to a temperature of a negative terminal from a second temperature probe. A monitor takes an action when a temperature differential that represents a difference in temperature between the positive and negative terminals at a single point in time exceeds a predetermined differential magnitude.
US08169192B2
To simplify charging of a battery in a power storage device which includes the battery. Further, to provide a wireless power storage device which can transmit and receive information without the task of replacing a battery for drive power supply, which becomes necessary when the battery depletes over time, being performed. An antenna circuit, a battery which is electrically connected to the antenna circuit via a rectifier circuit, and a load portion which is electrically connected to the battery are provided. The battery is charged when an electromagnetic wave received by the antenna circuit is input to the battery via the rectifier circuit, and discharged when electrical power which has been charged is supplied to the load portion. The battery is charged cumulatively, and the battery is discharged in pulses.
US08169189B2
In order to shorten a period of time necessary for charging a battery, and further, to prevent a temperature of a mobile terminal from raising, the mobile terminal 100 is comprised of a case 102 in which electronic parts are arranged, a battery 104 mounted in the case 102, a battery-charging circuit 106 supplying a current to the battery 104, a charge controller 108 allowing the battery-charging circuit 106 to charge the battery 104 or stopping the battery-charging circuit 106 from charging the battery 104, and a temperature sensor 112 detecting a temperature in the case 102, wherein the charge controller 108 controls the current to be supplied to the battery 104, in accordance with a temperature detected by the temperature sensor 112.
US08169175B2
A system and method for driving a drawer of a refrigerator and a refrigerator employing this system is provided. This system and method allows for the automatic opening and closing of multiple drawers of a refrigerator either sequentially or simultaneously. The system automatically closes a first drawer after a second drawer has been opened to reduce the loss of cooling air and to preserve freshness of items stored in the refrigerator.
US08169172B2
A variable speed drive for an electric motor has an inverter for receiving pulse width modulation controls. The inverter communicates power signals to a poly-phase electrical motor. A resolver communicates signals from the poly-phase motor back to a motor control. The motor control includes a speed control, a field-oriented control, and a pulse width modulation drive for driving the inverter. The resolver is connected to the speed control and to the field-oriented control, and further communicates with a synchronous compensator. The synchronous compensator is configured to drive the harmonic content at a target frequency or frequencies in a selected signal towards zero over time.
US08169168B2
An electric power steering apparatus includes a charge-discharge circuit including a circuit charging an auxiliary power supply by turning on and off an MOS-FET for voltage boosting and that selectively configures a first output mode in which an electric power is supplied to a motor by a first electrical conduction path to which a voltage of a battery is applied or a second output mode in which the electric power is supplied to the motor by a second electrical conduction path to which a voltage of a source of the series-connected battery and auxiliary power supply is applied. When a failure of the battery is detected, the electric power steering apparatus connects the first conduction path to an electrical conduction path to ground by continuously holding the MOS-FET in an on-state and drives the charge-discharge circuit to select the second output mode, thereby configuring a circuit to supply the motor with the electric power only from the auxiliary power supply.
US08169159B2
A LED driver is disclosed for providing a current for LED lighting. The LED driver includes an inductor and a controller having a power switch, and the inductor, the power switch and a LED to be driven are configured to be an asynchronous boost converter. Because the driven LED serves as a rectifier diode of the asynchronous boost converter, the controller may have fewer components and requires smaller die area.
US08169158B2
A cold cathode tube lighting device prevents emission-position-dependent unevenness from occurring in the brightness of light emitted from the cold cathode tube lighting device and includes a plurality of discharge tubes connected in parallel; ballast capacitors each integrally attached to a respective one of the plurality of discharge tubes; power supplies arranged to supply power to the plurality of discharge tubes; and a voltage detection unit connected to the plurality of discharge tubes to detect voltages between pairs of internal electrodes of the plurality of discharge tubes. The power supply to the plurality of discharge tubes is controlled according to the voltages detected by the voltage detection unit.
US08169157B2
A passive current balance driving apparatus including first and second drivers is provided. The first driver includes a first balance-capacitor having a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of an AC signal source and a second terminal providing a first balance AC-voltage; and a first rectification unit rectifying the first balance AC-voltage to output a first DC-voltage to drive a first LED string with multi-LEDs connected in series. The second driver includes a second balance-capacitor having a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of the AC signal source and a second terminal providing a second balance AC-voltage; and a second rectification unit rectifying the second balance AC-voltage to output a second DC-voltage to drive a second LED string with multi-LEDs connected in series. The capacitive reactances of these two balance-capacitors are the same and respectively greater than the total internal resistances of the first and second LED strings.
US08169151B2
A DC/AC converter includes a resonant circuit having a first capacitor connected to at least one of a primary winding and a secondary winding of a transformer and an output end connected to a load, the resonant circuit receiving an alternating signal having a predetermined frequency and amplitude to pass a current, a variable impedance element connected in parallel with a part of the output end of the resonant circuit, the variable impedance element changing the impedance value thereof according to a current passing through the load, and a controller to control the current passing through the load to a predetermined value by changing the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit according to the changed impedance value of the variable impedance element.
US08169150B2
A chipset for powering and controlling a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) strings. The chipset includes a controller having a pulse width modulating (PWM) functionality and a data transfer interface circuitry; and at least one dissipative active element array comprising a plurality of dissipative active elements. The dissipative active element array(s) are packaged to be thermally separate from the controller. The PWM functionality is arranged to individually pulse width modulate a current flow through each of the LED strings. Each of the plurality of dissipative active elements is associated with a particular one of the plurality of LED strings and is arranged to limit the current flow of the pulse width modulated current that flows through the particular LED string to a value, the value being responsive to a value output by the controller via the data transfer interface circuitry.
US08169148B2
A plasma generating apparatus having superior plasma generation efficiency that uses a single reaction chamber. The plasma generating apparatus includes a RF generator for providing a RF power, an antenna for generating an electromagnetic field upon receiving the RF power, a reaction chamber for exciting/ionizing a reaction gas via the electromagnetic field, and generating a plasma, and a plasma channel for absorbing the RF power, and allowing a current signal to be induced to the plasma.
US08169140B2
An organic light emitting display, and a method of manufacturing the same, the organic light emitting display including: a substrate including thin film transistors (TFTs) formed on a surface thereof; organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) disposed on the TFTs; an encapsulating unit that encapsulates the OLEDs; and spacers formed on the encapsulating unit. The OLEDs include first electrodes electrically connected to the TFTs, a pixel defining layer formed around the first electrodes, organic thin layers formed on the first electrodes, and second electrodes formed on the organic thin layers. The spacer is formed of moisture absorbing material, and faces the pixel defining layer.
US08169139B2
An object of the invention is to provide a highly reliable light emitting element with low drive voltage and longer life than a conventional light emitting element, and a display device using the light emitting element. A light emitting element according to the invention comprises a plurality of layers which is interposed between a pair of electrodes, in which at least one of the plurality of layers is formed of a layer containing a light emitting material, and the layer containing a light emitting material is interposed between a layer containing an oxide semiconductor and/or metal oxide and a material having a higher hole transporting property than an electron transporting property, and a layer containing an oxide semiconductor and/or metal oxide, a material having a higher electron transporting property than a hole transporting property and a material which can donate electrons to the material having a higher electron transporting property than a hole transporting property.
US08169136B2
A light emitting device comprising a light emitting component that emits light with a first peak wavelength, and at least one sintered ceramic plate over the light emitting component is described. The at least one sintered ceramic plate is capable of absorbing at least a portion of the light emitted from said light emitting component and emitting light of a second peak wavelength, and has a total light transmittance at the second peak wavelength of greater than about 40%. A method for improving the luminance intensity of a light emitting device comprising providing a light emitting component and positioning at least one translucent sintered ceramic plate described above over the light emitting component is also disclosed.
US08169133B2
There is provided an image display apparatus including: a first substrate having an electron-emitting device; a second substrate having an anode electrode that is opposed to the electron-emitting device; and a conductive layer that is provided on the side of a second face of the second substrate, the second face being an opposite face to a first face of the second substrate, the first face being located on the first substrate side, wherein a potential of the conductive layer is set to be lower than a potential of the anode electrode when displaying an image; and a surface resistance of the conductive layer is higher than a surface resistance of the anode electrode.
US08169117B2
The present invention provides a brushless motor for a fluid pump that allows implementing a fluid pump that overcomes problems of durability and reduction of energy efficiency due to DC motors in the related art and provides excellent operational characteristics, by ensuring a space allowing fluid to flow between a stator and a rotor, and ensuring and maintaining excellent driving characteristics of a motor, and a fluid pump using the brushless motor.
US08169116B2
An electric motor 1 includes a first structure 4 including a magnetic pole row formed by a predetermined plurality of magnetic poles 4a arranged in a predetermined direction, a second structure 3 including an armature row disposed in a manner opposed to the magnetic pole row, for generating moving magnetic fields moving in the predetermined direction between the armature row and the magnetic pole row, and a third structure 5 including a soft magnetic material element row. The third structure disposed such that the soft magnetic material element row is positioned between the magnetic pole row and the armature row. A ratio between the number of the armature magnetic poles, the number of the magnetic poles 4a, and the number of the soft magnetic material elements 5a is set to 1:m:(1+m)/2 (m≠1.0).
US08169112B2
A position sensing device for a motor, the motor has a stator having a coil winding, and a rotor, and the position sensing device including a fixing frame, including a first fixing portion, a second fixing portion, a third fixing portion, and a fourth fixing portion, multiple Hall components, and a PCB board. The position sensing device is connected to the stator via the first fixing portion whereby detecting a position of the rotor, the second fixing portion operates to fix a power lead connected to the coil winding of the stator, the PCB board is disposed on the fixing frame via the third fixing portion, and the Hall component is disposed on the fixing frame via the fourth fixing portion and connected to the PCB board. The invention features simple structure and is capable of being firmly connected and fixed to other electronic components such as a power lead, a PCB board and so on.
US08169111B2
A brushless motor has a stator, a rotor rotatably disposed in an inner circumferential portion of the stator, and a resolver configured to detect a rotational position of the rotor with respect to the stator. The resolver has a resolver stator disposed at a fixed circumferential position with respect to the stator, and a resolver rotor disposed at a fixed circumferential position with respect to the rotor.
US08169107B2
A method of reducing switching losses in a power supply includes the steps of advancing the output voltage of a first pole of a power cell by a first angle, retarding the output voltage of a second pole of the power cell by a second angle, and producing a combined output voltage of the power cell equal to a positive pulse of a duration angle equal to the sum of the first angle and the second angle for a first half of a switching cycle of the power cell, and equal to a negative pulse of a duration angle equal to the sum of the first angle and the second angle for a second half of the switching cycle of the power cell.
US08169101B2
A system, apparatus and method for generating electricity from renewable geothermal, wind, and solar energy sources includes a heat balancer for supplementing and regulating the heat energy fed to a turbine generator; a hydrogen-fired boiler for supplying supplementary heat; and an injection manifold for metering controlled amounts of superheated combustible gas into the working fluids to optimize efficiency.Wind or solar power may be converted to hydrogen in an electrolysis unit to produce hydrogen. A phase separator unit that operates by cavitation of the geothermal fluids removes gases from the source fluid. A pollution prevention trap may be used to remove solids and other unneeded constituents of the geothermal fluids to be stored or processed in a solution mining unit for reuse or sale. Spent geothermal and working fluids may be processed and injected into the geothermal strata to aid in maintaining its temperature or in solution mining of elements in the lithosphere.
US08169094B2
A generating system includes a first generating device (1) and a second generating device (2). The first generating device includes a housing (11), a solar cell panel (12), a storage unit (13), a heat conduction layer (16), a heating chamber (14) and a plurality of water pipes (15). The second generating device includes an impeller (21), a propeller shaft (22) and a generator (23). Thus, the first generating device can receive the solar energy to produce an electric power, and the second generating device is driven by the wind power and the water power to generate an electrical energy so that the generating system can use the natural resources to produce an electrical energy at the day and the night so as to enhance the generating efficiency of the generating system.
US08169093B2
A method and apparatus for extracting energy from wind and wave motion using a common floating platform comprising a ship hull (10) which is moored in an offshore location and which supports wind turbines (27) for extracting energy from wind and wave energy extraction devices (12) positioned at least at one side of the hull (10) for extracting energy from wave motion relative to the hull (10). The method and apparatus may also use water current energy extraction devices. The hull (10) may also support a desalination plant (45) which uses the energy generated from the wind, wave and water current energy extraction devices.
US08169092B2
In a cogeneration system having a generator adapted to be connectable to an AC power feed line between a commercial power network and an electrical load, an internal combustion engine for driving the generator such that exhaust heat of the engine is supplied to a thermal load and an actuator that opens and closes a throttle valve of the engine, there are provided a power demand detector that detects power demand of the electrical load, a thermal demand detector that detects thermal demand of the thermal load. The operation of the actuator is controlled in response to the detected power demand so as to increase or decrease the engine, and ignition timing of the engine is controlled in a retard direction in response to the detected thermal demand.
US08169089B2
A semiconductor device includes at least bonding wires between electrode pads on a main surface of a semiconductor chip and connection pads on a wiring board. The wires form loop shapes from the electrode pads of the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor device also includes at least forming flat parts on the loop-shaped wires, and using a sealing material to seal the semiconductor chip such as to bury the flat parts.
US08169087B2
A protective coating is formed on the surface of a semiconductor device. The surface is located on the side to which an extension portion of a wire connected to a pad of the semiconductor device is pulled. The protective coating is formed such that its height decreases toward the pad.
US08169076B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate, and a polyimide layer over the semiconductor substrate. An under-bump-metallurgy (UBM) has a first portion over the polyimide layer, and a second portion level with the polyimide layer. A first solder bump and a second solder bump are formed over the polyimide layer, with a pitch between the first solder bump and the second solder bump being no more than 150 μm. A width of the UBM equals one-half of the pitch plus a value greater than 5 μm.
US08169069B2
A transistor outline package is provided for a semiconductor integrated device suitable for use in a control module of an automobile for connection between a printed circuit board and a bus bar of such a module. The package includes a package housing, having a first end suitable for mounting to a PCB and which has a width. The package is also formed with a leadframe which includes a heat sink and ground plane blade suitable for connection to a bus bar, a plurality of connector leads suitable for connection to a PCB and at least one source tab lead suitable for connection to a module connector of such a control module. The plurality of connection leads and the source tab lead extend from the first end of the package housing side by side in the direction along and within the width of the first end of the package housing.
US08169063B2
A semiconductor component of semiconductor chip size includes a semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip has a metallic coating that completely covers the side edges, the rear side and the top side, on which surface-mountable external contacts are arranged. One embodiment includes power semiconductor components, wherein the metallic coating connects a rear side electrode to one of the surface-mountable external contacts on the top side of a power semiconductor chip.
US08169062B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit package having a leadframe (108) that includes a leadframe pad (103a) disposed under a die (100) and a bonding metal area (101a) that is disposed over at least two adjacent sides of the die. The increase in the bonding metal area (101a) increases the number of interconnections between the metal area (101a) and the die (100) to reduce the electric resistance and inductance. Furthermore, the surface area of the external terminals radiating from the package's plastic body (106) is increased if not maximized so that heat can be dissipated quicker and external terminal resistances reduced. The integrated circuit is applicable for MOSFET devices and the bonding metal area (101a) is used for the source terminal (101). The bonding metal area may have a “L” shape, a “C” shape, a “J” shape, an “I” shape or any combination thereof.
US08169059B2
Structures of a system on chip and methods of forming a system on chip are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system on a chip includes an RF component disposed on a first part of a substrate, a semiconductor component disposed on a second part of the substrate, the semiconductor component and the RF component sharing a common boundary. The system on chip further includes through substrate conductors disposed in the substrate, the through substrate conductors coupled to a ground potential node, the through substrate conductors disposed around the RF component forming a fence around the RF circuit.
US08169055B2
At least one through-substrate via is formed around the periphery of a semiconductor chip or a semiconductor chiplet included in a semiconductor chip. The at least one through-substrate via may be a single through-substrate via that laterally surrounds the semiconductor chip or the semiconductor chiplet, or may comprise a plurality of through-substrate vias that surrounds the periphery with at least one gap among the through-substrate vias. A stack of back-end-of-line (BEOL) metal structures that laterally surrounds the semiconductor chip or the semiconductor chiplet are formed directly on the substrate contact vias and electrically connected to the at least one through-substrate via. A metallic layer is formed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate including the at least one through-substrate via. The conductive structure including the metallic layer, the at least one through-substrate via, and the stack of the BEOL metal structures function as an electrical ground built into the semiconductor chip.
US08169054B2
The invention is directed to a semiconductor device having a via hole and a method of manufacturing the same that achieve both the prevention of a barrier layer insufficiently covering the via hole and the control of via resistance at the same time. A semiconductor substrate having a pad electrode on its front surface is prepared. The semiconductor substrate is etched from its back surface to its front surface to form a via hole exposing the pad electrode. A first barrier layer is then formed in the via hole by a sputtering method or a PVD method and reverse-sputtering (etching). By this reverse-sputtering, the barrier layer on the bottom of the via hole is removed to expose the pad electrode. A second barrier layer is then formed on the pad electrode exposed in the via hole. The via resistance is controlled by adjusting only the thickness of the second barrier layer.
US08169049B2
A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of NAND memory dies each including: a first wiring layer formed in the NAND memory die; a second wiring layer formed in the NAND memory die; a first insulation layer formed between the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer; and a first interlayer connector formed in the first insulation layer, a controller configured to control the NAND memory dies; a package housing the NAND memory dies and the controller; a connecting portion electrically connecting an inner side of the package and an outer side of the package; a first connecting wire; and a second connecting wire, wherein a resistance value per unit length of the first interlayer connector is larger than a resistance value per unit length of the first wiring layer, and wherein the first interlayer connector is cut off when a first current flows through the first interlayer connector.
US08169046B2
A light emitting diode (LED) includes a substrate, a temperature detecting pattern, and a semiconductor structure. The temperature detecting pattern is formed on the substrate. Then the semiconductor structure is formed on the temperature detecting pattern and the substrate. The semiconductor structure includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and an active layer. Per above-mentioned structural design, the temperature detecting pattern directly integrated into the LED can measure the actual temperature of PN junction with high precision.
US08169044B2
Embodiments provide an image sensor. The image sensor includes readout circuitry, an interlayer dielectric, an interconnection, and an image sensing device. The interconnection includes a lower barrier metal and a nitride barrier formed under the lower barrier metal. A contact plug electrically connecting the lower barrier metal to a lower interconnect is formed passing through the nitride barrier.
US08169035B2
A semiconductor device, including: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of unit cells connected in parallel with each other, each unit cell including a plurality of electric field effect transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of gate bus wirings each configured to connect each of the gate electrodes of the transistors constituting the unit cell; a plurality of gate pad electrodes having a multi-layered structure of conductive layers, each of the gate pad electrodes connected to the gate bus wiring; and a resistive element configured to connect adjacent gate pad electrodes and formed along at least one side of an outer peripheral portion of the gate pad electrode, and formed of at least one conductive layer of the conductive layers constituting the gate pad electrode.
US08169034B2
A semiconductor device includes: a drift layer of a first conductivity type; a base layer of a second conductivity type provided on the drift layer; an emitter layer of the first conductivity type provided in part of an upper portion of the base layer; a buffer layer of the first conductivity type provided below the drift layer; a high-resistance layer of the first conductivity type provided below the buffer layer; a collector layer of the second conductivity type provided in a partial region on a lower surface of the high-resistance layer; a contact layer of the first conductivity type provided in another partial region on the lower surface of the high-resistance layer; a trench gate electrode extending through the emitter layer and the base layer into the drift layer; and a gate insulating film provided between the emitter layer, the base layer, and the drift layer on one hand and the trench gate electrode on the other.
US08169029B2
A high voltage device with constant current source and the manufacturing method thereof. The device includes a P type silicon substrate (1), an oxide layer (6), a drain metal (2), a source metal (3), a gate metal (4), a P+substrate contact region (51), a N+drain region (52), an N+source region (53), an N−channel region (54) connecting the said N+drain region (52) and N+source region (53), and an N−drain region (92) enveloping the said N+drain region (52); the drain metal (2) fills drain through hole (82) and connects the N+drain region (52); the source metal (3) fills source through hole (83), and connects the N+source region (53) and P+substrate contact region (51); the source metal (3) and gate metal (4) are electrically connected by connecting metal (34). The manufacturing method includes steps of forming N+drain region, N+source region, N−drain region, P+substrate contact region, N−drain region and metal layer.
US08169025B2
A semiconductor device and fabrication method include a strained semiconductor layer having a strain in one axis. A long fin and a short fin are formed in the semiconductor layer such that the long fin has a strained length along the one axis. An n-type transistor is formed on the long fin, and a p-type transistor is formed on the at least one short fin. The strain in the n-type transistor improves performance.
US08169017B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that comprises the steps of: removing a second insulating film on a contact region of a first conductor; forming a second conductive film on the second insulating film; removing the second conductive film on the contact region of the first conductor to make the second conductive film into a second conductor; forming an interlayer insulating film (a third insulating film) covering the second conductor; forming a first hole in the interlayer insulating film on the contact region; and forming a conductive plug, which is electrically connected with the contact region, in the first hole.
US08169011B2
An image sensor comprises a substrate including a photodiode, and an insulation pattern structure making contact with the photodiode on the substrate. An anti-reflection pattern is formed on the insulation pattern structure and the substrate. The anti-reflection pattern includes a first opening through which the insulation pattern structure is exposed corresponding to the photodiode. A first insulation interlayer structure is formed on the anti-reflection pattern, and the first insulation interlayer structure includes at least one insulation layer and a second opening connected to the first opening. A metal wiring structure is formed in the insulation layer, and a transparent insulation pattern is formed in the first and second openings. A color filter is formed on the transparent insulation pattern, and a micro lens is formed on the color filter.
US08169008B2
The present invention miniaturizes a HEMT element used as a switching element in a radio frequency module. A single gate electrode 17 is formed in an active region defined by an element separation portion 9 on a main surface of a substrate 1 comprising GaAs. The gate electrode 17 is patterned so as to extend in the vertical direction of the page surface between source electrodes 13 and drain electrodes 14, and to extend in left and right directions at other portions. Thus, the ratio of the gate electrode 17 disposed outside the active region is reduced, and the area of a gate pad 17A is reduced.
US08168999B2
A semiconductor device includes: a substrate; an active element cell area including IGBT cell region and a diode cell region; a first semiconductor region on a first side of the substrate in the active element cell area; a second semiconductor region on a second side of the substrate in the IGBT cell region; a third semiconductor region on the second side in the diode cell region; a fourth semiconductor region on the first side surrounding the active element cell area; a fifth semiconductor region on the first side surrounding the fourth semiconductor region; and a sixth semiconductor region on the second side below the fourth semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region, the third semiconductor region and the sixth semiconductor region are electrically coupled with each other.
US08168995B2
A nitride based semiconductor LED is provided. In the nitride based semiconductor LED, an n-type nitride semiconductor layer is formed on a substrate. The n-type nitride semiconductor layer has the top surface divided into a first region and a second region with a finger structure, so that the first region and the second region are meshed with each other. An active layer is formed on the second region of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer. A p-type nitride semiconductor layer is formed on the active layer, and a reflective electrode is formed on the p-type nitride semiconductor layer. A p-electrode is formed on the reflective electrode, and an n-electrode is formed on the first region of the n-type nitride semiconductor layer. A plurality of n-type electrode pads are formed on the n-electrode. At least one of the n-type electrode pads are arranged adjacent to different sides of the n-electrode.
US08168988B2
The present invention relates to a light emitting element with arrayed cells, a method of manufacturing the same, and a light emitting device using the same. The present invention provides a light emitting element including a light emitting cell block with a plurality of light emitting cells connected in series or parallel on a single substrate, and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting cells includes an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer, and the N-type semiconductor layer of one light emitting cell is electrically connected to the P-type semiconductor layer of another adjacent light emitting cell. Further, the present invention provides a light emitting device including a light emitting element with a plurality of light emitting cells connected in series. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify a manufacturing process of a light emitting device for illumination capable of being used with a household AC power source, to decrease a fraction defective occurring in manufacturing a light emitting device for illumination, and to mass-produce the light emitting device for illumination. Further, there is an advantage in that DC driving efficiency can be enhanced in an AC operation by installing a predetermined rectifying circuit outside the light emitting element.
US08168985B2
A semiconductor module having one or more silicon carbide diode elements mounted on a switching element is provided in which the temperature rise is reduced by properly disposing each of the diode elements on the switching element, to thereby provide a thermal dissipation path for the respective diode elements. The respective diode elements are arranged on a non-central portion of the switching element, to facilitate dissipation of the heat produced by each of the diode elements, whereby the temperature rise in the semiconductor module is reduced.
US08168984B2
A light emitting diode comprising an epitaxial layer structure, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The first and second electrodes are disposed on one side of the epitaxial layer structure. The epitaxial layer structure includes a transparent ohmic contact layer having a root-means-square (RMS) roughness less than about 3 nm at a surface whereon the second electrode is formed. The epitaxial layer structure includes a p-type epitaxial layer and a n-type epitaxial layer, wherein the n-type epitaxial layer is coupled between the first electrode and the p-type epitaxial layer, and the p-type epitaxial layer is between the second electrode and the n-type epitaxial layer. The first electrode is located on the n-type epitaxial layer.
US08168965B2
A semiconductor device includes at least one semiconductor layer, a metal layer in electrical contact with the semiconductor layer, and a carbon nanotube contact layer interposed between the metal layer and the semiconductor layer. The contact layer electrically couples the metal layer to the semiconductor layer and provides a semiconductor contact having low specific contact resistance. The contact layer can be substantially optically transparent layer in at least a portion of the visible light range.
US08168964B2
A semiconductor graphene is used for a channel layer, and a metal graphene is used for electrode layers for a source, a drain, and a gate which serve as interconnections as well. An oxide is used for a gate insulating layer. The channel layer and the electrode layers are located on the same plane.
US08168963B2
A system for self-decontaminating a surface of an object is disclosed herein. The system includes a light emitting member and photocatalytic material which can be mounted on or within the object to be decontaminated. Activation of the system releases an oxidizing agent effective in deactivating chemically or biologically active agents at or near the surface. The system is robust, non-destructive, can be activated on demand, and does not require regeneration or expose a user to harmful materials such as UV irradiation. Also disclosed are objects containing the system, methods for self-decontaminating objects using the system, and methods for fabricating self-decontaminating surfaces on an object.
US08168961B2
An improved method for substrate micromachining. Preferred embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods for the utilization of charged particle beam masking and laser ablation. A combination of the advantages of charged particle beam mask fabrication and ultra short pulse laser ablation are used to significantly reduce substrate processing time and improve lateral resolution and aspect ratio of features machined by laser ablation to preferably smaller than the diffraction limit of the machining laser.
US08168960B2
A probe (1) for electron microscopy is cut from a solid material. A sample surface (3) is configured on the same, which is treated with an ion beam (J) at a predetermined angle of incidence such that the material is ablated from the sample surface (3) by means of etching until the desired observation surface (20) is exposed on the sample (1) in the region of the incidence zone (4) of the ion beam (J), which enables the viewing (12) of the desired region of the sample (1) using an electron microscope. For this purpose, at least two stationary ion beams (J1, J2) are guided onto the sample surface (3) at a predetermined angle (α) in alignment with each other such that the ion beams (J1, J2) at least come in contact with each other on the sample surface (3), or cross each other, and form an incidence zone (4) in that location, and that both the sample (1) and the ion beams (J1, J2) are not moved, and thus are operated in a stationary manner.
US08168957B2
The present invention provides an inductively coupled, magnetically enhanced ion beam source, suitable to be used in conjunction with probe-forming optics to produce an ion beam without kinetic energy oscillations induced by the source.
US08168955B2
Locations of the origins of the photons are acquired from a scanned sample with reference to a scan frame. The location on the sample from which a photon was emitted is inferred from the location of the scan as commanded by a scan drive signal, a feedback signal related to the position of the scan device, or alternatively by the point in time during a scan at which the photon is detected. A position function, e.g., photon probability density, is associated with a photon position. Summing or other processing of photon probability density functions can require fewer photons to converge to an ideal density distribution associated with an image feature than are required using conventional pixel binning. Stored data can be mapped into pixels or voxels of a display or otherwise processed. Original data remains available in the digital storage for post-hoc analysis. Imprecision introduced by the display process need not adversely affect the precision of the collected data.
US08168949B2
A method for sample examination in a dual-beam FIB calculates a first angle as a function of second, third and fourth angles defined by the geometry of the FIB and the tilt of the specimen stage. A fifth angle is calculated as a function of the stated angles, where the fifth angle is the angle between the long axis of an excised sample and the projection of the axis of the probe shaft onto the X-Y plane. The specimen stage is rotated by the calculated fifth angle, followed by attachment to the probe tip and lift-out. The sample may then be positioned perpendicular to the axis of the FIB electron beam for STEM analysis by rotation of the probe shaft through the first angle.
US08168943B2
Methods and apparatus for data-dependent mass spectrometric MS/MS or MSn analysis are disclosed. The methods may include determination of the charge state of an ion species of interest, followed by automated selection of a dissociation type (e.g., CAD, ETD, or ETD followed by a non-dissociative charge reduction or collisional activation) based at least partially on the determined charge state. The ion species of interest is then dissociated in accordance with the selected dissociation type, and an MS/MS or MSn spectrum of the resultant product ions may be acquired.
US08168937B2
An optical head that can be easily assembled is for reading an image of an object and includes a housing, a diffuser, a light source module and a light sensing module. The diffuser is connected to the housing. The light source module has a substrate and a first light source mounted on a front side of the substrate. The front side of the substrate is fixed to an external surface of the diffuser. The first light source provides an initial light ray incident to the diffuser. The diffuser processes the initial light ray into uniform light for output. The light sensing module fixed in the housing senses reflected light, which is generated from the uniform light reflected by the object.
US08168936B2
Techniques are disclosed that can be used to interface a sensor circuit with readout circuitry. The techniques can be employed, for instance, with microchannel plate (MCP) based devices used in numerous sensing/detection applications, and are particularly suitable for applications where it is desirable to interface an MCP having a relatively large active area to a readout circuit having a relatively smaller active area. The interface effectively decouples anode geometry from readout circuit geometry and also may be configured with flexible anode pad geometry, which allows for compensation of optical blur variations as well as a very high fill factor. The interface can be made using standard semiconductor materials and photolithography techniques and can be configured with thermal expansion qualities that closely track or otherwise match that of the readout circuitry.
US08168931B1
A dual axis tracker is a solar collecting device with fully mobile panel arrays that can be fully rotated 360° and tilted from a 90° position to a 10° position relative to the earth and is easy to maintain and operate. This device has a base support followed by a stable lower column attached thereto and a movable or rotatable upper column that permits full rotation located thereon. This permits the full rotation. A motorized jack is employed to tilt the panel array from the 90° position to a 10°. Since the array is held higher off the ground by a longer lower column, such vertical positioning is achieved in a better manner than prior art devices. Because of these movements more power can be produced in a given amount of time than prior art devices. In addition, during periods of snowfall, this device can collect more radiation off the accumulated snow cover that will surround the device thus taking advantage of said radiation to produce even greater power than previously possible.
US08168925B2
Glass-ceramic plates that may be used to cover or receive at least one heating element of a cooking apparatus include a coating comprising at least two contrasted zones. Methods and devices for producing such glass plates and cooking apparatus are provided.
