US08448222B2
A method for managing an agent includes verifying an integrity of the agent in response to a registration request. Memory protection is provided for the agent dining integrity verification. An indication is generated when registration of the agent has been completed. According to one aspect of the present invention, providing memory protection includes having a virtual machine monitor limit access to the agent. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08448218B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for a cryptographically assisted computer system designed to deter viruses and malware via enforced accountability and access policies. The Security Enforcement System (1000) comprises a security policies enforcement engine (400) configured to enforce security policies (200) to executable software files, based on their compliance with defined cryptographic policies (100). In a preferred embodiment, cryptographic policies (100) include the unequivocal identification of the software author or authors, and the security policies (200) are defined such that properly encrypted software files are given full access rights to the computer system resources (600, 700, 800, 900), whereas non-compliant files are given limited access rights to neuter potential malicious behavior goals. The security enforcement system engine (400) applies the security policies (200) to a software file and all its dependants, including spawn processes and threads as well as dynamic link libraries and other independent executable file objects.
US08448211B2
A digital television (DTV) signal for use in a DTV receiver includes an extended text table (ETT) which includes a header and a message body. The header includes a table identification extension field which serves to establish uniqueness of the ETT, and the message includes an extended text message (ETM). If the ETT is an event ETT, the table ID extension field includes an event identification which specifies an identification number of an event associated with the ETT. On the other hand, if the ETT is a channel ETT, the table identification extension field includes a source identification which specifies a programming source of a virtual channel associated with the ETT. A section-filtering unit included in the DTV receiver is able to use table identification extension fields of a plurality of ETTs for section-filtering a pertinent event or channel ETT from the ETTs.
US08448194B2
Systems and methods consistent with the invention include propagating parameter definitions between computer elements and may include at least one memory device containing computer readable instructions. Also included is a computer processor executing the instructions on the memory device to perform the steps of selecting a sub-routine to be called by a calling unit. The processor may determine whether a definition for a parameter in the selected sub-routine is known to the calling unit using the computer processor, the calling unit also containing a definition for a parameter. The definitions for the parameters that are unknown to the calling unit are incorporated into the selected sub-routine using the computer processor. The process of the calling unit is executed. The computer processor is used to bind the definition for the parameter in the sub-routine to the definition of the parameter contained in the calling unit.
US08448169B2
Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter are directed to detecting a file that a first instance of an operating system is configured to load where the file is configured to extend functionality of a kernel when loaded. In some embodiments, the first instance of the operating system is managed by a second instance of the operating system (e.g., the first instance of the operating system is a virtual operating system and the second instance is a global operating system). The first and second instances of the operating system share the kernel. Some embodiments are further directed to generating a unique electronic identifier based on properties of the file. The unique electronic identifier uniquely identifies the file. Some embodiments are further directed to providing a copy of the file to the first instance of the operating system, and some time later, receiving a request from the first instances of the operating system to load the copy of the file. Some embodiments are further directed to determining, using the unique electronic identifier, that the copy of the file from the first instance of the operating system is equivalent to the file. Some embodiments are further directed to loading the copy of the file in response to determining, using the unique electronic identifier, that the copy of the file is equivalent to the file. The loading extends the functionality of the kernel.
US08448161B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for managing an application execution environment on a computer. One or more aspects of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in one or more methods of managing an application execution environment comprising a cross-platform application program interface to provide services to applications that run in the application execution environment, the one or more methods including: maintaining associations between the applications and different versions of the application execution environment installed on a computer, where the associations indicate in which of the different versions of the application execution environment the applications run; and managing the different versions of the application execution environment on the computer based on the associations between the applications and the different versions of the application execution environment in which the applications run.
US08448152B2
A high-level language, architecture-independent probe program compiler is disclosed. A base program is executable by one or processors, and has one or more breakpoints. A probe program is associated with each breakpoint and is also indirectly executable by the one or more processors. The probe program is independent of the architecture of the processors, and is generated from source code written in a high-level language. The probe program associated with each breakpoint is executed when the breakpoint is reached during execution of the base program. The compiler may employ an abstract syntax tree to switch between an address space of the probe program and an address space of the base program, by traversing the tree. Some of the nodes of the tree may more simply represent address space-specific objects of the base program. The probe program may be able to pass messages by manipulating the state of the base program.
US08448151B2
A method for binarizing initial script on an operating system includes: calling shell script to be binarized in a secondary memory unit; generating an execution table by translating the called shell script; generating a source program by merging a previously prepared source code template with the execution table; and combining a command sub-routine with the source program and binarizing the shell script by performing compile and building operations. According to the above, it is possible to minimize a booting delay time without using a fork & exec technique by applying the binary script instead of the shell script during performing system initialization while booting.
US08448143B2
A computer-implemented method of evaluating interactions between processes. The method includes storing a message choreography meta-model that includes an interaction meta class and a constraint meta-class. A user creates a message choreography model between a first process and a second process. The method further includes executing a verification computer program that performs a verification of the message choreography model. The verification includes verifying absence of an inconsumable message.
US08448137B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, to realize a business scenario are described. A plurality of process components and context independent interactions among the process components are defined. Each of the process components characterizes software implementing a respective and distinct process. In addition, each of the process components defines at least one respective service interface for interacting with business objects associated with other process components, and all communication and interaction between process components taking place through the respective interfaces of the process components.
US08448132B2
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for template reverse engineering. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a computer-implemented method for code generation comprising receiving a template for generating code, receiving a model for generating code, processing the template and the model in a code generator, and in accordance therewith, generating code based on the model and the template, and automatically identifying a common program code construct in two or more of the generated code files. The common code may be automatically extracted from the generated code and embedded in a framework, and the templates may be modified to reference the framework.
US08448125B2
A method of checking a current density limitation includes checking the current density limitation of a power supply wiring based on an allowable current value, the allowable current value depending on the number of vias connected to the power supply wiring.
US08448121B2
A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing an enhanced Z-directional macro port assignment or three-dimensional port creation for random logic macros of heterogeneous hierarchical integrated circuit chips. An initial port placement is provided on a layer for a macro. The initial port placement is expanded to provide a three-dimensional port shape including a plurality of metal layers along a z-axis. Wire routing of each of the macro level and a chip top level is defined within the expanded three-dimensional port shape. Each unnecessary metal layer of the expanded three-dimensional port shape is removed, providing a final three-dimensional port shape.
US08448115B1
Aspects of the invention relate to techniques for extracting impedance values associated with through-silicon vias in an integrated circuit system. A function fitting process is performed to generate parameters of a representation for magneto-quasi-static dyadic vector potential Green's functions at a plurality of frequencies of interest based on integrated circuit manufacturing process information. Based on the generated parameters, a set of electric current basis functions and the layout information for a layout design of interest, matrix elements of a matrix for each frequency in the plurality of frequencies of interest may be computed. The matrix is a part of a linear system that formulates a relationship of electric current and electric potential difference in various regions associated with the through-silicon vias in the layout design. Based on the matrix, impedance values associated with the through-silicon vias are computed.
US08448111B2
A method and system for metastability verification of an integrated circuit design are provided. An IC design is received and the source-to-destination paths of the IC design are determined. For each of the determined source-to-destination paths, it is determined whether the corresponding source is synchronized. For each source its respective synchronized or unsynchronized result is stored and a report is generated for each source describing whether it is synchronized or unsynchronized.
US08448110B2
A method receives an initial circuit design. The circuit design includes at least one path having at least one beginning point comprising a source, at least one ending point comprising a sink, and one or more circuit elements between the source and the sink. The method evaluates timing performance parameter sensitivities to manufacturing variations of each of the elements to identify how much each element will increase or decrease the timing performance parameter of the path for each change in each manufacturing variable associated with manufacturing the elements. Further, the method alters the elements within the path until elements that produce positive changes to the timing performance parameter for a given manufacturing variable change approximately equals (in magnitude) elements that produce negative changes to the timing performance parameter for the given manufacturing variable change, to produce an altered circuit design.
US08448109B1
Systems and techniques for evaluating assertions during circuit verification are described. During operation, m semantically equivalent assertions can be identified, wherein each of the m semantically equivalent assertions is evaluated using n logical expressions. Next, a set of vectors based on the m semantically equivalent assertions can be determined, wherein each vector element corresponds to a logical expression that is used for evaluating one of the m semantically equivalent assertions. The m semantically equivalent assertions can then be evaluated, in parallel, using the set of vectors.
US08448106B1
Large-scale finite state machines. An implementation is a method of splitting FSMs in which a dataflow graph is accessed that represents an expression. A cost analysis of computing sub-expressions of the expression corresponding to subsets of the dataflow graph is performed. Based on the cost analysis, the dataflow graph is split into separate dataflow graphs. A finite state machine is determined for each of the dataflow graphs. In another implementation, expressions are partitioned into groups that are implemented with respective FSMs without exploding the number of states in the FSMs. Another implementation is a computer-implemented method of relaxing a constraint when determining FSMs.
US08448101B2
The invention relates to a simulation and/or layout process for vertical power transistors as DMOS or IGBT with variable channel width and variable gate drain capacity which can be drawn and/or designed by the designer with the respectively desired parameters of channel width and gate drain capacity and the parameters of volume resistance and circuit speed, which are correlated therewith, and whose electrical parameters can be described as a function of the geometrical gate electrode design. Here, both discrete and integrated vertical transistors may be concerned.
US08448098B2
A method, system, and computer usable program product for fracturing a continuous mask usable in photolithography are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first origin point is selected from a set of points on an edge in the continuous mask. A first end point is identified on the edge such that a separation metric between the first origin point and the first end point is at least equal to a threshold value. Several alternatives are determined for fracturing using the first origin point and the first end point. A cost associated with each of the several alternatives is computed and one of the alternatives is selected as a preferred fracturing. Several pairs of origin points and end points are formed from the set of points. Each pair has a cost of a preferred fracturing between the pair. The continuous mask is fractured using a subset of the several pairs.
US08448095B1
A graphical user interface on an electronic device presents one or more selectable graphical objects, enables a selection of one or more of the graphical objects, generates a menu list on the graphical user interface upon selection of one of the graphical objects. The menu list includes one or more selectable options, detects a selection of one of the selectable options from the menu list, detects a substantially continuous selection of areas along a path on the graphical user interface, and executes an action corresponding to the selected option in each area along the path on the graphical user interface.
US08448092B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for arranging display elements in a three-dimensional desktop environment. In one embodiment, each display element may include an attribute. A user request may be received to apply the positional effect to the display elements. The positional effect may be applied to the display elements based on the attribute, responsive to the user request.
US08448086B2
There is provided a display apparatus including a display capable of displaying a plurality of windows using a browser, a device such as a touch panel that detects a screen operation on the display performed by a user, a selection unit that selects a first window specified by the user according to a first screen operation detected by the device, and a screen region setting unit that sets the screen region of a second window with respect to the selected first window in an orientation of a browser, according to a second screen operation of the user following the first screen operation, detected by the device, the screen region of the second window corresponding to the second screen operation.
US08448085B2
A method includes rendering a representation of a day in a calendar day view on a display of an electronic device, retrieving calendar event records that satisfy constraints, identifying a first all-day event record and a second all-day event record of the calendar event records, and in response to identifying the first all-day event record and the second all-day event record, maintaining display of an all-day event indicator in the day view during scrolling within the representation of the day by alternately displaying an indicator of the first all-day event record and an indicator of the second all-day event record.
US08448082B2
A method of displaying a browser including a text field and a terminal for implementing the same are discussed. According to an embodiment, the method includes displaying a browser including at least one or more text fields, selecting a specific text field from the at least one or more text fields, and enlarging the selected text field. If a terminal user selects a specific text field, the selected text field is enlarged or a text field input window is generated. Accordingly, the present invention facilitates the terminal user to input prescribed information to the selected text field.
US08448081B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a reception module configured to receive an operation input by a user; and a display module configured to display key images for receiving the operation, wherein the display module is configured to operate to: display a first key image group comprising one or more key images, a second key image group comprising one or more key images in a first display mode, and a first display switching key image; and display the second key image group in a second display mode which is larger in size than the second key image group in the first display mode, without displaying the first key image group, when the operation on the first display switching key image is received by the reception module.
US08448071B2
A mobile terminal and method for displaying information in the mobile terminal may be provided that includes first and second touch screens, and a controller to display both an item list including a plurality of information items and first information related to a first information item selected from the item list on the first touch screen. The controller may display one of the item list and the first information on the second touch screen when the second touch screen is activated based on manipulation of the mobile terminal. The controller may display second information associated with a second information item on the touch screen on which the first information is already displayed as the second information item is selected from the item list in a state that the first information item is selected.
US08448063B2
Methods of dynamically identifying a server provided media asset on a client device are provided herein.
US08448061B1
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to computing devices and systems, software, computer programs, applications, and user interfaces, and more particularly, to implementing content input fields in forms to create electronic documents, among other things.
US08448059B1
A unified web-based voice messaging system provides voice application control between a web browser and an application server via an hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) connection on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The web browser receives an HTML page from the application server having an XML element that defines data for an audio operation to be performed by an executable audio resource. The web browser selectively executes the audio operation based on whether the web browser detects the presence of the executable audio resource. If the web browser does not have the executable audio resource, then the web browser ignores the XML element, and merely presents any other recognized HTML tags. However if the web browser has access to an executable audio resource that understands the XML element, then the web browser executes the audio operation based on enhanced audio control specified by the XML element. Hence, a web browser can be used to provide enhanced voice control for voice enabled web applications, merely by possession of an executable audio resource that recognizes the XML element that specifies the enhanced audio control required for the audio operation to be performed.
US08448049B2
Disclosed herein is a receiving apparatus including a reception device configured to receive a code sequence coded in LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) and punctured at least partially as a target to be decoded; and an LDPC decoding device configured to perform a punctured matrix transform process including a first and a second process on an original parity check matrix noted to have punctured bits or symbols and used in the LDPC coding. The LDPC decoding device further performs the first process to carry out Galois field addition operations on those rows of the original parity check matrix to set the non-zero elements to zero. The LDPC decoding device further performs the second process to delete the columns rid of the non-zero elements. The LDPC decoding device uses the matrix resulting from the process as the parity check matrix for performing an LDPC decoding process on the code sequence.
US08448038B2
A data transmission method using an HARQ includes transmitting a first transmission block which is a portion of bit streams of a mother codeword, receiving a retransmission request with respect to the mother codeword, and transmitting a second transmission block which is a bit stream subsequent to the first transmission block, according to the retransmission request, wherein a modulation order obtained from a first range of a modulation order product code rate (MPR) is applied to the first transmission block, a modulation order obtained from a second range of the MPR according to the number of retransmissions is applied to the second transmission block, and the second range of the MPR is adjusted as much as a linear offset to the first range.
US08448036B2
A method is provided for detecting a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) message. The method comprising setting a round trip time (RTT) based on a time delay associated with acknowledgement (ACK)/negative acknowledgement (NACK) repetitions, and receiving a retransmitted HARQ message when the RTT expires. Also provided is a user equipment (UE) comprising a processor configured to set an RTT based on a time delay associated with ACK/NACK repetitions, and receive a retransmitted HARQ message when the RTT expires.
US08448031B2
A recording medium stores a program causing a computer to execute determining, for each test pattern measuring operation frequency of a circuit and based on a predicted delay of each path in the circuit, a path candidate determining a measured value obtained via the test pattern and activated by the test pattern; building, for each test pattern yielding a measured value determined by a given path candidate determined at the determining, a model equation expressing discrepancy between the measured value obtained via the test pattern and the predicted delay of the given path candidate, the model equation including parameters representing effects of each path activated by the test pattern on the discrepancy; calculating values of the parameters by using the model equations; determining based on the calculated values, a path determining the measured value obtained via the test pattern and activated by the test pattern; and outputting the determined path.
US08448027B2
A method, system, and computer usable program product for energy-efficient soft error failure detection and masking are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A soft error is injected to occur during execution of a set of instructions. If an output of the execution of the set of instructions is incorrect, a record is made of the instruction that was affected by the injected soft error and led to the incorrect result. This identified instruction is designated as vulnerable to the soft error. Several soft errors are injected with different input data sets over several executions of the same set of instructions, and a probability of each instruction in the instruction set is computed, the probability of an instruction accounting for the vulnerability of the execution of the instruction sets to errors that affect the instruction. A report including several probabilities of instruction vulnerabilities is produced.
US08448017B2
A memory apparatus includes a memory having a main memory area and a replacement area, and a memory controller having a function of issuing instructions corresponding to commands to carry out transmission and reception of data and reading of status information of the memory.
US08448014B2
Systems, devices, methods, and articles of manufacture employing repair modules are provided. The modules may be automatically deployed in conjunction with dependency mechanisms upon identifying a malfunctioning application. The modules may be specifically tailored for certain diagnosis or repair and may be selected for deployment to a second application using information regarding the malfunction of a first application.
US08448010B2
The amount of data that may be transferred between a processing unit and a memory may be increased by transferring information during both the high and low phases of a clock. As one example, in a graphics processor using a general purpose register file as a memory and a mathematical box as a processing unit, the amount of data that can be transferred can be increased by transferring data during both the high and low phases of a clock.
US08448004B2
A system for controlling power usage in a storage cluster by dynamically controlling membership in the storage cluster is disclosed. The storage cluster includes multiple storage servers that provide access to one or more storage subsystems. The power management system uses a power management policy to set parameters for controlling membership in the storage cluster and monitors the storage cluster based on the policy. Based on the monitoring, the system detects when the number of storage servers in the storage cluster should be reduced or increased. To reduce the number, the system selects a storage server to deactivate and directs the selected storage server to migrate storage resources (e.g. data, metadata) associated with the server to a different storage server. The system then deactivates the selected storage server by directing it to transition to a low power mode. The system may increase the number of servers in the storage cluster by reversing these steps.
US08447996B2
Embodiments related to comparing of a supply voltage are described and depicted.
US08447995B2
A method and apparatus for bidirectional provision of inline power over data telecommunications cabling permits power to be received at a local powered device (PD) from remote power sourcing equipment (PSE) via at least one conductor at a first time and power to be provided by the local device to a remote device or another device at a second different time.
US08447992B2
The invention relates to a method for distributing content to a mobile device using a digital rights management (DRM) scheme, adapted for the case when files are exchanged over an external memory or over a serial connection between a computer (PC) and the mobile device, and a mobile device (ME) adapted therefor. The mobile device creates a request file (RORe-questrop) comprising information necessary for forming a rights object file. On the computer side, the request file is retrieved and a response file is sent back to the mobile device including the encrypted content (Contentdcf) and a rights object file (Content.ro). The mobile device receives the response file and decrypts and stores the content. The files may be exchanged over a DRM folder, arranged in the mobile device and accessible by the computer in mass storage mode, or the DRM folder may be arranged in an external memory (MS) alternately accessible by the mobile device and the computer.
US08447978B2
A wireless communication method includes receiving a first frame requesting to start a registration protocol in Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) of wireless LAN security standards, transmitting, after receiving the first frame, a second frame containing security types and encryption keys for the respective security types, and transmitting a third frame, after transmitting the second frame, the third frame instructing to terminate WPS. The security types include at least one of Wi-Fi protected access (WPA), WPA2 and WEP.
US08447975B2
Provided is a method for providing Java modularity class loader protection by controlling the visibility of WebSphere, service provider, library and utility code interfaces. Interface access authorization is checked once, during module and class loading to effectively protect vulnerable programming interfaces, eliminating permission checking during execution. Code in a WebSphere Application server (WAS) computing environment is categorized into a finite number of sets in which one permission type is assigned to each set and the code in each set runs at the same privilege zone. Each set exposes programming interfaces to provide functional service and code in a particular set can only access code in the same or a lower security zone set. Also provided is a technique for explicitly providing to specific modules in lower security zones access to modules or designated interfaces of modules in higher security zones.
US08447973B2
According to an aspect of the invention, a content providing system is provided that includes a client device configured to receive contents and a server connected to the client device that provides contents to the client device. The client device may instruct the server to suspend the providing of contents, instruct the server how to handle unoffered contents after it instructs the server to suspend the providing of contents, and subsequently instruct the server lo restart the providing of contents. When the server is instructed to suspend the providing of contents by the client device, the server may be instructed by the client device to handle the unoffered contents by sequentially accumulating those contents. The server also may be instructed to discard one of the accumulated contents or to provide one of the accumulated contents to the client device.
US08447971B2
There are disclosed systems and methods for creating a self-signed implicit certificate. In one embodiment, the self-signed implicit certificate is generated and operated upon using transformations of a nature similar to the transformations used in the ECQV protocol. In such a system, a root CA or other computing device avoids having to generate an explicit self-signed certificate by instead generating a self-signed implicit certificate.
US08447965B2
To provide a method for enabling a microprocessor to be restarted after rewriting a program without providing a dedicated circuit and an apparatus using the method, a timer for counting a predetermined clock is controlled in the following first and second modes, where in the first mode, the timer is reset (count-cleared) at predetermined intervals by a program so as to monitor an operating status of the program, and in the second mode, the microprocessor is restarted without resetting the timer at predetermined intervals by the program.
US08447964B2
Disclosed are a file update system of a mobile communication terminal which is capable of recovering Same Owner ID Error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS (Embedded File System) area of the mobile communication terminal, a boot management system of a mobile communication terminal which is capable of preventing a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal, a method of updating a file in the mobile communication terminal, and a method of booting the mobile communication terminal which is capable of preventing a fatal error caused by damage of a file header in an EFS area of the mobile communication terminal.
US08447954B2
A parallel processing data processing system builds at least one data structure indicating a communication schedule for a plurality of processes each having a respective one of a plurality of equal length vectors formed of multiple equal size chunks. The data processing system, based upon the at least one data structure, communicates chunks of the plurality of vectors among the plurality of processes and performs partial reduction operations on chunks in accordance with the communication schedule. The data processing system then stores a result vector representing reduction of the plurality of vectors.
US08447949B2
One or more registers used to form an address usable in accessing storage are examined to determine if a zero address event has occurred in forming the address. In response to an indication that a zero address event has occurred in address formation, an alert is provided to the program using the address to access storage.
US08447947B2
Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide protocols and interfaces for avoiding waste capacity allocation from the storage apparatus to plural pools. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises a processor; a memory; and a storage controller. The storage controller is configured to: receive a declare chunk size command with a pool identifier for a pool among a plurality of pools, the declare chunk size command specifying a desired chunk size at the pool; receive an allocate chunk command with a pool identifier for allocating a chunk to a logical volume; and provide chunks of different chunk sizes to different pools with different pool identifiers, according to the desired chunk sizes of different declare chunk size commands and in response to different allocate chunk commands.
US08447945B2
A storage apparatus maintains a performance even if an unused storage area is not released. The storage apparatus includes a plurality of types of storage media, each having different performances, and moves the unused storage area to the storage medium having a low performance.
US08447940B2
A method, system, and computer program product for performing a backup operation in a computing environment is provided. A dataset corresponding to a backup copy is examined to determine if the dataset has changed from a previous backup operation. If the dataset has not changed, a backup inventory registry is consulted to determine a current version of a backup copy. The current version is one of a plurality of available versions. The backup operation is performed using the current version of the backup copy.
US08447938B2
The present invention provides a method and system of backing up a de-duplicated computer file-system of a computer system. In an exemplary embodiment, the method and system include (1) dividing the file-system into partitions and (2) storing each of the partitions on a separate storage medium.
US08447933B2
In a multi-core processor of a shared-memory type, deterioration in the data processing capability caused by competitions of memory accesses from a plurality of processors is suppressed effectively. In a memory access controlling system for controlling accesses to a cache memory in a data read-ahead process when the multi-core processor of a shared-memory type performs a task including a data read-ahead thread for executing data read-ahead and a parallel execution thread for performing an execution process in parallel with the data read-ahead, the system includes a data read-ahead controller which controls an interval between data read-ahead processes in the data read-ahead thread adaptive to a data flow which varies corresponding to an input value of the parallel process in the parallel execution thread. By controlling the interval between the data read-ahead processes, competitions of memory accesses in the multi-core processor are suppressed.
US08447925B2
In general, embodiments of the present invention provide a home storage system. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, the home storage system includes a graphical user interface for graphically accessing features of the home storage system; an internal storage management and monitoring module for managing and monitoring a set of semiconductor storage device (SSD) memory units and a set of hard disk drive (HDD) memory units within the home storage system; an external interface management and monitoring module for managing and monitoring network connectivity of the home storage system; and a portable storage management and monitoring module for managing and monitoring at least one type of external memory coupled to the home storage system.
US08447917B2
A flash memory device includes a memory array and a memory control circuit. The memory array includes memory modules. Each memory module is located in a memory channel and includes a predetermined number of memory cells. The memory control circuit is coupled to the memory array via an address latch enable (ALE) pin and a command latch enable (CLE) pin. The ALE pin and the CLE pin are coupled to all of the memory cells and shared by all of the memory cells in the memory array.
US08447913B2
A method and flash memory device employing the method includes a flash memory device having a logic routine saved on the flash memory being a computer readable medium. The flash memory device generates a plurality of memory inputs and outputs. The logic routine determines a memory input and/or memory output operation, and incrementally counts memory inputs and memory outputs using a counter function of the logic routine. The logic routine determines the total number of the plurality of memory inputs and outputs using the counter function. Additionally, the logic routine generates an alert signal when the total number of the memory inputs and outputs exceeds a predetermined value programmed in the logic routine.
US08447909B2
Systems and methods to perform a register access are described. A particular method includes receiving a data frame at a bridge element of a plurality of bridge elements in communication with a plurality of server computers. The data frame may include a register access request and may be forwarded from a controlling bridge in communication with the plurality of bridge elements. A register may be accessed and execution of the register access request may be initiated in response to receiving the data frame.
US08447905B2
An apparatus for controlling access to a resource includes a shared pipeline configured to communicate with the resource, a plurality of command queues configured to form instructions for the shared pipeline and an arbiter coupled between the shared pipeline and the plurality of command queues configured to grant access to the shared pipeline to a one of the plurality of command queues based on a first priority scheme in a first operating mode. The apparatus also includes interface logic coupled to the arbiter and configured to determine that contention for access to the resource exists among the plurality of command queues and to cause the arbiter to grant access to the shared pipeline based on a second priority scheme in second operating mode.
US08447901B2
Systems and techniques include, in some implementations, a computer implemented method storing a portion of data elements present in a first buffer in a second buffer in response to detecting an overflow condition of the first buffer, wherein the data elements in the first buffer are sorted according to a predetermined order, and inserting a proxy data element in the first buffer to represent the portion of data elements stored to the second buffer.
US08447893B2
A USB peripheral device comprising a limited function Universal Serial Bus (USB) host controller configured to control HID compliant USB peripheral devices on a downstream facing USB port is disclosed. The port is also capable of dynamically interfacing to any USB compliant peripheral device.
US08447889B2
A portable mass storage device is used to store large files such as digital pictures, movies and music. The mass storage device has firmware with security mechanisms that limit access to read write operations to ensure reliable operation of the device to prevent unwanted copying or storing of secure content such a copyrighted material. Although the security mechanisms generally limit access, the firmware is operable to work with a virtual machine and allows the virtual machine to access the secure content and work in conjunction with the firmware to read and write data to the mass storage memory, if the virtual machine is present. The virtual machine is either loaded but not activated at the time of manufacture, or is downloaded and activated post manufacture. Any royalty for the virtual machine is paid for only if and when the virtual machine is both present and activated in the device.
US08447887B1
A network device comprises a host, including a device driver, and a network interface. The network interface includes a first media access controller, the first media access controller configured to, when activated, use a media access controller address for transferring data from the host to the first network, and transferring data from the first network to the host. A second media access controller is configured to, when activated, also use the media access controller address for transferring data from the host to the second network, and transferring data from the second network to the host. The device driver is configured to select either the first network or the second network for communication with the host, and the first media access controller or the second media access controller is respectively activated in response to the device driver selecting the first network or the second network.
US08447883B1
A load balancer, comprising a network interface, a power conservation unit, and a routing module configured to route client requests received through the network interface to a plurality of servers. The power conservation unit is characterized by having a learning mode and a routing mode. In the learning mode one or more operation parameters of the servers are determined for a plurality of different external conditions and for a plurality of different values of one or more operation parameters of the routing module, and to generate a correlation table between the operation parameters of the routing module and the external conditions. In the routing mode the power conservation unit adjusts the operation parameters of the routing module responsive to the external conditions, using the correlation table.
US08447877B2
In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for always-on wireless IP communication. An access provider network (APN) that includes an always-on packet data serving node (PDSN) may be used to communicate over a wireless communication link with a mobile station. The PDSN may include an inactivity timer and may be used to set the inactivity timer to an inactivity timer starting value and send a starting value estimate to the mobile station over the wireless communication link, wherein the starting value estimate is a function of the inactivity timer starting value. The mobile station may include an inactivity timer estimate and may be used to receive the starting value estimate and set the inactivity timer estimate to the starting value estimate. The mobile station may also be used to reset the inactivity timer estimate to the starting value estimate when the mobile station communicates with the APN.
US08447867B2
A content display-playback system includes at least one server that distributes audio-visual content via streaming, and at least one client that plays back, by streaming, the content distributed via streaming from the server, and the server and client are connected. The client beforehand makes settings regarding a client operation to be performed for submitting a streaming distribution request to the server to perform playback by streaming.
US08447866B2
Network nodes can add information to a central database that identifies their connections to other network nodes. The central database can thereby serve as a repository of information indicating connections between network nodes. When a first network node needs to establish a session to a second network node, it can interrogate the central database to learn what existing connections, if any, can be used for the session. When existing connections provide more than one available pathway between the first and second network nodes, the first network node may select among the existing connections in response to quality of service values that are provided by the central database for those connections.
US08447865B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to selecting a source interface with which to establish a connection. In aspects, a profile for each network location a host has seen is maintained in a data store. The profile includes information about the network interfaces available to a source host at the network location. This information indicates, among other things, the reliability of each interface of the source host. Based on the profile, an interface is selected with which to establish a connection. If the interface is unsuccessful in establishing the connection, the interface is de-prioritized and another interface may be selected.
US08447857B2
An approach is provided where an HTTP request is received and a Request for Security Token (RST) is created. Parameters are selected from the request and mappings are retrieved corresponding to the parameters. Context attributes are created in the RST corresponding to the parameters. A context attribute type value is set based on an HTTP section where the parameter is located within the HTTP request. The RST is sent to a security token service for processing. In another approach, a Request Security Token Response (RSTR) is received and an HTTP response is created. RSTR parameters are selected and parameter mappings are retrieved corresponding to the selected RSTR parameters from a mapping table with a TYPE value being identified based on the retrieved parameter mapping. Context attributes are added to the HTTP response based on the identified TYPE values. The HTTP response is transmitted to a remote computer system.
US08447856B2
Disclosed is a method, a computer system, and a computer-readable media product that contains a set of computer executable software instructions for directing the computer to execute a process for policy-based operation of a DNS server apparatus to manage traffic due to undesirable mail or requests for electronic documents. The policies operate according to owners, regions, or countries controlling source IP addresses and deterministically select from a plurality of non-equivalent replies to be sent to the source IP address. Accumulating previous activity records may assist in determining which traffic may be usefully deferred or suppressed. The process includes withholding certain information from certain DNS servers seeking IP addresses to improve overall security and integrity of the Internet.
US08447855B2
A method for preventing session initiation protocol (SIP) attacks is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of SIP response messages comprising at least one pre-defined SIP response code, and extracting at least one user identifier from the plurality of SIP response messages. The method further includes computing at least one of a frequency of the plurality of SIP response messages and a count of the plurality of SIP response messages corresponding to each user identifier of the at least one user identifier. The method further includes calculating a degree of attack corresponding to each user identifier using at least one of the frequency and the count. The method further includes determining a monitoring interval for each user identifier based upon the degree of attack for monitoring the plurality of SIP response messages. An apparatus and a computer program product for preventing SIP attacks are also provided.
US08447844B2
A storage unit stores therein setting information and history information on a communication established by the setting information. When an information receiving unit receives new setting information, a judging unit judges whether the setting information stored in the storage unit reached a predetermined value. A determining unit compares the history information corresponding to the setting information, and determines a priority for each setting information based on a result of comparison. A deleting unit deletes setting information having the lowest priority from the storage unit, and a storing unit stores the new setting information in the storage unit.
US08447843B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for identifying, configuring, and accessing a device connected to a network. In operation, a device connected to a network is automatically identified. Additionally, the device is automatically configured. Strictly as an option, the device may be accessed on the network.
US08447840B1
A method and system for controlling a user interface displayed at a client device includes a client device and a server device that communicates a first remote user interface from the server device to the client device. The client device displays the first remote user interface and communicates key signals to the server device. The server device communicates a first transfer control signal to the client device. The client device displays a client native interface and communicates a second transfer control signal to the server device. The server device communicates the second remote user interface to the client device. The client device displays a second remote user interface at the client device.
US08447837B2
A CDN edge server is configured to provide one or more extended content delivery features on a domain-specific, customer-specific basis, preferably using configuration files that are distributed to the edge servers using a configuration system. A given configuration file includes a set of content handling rules and directives that facilitate one or more advanced content handling features, such as content prefetching. When prefetching is enabled, the edge server retrieves objects embedded in pages (normally HTML content) at the same time it serves the page to the browser rather than waiting for the browser's request for these objects. This can significantly decrease the overall rendering time of the page and improve the user experience of a Web site. Using a set of metadata tags, prefetching can be applied to either cacheable or uncacheable content. When prefetching is used for cacheable content, and the object to be prefetched is already in cache, the object is moved from disk into memory so that it is ready to be served. When prefetching is used for uncacheable content, preferably the retrieved objects are uniquely associated with the client browser request that triggered the prefetch so that these objects cannot be served to a different end user. By applying metadata in the configuration file, prefetching can be combined with tiered distribution and other edge server configuration options to further improve the speed of delivery and/or to protect the origin server from bursts of prefetching requests.
US08447833B2
A client device configured to write to both a growth server and a live server replica that the growth server is replacing during a growth phase is described herein. The client device first determines the growth server designated to replace a corresponding live server replica of a set of server replicas associated with a storage index. The client device then transmits a write request associated with the storage index to the set of server replicas and to the growth server. The client device may perform the determining based on storage assignment mappings. The storage assignment mappings are provided to the client device by a metadata server while the growth server retrieves data associated with the storage index from the live server replica.
US08447826B1
A method and apparatus for providing highly available storage groups are described. In one embodiment, a method for using one or more processors to provide highly available storage groups in memory, comprising updating persistent information associated with at least one mapping between a node and at least one mailbox of a plurality of mailboxes, wherein the node owns the plurality of mailboxes and the persistent information identifies another node as a failover target for the at least one mailbox of the plurality of nodes, accessing at least one storage group that comprises the at least one mailbox, modifying the at least one mapping between the at least one mailbox and the node to bind the at least one mailbox to the other node and coupling the at least one mailbox with the other node.
US08447825B2
A system includes a client device to which mount information representing a server device associated with the client is set; a first server corresponding to the mount information set to the client device; a second server communicably connected to the first server; a first disk device controlled by the first server; and a second disk device controlled by the second server. When the client device sends a request to register a data file to the first server, the first server stores the data file in the first disk device and sends a command to make a tag file including information on a location of the data file to the second server. When receiving the command to make the tag file from the first server, the second server makes the tag file and stores it in the second disk device.
US08447823B2
Methods and systems to automatically respond to a request for product information are described. In one embodiment, a data collection module may collect product data over a network, identify that the product data is related to a particular product, and store the product data and an association between the product data and the particular product in a database. An instant messaging engine may receive a request for the product data after the product data is stored in the database and an interpreter module may identify, in response to the request, the request to correspond to the particular product and retrieve the product data based on the association between the particular product and the product data. The instant messaging engine may also transmit, using an instant messaging protocol, a response to the request, the response including the product data.
US08447812B2
A communication method is disclosed which includes: first step of sending content attachment information including content link information from a sending device to a receiving device; and second step of connecting either the receiving device or a host device connected therewith to a server on a network in accordance with the content link information so as to receive and download content body data, content preview data, or content-related information from the server.
US08447808B2
Techniques are disclosed for generating and managing presentities in accordance with a virtual presence server. By way of example, a method for requesting information from at least one server comprises the following steps. A client request, which expresses a request that can not be satisfied by a single existing presentity, is obtained at an intermediate server, wherein the intermediate server operates as a virtual presence server. The virtual presence server (i.e., intermediate server) creates a set of software objects for a virtual presentity, the set of objects embodying logic to combine presence information from one or more of existing presentities and external information sources, in accordance with at least one existing presence server. The virtual presence server creates an association between the request of the client and the created virtual presentity that allows the presence information to be propagated back to the client.
US08447805B2
Presented is a system and method for distributed operation of Local Positioning Systems (LPS). A method includes establishing a network connection with a local controller and providing a user interface for sending device commands to an LPS associated with the local controller, and may include requesting a network address of a server for streaming video. The user interface can control a plurality of LPS units and the local controller can accept device commands from a plurality of user interfaces. A system includes a local system with interfaces to an LPS and a network that directs device control messages to the LPS from one or more remote systems, and a remote system that establishes network connections with one or more local systems and provides a user interface for sending device control messages to the one or more LPS units.
US08447802B2
In address-manipulation enabled transaction accelerators, the transaction accelerators include outer-connection addressing information in packets emitted over an inner connection between transaction accelerators and inner-connection addressing information is added in packets sent over the inner connection. The inner-connection addressing information can be carried in TCP option fields, directly in other fields, or indirectly through data structures maintained by the endpoints processing the connection. Address information can be encoded into header fields originally intended for other purposes but that are unused or encoded into used fields, overlaid in combination with other data that is being carried in those used fields. The existence of inner-connection addressing information in a packet can be signaled by a flag in the packet, by a bit or other designated encoding. The flag can be in an unused header field or overlaid. Where replacement and option addition is needed, swappers and unswappers might be used.
US08447800B2
In a denormal support mode, the normalization circuit of a floating-point adder is used to normalize or denormalized the output of a floating-point multiplier. Each floating-point multiply instruction is speculatively converted to a multiply-add instruction, with the addend forced to zero. This preserves the value of the product, while normalizing or denormalizing the product using the floating-point adder's normalization circuit. When the operands to the multiply operation are available, they are inspected. If the operands will not generate an unnormal intermediate product or a denormal final product, the add operation is suppressed, such as by operand-forwarding. Additionally, each non-fused floating-point multiply-add instruction is replaced with a multiply-add instruction having a zero addend, and a floating-point add instruction having the addend of the original multiply-add instruction is inserted into the instruction stream. Upon inspection of the operands, if an unnormal intermediate result or a denormal final result will not occur, the addend may be restored to the multiply-add instruction and the add instruction converted to a NOP.
US08447793B2
A method for efficiently implementing a remembered set for a region-based garbage collector includes maintaining, for each region in an object heap, a remembered set card list (RSCL). Each card in the RSCL identifies an area in the object heap that includes at least one object that references an object in the region associated with the RSCL. The method further establishes a collection set identifying a subset of regions in the object heap on which to perform partial garbage collection. Prior to performing the partial garbage collection, the method flushes cards from RSCLs associated with the collection set to the card table, globally discards cards that are about to be rebuilt from all RSCLs, and globally cleans the card table. The method then adds cards to the RSCLs for inter-region references discovered while traversing live objects in the collection set. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also disclosed.
US08447782B1
In a storage processor having a provider framework, one embodiment is directed to a method for providing an object. The method includes receiving, by a data access layer of the provider framework, an object request from a client device, the object request identifying at least one object. The method includes applying, by the data access layer, a mapping module to the object request to access object data associated with the object request. The method includes generating, by the data access layer, the at least one object identified in the object request. The method includes forwarding, by the data access layer, the at least one object to the client device.
US08447777B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a web server having a controller adapted to manage an archive of media content for a subscriber, and record a transaction description and a corresponding tracking identifier for a transaction that manipulates the archive. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08447776B2
Techniques are described for estimating and managing energy consumption for query processing. Embodiments of the invention may generally receive a query to be executed and calculate an initial estimated energy consumption value for the received query. If the initial estimated energy consumption value does not exceed a threshold amount of energy, embodiments of the invention may submit the query for execution. Once execution of the query has begun, embodiments of the invention may calculate an updated estimated energy consumption value for the executing query, and if the updated value exceeds the threshold amount of energy, may halt the execution of the query.
US08447773B2
For accessing a database, a request attribute module constructs a request attribute list for a data value name received in a request block. The request attribute list associates the data value name with an attribute name and with a schema name. A schema name module adds the schema name from the request attribute list to a schema names list in response to the schema name not being included in the schema names list. An attribute name module adds the attribute name from the request attribute list to an attribute names list in response to the attribute name not being included in the attribute names list. A query build module builds a query statement directed to a target database from the schema names list and the attribute names list.
US08447771B2
A query generator is operable to generate a query for retrieving data that satisfy a conditional expression from a database, and/or perform an arbitrary calculation on at least part of the retrieved data. The query generator can receive an input query and analyze the query to ascertain whether it contains a replaceable token. If the query contains a replaceable token, the query generator can replace that token with user input specifying a parameter of the conditional expression and/or the arbitrary calculation, thereby generating an output query for retrieving the data that satisfy the conditional expression and/or performing the arbitrary calculation on the retrieved data.
US08447769B1
Various embodiments of a system and methods for real-time image collection and sharing are described. A group of geographically co-located mobile device users may capture images on the mobile devices during a session. The devices may send the images, during the same session, to a database where the images may be stored as a real-time image collection. The image collection may be shared, during the same session, among the mobile device users. The users may receive notification of new images in the image collection based on user preferences. The users may request, from the image collection, images containing particular content by identifying the content on an image and sending a search request which includes the identified content. A computation server may maintain a data set which associates similar images in the image collection. The data set may be updated for each new image that is added to the image collection.
US08447766B2
Disclosed is a method of querying a collection of electronic documents, comprising defining a query for retrieving a numerical answer, said query comprising one or more search terms and a tolerance for said numerical answer; defining a set of document portions from said collection, each document portion in said set being extracted from an electronic document and comprising at least one term relevant to at least one of the one or more search terms and a numerical value associated with the at least one term; ordering the associated numerical values contained in said set; defining a plurality of results groups, each results group comprising an interval of ordered numerical values, each interval having a range not exceeding the tolerance; ranking the results groups; and returning at least the interval of the highest ranked results group as a response to said query A computer program product for executing this method on a computer processor and a server are also disclosed.
US08447765B1
Embodiments provide a system and method for height based indexing of data. In an embodiment, the present invention parses indexed data by (1) storing a geo-spatial multi-resolution data structure that represents a three dimensional environment, where at least a portion of the three dimensional environment lies within a view frustum; (2) traversing recursively the geo-spatial multi-resolution data structure, where the traversal is based on a range of coordinates that lie within the view frustum; and (3) extracting the indexed data from at least one vertical slice of at least one node of the geo-spatial multi-resolution data structure, where the extracted indexed data is displayed in the view frustum.
US08447751B2
An optimization engine allows website publishers and other network document publishers to view and navigate statistics and scoring methodologies of a search engine. Publishers may thus gain a better understanding of how their website or network document is scored and how to optimize those documents to increase a search engine score. The user is thus able to navigate the network from the perspective of a search engine, viewing webpages, websites, and links in the same way a search engine would analyze them. Upon making changes to a website or network document, publishers may further request on-demand re-crawling of their website or network document to view changes in the score. Alerts may also be activated by a user to notify the user when certain conditions are met.
US08447747B1
Systems and processes are described for generating a generic relationship dataset that can be adapted for use by multiple domain-specific applications. Such applications can include recommendation applications, search applications, optimization applications, and/or other applications. These systems and processes can analyze some or all actions of users with respect to a network application, such as a web application. Data representing user actions occurring in a time window can be paired together in the relationship dataset, together with one or more metrics related to the user actions. These metrics can represent general measurements that in certain embodiments are not customized for an individual application. As a result, separate domain-specific applications can independently analyze the relationship data according to different criteria without maintaining separate sets of the relationship data.
US08447745B2
Methods and systems are provided for synchronizing field values in transient data objects, such as JAVA® objects, before saving a transaction to a database. A dependency from one data object to another data object is detected, and changes which affect the second data object's fields through the dependency are flowed through to the second data object. This is performed between each step of a multistep save process, such between triggers, validation rules, workflows, and the final committing of data to the database.
US08447744B2
A framework for extending the capabilities of an event processing system using one or more plug-in components referred to herein as data cartridges. Generally speaking, a data cartridge is a self-contained unit of data that can be registered with an event processing system and can store information pertaining to one or more objects (referred to herein as extensible objects) that are not natively supported by the system. Examples of such extensible objects can include data types, functions, indexes, data sources, and others. By interacting with a data cartridge, an event processing system can compile and execute queries that reference extensible objects defined in the data cartridge, thereby extending the system beyond its native capabilities.
US08447726B2
A system for storing data comprises a performance storage unit and a performance segment storage unit. The system further comprises a determiner. The determiner determines whether a requested data is stored in the performance storage unit. The determiner determines whether the requested data is stored in the performance segment storage unit in the event that the requested data is not stored in the performance storage unit.
US08447722B1
A method is provided in one example and includes generating a query for a database for information stored in the database. The information relates to data discovered through a capture system. The method further includes generating an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) element to represent information received from the query. A rule based on the OLAP element is generated and the rule affects data management for one or more documents that satisfy the rule. In more specific embodiments, the method further includes generating a capture rule that defines items the capture system should capture. The method also includes generating a discovery rule that defines objects the capture system should register. In still other embodiments, the method includes developing a policy based on the rule, where the policy identifies how one or more documents are permitted to traverse a network.
US08447721B2
Interest-driven Business Intelligence (BI) systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. In one embodiment of the invention, a data processing system includes raw data storage containing raw data, metadata storage containing metadata that describes the raw data, and an interest-driven data pipeline that is automatically compiled to generate reporting data using the raw data, wherein the interest-driven data pipeline is compiled based upon reporting data requirements automatically derived from at least one report specification defined using the metadata.
US08447715B2
In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus comprising a substrate, and a plurality of carbon nanotubes (semiconducting nano-elements) disposed and fixed with said substrate. The nanotubes are disposed and fixed on said substrate such that they define a carbon nanotube network substantially at the percolation threshold of the network. As the network is at the percolation threshold, this provides for one or more signal paths extending from an input region to an output region. The apparatus is configured to, upon receiving particular input signalling via the input region, provide particular predefined output signalling at the output via the one or more signal paths, the particular output signalling being predefined according to the one or more one signal paths.
US08447710B1
A method and system for reducing a number of links in a Bayesian network. A first modified Bayesian network based on a primary Bayesian network that has a plurality of links is generated, wherein the first modified Bayesian network does not include a first subset of the plurality of links. A second modified Bayesian network based on the primary Bayesian network is generated, wherein the second modified Bayesian network does not include a second subset of the plurality of links. The first modified Bayesian network and the second modified Bayesian network are validated using a first data set to generate a first validation result and a second validation result. The primary Bayesian network is substituted with the first modified Bayesian network or the second modified Bayesian network based on the first validation result and the second validation result.
US08447708B2
An information processing device includes a model learning unit that carries out learning for self-organization of internal states of a state transition prediction model which is a learning model having internal states, a transition model of the internal states, and an observation model where observed values are generated from the internal states, by using first time series data, wherein the model learning unit learns the observation model of the state transition prediction model after the learning using the first time series data, by fixing the transition model and using second time series data different from the first time series data, thereby obtaining the state transition prediction model having a first observation model where each sample value of the first time series data is observed and a second observation model where each sample value of the second time series data is observed.
US08447704B2
A machine learning model is trained by instructing a user to perform proscribed gestures, sampling signals from EMG sensors arranged arbitrarily on the user's forearm with respect to locations of muscles in the forearm, extracting feature samples from the sampled signals, labeling the feature samples according to the corresponding gestures instructed to be performed, and training the machine learning model with the labeled feature samples. Subsequently, gestures may be recognized using the trained machine learning model by sampling signals from the EMG sensors, extracting from the signals unlabeled feature samples of a same type as those extracted during the training, passing the unlabeled feature samples to the machine learning model, and outputting from the machine learning model indicia of a gesture classified by the machine learning model.
US08447699B2
Systems and methods enable members of a secure transaction network to readily identify the appropriate trusted service manager (TSM) to support a particular transaction. A global directory of TSM providers is provided that a secure service provider can use for determining which TSM provider is the authorized manager of a security domain for the particular transaction. In aspect the directory of TSM providers may be stored within a mobile device secure element. In another aspect, the directory of TSM providers may be stored in a central TSM repository. In a further aspect, the directory of TSM providers may be distributed among a number of secondary TSM repositories. The appropriate TSM may be identified based upon a secure element identifier and an application identifier provided by a secure element as part of the transaction. Communication of the identifiers from mobile devices may be via cellular or near field communication links.
US08447698B2
A communication system includes a terminal having a first storage section for storing a number of pieces of content information, a second storage section for storing a number of pieces of the content information, a storage control section for placing a content ID stored in the second storage section into purchase information for each terminal and stored in the second storage section, an access control section for controlling access to the content information corresponding to the content ID stored in the second storage section, and an accounting setting section for setting an amount of a fee to be imposed on the terminal in response to the purchase information.
US08447694B2
This invention relates to methods and systems for reducing transaction costs and minimizes turnover in the trading of futures contracts. The invention further describes an algorithm whose output is a unique method of investing in futures contracts that reduces the rate of turnover, and thus the cost of trading, of certain common trading strategies. The primary application of this method is to a class of strategies referred to as indexing strategies that incorporate a dynamic asset allocation approach using futures contracts.
US08447690B2
A business and social media system is provided for establishing communication services between people in different countries. The system includes a core system module, the core system module including a server for maintaining information regarding a client and a means for establishing communications services between a client and another person. The system further includes external modules in communication with the core system module, the modules including a telephony termination module, a telephone module service module, an SMS module, a contact center module, a mobile application module, a web application module, a retail module, a bank module, and the like.
US08447686B1
A system and method for collecting data about merchants or service establishments that accept credit cards or charge cards as payment for goods and services, segmenting the merchants into groups, generating risk scores for the merchants based upon each merchants' group and, based upon the risk scores, providing information to a card issuer to take remedial action for merchants that are at higher risk for entering into a debit balance.
US08447682B2
A method of operating a venture capital investment business, including establishing a business entity that establishes an investment fund and a fund managing entity thereof that attends to administrative matters relating thereto and makes investment decisions for the fund. The investment fund has investors that with the fund managing entity provide capital contributions to the fund that the fund utilizes to invest in portfolio entities. The investors receive a general participation interest in the fund, and the fund managing entity receives a carried interest in the fund. Investors provide at least a threshold capital contribution to the fund with stock rights in the business entity to enable such investors to become shareholders in the business entity. The business entity secures a portion of IPO shares that become available in the portfolio entities. The business entity enables shareholders thereof to purchase IPO shares that become available in the portfolio entities.
US08447681B2
A system is provided for administering a destination fund having a guarantee wrapper. The guarantee provides an income stream for life to one or more investors. The destination fund has a selected mix of equities and fixed income investments to provide for enhanced returns throughout retirement for the investor. The destination fund additionally provides income stream flexibility throughout the lifetime of the investor. Administration of a destination fund having a guarantee wrapper may include initiating a guarantee payment process if a value of the destination fund falls below a threshold.
US08447673B1
A system and method that delays or eliminates the initial funding of cards having a stored or redemptive value. A database or other data storage device stores card identifying information until such time that an actual request for use of the card is made, or until the system otherwise determines that the card has expired. If the system determines that the card has expired prior to a redemption request, the card will not be funded, thereby allowing the merchant to avoid paying financing charges associated with the funding of the card. If the card is still valid, the applicable purchase value from the consumer's transaction will be subtracted from the card's value. In one embodiment, if the amount of the purchase exceeds the redemptive value of the card, the card may be used without having to fund the card. If there is value left on the card after the transaction, the card may be funded and the remaining value stored for future use.
US08447671B1
A method and system for evaluating medical service providers, and before or after an initial medical service provider visit by a claimant, determining whether to direct that claimant on subsequent medical service provider visits to a different medical service provider to optimize efficiency of care and minimize cost at the claim level.
US08447667B1
Systems, methods and articles for online computerized methods and systems for facilitating a loan between a borrower and a lender in a financial services system having a loan processing application integrated with a tax return preparation application, in which a lender's tax refund is used to fund the loan. Tax returns are prepared for borrowers and for lenders using the tax return preparation application. The borrowers submits loan request to the system. The system asks lenders having a tax refund if they would like to loan the tax refund to other people and the system presents loan options to the lenders. If a lender likes a loan request, the lender instructs the system to enter into a loan for the request for a specified amount on agreed to loan terms, and the loan amount is then transferred to the borrower, funded by the tax refund.
US08447656B2
A novel communications network tracks and manages Merchant and Affiliate promotional efforts in a seamless, integrated fashion. Operative characteristics include central control over promotional Java-based presentations or similar to be easily applied across a broad network of connected Affiliate sites. The system accomplishes this, in part, by providing a selective API for use in wrapping the promotional links. In accordance with this protocol, these links may be hosted by the Clearinghouse or Merchant, and sourced from a variety of third-party vendors.
US08447653B2
A cost maintenance scheme useful with an advertising system which orders ads in a manner that maximizes both their relevance and their economic value, and which provides a fair bidding process in which a winning bidder is assured of not having paid too much. Ordering may be done based on accepted maximum ad bid information and/or ad performance information. For example, this information may be used to determine a position value. Cost may be determined based on accepted maximum ad bid information and/or performance information. Billing the determined cost may be subject to a condition precedent.
US08447644B2
Systems and methods for supply chain management and identification of feasible plans. Identification of feasible plans includes collecting demands for one or more items having the same level code; and for each of the collected demands, determining a first demand shortage quantity, searching the data storage for available unallocated supply responsive to the first demand shortage quantity, determining a second demand shortage quantity, and creating supply, the creation of supply being responsive to the second demand shortage quantity and the creation of supply including satisfying a dependent demand at a higher level code. Satisfying a dependent demand at a higher level code may include using the system recursively. Using the system recursively may include incrementing a current level code. Satisfying a dependent demand at a higher level code may include performing a feasible plan search relating to items assigned the higher level code.
US08447641B1
The present invention is a system and computer-implemented method for automatically enrolling and upgrading a buyer into a pre-existing network in order to conduct business with one or more sellers with minimum efforts and consistent quality. The method includes providing to the buyer, via a programmable computer, multiple business models for selection. The method also includes retrieving and sending to the buyer a set of pre-configured business processes to select based on the model chosen by the buyer. The method further includes generating required test cases to validate the selected best business process and tracking and certifying the test cases followed by deploying a live version of the selected best business process.
US08447627B1
Methods for managing requests by a medical services provider for payment from a payer are described. In one embodiment, claims are aggregated into a single file and submitted for payment electronically. If a file level rejection occurs, rejected claims are removed and the single file reformed and resubmitted. This is repeated as necessary until the file is accepted. In another embodiment, claims are assigned first unique identifiers and line items in claims are assigned second unique identifiers. The unique identifiers are used to track every transaction. In another embodiment, an explanation of benefits relating to a claim is received and processed. Copayments are reallocated to line items according to the explanation of benefits. Writeoffs and transfers to next payers are performed automatically according to adjudication codes in the explanation of benefits.
US08447620B2
An audio encoder for encoding an audio signal has a first coding branch, the first coding branch comprising a first converter for converting a signal from a time domain into a frequency domain. Furthermore, the audio encoder has a second coding branch comprising a second time/frequency converter. Additionally, a signal analyzer for analyzing the audio signal is provided. The signal analyzer, on the hand, determines whether an audio portion is effective in the encoder output signal as a first encoded signal from the first encoding branch or as a second encoded signal from a second encoding branch. On the other hand, the signal analyzer determines a time/frequency resolution to be applied by the converters when generating the encoded signals. An output interface includes, in addition to the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal, a resolution information identifying the resolution used by the first time/frequency converter and used by the second time/frequency converter.
US08447619B2
Systems, methods and apparatuses are described herein for distributing user attribute information about users of a communications system to communication terminals, which use the user attribute information to configure a speech codec to operate in a speaker-dependent manner during a communication session, thereby improving speech coding efficiency. In a network-assisted model, the user attribute information is stored on the communications network and selectively transmitted to the communication terminals while in a peer-assisted model, the user attribute information is derived by and transferred between communication terminals.
US08447613B2
A method for optimizing message transmission and decoding comprises: reading data from a memory of an originating device, the data comprising information regarding the originating device; encoding the data by converting the data to a subset of words having a ranked recognition accuracy higher than the remainder of words; transmitting the encoded data from the originating device to a receiving system audibly as words via a telephone connection; utilizing a voice recognition software to recognize the words; decoding the words back to the data; and taking a predetermined action based on the data.
US08447612B2
A computerized readable apparatus for presentation of information, including contextually related secondary content. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a computer readable medium having at least one computer program disposed thereon, the at least one program being configured to facilitate ad hoc communication with a personal electronic device of a user, and provide the user with requested information (such as for example direction to a desired business or other entity). At least a portion of the information is obtained via a wireless link with a remote server.
US08447606B2
In a method and a system (20) for creating or updating entries in a speech recognition (SR) lexicon (7) of a speech recognition system, said entries mapping speech recognition (SR) phoneme sequences to words, said method comprising entering a respective word, and in the case that the word is a new word to be added to the SR lexicon, also entering at least one associated SR phoneme sequence through input means (26), it is provided that the SR phoneme sequence associated with the respective word is converted into speech by phoneme to speech conversion means (4.4), and the speech is played back by playback means (28), to control the match of the phoneme sequence and the word.
US08447604B1
Provided in some embodiments is a method including receiving ordered script words are indicative of dialogue words to be spoken, receiving audio data corresponding to at least a portion of the dialogue words to be spoken and including timecodes associated with dialogue words, generating a matrix of the ordered script words versus the dialogue words, aligning the matrix to determine hard alignment points that include matching consecutive sequences of ordered script words with corresponding sequences of dialogue words, partitioning the matrix of ordered script words into sub-matrices bounded by adjacent hard-alignment points and including corresponding sub-sets the script and dialogue words between the hard-alignment points, and aligning each of the sub-matrices. The alignment of the sub-matrices including: matching script and dialogue words of the sub-subsets, assigning timecodes for matched ordered script words, and interpolating timecodes for the unmatched script words based on the timecodes of the matched script words.
US08447596B2
The present technology provides a robust noise suppression system that may concurrently reduce noise and echo components in an acoustic signal while limiting the level of speech distortion. An acoustic signal may be received and transformed to cochlear domain sub-band signals. Features, such as pitch, may be identified and tracked within the sub-band signals. Initial speech and noise models may be then be estimated at least in part from a probability analysis based on the tracked pitch sources. Speech and noise models may be resolved from the initial speech and noise models and noise reduction may be performed on the sub-band signals. An acoustic signal may be reconstructed from the noise-reduced sub-band signals.
US08447588B2
Computer methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture therefor, are disclosed for developing a region-matching transducer for marking language data having delimited strings. The region-matching transducer defines one or more patterns of one or more sequences of delimited strings, with at least one of the patterns defined in the region-matching transducer having an arrangement of a plurality of class-matching networks. The plurality of class-matching networks defines a combination of two or more entity classes from one or both of part-of-speech classes and application-specific classes. The region-matching transducer has, for each of the one or more patterns, an arc that leads from a penultimate state with a transition label that identifies the entity class of the pattern, and shares states between patterns leading to a penultimate state when segments of delimited strings making up two or more patterns overlap.
US08447587B2
A computer executable method includes receiving word senses associated with respective definitions, and providing a position-based dictionary that assigns the word senses to respective semantic positions in a semantic space.
US08447584B2
Disclosed herein is a character input apparatus including: a display section having a screen capable of displaying at least characters; an operation section configured to allow a user to input at least the characters; a first character input processing section configured to perform a first character input process of causing a character string to be displayed on the screen in accordance with a predetermined notation rule; a second character input processing section configured to perform a second character input process of causing a character string to be displayed on the screen not in accordance with the predetermined notation rule; a scene determination section configured to determine a character input scene; and an input process switch control section configured to switch between the first character input process and the second character input process in accordance with the character input scene.
US08447583B2
A plurality of Guest cells of Guest instructions are provided with corresponding Host cells for emulating Guest instructions, each Guest instruction having a Guest cell corresponding to a Host cell. Each of the Host cells are initialized with an initialization routine for discovering a corresponding semantic routine for emulating the Guest instruction. When an instruction is to be emulated for the first time, the initialization routine patches itself with the discovered semantic routine such that subsequent emulation of the Guest instruction can be directly performed.
US08447582B2
A circuit simulation apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention calculates a set value of a SPICE parameter of a MOSFET to carry out a variation analysis on a semiconductor circuit including the MOSFET. The apparatus includes a storage part configured to store an intermediate model expression that includes a variable related to a manufacture condition or device structure of the MOSFET as a variable affecting variation characteristics of the MOSFET, the intermediate model expression being formed with a universal function having a physical correlation between a physical amount defined by the variable and the SPICE parameter, a setting part configured to set information about the variable included in the intermediate model expression, a calculation part configured to calculate the set value of the SPICE parameter by using the information set in the setting part and the intermediate model expression stored in the storage part, and an output part configured to output process variation dependency of the semiconductor circuit.
US08447578B2
A method of designing a tire, wherein a tire designer identifies a target residual aligning torque range for a tire design and creates a computer model of the tire, including a buttress angle. Further, the method includes calculating the residual aligning torque of the modeled tire and comparing the calculated residual aligning torque value to the target residual aligning torque to determine whether the calculated residual aligning torque value is within the target residual aligning torque range. The method produces a final tire design having a target residual aligning torque.
US08447577B2
A steam-using facility simulation system for efficiently searching for an approach for improving a steam-using facility that is effective in overall improvement of a steam-using facility and a method for searching for an approach for improving a steam-using facility are provided. The system includes storage means configured to store steam usage state information of the steam-using facility; input means to which facility improving approach information of the steam-using facility is input; simulating means configured to compute predicted steam usage state information of the steam-using facility after implementation of the improving approach based on the steam usage state information of the steam-using facility stored in the storage means and the facility improving approach information input to the input means; and output means configured to output the predicted steam usage state information of the steam-using facility computed by the simulating means.
US08447576B2
A method and related CAD system and computer readable medium for creating a dimensioned object model in a CAD system, including automatically associating editable dimensions with an object model in the CAD system. The method includes receiving 2D CAD data, the 2D CAD data including dimension information, and creating a 3D model corresponding to the 2D CAD data. The method also includes associating the dimension information with features of the 3D model and storing the 3D model and associated dimension information in the CAD system. The dimension information can thereafter be edited to automatically produce corresponding changes in the 3D model. Other methods are also described.
US08447567B2
A method of measuring the performance of a DSL line provides an indication of potential faults in the line. Analysis of broadband DSL is less straightforward than for other technologies, since “normal” behavior depends on a number of factors, including line length and line quality, where normal behavior for a long line could be regarded as poor for a short line. The data transmission characteristics of a DSL line under test are measured with reference to its upstream line attenuation, then the results are compared with the model for the corresponding data transmission characteristic. A performance measure is calculated for each characteristic indicative of the difference between the measured characteristic and the observed ‘average’ for other lines having the same upstream line attenuation. A final line performance indicator is calculated based on the combination of all the individual performance measures, which provides a quantitative measure of a line's performance.
US08447550B1
A fixed-source array test station provides a compact cost-effective high-throughput test bed for testing optical sensors that require stimulus at fixed angular positions. An array of fixed collimated sources at different angular positions in the sensor's FOV are positioned on a surface of a focal sphere at the effective focal length of a spherical lens and aligned along respective radial lines to the center of the spherical lens so that each said divergent optical beam is collimated by the spherical lens to form a collimated optical beam that overlaps the entire entrance pupil of the optical seeker. The sources are activated in accordance with an activation profile in order to calibrate or otherwise test the sensor.
US08447547B2
In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that estimates a total static noise margin of a bit cell of a memory. The method includes determining a correlation coefficient of a left static noise margin of the bit cell as compared to a right static noise margin of the bit cell and estimating a total static noise margin of the bit cell by evaluating an analytical function based on the correlation coefficient.
US08447546B2
Provided is a measurement method of Fourier coefficients using an integrating photometric detector, wherein, when measuring an exposure (Sj) with a predetermined time interval during a predetermined time period using an integrating photometric detector with respect to light of which amplitude varies with the time period, normalized Fourier coefficients (α′2n, β′2n) for a waveform of an intensity of the light is determined by carrying out a discrete Fourier transform with respect to an equation for the measured exposure (Sj).
US08447544B2
A method for detecting a state of charge (SOC) of a battery is disclosed. The method includes inputting a pulse to the battery for receiving a response curve of the battery associated with the pulse inputted to the battery, determining a set of parameters for preparing a simulated curve, comparing a difference between the response curve and the simulated curve, determining whether the difference between the simulated curve and the response curve is less than a predetermined threshold before further utilizing the parameters to determine the SOC from a corresponding relationship.
US08447539B2
An electromagnetic field distribution measurement apparatus (10) according to the present invention includes: an electromagnetic field probe (20) for measuring an electromagnetic field distribution; a scan apparatus (30) for scanning the vicinity of a wiring (120) with the electromagnetic field probe (20); and a data processing apparatus (50) for calculating the offset value (ΔXd) of the coordinate of the electromagnetic field probe (20) from the coordinate of the wiring (120). The data processing apparatus (50) extracts a characteristic point (E1 to E3) of the measured electromagnetic field distribution and calculates the offset value (ΔXd) based on the coordinates of the extracted characteristic point (E1 to E3).
US08447533B1
A method of reducing rainwater and/or groundwater inflow and infiltration into a wastewater treatment collection grid. The method preferably involves the steps of (a) dividing the grid into a plurality of major subsystems, (b) determining flow depth levels in each major subsystem under dry and wet conditions, (c) using these wet weather and dry weather flow depth measurements to determine a volume flow ratio for wet versus dry conditions, (d) using these flow ratios to identify the particular major subsystem(s) in which the greatest amount of inflow or infiltration is occurring, and then (e) further dividing the highest ranking major subsystem(s) into smaller subsystems in which the same dry and wet weather level measurement and ranking analysis is preferably conducted to further isolate problem locations for surveillance, maintenance, and/or repair.
US08447532B1
A method for metallic structure maintenance is disclosed. The method includes a magneto-graphic/Magnetic Tomography technique to identify stress-related defects. The method is specifically optimized for extended, non-accessible underground and underwater metallic structures in providing quality control, emergency alarms as well as timeline planning for structural repairs and maintenance work. Examples of the method implementation include pipes for oil and gas industry, detection of flaws in rolled products in metallurgical industry, welding quality of heavy duty equipment such as ships reservoirs, etc. It is especially important for loaded constructions, such as pressured pipes, infrastructure maintenance, nuclear power plant monitoring, bridges, corrosion prevention and environment protection.
US08447530B2
A method for monitoring and diagnosing the health of a structure. The method includes providing a plurality of damage monitoring units each having at least one actuator, at least one sensor and a data collection device. The sensors are arranged and disposed to measure vibration produced by the actuator and provide a signal corresponding to the measured vibration to the data collection device. The actuator is activated and the vibration is measured with the sensor. The signal is compared to a reference signal and a damage index value is determined in response to the comparison between the signal and reference signal. The damage index value is transmitted for each vibratory path to a central processing device and the damage index values are analyzed for the plurality of damage monitoring units to determine the location of damage to the structure.
US08447512B2
A process for generating computer flight plans on the Internet with the elements of: a raw XY&Z database of chart data, a data base containing aircraft data, a software system to create VFR, IFR and Road charts, an Internet web site accessible by a Client computer, a software system which computes flight plans requested by the Client computer, a software system which allows for navigation data and aircraft editing by means of the Internet web site Client computer, and a software system which allows for outputting flight plans by means of the Internet web site Client computer.A alternate embodiment includes wherein said elements include a local area network consisting of a service and number of local Client computers or an Intranet network which is connected by means other than wires such as infrared or radio signals. A preferred embodiment includes further comprising the step(s) of computing by means of a software systems a cross section of the flight plan and displaying same in a profile window in which the route is displayed relative to terrain elevation, obstruction elevation, airspace, weather and flight altitude.
US08447503B2
A multi-cylinder spark-ignition direct-injection internal combustion engine is re-fired subsequent to a fuel cutoff event wherein fuel to all cylinders is cutoff. Re-firing the engine includes selectively firing individual cylinders during re-firing engine cycles exclusively at a predetermined fixed fuel mass until all cylinders have been fired at least once, whereafter subsequent firing of individual cylinders is not limited to the predetermined fixed fuel mass.
US08447500B2
The invention provides a method for preferably controlling an internal combustion engine by precisely estimating a current value of a temperature of an exhaust device of an internal combustion engine provided with a variable valve, an exhaust turbo supercharger and the like, and controlling an affector of a temperature of an exhaust gas on the basis of a difference between a reference value of the exhaust device temperature and the current value of the exhaust device temperature. The method computes a temperature of an exhaust gas on the basis of a rotating speed, a charging efficiency, an ignition timing, an equivalent ratio, an external EGR rate, an exhaust valve opening timing, and a supercharging pressure, estimates a temperature of an exhaust device on the basis of the exhaust gas temperature, an amount of an intake air, a temperature of a fluid around the exhaust device and a flow rate around the exhaust device, and transiently corrects at least one of the ignition timing, the equivalent ratio, the external EGR rate, and the exhaust valve opening timing, on the basis of the estimation value and the reference value.
US08447489B2
A vehicle driving operation support apparatus for a vehicle, includes a sensing section to sense a traveling condition of the vehicle including a surrounding condition inclusive of an obstacle around the vehicle, and a control section to calculate a risk potential for the vehicle in accordance with the traveling condition. The control section performs a support control to support the driver in accordance with the risk potential and performs an assist control to produce inducement simulating a condition change (such as a vehicle behavior) attributable to an increase of the risk potential, in accordance with the risk potential.
US08447482B2
A shift control device includes a clutch for performing a connection/disconnection of power transmitted to a drive wheel from an engine based on an operation input to a shift operator, an actuator for performing a drive control of the clutch, and a controller for controlling the driving of the actuator. The controller includes an operation quantity detector for detecting an operation quantity of a shift operator, a shift starter performing a control toward the disengagement of the clutch by driving the actuator at a stage in which an operation quantity detected by the operation quantity detector exceeds a first threshold value, and a shift starter for performing a disengagement control of the clutch by driving the actuator at a stage wherein an operation quantity detected by the operation quantity detector exceeds a second threshold value which is larger than the first threshold value.
US08447472B2
A collision detection system includes at least one sensor. The data from the sensor is input to a recursive filter which selectively uses the input to predict the motion of a target object relative to a host vehicle. The recursive filter continues to use the data from the sensor until the target object is within a threshold distance of the host vehicle. Within the threshold distance, the sensor does not reliably provide accurate data. Accordingly, the recursive filter omits the sensor input from motion estimates when the target object is within the threshold distance, which leads to significant improvement in target motion prediction.
US08447445B2
The movable surfaces affecting the camber of a wing are dynamically adjusted to optimize wing camber for optimum lift/drag ratios under changing conditions during a given flight phase. In a preferred embodiment, an add-on dynamic adjustment control module provides command signals for optimum positioning of trailing edge movable surfaces, i.e., inboard flaps, outboard flaps, ailerons, and flaperons, which are used in place of the predetermined positions of the standard flight control system. The dynamic adjustment control module utilizes inputs of changing aircraft conditions such as altitude, Mach number, weight, center of gravity (CG), vertical speed and flight phase. The dynamic adjustment control module's commands for repositioning the movable surfaces of the wing are transmitted through the standard flight control system to actuators for moving the flight control surfaces.
US08447440B2
A method comprising running a persistent self-righting behavior comprising sensing an orientation of the remote vehicle and performing a progression of flipper movements until the remote vehicle is righted, and performing a retrotraverse behavior comprising: generating a list of time stamped waypoints separated by at least a minimum difference in time and distance; storing the list of time stamped waypoints in the memory; and generating, using a control system, a current return path interconnecting previously-traversed waypoints in reverse order of timestamps upon losing communication with the operator control unit or upon receiving a command from the operator control unit.
US08447438B1
An apparatus on an integrated circuit provides a real-time flexible interface between inputs from a vehicle components and outputs to the vehicle control components. The functions comprises of a programmable interconnection matrix, engine sensors and a control interface. Both engine sensors and control functions comprise of fixed hardwired functions and a customization hardware area. The apparatus therefore provides means for flexible powertrain events control target for the next generation of low-polluting power trains of vehicles.
US08447427B2
A system and method provides for the identification and monitoring of carriers within a pneumatic carrier system. Each carrier which is to be employed within the system includes an identification device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip which has stored thereon identification information for the carrier. Positioned throughout the system are communications devices such as antennas and readers which are employed to read and/or write identification information on the chip. When a carrier is put in the system, a destination location can be associated with the particular carrier ID. This associated information is then employed to, among many things, monitor and confirm identity of the carrier as it moves to its destination.
US08447426B2
An installation includes a machine (2) for packaging products (8) and of a robotic palleting station, both arranged in a same enclosure (1) that is provided with a door (7) that offers access to the palleting station. The installation includes a device which limits the range of movement of the robot (15) in the closed enclosure (1) in order to concentrate the displacements of its gripping head (17) in a restricted space which does not overlap with a safety space, which is defined according to a minimum distance measured from the immaterial barrier located in the enclosure in the vicinity of the door (7). The limiting device includes an electric cam that limits, under the control of the steering control of the robot, the amplitude of the movement of the robot (15) around its main axis and reduces its movement speed.
US08447422B2
Disclosed are a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium, which can process a normal substrate according to a normal schedule in parallel with a substrate to be processed in preference to other substrates. Processing block performs the same types of processes for substrates, carried therein from FOUP placing unit, by using process arms. When a priority substrate having a priority over other substrates are carried, control unit carries and processes the priority substrate in priority processing unit that can receive a next substrate among priority processing units to which a plurality of processing units are partially or wholly assigned, in preference to other substrates.
US08447419B1
Systems and methods for artificially intelligent physical and virtual actors including pseudo-genetic information and configured to retain meta-knowledge are described. The actors are adapted with unique behavioral and physical attributes which may independently evolve over time. The attributes may include reproduction based attributes which direct how, when, and with whom the actor reproduces and may be subject to mutation and reproductive forces. The attributes may include evaluation attributes which dictate when and how each actor evaluates their performance. The evaluation attributes may also be subject to mutation and reproductive forces. The attributes may consider meta-knowledge which is a reflection of information gathered by an actor. What and how much meta-knowledge is collected may also be expressed as one or more evolvable attributes.
US08447416B2
A field decoupling element for use with an implantable line with an elongated line body and a function conductor which extends in the longitudinal direction of the line body and acts to implement a medical function of the line, such that the field decoupling element is in electric contact with the function conductor in the use state connected to the line and reduces coupling of the function conductor to an external field.
US08447415B2
A capsular device for esthetic and therapeutic treatment of a patient with emission of infrared together with negative ions, allowing easy elimination of toxins, heavy metals, preventive control of diseases and postsurgical therapeutic treatment.
US08447408B2
A user, such as a clinician or the patient, uses a control device to manipulate at least one neurostimulation parameter. A mapping system uses a calibrated map to map the directional output of the control device to values of at least one stimulation parameter to allow the user to intuitively control the value of the parameter. In some embodiments, where a stimulation device is used to deliver spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy for example, the user manipulates a parameter to effect the location and/or strength of paresthesia experienced by the patient. In exemplary embodiments, the parameter values are combinations of electrodes, and the mapping system selects electrode combinations based on the output of the control device such that a direction of movement of paresthesia experienced by the patient corresponds to a direction of manipulation of a directional controller of the control device. The mapping system may calibrate the map based on patient paresthesia information received from a user.
US08447403B2
The present specification discloses devices and methodologies for the treatment of nocturnal GERD. Individuals with nocturnal GERD may be treated by implanting a stimulation device within the patient's lower esophageal sphincter and applying electrical stimulation to the patient's lower esophageal sphincter, in accordance with certain predefined protocols. The presently disclosed devices have a simplified design because they do not require sensing systems capable of sensing when a person is engaged in a wet swallow and have improved energy storage requirements.
US08447398B2
A subcutaneous cardiac device includes two electrodes and a stimulator that generates a pulse to the electrodes. The electrodes are implanted between the skin and the rib cage of the patient and are adapted to generate an electric field corresponding to the pulse, the electric field having a substantially uniform voltage gradient as it passes through the heart. The shapes, sizes, positions and structures of the electrodes are selected to optimize the voltage gradient of the electric field, and to minimize the energy dissipated by the electric field outside the heart. More specifically, the electrodes have contact surfaces that contact the patient tissues, said contact surfaces having a total contact area of less than 100 cm2. In one embodiment, one or both electrodes are physically separated from the stimulator. In another embodiment, a unitary housing holds the both electrodes and the stimulator. Sensor circuitry may also include in the stimulator for detecting intrinsic cardiac activity through the same electrodes.
US08447395B2
Cells that are in the process division are vulnerable to damage by AC electric fields that have specific frequency and field strength characteristics. The selective destruction of rapidly dividing cells can therefore be accomplished by imposing an AC electric field in a target region for extended periods of time at particular frequencies with particular filed strengths. Some of the cells that divide while the field is applied will be damaged, but the cells that do not divide will not be harmed. This selectively damages rapidly dividing cells like bacteria, but does not harm normal cells that are not dividing. Since the vulnerability of the dividing cells is strongly related to the alignment between the long axis of the dividing cells and the lines of force of the electric field, improved results can be obtained when the field is sequentially imposed in different directions.
US08447391B2
A detection method for detecting a QRS wave is disclosed. An electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is provided. The ECG signal is enhanced to generate a processed signal. A first crest of the processed signal is determined. Each crest following the first crest is defined as a second crest. The level of each second crest is higher than a first threshold value. The result of defining the second crest is utilized to determine whether the QRS wave has occurred and approached a first crest.
US08447390B2
Detected changes in atrial activation can be used to discriminate between hemodynamically stable and hemodynamically unstable tachyarrhythmias.
US08447379B2
The present invention can provide a method of determining the presence, location, quantity, or a combination thereof, of a biological substance, comprising: (a) exposing a sample to a plurality of targeted nanoparticles, where each targeted nanoparticle comprises a paramagnetic nanoparticle conjugated with one or more targeting agents that preferentially bind with the biological substance, under conditions that facilitate binding of the targeting agent to at least one of the one or more biological substances; (b) subjecting the sample to a magnetic field of sufficient strength to induce magnetization of the nanoparticles; (c) measuring a magnetic field of the sample after decreasing the magnetic field applied in step b below a threshold; (d) determining the presence, location, quantity, or a combination thereof, of the one or more biologic substances from the magnetic field measured in step (c).
US08447377B2
A multi electrode catheter for non contact mapping of the heart having independent articulation and deployment features.
US08447376B2
Systems and methods of use for continuous analyte measurement of a host's vascular system are provided. In some embodiments, a continuous glucose measurement system includes a vascular access device, a sensor and sensor electronics, the system being configured for insertion into communication with a host's circulatory system.
US08447367B2
A process measurement instrument adapted for wireless communication, comprising a measurement unit (7) arranged to determine a measurement value of a process variable, a memory (21) arranged to store a current measurement value of the process variable, a wireless communication unit (8), arranged to access the current measurement value and communicate the current measurement value over a wireless communication channel according to a protocol with intermittently active communication, and arbitration logic (22), in communication with the measurement unit and the wireless communication unit, and arranged to ensure that active periods of the measurement unit occur when the wireless communication is inactive.The measurement unit and communication unit are thus able to share information via the common memory, e.g. by sequential read/write access. This avoids the need for simultaneous activity. The invention can be especially advantageous when the instrument is powered by an internal power store, such as a battery, and extend the lifetime of such a power store.
US08447360B2
The invention refers to a method for dynamically setting the radiation pattern of an antenna of a base station connected to User Equipments in a cellular telecommunications network by obtaining data of the positions of User Equipments located under coverage of the base station during a predetermined period of time; statistically treating said data of the positions of User Equipments to obtain at least one statistical parameter of said data, and changing the radiation pattern of the antenna depending on the result of comparing said at least one statistical parameter with a pre-established value.
US08447359B2
A method of accomplishing a transaction by a user equipment. Transaction information is inserted in at least one data field of an information entity that associates with the transaction based on information available at the user equipment. The information entity is then transmitted from the user equipment over a wireless interface. The insertion may require authorization. The insertion may occur automatically in response to a predefined event.
US08447342B2
A method of power control in a wireless communication system, wherein blocks are transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver via a wireless transport channel. The method comprises comparing a target signal quality value with a received signal quality value and providing the results of the comparing step to the transmitter to adjust transmit power based on the comparing step. The target signal quality value is set by the following steps: determining an initial target value; detecting if a data block has been received; detecting if received blocks have been successfully decoded; and decreasing the target value when pass blocks are received and increasing the target value when failed blocks are received subject to monitoring a period of inactivity on the transport channel in which no blocks are received.
US08447329B2
A system to determine positions of mobile computing devices and provide direction information includes a first mobile computing device configured to broadcast a first chirp signal, a second mobile computing device configured to broadcast a second chirp signal indicating receipt of the first chirp signal and a first time information about when the first chirp signal is received, and a third mobile computing device configured broadcast a third chirp signal indicating (a) receipt of the first and second chirp signals and (b) a second time information about when the first and second chirp signals are received. The first mobile computing device is configured to use the first and second time information to determine a position of the second mobile computing device. The first mobile computing device is also configured to transmit text messages to the second mobile computing device to direct a user of the second mobile computing device to a position of a user of the first mobile computing device.
US08447327B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises receiving a plurality of reference signals (RS) from a plurality of nearby cells over a positioning time window comprising a plurality of positioning occasions; grouping the received reference signals into a set of RS groups based on a time difference between a minimum expected RS time difference (RSTD) and a maximum expected RS time difference of the received signals; buffering a subset of the set of RS groups of the received reference signals in a RS buffer whose size is based at least in part on a buffering margin and is smaller than a maximum possible time difference; measuring the buffered reference signals; and generating an observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) report based on the buffered subset of the set of RS groups of the received reference signals.
US08447308B2
Determining a network transmitter that is more likely to cause handoff failures in a telecommunication service based on historical data records. The historical data records may be standard Call Data Records. A probability that a service provided by a first network transmitter will be handoffed to a second network transmitter is determined. An indication that a target network transmitter is overly busy is determined based on the number of failed services for each network transmitter that may handoff a service the target network transmitter and the probability that a service will be handoffed to the target network transmitter. Based on the indication, measures may be taken to increase quality level of the target network transmitter.
US08447307B2
The disclosure relates to an intermediate node arranged to relay information between a donor node and at least one served node, and comprises a served antenna arrangement that communicates by means of at least a first and second electrically steerable antenna radiation lobe. During a first mode of operation, all antenna radiation lobes are directed towards a first donor node. During a second mode of operation, the antenna radiation lobes are directed such that the intermediate node is in contact with both the first donor node and the second donor node. During a third mode of operation, all antenna radiation lobes are directed towards the second donor node. A first polarization is associated with each lobe directed towards the second donor node during the second mode of operation and a second polarization is associated with each lobe directed towards the first donor node during the second mode of operation.
US08447306B2
This document is related to a method for acquiring information for media independent handover. More specifically the method comprises: submitting a media independent handover (MIH) query to a base station (BS) by sending a first request message, and receiving a response to the MIH query. Because the first request message is used for authorization, preferably the PKM message, the MS can acquire information for handover between heterogeneous networks before the MS finishes the network entry.
US08447304B2
In an access gateway (AGW) comprising a C-AGW for handling control messages and a plurality of U-AGWs for handling data packets, when a tunnel setup request is issued from one of base stations to hand over a mobile station, the C-AGW selects a new U-AGW being in the lowest load status out of the U-AGWs, estimates the load status of the new U-AGW in the case of changing the tunnel endpoint for the mobile station from a current U-AGW to the new U-AGW. The C-AGW designates the new U-AGW as the tunnel endpoint for the mobile station if the estimated load status satisfies a predetermined condition, but designates the current U-AGW as the tunnel endpoint if the estimated load status does not satisfy the predetermined condition.
US08447302B2
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method wherein the network initiates a PDP context activation for a second PDP context using a new IP address that can be used for new transport sessions whenever one or more operator configured criteria apply. For example, the present invention can be used to: (1) route ongoing and new communication sessions from the old network device associated with the old IP address through a new network device associated with the new IP address using the old IP address; (2) route ongoing communication sessions from the old network device through the new network device using the old IP address, and new communication sessions directly through the new network device; or (3) route ongoing communication sessions from the old network device through the new network device without using the new IP address, and new communication sessions directly through the new network device.
US08447297B2
Apparatus (48), and an associated method, for facilitating effectuation of control over when a mobile node (12) operable in a communication system (10) generates control signaling pursuant to a control procedure (62), such as a network search and selection procedure (64) or a registration procedure (66). A determiner (52) determines whether prior-sent control signals appear to have been successfully delivered to the network. If not, a selector (54) selects whether to increase a wait period prior to commencement of a subsequent control procedure, such as another network searching and selection procedure.
US08447284B1
A multimedia communications system for broadcast distribution of multimedia content to mobile terminals over a cellular network is disclosed. The disclosed system accesses content providers, receives corresponding content information associated with provider content, and broadcasts content information to user terminals. The user terminals include software and/or hardware for receiving the content information and enabling a user to subscribe to one or more content items. Once a subscription is in place for one or more content items, corresponding content IDs are sent to and stored at the terminal. The system facilitates broadcast of the content. Content IDs stored in the terminal and broadcasted content IDs are compared. Only the content associated with the matching content IDs is then downloaded to the user terminal for storage and/or presentation. Content associated with unmatched content IDs is prevented from being received.
US08447275B2
A lossless inductor current sense technique integrates a matched, tunable complimentary filter with a switch mode power supply (SMPS) controller for accurately measuring current through the power inductor of the SMPS without introducing losses in the power circuit. The complimentary filter can be adjusted in-circuit to significantly reduce the effects of component tolerances, accurately measuring the power inductor current for over current protection and/or closed loop control. The frequency pole and gain of the complimentary integrated filter can be adjusted on the fly in order to adapt to dynamically changing operating conditions of the SMPS system.
US08447271B2
A mobile communication system 100 has a specific cell configured to use a user line. The mobile communication system 100 includes a line determination unit 22 configured to determine whether or not a communication call uses the user line, by using a line identifier configured to identify a user installed a radio base station managing the specific cell, and a calculation unit 24 configured to calculate a reduction fee to be discounted from a usage fee for the communication call using the user line for the user installed a radio base station managing the specific cell.
US08447261B2
Integrated multimedia voicemail systems and methods allow the creation of voicemail with associated multimedia content. A user can compose a voicemail and select or create multimedia content to be associated with the voicemail. A user can associate files, webpage addresses, applications, and user-created content with a voicemail. A user may operate an interface on a user device to select content and instruct a voicemail system to associate such content with a voicemail. The voicemail with integrated multimedia content may be an originating voicemail or a voicemail in response to another voicemail.
US08447252B2
An approach and apparatus for adaptive scanning for detection and classification of an RF signal. Time-domain and frequency-domain information are acquired and processed over a broad band of frequencies segmented into channels to produce signal features. The signal features are classified using a signal classifier into signal discriminants, from which a signal of interest is located and identified. Subsequent channel scans then place an increased relative or absolute dwell time on the channel believed to contain the signal of interest.
US08447246B2
In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a multi-band transmitter comprises a plurality of band paths with each band path configured for a different frequency range. Each band path comprises a modulator configured to modulate a data signal onto a carrier signal associated with the frequency range of the band path to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal associated with the band path and frequency range of the band path. Each band path also comprises a step-down balun that includes an input coil configured to receive the RF signal from the modulator. Each band path further comprises a tuner configured to tune the input coil to the frequency range of the band path. The tuner is also configured to compensate for off-state conduction of switches of the tuner to reduce non-linear tuning effects of the balun associated with the off-state conduction.
US08447242B2
A transceiver front-end provides an interface between a transmission medium and transmitter, and between a transmission medium and receiver. The transceiver front-end includes a hybrid circuit, a high-pass filter, and a gain stage, that permits the reduction or the complete elimination of buffer amplifiers. Buffer amplifiers can be eliminated because the hybrid circuit and/or the high-pass filter are adapted so that they can be directly connected to each other, without a loss in circuit performance. Furthermore, the high-pass filter and/or the gain stage are also adapted so they can be directly connected. As such, the transceiver front-end can be constructed using all passive components, reducing or eliminating excess heat generation.
US08447236B2
Techniques for transmitting and receiving data with spatial interference mitigation in a wireless communication network are described. In one design, a cell may receive precoding information from a first user equipment (UE) communicating with the cell and spatial feedback information (SFI) from a second UE not communicating with the cell. The cell may select a precoding matrix based on the precoding information and the SFI. The precoding matrix may steer a transmission toward the first UE and away from the second UE. The cell may send a reference signal based on the precoding matrix, send a resource quality information (RQI) request to the first UE, receive RQI determined by the first UE based on the reference signal, and determine a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) based on the RQI. The cell may then send a data transmission to the first UE with the precoding matrix and in accordance with the MCS.
US08447226B1
Various aspects of a portable satellite earth station to facilitate reception of satellite signals and to display audio and video corresponding to the satellite signals are described. According to one example, a portable satellite earth station includes a housing including a base hingably connected to an antenna containing portion, wherein the base includes a compartment; and a receiver/display configured to fit into the compartment in the housing, the receiver/display including a video display portion hingably connected to a receiver portion and movable between a folded position and an unfolded position, wherein the receiver/display may be moved to the unfolded position when the receiver/display is located in the compartment in the housing and the antenna containing portion can be closed into contact with the base over the receiver/display when the receiver/display is in the folded position.
US08447222B2
An image forming device includes a plurality of image forming units each including a developer carrier that carries developer; an image carrier that forms a developer image on a surface layer with the developer supplied from the developer carrier; and a developer collector that is positioned to contact the surface layer of the image carrier and that removes residual developer after transferring the developer image formed on the surface layer onto a recording sheet. Wherein the developer collector in a first image forming unit has a higher linear contact pressure against the surface layer of the image carrier than that of other image forming units, and a thickness of the surface layer of the image carrier of the first image forming unit is greater than a thickness of the image carrier of the other image forming units.
US08447215B2
An image forming apparatus includes a developing device that uses a developer carrier to advance to an image carrier a developer including a toner and a carrier and supplies the toner to the image carrier by applying a developing bias between the developer carrier and the image carrier. In the image forming apparatus, the following operation is performed before the developer in the developing device is taken out. The toner is supplied to the image carrier by applying the developing bias between the developer carrier and the image carrier, the developing bias increased in a direction to supply the toner to the image carrier. The toner supplied onto the image carrier is not transferred to a transfer receiving material but is advanced into a toner recovery device for recovery. The recovered toner is prevented from being returned to the developing device.
US08447214B2
To provide a charging member to the surface of which any toners and so forth can be kept from adhering and which can exhibit a stable charging performance. The charging member has a substrate, an elastic layer and a surface layer; the surface layer containing a high-molecular compound having an Si—O—B linkage and having a constitutional unit represented by the following formula (1) and a constitutional unit represented by the following formula (2). BO3/2 Formula (2)
US08447209B2
A process cartridge comprises a photosensitive drum and a developing roller. A coupling member is provided adjacent to one axial end of the developing roller. The coupling member includes a driven portion, and an intermediary portion configured and positioned to engage with the driven portion. The intermediary portion is also configured to be movable relative to the driven portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the driven portion. The coupling member further includes a driving portion configured and positioned to receive a driving force for rotating the developing roller. The driving portion is also configured to engage with the intermediary portion, and to be movable relative to the intermediary portion in a direction crossing the axis of the developing roller while maintaining engagement with the intermediary portion.
US08447205B2
An image forming apparatus includes a printing engine to form an image on a printing medium through printing processes, an engine frame to support the printing engine having a driving system to drive the printing engine, a high voltage power supply provided in a surface of the engine frame to apply a high voltage to at least one of units performing the printing processes, a main board provided in a surface of the engine frame adjacent to the surface having the high voltage power supply, and having a system engine controller to control the printing engine and a video controller to control a video signal, first and second main connectors respectively provided at lateral sides of the high voltage power supply and the main board adjacent to each other, and a connection control line to connect the first and second main connectors.
US08447201B2
An image forming apparatus includes plural image holding members; an intermediate transfer material; a transfer unit that transfers the toner images onto a recording medium; a density control toner image creating unit that creates a density control toner image at a constant position on each of the image holding members; a density detection unit that detects density of the density control toner image transferred onto a non-image region; and a creation timing control unit that controls timing of creating the density control toner image to create the density control toner image in the non-image region of the intermediate transfer material at a position where a length obtained by integrally multiplying the length obtained by adding the non-image region to the image region along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer material becomes equal to a length obtained by integrally multiplying the circumferential length of the image holding member.
US08447199B2
A fixing device for fixing an unfixed toner image on a recording medium includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a sheet guide, and a pressure adjusting mechanism. The fixing member heats the unfixed toner image on the recording medium. The pressure member is disposed opposite the fixing member and presses against the fixing member to define a fixing nip through which the recording medium bearing the unfixed toner image passes to fix the unfixed toner image onto the recording medium. The position of the fixing nip is changeable. The sheet guide disposed adjacent to the pressure member guides the recording medium to the fixing nip and moves in conjunction with movement of the pressure member. The pressure adjusting mechanism operatively connected to the pressure member adjusts an amount of engagement of the pressure member relative to the fixing member. An image forming apparatus includes the fixing device.
US08447196B2
An image forming apparatus has an image forming unit and a feeding unit for feeding a recording material at a predetermined speed to the image forming unit. A reflective type sensor reads irradiated light reflected off of the recording material and an image reading unit reads the light so as to obtain a surface image of the recording material so that a feed control unit can control the feeding of the recording medium so that a moving distance is shorter and in the case of feeding it at a predetermined speed while the recording material is read by the image reading unit. In the image forming apparatus a reflective type determination unit determines a predetermined attribute of the recording material using the surface image of the recording material read by the image reading unit so that the image forming apparatus can determine a kind of recording material based on the attribute obtain so as to form the image on the recording material.
US08447195B2
Methods and apparatus for adjusting printing device power consumption based on previously acquired usage data. The printing device has multiple energy consumption states including at least a ready state in which the printing device is ready to commence processing of a print job immediately upon receipt and including at least a low power state where the printing device is not ready to commence processing of a newly received print job. Acquired usage data includes parameters of print jobs submitted during a data collection period of time. The parameters may include time and date of submitted print jobs. Based on the usage data a usage profile is determined. The usage profile identifies one or more high usage periods of time and one or more low usage periods of time. Methods and apparatus then switch the printing device among the multiple energy consumption states based on the usage profile.
US08447174B2
A video system attachable to a docking station includes a display capable of displaying video data received from the docking station, and a media player, wherein the video system is capable of operating when removed from the docking station. The video system is capable of connecting to at least one of a battery and an adapter for a power supply.
US08447173B2
An information storage medium which stores data structures supporting multi-angles includes clip AV streams for respective angle data of multi-angle motion picture data. As additional information for each clip AV stream, clip information is recorded on a separate storage area from that of the clip AV streams. The clip information includes jumping-point information for jumping into another angle. Each of the clip AV streams may be recorded in a contiguous recording area, or divided into smaller interleaved units that are interleaved with units of the other clip AV streams.
US08447159B2
A stream recording apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a transport stream containing TS packets which include PCRs and PTSs, a first storage unit configured to store the transport stream, an analysis unit configured to analyze the PCRs and the PTSs, a counter configured to count a STC on the basis of one of the PCRs, a calculation unit configured to calculate a reproduction time corresponding to a PTS if the PTS is on a same time base with reference to a STC obtained upon reception of the TS packet having the PTS, and to stop calculating the reproduction time corresponding to the PTSs if the PTSs is on a different timebase, and a second storage unit configured to store the reproduction time in association with the one of the PTSs.
US08447155B1
An optical device for generating a frequency comb includes an optical source and a first waveguide comprising a nonlinear optical medium operable to mix at least two input optical waves to generate a plurality of first optical waves. The optical device also includes a second waveguide concatenated to the first waveguide and characterized by a first dispersion characteristics and operable to compress the waveforms of the plurality of first optical waves and to reduce a frequency chirp introduced by the first waveguide. The optical device additionally includes a third waveguide concatenated to the second waveguide. The third waveguide comprises a nonlinear optical medium and is operable to mix the plurality of first optical waves to generate a plurality of second optical waves and to increase a total number of second optical waves with respect to a total number of first optical waves.
US08447151B2
A triplexer including an optics block including a first port configured to receive a first light beam at a first wavelength and a second light beam at a second wavelength, and a second port configured to receive a third light beam at a third wavelength, a bounce cavity between the first and second ports, the bounce cavity being formed by opposing reflective elements adjacent respective surfaces of the optics block, a first grating opposite the first port, the first grating receiving all three light beams at substantially a same location thereon, the first grating configured to provide the first and second light beams to the bounce cavity and the third light beam to the first port, and a second grating opposite the second port, the second grating receiving the first and second light beams at spatially separated portions thereon.
US08447139B2
A system and method to detect objects in a digital image. At least one image representing at least one frame of a video sequence is received. A sliding window of different window sizes at different locations is placed in the image. A cascaded classifier including a plurality of increasingly accurate layers is applied to each window size and each location. Each layer includes a plurality of classifiers. An area of the image within a current sliding window is evaluated using one or more weak classifiers in the plurality of classifiers based on at least one of Haar features and Histograms of Oriented Gradients features. An output of each weak classifier is a weak decision as to whether the area of the image includes an instance of an object of a desired object type. A location of the zero or more images associated with the desired object type is identified.
US08447114B2
A feature extracting apparatus includes a pixel feature calculator that calculates a pixel feature for each pixel of image data; an area setting unit configured to set a plurality of areas in the image data; a coordinate mapping unit configured to map a first coordinate in one of the plurality of areas onto a second coordinate in at least one of the other plurality of areas; and a co-occurrence matrix calculator configured to calculate a co-occurrence matrix for each of the plurality of areas, the co-occurrence matrix being frequency of combinations of the pixel features at the first coordinate and the pixel feature at the second coordinates.
US08447111B2
A system for processing text captured from rendered documents is described. The system receives a sequence of one or more words optically or acoustically captured from a rendered document by a user. The system identifies among words of the sequence a word with which an action has been associated. The system then performs the associated action with respect to the user.
US08447099B2
A method for determining a three-dimensional model from two images comprising: receiving first and second images captured from first and second viewpoints, respectively, each image including a two-dimensional image together with a corresponding range map; identifying a set of corresponding features in the first and second two-dimensional images; removing any extraneous corresponding features in the set of corresponding features responsive to the first and second range maps to produce a refined set of corresponding features; determining a geometrical transform for transforming three-dimensional coordinates for the first image to be consistent three-dimensional coordinates for the second image responsive to three-dimensional coordinates for the refined set of corresponding features, the three-dimensional coordinates comprising two-dimensional pixel coordinates from the corresponding two-dimensional image together with a range coordinate from the corresponding range map; and determining a three-dimensional model responsive to the first image, the second image and the geometrical transform.
US08447095B2
A method for determining an image of a mask pattern in a resist coated on a substrate, the method including determining an aerial image of the mask pattern at substrate level; and convolving the aerial image with at least two orthogonal convolution kernels to determine a resist image that is representative of the mask pattern in the resist.
US08447094B2
Techniques and systems are disclosed to perform, in some examples, the steps of receiving a note or an image of a note, imaging at least a portion of the note, determining a value of at least one field indicated by a predetermined identifier of the note through character and mark recognition, and storing information regarding the note in a memory. The information regarding the note that may be stored in a memory may be forwarded to a regulatory agency or an external entity for reporting or record-keeping.
US08447093B2
A bill processing apparatus capable of conducting accurately an authenticity judgment of a bill, which is caused to expand or contract, and an authenticity judgment process method employed therein. The bill processing apparatus includes a bill reader reading a bill, a reference data storage part storing an allowable range acceptable from a reference value as a standard length of a printed area on each surface thereof; and a comparison judgment part executing an authenticity judgment process by comparing the corrected data with an allowable ranged for the other surface stored in the storage part, the actual measurement data on the other surface being corrected based on a correction value calculated with respect to the actual measurement data for the one surface, when the actual measurement data of the length of the printed area of the one surface is out of the allowable range.
US08447087B2
An apparatus for imaging a tooth has at least one illumination source for providing an incident light having a first spectral range for obtaining a reflectance image of the tooth and a second spectral range for exciting a fluorescence image of the tooth. A first polarizer having a first polarization axis and a compensator in the path of the incident light of the first spectral range are disposed to direct light toward the tooth. A second polarizer is disposed to direct light obtained from the tooth toward a sensor and has a second polarization axis that is orthogonal to the first polarization axis. A lens is positioned in the return path to direct image-bearing light from the tooth toward the sensor for obtaining image data. A filter in the path of the image-bearing light from the tooth is treated to attenuate light in the second spectral range.
US08447080B2
A surface extraction method capable of improving accuracy of extraction of surfaces of an object, a surface extraction device, and a program are proposed. A voxel space that is divided into voxels having a lattice shape, and whether or not object constituting voxels that constitute an object which is shown in the voxel space is investigated in units of voxel rows of the voxels. Ends of the continuous object constituting voxels in the voxel rows are extracted as surfaces of the object. Straight-line rows are used as units, and intermediate portions of continuous constituting regions in the straight-line rows are ignored. Thus, even when a region that does not constitute the object exists inside the object, the region that does not constitute the object can be prevented from being falsely extracted as a surface of the object without investigation of the same region two times or more.
US08447079B2
A device includes an incident arm, a detection arm, a sample stage, and an image processing computer. The incident arm includes a light source and a first polarizing element, and is disposed on one side of the sample stage. The detection arm includes a second polarizing element and a photoelectric detector, and is disposed on a light-detection path. The photoelectric detector is connected to the computer. The device further includes a device for adjusting polarization angles of the first and second polarizing elements. A method includes: illuminating a sample surface using linearly polarized light with a certain polarization angle; detecting outgoing polarized light by a photoelectric detector; adjusting polarization angles of the incident and detected polarized light, and repeating the above two steps to obtain a series of polarized images, each image corresponding to incident and detected polarization angles; and computer processing the obtained images to obtain sample information.
US08447076B2
An image processing device clips a plurality of partial images from an image, and calculates difference values of pixel values between a target pixel and surrounding pixels surrounding the target pixel in the partial images. Then, the image processing device decides parameter values corresponding to respective surrounding pixels based on identification information that identifies the partial image from among the plurality of the partial images and the difference values, and calculates a feature amount corresponding to the target pixel using the parameter value decided. Then, the image processing device obtains a feature amount of the partial images by calculating the feature amount with the above-described steps, using each pixel in the partial images as the target pixels.
US08447075B2
Methods, systems and devices are implemented in connection with measuring characteristics of a portion of muscle tissue. Consistent with one such method an ultrasound probe is presented to the portion of muscle tissue. The probe produces a response-provoking signal in the muscle tissue, and the pressure applied between the probe and the portion of muscle tissue is sensed. A resulting signal is used to determine the muscle tissue characteristics based on the pressure being exerted between the probe and the portion. For example, the pressure data is associated with and used to filter the acquisition or use of ultrasound image data.
US08447064B2
The present invention relates generally to generating travel-logs or geographical representation of encountered media. One claim recites a method including obtaining a plurality of imagery, wherein each item of imagery from the plurality of imagery comprises steganographic encoding, the steganographic encoding altering data representing the imagery, the steganographic encoding comprising multi-bit data, and wherein the presence of the multi-bit data is imperceptible to a human observer of the imagery absent machine-detection; detecting the multi-bit data from the plurality of imagery, wherein the multi-bit data is associated with geolocation metadata; and providing a geographic path associated with the plurality of imagery based at least in part on the geolocation metadata. The geographic path is provided for display to a user relative to a graphical map. Of course, other different claims are provided as well.
US08447040B2
A first communication apparatus that functions as a providing apparatus that provides an encryption key or as a receiving apparatus that receives an encryption key provided by a providing apparatus, and that performs a key sharing process for sharing an encryption key with another apparatus, confirms whether or not the first communication apparatus functioned as the providing apparatus in the key sharing process performed among a plurality of apparatuses present on a network in which the first communication apparatus is joining; compares identification information of a second communication apparatus that has newly joined the network with identification information of the first communication apparatus; and determines whether or not the first communication apparatus is to function as a providing apparatus in the key sharing process performed between the first and the second communication apparatuses based on the result of the confirmation and the comparison.
US08447037B2
A key tree construction and key distribution method for hierarchical role-based access control, includes: constructing a key tree including relationships between a hierarchical structure of role groups and data; performing encryption and decryption of data keys and role keys; and generating a key table, in which the data keys required to decrypt encrypted data and the role keys required to decrypt encrypted data keys are stored, with reference to the key tree. Further, the key tree construction and key distribution method for hierarchical role-based access control includes performing management such that a specific role group can obtain a data key by performing decryption based on its own role key by using both the key tree and the key table.
US08447036B2
The present invention provides an efficient method and system in which a plurality of participants share a secret key in a communication environment that is not ensured. According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the participants is assigned with a secret key from a key generation party, generates exchange information, and transmits its own exchange information to the other participant to exchange the exchange information with each other. Each of the participants generates a shared key on the basis of the exchange information and its own secret key.
US08447016B1
A system and method are provided for establishing interactive communications between a customer and an agent of a merchant using a third-party. The customer is provided with a link that accesses a data entry element, such as a form, via which the customer can provide additional information to the agent. The third-party receives the entered customer information and forwards it on to the agent via, e.g., a screen pop. If the agent determines that the call should be accepted, the third-party facilitates connecting the agent with the customer.
US08447014B2
Disclosed are systems and techniques for identifying VoIP phone connector locations whereby an emergency call request can be specifically located on a VoIP phone network. This system addresses prior-art shortcomings in which the location information is attempted to be tracked with identification information stored in VoIP phones, or in which databases of location information are created relative to MAC addresses of component pieces of the VoIP phone network (such as the VoIP phones themselves, data switches, or LAN routers) in that the VoIP phone connectors are fixedly mounted in buildings and their locations can be more reliably fixed and maintained. Further described are methods for establishing databases of location and/or caller information associated with these VoIP phone connectors. Still further described are VoIP phone server embodiments that enable the location and/or caller information to be determined according to the associated VoIP phone connectors and for that information to be transmitted both to public safety access points and to campus security networks, and for emergency calls to be bridged both to public safety access points and to campus security networks.
US08447013B2
Multibeam field emission x-ray systems and related methods can include cathode elements, an anode assembly spaced from the plurality of cathode elements, and an extraction gate positioned between the plurality of cathode elements and the anode assembly. A potential difference can be applied between the extraction gate and at least one of the cathode elements to cause an emission of electrons from the respective cathode elements. Emission characteristics of the cathode elements can be measured, and the potential difference between the extraction gate and at least one of the cathode elements can be adjusted based on the emission characteristics measured.
US08447008B2
A shift frequency demultiplier with automatic reset function is N-frequency demultiplication (N>2) and includes N-1 registers connected with each other and defined from a first register to an (N-1)th register. Each of the registers has an input end, an output end, a reset end and a clock end. For the registers from the first register to the (N-2)th register, the output end of every register is connected with the input end of a next register adjacent thereto, the output end of the (N-1)th register is connected with the input end of the first register by a reverser. The reset end of the (N-1)th register is connected with a system reset signal end. The system reset signal end logically multiplied by the output end of the (N-1)th register is connected with the reset ends of the registers from the first register to the (N-2)th register.
US08447006B2
A reusable up-ending device for loading or unloading nuclear fuel assembly shipping packages. The device has a translating base mounted to a fixed beam structure and two stabilizing arms affixed to a mounting fixture on the base that is secured to the operating floor. The stabilizing arms include a spring dampener and have a simple elbow joint that straightens after the package is up righted. Translation is achieved by means of a hand adjustable lead screw and enables the base to be most advantageously positioned. The shipping package is inserted into pivot mount blocks located at the front of the base and the package is secured at the pivot mount blocks by means of a trunnion and at the support arms by means of a locking pin. Once the package is up-righted the elbows on the support arms are locked in place.
US08447005B2
Methods and apparatus for have frequency offset estimation and cell search in radio communication systems take into account the time-frequency correlation properties of reference and synchronization signals in such systems. This reduces the probability of misdetection of the physical layer cell ID and frequency offset by accounting for time-frequency ambiguities and evaluating correlation signal peaks in the frequency domain, saving signal processing time and making initial cell search considerably faster. Also, lower-grade and hence cheaper oscillators can be used without causing problems in the user's experience with a receiver, such as a cellular telephone.
US08446999B2
A receiving antenna diversity effect is improved by equalizing the likelihood while exchanging the likelihood among a plurality of equalizers. A receiving apparatus (300) which receives radio signals using antennas (301-1 to 301-M), includes: pilot separation sections (304-1 to 304-M) separating a pilot signal and a received data signal from the radio signals; a channel estimation section (305) calculating a channel estimation value corresponding to each of the antennas (301-1 to 301-M) according to the pilot signal; and a reception processing section (306) performing signal detection for the received data signal corresponding to each of the antennas (301-1 to 301-M) and having a plurality of equalization sections each generating likelihood information according to the received data signal and the channel estimation value, wherein any one of the equalization sections generates likelihood information using the likelihood information generated by another equalization section and also outputs the generated likelihood information to another equalization section.
US08446997B2
A method and apparatus for compensating for third-order intermodulation (IM) distortion in a receiver by passing a received signal through a detector to obtain a second-order difference signal, combining the 2nd-order signal with the received signal in a multiplier to obtain a 3rd-order IM signal, adjusting a parameter such as amplitude, phase or quadrature amplitude of the 3rd-order IM signal, and coupling the 3rd-order IM signal into the received signal.
US08446994B2
Methods and apparatuses for reducing DC offsets in a communication system are described. In a first aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a wireless local area network (WLAN) receiver channel. The frequency response of the feedback loop circuit can be variable. In a second aspect, a circuit provides gain control in a WLAN receiver channel. The stored DC offset is subtracted from the receiver channel. First and second automatic gain control (AGC) amplifiers are coupled in respective portions of the receiver channel. In a third aspect, a feedback loop circuit reduces DC offset in a WLAN receiver channel. The feedback loop circuit includes a storage element that samples and stores receiver channel DC offset. The loop is opened, and the DC offset stored in the storage element is subtracted from the receiver channel. Circuits for monitoring DC offset, and for providing control signals for controlling the frequency response of the DC offset reducing circuits are also provided.
US08446990B2
A carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation and synchronization method and apparatus of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) receiver receiving an OFDM modulated signal. The OFDM receiver's CFO synchronization method includes step (a) performing an initial CFO estimation pull-in step using double correlation, step (b) performing a coarse residue CFO estimate acquisition step using independent combination of the double correlation and auto-correlation, and step (c) performing a small residue CFO tracking step by using the double correlation. Aspects of the invention solves the problems in the related art that a CFO tracking range cannot be reliably used in practice when the CFO tracking range is too narrow and a CFO estimation error increases when the CFO tracking range is too wide.
US08446983B2
A demodulation circuit for an Amplitude Shift Keyed (ASK) modulated signal includes an envelope detector, an alternating voltage amplifier, a differentiator circuit, and a comparator having a hysteresis connected in series. The envelope detector produces an envelope signal from the received ASK signal. The amplifier blocks the DC component of the envelope signal and amplifies AC components of the envelope signal to obtain a steeper slope of the rising and falling edges. The differentiator circuit then processes the transition edges to provide a differentiated signal having positive and negative electrical pulses. The comparator converts the pulses into a binary data stream which corresponds to the transmitted data stream. The combination of the differentiated signal and comparator having a hysteresis enables better stability and sensitivity of the ASK demodulation circuit.
US08446982B2
Beamforming is provided for a wireless MIMO device by using antenna puncturing to reduce the number of transmit antennas that are used to transmit data for certain subcarriers. In a conventional approach, if N spatial streams are being used to provide spatial multiplexing, then N transmit antennas would be used to transmit for each subcarrier. In at least one embodiment of the invention, enhancements in channel capacity are achieved by using less than N transmit antennas for one or more subcarriers.
US08446971B2
Embodiments of a communication station and methods for efficiently providing channel feedback for MIMO communications over an OFDM channel are generally described herein. In some embodiments, receiving stations may perform a recursive differential quantization of channel information across time and/or frequency to generate quantized differential channel feedback. The quantized differential channel feedback from each receiving station may be used by a transmitting station to precode MIMO transmissions to one or more of the receiving stations. The quantized differential channel feedback may be either a quantized differential channel matrix or a quantized differential beamforming matrix.
US08446958B2
An image coding apparatus using an encoder which places restrictions on the bit depth to codes a current image to be coded having a bit depth greater than a predetermined bit depth, and includes: a down-converter (102) which down-converts the current image into a base view image having a bit depth equal to or less than the predetermined bit depth; an MVC (multiview video coding) encoder (101) which codes the base view image and decodes the coded base view image to generate a reconstructed image; and a subtracter (103) which calculates differences between characteristics of pixel values of the pre-down-conversion current image and characteristics of the corresponding pixel values of the reconstructed image, and generates, using the calculated differences, a non-base view image having a bit depth equal to or less than the predetermined bit depth, wherein the MVC encoder (101) further codes the non-base view image.
US08446954B2
This disclosure describes techniques for improving mode selection decisions during the encoding of macroblocks (or other blocks) of multimedia frames of a multimedia sequence. During motion estimation, the encoding modes for macroblocks can be determined so that a desirable encoding rate and acceptable levels of distortion (i.e., acceptable rate-distortion) can be achieved. The techniques may include selecting a set of multimedia coding modes between at least two sets of possible multimedia coding modes for a macroblock of a multimedia frame based on a detail metric associated with the macroblock and mode information associated with neighboring blocks to the macroblock.
US08446948B2
A method of progressively coding/decoding 3-D mesh information, and an apparatus therefor are provided. The progressive 3-D mesh information coding method includes the steps of reconstructing an input 3-D mesh into a plurality of mesh components, coding each of the plurality of mesh components, and multiplexing the plurality of coded mesh components into a compressed bit stream and transmitting the compressed bit stream. The method of progressively decoding the transmitted, compressed bit stream which has been coded by the coding method, includes dividing the transmitted bit stream into a plurality of coded mesh components, decoding each of the plurality of coded mesh components, and reconstructing a 3-D mesh by synthesizing the plurality of decoded mesh components.
US08446944B1
A data processing device is provided. The data processing device includes a first port configured to receive data from a first bus, and a direct memory access (DMA) engine coupled to the first port. The DMA engine is configured to receive the data from the first bus, receive a contiguous scatter-gather list from a processing device via a second port, configure the data according to the contiguous scatter-gather list, and provide the configured data to the processing device through the second port. The second port is configured to write the configured data to the processing device over a second bus.
US08446943B2
A method and apparatus for communicating over a power line. In one embodiment of the method, a first PWM waveform signal is generated, wherein a duty cycle of the first PWM waveform signal is proportional to an amplitude of a first analog signal. A first sinusoidal waveform signal is also generated, which has a first frequency. The first sinusoidal waveform signal is modulated in relation to the first PWM waveform signal. The modulated first sinusoidal waveform signal is transmitted to a circuit via a power conductor that couples a power source to the circuit. The circuit in turn generates a demodulated signal by demodulating the modulated first sinusoidal waveform signal.
US08446941B2
Disclosed are an equalizer and an equalization method employing an adaptive algorithm for high speed data transmissions. The equalizer includes: a subtraction unit subtracting a feedback signal from an input signal to generate a subtraction signal; a timing signal generation unit generating a sampling timing signal; an equalization signal generation unit equalizing the subtraction signal according to the sampling timing signal to generate an equalization signal; and a feedback signal generation unit calculating a filter coefficient value by using the subtraction signal and the equalization signal, delaying the equalization signal, and weighting the delayed equalization signal according to the filter coefficient value to generate a feedback signal.
US08446939B2
A receive signal processor jointly detects two or more symbols in a signal-of-interest in the presence of one or more other MIMO signals. The signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio for each signal-of-interest is determined by computing per-subcarrier signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios for a plurality of subcarriers allocated to the signals-of-interest, and computing a total signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio for the subcarriers based on the per-subcarrier signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios of the subcarriers. A controller determines one or more transmission formats for uplink transmissions based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios. The process of computing per-subcarrier signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio reflects the amount of MIMO interference already cancelled or still remaining in the signal arriving at the joint detector.
US08446923B2
When an output instruction is input to the control unit, the control unit controls the seed laser light source and the pumping light source to be either in a pre-pumped state or in an output state. In the pre-pumped state, laser light is not output from the seed laser light source, and pumping light with a predetermined intensity based on a laser light intensity set by the output setting unit is output from the pumping light source for a certain period of time. In the output state, laser light is output from the seed laser light source, and pumping light is output from the pumping light source, so that laser light with the intensity set by the output setting unit is output.
US08446918B2
A method of operating a mobile wireless network is described to ensure proper function of protocol entities during the transmission of data units between two wireless stations of the mobile wireless network. In this case, user data is assembled by a first convergence protocol layer of the first wireless station into at least one first data unit, particularly a packet data unit, before transmission to a second convergence protocol layer of a second wireless station, particularly on the same protocol level, with the user data being supplied to the first convergence protocol layer by at least one user in a network layer. At least one protocol entity of the first convergence protocol layer is configured as a function of a configuration request received by the second wireless station, in order to form the at least one first data unit from the data received from the at least one user and to transmit it through a carrier to a link control layer.
US08446914B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a forwarding mechanism and a control mechanism. During operation, the forwarding mechanism forwards frames based on their Ethernet headers. The control mechanism operates the switch in conjunction with a separate physical switch as a single logical switch and assigns a virtual switch identifier to the logical switch, wherein the virtual switch identifier is associated with a link aggregation group.
US08446913B2
A Fibre Channel router used to join fabrics. EX_ports are used to connect to the fabrics. The EX_port joins the fabric but the router will not merge into the fabric. Ports in the Fibre Channel router can be in a fabric, but other ports can be connected to other fabrics. Fibre Channel routers can be interconnected using a backbone fabric. Global, interfabric and encapsulation headers are developed to allow routing by conventional Fibre Channel switch devices in the backbone fabric and simplify Fibre Channel router routing. Phantom domains and devices must be developed for each of the fabrics being interconnected. Front phantom domains are present at each port directly connected to a fabric. Each of these is then connected to at least one translate phantom domain. Zoning is accomplished by use of a special LSAN zoning naming convention. This allows each administrator to independently define devices are accessible.
US08446903B1
In one embodiment, a converged protocol stack can be used to unify communications from a first communication protocol to a second communication protocol to provide for data transfer across a physical interconnect. This stack can be incorporated in an apparatus that includes a protocol stack for a first communication protocol including transaction and link layers, and a physical (PHY) unit coupled to the protocol stack to provide communication between the apparatus and a device coupled to the apparatus via a physical link. This PHY unit may include a physical unit circuit according to the second communication protocol. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08446896B2
In certain embodiments, a slave node in a packet network achieves time synchronization with a master node by implementing a packet-layer synchronization procedure, such as the IEEE1588 precision timing protocol (PTP), to set the slave's local time based on the master's time. The slave's local time is then maintained by implementing a physical-layer syntonization procedure, such as synchronous Ethernet, without relying on the packet-layer synchronization procedure. The packet-layer synchronization procedure may be selectively employed to adjust the slave's local time (if needed) after significant periods of time (e.g., substantially greater than one second). Both the packet-layer synchronization procedure and the physical-layer syntonization procedure are traceable to a common reference timescale (e.g., UTC). Depending on the implementation, the packet-layer synchronization procedure can be, but does not have to be, terminated when not being employed to adjust the slave's local time.
US08446895B2
Provided is a radio base station eNB including a transmission timing decision unit and a system information transmission unit. The transmission timing decision unit decides a transmission radio frame according to an offset Xk from a transmission timing of a first system information SI-1 and a transmission cycle Tk for other system information k and decides a transmission sub-frame in a decided transmission radio frame according to scheduling information contained in the first system information SI-1. The system information transmission unit transmits other system information k in the decided transmission sub-frame. The offset Xk is defined so as to be different for each transmission cycle Tk.
US08446894B2
A method is described for performing frame synchronization that comprises performing a first synchronization to determine approximate timing of a frame boundary associated with a received signal. The method further comprises estimating frequency offset and symbol boundaries within the frame boundary based on the approximate timing and performing a second synchronization based on the frame boundary and the symbol boundary.
US08446891B2
The present invention relates to a technique relating to a method and apparatus for generating, transmitting, and receiving a data frame having a newly proposed format in a wireless communication system. According to the technique, the method for generating a data frame in a wireless communication system comprises the following steps: generating at least one first subframe; generating at least one second subframe; and generating a data frame including the first and second subframes, wherein the first and second subframes include length information of a MAC protocol data unit (MPDU) contained in the first and second subframes, and the length information of the MPDU contained in the second subframe is zero.
US08446889B2
Methods and systems that support, for example, canceling or trimming reservations of a shared communication medium are described. In one embodiment, a method that adapts a network time reservation in a communication network may include, for example, one or more of the following: transmitting a preamble field; transmitting a legacy signal field; transmitting at least one paired field, each paired field comprising a signal field and a protocol data unit; and generating an interframe gap.
US08446884B2
Dual-mode communication devices, methods, and systems are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include devices, method, and systems enabling communication in a spread-spectrum communication protocol, comprising: receiving a first portion of a communication frame at a first frequency channel, wherein the first portion of the communication frame comprises a data channel index that indicates a second frequency channel for receiving a second portion of the communication frame; switching to the second frequency channel; and receiving the second portion of the communication frame at the second frequency channel. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are claimed and disclosed.
US08446883B2
A method and system for the networking of radio transceivers is disclosed. The system includes a source transceiver with a source address, and a destination transceiver with a destination address. A router gateway includes a first interface in communication with the source transceiver and a second interface in communication with the destination transceiver, and interconnections between the two are defined in a routing table. A network signaling system independent of the respective radio transmission and receipt systems enables communication between the source transceiver and the destination transceiver.
US08446880B2
A method of performing cell re-selection in a wireless communication system considering mobility of a user equipment comprises detecting cells having signal strength greater than a certain level for a first time interval and a second time interval, determining mobility of the user equipment using at least one of a change level in the number of cells detected for the first time interval and the second time interval and information related to variation of a signal characteristics value of at least one cell commonly detected for the first time interval and the second time interval, and performing cell re-selection considering mobility of the user equipment.
US08446874B2
A network system using Mobile Internet Protocol (IP). The network system includes a correspondent node for transmitting a packet in which information passing a packet filter rule is included, and a packet filtering apparatus for determining whether an address included in information of the packet received from the correspondent node is identical to a destination address stored in the packet filter rule, and determining whether to pass the packet according to the determination result.
US08446873B2
A method for uplink transmitting control information in a mobile communication system is disclosed. A method for uplink transmitting control information in a mobile communication system includes receiving control channel configuration information for indicating a first period about a time interval in which a control channel is repeatedly allocated and a second period about a time interval in which the control channel is repeatedly allocated in accordance with the first period, generating a control channel at a predetermined position in a time-frequency resource region for uplink transmission in consideration of the first period and the second period, and transmitting control information through the generated control channel.
US08446870B2
Disclosed is a base station in which the frequency usage efficiency can be improved when the communication bandwidths are asymmetric in the uplink line and the downlink line. A base station (200) can communicate by using a plurality of downlink unit bands and a smaller number of uplink unit bands. A control unit (201) allocates uplink resource allocation information and downlink resource allocation information to a PDCCH which is arranged in each of the plurality of downlink unit bands, and allocates a response signal to the uplink line data to a PHICH which is arranged in the same number of downlink unit bands from the plurality of downlink unit bands as there are uplink unit bands. A transmit RF unit (212) transmits the resource allocation information or the response signal.
US08446865B2
A communication system includes first and second devices, where a processor of at least one of the first device and the second device is configured to assign a control channel common to the first device and the second device; exchange control information over the control channel; from the control information, find a data channel available to both the first device and the second device for data communications between the first device and the second device; and communicate data over the data channel between the first device and the second device.
US08446857B1
A low-cost, low-power, low-complexity, small, high-reliability, robust, seamless satellite communication network is described. The network performs encoding of a user signal at the customer premises to enable routing of the user signal to an appropriate destination beam at the satellite requiring low power user signal processing. Routing information is embedded at the periphery of the network CPE's rather than at the satellite. Embedding the routing information in this way greatly reduces on-board switching complexity and increases signal to interference ratio for the user.
US08446856B2
A method for recommending a relay node to which a user agent attaches. The method includes recommending the relay node based on a relay node selection rank.
US08446844B1
A serving base station transmits at least one message to configure at least one backward compatible carrier and at least one non-backward compatible carrier in a wireless device. The serving base station transmits, in response to the serving base station making a handover decision, a second message to a target base station. The second message comprises parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports configuration of non-backward compatible carriers, configuration information of at least one backward compatible carrier and/or configuration information of at least one non-backward compatible carrier.
US08446841B2
In particular embodiments, a network element filters information sent to a neighboring network element. In the embodiments, the core network element may determine whether the neighboring network element is an edge network element or a core network element. If the neighboring network element is an edge network element, the core network element may set a filter, remove traffic engineering information according to the filter, and send the remaining information to the neighboring network element.
US08446830B2
An apparatus comprises a first interface module configured to interface with one or more user devices through a wireless local area network (WLAN) connection; a second interface module configured to interface with a wireless communication network through a wireless wide area network (WWAN) connection; and a controller. The controller is configured to detect availability of carrier hotspots; if no carrier hotspot is detected, route traffic to and from the one or more user devices through the WWAN connection; and if a carrier hotspot is detected, route traffic to and from the one or more user devices through the detected carrier hotspot.
US08446825B2
A technique to send service period allocation from a network control point to a plurality of stations using an Announce frame of a 60 GHz DBand specification. The use of the Announce frame ensures that the control point receives confirmation of the service period allocation assigned to the stations before data transfer is permitted between the stations.
US08446823B2
A method is disclosed for managing multiple data streams transported over a common communications resource in a packet network, wherein data flowing through the resource travels in both directions, and wherein each stream is subject to data peaks. The round trip delay is determined for each data stream, and the transmission of data peaks in one or more of the data streams is delayed to at least reduce the degree of coincidence in the data peaks of different streams without increasing the maximum round trip delay for the data streams.
US08446818B2
Routed split multi-link trunking resiliency for wireless local area network split-plane environments
A method, apparatus and computer program product for performing Routed Split Multi-Link Trunking Resiliency for Wireless Local Area Network split-plane environments is presented. A first network switch learns first data associated with a second network switch and the first network switch terminates an Access Tunnel (AT). The said second network switch learns second data associated with said first network switch. The first and second data are synchronized between the first network switch and the second network switch. The first network switch and the second network load sharing tunnel data packets. The second network switch forwards tunnel control packets received by the second network switch to the first network. A failure relating to said first network switch is detected and a new AT is established with the second network switch.
US08446813B1
Control bits for switches of a butterfly network are directly solved iteratively for each successive functional column of switches to route data values in parallel according to a multiple access scheme through the butterfly network to memory spaces. A memory space address and appended bus index leading into the butterfly network are generated. A linear order bus index and a physical address are determined for a switch having an unsolved control bit. The solved control bits are applied to solve control bits to a next functional column in a linear and an interleaved order by starting from the bus index and physical address. The linear order is moved to the interleaved order by a reduced turbo de-interleaver and the interleaved order is moved to the linear order by a reduced turbo interleaver until solving a sequence of control bits related to the start bus index and the start physical address.
US08446811B2
Methods and systems for subpacket generation using a convolutional turbo code in hybrid automatic repeat request re-transmissions that includes separating a codeword into subblocks of bits, interleaving the subblocks, and performing a permutation to group the bit streams and rearrange a symbol constellation such that bits are assigned to bit positions based on a number of re-transmissions.
US08446804B2
A disc inspecting method includes: forming recording marks on a disc; scanning the recording marks from inside to outside or from outside to inside of the disc by a pickup unit to read a reproduction signal while rotating a spindle to move a slider by each predetermined width; acquiring reproduction data from the reproduction signal in a signal acquiring unit; and determining whether or not the reproduction data is proper in a calculation unit, and optimizing a formation condition of the recording marks when it is determined that the reproduction data is not proper.
US08446800B2
A time information acquisition apparatus comprises an input waveform data pattern generator configured to sample a standard time radio wave signal in order to generate an input waveform data pattern, a predicted waveform data pattern generator configured to generate predicted waveform data patterns, represents a string of codes based on a base time, and has a head position, an error detector configured to detect non-coincidence between the input waveform data pattern and each of the predicted waveform data patterns in order to acquire a number of errors indicative of a number of non-coincidences, a current time correction module configured to correct the base time based on the predicted waveform data pattern indicative of a minimum value of the number of errors, and a controller configured to determine the number of predicted waveform data patterns to be generated.
US08446790B2
A reference voltage supplying circuit can include an internal reference voltage generating unit configured to generate an internal reference voltage, a pad configured to receive an external reference voltage, a switching unit selectively configured to supply the internal reference voltage or the external reference voltage to an internal voltage generator in a test mode.
US08446788B2
The present disclosure provides semiconductor devices and methods, systems, and apparatus for testing and operating the same. A semiconductor memory device includes data storage elements and a repair circuit. The data storage elements include primary data storage elements and one or more redundant data storage elements, the primary data storage elements having respective addresses for memory access operations. The repair circuit is programmable by another semiconductor device separate from the memory device to recognize a malfunctioning address of the primary data storage elements and the programmed repair circuit is configured to reroute memory access from a primary data storage element having the recognized malfunctioning address to a corresponding redundant data storage element.
US08446783B2
A DRAM includes a register storing subsets of row addresses corresponding to rows containing at least one memory cell that is unable to store a data bit during a normal refresh cycle. Each subset includes all but the most significant bit of a corresponding row address. A refresh counter in the DRAM generates refresh row addresses that are used to refresh rows of memory cells. The refresh row addresses are compared to the subsets of row addresses that are stored in the register. In the event of a match, the row of memory cells corresponding to the matching subset of bits is refreshed. The number of refreshes occurring each refresh cycle will depend upon the number of bits in the subset that are omitted from the row address. The memory cells that are unable to retain data bits are identified by a modified sense amplifier.
US08446781B1
A system is provided for multi-rank, partial-width memory modules. A memory controller is provided. Additionally, a memory bus is provided. Further, a memory module with a plurality of ranks of memory circuits is provided, the memory module including a first number of data pins that is less than a second number of data pins of the memory bus.
US08446778B2
A charge trap flash memory device is capable of preventing a data retention fail by ensuring a data retention margin. A method for operating the charge trap flash memory device is provided. A selected memory cell is programmed using a program voltage. The selected memory cell is verified using a first program verify voltage. Date retention states of selected memory cell having passed the program verify step are verified using a retention verify voltage. A read step of determining a program pass or fail by reading data of the selected memory cell having passed the retention verify step is performed using a read voltage.
US08446775B2
To program a semiconductor memory device, a plurality of target threshold voltage groups are set by dividing target threshold voltages representing states of memory cells. The target threshold voltage groups are substantially simultaneously programmed by applying a plurality of program voltages to a word line. Program end times for the target threshold voltage groups are adjusted.
US08446772B2
Techniques are disclosed herein for automatically self-disabling a memory die in the event that a programmable element on the memory die for indicating whether the memory die is defective cannot be trusted. Memory die are provided with chip enable circuitry to allow particular memory die to be disabled. If the programmable element can be trusted, the state of the programmable element is provided to the chip enable circuitry to enable/disable the memory die based on the state. However, if the programmable element cannot be trusted, then the chip enable circuitry may automatically disable the memory die. This provides a greater yield for multi-chip memory packages because packages having memory die with a programmable element that cannot be trusted can still be used.
US08446770B2
Provided is a method for programming a nonvolatile memory device. The nonvolatile memory device includes a local word line to divide a memory cell string into a first area including a selected word line and a second area not including the selected word line. In the method, word lines of the first area are driven by a first pass voltage and word lines of the second area driven by a second pass voltage higher than the first pass voltage. A cell transistor corresponding to the local word line is turned off after the first pass voltage and the second pass voltage are applied. The selected word line is driven by a program voltage after the cell transistor is turned off.
US08446769B2
A memory device includes a plurality of memory cells serially connected between a bit line and a common source line and a plurality of word lines, respective ones of which are connected to respective gates of the plurality of memory cells. The memory device further includes a common source line compensation circuit configured to generate a compensated bias voltage on the bit line or at least one of the plurality of word lines responsive to a common source line voltage on the common source line. Related methods of operating memory devices are also provided.
US08446768B2
A device comprises a nonvolatile memory cell array, a buffer circuit, a program control circuit, and a read control circuit. The nonvolatile memory cell array comprises a plurality of memory cells. The program control circuit stores program data in the buffer circuit. The read control circuit reads data from a selected address of the nonvolatile memory cell array. The program control circuit compares the program data with the read data, and sets a bit of the program data as a program-inhibit bit based on the comparison.
US08446764B2
A control voltage generation circuit for generating a control voltage for controlling a high-voltage transistor includes an input node configured to receive a first enable signal; an output node configured to generate the control voltage, a transferor configured to transfer a voltage of the input node to the output node in response to a transfer signal, an enabling voltage driver configured to drive the output node with a high voltage when the first enable signal is enabled, and a disabling voltage driver configured to drive the output node with a negative voltage when a second enable signal is enabled in a negative mode.
US08446761B2
A method and system for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device are described. The magnetic junction includes a pinned layer, a plurality of nonmagnetic spacer layers, and a plurality of free layers. The free layers are interleaved with the nonmagnetic spacer layers. A first nonmagnetic spacer layer of the nonmagnetic spacer layers is between the free layers and the pinned layer. Each of the free layers is configured to be switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. Each of the free layers has a critical switching current density. The critical switching current density of one of the free layers changes monotonically from the critical switching current density of an adjacent free layer. The adjacent free layer is between the pinned layer and the one of the plurality of free layers.
US08446757B2
A memory array device comprising a first memory cell comprising a first magnetic tunnel junction device having a first terminal connected to a first bit line (BLTE) and a second terminal, and a first field effect transistor (FET) having a source terminal connected to a second bit line (BLC), a gate terminal connected to a word line (WL), and a drain terminal connected to the second terminal of the first magnetic tunnel junction device, and a second memory cell comprising, a second magnetic tunnel junction device having a first terminal connected to a third bit line (BLT0) and a second terminal, and a second field effect transistor (FET) having a source terminal connected to the second bit line (BLC), a gate terminal connected to the word line (WL), and a drain terminal connected to the second terminal of the second magnetic tunnel junction device.
US08446754B2
A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a resistive memory cell configured to be applied with a command voltage pulse with a different voltage level, depending upon an input command, and a feedback unit coupled between one end and the other end of the resistive memory cell, and configured to detect whether an amount of current which passes through the resistive memory cell reaches a target level and selectively form a pull-down current path for limiting an amount of current which the resistive memory cell passes, wherein the feedback unit controls the target level according to the command voltage pulse.
US08446742B2
An inverter control circuit (6) controls the operation of a plurality of switching elements in a three-phase inverter circuit (2) by a PWM signal. A phase voltage output from the three-phase inverter circuit (2) is outputted through a low-pass filter (3). A waveform of the phase voltage output from the low-pass filter (3) assumes the following waveforms through the control of the PWM signal. The waveform becomes zero in a first one-third period of a cycle; forms a sine wave corresponding to a phase from 0 to 2π/3 in a second one-third period; and forms a sine wave corresponding to a phase from π/3 to π in a remaining one-third period of the cycle. Such PWM signal cyclically includes a period where a pulse is not generated. Therefore, the switching action of the switching element is periodically stopped.
US08446738B2
A system, method, and motherboard assembly are described for interconnecting and distributing signals and power between co-planar boards that function as a single motherboard. The motherboard assembly includes a multilayered first printed circuit board having opposed parallel first and second surfaces, each having at least one land grid array (LGA) disposed thereon. The assembly further includes at least one wiring layer (Y) designed to only electrically interconnect components on or within the first PCB, and at least one wiring layer (X) designed to only electrically connect the components on the first PCB to a multilayered second PCB. The multilayered second PCB has opposed parallel first and second surfaces, the first surface having at least one LGA disposed thereon. It further includes at least one wiring layer (V) designed to only electrically interconnect components on or within the second PCB, and at least one layer (X) designed to only electrically interconnect the components on the second PCB with the components on the first PCB. A first LGA interposer couples to the LGA disposed on the first surface of the first PCB, and electrically connects at least one component to the first PCB. A second LGA interposer is sandwiched between and couples to the LGA disposed on the second surface of the first PCB and to the LGA disposed on the first surface of the second PCB. It electrically connects the first PCB to components on the second PCB.
US08446732B2
In a circuit module, a chip element is mounted on a mount electrode, with an outer electrode interposed therebetween. The chip element is arranged such that a cut surface thereof is oriented toward a side of a circuit module that is adjacent to the mount electrode. A gap that is observable from outside of the circuit module is provided between a bottom surface of a base of the chip element and a top surface of a circuit board.
US08446729B2
A modular mass storage system and method that enables cableless mounting of ATA and/or similar high speed interface-based mass storage devices in a computer system. The system includes a printed circuit board, a system expansion slot interface on the printed circuit board and comprising power and data pins, a host bus controller on the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the system expansion slot interface, docking connectors connected with the host bus controller to receive power and exchange data therewith and adapted to electrically couple with industry-standard non-volatile memory devices without cabling therebetween, and features on the printed circuit board for securing the memory devices thereto once coupled to the docking connectors.
US08446722B2
A circuit board chassis and a method for assembling a backplane and a circuit board into the circuit board chassis include an aperture within at least one sidewall of the circuit board chassis. The backplane is inserted and assembled into the circuit board chassis through the aperture (that may include a counter-opposed pair of backplane insertion and assembly slots) in a first direction, and a circuit board is inserted and assembled into the circuit board chassis and the backplane in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. By inserting and assembling the backplane into the aperture and slots, rather than assembling the backplane as an external surface component of the circuit board chassis, the embodiments provide for ease of replacement of the backplane and circuit board under space constrained limitations. The resulting embodiments also provide enhanced rigidity and enhanced thermal dissipation within the circuit board chassis.
US08446718B2
A disk drive bracket includes a receiving box for receiving a disk drive and a thermal-dissipating module wrapped on and in contact with an exterior surface of the receiving box. The thermal-dissipating module includes a number of fins extending from the thermal-dissipating module opposite to the receiving box.
US08446714B2
An electronic device includes a front cover, a rear cover engaging with the front cover, and a connecting mechanism fixed to the front cover. The front cover is secured to the rear cover to cooperatively define a receiving space for receiving a part of the connecting mechanism. The front cover includes a first panel defining two limiting members and a first sidewall extending from a rim of the first panel and defining two latching members. The rear cover includes a second panel defining two protrusions and a second sidewall extending from a rim of the second panel and defining two hook members. The protrusions correspond to the limiting members and are fixed thereto, and the hook members correspond to the latching members and engage therewith.
US08446710B2
In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for structural power distribution in a modular data center. In particular, the present application describes a modular data center with a modular structural frame. The modular structural frame defines an enclosure, and a plurality of information handling systems may be located in the enclosure. The modular data center may also include a power distribution pathway that is at least partially disposed within the modular structural frame of the modular data center. The modular data center may also include a plurality of power distribution elements disposed within the power distribution pathway, which power the information handling systems located in the enclosure.
US08446702B2
A switch is disclosed for power distribution, in particular a circuit breaker and compact switch, which automatically interrupts the electric currents flowing through the switch in a polyphase electrical power supply system when a tripping situation occurs. In at least one embodiment, the switch includes switching contacts which are provided for each phase and can be opened via a switching shaft; an electronic release which automatically initiates the opening of the switching contacts via the switching shaft; electrical power converters, which in each case take the electrical power which is required for the electrical power supply for the release from the currents for the individual phases; instrument transformers which convert the currents in each of the individual phases to a measurement signal; an electronic circuit, in particular in the form of a microprocessor, for assessment of the current values which correspond to the measurement signals, wherein the occurrence of the tripping situation is in each case identified on the basis of the assessment. In order to improve the functional reliability of the switch, in at least one embodiment it is proposed that the currents emitted from the power converters are additionally recorded and that the electronic circuit carries out a plausibility comparison on the basis of the recorded current of the power converters and of the instrument transformers, and generates a warning signal in the event of non-plausibility.
US08446695B1
For decreased pitch and roll stiffness, a ring gimbal suspension for a hard disk drive has torsion arms that extend toward the distal end of the suspension as they extend inward from the gimbal outer arms toward the slider bond pad. The torsion arms connect to the slider bond pad at a location that is distal of the dimple contact point. The electrical circuit traces are generally free of stainless steel except where the circuit traces cross the torsion arms, at which point they are affixed to the torsion arms. The electrical circuit traces can include an outward meander away from the slider bond pad as the traces pass over the torsion arms, for additional reduction in stiffness.
US08446694B1
A head gimbal assembly (HGA) for a disk drive includes a mounting plate configured to be attachable to an actuator arm, a load beam extending from the mounting plate, a laminated flexure, first and second piezoelectric elements, and a read head. The laminated flexure includes a fixed portion that is attached to the load beam, and a head mounting tongue that is connected to the fixed portion by first and second compliant members. The read head is bonded to the head mounting tongue. The laminated flexure also includes first and second piezoelectric element receiving windows, each adjacent a respective one of the first and second compliant members. The first and second piezoelectric elements are each disposed within a respective one of the first and second piezoelectric element receiving windows.
US08446688B1
Described herein is a disk drive having a disk receiving surface with an outer diameter. The drive can include a peripheral edge that extends transverse to the disk receiving surface and circumferentially about at least a portion of the outer diameter of the disk receiving surface. The drive can also include a disk limiter that extends between and transverse to the disk receiving surface and the peripheral edge to provide a transition between the disk receiving surface and a surface of the peripheral edge.
US08446687B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk drive includes a detector and a servo controller. The detector detects, as actual timestamps, time intervals at which a head reads servo sync marks recorded on a disk at predetermined intervals. The servo controller controls a VCM actuator and a microactuator with feedback control in order to position the head at a target position. The servo controller comprises a feedforward controller configured to compensate for disturbance. The feedforward controller comprises a difference detector and an integrator. The difference detector detects a deviation of the actual timestamps from target timestamps as a timestamp difference. The integrator configured to convert the detected timestamp difference into displacement of the microactuator by integrating the detected timestamp difference. The feedforward controller provides a manipulating variable corresponding to the converted displacement, to a feedback control loop for the microactuator as a feedforward manipulating variable.
US08446681B2
An optical apparatus includes a cam barrel configured to hold an optical member, which is movable back and forth along a first optical axis, on an inner periphery of the cam barrel, a bending member configured to bend a light flux from an object from the first optical axis towards a second optical axis, and a guiding member extending in a direction parallel with the second optical axis and configured to support and hold the bending member to be movable back and forth in the direction parallel with the second optical axis, wherein the guiding member is configured to enter into a notch, which is provided to the cam barrel, when the optical member is stored into a space along the first optical axis into which the bending member has retracted.
US08446676B2
Provided is a head-mounted display element, including: a first casing (11) which incorporates therein at least a display element (21), and has a light projection window (11a) for projecting image light from the display element (21); a second casing (12) which incorporates therein an eyepiece optical system (31) with a refractive power, and has a light receiving window (12a) for receiving incident image light projected through the light projection window (11a) and an eyepiece window (12b) for emitting the image light that has passed through the eyepiece optical system (31); and a coupling portion (13) for coupling the second casing (12) to the first casing (11) so as to make adjustable a length of an optical path between the light projection window (11a) and the light receiving window (12a).
US08446673B2
An anti-reflection film which has not only sufficient anti-reflection properties and antistatic properties but also excellent optical properties is provided. The anti-reflection film includes an antistatic hard coat layer and a low refractive index layer on a transparent substrate, the antistatic hard coat layer containing conductive particles and a binder matrix, the antistatic hard coat layer including a mixed layer in which the transparent substrate component and the binder matrix blend together with a gradient and a localized layer, the mixed layer being optically indistinguishable and the localized layer being optically distinguishable, and the localized layer having an optical thickness of 50-400 nm.
US08446670B2
Improvement to an adornable binocular device having a telescope pair including a pivoting coupling between each telescope and arm and a second releasably slidable coupling between each telescope and arm.
US08446658B2
An optical switch combining a Pockels cell and a metamaterial, wherein polarization of an incident light is controlled by a voltage on the Pockels cell to block or pass the incident light. The optical switch has advantages of small size, fast switching, simple structure, and high stability. A plasmonic-EIT kind of optical switch is based on plasmonic hybridization and a plasmonic interaction is controlled by altering a polarization state of the incident light. Therefore, the incident light can be selectively allowed to pass through or blocked according to the polarization thereof.
US08446651B2
An image reading device includes a light source, an imaging unit that captures an image of an original using light from the light source, a conveying unit that conveys the original to the imaging unit, a casing that accommodates at least the imaging unit and the conveying unit, the casing having an insertion slot for feeding the original to the conveying unit, a determination unit that determines whether or not the image reading device is in a conveyable state in which the conveying unit is enabled to convey the original toward the imaging unit, and a notification unit that visually indicates whether or not the image reading device is in an insertion-enabled state enabling the original to be inserted through the insertion slot to the conveying unit based on determination made by the determination unit.The notification unit is provided above and near the insertion slot outside the casing or inside the insertion slot and between boundary planes, and the boundary planes contain respective opposite horizontal ends of the insertion slot and are perpendicular to a horizontal direction of the insertion slot with the casing being in a placed state.
US08446631B2
In an exemplary method, a driver for a printing device receives a print job comprising a poster document. The print job is designated to be printed on a printing device. The driver identifies the size of the paper for which the poster document is initially formatted. The driver determines whether the target printing device is capable of printing on larger paper. If the target printing device is capable of printing on larger paper, the driver reformats the poster document for printing on the larger paper.
US08446626B2
A monitoring device for an image forming device receives from the image forming device usage information indicating a history of manipulations by a user and reduction information indicating that the image forming device is operating in a reduction mode. When having received reduction information, the monitoring device determines the priority of maintenance work on a function the provision of which has been halted indicated by the reduction information, registers the determined priority in a management table in association, and outputs the registered reduction information and associated priority. When the received usage information indicates a manipulation with respect to a function the provision of which has been halted indicated by the received reduction information, the priority corresponding to the reduction information is determined to be relatively higher than when there is no manipulation with respect to the function the provision of which has been halted indicated by the received reduction information.
US08446625B2
A printing apparatus comprises: a storage unit configured to store a power usage of each of one or more other printing apparatuses connected to a power supply system to which the printing apparatus is connected; and a print execution controller. The print execution controller is configured to: keep track of which of the other printing apparatuses are in printing operation; calculate, upon receipt of a print instruction from any of the external apparatuses, a total of power usages of the other printing apparatuses that are in printing operations; inhibit the printing apparatus from printing when an expected power exceeds a predetermined allowable value, the expected power is a sum of the calculated total of power usages and the power usage of the printing apparatus during the printing operation; and allow the printing apparatus to print when the expected power is equal to or below the predetermined allowable value.
US08446611B2
An image forming apparatus includes data analyzing units configured to respectively interpret image data in accordance with different corresponding data formats, a drawing processing unit configured to execute a drawing process on the basis of a result of the interpretation, a data format determining unit configured to determine the data format of input image data, to cause a particular data analyzing unit corresponding to the data format to interpret the input image data, and to cause another data analyzing unit to interpret the input image data responsive to a format error being generated while the input image data is being processed using the particular data analyzing unit or the drawing processing unit.
US08446609B2
An image formation apparatus obtains an amount of sheets remaining in its accommodation unit and from that amount determines whether a print job of interest can successfully be processed for printing. If so, then the print job of interest is processed for printing. If not, a print notification dialog box is output to provide notification that the print job cannot successfully be processed for printing and that it is necessary to resupply sheets required to process the print job for printing.
US08446608B2
There are provided an image forming apparatus which is capable of efficiently performing necessary actions to thereby reduce downtime. At least one job can be registered. Image formation is performed according to the at least one registered job. Action objects are detected on which actions necessary for the image forming apparatus should be taken.
US08446605B2
An image forming apparatus for printing an image of print data includes a generating unit to analyze the print data to generate rendering command data, which includes rendering commands regarding rendering objects for each page, a storing unit to store the rendering command data, and a plurality of rendering processing units to read the rendering command data to execute the rendering commands associated with respective rendering blocks to perform rendering, wherein, upon completing rendering of a first rendering block, a first one of the rendering processing units sends a notice of completion to a second one of the rendering processing units that is performing rendering of a second rendering block, and wherein, in response to the notice, the second one of the rendering processing units divides the second rendering block, and requests the first one of the rendering processing units to perform rendering of part of the second rendering block.
US08446600B2
A multi function peripheral with a plurality of functions includes a function selecting unit accepting therethrough an input to select a function to be executed from the plurality of functions, a display unit displaying thereon an information screen showing information on the function selected through the function selecting unit, and a display control unit controlling the display unit to, each time a function is selected through the function selecting unit, display thereon a first information screen showing information on the selected function. When a second information screen showing information on a function in execution has been displayed on the display unit, the display control unit controls the display unit to display thereon the first information screen concurrently with the second information screen.
US08446593B1
A method for increasing the imaging rate for an optical coherence tomography system is disclosed. The method comprises generating an interferometric signal by interrogating each of M image points on a sample with a plurality of wavelength bands that are collectively spectrally interleaved, time encoding the interferometric signal, and sampling the time-encoded interferometric signal at a single detector.
US08446592B1
A Scanning Phase Intracavity Nanoscope as a measurement system can be realized with a reference laser cavity and a sample laser cavity superimposed upon each other to operatively propagate two laser beams. The sample laser cavity is operatively formed by the sample to be measured. A measurement of the sample is based on differences in the reference laser cavity and the sample laser cavity determined from difference in the two laser beams.
US08446582B2
A spectrometric sensor for measuring a spectra value of a flowing fluid. The spectrometric sensor comprises a light source for emitting a first light flux toward a sample of the flowing fluid, a light detector for measuring a first intensity of a reflection of the first light flux from the flowing fluid and a second intensity of a second light flux received via the flowing fluid, and a control unit configured for generating at least one spectra value according to at least one of the first and second intensities.
US08446571B2
A device for recording a geometry of an environment of a device in a detection field with the aid of laser scanning may include a laser beam controlled by an oscillating micromechanical mirror. The detection field is specifiable in the vertical and horizontal directions by adapting an amplitude of oscillation of the micromechanical mirror. Driver-assistance systems are used for tasks both in the near field, such as a parking function, and in the distant field of the vehicle, such as a distance control or the detection of obstacles on the roadway. If the amplitude of the oscillation of the micro-mirror is then reduced in the horizontal direction and/or vertical direction, the spatial resolution for the reduced detection range is improved. Moreover, the higher intensity of the laser radiation impinging on the smaller detection region improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected signal.
US08446570B2
Systems and methods to protect a mask from being contaminated by airborne particles are described. The systems and methods include providing a reticle secured in a two-part cover. The two part cover includes a removable protection device used to protect the reticle from contaminants. The cover can be held inside a pod or box that can be used to transport the cover through a lithography system from an atmospheric section to a vacuum section. While in the vacuum section, the removable cover can be moved during an exposure process during which a pattern on the reticle can be formed on a wafer.
US08446565B2
A method of optical proximity correction for a photolithographic progress in manufacturing semiconductor devices is disclosed. The method includes providing an illumination source in an optical system, dividing the illumination source into a number of segments in the form of concentric rings, and assigning a first intensity level to a first ring of a first radius and assigning a second intensity level to a second ring of a second radius, wherein the first intensity level is smaller than or equal to the second intensity level when the first radius is smaller than or equal to the second radius.
US08446558B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes a column spacer formed on an upper substrate, a thin film transistor formed on a lower substrate to face the upper substrate connected to a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, a pixel electrode formed at a pixel region provided as the gate line and the data line cross, the pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor, and a projection pattern portion formed on the gate line matched to the pixel region to have a projection formed to be in contact with the column spacer for reducing a friction area between the column spacer and the lower substrate, and a projection support pattern for preventing the column spacer from being stuck in at the time of an physical impact or vibration.
US08446557B2
The liquid crystal display device according to the present invention is a thin liquid crystal display device where it is easy to position the flexible printed circuit on which light emitting diodes are mounted. In the liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) that is connected to the liquid crystal display panel and supplies power for driving display pixels, light emitting diodes (LED) are mounted on a portion of the flexible printed circuit, a mold frame MFR is provided to contain the light emitting diodes, and through holes (60, 61) for positioning are created in both the flexible printed circuit and the mold frame.
US08446555B2
A flat panel display device is capable of reducing a resistance difference according to the lengths of signal lines and has a stably designed resistance value of the signal lines arranged in edges of wire groups diverging from a driving circuit unit. The flat panel display device includes a display unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in intersecting regions of signal lines; a driving circuit unit to supply drive signals to the signal lines; and a divergence region having the signal lines diverge into at least two wire groups to connect the driving circuit unit to the pixels, wherein a resistance difference per unit length between the signal lines arranged in a boundary of two wire groups is set to a value that is intermediate of average resistance differences between the adjacent signal lines in the two wire groups.
US08446552B2
A pixel array of a fringe field switching (FFS) liquid crystal display panel includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data line, a plurality of pixel electrodes, and a plurality of common lines. The gate lines are disposed parallel to each other along a first direction. The data lines are disposed parallel to each other along a second direction. A plurality of sub-pixel regions is defined by the gate lines and the data lines. The common lines are disposed along the first direction and electrically isolated from each other. Each of the common lines includes a plurality of common electrodes extending along the second direction. The two adjacent common electrodes of each common line are respectively disposed in the two adjacent sub-pixel regions which are located in different rows.
US08446532B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image receiving unit, and an image processing unit which allows luminance of an image to be within a preset range of luminance and adjusts sharpness of the image. Accordingly, the problem that the luminance exceeds a digital value may be prevented, and the sharpness of the image may be effectively improved.
US08446530B2
A sampling system adapts the sampling rate for sampling analog signals and/or the stored number of samples to the fixed or video image content, such that a higher rate, and equivalently a larger number of samples, are acquired for an image or video segment containing higher spatial frequencies while a lower number of samples (lower sampling rate) are retained for image or video segments containing lower spatial frequencies. The Nyquist theorem may still be satisfied for each individual image segment, while information necessary for edge enhancement is retained.
US08446524B2
The disclosure is regarding an apparatus and a method for frame rate conversion. The frame rate conversion apparatus, for receiving at least two input frames to generate at lease one output frame, comprises a motion estimation module for generating a candidate list comprising regional motion vectors and temporal motion vectors from the at least two input frames and choosing a winner motion vector from the candidate list, a motion compensation module for generating the at lease one output frame according to the winner motion vector, a frame feature extraction module for generating fade-in/out information or a logo detection information from the at least two input frames, and an adaptive MEMC control module for deciding a weighting of the winner motion vector according to the fade-in/out information or the logo detection information.
US08446513B2
An imaging apparatus includes a light receiving device array having light receiving devices, a light transmissive filter including plural types of band-shape light transmissive sections arranged in sequence to form a light transmissive section pattern, and an arithmetic processing unit, wherein the arithmetic processing unit includes a first parameter generating unit configured to generate a first parameter indicative of a displacement of the light transmissive section pattern relative to the light receiving device array in response to a position of one of the light receiving devices, a second parameter generating unit configured to generate second parameters in response to the first parameter generated by the first parameter generating unit, and an image generating unit configured to produce output images in response to image signals output from the light receiving devices and the second parameters generated by the second parameter generating unit.
US08446504B2
According to one embodiment, the pixel driving circuit causes the amplifying transistor to form a source follower circuit without applying a bias voltage to the vertical signal line and connects the FD to the power source. Thereafter, the pixel driving circuit separates the current source from the vertical signal line to cancel the source follower circuit, applies a bias voltage to the vertical signal line so that the voltage of the FD is raised when the brightness of the subject is higher than the reference value, and the voltage of the FD is lowered when the brightness of the subject is lower than the reference value, and turns on the read transistor. The pixel driving circuit turns off the read transistor, and then connects the current source to the vertical signal line, and causes the amplifying transistor to form the source follower circuit.
US08446497B2
A multi-spectrum sensing device comprises a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer comprises sensing pixels for sensing a first group of colors. The bottom layer comprises sensing pixels for sensing a second group of colors. At least one of the layers comprises sensing pixels having at least two or more than two spectra.
US08446495B2
In an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of pixels arranged a matrix of rows and columns, a correction unit performs a correction process based on an electric signal output via a first switch element of a particular pixel and a correction electric signal output via a second switch element of the particular pixel. A correction image signal based on the correction electric signal output via the second switch element is acquired in a period that partially overlaps in time a period in which an image signal based on the electric signal output via the first switch element is acquired. When the electric signal associated with the image signal is output for the particular pixel, the second switch element of the particular pixel is controlled to be in an on-state over a period during which the first switch element of the particular pixel is in an off-state.
US08446483B2
A binary conversion circuit includes: a latch circuit that latches phase information of at least one clock signal when the level of a signal is inverted, the level of the signal being inverted based on its state; at least one conversion circuit that converts the latched phase information of the latch circuit to a pulse train in response to a pulse signal; and a ripple counter section that converts phase information of a clock to a binary code by using the pulse obtained by the conversion of the conversion circuit as a count clock.
US08446478B2
An optical device with an imaging device for forming an image of a subject with a lens device, including a lens unit, a movable member making the lens unit movable within a plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the lens unit, an image pickup device imaging the subject image formed by the lens device, a fixed member limiting the movement of the movable member in the optical axis direction, at least three balls rolling between the movable and fixed member, a vibration detecting unit, and a pitch and yaw direction drive units for driving the movable member in the pitch and yaw directions within the optical axis orthogonal plane, respectively. The pitch and yaw direction drive units press the movable member toward the fixed member side by means of magnetic pressing forces caused by magnetic attractive action between drive magnets and yokes.
US08446477B2
An imaging apparatus includes: a shift lens driven to be shifted; a uniform aberration correction data storing unit storing uniform aberration correction data for correcting uniform aberration; a shift amount calculating unit calculating an amount of aberration correction shift of the shift lens for correcting uniform aberration using the uniform aberration correction data; a shift lens driving unit driving the shift lens to be shifted according to an amount of driving shift based on the amount of aberration correction shift; a concentric aberration correction amount calculating unit calculating an amount of concentric aberration correction for correcting concentric aberration with respect to a process target pixel of an input image signal; and a pixel value correcting unit correcting a pixel value of the process target pixel on the basis of the calculated amount of concentric aberration correction.
US08446472B2
The invention relates to an imaging device which includes a matrix IR detector, a multifocal lens with a focal length ranging from a short focal length to a long focal length, including a front group of lenses, a variator, a compensator and means for positioning the variator and the compensator, the positions of the variator and of the compensator being respectively adapted to the focal length. This device includes a calibration system which comprises a control for the means for positioning the variator in the vicinity of its short focal length position and the compensator upstream of its long focal length position so as to conjugate the plane of the detector with a real object plane located upstream of the front group of lenses, this positioning being called calibration positioning.
US08446465B2
A system and method may allow automatic display of un-viewed images of an image stream, which may be produced by an ingestible capsule. A set of images acquired by an in-vivo device disposed within a body lumen is received by a receiver or workstation, and a portion of the set of images is selected for display as an image stream. The selected portion of images is displayed as a first image stream, and a complementary portion of the set of images is displayed as a second image stream. The complementary portion includes unselected images from the set of images, and/or images which are indicated as unviewed images. A graphical user interface is provided for selecting a viewing mode which is determined based on previously viewed images and users' review history.
US08446461B2
A method is provided for a three-dimensional (3D) display system. The method includes obtaining a plurality of original images of a plurality of viewpoints in a 3D image, detecting a type of a display device for displaying the 3D image, and determining a total number of required images based on the detected type of the display device. The method also includes determining whether the total number of required images is equal to a total number of the plurality of original images, and adjusting the plurality of original images such that the total number of required images are provided, when the total number of required images is not equal to the total number of the plurality of original images.
US08446460B2
An autostereoscopic display includes a display panel, a lenticular lens assembly, a driver, a number of camera modules, and a controller. The lenticular lens assembly includes an array of cylindrical lenses and is rotatably hung above the display panel. The driver is configured for driving the lenticular lens assembly to rotate about an axis that is substantially parallel to the lengthwise direction of the cylindrical lenses. The camera modules are arranged beside the display panel and oriented at different angles. The controller is configured for controlling the camera modules to take images in sequence and controlling the driver to rotate the lenticular lens assembly to an orientation at the same angle as a corresponding camera module when the display panel plays an image taken by the camera module.
US08446456B2
Provides a system for detecting an intersection between more than one panoramic video sequence and detecting the orientation of the sequences forming the intersection. Video images and corresponding location data are received. If required, the images and location data is processed to ensure the images contain location data. An intersection between two paths is then derived from the video images by deriving a rough intersection between two images, determining a neighborhood for the two images, and dividing each image in the neighborhood into strips. An identifying value is derived from each strip to create a row of strip values which are then converted to the frequency domain. A distance measure is taken between strips in the frequency domain, and the intersection is determined from the images having the smallest distance measure between them. The orientation between the two paths may also be determined in the frequency domain by using the phases of signals representing the images in the Fourier domain or performing a circular cross correlation of two vectors representing the images.
US08446450B2
In one embodiment, a method of lighting is disclosed which includes apportioning a video display screen into a content portion and at least one light portion. The content portion displays video content and the light portion provides auxiliary lighting when energized to illuminate a subject adjacent the video display screen.
US08446441B2
A printer is provided. A platen roller is configured to transport a recording medium. A print head has a head body portion having a printing portion which performs printing on a recording medium and facing the platen roller. An urging unit urges the print head toward the platen roller. A supporting mechanism supports the print head, presses the print head against the platen roller and allows the platen roller to move the head body portion in such a direction that a contact position of the head body portion with respect to the platen roller is shifted while maintaining the head body portion pressed against the platen roller.
US08446437B2
Provided is a display device including a panel (158) in which a plurality of pixels that emit light in response to a video signal are arranged, a light emission amount calculation unit (164) that acquires a light emission amount on a plurality of positions of the panel (158) based on a video signal supplied to the panel (158), a storage unit (150) that accumulates data related to the light emission amount accumulated based on a video signal of a plurality of frames, a high-brightness gamma adjustment block (172b) that reduces brightness of a high brightness side of the video signal supplied to the panel (158) based on the data related to the light emission amount accumulated in storage unit (150), and a low-gradation gamma adjustment block (172c) that reduces brightness of a low brightness side of the video signal in conjunction with a reduction in brightness of the high brightness side.
US08446432B2
Methods and apparatus for presenting image data to include a graphic element. In one embodiment a method includes acquiring image data from a display buffer of a device, analyzing the image data to identify active and passive regions of the image data and ranking passive regions to determine a confidence measure for each passive region. The method may further include modifying the image data for display on the device to include a graphic element, wherein the graphic element is presented in a passive region based on the ranking.
US08446430B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for generating displays based on a layout. A layout is received that specifies a set of rectangular components within a container rectangle. Each rectangular component has at least one size. The computing device determines a plurality of grid lines from the layout. Each rectangular component of the set of rectangular components is associated with at least two grid lines. The at least two grid lines are based on the at least one size of the rectangular component. The computing device generates a system of constraints, where each constraint is related to at least two grid lines of the plurality of grid lines. The computing device solves the system of constraints to determine a location for each grid line in the plurality of grid lines. The computing device generates a display of the rectangular components based on the locations of the grid lines.
US08446424B2
An image processing apparatus and method converts a moving image signal into an image data format consisting of a luminance signal and a color-difference signal like that of the YUV format at a signal processing circuit 4, compression-encodes the image data at a compression circuit 10 and records it on a recording medium 11, in addition to reducing the same-format image data color-difference signal to generate image data for display, enabling the image processing apparatus for recording a moving image to achieve moving image recording of a quality that is good enough to be used as still images.
US08446423B2
Disclosed are methods and devices for processing a raster image so that the white color filled in the raster image during building the raster image can be differentiated from that contained in the figure objects presented in the page, which will be inserted into the raster image later. The method comprises building the raster image and filling the raster image with a white color; and transferring the white color in a figure object described in a page and inserting the figure object into the raster image. In this way, the white color filled in the raster image during building the raster image can be differentiated from that contained in the figure objects presented in the page, which will be inserted into the raster image later.
US08446420B2
A system for processing graphics data. The graphics processing system includes an embedded memory array having at least three separate banks of single-ported memory in which graphics data are stored. A memory controller coupled to the banks of memory writes post-processed data to a first bank of memory while reading data from a second bank of memory. A synchronous graphics processing pipeline processes the data read from the second bank of memory and provides the post-processed graphics data to the memory controller to be written back to a bank of memory. The processing pipeline concurrently processes an amount of graphics data at least equal to that included in a page of memory. A third bank of memory is precharged concurrently with writing data to the first bank and reading data from the second bank in preparation for access when reading data from the second bank of memory is completed.
US08446414B2
Disclosed is an application programming interface (API) that provides for an extensible avatar system. In one embodiment an API may allow video game applications to retrieve structures of data which represent an avatar. The game can then take those structures and incorporate the data into its own rendering system. In another embodiment an API may allow a video game application to render an avatar to a render target or texture wherein the video game system performs rendering and animation functions.
US08446413B2
A method of producing an engraved image on a computer screen includes loading an image to be engraved and converting the image into a high contrast image using at least two colors. The first lighter color is used for the lighter portions of the high contrast image and a darker color is used for the darker portions of the high contrast image. Mixing of the colors is based on the luminance level of the image. A plurality of lines are drawn over the high contrast image with variations in the plurality of lines drawn being a function of the luminance of the underlying image.
US08446412B2
A data trends static visualization system and method including a data trends static visualization diagram for statically visualizing changes in data. The data trends static visualization diagram is a multi-dimensional static diagram including plots of multiple data items, where each data item is a set of related data having associated nodes and links. Each node represents a data point of the data item and links are used to connect at least some of the nodes. The data trends static visualization diagram uses a variety of visualization components to accentuate data changes and indicate a direction (or flow) of data trends. The visualization components include a node opacity visualization component, a link opacity visualization component, and a node size visualization component. The data trends static visualization diagram includes a traces diagram, for plotting trace lines in one diagram, and a small multiples diagram, for plotting individual trace lines in multiple diagrams.
US08446405B2
A DC level redistribution method includes the steps of: receiving all positive signals and one negative signal of a plurality of pairs of differential signals; fixing a DC level of a positive signal of a designated pair of differential signals among a plurality of pairs of differential signals as a reference in order to adjust a DC level of a negative signal of the designated pair of differential signals for generating an adjusted negative signal; and taking the adjusted negative signal of the designated pair of differential signals as a reference in order to adjust DC levels of the positive signals of the other pairs of differential signals excluding the designated pair of differential signals. The DC redistribution method may be used in a display system.
US08446399B2
In a two-phase driving operation that is performed in at least a sub-field having a largest luminance weight, a first ramp waveform that drops from a first potential to a second potential is applied to a plurality of first scan electrodes, a second ramp waveform that drops from a third potential that is higher than the first potential to a fourth potential that is higher than the second potential is applied to a plurality of second scan electrodes in a setup period, and a scan pulse is sequentially applied to the plurality of first scan electrodes, and then a scan pulse is sequentially applied to the plurality of second scan electrodes in a write period. The two-phase driving operation is employed to prevent a discharge failure during a write discharge.
US08446396B2
A bi-stable display, frame updating method and timing sequence controlling method thereof are disclosed. The frame updating method of the bi-stable display includes the steps of comparing a difference of source driver output voltages of adjacent frames of image updating period with a preset threshold, and determining parameter value of each transitional state of the adjacent frames when the difference equal or greater than the preset threshold for controlling level of source driver output voltage. Accordingly, the effects such as signal interference, reduction of image quality resulted from switching between high voltage levels directly and rapidly and excessive power consumption may be eliminated.
US08446395B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel including a plurality of data lines to which a data voltage is supplied, a plurality of gate lines to which a gate pulse is supplied, and a plurality of liquid crystal cells, a data drive circuit to invert a polarity of the data voltage in response to a polarity control signal and to output the data voltage to the data lines in response to a source output enable signal, a gate drive circuit to supply the gate pulse to the gate lines, and a POL/SOE logic circuit to invert the polarity control signal for every frame period except at Nth-multiple frame period (where N is a positive integer), wherein the POL/SOE logic circuit controls the polarity control signal at every Nth-multiple frame period such that the polarity of the data voltage is the same as the previous frame period and controls a pulse width of the source output enable signal at every Nth-multiple frame period to be longer than for the other frame periods.
US08446391B2
An optical touch display includes a display panel, a light source module, and a sensing module. The display panel has a first edge, a second edge, a third edge and a fourth edge. The light source module is disposed beside the first edge and the second edge of the display panel. The light source module is configure for providing a first parallel light and a second parallel light passing through above a display surface of the display panel. The first parallel light passes from the first edge of the display panel through the third edge of the display panel, and the second parallel light passes from the second edge of the display panel through the fourth edge of the display panel. The sensing module is disposed beside the third edge and the fourth edge of the display panel for sensing the first parallel light and the second parallel light. The optical touch display has advantageous of high reliability and low cost.
US08446389B2
A technique for creating a virtual touchscreen includes capturing, with a first infrared camera, a first reflection from an object that is at a known position adjacent a surface associated with a device. A second reflection from the object (at the known position) is captured with a second infrared camera. The first and second reflections are correlated with the known position to provide a two-dimensional position for the object that is calibrated with respect to the surface.
US08446388B2
Disclosed herein is a resistive touch screen. The resistive touch screen includes a resistive touch panel configured to include a lower substrate formed with a lower electrode pattern in an active region through which images pass, an upper substrate formed with an upper electrode pattern to be opposite to the lower electrode pattern, and a spacer spacing the upper substrate from the lower substrate in order to contact the upper electrode pattern to the lower electrode pattern by external pressure; and a window bonded to the upper portion of the resistive touch panel by an optical clear adhesive, and including a covering film formed in the outer side region on the lower surface thereof and an elastic suppressing layer formed in the inner side region of the covering film.
US08446385B2
An electronic device includes a touch panel, a position detecting portion, an operating control portion and a detection sensitivity control portion. The position detecting portion detects a close coordinate when sensing that a pointing means comes close to a position on a close plane away from the touch panel by a first distance, and detects a contact coordinate when sensing that the pointing means comes close to a position on a contact plane lying closer to the touch panel than the position on the close plane. The operating control portion controls an operation of a controlled unit based on the close coordinate and the contact coordinate. The detection sensitivity control portion switches detection sensitivity of the position detecting portion from close detection sensitivity to contact detection sensitivity when the position detecting portion senses that the pointing means comes close to the position on the close plane.
US08446380B2
A resistive multi-point touch device and method is disclosed. A plurality of wires intersect each other to form a plurality of intersecting regions. The intersecting wires are separated from each other by a plurality of insulating particles. First, suppressed intersecting regions are sensed, and then contact points on the suppressed intersecting regions are sensed based on the suppressed intersecting regions. Sensing of the suppressed intersecting regions is performed by first sensing suppressed wires, and then determining possibly suppressed intersecting regions based on the suppressed wires, and sensing suppressed intersecting regions based on these possibly suppressed intersecting regions.
US08446379B2
A liquid crystal display with sensing mechanism includes a data line, a sensing unit, a pixel unit, a first gate line, a second gate line, a source driver, a readout signal processing unit and a switch unit. The data line is used to deliver a data signal or a readout signal. The sensing unit is employed to generate the readout signal. The pixel unit functions to control pixel brightness according to the data signal. The first gate line delivers a first gate signal for controlling the sensing unit. The second gate line delivers a second gate signal for controlling the pixel unit. The source driver is utilized for providing the data signal. The readout signal processing unit performs a sensing position analysis on the readout signal received. The switch unit is put in use for connecting the data line with either the source driver or the readout signal processing unit.
US08446377B2
A touch sensitive computing system is provided, including a first touch sensitive display and a second touch sensitive display. The displays are operatively coupled with a processing subsystem, and with a memory subsystem which stores a plurality of content pages. User interface instructions are stored in the memory subsystem and are executable by the processing subsystem to provide user interactivity with the content pages through the first touch sensitive display and the second touch sensitive display. The interface instructions are further configured to control the displays so that they operate as discretely organized interface units for the content pages.
US08446375B2
A communication apparatus includes a touch panel for inputting a command by touching a surface thereof having an oblong profile short in one direction relative to the other direction orthogonal thereto, the touch panel outputting a touch position detection data in response to a touch given to a spot on the surface thereof for locating the touch position but not outputting touch position detection data when some other spot is touched while the spot is being touched, a speaker arranged outside and near one of the edges of the touch panel running in the one direction and a microphone arranged outside and near the other edge of the touch panel running in the one direction. The touch panel provides a command input region inputting a command in at least a part of the surface thereof arranged along the other direction and close to the other edge in a talk mode.
US08446372B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for automated touchpad adjustments. A Touchpad Corrective Action (TCA) detection module detects a TCA within a specified input limit after a touchpad input. An adjustment module decreases a touchpad sensitivity in response to detecting the TCA.
US08446367B2
Technologies for a camera-based multi-touch input device operable to provide conventional mouse movement data as well as three-dimensional multi-touch data. Such a device is based on an internal camera focused on a mirror or set of mirrors enabling the camera to image the inside of a working surface of the device. The working surface allows light to pass through. An internal light source illuminates the inside of the working surface and reflects off of any objects proximate to the outside of the device. This reflected light is received by the mirror and then directed to the camera. Imaging from the camera can be processed to extract touch points corresponding to the position of one or more objects outside the working surface as well as to detect gestures performed by the objects. Thus the device can provide conventional mouse functionality as well as three-dimensional multi-touch functionality.
US08446366B2
A roller for a mouse includes a roller wheel having an outer portion formed of metal and a corrugated surface; a pivot arm configured to pivot in a first direction to contact the corrugated surface and to pivot in a second direction to move away from the corrugated surface; and user operable device configured to be translated to pivot the pivot arm.
US08446361B2
A control circuit for a touch panel including a capacitor module coupled to a node. The control circuit includes a power supply, a discharging unit, and a compared unit. The power supply provides a voltage to the node. The discharging unit discharges the node. The compared unit generates an output signal according to the voltage of the node.
US08446357B2
A system for one or more portions of one or more regions of an electronic paper assembly having one or more display layers includes, but is not limited to: obtaining and controlling display of one or more portions of one or more display layers of the electronic paper assembly regarding display of second information in response to the information associated with the one or more sequences of two or more conformations of the one or more portions of the one or more regions of the electronic paper assembly. In addition to the foregoing, other related method/system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08446356B2
The display device including: a display panel; a backlight; a memory for converting frame rate of an input video signal and outputting a video signal; an interpolation frame generation unit for generating an interpolation frame based on the video signal output from the memory; a histogram generator for generating a histogram based on the input video signal; and a backlight brightness calculation unit for calculating a backlight control signal, the display device further comprising: wherein image data for display, which is obtained by an N-th frame of the input video signal, and image data of the interpolation frame generated based on the N-th frame and an (N+1)-th frame of the input video signal, is input to the display panel; and wherein the backlight control signal calculated based on the histogram generated based on the image data of the N-th frame is used for displaying the image data for display.
US08446352B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of converting data to display smooth and vivid images and to improve the gray scale use efficiency. The apparatus of converting data includes a gray scale detector that that generates a gray scale detection signal and a gray scale change signal by detecting a same gray scale, from an M bit input data, in a plurality of pixels adjacent to one another. The apparatus of converting data further includes a gray scale corrector that generates an N bit data by correcting one of the same gray scale according to the gray scale detection signal and the gray scale change signal output from the gray scale detector, wherein N and M are integers, N being larger than M.
US08446339B2
In an image display device, a floating image display unit focuses light left from an image screen on an image plane in a space to display a floating image. The space is located on one side of an image transfer panel opposite to the other side thereof facing a display unit. A direct-view image display unit includes a display unit having an image screen on a plane orthogonal or oblique to the image plane from a periphery of the image plane and outputs, in a first direction far from the image transfer panel and in a second direction close thereto, two-dimensional images, respectively. A reflection and pass unit reflects part of the light left from the display unit in the second direction toward a direction far from the image transfer panel, and allows part of the light left from the display unit to pass therethrough.
US08446335B2
A solid surface bracket is provided. The solid surface bracket is configured to couple an antenna system with a solid surface ceiling. The solid surface bracket may include a top flange, bottom flange, and a side flange. The top flange may include an opening that is sized and shaped to receive a solid surface screw. The solid surface screw may be configured to engage with the solid surface ceiling. The bottom flange may be configured to receive a clip of the antenna system. The bottom flange may extend substantially parallel to the top flange. The side flange may be coupled with the top flange and bottom flange. The side flange may extend between and substantially perpendicular to the top flange and bottom flange. The side flange may have a height greater than a minimum bend radius of a cable extending from the antenna system.
US08446331B2
Balanced microstrip folded dipole antennas and matching networks are disclosed. In some examples, an antenna system includes a folded dipole having first and second portions, a first transmission line located on a first side of a printed circuit board, a second transmission line located on a second side of the printed circuit board opposite the first transmission line, the first and second transmission lines being coupled to respective folded dipole portions, and a balanced microstrip matching network comprising first and second portions, the first and second matching network portions coupled to respective ones of the first and second transmission lines.
US08446330B1
In one embodiment a method to form a load bearing antenna aperture comprises forming a honeycomb core structure having a plurality of wall sections, the wall sections including electromagnetic radiating elements, and wherein lower surfaces of the wall sections defines a first surface and upper surfaces of the wall sections define a second surface, positioning a back skin to the first surface of the honeycomb core structure with an adhesive layer which comprises a layer of adhesive film and a paste adhesive disposed on the layer of adhesive film. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08446328B2
A high gain, phased array antenna includes a conducting sheet having a number of one or more slots defined therein. For each slot, an electrical microstrip feed line is electronically coupled with a corresponding slot to form a magnetically-coupled LC resonance element. A main feed line couples with the one or more microstrip feed lines. At least one slot and/or microstrip feed line includes at least one segment with greater width than other segments.
US08446322B2
Disclosed is a micropatch antenna comprising a radiating element and a ground plane separated by an air gap. Small size, light weight, wide bandwidth, and wide directional pattern are achieved without the introduction of a high-permittivity dielectric substrate. Capacitive elements are configured along the perimeter of at least one of the radiating element and ground plane. Capacitive elements may comprise extended continuous structures or a series of localized structures. The geometry of the radiating element, ground plane, and capacitive elements may be varied to suit specific applications, such as linearly-polarized or circularly-polarized electromagnetic radiation.
US08446312B2
An electronic scanning type radar device mounted on a moving body includes: a transmission unit transmitting a transmission wave; a reception unit comprising a plurality of antennas receiving a reflection wave of the transmission wave from a target; a beat signal generation unit generating a beat signal from the transmission wave and the reflection wave; a frequency resolution processing unit frequency computing a complex number data; a target detection unit detecting an existence of the target; a correlation matrix computation unit computing a correlation matrix from each of a complex number data of a detected beat frequency; a target consolidation processing unit linking the target in a present detection cycle and a past detection cycle; a correlation matrix filtering unit generating an averaged correlation matrix by weighted averaging a correlation matrix of a target in the present detection cycle and a correlation matrix of a related target in the past detection cycle; and a direction detection unit computing an arrival direction of the reflection wave based on the averaged correlation matrix.
US08446310B2
In a method embodiment, a method includes receiving data generated at one or more monitor systems capable of monitoring for electromagnetic signals. The data is related to characteristics of a signal. The characteristics may include at least two of a respective power of the signal, a respective frequency of the signal, a time of arrival of the signal, and an angle of arrival the signal. A computing system automatically selects at least a subset of the received data. The selection is based at least partially on a physical condition at a location proximate to the monitor systems. The computing system calculates a location of a source of the signal at least in part by processing the subset of the received data. The method further includes determining that the first signal is jamming a second signal. The determination is based at least in part on the calculated location.
US08446308B2
A system and method for processing an analog signal output by a sensor. The system and method converting, using at least one analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the analog output signal to a digital signal, the digital signal including a plurality of samples at a predetermined resolution, detecting whether a trigger condition is met by analyzing the digital signal, detecting an event based on trigger information from the detecting whether a trigger condition is met, generating event information having time information included therein when the event is detected, defining one or more time windows based on the time information included in the event information, performing decimation on the digital signal based on the defined one or more time windows to generate a decimated signal, and outputting the decimated signal.
US08446304B2
The invention provides a digital background calibration system and method for a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter comprising a digital to analog converter (DAC) having a plurality of weighted capacitors to be calibrated; means for splitting each of said weighted capacitors into a plurality of sub-capacitors and at least one redundant capacitor; means for multiplying the voltage level of at least one of the sub-capacitors with a PN sequence; and means for calibrating the weighted capacitor from the multiplied sub-capacitor and the redundant capacitor.
US08446299B2
Systems and methods for the encoding of data in a dataset, comprising the storage of the data in an i-th temporary code list (TCL(i)); generating an i-th folder (folder(i)) from the i-th temporary code list (TCL(i)) by replacing each value by an index that refers to the same value in a reference database; generating new temporary codes, using a predetermined formula F that always combines at least two values from the i-th folder (folder(i)), and placing thereof in an (i+1)-th temporary code list (TCL(i+1)); and the recursive repetition of actions b) and c) for subsequent values of i, so long as the (i+1)-th temporary code list (TCL(i+1)) or the (i+1)-th folder (Folder(i+1)) contains one or more values more than once.
US08446296B2
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for providing traffic information of public transportation means, such as a bus, and utilizing the provided information. A method of encoding public traffic information according to the present invention creates, for an arbitrary bus stop, a first component including the number of buses to arrive at the bus stop and as many pieces of bus information as the created number of buses, and incorporates the first component along with an identifier allocated to the bus stop into a second component. The second component is then incorporated into a transfer message. A sequence of messages, each being constructed as described above, is wirelessly transmitted.
US08446294B2
This invention allows for the precise determination of an aircraft's landing conditions and whether an aircraft has experienced a hard landing that exceeds the allowable design loads of the aircraft's landing gear. The system comprises a computer that measures signals from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) at high data rates (e.g. 100 Hz) and also records signals from the aircraft avionics data bus. The computer compares the output from the inertial measurement unit's accelerometers against at least one predetermined threshold parameter to determine whether the aircraft's three dimensional landing deceleration is safely within the design allowances or other regulatory limitations, or whether the landing event needs further investigation.
US08446285B2
An arrangement for use in a safety notification system includes a source of negative voltage, a first resistor arrangement, and a circuit arrangement. The first resistor arrangement is coupled between the source of negative voltage and the signal output of the safety notification system. The circuit arrangement is configured to detect a first voltage at the signal output of the safety notification system, and to generate a trouble signal output if the first voltage at the signal output is above a first threshold or below a second threshold.
US08446274B1
A person-carried portable transceiver unit informs a remote home base of the person's activities, location, and/or exposure to a toxic gas. The person uses the portable transceiver unit for sending different predetermined chosen text messages to the home base. In some examples, the particular message is chosen by the number of times the person sequentially triggers a single switch on the unit. In cases where the single switch is a pushbutton, pressing the button three times, for example, could indicate the person is heading to a worksite, and pressing the button four times could indicate the person arrived at the worksite. For the home base to determine whether the person is still conscious and alert while at the worksite, the home base periodically sends to the portable unit reminder signals that prompt the person for a certain response, such as, for example, the person pressing the button twice in succession.
US08446266B2
An antitheft system and method capable of being more easily mounted than was conventionally done, with a detecting capability, necessary and sufficient to determine the occurrence of a theft. An RSS value r is calculated as a square-root of sum of squares by putting together each of variations in X-, Y- and Z-axes in a sensor unit 38. Then, a moving average value av obtained by averaging a predetermined number of consecutive RSS values r taken in chronological order is utilized to determine whether a theft is in process or not. Hence, even if an X-axis detector 41, a Y-axis detector 42 and a Z-axis detector 43 are not matched to longitudinal, lateral and vertical directions FR, LR and UD of a two-wheeled motor vehicle, it is possible to determine whether a theft is in process or not. Thus, the antitheft system 1 can be mounted in a desired position without taking into account a detection direction of the sensor unit 38 in relation to the two-wheeled motor vehicles 3a, 3b, thereby providing the antitheft system 1 capable of being more easily mounted than was conventionally done with a detecting capability, necessary and sufficient to determine the occurrence of a theft.
US08446265B2
The present invention provides a system which integrates motor vehicle component operation into actuators located in the rim of a motor vehicle steering wheel. The two actuators of the system of the present invention are located in an arc segment of the steering wheel defined by the three o'clock and 12 o'clock positions for the right-hand actuator and the nine o'clock and 12 o'clock positions for the left-hand actuator. The actuators may operate in parallel with a conventional stalk switch or controls associated with an on board computer and only operate a motor vehicle component when activated and subsequently depressed. The integrated vehicle control system and apparatus of the present invention further provides for vehicle component operation which does not require a driver to remove his or her hands from the steering wheel.
US08446262B2
A remote control system includes a receiver equipped in a device and a remote controller. The receiver includes a positioning unit to acquire current position information of the receiver. The controller includes a positioning unit to acquire current position information of the remote controller. The current position information of the remote controller and a control signal is transmitted to the receiver. The receiver further includes a processor to control the device to execute an operation corresponding to the control signal based on the current position information of the remote controller and the receiver.
US08446259B2
A method of authentication of a terminal generating a magnetic field, by a transponder including an oscillating circuit from which a D.C. voltage is generated, wherein the transponder: receives first data relative to the current in an oscillating circuit of the terminal, measured by the terminal for a first value of the resistive load of the transponder; and exploits these first data and second data relative to the level of said D.C. voltage, respectively measured for the first resistive load value and for a second resistive load value.
US08446253B2
A localization method for use in a tag communication system includes associating a supertag having a plurality of tags with an item, reading backscatter signals from the tags of the plurality of tags to provide a plurality of backscatter signals, estimating a signal parameter of the backscatter signals of the plurality of backscatter signals to provide a plurality of derived signal parameters, and localizing the item in accordance with the plurality of derived signal parameters. The backscatter signals are read by a tag reader having a single antenna and the item is localized in accordance with an antenna array technique performed upon the plurality of derived signal parameters. The backscatter signals are read with an antenna array to provide a further plurality of derived signal parameters for each tag of the plurality of tags, and the item is localized in accordance with the further pluralities of derived signal parameters.
US08446249B2
A method of controlling access to an area accessible by persons, particularly to a space closed by a door, utilizes at least two communications units for transmitting and receiving an identification code and an access code. The identification code is transmitted at a predetermined first transmission power from a first communications unit to at least one second communications unit. The second communications unit checks the identification code and transmits an acknowledgement code at a second transmission power, which is lower than the first transmission power, from the second communications unit to the first communications unit if the check of the identification code was successful. The first communications unit transmits an access code to the second communications unit. After a successful check of the access code by the second communications unit the access is freed.
US08446248B2
The wireless power transmission is a system for providing wireless charging and/or primary power to electronic/electrical devices via microwave energy. The microwave energy is focused onto a device to be charged by a power transmitter having one or more adaptively-phased microwave array emitters. Rectennas within the device to be charged receive and rectify the microwave energy and use it for battery charging and/or for primary power. A communications channel is opened between the wireless power source and the device to be charged. The device to be charged reports to the power source via the channel a received beam signal strength at the rectennas. This information is used by the system to adjust the transmitting phases of the microwave array emitters until a maximum microwave energy is reported by the device to be charged. Backscatter is minimized by physically configuring the microwave array emitters in a substantially non-uniform, non-coplanar manner.
US08446244B1
An integrated magnetic element includes a conductive base, a bobbin, a winding coil, a first magnetic core assembly and a second magnetic core assembly. The conductive base includes a first conductive unit including a plurality of first conductive winding parts, a second conductive unit including at least one second conductive winding part, and a connecting part. The bobbin includes a bobbin body, a winding section, a channel and a plurality of insertion slots. The first conductive winding parts are inserted into corresponding insertion slots of the bobbin. The first magnetic core assembly is sheathed around the bobbin and partially embedded into the channel of the bobbin and the first holes of the first conductive winding parts. The second magnetic core assembly is sheathed around the second conductive unit of the conductive base and partially embedded into the second hole of the second conductive winding part.
US08446241B2
The invention relates to a device for switching on and off an electric circuit comprising: a charge (5) which can be ignited, the combustion of which brings about the switching on or off of the electric circuit, ignition means for the pyrotechnic charge (5), characterized in that: the ignition means are connected to the electric circuit and the ignition means comprise a microswitch (M, M′) with magnetic action for controlling the ignition of the pyrotechnic charge (5).
US08446239B2
An electromagnetic switch operative to close and open an electrical contact arrangement to thereby turn on and off an electrical current flowing through an electrical circuit. A movable iron core includes a shaft insertion hole that extends in an axial direction of the movable iron core and has an opening in an end face of the movable iron core axially opposing a movable contact of the electrical contact arrangement. The hole includes a step disposed at a position along the depth, a shaft fixture section on a bottom side of the step, and a shaft guide section on an opening side of the step. An inside diameter of the shaft fixture section is smaller than an inside diameter of the shaft guide section. One axial end side portion of the shaft is press fit in the shaft fixture section.
US08446238B2
A contactor including a plunger core (100), a pull-in winding (La), a holding winding (Lm), a moving contact plate (CM) and three contacts (PC+, PC1, PC2). The contactor has three operating states: a first state with no electrical contact between the contacts, a second state with electrical contact between first and second contacts and a third state with electrical contact between the first, second and third contact. The contactor also includes an electrically controllable micro-actuator (MS) to allow or prohibit, depending on the electric current which is applied thereto, commutation between the second and third operating states, the commutation being prohibited by the micro-actuator due to a force counteracting a thrust of the moving contact plate when the micro-actuator is electrically excited. Preferably, the micro-actuator is a micro-solenoid.
US08446230B2
Directional couplers are provided. In one embodiment, the directional coupler includes first and second transmission line segments positioned on a first plane and spaced apart by a first distance, third and fourth transmission line segments positioned on a second plane and spaced apart by a second distance, the second plane spaced apart from the first plane, a first conductive segment connecting the first and third transmission line segments, and a second conductive segment connecting the second and fourth transmission line segments, where the first and second transmission line segments are configured to couple energy therebetween, and where the third and fourth transmission line segments are configured to couple energy therebetween.
US08446221B2
An electronic circuit includes a linear amplifier unit having a first current feedback loop, assisted by a switched-mode amplification unit having a second current feedback loop. The inputs of the two units are connected so that they receive, at the same time, a current setpoint in an operating mode in order to generate a fixed current across a load connected to the output of the units. The first feedback loop includes a first sensor to measure the current in the load, a first subtractor element to subtract the first measured current from the current setpoint, a first controller connected to the output of the first subtractor element and controlling a linear amplifier, which supplies the first output current to the load. The second feedback loop includes a second current sensor to measure a second current supplied to the load, between a connecting node of two switches connected in series to a supply voltage source and an inductor whose output is connected to the load. The second loop further includes a second subtractor element to subtract the second measured current from the current setpoint, a second controller connected to the output of the second subtractor element and controlling a pulse-width modulator that controls the activation of the switches to alternately connect the inductor either to the high potential or to the low potential of the supply voltage source.
US08446218B2
A power amplifier is provided, which includes a power dividing unit, a first power amplification tributary, a second power amplification tributary, and an impedance conversion unit. Input ends of the first power amplification tributary and the second power amplification tributary are coupled to two output ends of the power dividing unit respectively. An output end of the first power amplification tributary is coupled to an output end of the second power amplification tributary through the impedance conversion unit. Rated power of a peak power amplifier in the second power amplification tributary is greater than that of a main power amplifier in the first power amplification tributary. The beneficial effects of the present invention lie in that larger back-off exists at the peak of an efficiency curve of the power amplifier, and in the case that power is back-off, efficiency of the power amplifier is improved.
US08446209B1
In an embodiment a circuit provides an active resistance that is adjusted with temperature, the active resistance has a magnitude and temperature coefficient that is selected by the values of external resistors. The active resistance is controlled by an active resistance controller that uses a temperature dependent source and a temperature stable source to control adjustment of a first adjustable resistance to maintain correspondence between a temperature dependent parameter and a temperature stable parameter, and adjusts a second adjustable resistance that is part of the active resistance in correspondence with adjustment of the first adjustable resistance.
US08446196B2
An input interface circuit according to the present invention includes an input first stage circuit that is connected to a signal terminal, where the signal terminal receives external data, and a phase adjustment circuit that adjusts an external input clock and a latch timing signal to be in phase, where the latch timing signal is output to latch circuits included in the input first stage circuit. The phase adjustment circuit adjusts delay time of the latch timing signal that passes through the clock tree circuit and is supplied to the latch circuit in response to a comparison result between the clock and an output from a replica delay circuit which is replicated from the clock.
US08446194B2
Provided is a spread spectrum clock generating circuit. The spread spectrum clock generating circuit includes: a phase detector receiving a reference frequency signal from the external and detecting a phase difference between the reference frequency signal and a frequency-divided signal; a voltage controlled oscillator outputting an oscillation signal corresponding to a detection result of the phase detector; a main divider generating the frequency-divided signal by dividing a frequency of the oscillation signal by a main dividing ratio; and a dividing ratio controller generating a variable count value, generating a sub dividing ratio by performing delta-sigma modulation according to the count value, and adjusting the main dividing ratio according to the sub dividing ratio.
US08446192B2
A PLL circuit which can obtain a VCO output having satisfactory spurious output characteristics with respect to all channels and which can suppress the fluctuation of the characteristics due to a temperature change is disclosed. A control circuit 3 provides a frequency division ratio table 32 where frequency division ratios to improve spurious output characteristics in the output of a VCO for each channel number at temperatures are stored, and the control circuit reads, from the table 32, the frequency division ratio corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 31 and an input channel number, to set the frequency division ratio in a PLL IC 2 and to set the channel number and the frequency division ratio in a DDS circuit 4. The DDS circuit 4 calculates the value of a reference frequency based on the channel number and the frequency division ratio to generate the reference frequency.
US08446187B1
A power-on reset (POR) circuit is provided. The POR circuit includes a first current source, a second current source, and a current comparator. The first current source is arranged to provide a relatively supply-independent circuit. The second current source is arranged to provide a supply-dependent current. The current comparator is arranged to compare the relatively supply-independent circuit with the relatively supply-dependent current to provide a POR signal.
US08446177B2
An inverter circuit includes: first to third transistors; and first and second capacity elements. The first transistor makes/breaks connection between an output terminal and a first voltage line in response to potential difference between an input terminal and the first voltage line or its correspondent. The second transistor makes/breaks connection between a second voltage line and the output terminal in response to potential difference between a gate of the second transistor and the output terminal or its correspondent. The third transistor makes/breaks connection between a gate of the second transistor and a third voltage line in response to potential difference between the input terminal and the third voltage line or its correspondent. The first and second capacity elements are inserted in series between the input terminal and the gate of the second transistor. A junction between the first and second capacity elements is connected to the output terminal.
US08446171B2
A signal processing unit with reduced power consumption is provided. A transistor in which a channel is formed in an oxide semiconductor is used for a storage circuit included in the signal processing unit, so that data can be held (stored) even while supply of power is stopped. Non-destructive reading can be performed on the data stored in the storage circuit even when supply of power to the signal processing unit is stopped.
US08446168B2
A transmitter configured for pre-emphasis is described. The transmitter includes a voltage-driven single-ended-termination driver circuitry. The voltage-driven single-ended-termination driver circuitry includes a first termination point and a second termination point. The transmitter also includes a pre-emphasis encoder circuitry. The pre-emphasis encoder circuitry receives a pre-emphasis signal. The transmitter may reduce signal loss in transmission lines by detecting a transition in a data stream, adjusting a source determination resistance and obtaining a gain from the adjusted source determination resistance.
US08446158B1
An apparatus for converting a capacitance measured on a capacitive sensor to a digital code may include a modulation capacitor to receive charge transferred from the sensor and compensation circuitry to divert charge from the modulation capacitor. A method for operating the apparatus may include generating a digital bitstream based on the capacitance of the sensor and compensating for a parasitic capacitance of the capacitive sensor.
US08446156B2
The invention provides a method and apparatus for the analysis of rocks and rock fragments. A method for the analysis of a rock fragment including: feeding the rock fragment to a microwave irradiation zone of microwave energy generated by a microwave source; gauging energy absorbed by the rock fragment; and correlating rate of change of the gauged energy absorbed by the rock fragment with compositional characteristics of the rock fragment. The rock fragment analysis assembly including: a microwave energy source that generates a microwave irradiation zone; a rock fragment feed that facilitates the feeding of rock fragments into the microwave irradiation zone; at least one primary sensor located on a microwave energy source side of the microwave irradiation zone for gauging microwave energy absorbed by the rock fragments in the microwave irradiation zone; and a processing unit for correlating rate of change of the gauged energy 26 absorbed by the rock fragments with compositional characteristics of the rock fragments.
US08446152B2
A printed circuit board test assisting apparatus includes an input part that has the attribute information of the wiring pattern input thereto; a degradation degree process part that obtains a degradation degree in signal characteristics in a wiring pattern corresponding to attribute information that is input to the input part, based on position information of the wiring pattern corresponding to the attribute information input to the input part, the position information and the size information of the pattern removed area, and the degradation degree information; and an extracting process part that extracts for an actual measurement test a wiring pattern that has a degradation degree equal to or more than a predetermined degree, from wiring patterns for which degradation degrees have been obtained by the degradation degree process part.
US08446147B2
Provided is a position detecting device including a first magnetic-field generating unit including at least one magnetic-field generating coil and that generates a first magnetic field in a detection space where a detected object provided with a circuit including at least one built-in coil is disposed; a magnetic-field detecting unit having a plurality of detecting coils arrayed to detect an induced magnetic field generated from the built-in coil by the generated first magnetic field; and a second magnetic-field generating unit including at least one magnetic-field generating coil, that generates a second magnetic field, and including a magnetic-field component having a phase substantially opposite to the first magnetic field and entering the detecting coils, wherein the first magnetic-field generating unit and the detecting coils are disposed so that a generating direction of the first magnetic field and a detecting direction of the induced magnetic field intersect each other.
US08446145B2
An aspect of the invention provides a method for measuring I-V characteristics of a solar cell, the solar cell comprising a plurality of fine line-shaped electrodes formed on a first surface in a predetermined direction; and a coupling line formed on the first surface that electrically couples at least two fine line-shaped electrodes among the plurality of fine line-shaped electrodes, the coupling line having a line width larger than a line width of the fine line-shaped electrodes. The method includes: contacting a probe pin for voltage measurement with the coupling line; contacting two or more probe pins for current measurement electrically connected to each other with two or more fine line-shaped electrodes including the fine line-shaped electrodes coupled to each other by the coupling line among the plurality of fine line-shaped electrodes; and measuring I-V characteristics while irradiating the first surface with light.
US08446144B2
It is possible to provide a frequency characteristics measuring device which can simplify the configuration for performing a measurement and reduce the undue effort required for the measurement.A spectrum analyzer (10) includes: two sets of measuring units having mixers (110, 210), local oscillators (112, 212), and IF sections (120, 220) for separately measuring frequency characteristics of two input signals; a trigger generation section (310) which generates a trigger signal for specifying a measurement start timing in each of the two sets of measuring units; a sweep control section (300) which simultaneously sends an instruction to the two local oscillators (112, 212) when a trigger signal is inputted and performs a sweep control so that the two local oscillators (112, 212) output local oscillation signals of the same frequency at the same timing.
US08446139B2
Disclosed herein is a current source, including: a current control oscillator configured to output an oscillation signal of a frequency dependent on an input current; a comparator configured to compare the oscillation signal with a reference signal; a charge pump configured to output a current dependent on a comparison result by the comparator; a low-pass filter configured to include a smoothing capacitor charged and discharged by an output current of the charge pump; a loop converter configured to be connected to the smoothing capacitor and generate a current dependent on a voltage generated by the smoothing capacitor to supply the current as the input current to the current control oscillator; and an output converter configured to be connected to the low-pass filter and generate a current dependent on a voltage generated in the low-pass filter to output the current as an output current.
US08446137B2
A method of controlling a pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage regulator including a control circuit of a power stage, and a circuit configured to determine a duration of charge phases and further configured to receive a charge signal and to generate a logic command may include controlling, using the control circuit, switches of the power stage as a function of the logic command at an end of a charge phase and at a start of a discharge phase of an output capacitance. The method may also include generating the charge signal to be one of enabled and disabled during charge phases and another of enabled and disabled during discharge phases, and delaying, at each PWM cycle, the logic command with respect to a previous PWM cycle to compensate at least one of a phase and a frequency difference between each PWM cycle and a reference clock signal.
US08446135B2
A control circuit and method for a ripple regulator system generate a ripple signal in-phase and synchronous with an inductor current of the ripple regulator system, and extract a ripple information proportional to the amplitude of the ripple signal. The ripple signal is used for triggering control in PWM signal generation to make the ripple regulator system have small ripples and better loop stability simultaneously. The ripple information is used to improve the output offset of the ripple regulator system that is caused by the ripple signal.
US08446133B2
A method of controlling a buck-boost converting circuit is provided. The buck-boost converting circuit has an inductive element, a first conduction controlling element, a second conduction controlling element, a third conduction controlling element, and a fourth conduction controlling element. The method includes: controlling the first and third conduction controlling elements to be electrically conductive and the second and fourth conduction controlling elements to be electrically nonconductive according to a first duty setting; determining a second duty setting whose generation is independent of that of the first duty setting; controlling the first and fourth conduction controlling elements to be electrically conductive and the second and third conduction controlling element to be electrically nonconductive according to the second duty setting; and controlling the second and fourth conduction controlling elements to be electrically conductive and the first and third conduction controlling elements to be electrically nonconductive according to a third duty setting.
US08446132B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for power conversion for fuzes and other electrical power consumers. A current monitor coupled to a power source signal generates a source current indicator. A controller generates a control signal responsive to the source current indicator. A filter well is coupled to the power source signal. An inductive switch circuit switchably grounds a rectified inductive load coupled to an output side of the filter well in response to the control signal, developing a pulsed power signal. A resonance rectifier presents substantially lossless resistive impedance for the pulsed power signal and rectifies the pulsed power signal to charge a charge storage device and generate a power output signal. The filter well, the inductive switch circuit, and the controller maintain the source current indicator within a predetermined current range by filtering the pulsed power signal and adjusting the control signal's frequency responsive to the source current indicator.
US08446129B2
A digital flash charger controller includes a transformer, a power supply element, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A secondary side of the transformer is electrically connected to an energy storage device, and the power supply element is used to supply an electric power to a primary side of the transformer. The ASIC outputs a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) signal to control whether the electric power is input to the primary side, and the ASIC converts a sensing signal generated at the secondary side of the transformer to a digital signal, and tracks a sensing negative edge of the sensing signal according to the digital signal to adjust a cutoff time of the PWM signal, such that the next pulse positive edge approaches the corresponding sensing negative edge.
US08446126B2
A power bank apparatus with speaker combines the function of power bank and the function of speaker. The power bank apparatus not only charges the portable electronic apparatuses but also supplies power to the internal speaker. The voice or music of the portable electronic apparatus is amplified by the speaker of the power bank apparatus to improve the quality of the voice or music.
US08446119B2
An apparatus for controlling an electric motor is provided. A plurality of switches is provided for controlling a direction of current through motor coils of the electric motor. A brushless motor control circuit is connected to each of the plurality of switches. Responsive to a request to adjust one of an angular velocity and an angular acceleration of the electric motor, the plurality of switches are activated to place the motor coils in a predetermined configuration to maximize torque or reduce a total back electromotive force (BEMF) from the motor coils.
US08446115B2
A motor drive device has a drive circuit for driving a motor, and a control section for controlling the drive circuit. The control section has a current command value calculating portion for calculating a current command value, a rotation calculating portion for calculating a rotation angle and an angular speed of the motor, a current command value correcting portion for correcting the current command value based on the rotation angle, a voltage command value calculating portion for calculating a voltage command value based on the current command value, a voltage command value correcting portion for correcting the voltage command value based on the current command value and the rotation angle and the angular speed, and a drive signal generating portion for generating a drive signal based on the voltage command value.
US08446101B2
A method and apparatus are provided for operating a control switch. In one embodiment, the control switch includes an input terminal coupled to an alternating current (AC) power supply, a load terminal coupled to a load, a triac circuit coupled to the input terminal and the load terminal, a microcontroller and a power supply. The triac circuit may be configured to receive a triggering voltage and provide an activation pulse to the load based on one or more triggering voltage signals supplied by the microcontroller. In another embodiment, the power supply may be configured to step down AC power received from the input terminal and supply line voltage to the microcontroller.
US08446095B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp for producing a biologically-corrected light. In one embodiment, the LED lamp includes a color filter, which modifies the light produced by the lamp's LED chips, to increase spectral opponency and minimize melatonin suppression. In doing so, the lamp minimizes the biological effects that the lamp may have on a user. The LED lamp is appropriately designed to produce such biologically-correct light, while still maintaining a commercially acceptable color temperature and commercially acceptable color rending properties. Methods of manufacturing such a lamp are provided, as well as equivalent lamps and equivalent methods of manufacture.
US08446087B2
A field emission cathode structure includes an insulating substrate, a number of strip cathode electrodes, a number of insulators, a number of strip gate electrodes, a number of electron emission units, and a number of fixing layers. The number of insulators is located among and spaced apart from the number of strip cathode electrodes. The field emission cathode structure further satisfies the following conditions: D1≦D2/10, wherein, D1 is defined as a width of each of the number of insulators, and D2 is defined as a distance between centerlines of each two adjacent field emission units of the number of field emission units.
US08446084B2
A headlamp 1 includes a laser diode 3 that emits a laser beam, a light emitting part 7 that emits light upon receiving the laser beam emitted from the laser diode 3, and a reflection mirror 8 that reflects the light emitted from the light emitting part 7. According to the headlamp 1, the light emitting part 7 has a luminance greater than 25 cd/mm2, and an area size of an aperture plane 8a perpendicular to a direction in which an incoherent light travels outward from the headlamp 1 is less than 2000 mm2.
US08446073B2
The invention relates to a fuel injector with a holding body and a nozzle body which are joined together and which accommodate a coupler module which has a coupler body enclosed by a spring sleeve. The spring sleeve is open in a circumferential direction at a seam thereof which extends in the longitudinal direction. Either the wall thickness of the spring sleeve varies in the longitudinal direction, or a width of at least one hole geometry in the sheathing of the spring sleeve varies in the longitudinal direction.
US08446071B2
A system and method for removing unwanted heat generated by a piezoelectric element of an ultrasound transducer. Some implementations have high thermal conductivity (HTC) material placed adjacent to the piezoelectric element. The HTC material can be thermally coupled to one or more heat sinks. Use of HTC material in conjunction with these piezoelectric element surfaces is managed to avoid degradation of propagating acoustic energy. Use of the HTC material in conjunction with heat sinks allows for creation of thermal paths away from the piezoelectric element. Active cooling of the heat sinks with water or air can further draw heat from the piezoelectric element. Further implementations form a composite matrix of thermally conductive material or interleave thermally conductive layers with piezoelectric material.
US08446069B2
The invention relates to a switch device (10), for switching a user on and off, in particular, a motor or similar in a vehicle, comprising a housing (20), an operating element (30), a switch element (40) and a display (50), wherein the display (50) is arranged on the operating element (30), the switch element (40) may be activated by the operating element (30) and at least one switch signal (117) for a control unit (15,15′) may be generated by means of the switch element (40). According to the invention, the switch element (40) is a piezo switch and the piezo switch is arranged such as to generate the switch signal (17) on pushing (31) the operating element (30) into the housing (20).
US08446064B2
A rotor (24) for a rotary electric machine (20), mainly for the automotive industry, has a front polar wheel (46N) and a rear polar wheel (46S). Each polar wheel (46N, 46S) includes claws (52) extending axially towards the other polar wheel (46N, 46S). Each claw (52) of the polar wheel (46N, 46S) is circumferentially interleaved between two claws (52) of the other polar wheel (46N, 46S). At least two interpolar gaps (62) are provided between the side faces (60) opposite two consecutive claws (52), and at least two members (68) defining a magnetic barrier are provided in two interpolar gaps (62) associated on either side of a predetermined claw (52D). The front longitudinal ends (72) of the two members (68) are connected by a connector (82) in order to define an open chain (80).
US08446062B2
Brush holder assemblies are detailed. The assemblies may employ rails, rather than boxes, for supporting brushes. They additionally may extend along all, or substantially all, of the lengths of the brushes for enhanced support of the brushes.
US08446060B1
An electrical machine apparatus having magnetic gearing embedded therein includes a moveable rotor having a first magnetic field associated therewith, a stator configured with a plurality of stationary stator windings therein, and a magnetic flux modulator interposed between the moveable rotor and the stator windings. The magnetic flux modulator is configured to transmit torque between the first magnetic field associated with the moveable rotor and a second magnetic field through a movable stator, through a plurality of magnetic flux gates arranged axially in the modulator with the field excited by, and controlled by, eddy currents normal to the field through the plurality of stationary stator magnets governed by the position of the modulator rotating in reference to the rotating (at different speeds, hence flux paths) stator and rotor and their magnetic field poles, than the speed of the modulator and its interfering referenced field poles, with the eddy currents existing flux gate arrays with open or closing sequencing governing rotational speeds of the movable rotor, and enabling magnetic gear ratios, in respect to the driving movable stator, intermediate magnetic flux modulator, methods of a continuously variable, high torque, aero gas turbine transmission which allows for complete segmentation of turbomachinary stages (in respect to the bypass fan, compressor and power of the aero gas turbine.
US08446057B2
A cooling system, a motor handling system, and a method of positioning a motor in a cooling system are disclosed. The motor handling system includes a suspension feature configured to engage a support member, the support member positioned partially below a cooler. The motor handling system permits positioning of a motor in a first position and re-positioning of the motor to a second position. The cooling system includes a cooler, a support member positioned partially below the cooler, and a motor handling system. The method of positioning includes engaging a support member of a cooling system with a suspension feature, positioning the motor at a first position, and re-positioning the motor at a second position.
US08446054B2
A periodic magnetic field generation device is provided with a field pole of a Halbach array structure in which main pole permanent magnets magnetized in a direction of a generated field and sub pole permanent magnets magnetized in a direction opposite to the direction of magnetic poles of the main pole permanent magnets are alternately disposed linearly or circularly so as to be adjacent to each other. A part of each of the main pole permanent magnets on a side on which the magnetic field is generated is replaced by a soft magnetic member, and a relation between a length A of the soft magnetic member on the side of the generated field along a moving direction and a length B of each main pole permanent magnet on a side of a back yoke along the moving direction is A
US08446047B2
A vehicle interior light includes a lighting source that illuminates a vehicle interior; an decorative lighting source that decoratively illuminates the vehicle interior; a lighting switch that controls on-off state of the lighting source; an decorative lighting switch that controls on-off state of the decorative lighting source and the lighting source; and a light dimming unit that lowers illuminance of the lighting source. When the decorative lighting source is turned on, power is supplied to the decorative lighting source so that the decorative lighting source is lit up, while power is supplied to the lighting source through the light dimming unit so that the lighting source is lit up with low illuminance.
US08446045B2
In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, a method and apparatus is disclosed that includes feature of a transmitter and receiver having a substantially two-dimensional resonator structure including a flat coil; and an impedance-matching structure operably connected to the resonator structure, the transmitter configured to transmit power wirelessly.
US08446035B2
A power supply device to be mounted on a vehicle includes a battery module, a power storage casing for accommodating the battery module, a DC/DC converter stepping down an output voltage of the battery module to a first voltage and a DC/DC converter stepping down the output voltage of the battery module into a second voltage. The battery module, DC/DC converter and DC/DC converter are fixed to the power storage casing. This structure provides the power supply device of small sizes capable of supplying electricity of three or more kinds of voltages.
US08446025B2
A starter for starting in-vehicle internal combustion engines comprise a motor, an electromagnetic switch and an electrically conductive connection member. The electromagnetic switch comprises first and second fixed contacts, a movable contact, an electromagnet moving back and forth to the movable contact to electrically connect and disconnect the first and second fixed contacts, and a cover covering the first and second contacts and movable contact. The predetermined direction is parallel to an armature provided in the motor. The electromagnet is provided with only a single coil generating a drive force for moving the movable contact. A connection member is arranged to be through the casing and the cover and electrically connects a brush of the armature in the motor and the second fixed contact in the switch. The connection member includes an end part arranged in the casing of the switch. This end part functionally provides the second fixed contact.
US08446024B2
A machine has a housing that includes a plurality of stator coils to be positioned adjacent to a rotor. A switching network includes a plurality of transistors and diodes connected to the coils. A current source inverter is provided by a switching network, a pair of inductors positioned on power rails, and commutating capacitors. The current source inverter and the coils are all positioned within the housing. Power architecture for a vehicle has a source of DC power, which communicates with machines through integrated motor drives. The motor drives include at least three coils positioned adjacent to the rotors for a motor associated with the integrated motor drive. A storage switching network is positioned downstream of the coils, with the storage switching network to be closed to allow power from the coils to drive the rotor, or to be opened to allow power to pass to a local storage component.
US08446018B2
A package on package structure is provided. The package on package structure may include a first substrate having a first center region and a first C-shaped edge region at a first end of the first center region. In example embodiments, the first C-shaped edge region may faun a first space. The package structure may further include at least two first connection pads on an inner surface of the first C-shaped edge region and the at least two first connection pads may be arranged to face one another. In example embodiments, at least one first solder ball may be arranged in the first space and the at least one first solder ball may be connected to the at least two first connection pads.
US08446015B2
A semiconductor device has a first semiconductor chip 10 molded with a resin 12, a first metal 14 provided in the resin 12 in a circumference of the first semiconductor chip 10, and being exposed on a lower surface of the resin 12, a second metal 16 provided in the resin 12 over the first metal 14, and being exposed on an upper surface of the resin 12, and a first wire 18 coupling the first semiconductor chip 10 to the first metal 14 and the second metal 16. The first wire 18 is coupled to the first metal 14 and the second metal 16 so as to be sandwiched therebetween.
US08446000B2
A package process includes following steps. A circuit mother board comprising a plurality of circuit boards is disposed on a carrier. Semiconductor devices are provided, wherein each of the semiconductor devices has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite thereto. Each of the semiconductor devices has conductive vias each having a first end surface and a second end surface exposed by the bottom surface of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor devices are connected to the corresponding circuit boards through their conductive vias with their bottom surface facing the circuit mother board. An insulating paste is formed between each of the semiconductor devices and its corresponding circuit board. A protection layer is formed on the circuit mother board to cover the semiconductor devices. Then, the protection layer and the semiconductor devices are thinned to expose the first end surface of each of the conductive vias.
US08445997B2
A device is disclosed which includes a first packaged integrated circuit device, a second packaged integrated circuit device positioned above the first packaged integrated circuit device and a plurality of planar conductive members conductively coupling the first and second packaged integrated circuit devices to one another. A method is also disclosed which includes conductively coupling a plurality of extensions on a leadframe to each of a pair of stacked packaged integrated circuit devices and cutting the leadframe to singulate the extensions from one another.
US08445994B2
A semiconductor wafer has a semiconductor substrate and films on the substrate. The substrate and/or the films have at least one etch line creating a discontinuous surface that reduces residual stress in the wafer. Reducing residual stress in the semiconductor wafer reduces warpage of the wafer when the wafer is thin. Additionally, isolation plugs may be used to fill a portion of the etch lines to prevent shorting of the layers.
US08445990B2
A semiconductor device has an adhesive layer formed over a carrier. A semiconductor die has bumps formed over an active surface of the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die is mounted to the carrier with the bumps partially disposed in the adhesive layer to form a gap between the semiconductor die and adhesive layer. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and within the gap between the semiconductor die and adhesive layer. The carrier and adhesive layer are removed to expose the bumps from the encapsulant. An insulating layer is formed over the encapsulant. A conductive layer is formed over the insulating layer in a wound configuration to exhibit inductive properties and electrically connected to the bumps. The conductive layer is partially disposed within a footprint of the semiconductor die. The conductive layer has a separation from the semiconductor die as determined by the gap and insulating layer.
US08445983B2
A semiconductor device for performing photoelectric conversion of incident light includes a substrate and a well region having different conductivity types. A depletion layer is generated in a vicinity of a junction interface between the substrate and the well region. A first trench has a depth equal to a height up to a top portion of the depletion layer generated on a bottom side of the well region and a width extending to a heavily doped region formed in the well region. A second trench has a depth larger than that of a portion of the depletion layer generated on the bottom side of the well region and a width larger than that of portions of the depletion layer generated on the sides of the well region. The second trench surrounds the first trench so as to confine the depletion layer under the first trench except for a region thereof under the heavily doped region. An insulator is buried into each the first trench and the second trench.
US08445974B2
A semiconductor structure is provided that includes at least one asymmetric gate stack located on a surface of a semiconductor structure. The at least one asymmetric gate stack includes, from bottom to top, a high k gate dielectric, a sloped threshold voltage adjusting material layer and a gate conductor. A method of forming such a semiconductor structure is also provided in which a line of sight deposition process is used in forming the sloped threshold voltage adjusting material layer in which the deposition is tilted within respect to a horizontal surface of a semiconductor structure.
US08445972B2
A semiconductor device includes multiple transistors (70, 75, 80, 85), each of the transistors (70, 75, 80, 85) including a gate electrode (18) formed above a semiconductor substrate (30), source/drain regions (10, 12, 14, 16) formed on both sides of the gate electrode (18), and a charge storage layer (38) interposed between the gate electrode (18) and the semiconductor substrate (30). One of the source/drain regions (10, 12, 14, 16) of adjacent transistors (70, 75, 80, 85) is respectively connected in series, so the above-mentioned multiple transistors (70, 75, 80, 85) form a closed loop in the semiconductor device. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device (60) in which the circuit function of the logic circuit (64) can be reconfigured in a non-volatile manner, thereby enabling wide selectivity and excellent design facility in terms of the circuit design and making it possible to readily fabricate the logic circuit (64) and a non-volatile memory (62) on a single chip (60).
US08445970B2
The present invention discloses a bipolar device. An emitter is formed in a semiconductor substrate. A collector is laterally spaced from the emitter in the substrate. A gate terminal is formed on the substrate, defining a space between the emitter and the collector. An extrinsic base is formed on the substrate with a predetermined distance from either the emitter or the collector, wherein the base, the emitter, the collector and the gate terminal are located in an active area defined by a hole in a surrounding isolation structure in the substrate.
US08445963B2
A multi-gate device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes a substrate having a first semiconductor layer of a first carrier mobility enhancing parameter, a buried insulating layer, and a second semiconductor layer with a second carrier mobility enhancing parameter. The device also includes a first active region electrically isolated from a second active region in the substrate. The first active region has a first fin grown on the first semiconductor layer and having the first mobility enhancing parameter. The second active region has a second fin grown on the second semiconductor layer and having the second mobility enhancing parameter. The device also includes a dielectric layer over the second semiconductor layer which is located between the first fin and the second fin. The first and second fins protrude through and above the dielectric layer.
US08445962B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device having high operation characteristic and reliability. The measures taken are: A pixel capacitor is formed between an electrode comprising anodic capable material over an organic resin film, an anodic oxide film of the electrode and a pixel electrode above. Since the anodic oxide film is anodically oxidized by applied voltage per unit time at 15V/min, there is no wrap around on the electrode, and film peeling can be prevented.
US08445959B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate insulation layer, a gate structure, a gate spacer, and first and second impurity regions. The substrate has an active region defined by an isolation layer. The active region has a gate trench thereon. The gate insulation layer is formed on an inner wall of the gate trench. The gate structure is formed on the gate insulation layer to fill the gate trench. The gate structure has a width smaller than that of the gate trench, and has a recess at a first portion thereof. The gate spacer is formed on sidewalls of the gate structure. The first and second impurity regions are formed at upper portions of the active region adjacent to the gate structure. The first impurity region is closer to the recess than the second impurity region. Related methods are also provided.
US08445957B2
A gate formed in a peripheral region is buried in a semiconductor device such that bit line contact plugs respectively coupled to an active region and the gate are simultaneously formed and a short-circuit between the gate and the bit line contact plug is prevented, thereby improving the characteristics of the device. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes forming a gate buried in a semiconductor substrate, and forming a first bit line contact plug coupled to the gate and a second bit line contact plug coupled to the semiconductor substrate.
US08445950B2
Certain embodiments provide a solid-state imaging device including: a plurality of pixels provided on a semiconductor substrate, each of the pixels having a semiconductor region that converts incident light from a side of a first face of the semiconductor substrate into signal charges and stores the signal charges; a readout circuit provided on a side of a second face that is the opposite side from the first face, and reading out the signal charges stored in the pixels; and a pixel separation structure provided between adjacent ones of the pixels in the semiconductor substrate, the pixel separation structure including a stack film buried in a trench extending from the first face, the stack film including a first insulating film provided along side faces and a bottom face of the trench, and a fixed charge film provided in the trench to cover the first insulating film and retaining fixed charges that are non-signal charges.
US08445944B2
A solid-state image pickup device 1 according to the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate 2 on which a pixel 20 composed of a photodiode 3 and a transistor is formed. The transistor comprising the pixel 20 is formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a pn junction portion formed between high concentration regions of the photodiode 3 is provided within the semiconductor substrate 2 and a part of the pn junction portion of the photodiode 3 is extended to a lower portion of the transistor formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 2. According to the present invention, there is provided a solid-state image pickup device in which a pixel size can be microminiaturized without lowering a saturated electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
US08445942B2
A semiconductor device includes: a nitride group semiconductor functional layer including a second nitride group semiconductor region on a first nitride group semiconductor region where a two-dimensional carrier gas layer is made, the second nitride group semiconductor region functioning as a barrier layer; a first main electrode electrically connected to one end of the two-dimensional carrier gas layer; a second main electrode electrically connected to the other end of the two-dimensional carrier gas layer; and a metal oxide film placed between the first and second main electrodes, electrically connected to the first main electrode, the first main electrode extends over an upper surface of the metal oxide film.
US08445941B2
A high-power and high-gain ultra-short gate HEMT device has exceptional gain and an exceptionally high breakdown voltage provided by an increased width asymmetric recess for the gate electrode, by a composite channel layer including a thin indium arsenide layer embedded in the indium gallium arsenide channel layer and by double doping through the use of an additional silicon doping spike. The improved transistor has an exceptional 14 dB gain at 110 GHz and exhibits an exceptionally high 3.5-4 V breakdown voltage, thus to provide high gain, high-power and ultra-high frequency in an ultra-short gate device.
US08445939B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a control electrode over a portion of a semiconductor layer, forming recesses extending into the semiconductor layer on opposing sides of the control electrode, and forming doped regions in the semiconductor layer through the recesses. The doped regions form current electrode regions of the semiconductor device and each doped region extends into the semiconductor layer from at least a base of a recess. The method further comprises forming, after forming the doped regions, strained semiconductor regions in the recesses, wherein a junction between each doped region and the semiconductor layer is formed below an interface between a strained semiconductor region and the semiconductor layer.
US08445929B2
Embodiments of the invention include a light emitting structure comprising a light emitting layer. A first luminescent material comprising a phosphor is disposed in a path of light emitted by the light emitting layer. A second luminescent material comprising a semiconductor is also disposed in a path of light emitted by the light emitting layer. The second luminescent material is configured to absorb light emitted by the light emitting layer and emit light of a different wavelength. In some embodiments, one of the first and second luminescent materials may be bonded to the semiconductor structure.
US08445925B2
A semiconductor optical device includes: a group III nitride semiconductor substrate having a primary surface of a first orientation; a first group III nitride semiconductor laminate including a first active layer disposed on a first region of the primary surface; a group III nitride semiconductor thin film having a surface, which has a second orientation different from the first orientation, disposed on a second region, the second region being different from the first region; a junction layer provided between the second region and the group III nitride semiconductor thin film; and a second group III nitride semiconductor laminate including a second active layer and disposed on the surface of the group III nitride semiconductor thin film. The first and second active layers include first and second well layers containing In, respectively, and the emission wavelengths of the first and second well layers are different from each other.
US08445916B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor layer, a first electrode, a second electrode, an insulating film, a first interconnection, a second interconnection, a barrier metal layer, a first metal pillar, a second metal pillar, and a resin. The semiconductor layer has a first major surface, a second major surface formed on an opposite side to the first major surface, and a light emitting layer. The first electrode is provided on the second major surface of the semiconductor layer. The second electrode is provided on the second major surface of the semiconductor layer and includes a silver layer. The insulating film is provided on the second major surface side of the semiconductor layer. The barrier metal layer is provided between the second electrode and the insulating film and between the second electrode and the second interconnection to cover the second electrode.
US08445915B2
An organic light-emitting display device includes a thin film transistor (TFT) including an active layer, a gate electrode comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, a photoresist layer on the source electrode and the drain electrode, a pixel electrode electrically coupled to the TFT, comprising a same material as the first electrode, and at a same layer as the first electrode, a pixel defining layer having a hole exposing the pixel electrode, the pixel defining layer covering the photoresist layer, an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode and comprising a light-emitting layer, and an opposite electrode covering the intermediate layer and facing the pixel electrode.
US08445906B2
A method for sorting and acquiring a semiconductor element, including: disposing a plurality of semiconductor elements in an effective section in a semiconductor substrate; disposing a standard semiconductor element outside of the effective section in the semiconductor substrate; forming a bump in each of the plurality of the semiconductor elements and in the standard semiconductor element; performing a test on the plurality of the semiconductor elements in the effective section; forming a location map using the standard semiconductor element as a base point; and picking up the semiconductor elements determined as non-defective in the test from the plurality of the semiconductor elements based on the location map.
US08445903B2
A thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a gate-insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film in contact with the gate-insulating film, and source and drain electrodes which connect to the oxide semiconductor film and are separated with a channel part therebetween, wherein the oxide semiconductor film comprises a crystalline indium oxide which includes hydrogen element, and the content of the hydrogen element contained in the oxide semiconductor film is 0.1 at % to 5 at % relative to all elements which form the oxide semiconductor film.
US08445901B2
In view of the problem that an organic semiconductor layer of an organic TFT is likely to deteriorate due to water, light, oxygen, or the like, it is an object of the present invention to simplify a manufacturing step and to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having an organic TFT with high reliability. According to the invention, a semiconductor layer containing an organic material is formed by patterning using a mask, and thus an organic TFT is completed in the state where the mask is not removed but to remain over the semiconductor layer. In addition, a semiconductor layer can be protected from deterioration due to water, light, oxygen, or the like by using the remaining mask.
US08445897B2
A method and apparatus for manufacturing a multi-layer stack structure (12), the structure (12) comprising in order: a substrate (6a) a barrier layer (14) an adhesive layer (15) a barrier layer (14) a substrate (6b). The method comprises: a) providing two substrates (6a, 6b) in a single treatment space (5), the treatment space (5) comprising at least two electrodes (2, 3) for generating an atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma in the treatment space (5); b) treating the facing surfaces of the two substrates (6a, 6b) simultaneously in the single treatment space (5); c) laminating the two treated substrates (6a, 6b) with an adhesive layer (15) in between the facing surfaces to obtain the multi-layer stack structure (12).
US08445892B2
Techniques for embedding silicon germanium (e-SiGe) source and drain stressors in nanoscale channel-based field effect transistors (FETs) are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET includes the following steps. A doped substrate having a dielectric thereon is provided. At least one silicon (Si) nanowire is placed on the dielectric. One or more portions of the nanowire are masked off leaving other portions of the nanowire exposed. Epitaxial germanium (Ge) is grown on the exposed portions of the nanowire. The epitaxial Ge is interdiffused with Si in the nanowire to form SiGe regions embedded in the nanowire that introduce compressive strain in the nanowire. The doped substrate serves as a gate of the FET, the masked off portions of the nanowire serve as channels of the FET and the embedded SiGe regions serve as source and drain regions of the FET.
US08445887B2
A nonvolatile programmable switch device using a phase-change memory device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The switch device includes a substrate, a first metal electrode layer disposed on the substrate and including a plurality of terminals, a phase-change material layer disposed on the substrate and having a self-heating channel structure, the phase-change material layer having a plurality of introduction regions electrically contacting the terminals of the first metal electrode layer and a channel region interposed between the introduction regions, an insulating layer disposed on the first metal electrode layer and the phase-change material layer, a via hole disposed on the first metal electrode layer, and a second metal electrode layer disposed to fill the via hole. The switch device performs memory operations using resistive heating of a phase-change material without an additional heater electrode, thereby minimizing thermal loss due to thermal conductivity of a metal electrode to reduce power consumption of the switch device.
US08445881B2
A large-capacity and inexpensive nonvolatile semiconductor memory device that prevents a leak current and is operated at high speed is implemented with a nonvolatile variable resistive element. A memory cell array includes the nonvolatile variable resistive elements each including a variable resistor composed of a metal oxide film to cause a resistance change according to an oxygen concentration in the film, an insulation film formed on the variable resistor, first and second electrodes to sandwich the variable resistor, and a third electrode opposite to the variable resistor across the insulation film. A writing operation is performed by applying a voltage to the third electrode to induce an electric field having a threshold value or more, in a direction perpendicular to an interface between the variable resistor and the insulation film, and a resistance state of the variable resistor is read by applying a voltage between the first and second electrodes.
US08445879B2
The present invention provides compositions for the protection against electromagnetic radiation. The compositions include a polymeric material including a polyamide such as nylon 6 or nylon 6, 6, barium sulfate and magnesium sulfate. The polymeric material upon exposure to incident electromagnetic radiation emits subtle electromagnetic oscillations at probiotic frequencies that counter adverse effects of incident electromagnetic radiation. The polymeric material may be formed into a protective housing for electronic devices and may be formed into protective fabrics.
US08445878B2
A radiation control system and method are provided in which radiation delivered to a patient and/or the operator of the equipment is minimized. The radiation control system may be used in a large variety of applications including applications in which radiation source is used to inspect an object, such as, for example, medical imaging, diagnosis and therapy, in manufacturing operation using radiation, in airports scanning systems, in different security setups, and in nuclear reactors automation and process control. The radiation control system and method may also be used with 3D imaging.
US08445870B2
A method for performing milling and imaging in a focused ion beam (FIB) system employing an inductively-coupled plasma ion source, wherein two sets of FIB system operating parameters are utilized: a first set representing optimized parameters for operating the FIB system in a milling mode, and a second set representing optimized parameters for operating in an imaging mode. These operating parameters may comprise the gas pressure in the ICP source, the RF power to the ICP source, the ion extraction voltage, and in some embodiments, various parameters within the FIB system ion column, including lens voltages and the beam-defining aperture diameter. An optimized milling process provides a maximum milling rate for bulk (low spatial resolution) rapid material removal from the surface of a substrate. An optimized imaging process provides minimized material removal and higher spatial resolutions for improved imaging of the substrate area being milled.
US08445859B2
High-efficiency neutron detector substrate assemblies comprising a first conductive substrate, wherein a first side of the substrate is in direct contact with a first layer of a powder material comprising 10boron, 10boron carbide or combinations thereof, and wherein a conductive material is in proximity to the first layer of powder material; and processes of making said neutron detector substrate assemblies.
US08445858B2
A device includes a neutron-sensitive composition. The composition includes, in weight percent, a non-zero amount of aluminum oxide (e.g., approximately 1% to approximately 3.5% aluminum oxide), greater than 12% (e.g., approximately 12% to approximately 17%) boron oxide, greater than approximately 60% silicon oxide (e.g., approximately 62% to approximately 68% silicon oxide), and a non-zero amount of sodium oxide (e.g., approximately 10% to approximately 14% sodium oxide). The device is capable of interacting with neutrons to form an electron cascade.
US08445856B2
A multi-element X-ray radiation detector consists of a flat multi-element scintillator in the form of a discrete set of hetero-phase luminescent elements which are arranged in the cells of a mesh made from a metal which absorbs X-ray radiation and reflects light, the increment size of which mesh corresponds to the increment size of the photo receiver matrix. The metallic mesh that forms the multi-element luminescent scintillator is made from elements having an atomic number from N=26 (iron) to N=74 (tungsten), has silver-plated coils, and separates the scintillator elements optically from one another. The process of synthesis is carried out in two stages. Oxyhalides of elements making up a cationic subgroup are formed by reacting an initial coprecipitated oxides of rare earth elements, Bi and Re, with ammonium halides. The resulting product is then subjected to repeated thermal treatment in an alkali chalcogenide melt.
US08445849B2
An Infrared Radiation (IR) sensing device comprises a lens module, an IR pass filter, and an optical sensor. The lens module is utilized for focusing light. The IR pass filter comprises an optical coating, and a Color Filter Array (CFA) module. The optical coating is utilized for blocking light with wavelength around a predetermined range. The CFA module is utilized for blocking light with wavelength around 400 nm to 780 nm. The optical sensor for absorbing photons of light after being blocked by the IR pass filter on the optical path and accordingly generating an electrical signal. With the help of the CFAs, the range of the wavelength that the optical coating has to block becomes smaller, which greatly reduces the required number of layers of the optical coating.
US08445843B2
A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion trap and a fragmentation device. Ions are fragmented in the ion trap to form first generation fragment ions. The ion trap has a relatively high mass cut-off. The first generation fragment ions are then transferred to a fragmentation device which is arranged to have a substantially lower low mass cut-off. The first generation fragment ions are fragmented within the fragmentation device any may optionally be stored in an ion accumulation region prior to being passed to a mass analyser for subsequent mass analysis.
US08445841B2
A first waveguide has a top face positioned in an oil well borehole for wetting by returning drilling mud from a drill bit as drilling progresses. A second waveguide is positioned in the borehole for wetting by new drilling mud being pumped to the drill bit. MIR light rays are fed from an MIR light source into the first and second waveguides for causing evanescent waves to be generated by each waveguide for reacting with the molecules of the associated drilling mud, respectfully, whereby a modulated optical signal representative of spectra of components and particles in the associated drilling mud, respectively, are emitted from each waveguide. The modulated optical signals are converted to electrical signals, subtracted from one another to remove common mode signals, and passed into a processor programmed for extracting the spectra hydrocarbon components contained in the returning drilling mud as the result of the drilling activity.
US08445838B1
A method for generating a deselect mapping for a focal plane array according to one embodiment includes gathering a data set for a focal plane array when exposed to light or radiation from a first known target; analyzing the data set for determining which pixels or subpixels of the focal plane array to add to a deselect mapping; adding the pixels or subpixels to the deselect mapping based on the analysis; and storing the deselect mapping. A method for gathering data using a focal plane array according to another embodiment includes deselecting pixels or subpixels based on a deselect mapping; gathering a data set using pixels or subpixels in a focal plane array that are not deselected upon exposure thereof to light or radiation from a target of interest; and outputting the data set.
US08445836B2
Embodiments of a system to maintain an even temperature distribution across a laser detector are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the system includes a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB) assembly that includes a first layer comprising a thermally-conductive ring provided circumferentially around a thermally-conductive detector region for mounting the laser detector, a second layer comprising a plurality of resistive elements aligned with the thermally-conductive detector region to generate heat, and a fourth layer comprising a thermally-conductive heat-distribution region aligned with the thermally-conductive detector region. A plurality of thermally-conductive vias is provided to couple the thermally-conductive ring of the first layer to the thermally-conductive heat-distribution region of the fourth layer. The thermally-conductive vias transfer heat between the thermally-conductive heat-distribution region and the thermally-conductive ring to provide an even distribution of heat across the laser detector.
US08445835B2
An encoder includes a disk including a first track and a second track each being ring-shaped and provided with a rotary grating, and a first detector and a second detector that are fixedly disposed so as to respectively face the first track and the second track each provided with a fixed grating that detects diffracted interfering light. A plurality of slits of the first track are formed as curved slits. The first detector facing the first track is disposed at a position where a tangent of each of the slits included in the diffraction grating of the first track becomes parallel to a tangent of each of the slits included in the diffraction grating of the second track at a position where the second detector faces the second track.
US08445834B2
A touch sensing apparatus includes a light source generating a light. The light travels though a light distribution part. A light guide part guides the light to the light distribution part. A light sensing part outputs an output signal corresponding to an intensity of the light incident through the light guide part and the light distribution part when a touch occurs. A light reflection part reflects the light provided to the light distribution part, and a coordinate generating part calculates a coordinate value of the touch using the output signal from the light sensing part.
US08445823B2
Embodiments of a guided munition system are provided, as are embodiments of a combustive dome cover and methods for equipping a guided munition with a combustive dome cover. In one embodiment, the guided munition system includes a guided munition, which has a munition body and a seeker dome coupled thereto, and a combustive dome cover disposed over the seeker dome. The combustive dome cover is configured to uncover the seeker dome at a predetermined time of deployment and to combust when so deployed to minimize the production of debris.
US08445817B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a defogging or de-icing system for an optical instrument including a protection housing. According to the disclosed embodiments, the system includes: a porthole covered on at least one face thereof with a heat conducting film provided at the edge of the useful area of said porthole, the porthole being mounted on the protection housing, heating members placed in contact with the film for heating said film, and a power supply circuit for the heating members.
US08445816B2
A welding power supply includes a controller that automatically monitors the presence or absence of one or more modules connected to or installed into the welding power supply. The controller automatically turns on or off the power supply functions related to which optional modules are present. The controller populates various end-user interface menus based on which optional modules are installed. The controller uses software and/or hardware to make the determination. The optional module(s) themselves include circuitry which allows the controller to recognize when the optional module has been installed and what functions the installed optional module is capable of performing. The circuitry of the optional module(s) allows the optional module(s) to communicate with the controller. In this way, the end-user will not have the options of selecting a process on the user interface menus that is not available because the required equipment has not been installed.
US08445808B2
Methods for arc welding unalloyed or low-alloy steels with consumable electrode under protective gas are suggested, in which the protective gas is a mixture comprising at least helium and an active gas as well as a further inert gas. In the general case, the proportion of the active gas in the total volume of the protective gas is to be in the range from more than 0.5% to approximately 1.5% and the proportion of helium in the total volume of the protective gas is to be more than 30%. In case an electrode having a lowered or medium Si content of approximately 0.2% to approximately 0.4% is used, the proportion of the active gas in the total volume of the protective gas is to be approximately 1% to approximately 5%. If an electrode with a low Si content of approximately 0.05% to approximately 0.1% is used, the proportion of the active gas in the total volume of the protective gas is to be approximately 3% to approximately 10%.
US08445806B2
A drive device for erosion tools, having a drive shaft, an electrode holder connected to the drive shaft, an axial drive which works on the drive shaft, a rotational drive which works on the drive shaft as a direct drive in a contactless manner, and a radial bearing. The radial bearing is constructed as a ball track.
US08445802B2
A button structure includes a pressing member and a housing. The pressing member has a plate portion and a pressing portion protruding from the plate portion, and the plate portion is elastic. The housing has an end wall defining a through hole. The pressing member is assembled in the housing, a portion of the plate portion is fixed on the end wall, and the pressing portion extends through the through hole. The plate portion pivots relative to the end wall by pressing the pressing portion.
US08445798B2
A cover for mounting to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) electronic device, the USB electronic device includes a shell defining an opening and a USB connector exposed at the opening. The USB connector includes a GND pin and an ID pin. The cover includes a main body and an elastomeric push button; the main body engagably attaches to the shell and covers the opening; the elastomeric push button is formed on the main body and is configured for powering on or off the USB electronic device; the elastomeric push button includes two metal pins connected with each other and configured for short-circuiting the GND pin to the ID pin when the elastomeric push button is depressed.
US08445790B2
Disclosed herein is a coreless substrate having filled via pads and a method of manufacturing the same. Insulating layers are formed on both sides of a build-up layer, and via-pads are embedded in the insulating layers such that the via-pads are flush with the insulating layers. The via pads are not separated from a substrate, and thus reliability of the pads is increased. Flatness of bumps is increased, and thus bonding of flip chips becomes easy.
US08445789B2
A cable in one embodiment comprises a plurality of leads; and an electrostatically dissipative adhesive operatively electrically coupling the leads together, the adhesive comprising a mixture of an adhesive material and electrically conductive particles intermixed with the adhesive material. A method in one embodiment comprises applying an electrostatically dissipative adhesive to exposed leads of a cable for operatively electrically coupling the leads together, the adhesive comprising a mixture of an adhesive material and electrically conductive particles intermixed with the adhesive material. Additional embodiments are presented.
US08445788B1
A conductive wire includes a metallic wire substrate having a diameter and a surface, and a coating material having a plurality of carbon nanotubes dispersed therein. The coating material is operable to adhere a portion of the carbon nanotubes to the surface of the wire. The coating material has higher specific conductivity than the metallic wire substrate and also has a low contact resistance with the metallic wire substrate.
US08445787B2
A communication cable with a plurality of twisted pairs of conductors and a matrix tape having conductive segments separated by gaps. In some embodiments, an insulating layer is placed between the twisted pairs of conductors and the matrix tape. In some embodiments, the insulating layer is an embossed or perforated film.
US08445783B2
An assembly is provided that includes a tubular support core, a splice body configured to circumferentially surround the support core, a conductive shield sock comprising at least two overlapping layers and configured to circumferentially surround the splice body and a cold shrink jacket circumferentially surrounding the shield sock. The ends of the shield sock are located beneath the cold shrink jacket and the shield sock extends beyond both ends of the splice body. In some embodiments the shield sock includes folded portions that extend beyond the ends of the splice body.
US08445781B1
The electrical receptacle cover having safety bracket for use with fragrance dispenser is an improved electrical receptacle cover that can secure an object plugged into an electrical outlet via a removable safety bracket. The removable safety bracket attaches at distal ends to lock slots located on the surface of the cover, and from which the safety bracket extends outwardly in order to encircle at least a portion of a perimeter of an object plugged into a respective outlet. The electrical receptacle cover and safety bracket prevent unintended unplugging of the object with respect to the electrical outlet thereby minimizing danger posed to small and curious children.
US08445780B1
The apparatus includes a mount plate secured to a wall or ceiling panel and leading to an electrical device, a frame secured thereto, a plurality of magnetic or mechanical push-touch latches secured to the frame and adapted for inward/outward movement, and a cover magnetically or mechanically, such as a pin and socket attachment assembly, connected to the latches and movable with the latches, such as to be substantially flush with the frame in the inward position and extend outwardly from the frame in the outward position such as to permit removal for access to the electrical device. Various finishing materials may be applied over any exposed portions of the apparatus, such as the mount plate, portions of the frame, and cover to match the surrounding wall panel so that the invention is substantially unnoticeable along the wall panel. The cover may also include an opening for a daily use embodiment.
US08445772B2
A thermoelectric power generator is disclosed for use to generate electrical power from heat, typically waste heat. An intermediate heat transfer loop forms a part of the system to permit added control and adjustability in the system. This allows the thermoelectric power generator to more effectively and efficiently generate power in the face of dynamically varying temperatures and heat flux conditions, such as where the heat source is the exhaust of an automobile, or any other heat source with dynamic temperature and heat flux conditions.
US08445771B2
A performance apparatus 11 extends in its longitudinal direction to be held by a player with his or her hand. The performance apparatus 11 is provided with a geomagnetic sensor 22 and an acceleration sensor 23. At the time when the geomagnetic sensor and acceleration sensor determine that the performance apparatus 11 is kept within a sound generation space and has been moved by the player, CPU 21 gives an electronic musical instrument 19 an instruction to generate a musical tone of a tone color corresponding to the sound generation space. The sound generation spaces and corresponding tone colors are stored in a space/tone color table in RAM 26. Upon receipt of the instruction, the electronic musical instrument generates a musical tone of a tone color corresponding to the sound generation space.
US08445769B2
A performance apparatus 11 extends in its longitudinal direction to be held by a player with his or her hand, and is provided with an acceleration sensor 23 for detecting an acceleration sensor value and an angular rate sensor 22 for detecting an angular rate of rotation of the apparatus 11 about its longitudinal axis. CPU 21 detects a sound-generation timing based on the acceleration sensor value. Using the angular rate, CPU 21 calculates a rotation angle of the performance apparatus 11 made about its longitudinal axis in a period from a first and a second timing, wherein the first and second timing correspond to starting and finishing of swinging motion of the performance apparatus, respectively. CPU 21 determines to increase or decrease a sound volume level, in accordance with the direction and amount of the calculated rotation angle, thereby adjusting a sound volume level of musical tone.
US08445765B2
A keyboard device capable of reconstructing a unique clicking sense of an acoustic piano is provided. A first incline portion (a plane or curved surface) of a sliding surface is inclined towards a direction gradually departing from a base portion of a protrusion along a displacement direction of the protrusion in a key-pressing operation for reducing a resistance exerted on the protrusion and suppressing a gradual increase of a sense of resistance. Moreover, a bump portion located at where the protrusion reaches after sliding through the first incline portion is used to increase the resistance exerted on the protrusion for increasing the sense of resistance. When the protrusion crosses over the bump portion, the sense of resistance is reduced. Accordingly, variation in the sense of resistance before and after the bump portion is increased, and the unique clicking sense of the acoustic piano is reproduced.
US08445763B1
A novel maize variety designated PH184C and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH184C with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH184C through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH184C or a locus conversion of PH184C with another maize variety.
US08445761B2
A novel soybean variety, designated XB31B11 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB31B11, cells from soybean variety XB31B11, plants of soybean XB31B11, and plant parts of soybean variety XB31B11. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB31B11 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB31B11, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB31B11, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB31B11. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB31B11 are further provided.
US08445760B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP34006 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP34006, cells from soybean variety XBP34006, plants of soybean XBP34006, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP34006. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP34006 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XBP34006, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP34006, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XBP34006. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP34006 are further provided.
US08445758B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XBP11003 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP11003, cells from soybean variety XBP11003, plants of soybean XBP11003, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP11003. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP11003 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XBP11003, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP11003, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XBP11003. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP11003 are further provided.
US08445741B2
Process for the production of a hydrocarbon by reacting, in a reactor, a reactant selected from methanol, dimethyl ether, methyl acetate and mixtures thereof, with an olefin. The process is performed in the presence of methyl halide and/or hydrogen halide and at least one compound selected from ruthenium carbonyl halides, osmium carbonyl halides and mixtures thereof.
US08445732B2
The present invention refers to the use as flavor or fragrance of a compound of formula (I) wherein R4 is hydrogen and the bond between C-3 and C-4 is a single bond or the dotted line together with the bond between C-3 and C-4 represents a double bond; or R4 is methylene, forming with C-3 and C-4 a cyclopropane ring; R3 is hydrogen, C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 alkyl, or C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 alkenyl; and I) R1 and R2 together with the carbon atom to which they are attached form a carbonyl group; or II) R1 is hydroxyl and R2 is selected from C1, C2, C3 alkyl, and C2, C3, C4 alkenyl.
