US08667243B2
Provided are a processor generates second notification information by copying first notification information including target information about all communication adaptors in a storage apparatus; updates the first notification information, upon configuration information on the communication adaptors being modified; updates, when receiving a target information obtainment request, the second notification information with second notification information; blocks, when a predetermined copy prevention condition is met, copy of the first notification information to the second notification information; and sends, when receiving the target information obtainment request, the second notification information to the host apparatus, thereby, the load for notifying notification information to the host apparatus can be reduced, as well as preventing any inconsistency in notifying the notification information.
US08667240B2
The invention relates to a method for automatically backing up digital data preserved in memory in a computer installation to a remote backup system accessible through the computer installation via a data transmission network. This method comprises extracting and analyzing information regarding the operation of the computer installation and determining parameters of a data backup application for saving data to the backup system. Based on the result of this analysis, the digital data preserved in memory is analyzed and the digital data analyzed is classified into a plurality of classes of different priorities. The backup application is also executed on at least part of the digital data based on the parameters and classes of priorities determined.
US08667233B2
A competition testing apparatus for testing an access competition of an arithmetic unit includes a memory that stores a program, a first processor that executes the program by accessing the memory, a second processor that executes the program by accessing the memory, and an arbitration unit that arbitrates accessing the first processor and the second processor and reports a result of the arbitration upon the first processor and the second processor accessing the same address space in the memory, wherein the memory stores a odd number of programs, further comprises a controller that controls the first processor to process the plurality of test programs stored in the storage in predetermined order, and controls the second processor to process the plurality of test programs stored in the storage in order reverse to the predetermined order, and a recording unit that records the result of arbitration performed using the arbitrator.
US08667232B2
A controller for a memory device and methods are provided. The controller has an updateable register bank adapted to send a first signal to an analog/memory core of the memory device for controlling operation of the analog/memory core. The analog/memory core has an array of flash memory cells and supporting analog access circuitry. A bus controller is coupled to the register bank. The bus controller is adapted to receive a second signal from the register bank and to send a third signal to the register bank for updating the register bank. A select register is coupled to the register bank. A processor is coupled to the bus controller and the select register.
US08667224B1
Described are techniques for processing a data operation in a data storage system. A front-end component of the data storage system receives the data operation. In response to receiving the data operation, the front-end component performs first processing. The first processing includes determining whether the data operation is a read operation requesting to read a data portion which results in a cache miss; and if said determining determines that the data operation is a read operation resulting in a cache miss, performing read miss processing. Read miss processing includes sequential stream recognition processing performed by the front-end component to determine whether the data portion is included in a sequential stream.
US08667216B2
According to the embodiments, an external storage device switches to an interface controller for supporting only a read operation of nonvolatile memory when a shift condition for shifting to a read only mode is met. A host device switches to an interface driver for supporting only the read operation of the nonvolatile memory when determining to recognize as read only memory based on information acquired from the external storage device.
US08667209B2
A non-volatile memory access method and system, and a non-volatile memory controller are provided for accessing a plurality of physical blocks in a non-volatile memory chip, and each physical block has a plurality of physical pages. The method includes determining whether there is enough space in a first physical block to write a plurality of specific physical pages when data stored in one of the specific physical pages are to be updated; and writing valid data and data to be updated into the first physical block when the first physical block has enough space to write the specific physical pages.
US08667205B2
A system for deadlock resolution in end-to-end credit protocol includes a plurality of source controllers configured to receive data frames on an incoming link, wherein each source controller includes a plurality of credit counters. The system also includes a plurality of end controllers configured to receive data frames from the plurality of source controllers, wherein each end controller includes a buffer credit counter, a plurality of request counters, and an output buffer. Each of the plurality of credit counters corresponds to one of the plurality of end controllers and stores a number of credits received from that end controller. The buffer credit counter of each end controller stores a number of available credits of the end controllers. Each of the request counters corresponds to one of the plurality of source controllers and stores a number of credit requests received from that source controller.
US08667204B2
Systems and methods for providing a differentiation of two identical slave devices on a same I2C bus without any hardware (e.g. additional ID pins) or software overhead are disclosed. Each identical slave device is connected to the SDA/SCL lanes by interchanging its SDA/SCL ports. It is up to the slave device to detect its signal connectivity to the SDA/SCL lanes of the I2C bus. The slave devices detect the signal connectivity by interpreting the I2C transfer in normal and interchanged connectivity.
US08667199B2
A data processing apparatus and method are provided for arbitrating between multiple access requests seeking to access a plurality of resources sharing a common access path. At least one logic element issues access requests requesting access to the resources, and each access request identifies which of the resources is to be accessed. Arbitration circuitry performs a multi-cycle arbitration operation to arbitrate between multiple access requests to be passed over the common access path, the arbitration circuitry having a plurality of pipeline stages to allow a corresponding plurality of multi-cycle arbitration operations to be in progress at any one time. Filter circuitry is provided which has a plurality of filter states, the number of filter states being dependent on the number of pipeline stages of the arbitration circuitry, and each resource being associated with one of the filter states. For a new multi-cycle arbitration operation to be performed by the arbitration circuitry, the filter circuitry selects one of the filter states that has not been selected for any other multi-cycle arbitration operation already in progress within the pipeline states of the arbitration circuitry. Then, it determines as candidate access requests for the new multi-cycle arbitration operation those access requests that are seeking to access a resource associated with the selected filter state. Such an approach allows efficient multi-cycle arbitration to take place even where the resources may have inter-access timing parameters associated therewith which prevent them from being able to receive access requests every clock cycle.
US08667191B2
A management hub is disclosed. The management hub comprises an interface; a master hub controller coupled to the interface; a plurality of ports coupled to the master hub controller; a microcontroller coupled to the master hub controller; and hub setting switch and a slave hub controller coupled to the microcontroller and the plurality of ports. The management hub also includes a memory device coupled to the microcontroller, the memory device including a hidden drive information partition and a hidden drive organizer partition for managing and identifying information in various drives coupled to the plurality of ports, wherein when the management hub is first connected to a host system the drives are displayed in an inactive state.
US08667190B2
A signal processing system comprising buffer control logic arranged to allocate a plurality of buffers for the storage of information fetched from at least one memory element. Upon receipt of fetched information to be buffered, the buffer control logic is arranged to categorize the information to be buffered according to at least one of: a first category associated with sequential flow and a second category associated with change of flow, and to prioritize respective buffers from the plurality of buffers storing information relating to the first category associated with sequential flow ahead of buffers storing information relating to the second category associated with change of flow when allocating a buffer for the storage of the fetched information to be buffered.
US08667189B2
A system and method for transferring data in a library storage system. The library storage system comprises a management server including a storage policy. A media agent is connected to the management server. A plurality of storage media and a data source are connected to the media agent. The data source is divided into at least a first and a second portion of data. The portions of data are transferred from the data source to a first and second primary storage medium using a first and a second data stream respectively. The media agent then causes the first and second portion of data to be transferred from the first and second storage medium to a third auxiliary storage medium using a third combined data stream. Auxiliary copying is performed in chunks and multiple streams are copied in parallel.
US08667184B2
An improved distributed operating system over a network of computer systems is described. Existing distributed operating systems have transmission performance limitations dictated by their inability to (1) reliably handle transient communication failures and rapid node reboots, (2) provide a transmission protocol that adapts to link reliability, and (3) allow transmissions to occur over an arbitrary combination of communication links. The systems and methods described herein solve these problems by providing a reliable node-to-node session protocol that offers high performance message delivery and multi-interface management and support. This is done by transmitting all data between two nodes of the operating system over a single connection that may dynamically exploit multiple interfaces between the nodes.
US08667176B2
The present invention includes a network service access method. In one embodiment, such a method comprises: forwarding the domain name resolution requests to a local domain name server of each Internet service provider providing services through access link corresponding with the Internet service provider; receiving Internet Protocol address on the domain name resolution requests which the local domain name server of each Internet service provider returned from the corresponding access link; selecting the Internet Protocol address according to line state of the access link of each Internet service provider providing services and returning the selected Internet Protocol address to the user equipments; and visiting network services by the access link of the Internet service provider returning the selected Internet Protocol address.
US08667174B2
A system and method for retaining routes in a control plane learned by an inter-domain routing protocol in the event of a connectivity failure between routers. Routers are classified as either route reflectors or originators. A determination is made whether the connectivity failure occurred between a route reflector and an originator, two originators, or two route reflectors. A determination is then made whether to propagate a withdrawal of learned routes based on whether the connectivity failure occurred between a route reflector and an originator, two originators, or two route reflectors. A withdrawal of learned routes is propagated to neighboring routers if the connectivity failure occurred between two originators, or between a route reflector and an originator that is inaccessible via an intra-domain routing protocol. No withdrawal of learned routes is propagated if the connectivity failure occurred between two route reflectors, or between a route reflector and an originator that is accessible via an intra-domain routing protocol.
US08667173B2
An overlay protocol and system for allowing multicast routing in the Internet to be performed at the application level. The overlay protocol uses “native” Internet multicast and multicast routing protocols to route information, according to overlay routing tables. Overlay groups are mapped to native multicast groups to exploit native multicasting in regional or local forwarding domains. Use of the overlay protocol allows overlay distribution to be handled in a more intelligent and bandwidth-managed fashion. Overlay routers are placed at each of several local area networks, Internet service provider's point of presence, enterprise, or other cohesively-managed locations. The overlay computers are configured according to bandwidth and security policies, and perform application-level multicast distribution across the otherwise disjoint multicast networks by using the overlay routing. The result is an overlay multicast network that is effectively managed according to local network management policies. Application-level control can be applied to the transferred data at the overlay routers.
US08667171B2
A virtual data center allocation architecture with bandwidth guarantees that provides for the creation of multiple virtual data centers from a single physical infrastructure. The virtual data center allocation is accomplished in three steps. First, clusters are created from the servers in the physical infrastructure. Second, a bipartite graph is built to map the virtual machines to the servers located in a particular cluster and finally a path is calculated between two virtual machines. The virtual data centers may be dynamically expanded or contracted based on changing bandwidth guarantees.
US08667168B2
A proximity control method for transmitting a content and a network node using the proximity control method is provided. A proximity control method for transmitting a content performs a different proximity control mechanism depending on each of a single proximity control (SPC) domain, a mixed proximity control (MPC) domain, and a network-based service domain, and each of nodes performs the different proximity control mechanism based on a physical distance from a neighboring node, the nodes being comprised in the SPC domain, the MPC domain, and the network-based service domain.
US08667167B2
A method for controlling a transmission rate of a communication interface includes detecting, for a plurality of times, data traffic that passes through a first communication interface of a first device within a preset period; when the traffic rates at which the data traffic passes through the first communication interface within the preset period are lower than a first threshold, sending a rate reduction request message to a second device that includes a second communication interface, so that the second device configures a rate of the second communication interface as a first transmission rate that is lower than a current transmission rate of the second communication interface and that is supported by both communication interfaces after receiving the rate reduction request message. In this way, power consumption of the communication interface may be reduced.
US08667159B2
A data transceiver of a user terminal receives image data and sound data that are transmitted from a destination by streaming. A video chat processor of the user terminal reproduces the received data, thereby providing a communication device, a communication method, and a communication program that enable a user to easily and efficiently confirm, based on returned data, a reproduction quality of the image data and the sound data that are transmitted by streaming.
US08667156B2
A service delivery platform that can support a number of different services is provided. A context regarding an application device is received by the service delivery platform. Applications executed on the service delivery platform use the context to optimize the delivery of information to application devices.
US08667155B2
A system comprises a frame parser and lookup engine operable to receive an incoming data frame, extract control data from payload data in the data frame, and using the control data to access a memory to fetch a plurality of instructions, a destination and tag management module operable to receive the fetched instructions and execute the instructions to transform the data frame control data, and an assemble module operable to assemble the transformed control data and the payload data.
US08667142B2
A transfer-source terminal, a communication-destination terminal, and a nearby terminal existing in the neighborhood of transfer-source terminal are provided. The nearby terminal collects connectivity information for monitoring connectivity after terminal switching by performing a communication process with the communication-destination terminal, and transmits the connectivity information collected to the transfer-source terminal. The transfer-source terminal receives connectivity information from the nearby terminal by a connectivity information receiving unit, determines a transfer-destination terminal from among the nearby terminals according to connectivity information by a transfer-destination terminal determinating unit, and transfers a communication session with a communication-destination terminal to the transfer-destination terminal determined, by a session transferring unit.
US08667139B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates the deployment and execution of a software offering. During operation, the system obtains a service definition of the software offering and a resource definition of resources available for use by the software offering. Next, the system creates a multidimensional model of the software offering by mapping a first set of elements from the service definition to a second set of elements from the resource definition. Finally, the system uses the multidimensional model to manage the deployment and execution of the software offering without requiring manual configuration of the resources by a user.
US08667134B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for conducting electronic transactions in a distributed computing environment. A communications protocol is provided that enables reliable transactional state synchronization for peers participating in a distributed transaction. A transaction processing application is deployed on a local computer system to manage transactions thereon. The local computer system contacts a remote computer system to obtain authorization to execute a transaction. The local computer system initiates a failure-recovery job that is operable to automatically resend status signals and other information to the remote system if the communication with the remote system exhibits certain predefined fault conditions. The remote system is able to dynamically adjust the definition of the predefined fault conditions. If the transaction concludes without triggering the predefined fault conditions, the failure-recovery job is cancelled. The transaction processing application may also allow deferred transactions between remote parties. The transaction processing application maintains a record of the transactions performed by the consumer on the consumer's local system. Upon the occurrence of predefined conditions, transactional records are sent to a remote vendor or clearinghouse. The vendor or clearinghouse can manage the risk it bears by setting the predefined conditions appropriately.
US08667122B2
An approach is provided for optimizing message routing without repeatedly resolving a home location. A login request from a user equipment associated with a resource identifier is received. The user equipment is configured to operate within a network including a plurality of clusters. The resource identifier of the user equipment is modified to include home cluster information indicating a corresponding one of the clusters serving the user equipment.
US08667109B2
Techniques for user profile-based system level management (SLM) and creation of system level agreements of a wireless device are generally disclosed. In some examples, a predictor may be provided to predict a future task to be performed by a wireless device, including resource requirements, based at least in part on a profile of a user and at least one of a profile of a communication partner the user, an operational recommendation, a performance model or a current state. An optimizer/analyzer may be provided to generate a plurality of instructions to configure the wireless device, based at least in part on the predicted future task and resource requirement, and a quality of service requirement of the wireless device, in anticipation of having to perform the predicted task. In various examples, the predictor and the optimizer/analyzer may form a local or a remotely disposed system level manager.
US08667101B1
Techniques for enhancing a throttle management system are disclosed. A throttle management system can be configured to scale down a number of permits available for connections to a data source. The throttle configuration parameters can be viewed by an administrator and modified during the runtime operation of the computer system effecting the throttle.
US08667100B2
A communication interface and a device control, management and monitoring system are provided to enable the networking of and communication between a multiple devices operating under different protocols. The communication interface may act as a translator or protocol converter that reformats transmissions from one protocol to another based on protocol compatibility between the recipient and transmitting devices. The device control and monitoring system may store predefined rules that are triggered when specified conditions associated with the networked devices are detected. The rules may specify an action to take such as transmitting a discount offer to a user or turning off a light. According to one or more arrangements, the communication interface may act as an intermediary between the networked devices and the device control system so that the device control system is not required to understand or be compatible with the various other protocols used by the networked devices.
US08667099B2
Arrangements are provided which use a host computer to configure a wireless portable device's network connection parameters. The radio on the portable device may be used to help locate nearby accessible wireless networks. Once a synchronization relationship between the portable device and a media library on a host computer is established, periodically updated content, such as podcasts, may be discovered and subscribed to using software on the host computer, and the content synchronized with the host computer. A portable device may manage episodic content, such as podcasts, using the device's own wireless connection, and may further send such content to other portable devices. A central user profile may be set up on a web server to synchronize multiple wireless or wired devices.
US08667093B2
An image display system with one or more client computers in selective communication with a visual server having image processing capabilities. The client computer generates image modifying data corresponding to a generated image, and transmits the data to the visual server. The visual server receives the image-modifying data, generates a modified image based upon the image-modifying data, and transmits the modified image as compressed data to the client. The client decompresses the modified image data and displays the modified image. In the system, the visual server and client can provide a sequential display of modified frames on client to support animation with complex 3-dimensional graphics.
US08667091B2
Embodiments of an integrated node, such as a programmable logic controller, are provided for process automation and seamless, flexible subsystem communications, allowing a remote host to interface with a plurality of remote and in-plant subsystems and services using a wired or wireless network interface and having a database server and a protocol translator or translation server to convert and manipulate various industrial interfaces and protocols. Embodiments of the integrated node time-synchronize the plurality of remote subsystems, acquire and archive time-stamped process data, report exceptions therein to the remote host, and extract and transmit time-stamped process data to the remote host. Embodiments of computer program products and computer implemented methods also are provided to detect a time of communication failure and a time of a corresponding recovery between a node and either a remote subsystem or a remote host.
US08667087B2
A media player is utilized to determine presence of defects in storage devices, and to retrieve replacement data from media management servers. The retrieval of the replacement data is performed during playback and/or use of the storage devices. The replacement data is only utilized during real time playback of the storage devices. The replacement data can also be stored within the data storage player, into the storage devices, and/or into external storage devices accessible during playback operations. Addressing information is created and/or modified to enable use of stored replacement data. A new copy of the data can be created in the same or in new storage device. The media management server performs access authentication operations during replacement data retrieval. The media management server is accessed via user-based webpage-like interfaces and/or dedicated APIs.
US08667084B2
In one embodiment, a management device receives one or more fate-sharing reports locally generated by one or more corresponding reporting nodes in a shared-media communication network, the fate-sharing reports indicating a degree of localized fate-sharing between one or more pairs of nodes local to the corresponding reporting nodes. The management device may then determine, globally from aggregating the fate-sharing reports, one or more fate-sharing groups indicating sets of nodes having a global degree of fate-sharing within the communication network. As such, the management device may then advertise the fate-sharing groups within the communication network, wherein nodes of the communication network are configured to select a plurality of next-hops that minimizes fate-sharing between the plurality of next-hops.
US08667078B2
In one embodiment, an industrial process control system includes a processor configured to translate a device definition (DD) file, extract device information for a field device from the DD file, and convert the device information into a first format. The process control system also includes a configuration server configured to receive the device information in the first format from the processor, store the device information in a memory, and respond to queries for the device information in the memory.
US08667071B2
An object of the present invention is suppressing a mail transmission loop between the communication terminals. A communication terminal 1 according to the present invention includes: a communication unit 10 for receiving a mail from a transmitter; a flag confirming unit 18 for confirming whether an automatic reply flag is attached or not to the received mail; an automatic reply time confirming unit 19 for confirming the number of times of automatic replies; an automatic reply determining unit 20 for determining whether to perform the automatic reply function or not based on presence or absence of the automatic reply flag and the number of times of automatic replies; and a mail transmitting unit 23 for transmitting the automatic reply mail to the transmitter when the automatic reply function is determined to be performed; wherein the number of times of automatic replies is changed every time the automatic reply function is performed, and when the automatic reply flag is attached to the received mail and the number of times of automatic replies reaches a given value with respect to the received mail, the automatic reply determining unit 20 determines not to perform the automatic reply function.
US08667066B1
A system and method for event-driven live migration of applications between two or more servers. Primary applications runs on primary hosts and one or more replicated instances of each primary application run on one or more backup hosts. Event driven live migration is provided through a combination of process replication, logging, barrier synchronization, reliable messaging and message playback. The event driven live migration is transparent to the application and requires no modification to the application, operating system, networking stack or libraries.
US08667052B2
A method and apparatus for providing transaction services to one of a plurality of organizations where such transaction services are provided for servicing contacts with clients of the organization through an independently operated contact processing system having a communication connection with the organization through the Internet. The method includes the steps of a contact controller of the organization providing contact control instructions for servicing the contacts to a control interface of the contact processing system and a web services publisher exchanging control information between the organization and contact controller through the Internet for the servicing the contacts with the clients of the organization.
US08667046B2
A Generalized Programmable Counter Array (GPCA) is a reconfigurable multi-operand adder, which can be reprogrammed to sum a plurality of operands of arbitrary size. The GPCA is configured to compress the input words down to two operands using parallel counters. Resulting operands are then summed using a standard Ripple Carry Adder to produce the final result. The GPCA consists of a linear arrangement of identical compressor slices (CSlice).
US08667040B2
An apparatus having operand registers, an opcode detector, a carryless preformat unit, a compressor, a left shifter, and exclusive-OR logic. The operand registers receive operands for a carryless multiplication. The opcode detector receives a carryless multiplication instruction, and asserts a carryless signal. The carryless preformat unit partitions a first operand into a plurality of parts that are such that a Booth encoder is precluded from selection of second partial products of a second operand, where the second partial products reflect implicit carry operations. The compressor sums first partial products of the second operand via carry save adders arranged in a Wallace tree configuration, where generation of carry bits is disabled. The left shifter shifts one or more outputs of the compressor. The exclusive-OR logic executes an exclusive-OR function to yield a carryless multiplication result.
US08667037B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for ranking news articles. A plurality of news articles referenced in one or more hub pages are identified, where each of the hub pages include respective references to one or more of the news articles. A score component is derived for a news article from a measure of a prominence of the news article in the hub pages that includes a reference to the news article.
US08667035B2
A filesystem conversion process converts a filesystem from one implementation type to another type while the filesystem remains active and fully accessible. The conversion process builds a list of directories in the filesystem that are of the old filesystem type and then converts each directory until the entire filesystem is converted. Instead of the filesystem being shutdown to perform the conversion, the conversion process may run as a background thread that does not interfere with normal filesystem operations.
US08667027B2
Disclosed are methods and systems to provide for using database triggers to maintain a relational persistence of the transitive closure and path structure of an object hierarchy in the form of an object hierarchy bridge table. In one embodiment, database triggers fire when objects or relationships are added or deleted from the hierarchy. Based on the additions and deletions, a delta can be calculated and applied to an object hierarchy bridge table and the graph transitive closure and path structure can be dynamically built and maintained as corresponding changes to the graph occur. Later, more efficient access and retrieval of a graph transitive closure and path structure can be retrieved without necessarily having to perform recursion to calculate the graph transitive closure and path at request time.
US08667026B1
A method of ranking a plurality of regulated data sources and a plurality of non-regulated data sources for a data field is provided. The method evaluates consistency and assigns a ranking for a regulated data source based upon records having identical values and records having non-identical values for the data field in the regulated data source compared to other regulated data sources under analysis. The method further evaluates consistency and assigns a ranking for a non-regulated data source based upon records having identical values compared to other non-regulated data sources under analysis.
US08667013B1
Systems and methods for determining an article association measure are described. In one described method, a computer program receives a first article identifier associated with a first attribute and a second article identifier associated with a second attribute and determines a similarity measure of the first article identifier to the second article identifier based at least in part on the first attribute and on the second attribute. The similarity measure may provide a means for associating various article identifiers so that they may be, for example, retrieved and/or ranked in subsequent search queries.
US08667012B2
Systems and methods for managing and evaluating a social network. The social network is represented as a graph structure and stored in distributed memory. A viable path from one node that is not directly connected to another node in the graph structure may be determined by traversing the graph in stages, moving outward from each node in stages until common midpoint nodes are found providing a connection between the nodes. When midpoint nodes are found, the paths connecting the one node to the other node may be reconstructed.
US08667011B2
A method includes receiving a selection of a logical field of a data abstraction model. The method includes determining model entries (e.g., concepts) associated with the selected logical field and examining the data abstraction model to determine other model entries that are equal to the model entries associated with the selected logical field. For each equal model entry, the method includes determining web services to be used in performing a search, where the web services are determined by querying a discovery registry associated with the data abstraction model to discover one or more web services that are resolvable based on the selected logical field. A first discovered web service is executed with user supplied criteria provided via a user interface to obtain a list of values. A condition is created that limits acceptable values associated with the selected logical field based on the user supplied criteria.
US08667005B2
A search query is received from a single input field of a user interface. A keyword search is performed based on the search query to generate keyword search results. A natural language search is performed of a frequently-asked question (FAQ) database based on the search query to generate FAQ search results. The keyword search results and the FAQ search results are combined in a display page.
US08667002B2
A system and method for querying heterogeneous data sources is disclosed. In some embodiments, the system comprises a plurality of heterogeneously structured data sources, a plurality of query objects that represent queries to the data sources and that are independent of the structure of the data sources, and a user interface configured to query the plurality of query objects.
US08666992B2
A system and a method of querying a remote service without revealing a private document to the remote service are provided. The method includes receiving a signature of a user's private document, and querying an intermediate database with the signature of the private document to generate an intermediate result set comprising intermediate database documents, based on a computation of similarity of the signatures of the intermediate database documents to the signature of the private document. The remote service is queried, based on the intermediate result set and a final result set is received from the remote service based on the query, which can be output to the user or further processed.
US08666986B2
A grid-based data clustering method is disclosed. A parameter setting step sets a grid parameter and a threshold parameter. A diving step divides a space having a plurality of data points according to the grid parameter. A categorizing step determines whether a number of the data points contained in each grid is larger than or equal to a value of the threshold parameter. The grid is categorized as a valid grid if the number of the data points contained therein is larger than or equal to the value of the threshold parameter, and the grid is categorized as an invalid grid if the number of the data points contained therein is smaller than the value of the threshold parameter. The clustering step retrieves one of the valid grids. If the retrieved valid grid is not yet clustered, the clustering step performs horizontal and vertical searching/merging operations on the valid grid.
US08666983B2
Architecture for generating responses to search engine queries. Question/answer pairs are used to provide a predefined question hierarchy to facilitate a search. Informative terms and one or more questions are associated with each question node of the hierarchy. A question posed is mapped into the hierarchy to the most similar question class node, as determined by passages of the question and/or comparing the informative terms of the question and the question/answer node. Weighted informative terms associated with that node are then returned, and can be used by an automatic question answering system to more effectively find an answer to a question.
US08666978B2
A content tagging and management capability is provided for enabling automatic tagging of content and management of tagged content. A registration capability is provided for enabling creation of a user account and association of information with the user account where the information is adapted for supporting automatic content tagging and management of tagged content. An object information management capability is provided for enabling access to object information which may be used when automatically tagging content. A tagged content access capability is provided for enabling access to an information structure by an end user viewing tagged content. A tagged content ownership management and remuneration capability is provided for enabling management of content ownership for tagged content of end users and for managing associated remuneration which may be provided to end user when tagged content is accessed.
US08666977B2
A mechanism is disclosed that dramatically minimizes the time it takes to gather needs, dramatically minimizes the expense it takes to gather those needs, and ensures those statements are formulated in manner that comply with a set of rules designed to ensure the right inputs are used in downstream strategy formulation, marketing, product development, and related company workflows. In addition, the mechanism may or may not minimize the time it takes for a company to acquire the capability to uncover these needs statements.
US08666976B2
A computer-based method for character string matching of a candidate character string with a plurality of character string records stored in a database is described. The method includes performing a clustering operation on at least a portion of the plurality of character string records, the clustering operation generating a plurality of clusters, each cluster comprising a plurality of character strings from the plurality of character string records, the plurality of character strings in each cluster are determined to be similar with respect to each other based on at least one characteristic of the plurality of character strings. The method also includes generating a set of reference character strings that are selected from the plurality of character strings in each cluster, generating an n-gram representation for one of the reference character strings in the set of reference character strings, and generating an n-gram representation for the candidate character string.
US08666975B2
Provided is a navigation device wherein when a first and a second character string are input (STEP 1), a search category to which the first character string pertains and to which the second character string pertains are recognized (STEP 2); each of combination patterns of the first and the second search category is assigned with a priority score (STEP 3, 4); a weighting is applied to the priority score of a combinations pattern related to a search item composed of a first search character string including the first character string and a second search character string including the second character string according to a distance from a self vehicle to a geographic area specified by the first or the second search character string (STEP 5); and a facility as a destination candidate in order from a search item having a higher priority is searched (STEP 6 to STEP 10).
US08666974B2
Method and systems for performing high volume searches are described. In one example a method includes receiving a query directed to a database, the database including a plurality of items, determining whether the query complies with one of a plurality of search criteria, each of the plurality of search criteria corresponding to a predefined index of the database, selecting a predefined index of the database corresponding to one of the plurality of search criteria if the query complies with said search criterion, the index containing entries that comply with the corresponding search criterion, applying the query to the selected index to find database items referenced in the index, selecting items based on applying the query to the selected index, building a report for the query, the report including only items of the selected index.
US08666970B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for analyzing and enhancing query plans. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query plan, automatically identifying, by one or more computers, one or more operations included within the query plan that may degrade the performance of a query, and providing a report that identifies the identified operations as performance degrading operations.
US08666968B2
In an embodiment, a runtime callback function is a part of a code that is invoked upon execution of an associated function. To execute the runtime callback function associated with an in-memory computing engine, multidimensional analytical metadata associated with an application server is received and transformed into an in-memory executable metadata, to generate an instance of an in-memory executable calculation scenario. The instance of the in-memory executable calculation scenario is analyzed to determine process callbacks associated with nodes of the in-memory executable calculation scenario. Based upon the determined process callbacks, the runtime callback function is executed by executing a selection callback at the nodes and a transformation callback at part providers associated with the in-memory executable calculation scenario.
US08666963B2
Some embodiments relate to a method of performing a search for content on the Internet, in which a user may speak a search query and speech recognition may be performed on the spoken query to generate a text search query to be provided to a plurality of search engines. This enables a user to speak the search query rather than having to type it, and also allows the user to provide the search query only once, rather than having to provide it separately to multiple different search engines.
US08666962B2
Providing a speculative search result for a search query prior to completion of the search query. In response to receiving a search query from a client node, a speculative search result is provided to the client node for the search query prior to receiving an indication from the client node that said search query is completely formed. The speculative search result may be displayed on the same web page on the client node as the search query, while the search query is being entered by the user. As the user further enters the search query, a new speculative search result may be provided to the user.
US08666950B2
Systems and methods to select media content are provided. A particular method includes selecting one of a plurality of media mixes based on a location of a user. The method also includes dynamically selecting a plurality of media content items based on media settings of the selected media mix. The media settings specify proportions of a first set and a second set of media content items. The first set is selected based on a first property including at least one of a tempo, a beat, a rhythm, a type of instrument, a duration, an artist, a title, a genre, an album, a release date, and a type of media. The second set is selected based on a second property including a storage location. The method further includes generating an output including a media content item of the plurality of media content items.
US08666945B1
A method and apparatus for utilizing a securable object in a storage management system is described. In one example, a security descriptor from a securable object is obtained. At least one security identifier (SID) and an access mask are subsequently acquired from the security descriptor by a security reference monitor (SRM). Lastly, the backup process creates a database entry that associates the securable object with the at least one SID and the access mask.
US08666935B2
A document processing method for a medical office includes receiving, at a server with a network interface, electronic documents from a medical office. The server includes a software application adapted to recognize an expected class of electronic documents corresponding to the medical office. The method also includes processing the electronic documents received from the medical office to extract data therefrom based on a recognition that the electronic documents belong to the expected class of electronic documents corresponding to the medical office. The method also includes automatically mapping the extracted data from the processed electronic documents to a data repository on the server. The data repository is accessible by the medical office through the network interface. The method also includes monitoring a behavior of the medical office based on access to the mapped data and electronically generating output data to the medical office based on the mapped data on the data repository and/or the monitored behavior of the medical office. The output data corresponds to operation of the medical office.
US08666931B2
A method is provided for implementing regular expression matching using ternary content-addressable memory devices. The method includes: receiving a set of regular expressions (REs) that specify data elements to be extracted from data packets; constructing a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) from the set of regular expressions; building a state transition table for each node of the deterministic finite automaton; combining the state transition tables into a single lookup table; and instantiating the lookup table in a ternary content-addressable memory device. Additional techniques are provided to reduce the TCAM space and improve RE matching speed.
US08666930B2
A string matching device extracts a string by shifting a start position from an input data stream, compares the extracted string with a sub-string included in a target string, and when a prefix of a target string is detected from the string extracted from the input data stream, it selects one of the strings output in the next stage based on the start position of the corresponding string and uses it to detect the sub-string. Also, the device can consecutively detect at least one target string from the input data stream by using a state transition process.
US08666927B2
Descriptive data relating to at least a subset of a plurality of entities on a website is retrieved over a network. Endorsement data relating to the plurality of entities is retrieved from the website. A first set of probabilities is determined reflecting a probability that endorsements can be attributed to specific aspects. A second set of probabilities is determined reflecting a probability that terms can be attributed to aspects. Using the first set of probabilities and the second set of probabilities, a subset of the terms that are most probably associated with each entity are selected. Tags are then generated for each entity using the selected terms.
US08666926B1
A system and method for improving adherence to therapy programs, in particular to adherence to medication therapy and/or to healthcare therapy, that includes medication therapy. Methods of the present invention may also be used to improve compliance with and/or adherence to other wellness and/or health care programs. Methods and systems of the invention may include methods of identifying patients who are at risk of non-adherence, non-compliance, or likelihood of cessation with a therapy program, predicting a basis for such noncompliance, and targeting interventions directed to patients who have been identified as likely to be non-compliant, wherein interventions take into consideration the predicted basis for noncompliance.
US08666924B2
A method for processing messages is provided where at least one algorithmic conduit is defined, and at least one conduit rule for controlling at least one algorithmic conduit is defined. An algorithmic conduit is a persistent connection, controlled by explicit, independent, dynamic rules, and capable of processing messages among data communicators such as devices, systems, or programs. Messages can be monitored, filtered, transformed, correlated, or processed in other ways without modifying the data communicators. A message conduit hub system allows creation and management of algorithmic conduits to serve as active, virtualized links carrying rules-based data streams among configurable endpoints. These “smart” connections are managed using parameters, logic, and other control interfaces for tailoring behavior to a particular application, site, or user. A message conduit hub system may be implemented as a stand-alone device, as part of a larger system, or as an “encapsulation layer” for an existing application.
US08666920B2
Sketches are generated for each node in a graph. For undirected graphs, each sketch for a node may include an indicator of a node from a seed set of nodes and the shortest distance between the node and the indicated node. When a request is received for the shortest distance between two nodes of the graph, the sketches for each of the two nodes are retrieved, and nodes that are indicated in both of the sketches are determined. The distances between each of the two nodes and a determined node as indicated in the sketches is summed for each of the determined nodes, and the sum having the least distance is selected as the estimated shortest distance between the two nodes.
US08666909B2
The present disclosure provides a recommendation to a user through a computer-based advice facility, comprising collecting topical information, wherein the collected topical information includes an interestingness aspect; filtering the collected topical information based on the interestingness aspect; determining an interestingness rating from the collected topical information, wherein the determining is through the computer-based advice facility; and providing a user with the recommendation related to the topical information based on the interestingness rating.
US08666888B2
A system and method to receive a financial transaction and transfer funds associated with the financial transaction into an account associated with an originator of the financial transaction to settle the financial transaction on the same day that the financial transaction is originated. The financial transaction may be one of a plurality of financial transactions and the financial transaction is identified as being eligible for same-day settlement using routing or transit numbers associated with an entity that receives the financial transaction.
US08666885B1
A method and system for using Loan Level Pricing Adjustments corresponding to specific consumer input to determine or calculate the interest rates of a plurality of loan products, comprising searching from a plurality of available, relevant loan products with associated pricing, wherein the searching is based on input consumer criteria, and includes creating and updating a centralized and searchable database of lenders' underwriting and pricing guidelines that can be utilized by a consumer; and matching and optimization of loan products or pricing for a consumer wherein the consumer's qualifications and needs are matched to the best available loan products with associated rate pricing and wherein the system comprises a single or plurality of wireless handheld devices each comprising an interactive interface through which are communicable customer attributes, and through which are returned results of determined or calculated customer eligibility.
US08666884B2
A cooperative arrangement and method to monitor behaviors and other activities by an individual in an organization. Personal financial information associated with an individual who is associated with, or to be associated with, the organization are obtained. Information is extracted from the personal financial information and input into a risk assessment algorithm. The risk assessment algorithm operates on the input information and generates risk assessment data. The risk assessment data is evaluated to make a determination of certification with respect to the individual. A decision to certify means that the risk associated with the individual, with respect to committing fraud or some other improper act with respect to the organization, is acceptable. Risk assessment data on a plurality of key individuals within the organization may be generated and evaluated to make a determination of certification with respect to the organization as a whole.
US08666863B2
Systems and methods for monitoring transaction data and providing an indication regarding a performance parameter to a payment processing entity. Transaction data associated with a plurality of transactions conducted during a time interval is received. A server computer determines that the received transaction data meets a threshold. It is further determined whether a previous indication that the threshold has been met was provided to a payment processing entity, the previous indication being associated with a plurality of previous transactions conducted during a previous time interval. If the previous indication was not provided, an indication that the threshold has been met is provided to the payment processing entity, the indication including information regarding a performance parameter of the payment processing entity.
US08666859B2
A computing system facilitating electronic bill presentment and payment features for authorized users via a user interface is introduced including an analysis engine. The analysis engine, in response to user interaction with the user interface, selectively performs user-defined analysis on at least a subset of retrieved billing information associated with one or more billers. The analysis engine further generates one or more user-defined report(s) based, at least in part, on the user-defined analysis.
US08666853B2
Systems and methods for distributing user-generated content are disclosed. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may allow content to be generated by a user at a manufacturer's site with respect to a corresponding product and this content distributed to one or more retailers who sell that product such that the user-generated content may be incorporated into the retailer's site or brick and mortar location in conjunction with that product to allow consumers shopping at that retailer to access or view such user-generated content.
US08666849B2
A computer software method implemented on a computer for real-time analysis of a company's bill, such as a cell phone bill, by submitting a bill, generated by the billing company in electronic format, over the Internet, using computer loaded published public and current market information for selected billing companies. The computer advises the bill submitter, in real-time, by providing a report for submission to said billing company for correction and adds report to a blind summary in memory of generated reports by type of errors for billing companies from previous analysis for each billing company's collective errors and uses the collective summary for each billing company to enhance and improve future bill analysis on the computer and to provide a summary for each billing company.
US08666848B1
Systems and methods for inventory planning. In some embodiments, automated real-time inventory replenishment planning is provided based on business inputs, such as vendor order-processing schedules. To this end, continuous inventory review of target inventory positions is performed to automatically derive inventory replenishment frequencies and corresponding buying schedules. Such systems and methods may increase efficiency by decoupling the generation of inventory replenishment plans and the execution of the generated inventory replenishment plans.
US08666839B2
Embodiments generally relate to providing travel destinations. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining first travel destination information associated with a first travel destination. The method also includes determining one or more alternative travel destinations based on similarities between each alternative travel destination and the first travel destination and based on pricing. The method also includes providing the one or more alternative travel destinations and pricing.
US08666834B2
Methods and systems include receiving feedback from one of a plurality of users for one of a plurality of items, storing the received feedback and past feedback received from the plurality of users, wherein the received feedback and past feedback are stored as combinations of users and items having feedback given by the users, calculating relevance between the one of the plurality of items and another one of the plurality of items, based on first information indicating a degree of feedback given by the one of the plurality of users for the plurality of items, and second information indicating a degree of stored past feedback given by the plurality of users to the plurality of items, and immediately recommending items to the one of the plurality of users, the recommended items having the highest relevance to the one of the plurality of items, based on the calculated relevance.
US08666831B2
A communication part of a purchased power management device transmits, in response to an instruction from a user, rate information indicating a rate of power that the user wants to purchase to a sales management device. A charging part of the purchased power management device charges the battery at a date and time designated by the sales management device. A power output part of the purchased power management device outputs power stored in the battery during a time period of high electric power demand. A sale destination decision part of the sales management device decides a sale destination of the power generated during a time period of low electric power demand on a basis of the rate indicated by the rate information. A sales date and time information transmission part of the sales management device transmits sales date and time information designating a date and time when power is sold to the sale destination decided by the sale destination decision part.
US08666825B2
The present innovation provides a method and a system for embedding e-commerce and community building capability into a seller website, comprising maintaining on an e-commerce server a product database of products sold by a seller, providing a seller script that runs in a web browser for incorporation into at least one web page on the seller website, downloading upon execution of the seller script a dynamic page analyzer from the e-commerce server that, upon execution by the web browser, adds at least one toolbar to the web page, requesting by the web browser, a dynamic cart script, displaying a dynamic cart that enables the buyer to interactively specify an order for the product corresponding to the e-commerce control, and sending the specification of the order to the e-commerce server for fulfillment of the order.
US08666823B2
A system may include a point-of-sale system that gathers payment card track data from a payment card and a payment card gateway that processes the track data to authorize purchase transactions. The point-of-sale system may remove sensitive data such as a portion of a primary account number from the track data and may compress the removed data. The compressed version of the data may be appended to a discretionary field in the track data. The discretionary field may be encrypted following insertion of the compressed data. Track data that has been modified in this way may be conveyed to the payment gateway for processing.
US08666818B2
A progress bar for a multi media device, such as a television or a computer, can depict digital media streaming or otherwise where a progress bar operates during the media playback function. One embodiment of the present invention includes the progress bar as an advertisement including company logos. The progress bar is the advertisement and is operable to morph into various positions allowing the advertisement to develop during the playing of the video. Marketers promote their logo as the progress bar to increase brand exposure.
US08666817B2
A method and system for the automated generation of a unique code such as a two dimensional (2D) code such as a quick response (QR) code for each of a plurality of target users. An appearance of the code for each target user can be personalized based on information from a database which includes personalized information for each target user. The appearance of the code is personalized for each user so that, for example, the code is more likely to draw the target user's attention than a code which is not personalized for the target user.
US08666811B1
A system may provide an advertising link in association with a document. The content of the advertising link is unrelated to a content of the document. The system may also determine a rate at which the advertising link is selected and determine whether illegitimate activity occurred based, at least in part, on the determined rate of selection.
US08666807B1
A computerized method and system for managing a media advertising proposal from inception to completion of an order with one or more media outlets are described. An embodiment of the method includes receiving a customer request for placement of advertising in one or more media outlets, creating a media advertising proposal, that includes schedule of advertising for the requested placement, based on user inputs into a media proposal tool, storing the media advertising proposal in a database connected to the media proposal tool, accessing one or more external applications to integrate information and data into the media advertising proposal, assigning a grade to the media advertising proposal, entering the media advertising proposal into a computerized workflow in the media proposal tool for review and approval, and if the media advertising proposal is approved, injecting the media advertising proposal as an order into a traffic and billing system.
US08666806B2
Systems and methods for customizing direct marketing mail pieces are described. In one configuration, information relating to an advertiser is customized using demographic, psychographic, addressee, and/or individual profile data. In another configuration, environmental data is utilized to customize direct mail pieces using a two part printing process.
US08666804B2
Systems and methods are provided for using an agent computer system to obtain information from multiple service-provider computer systems. The method comprises, in response to receiving search criteria at the agent computer system from a client computer system, determining one or more service-provider computer systems with which to communicate to obtain information satisfying the search criteria, determining, for each of said one or more service-provider computer systems, a communication protocol to use to communicate with the service-provider computer system to obtain information satisfying the search criteria, transmitting from the agent computer system to each of said one or more service-provider computer systems, using the communication protocol determined to be used with each service-provider computer system, a request to obtain information satisfying the search criteria, and receiving at the agent computer system from each of said one or more service-provider computer systems a response to the request.
US08666791B1
A method, computer program and single enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for procuring a product or service. The single ERP system includes an input for receiving information relating to product demand for a plurality of end users via a cooperative buying group, a predictive engine for accumulating the received product demand into a single demand schedule and an output for transmitting the single demand schedule to a manufacturer/original source of the product. An optimization engine is provided for receiving product availability information from the manufacturer/original source of the product by the cooperative buying group, and for determining one or more options for ordering the products. A procurement system is also included for providing the product availability information to the one or more options for ordering the products, for receiving one or more product orders, for ordering product from the manufacturer/original source of the product, and for managing shipping the product.
US08666789B1
The devices, methods, systems and computer-readable mediums of the present disclosure provide automatic data collection for insurance rating purposes. In particular, a battery powered Bluetooth device may be attached to a personal item of an insured individual. The Bluetooth device may automatically trigger a mobile telephone to begin storing data related to use of the personal item when the mobile telephone is proximate the Bluetooth device. The mobile telephone may periodically transmit the stored data to a remote server.
US08666783B1
The present invention provides methods and systems for stabilizing revenue derived by a variable annuity provider from variable annuities having a mortality and expense fee computed based on at least one variable that is not directly affected by market conditions, e.g., the annuity premium or a portion thereof, such as the premium that has been paid, or the premium that has been paid and invested in one or more investment divisions available to an annuity owner. The mortality and expense fee may also account for any withdrawals paid out of and disbursements made from the premium paid accordingly. The mortality and expense fee generally funds at least in part a risk associated with an annuity death benefit, such as a return of premium that has been paid death benefit.
US08666779B2
A healthcare risk index is generated using a patient or individual's medical claims. The index may be used to explain and predict variation in pharmacy-related costs and variation in total healthcare costs or utilization. In particular, one example of such a method involves first generating a medical condition score using the individual's medical information for each medical condition possessed by the individual. From there, each medical condition score is modified according to a regression coefficient, to result in one or more modified medical condition scores. Finally, the risk index may be generated by summing the medical condition scores. This risk index is indicative of at least one of the individual's medical costs, chronic medical conditions, and variation in medical costs.
US08666766B2
A computer-implemented method of generating future medical episodic simulations is provided. The method includes generating a personal wellness lifestyle signature for an individual based upon pre-selected data pertinent to wellness of the individual. Additionally, the method includes comparing the personal wellness lifestyle signature of the individual with at least one personal wellness lifestyle signature of at least one other individual determined to have at least one wellness characteristic similar to a corresponding wellness characteristic of the individual. The method further includes predicting at least one future medical episode corresponding to the individual based upon the comparison.A computer-based system for generating future medical episodic simulations is also provided. The system includes one or more one processors having logic circuitry for processing data. The system also includes a signature-generating module configured to execute on the at least one processor for generating a personal wellness lifestyle signature for an individual based upon pre-selected data pertinent to wellness of the individual. Additionally, the system includes a comparing module configured to execute on the at least one processor for comparing the personal wellness lifestyle signature of the individual with at least one personal wellness lifestyle signature of at least one other individual determined to have at least one wellness characteristic similar to a corresponding wellness characteristic of the individual. The system further includes an episode-predicting module configured to execute on the at least one processor for predicting at least one future medical episode corresponding to the individual based upon the comparison.
US08666765B2
An online health care consumer portal for accessing one or more health-related services by a health care consumer. The consumer portal includes an authentication module for identifying the health care consumer upon receiving an online identification token, and a database for maintaining health care information comprising a plurality of health records. The consumer portal also includes a rules engine module for applying a set of rules to the one or more health records corresponding to the consumer to determine an impairment profile of the health care consumer based on the health records corresponding to the health care consumer and an online user interface for providing access to the health-related services. The online user interface is configurable from a default configuration to a second configuration upon identification by the authentication module, the second configuration adapted to facilitate use of the online user interface according to the impairment profile.
US08666758B2
A method for electronically assisting in dispensing pharmaceuticals to long-term patient care facilities is provided. The method includes entering data associated with a prescription order into a system including an intervention database. Based on features of the order, an intervention from the intervention database is associated with the order, the intervention being associated with a route through the system. Data associated with the prescription order is routed along the route associated with the intervention.
US08666755B1
A system and method for forecasting a price of a property in a first housing sub-market based on data related to a second housing sub-market are described. A price index is derived for the second housing sub-market, and an error correcting function is calculated for the first housing sub-market. A price index for the first housing sub-market is derived from the second sub-market price index and the error correcting function. An estimate of the price of the price of the property in the first housing sub-market is then provided. The estimate of the price can be used as the basis for an economic decision.
US08666752B2
Provided are an encoding apparatus and a decoding apparatus of a multi-channel signal. The encoding apparatus of the multi-channel signal may process a phase parameter associated with phase information between a plurality of channels constituting the multi-channel signal, based on a characteristic of the multi-channel signal. The encoding apparatus may generate an encoded bitstream with respect to the multi-channel signal using the processed phase parameter and a mono signal extracted from the multi-channel signal.
US08666744B1
A method and apparatus are provided for automatically acquiring grammar fragments for recognizing and understanding fluently spoken language. Grammar fragments representing a set of syntactically and semantically similar phrases may be generated using three probability distributions: of succeeding words, of preceding words, and of associated call-types. The similarity between phrases may be measured by applying Kullback-Leibler distance to these three probability distributions. Phrases being close in all three distances may be clustered into a grammar fragment.
US08666730B2
Question-answering system and method based on semantic labeling of text documents and user questions
A question-answering system for searching exact answers in text documents provided in the electronic or digital form to questions formulated by user in the natural language is based on automatic semantic labeling of text documents and user questions. The system performs semantic labeling with the help of markers in terms of basic knowledge types, their components and attributes, in terms of question types from the predefined classifier for target words, and in terms of components of possible answers. A matching procedure makes use of mentioned types of semantic labels to determine exact answers to questions and present them to the user in the form of fragments of sentences or a newly synthesized phrase in the natural language. Users can independently add new types of questions to the system classifier and develop required linguistic patterns for the system linguistic knowledge base.
US08666728B2
A language model back-off system can be used with a user interface employing one or more language models to constrain navigation of selectable user interface input components. A user input interpretation module receives user input and interprets the user input to determine if a selection is made of one or more user interface input components. If a selection is not made, the user input interpretation module determines whether conditions are met for backing off one or more language models employed to constrain navigation of the user interface input components. If the conditions are met, a language model back-off module backs off the one or more language models.
US08666727B2
A voice-controlled data system may include a data storage unit including media files having associated file identification data, and a vocabulary generating unit generating phonetic data corresponding to the file identification data, the phonetic data being supplied to a speech recognition unit as a recognition vocabulary, where one of the media files may be selected according to a recognized speech control command on the basis of the generated phonetic data, where the file identification data include a language identification part for identifying the language of the file identification data, and where the vocabulary generating unit generates the phonetic data for the file identification data of a media file based on its language identification part.
US08666726B2
Techniques for grouping a plurality of samples automatically transcribed from a plurality of utterances. The method comprises forming clusters from the plurality of samples, wherein the clusters include two or more of the plurality of samples. One or more samples are selected from a cluster and manually-processed data samples for the one or more samples are obtained. A weighting factor may be assigned to the data samples based, at least in part, on the number of samples in the cluster associated with the selected data sample.
US08666725B2
A system with a nonstatistical translation component integrated with a statistical translation component engine. The same corpus may be used for training the statistical engine and also for determining when to use the statistical engine and when to use the translation component. This training may use probabilistic techniques. Both the statistical engine and the translation components may be capable of translating the same information, however the system determines which component to use based on the training. Retraining can be carried out to add additional components, or when after additional translator training.
US08666719B2
Systems and methods for numerically simulating muscle's movements along bones and around joints are disclosed. A computerized model containing a plurality of truss elements along with one or more rollers is used. The truss elements are configured for modeling a muscle strand while each roller is configured for a joint. Each truss element includes two end nodes and is configured or associated with a muscle bio-mechanical property model. Each roller is fixed at the location of a corresponding joint. To simulate the muscle strand movements around the joint, each pair of truss elements straddling a roller is adjusted dynamically in a time-marching simulation (e.g., computer simulation of an impact event of an automobile and one or more occupants). Adjustments are performed at each solution cycle of the time-marching simulation. Adjustments include two types—“slipping” and “swapping”.
US08666710B2
The present invention provides a method for calibrating the crystal-level detection efficiency, which is capable of evaluating the influences caused by the penetration effect of the crystals of a scintillation detector so as to calculate the difference of detection efficiency between crystals correctly and thereby calibrate the difference between crystals appropriately such that the quality of the imaging result is improved accordingly. The method of present invention is simple without modifying the hardware design and consequently the design cost, manpower cost and time cost can be reduced.
US08666709B1
A verification tool in a graphical modeling environment allows the components in the graphical modeling environment to be used to define error or exceptional conditions without adverse affects on the ultimate implementation of the model. In one example, a system presents a graphical interface to facilitate design of a model constructed from graphical blocks; receives an association of a plurality of blocks with a verification subsystem; and performs an operation to verify that the blocks in the verification subsystem do not affect operation of the model external to the verification system.
US08666699B1
A method for optimum sensor layout for detecting an intruder may include selecting candidate sensor locations within a representation of an area of regard. The method may also include determining a sub-region of detection for each sensor based on a preset probability of detection of the intruder traversing a sub-region associated with each sensor. The method may additionally include determining each pair of sensors with overlapping sub-regions of detection and determining a lowest probability of detection for any path between each pair of sensors with overlapping sub-regions of detection. The method may further include determining an optimum layout of sensor locations or sensors from candidate sensor locations based on a path of the lowest probability of detection for any path between each pair of sensors with overlapping sub-regions of detection.
US08666686B2
A method for detecting possible correlations between signal patterns of a power signal used by an electronic device during execution of operations, including setting couples of windows including respective pairs of sequences of the sampling values. The method includes computing values of correlations between the respective pairs of sequences. Each values may be determined by computing a maximum value of correlation between one sequence of a couple and a plurality of sequences of sampled values included in corresponding moving windows.
US08666685B2
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a system for monitoring a plurality of circuit branches, the system comprising a plurality of current sensors, each configured to be coupled to at least one of the plurality of circuit branches and to produce a signal having a level related to a current level of the one of the plurality of circuit branches, a communications bus, a plurality of sensor circuits, wherein each one of the plurality of sensor circuits is configured to convert the signal from the associated one of the plurality of current sensors to a digital measurement signal and provide the digital measurement signal to the communication bus, and a controller configured to receive the digital measurement signal from each sensor circuit over the communication bus and transmit data related to the digital measurement signal from each sensor circuit to an external client.
US08666679B2
A micro-fabricated double condenser method and apparatus for the measurement of number-size distribution of airborne nanoparticles is provided. The invention is an instrument which can measure particle size under 100 nanometers in-situ. The present invention includes features such as a small nanoparticle airborne particulate analyzer, with a voltage-stable and feedback-controlled instrument package. The invention features also include a micro-fabricated nanoparticle charging and sorting device (NCaS). The present invention provides a portable, lightweight, and efficacious particle-sizing instrument that is able to effectively count and size nanoparticles over a wide range of operating conditions.
US08666673B2
A method for identification and/or characterization of a microbial agent present in a sample includes a step of analytical test data (e.g., obtaining intrinsic fluorescence values over a range of emission wavelengths) from the microbial agent. The analytical test data is transformed thereby minimizing strain to strain variations within an organism group. With the aid of a programmed computer, a multi-level classification algorithm coded as a set of processing instructions operates on the transformed analytic test data. The multiple levels correspond to different levels in a taxonomic hierarchy for microbial agents suspected of being in the sample.
US08666669B2
The present invention relates generally is a method for determining the likelihood that a test polynucleotide sequence differs from a driver polynucleotide sequence. More particularly, the present method uses fluorescence-based technology in the assessment of the results of competitive hybridization between polynucleotide sequences. The present method does not require nucleotide sequencing or gel electrophoresis and is capable of being multiplexed and automated. The methods of the present invention will find broad application in the analysis of polynucleotides, inter alia in genetic analysis, specific locus testing, genotyping, mutation detection, the discovery and detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mapping.
US08666666B2
Disclosed are means for monitoring the levels of air pollution in urban areas for the purpose of optimizing the conditions of airflow ventilation of buildings according to air pollution levels in their area. The invention supplies data in real time regarding local air pollution levels or relative levels, i.e. current air pollution levels in relation to previous ones. The disclosed system and method makes use of the fluctuations in air pollution levels in order to achieve optimal reduction of air pollution levels inside buildings. The system defines optimal times for ventilation in order to achieve a significant and persisting improvement of indoor air quality, in a routine manner, by using measurements of nondeterministic, continuous and effective fluctuations in air pollution levels at the surroundings of each building, specifically in locations which don't include monitoring stations.
US08666656B2
An object detection device includes: an ultrasonic sensor for transmitting a signal and further receiving reflected signals of the transmitted signal; a delay-sum processing unit for generating two-dimensional distance information in which the reflected signals received by the ultrasonic sensor are delay-summed in a plurality of reference planes set in advance; a distance information integration unit for generating integrated distance information in which the two-dimensional distance information in the plurality of reference planes generated by the delay-sum processing unit is summed in a vertical direction to the reference planes; and an object detection unit for detecting an object at a position where an intensity in the vertical direction is equal to or larger than a threshold value by referring to an intensity in the vertical direction of the integrated distance information generated by the distance information integration unit.
US08666653B2
A navigation system has a current position detecting unit 32 for detecting a current position, a map data acquiring unit 31 for acquiring map data including road data representing an HOV lane and an ordinary lane in a single link; a driving link decision unit 38 for identifying a link of driving from the current position information indicating the current position detected by the current position detecting unit 32 and from the road data included in the map data acquired by the map data acquiring unit 31, and for outputting as a driving link; and a driving lane decision unit 39 for making a decision as to whether the driving lane is the HOV lane or ordinary lane from the driving link identified by the driving link decision unit 38.
US08666647B2
A convoy travel apparatus transmits convoy travel information including a whole convoy ID and a sub-convoy ID when a subject vehicle is in a convoy travel state, and performs a convoy travel control by utilizing the sub-convoy ID. Further, a second vehicle of the whole convoy is a leader vehicle of a sub-convoy and is also a follower vehicle in a forward sub-convoy, thereby (i) determining the convoy travel control of itself by receiving the convoy travel information of the sub-convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as the follower vehicle and (ii) transmitting the convoy travel information including the content of the determined convoy travel control. Thus, the follower vehicle in the sub-convoy lead by the subject vehicle performs the convoy travel control based on the convoy travel information from the leader vehicle of the sub-convoy in which the subject vehicle is traveling as the follower vehicle.
US08666642B2
A system for detecting memory corruption in an engine control module includes a variable selection module, an output module, an input module, and a response comparing module. The variable selection module selects a variable of a control system for testing. The output module outputs a predetermined value of said variable to a memory location where said variable is stored in said engine control module. The input module receives a response of said control system to said predetermined value when said predetermined value is written in said memory location. The response comparing module compares said response to a predetermined range and determines that said memory location is defective when said response is not within said predetermined range.
US08666638B2
Computer-implemented systems, methods, and computer-readable media for reducing operational costs relating to fuel burn of aircraft include receiving trip data specifying an origin, an intermediate destination, and a final destination from a client device; receiving operational data from one or more computing device; performing optimization logic to determine an optimized route having a minimized fuel cost, the optimized route specifying how much fuel to purchase at each of an origin airport, an intermediate destination airport, and a final destination airport; and transmitting the optimized route to the client device.
US08666636B2
A control apparatus for a supercharged internal combustion engine, which can achieve a target torque accurately even if the target torque contains a high-frequency vibration component. The control apparatus determines a target air quantity and a target boost pressure from a target torque, operates an actuator for air quantity control according to the target air quantity, and operates an actuator for boost pressure control according to the target boost pressure. The target torque is formed to contain a low-frequency torque component that is set at all times based on a torque requirement from a driver and a high-frequency torque component that is set as necessary for a specific type of vehicle control. When the target torque contains only the low-frequency torque component, the target boost pressure is formed using a pressure component corresponding to the low-frequency torque.
US08666628B2
A torque distribution control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a vehicle-speed detector configured to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle. A wheel-speed detector is configured to detect wheel speeds of main driving wheels and sub-driving wheels of the vehicle. A sub-driving-wheel distribution-torque calculator is configured to calculate a sub-driving-wheel distribution torque in accordance with a rotation speed difference between the main driving wheels and the sub-driving wheels calculated based on an output from the wheel-speed detector. A torque limiter is configured to limit an upper limit of the sub-driving-wheel distribution torque. A controller is configured to control the sub-driving-wheel distribution torque to be transmitted to the right and left sub-driving wheels by right and left torque distribution clutches in accordance with a driving state of the vehicle.
US08666611B2
A method controlling an agricultural sprayer includes identifying an herbicide to be sprayed using the agricultural sprayer, determining a geoposition associated with the agricultural sprayer within a field, determining if crop planted at the geoposition is tolerant to the herbicide using as-planted data, and if the crop is not tolerant of the herbicide, preventing herbicide spraying operations while the agricultural sprayer is at the geoposition. An agricultural sprayer adapted for performing the method is also provided.
US08666609B2
A tractor includes booms, lift cylinders, a hitch, dump cylinders, a magnetic valve, a speed-up circuit, and a speed-up restricting arm. The lift cylinders swing the booms upward and downward by an operating oil being supplied thereto. The hitch is provided to the booms to allow an implement to be attached thereto. The dump cylinders swing the implement upward and downward by the operating oil being supplied thereto. The magnetic valve switches between supplying the operating oil to the dump cylinders and supplying the operating oil to a grab cylinder provided in the implement. The speed-up circuit is able to perform a speed-up operation for increasing the flow rate of the operating oil supplied to the magnetic valve. The speed-up restricting arm is arranged near the speed-up circuit. The speedup restricting arm is brought into contact with a contact member attached to an input member for switching an operation of the speed-up circuit, to thereby restrict the speed-up operation, so that a speed-up of the grab cylinder is prevented.
US08666593B2
Travel information is categorized into plural time slot categories according to information characteristics of traffic flow information that represents a traffic flow of each of road sections in a database of an information center, and a learn database is built for each of the categories derived from above categorization. The travel information collected by a travel of a self vehicle along the road sections is learned according to the categories of the learn database for accurately managing the travel information according to the characteristics of the traffic flow.
US08666592B2
In an in-vehicle audio/visual apparatus which displays an external device screen of an external media player on a display unit, a communication unit is configured to communicate with an external media player. An external device screen displaying unit is configured to select one of a plurality of external device screens in accordance with the external media player and display the selected external device screen on the display unit.
US08666575B2
An inverted two-wheel apparatus includes drive means that drives wheels; control means that generates a torque command value to control drive torque of the drive means; and posture detection means that detects posture information of a vehicle. The inverted two-wheel apparatus is able to travel while keeping an inverted state. Furthermore, the control means performs control to dismount an occupant upon judgment that the torque command value that is generated is equal to or more than a predetermined value, which means in a saturation state, and inverted control is in a failure state based on the posture information detected by the posture detection means.
US08666570B1
Onboard systems and methods for detection of airborne volcanic ash. One or more cameras are added to an aircraft. Each camera is configured to view a volume of air illuminated by a standard aircraft light, such as a strobe warning light (e.g., located on a wing tip) or a forward-facing landing light (e.g., located in the nose). Each camera is connected to a data processor. When diffuse volcanic ash is present, it scatters light transmitted from the standard aircraft light. Each camera converts impinging backscattered light into digital data which is sent to the processor. The processor processes the data from the camera or cameras to derive a measurement of the backscattered light and issues an alert when the amount and type of backscatter are compatible with the presence of volcanic ash.
US08666568B2
A method of performing a health check of at least one turbine engine (3). During a development step (STP0), the installation losses (1) are quantified for a plurality of test values for a reduced speed of rotation (Ng′) of a gas generator (4) of the engine. During an acquisition step (STP1), the speed of rotation of said gas generator (4) is increased until said engine develops a maximum power, and then the speed of rotation of the gas generator (4) is decreased until the reduced speed of rotation (Ng′) reaches a test value. The aircraft is stabilized and at least one monitoring value is acquired. During an evaluation step (STP2) of evaluating the health check, at least one operating margin is determined by using a monitoring value and the effects of mounting the engine in an airplane.
US08666567B2
A system is provided for controlling the speed of an aircraft with a speed brake during flight. The system includes a guidance system configured to determine a target speed for the aircraft; a speed brake control system coupled to the guidance system and configured to compare the target speed to a current speed to generate speed brake guidance; and a display unit coupled to the speed brake control system and configured to display a visual representation of the speed brake guidance to a pilot of the aircraft.
US08666566B2
The invention relates to an aircraft control system containing several aircraft control computers (14, 16, 18, 20) for said aircraft, said system having at least one server (10) which: contains at least one aeronautical data base (12); is connected to at least one subassembly of said control computers through data transmission links (26a, 26b, 26c, 26d); is able to supply information from said at least one aeronautical data base to the computers of said control computer subassembly, said at least one server being able to supply information from said at least one aeronautical data base to a computer of said control computer subassembly, in a period of time less than a predetermined duration, upon request from said computer, when said information is not available in a local data base of said computer.
US08666562B2
A method and apparatus for the estimation of maximum friction between a vehicular tire and a road surface via driving dynamics measurements and at least one sensor measuring the road surface, comprising measuring road surface properties via a sensor; measuring the state of motion of a vehicle and a tire and concluding therefrom a momentary maximum friction coefficient when the tire is subjected to a sufficient friction force; storing a maximum friction estimate concluded from the above-mentioned measurements, along with measuring results regarding road surface properties measured at the moment of measurement; when the tire is not subjected to a friction force sufficient for measuring maximum friction, using, as a maximum friction estimate, the previously measured maximum friction estimate, such that an applied selection criterion for the maximum friction estimate is the newness as up-to-date as possible of the measuring result and a consistency of the road surface measuring result.
US08666554B2
The different illustrative embodiments provide a method for generating an area coverage path plan using sector decomposition. A starting point is identified on a worksite map having a number of landmarks. A first landmark in the number of landmarks is identified. A path is generated around the first landmark until an obstacle is detected. In response to detecting the obstacle, the path is made linear to a next landmark. The path is generated around the next landmark.
US08666548B2
Disclosed are a path planning apparatus of a robot, which generates a path plan to control movements of the robot, and a method thereof. An improved RRT algorithm is employed, when a tree is extended in a configuration space so as to satisfy a constraint, and thus steeply bent or roundabout portions of the tree are reduced.
US08666537B2
A robotic tape library which queues two or more move instructions is described. Generally, the robotic system receives a first move instruction which commands a first robot to move a first tape cartridge from a shelf to a first tape drive to be loaded therein. Though the first move has not actually taken place, the library replies to the host computer that the first tape drive has been loaded with the first tape cartridge, at least to an acceptable level of engagement, at which point, the first move instruction is queued. After receiving a second move instruction from the host to move a second tape cartridge from the shelf to a second tape drive, the library reorganizes and physically carries out the move instructions with potentially different hardware in a preferred order.
US08666535B2
In some embodiments, a system includes a plurality of tape reels positioned on a lower surface, a tape drive for reading data from a tape on one of the plurality of tape reels, and at least one mobile robot configured for selectively retrieving at least one of the plurality of tape reels and transporting the at least one retrieved tape reel to the tape drive.
US08666534B2
A machine for machining a work piece with at least one revolving or rotating tool, having a ball screw, which is pivoted by a fix and a floating bearing whereas the machine has a device for measuring the length of the extension of the ball screw. Furthermore, a method is provided for measuring and compensation a thermal displacement comprising the steps of: detecting the length U of the axis of the ball screw, detecting the length I2 of the axis of the ball screw, calculating the difference Δl of the length I1 extended axis and the reference length I2 of the axis and compensating the difference value to the correct value.
US08666533B2
A system, method, machine-readable medium for accurate simulation of automated machinery. A method includes loading a machine operating model. The method also includes receiving machine-specific data from an automated machinery controller. The method also includes simulating a machine operation using the machine-specific data and the machine operating model to produce optimized motion data. The method includes transmitting the optimized data to the automated machinery controller by the simulation data processing system.
US08666528B2
Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to provide media content are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving audio output by a first media presentation device, obtaining at least one of a Nielsen code or an Arbitron® code from the audio, the obtained code being representative of at least one of the first media content or a broadcaster of the first media content, obtaining second media content based on the extracted code, and presenting the second media content on a second media presentation device different from the first media presentation device.
US08666519B1
Individuals can operate processor enabled devices at a high level of performance, even if they have little or no familiarity with those devices, by indirectly operating them through a first processor enabled device. The direct interactions of individuals with a familiar device can be communicated to one or more processors that perform signal processing functions in order to generate control signals that direct the operation of a second, unfamiliar processor-enabled device. In this closed-loop system, individuals can receive real-time feedback on the performance of the second device in a form associated with the operation of the first device.
US08666515B2
A computer-implemented initial run module processes manifest variable data using computer-defined model specification parameters stored in a database to provide initial estimates of weights that are associated with latent variables. The initial run module employs a unique value-based weighting partial least squares computer-implemented process. A final run module then operates upon the manifest variable data to determine the importance of the predictor values that are then used to control the industrial, manufacturing or commercial process. The final run module implements a unique patient partial least squares regression model utilizing a boosting learning technique.
US08666507B2
An apparatus and related methods for a deployable deep brain stimulating probe with multiple, extendable tendrils capable of independently deploying from openings within the shaft of the probe into surrounding tissue. An electrode is disposed on at least one of the tendrils for treatment of deep brain tissue.
US08666504B2
Communication and charging circuitry for an implantable medical device is described having a single coil for receiving charging energy and for data telemetry. The circuitry removes from the AC side of the circuit a tuning capacitor and switch traditionally used to tune the tank circuitry to different frequencies for telemetry and charging. As such, the tank circuitry is simplified and contains no switchable components. A switch is serially connected to the storage capacitor on the DC side of the circuit. During telemetry, the switch is opened, thus disconnecting the storage capacitor from the tank circuit, and alleviating concerns that this capacitor will couple to the tank circuit and interfere with telemetry operations. During charging, the switch is closed, which allows the storage capacitor to couple to the tank circuitry through the rectifier during some portions of the tank circuitry's resonance.
US08666503B2
A parameter adjustment device and method thereof for a stimulator is disclosed. The parameter adjustment device comprises a generation unit, a user interface and a process unit. The generation unit generates a test MAP based on a current MAP. The user interface displays the current MAP and the test MAP for choosing one of them as the preferred MAP, and displays a major and a minor for choosing again, the major and the minor is defined as a significant difference and a little difference between the test MAP and the current MAP respectively. The process unit computes the acceptance probability of the preferred MAP based on a major or minor probability correspondence relationship and determines a next MAP by comparing the acceptance probability with the test probability. When one of the termination conditions is satisfied in an iterative operation, the next MAP is outputted as the best MAP.
US08666502B2
The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for applying of a transcutaneous electrical stimulation stimulus onto the surface of the human ear. A holding element is attached to the ear. At least one electrode is arranged on an electrode carrier and the electrode carrier is arranged on a supporting rod. The holding element has a linear guide in which the supporting rod is arranged linear movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis (L) of the holding element. A latching mean is arranged between the linear guide and the supporting rod, so that the supporting rod can be latched relatively to the linear guide along the longitudinal axis (L) in predetermined relative positions. The latching means has a rack shaped contour on the supporting rod which extends into the direction of the longitudinal axis (L) of the holding element.
US08666498B2
Headache treatment methods are described and include providing an energy delivery device; locating a secondary or higher-order branch of a postganglionic nerve that provides innervation for a patient's head, by identifying a target region of the patient's head that includes the nerve branch; positioning, within the target region, a portion of the energy delivery device; and applying, from the positioned portion of the energy delivery device to the target region, an amount of energy effective to result in a stimulation activity of the nerve branch; and, after observing the stimulated nerve branch activity, delivering, from the energy delivery device to the nerve branch, energy in an amount effective to reduce a headache severity in the patient.
US08666481B2
A monitoring system includes a physiologic monitoring device (102) with an accelerometer (202) that senses fetal movements of a fetus in the womb of a human or animal patient and generates signals indicative thereof, a signal identifier (108) that identifies signals from the generated signals that correspond to a predetermined fetal movement, and a counter (112) that counts the identified signal.
US08666476B2
Provided is a surgery assistance system to perform relatively fast and accurate alignment between three-dimensional surface shape data acquired by measurement using a three-dimensional surface shape scanner and three-dimensional internal shape data acquired in advance, even when the position of the patient and the surface shape of the skin of the patient change during the surgery. A surgery assistance system (1) includes a three-dimensional surface shape scanner (20) for acquiring three-dimensional surface shape data by measuring a three-dimensional surface shape of a patient (60) and a computing device (40) for processing the data from the three-dimensional surface shape scanner. The computing device stores therein three-dimensional internal shape data of the patient that is acquired in advance by measurement using a three-dimensional tomography scanner (30). The computing device has a unit that aligns the three-dimensional internal shape data and the three-dimensional surface shape data with each other by using data of a portion where a distance between a skeleton and a skin surface is small in the three-dimensional internal shape data and three-dimensional surface shape data corresponding to this portion.
US08666468B1
As placement of a physiological monitoring sensor is typically at a sensor site located at an extremity of the body, the state of microcirculation, such as whether vessels are blocked or open, can have a significant effect on the readings at the sensor site. It is therefore desirable to provide a patient monitor and/or physiological monitoring sensor capable of distinguishing the microcirculation state of blood vessels. In some embodiments, the patient monitor and/or sensor provide a warning and/or compensates a measurement based on the microcirculation state. In some embodiments, a microcirculation determination process implementable by the patient monitor and/or sensor is used to determine the state of microcirculation of the patient.
US08666462B2
A mobile wireless communications device includes a portable housing having a metallic front housing forming a peripheral sidewall as a metallic ring. A circuit board is carried by the portable housing and forms a chassis ground plane. A wireless communications circuit is carried by a circuit board. An antenna circuit is carried by a circuit board and connected to the wireless communications circuit. A frequency selective grounding circuit is positioned at a selected grounding location at the chassis ground plane and metallic front housing and forms a harmonic trap that responds to a specific range of frequencies.
US08666461B2
A wireless two-way communications headset is able to enter into a partial power mode in which a latching or non-momentary power switch has been operated to an “on” state, but in which there has been a lack of user operation of the headset for more than a predetermined period of time, and in this partial power mode, a processing device of the headset monitors manually-operable controls for an indication of their being operated by a user in a manner indicating a user's intent to engage in audio communications. In response to this indication, the headset enters a higher power mode in which a wireless link with another wireless device is formed and then performs the function intended by the user. In being operated by a user to initiate audio communications with another wireless device (e.g., making a telephone call), the wireless headset first attempts to do so with the wireless device with which the wireless headset most recently engaged in audio communications, and failing that, the wireless headset then attempts to do so with second-most recent wireless device with which the wireless headset engaged in audio communications.
US08666460B2
An apparatus and method of managing power in a communication device determines if the communication device is moving in one of a plurality of predefined movement modes, which may be one of a first mode and a second mode. The method causes the communication device 1) to consume power at a first rate if in the first mode, and 2) consume power at a second rate, relative to the first rate, if in the second mode. The first rate is different than the second rate.
US08666459B2
Cellular phones include a power reception resonance coil arranged inside a first outer surface side of a housing, a power extracting unit for extracting power of an induction current of the power reception resonance coil, a magnetic core that has one end arranged inside the first outer surface side and the other end arranged inside a second outer surface side of the housing, and penetrates into the power reception resonance coil, and a printed board that is arranged in a space between the first outer surface and the second outer surface and has an area where circuit elements are not arranged on a periphery of the core.
US08666458B2
An electronic device comprising: a display; a housing enclosing the display and defining an exterior surface region adjacent to the display, the exterior surface region having a plurality of surface zones indicated thereon, the surface zones being capable of being written on by a user to save a written marking thereon; a memory; and user input apparatus; the device having: a first mode in which the device performs a function in respect of a subject entity and in which in response to operation of the user input apparatus to indicate one of the zones the device stores the entity in the memory in association with that zone; and a second mode in which in response to selection of a zone by means of the user input apparatus the device performs a function in respect of an entity stored in association with the selected zone.
US08666455B2
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a flexible display; at least one sensor arranged in a prescribed form on the flexible display and configured to convert a flex state of the flexible display into an electric signal; and a controller configured to determine the flex state of the flexible display using the electric signal input from the at least one sensor, and control a visual effect corresponding to the determined flex state and output the visual effect on the flexible display.
US08666452B2
A method of setting an ending time of an application of a mobile communication terminal, a method of ending an application of a mobile communication terminal, and a mobile communication terminal for performing the same are provided. The method of ending an application of a mobile communication terminal includes performing a multitasking function in which a specific application enters a background state as another application is executed while the specific application is executed, displaying a menu screen for selecting whether to end the specific application when a predetermined end time of the specific application elapses from a time point at which the specific application entered the background state; and ending the specific application, if a user requests to end the specific application through the menu screen.
US08666451B2
A wireless communication system comprising at least one base station in a communication cell, wherein the base station is equipped with at least one array antenna comprising at least two antenna ports which are connected to respective at least two corresponding antenna elements, wherein at least two of the at least two antenna elements have essentially the same polarization. The array antenna is arranged for communication via at least two antenna radiation lobes, each antenna radiation lobe communicating an information stream to at least one user equipment (UE) in the cell, wherein each antenna radiation lobe is individually controllable both in azimuth and elevation, whereby the communication of the information streams is optimized.
US08666448B2
A device, system, and machine readable medium for headless sensor measurements are disclosed. In one embodiment, the device is exclusive of a display. The device includes a sensor head to retrieve an amount of measurement data from an environment. The device also includes an I/O interface, a memory, a non-volatile storage, processing logic, and sensor data access protocol (SDAP) manageability code. The SDAP manageability code may cause the processing logic to provide a sensor type and a measurement data payload type to a mobile communication device. The SDAP manageability code additionally may cause the sensor head to take a measurement, receive measurement data from the sensor head, packetize the measurement data, and transfer the measurement data payload to the mobile communication device.
US08666431B2
This invention relates to a system for measuring water quality using a smartphone, and more particularly to a system for measuring water quality using a smartphone, in which, to solve problems of hand-operated and manual water quality measurement methods and in order to increase reliability and accuracy, a water quality meter and a smartphone, which mutually communicate with each other, are utilized, and also, the smartphone is provided with a memory unit, a calculation unit, a GPS unit, etc., thus enabling water quality to be measured in real time and water quality data to be stored and transferred to the outside, so that reliability and accuracy of the measured water quality data may be improved.
US08666430B2
In a method of improved clustering for providing position determination assisting data in a cellular communication system, providing (S10) a plurality of clusters of points, said points being results of high-precision reference measurements, said points of each of said cluster having the same unique radio fingerprinting tag, identifying (S20) a target cluster, said target cluster having a number of points less than a predetermined threshold. Finally, merging (S30) said target cluster with at least one adjacent cluster of said provided plurality of clusters to provide a merged cluster with an increased number of high-precision reference measurements.
US08666429B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for extracting location signatures from data received from mobile devices on a wireless communication network. In a particular embodiment, a method provides, upon determining a location of a wireless communication device, receiving data generated by an application executing on the wireless communication device and using the location to determine whether the data contains information pertaining to the location of the wireless communication device. If the data contains the information pertaining to the location of the wireless communication device, the method provides identifying a location signature specific to the application and using the location signature to determine whether subsequent data transferred from a plurality of wireless communication devices contains information pertaining to a location of any of the plurality of wireless communication devices.
US08666426B2
The present invention relates to an adaptive transmitting device using limited feedback information in a mobile communication system, and a method thereof. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the base station transmits a pilot signal to the terminal, the terminal generates channel information by using the pilot signal, generates additional channel information from the channel information, and transmits the channel information and the additional channel information to the base station. The base station determines band allocation, power allocation, and modulation methods for each use by using received feedback information, and transmits modulated traffic data to the terminal according to the determined methods.
US08666423B2
A method for radio communication between a device and radio stations of a radio communications system having a plurality of radio stations involves transmitting messages from the transmitting radio station to the receiving radio station either directly, or via a routing the passes through one or more radio stations that forward said messages. The device transmits information, which related to one or more routings between a respective transmitting radio station and a receiving radio station and to radio resources that are to be used for at least one message transmission via the routing or routings, to radio stations.
US08666416B2
A mobile communication system includes a plurality of base station apparatuses and a mobile station apparatus. The mobile station apparatus measures at predetermined intervals of time the quality of a signal received from each base station apparatus and transmits signal reception quality information indicating the quality of the signal to a first base station apparatus that is currently connected via radio to the mobile station apparatus. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the time that the signal reception quality for the first base station apparatus dropped to or below a first handover threshold, if the quality of the signal received from a second base station apparatus becomes equal to or higher than a second handover threshold, the first base station apparatus executes a handover to switch the radio connection of the mobile station apparatus from the first base station apparatus to the second base station apparatus.
US08666411B2
Systems and methods for performing a handoff of an access terminal from a macro node to a femto node are disclosed. In one embodiment, a femto convergence server may select a target femto node based on, at least in part, signal strengths of the reverse links between femto nodes with a specific identifier and an access terminal, and the transmit pilot powers of the femto nodes.
US08666409B2
The disclosure discloses a registration method or an unregistration method for a home information machine and a home information machine thereof, to solve the problem of low security and reliability in the prior art when a Portable Part (PP) machine is registered on the home information machine. The registration method comprises: a Fixed Part (FP) module of the home information machine receives a registration command and first verification information sent by a Mobile Internet Device (MID) module of the home information machine, wherein the first verification information is used to verify verification information input by the PP machine to be registered; the FP module enters a registration state, and receives a registration request and second verification information sent by the PP machine to be registered; the FP module verifies the second verification information by the first verification information, determines whether the registration of the PP machine to be registered is successful according to the verification result, and exits the registration state when determining that the registration of the PP machine to be registered is successful. When the technical solution of the disclosure is used, security and reliability during the registration process of the PP machine can be improved.
US08666408B2
A method of supporting location privacy of a mobile station includes receiving, from a base station, a temporary station identifier (TSTID) during an initial ranging procedure; transmitting a registration request (REG-REQ) message requesting a registration to the base station, the REG-REQ message including a real medium access control (MAC) address of the mobile station; and receiving, from the base station, a registration response (REG-RSP) message including a station identifier (STID) assigned to the mobile station. The TSTID is temporarily used to protect a mapping between the real MAC address of the mobile station and the STID, and the TSTID is used until the STID is assigned to the mobile station.
US08666402B2
A method for triggering an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) registration in the IMS, includes sending, by network side or a user who initiates the triggering, an IMS registration triggering indication message to a user who needs the IMS registration, to prompt the user who needs the IMS registration to initiate the IMS registration to the IMS; according to the IMS registration triggering indication message, trigging the user who needs the IMS registration to initiate the IMS registration to the IMS. Since the network side or the user who initiates the triggering triggers the IMS registration for the user who needs the IMS registration, the problem that the SIP messages may not be issued to the user who needs the IMS registration and the IMS session may not be performed because the user who needs the IMS registration does not register in the IMS during the IMS session, can be avoided.
US08666399B2
Techniques for efficient scanning for WLANs based on mobile device velocity are described. In one illustrative example, a mobile device identifies whether its velocity is less than or greater than a threshold value. While it is identified that the velocity of the mobile device is less than the threshold value, the mobile device scans to search for one or more WLANs identified in a first subset of WLAN profiles (e.g. “stationary” WLANs). While it is identified that the velocity of the mobile device is greater than the threshold value, the mobile device scans to search for the one or more WLANs identified in a second subset of WLAN profiles (e.g. “mobile” WLANs). Advantageously, a suitable WLAN may be more efficiently identified with use of a technique which reduces power consumption of the mobile device.
US08666390B2
Providing for identifying and ticketing mobile network communication errors according to geographic position of the errors is described herein. By way of example, communication errors, such as dropped calls, can be tracked and recorded as a function of position of a mobile terminal affected by a dropped call. A number of these errors within a given location is compared with historic error data to determine statistically anomalous instances of communication errors. Upon identifying such an anomaly, an error ticket can be generated that identifies a geographic region associated with the error. Particularly, the geographic region can be independent of radio access network infrastructure, which is conventionally used as a means of locating events within a mobile network. A geographic error ticket can, in some aspects of the subject disclosure, facilitate discovery and troubleshooting of errors that originate at least in part from unknown or unanticipated sources.
US08666388B2
Providing for automated wireless network signal analysis by mobile devices as a function of their geographic locations is described herein. By way of example, a wireless network can transmit a set of geographic data defining a geographic region to a mobile device. The mobile device can compare its current location to the geographic region, and begin measuring downlink signals, or recording such measurements when within the geographic region, and terminate the recording when the mobile device leaves the geographic region. Recorded measurements can be subsequently uploaded to the wireless network for analysis. In some aspects, the mobile device can refrain from uploading the measurements until within a defined reporting region. By providing mobile device network analysis triggered on device geographic location, analysis data that is well tailored to a particular problem area can be obtained, increasing quality of the analysis data and significantly reducing cost of acquiring such data.
US08666387B2
Apparatus and method for determining transmit signal parameters using real-time channel measurements
A method and wireless system that is able to adapt forward channel signal parameters to the different channel characteristics in each deployment environment. For example, the base station may update the waveform parameters based upon the real-time channel measurement feedback as received from the subscriber stations.
US08666383B1
A mobile phone comprising a processor, a memory comprising a system partition and a data partition, and an application stored in the system partition of the memory. When executed by the processor, the application determines a brand identity associated with the mobile phone, accesses branding assets associated with the application based on the brand identity, and adapts the function of the application based on the accessed branding assets.
US08666382B2
Disclosed are an system and method of regulating mobile device communications while operating a motor vehicle. One example method may include determining a speed event indicating that a speed of the motor vehicle has performed at least one of exceeded a first threshold above which mobile device usage restriction policies are invoked and fallen below a second threshold allowing the mobile device restriction policies to be removed. The first threshold may be equal to or greater than the second threshold. As a result of obtaining the speed event, the method may also provide transmitting the speed event to a remote edge gateway server located remotely from the motor vehicle, which stores the speed event for reference purposes when determining a policy for routing a particular mobile device call, text message and/or mobile data session.
US08666372B2
A method and apparatus for displaying presence information for buddies who are at a particular televised event is provided herein. During operation location information for a remote device is received by a presence server. A database is then accessed to determine if the location maps to a TV venue such as a sports stadium. If a match is found between the location of the remote device and its database of venues then currently-available multimedia content is analyzed to determine if an event is being broadcast at that venue at the current time. If it is determined that an event is being broadcast at the venue, then presence data is transmitted to the users having the user of the remote device as part of their buddy list. This causes the users to display the presence information on an ambient display, a display device, an electronic program guide, a banner, or in a list.
US08666364B2
A wireless device capable of communicating over a first wireless network and a second wireless network, the wireless device comprising one or more processors for executing one or more agents including an application interface agent for assisting in applying a policy by communicating with a software component associated with a service activity, the policy for reducing data usage over the first wireless network associated with the service activity, the policy enabling control of the service activity on the first wireless network that is different from how the service activity is controlled on the second wireless network, the one or more agents configured to: obtain a user input specifying at least an aspect of the policy, identify that the wireless device is connected to the first wireless network, identify an intended, attempted, or successful data communication over the first wireless network associated with the service activity, and apply the policy.
US08666359B2
The disclosure provides a notification method for an Emergency Area ID, including: an evolution node B (eNB) acquires an eNB-supported Emergency Area ID and an E-UTRAN cell global identifier (E-CGI) list included in it, and when S1 is set up, carries the acquired emergency area ID and the E-CGI list included in it in an S1 setup request message to transmit to a mobility management entity (MME); the MME stores the received emergency area ID and the E-CGI list included in it. The disclosure further provides a notification system for an Emergency Area ID. With the disclosure, the complexity of manual operation and the error rate are decreased, the reliability and operating efficiency of the system are improved, and the stability and maintainability of the system are enhanced.
US08666358B2
Techniques for delivering and receiving emergency broadcast alert messages using Short Message Service (SMS) are described, In one design, a broadcast alert message for an emergency alert may be sent in an SMS broadcast message, e.g., by mapping at least one field of the broadcast alert message to corresponding Held(s) of the SMS broadcast message and mapping remaining Fields of the broadcast alert message to a data Field of the SMS broadcast message. The SMS broadcast message may include a website URI link, broadcast reception information, location information for an emergency event, etc. The SMS broadcast message may be carried in a system broadcast message sent to wireless devices. A wireless device may receive the system broadcast message, extract the SMS broadcast message, and obtain the broadcast alert message. The wireless device may detect for duplicate broadcast messages based on a hash digest generated for each broadcast message.
US08666346B1
An FM receiver is unaware of the modulation level (frequency deviation) of the signal and has to make an estimate of it, or some reasonable time-average of it, and accordingly set the input filter's bandwidth. We calculate modulation by measuring the autocorrelation of the recovered audio signal instead of its peaks, and then applying a peakhold detector. Since FM noise can be modeled to be somewhat uncorrelated, we can expect to get an accurate estimate of signal power while rejecting noise power substantially if we measure a one-sample delayed autocorrelation estimate. Since the above measurement is alike a power measurement, we compute its square root, gain adjust it to obtain a cleaner peak measurement, and then track these clean peaks using a leaky integrator. This gives an estimate of modulation that subdues the effect of the noise.
US08666331B2
Cellular processors are cascaded to provide different configurations, which result in higher-capacity base stations, increased numbers of simultaneous users over one frequency band, and/or aggregation of several carriers while still using only one radio frequency (RF) chipset. The processors are aligned in both time and frequency, with each processor having a data port that allows data exchange with the other processors. The data alignment and exchange allow the processors, in the aggregate, to act as a single unit, resulting in a scalable architecture that can accommodate different system configurations.
US08666330B2
A triple winding balun is combined with multiple switch assemblies to implement an antenna switch that provides good isolation, low loss, and good linearity with only a minor increase to the overall chip footprint. The antenna switch also isolates the receiver from power surges, where the power surges may be due to electrostatic discharge, undesirable WiMAX/LTE signals, etc. An exemplary antenna switch comprises a triple winding balun, a first switch subassembly, and an optional second switch subassembly. During stand-by and transmit modes, the first and second switch subassemblies respectively isolate the receiver from transmitter output current and connect a positive voltage bias to the third winding to prevent negative voltage swings at the receiver. During the receive mode, the configuration of the first and second switch subassemblies flips to connect the receiver to the third winding of the balun and to isolate the receiver from power surges.
US08666325B2
This disclosure relates to linearization in polar modulators of wireless communication devices, to attain linear amplification and high power efficiency during transmission.
US08666319B2
Techniques are provided to adaptively adjust a clear channel assessment threshold for use when a wireless device is to transmit in a wireless network that operates on a channel in a radio frequency band. A first wireless device, configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more second wireless device in the wireless network, receives energy on the channel in the frequency band, analyzes the received energy to detect interference on the channel and determines a type of interference detected in the received energy. The clear channel assessment threshold is adjusted by an amount depending on the type of interference detected.
US08666316B2
Systems and method for safely distributing software for electronic controllers in the refrigeration container industry, and also communication systems primarily for electronic controllers related to refrigeration containers in which fast software distribution in container controllers is achieved by introducing a buffer memory in the communication system, which buffer memory includes a new container controller software version. The communication system distributes the new container controller software version by a communication device, to receiving communication systems where the new software version is placed in the buffer memory. As a result, it can be achieved that software distribution starts automatically as soon as only one communication system includes the new software version, this software version will in a very short period be spread into all container controllers, e.g., on board a ship or in a container yard.
US08666312B2
A signal electrode (11A) and a ground electrode (11B) are disposed respectively on surfaces of a case (10). In this way, the signal electrode (11A) and the ground electrode (11B) do not come into contact with any electric component, such as a transmission circuit (21), disposed inside the case (10), and thus a reduction in an electric field (Ec) induced in an electric-field transmission medium can be prevented. In addition, a certain distance between the signal electrode (11A) and the ground electrode (11B) is kept, and thus a reduction in the electric field (Ec) induced in the electric-field transmission medium can be prevented. Furthermore, the contactability between the signal electrode (11A) and the electric-field transmission medium is improved, and thus the electric field (Ec) induced in the electric-field transmission medium can be increased.
US08666311B2
In one embodiment there are provided systems and methods for detecting radio frequency interference (RFI) on a satellite that implements on-board processing. The system leverages an on-board programmable modem complex, and in some cases reprograms portions thereof, to function as an RF spectrum analyzer sensor element that captures and relays received RF information as meta-data to a ground-based system where that information can then be used, on the ground, to generate a spectral display of a received signal at the satellite.
US08666308B2
An apparatus is provided for viewing content. The apparatus includes a portable device and a payment module. The portable device enables viewing of content on a nearby display screen which is not physically connected to the portable device. The portable device includes a button and a transmitter. The button initiates wireless communication between the portable device and a payment module. The transmitter electronically wirelessly communicates a signal from the portable device to the payment module upon selection of the button. The signal includes customer identity information that identifies an account that can be charged for viewing the content. The payment module receives the signal, allows the display screen to be used for viewing the content, and charges the account for viewing the content.
US08666306B2
A media distribution device determines that a user device is within proximity-based communication range of the media distribution device. The media distribution device receives profile information from the user device and provides a list of media to the user device, the media identified by the list determined in response to the profile information. The media distribution device receives identification information and a media acquisition request from the user device, the request identifying media not presently stored at the user device. The media distribution device provides acquisition information to the user device in response to receiving the identification information and the media acquisition request.
US08666305B2
The various embodiments herein provide a method and system for advertising on a user screen of a mobile communication device. The method comprising of installing a cell broadcasting system (CBS) application in the mobile communication device, uploading at least one advertisement on a portal, sending the uploaded advertisement to a cell broadcast system and transmitting the uploaded advertisement to the communication device. The CBS application provides for receiving and displaying at least one advertisement on the user screen. The system comprising a cell broadcast manager to receive at least one advertisement from a plurality of cell broadcast entities, a cell broadcast system to store the at least one advertisement, a plurality of base station controllers, a cell broadcast centre to address an appropriate base station controller for processing the requests and one or more base transceiver stations for transmitting the uploaded advertisement to the mobile communication device.
US08666303B2
Methods and apparatus to collect media exposure information are described. An example apparatus includes an identifier card including a plurality of machine readable codes corresponding to one or more media stations and a metering device including a scanner to read a first one of the codes and a memory to record media exposure information identifying exposure of a user to a media station associated with the first one of the codes, the media information being stored in association with a timestamp corresponding to a time at which the first one of the codes was read.
US08666302B2
A system and method for education including community-sourced data and community interactions. The method can include registering a plurality of users in a database, presenting educational material to a user of the plurality of users, recording the performance of the user in regards to the educational material, collecting personal statistics regarding the performance of the user, compiling the personal statistics for the plurality of users to generate community statistics regarding the performance of the plurality of users, comparing the personal statistics of a user to the community statistics or to a subset thereof, collecting personal information from each user of the plurality of users, subdividing the plurality of users into a plurality of communities based on the personal information of each user, facilitating interactions between the users within a community of the plurality of communities, and generating a credibility score for each user within the community.
US08666297B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit forming an image on a sheet transported along a transport path in a printing operation; a sheet stacking unit in which the sheet ejected at the end of the transport path is stacked; a sheet detecting unit detecting the presence or absence of the sheet in the transport path; a counting unit counting number-of-sheet data of the sheet detected by the sheet detecting unit; and a control unit controlling the printing operation in accordance with a first print request from a print instructing unit for a print job and based on a count value obtained by the counting unit. The control unit clears the count value in the absence of a next print request from the print instructing unit within a predetermined time after completion of the printing operation.
US08666293B2
Aspects described herein relate to a cap for a toner cartridge. In one example, the cap may be configured to close a toner supply opening of the toner cartridge. According to one or more aspects, the cap may include a sealing or covering portion configured to cover the toner supply opening and a shaft portion for rotatably supporting a to-be-detected rotary member. The to-be-detected rotary member 56 is rotatably supported around and fitted onto the shaft portion. Therefore, even if a toner supply opening of a cartridge is provided in a sidewall of the housing on a side where the to-be-detected rotary member is provided, e.g., a left sidewall, the toner supply opening and the to-be-detected rotary member can be provided in such a manner as to overlap each other.
US08666292B2
A developer case has a main body, a cylindrical portion, and a rotating unit. The main body has a bottom wall. The cylindrical portion has a discharge port. The rotating unit is located so as to extend across the main body and the cylindrical portion, transports developer in the main body, and has a rotating shaft, a first transport member, a second transport member, and dispersing members. The rotating shaft has a first portion located in the main body and a second portion located in the cylindrical portion. The first transport member transports developer in a first transport direction from the cylindrical portion to the main body. The second transport member transports developer in a second transport direction from the main body to the cylindrical portion. The dispersing members move developer in the radial direction.
US08666291B2
A developer container 1 includes (i) a developer vessel 2, having a cylindrical shape, that carries and discharges toner contained therein through its first discharge opening 31 while the developer vessel 2 is being driven to rotate, and (ii) a developer supply section 3 which (a) supports the developer vessel 2 such that the developer vessel 2 can rotate, (b) temporarily stores the toner discharged from the first discharge opening 31, and (c) discharges the toner outside of the developer supply section 3 from a second discharge opening 5. The first discharge opening 31 is formed in an inclined surface 31a of an edge part of the developer vessel 2. The inclined surface 31a inclines, upstream of a direction in which the toner is carried along a shaft line L1, so as to be at angles with a surface perpendicular to the shaft line L1.
US08666290B2
The image forming apparatus includes a discharge execution section for forcedly discharging toner from a developing device and forming a toner image on a photosensitive drum, in which a primary transfer roller transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum by the discharge execution section by applying, to a predetermined area part of the toner image, a first transfer bias having a predetermined transfer efficiency with respect to an intermediate transfer belt and applying, to a part excluding the predetermined area part of the toner image, a second transfer bias whose transfer efficiency is at least smaller than the predetermined transfer efficiency of the first transfer bias.
US08666288B2
A developing device in the embodiment includes: a developer carrier that carries a two-component developer, moves the surface, and supplies the toner to a latent image on a surface of a latent image carrier; a first conveying member that conveys the developer in a first conveying path; a second conveying member that conveys the developer in a second conveying path; and a developer passing unit that conveys upward the developer which has reached at a conveying-direction posterior end of the second conveying path and passes the developer to the first conveying path. The developer passing unit includes a plurality of pushing members that push up the developer. The developer can pass through from upper surfaces of the pushing members to lower surfaces of the pushing members.
US08666283B2
An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording sheet is provided. The image forming apparatus includes a main body, a belt unit, and a pressing member configured to press the belt unit in a pressing direction crossing both a belt extending direction and an axial direction of a belt roller. A first positioning portion is disposed in the main body and a second positioning portion is disposed in the belt unit. A second positioning portion is disposed in the belt unit and configured to contact the first positioning portion to allow the belt unit to be positioned in the main body, and the pressing member is configured to press the belt unit such that the second positioning portion maintains contact with the first positioning portion.
US08666282B2
An image formation apparatus is provided, to which developing devices, each having an opening, and developer cartridges for respectively supplying a developing agent to the openings of the developing devices are mountable. The apparatus includes developing device shutters, each configured to open and close a respective one of the openings of the developing devices mounted to the apparatus; and a link mechanism configured to move the developing device shutters linked with each other.
US08666269B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a developing device for developing with toner an electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive member, a temperature/humidity sensor, and a storing portion for storing environmental information. In addition, a controller controls an image forming condition so that when a second temperature/humidity environment, measured by the temperature/humidity sensor, is different from a first temperature/humidity environment and when the image forming condition is changed to a second image forming condition different from a first image forming condition, a change amount of the image forming condition when the developing device is driven before the image forming condition is changed is larger than a change amount of the image forming condition when the developing device is not driven before the image forming condition is changed. The controller controls the image forming condition on the basis of environmental information and time information relating to the environmental information which is previously stored in the storing portion and on the basis of environmental information and time information relating to the environmental information which is obtained after being stored in the storing portion.
US08666266B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit including a developing device, a toner cartridge to supply toner to the developing device, a toner remaining amount sensor to detect a toner remaining amount in the developing device, a toner use amount detection mechanism to detect a parameter value for obtaining a use amount of toner, a first memory which is provided in the toner cartridge and to which a threshold of the parameter indicating a near empty state is previously inputted, and a control mechanism which determines necessity of a forcible toner supply operation based on a comparison between the detected parameter value and the threshold, and the toner remaining amount detected by the toner remaining amount sensor, and controls the image forming unit.
US08666263B2
An information input method, apparatus and system for an associated apparatus of an imaging device are provided. The system includes a chip and an information input apparatus; the chip is adapted to store universal information, and alternative information sent by the information input apparatus; the information input apparatus is adapted to store and send to the chip the alternative information.
US08666256B2
An optical receiving apparatus with frame synchronization technology which makes it easy to activate a frame synchronization established state even if bit errors are produced over a transmission link. The apparatus includes: an optoelectrical converting circuit; a pre-stage synchronizing word detecting circuit; a decoder; a post-stage frame synchronization detecting circuit; and a receiver frame synchronization display output circuit.
US08666252B2
There is provided an optical network system in which optical signals modulated by each of at least two modulation methods are wavelength-division-multiplexed and transferred, including: an optical transmitter configured to transmit first optical signals modulated by each of at least two modulation methods; an add-drop multiplexer configured to drop second optical signals from wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signals transferred in the optical network system, and add the first optical signals to the wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signals; an optical receiver configured to demodulate the second optical signals corresponding to each of at least two modulation methods; and a controller configured to control wavelengths of the first optical signals, the second optical signals and the wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signals so as to rearrange wavelengths of the first optical signals, the second optical signals and the wavelength-division-multiplexed optical signals so that optical signals modulated by a same modulation method are placed on an adjacent wavelength.
US08666251B2
The invention provides a system and method, for an optical communication network to compensate impairments in the network, using electronic dispersion compensation, said system comprising optical means comprising two or more optical-to-electrical converters for generating at least two electrical signals, comprising amplitude and instantaneous frequency of a received distorted optical signal, and an electrical circuit adapted to perform a full-field reconstruction of the received distorted optical signal using said electrical signals. The system is characterised by a dispersive transmission line circuit with compensation parameters updated at a selected rate to process said full-field reconstructed signal and compensate for coarse chromatic dispersion; and an adaptive electronic equalization circuit with compensation parameters updated at a rate faster than those in the said dispersive transmission line circuit to provide a fine impairment compensation of said reconstructed signals. The system and method of the invention achieves low-cost long-distance transmission, up to 2000 km, while maintaining the fast-adaptive compensation capability and provide a method for transparent long-haul and metro-optical networks.
US08666250B2
An optical network terminal (ONT) for use in an optical access network and comprising: an optical transceiver arranged to communicate with an optical line terminal using a wavelength which is modulated to carry sub-channels; a second transceiver arranged to communicate with a number of subscriber equipment using respective subscriber equipment channels; the ONT arranged to automatically map each subscriber equipment channel to a respective sub-channel of the wavelength without using an address associated with the respective subscriber equipment.
US08666249B2
A method, device and system for implementing a long reach passive optical network (LR-PON) are provided, which solve the problem that the cost for establishing an LR-PON system is high. The method includes: receiving an uplink burst packet transmitted by an optical network unit (ONU) in a burst manner (101), converting a burst optical signal of the uplink burst packet into a continuous optical signal, and transmitting the continuous optical signal to a receiving device (105). The present invention is applicable to an LR-PON.
US08666247B2
The present disclosure provides bandwidth defragmentation systems and methods in optical networks such as Optical Transport Network (OTN), Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), Ethernet, and the like. In particular, the present invention includes bandwidth defragmentation algorithms that may be used within the context of a signaling and routing protocol to avoid bandwidth defragmentation. As such, the present invention defines a mechanism for computing an end to end path for a connection in a manner that avoids bandwidth fragmentation and provides for better network utilization. For example, the present invention may include a path computation based upon administrative weight and upon fragmentation costs. This may be implemented in existing signaling and routing protocols without changes to existing protocol messages used in topology discovery. Further, the present invention optimizes available bandwidth allowing a higher probability of higher bandwidth request being admitted.
US08666244B2
A method of monitoring optical parameters of a modulated optical signal comprises receiving a first optical power, Xi, of said optical signal for a first bandwidth, Bi, across the said optical signal and receiving a second optical power, Xj, of said optical signal for a second bandwidth, Bj, across the said optical signal. The method comprises obtaining a power spectral density description of said optical signal. The method comprises determining an optical signal to noise ratio of said optical signal. The optical signal to noise ratio depends on said first optical power, Xi, said second optical power, Xj, and said power spectral density description. The method also comprises generating a data signal indicative of said optical signal to noise ratio.
US08666228B2
An operating method of a broadcasting receiver storing a broadcasting program and providing thumbnail images of a channel-switched broadcasting program during storing the broadcasting program and a broadcasting receiver enabling of the method, thus providing a representative thumbnail image of a channel-switched broadcasting program during storing of the broadcasting program, making it possible to improve a user's convenience by providing information on what the channel-switched broadcasting program is as well as by extracting and outputting thumbnail images from the broadcasting program.
US08666227B2
According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a capture module which acquires video data and audio data output from a first module to a second module, a time stamp module which respectively adds time information to the video data and audio data acquired by the capture module, an effect module which performs correction processing of at least one of the video data and audio data acquired by the capture module, and a synchronization output module which synchronizes and outputs the video data and audio data at least one of which has undergone the correction processing by the effect module to the second module based on the time information added by the time stamp module.
US08666225B2
A digital cinema management device includes a control unit that manages schedules of contents exhibited by playback devices and controls a representation of a management window for performing the schedule management, in which the control unit determines an urgent level in accordance with the number of days left until an exhibition day when the requirements for exhibiting contents with the playback devices in accordance with an exhibition schedule are not satisfied and switches the properties of the representation on the management window in accordance with the determined urgent level.
US08666220B2
A recording/reproducing apparatus includes an operating section having dual functions depending on being in an image capture mode or in a reproduction mode respectively. While one of the recording mode and the reproduction mode is being carried out, in response to start of the other mode, a controlling function of the operating section is switched to the function of the other mode, and in response to the completion of the other mode, the function of the operating section is switched to the function of the one mode.
US08666218B2
A MEMS variable optical attenuator (VOA) chip includes a frame having a planar surface, a micro-electric actuator with a movable optical shutter arranged with respect to the planar surface of the frame, where the VOA is actuated by thermal expansion. The micro-electric actuator comprises semiconductor conductors (“wires”) that can be moved, upon applying an electrical current, by thermal expansion. In one embodiment, the MEMS VOA chip is configured in a multiple wire arrangement that restricts the shutter movement in a plane.
US08666217B2
A fiber tray for managing and organizing fiber distribution is disclosed. The fiber tray includes a housing and a drawer received in the housing. The housing is secured to an equipment rack. The housing includes inner sides with a glide mechanism extending the length of each inner side. The glide mechanism includes a first end and a second end. The glide mechanism also includes at least one curved path located at one of the first end and the second end. The drawer includes a bottom, a first side, a second side, a front and a back. The first and second sides of the drawer have a pin. The pins extending from the sides of the drawer slide within the glide mechanism to enable the drawer to be retracted, extended or removed from the housing.
US08666215B2
A cable management panel having a grounding arrangement. The grounding arrangement including a rolling ground strap interconnected to each of a drawer and a chassis of the cable management panel. The rolling ground strap being arranged to include a loop that rolls along the length of the ground strap.
US08666207B2
A multi-mode to single mode optical interface device includes an optically pumped edge emitting semiconductor laser device and a lens. The optically pumped edge emitting semiconductor laser device includes (1) a gain area, and (2) an edge located single mode output. The lens focuses a multi-mode optical fiber output beam into a substantially line shaped output beam focused onto the gain area of the optically pumped edge emitting semiconductor laser device. A method for converting a multi-mode optical signal into a single mode optical signal includes (1) focusing the multi-mode optical signal onto a gain area of an optically pumped edge emitting semiconductor laser using at least a line focusing lens, and (2) converting the multi-mode optical signal into the single mode optical signal using the semiconductor laser.
US08666205B2
An optical device (20) are formed by bonding a optical element (6) having an optical waveguide (8) with a substrate (2). On a surface of the optical element (6) facing the substrate (2) formed are the optical waveguide (8) and a thin film heater (4) that heats the optical waveguide (8). The optical element (6) and the substrate (2) are bonded through a first bonding part (12) and a second bonding part (14) made of metal material. The thin film heater (4) is electrically connected with a wire on the substrate (2) through the first bonding part (12) and the second bonding part (14). In this way, additional wires for electrical connection can be omitted, the optical element 6 can be miniaturized removing a superfluous region, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.
US08666199B2
An image is displayed on a touch screen. A user's underline gesture on the displayed image is detected. The area of the image touched by the underline gesture and a surrounding region approximate to the touched area are identified. Skew for text in the surrounding region is determined and compensated. A text region including the text is identified in the surrounding region and cropped from the image. The cropped image is transmitted to an optical character recognition (OCR) engine, which processes the cropped image and returns OCR'ed text. The OCR'ed text is outputted.
US08666195B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for graphical overlay object translation. One of the methods includes receiving a first plurality of first feature points, each first feature point being associated with a plurality of feature descriptors and a respective location on the first digital image. The method includes receiving a second plurality of second feature points, each second feature point being associated with a plurality of feature descriptors and a respective location on the second digital image. The method includes determining the translation offset for the second digital image from the first digital image by matching locations of the first feature points with locations of the second feature points without regard to the feature descriptors.
US08666193B2
Geometric method of transforming a first two-dimensional image into a second two-dimensional image through an image processing applied to the first images or to the second image. In this method, one of said first and second images is divided into several surfaces, each of the surfaces of the divided image is transformed by a bilinear transformation specific to each surface, and the transformed surfaces are grouped together.
US08666191B2
Systems and methods for generating an image determine scene information based on a first image of a scene, the first image including an image of a subject at a first position in the scene, and the first image information including a first field of view of the first image and a first capture location where the first image was captured, acquire a second image of the scene from a repository storing a plurality of images based on the scene information, the second image having a second field of view similar to the first field of view and a second capture location similar to the first capture location, adjust light parameters of the image of the subject based on the light parameters of the second image, and generate a combined image based on the second image and the image of the subject, the combined image including at least part of the second image, and the adjusted image of the subject at a position in the scene similar to the first position in the scene.
US08666190B1
The system and method of use are provided for correcting digital images based on the notions of local black points. The system and method are based on determining local black points in a digital image and correcting the intensities of nearby pixels so as to remove bias in the image introduced by atmospheric conditions. By sampling only localized land imagery the claimed method computes black points that are more robust against the localized effects of atmospheric and land reflection effects than black points computed from wider areas. The result of the method is that images corrected by this method are robust to atmospheric conditions that vary with time and viewing angle.
US08666187B2
An image reproduction apparatus decompresses and outputs compressed data, and includes: a reproduction unit which reads, per predetermined unit of processing, the compressed data as unit compressed data from a recording medium; a decompression unit which decompresses the unit compressed data, so as to generate unit decompressed data; a display processing unit which outputs decompressed data including the unit decompressed data; an error management unit which detects, per unit compressed data, an error caused in either the reproduction unit or the decompression unit; and a control unit which determines whether or not to output the decompressed data when the error is detected, and when it is determined to output the decompressed data, the control unit complements, with implement image data, unit decompressed data corresponding to the unit compressed data in which the error has been detected, and the display processing unit outputs decompressed data including the complement image data.
US08666185B2
A first aspect of the invention relates to a method for creating a binary mask image from an a inputted digital image of a scanned document, comprising the steps of creating a binarized image by binarizing the inputted digital image, detecting first text regions representing light text on a dark background, and inverting the first text regions, such that the inverted first text regions are interpretable in the same way as dark text on a light background. A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for comparing in a binary image a first pixel blob with a second pixel blob to determine whether they represent matching symbols, comprising the steps of detecting a line in one blob not present in the other and/or determining if one of the blobs represents an italicized symbol where the other does not.
US08666174B2
Systems, methods and computer program products on storage devices for shape clustering and applications in processing various documents, including an output of an optical character recognition (OCR) process. The output of an OCR process is classified into a plurality of clusters of clip images and a representative image for each cluster is generated to identify clusters whose clip images were incorrectly assigned character codes by the OCR process.
US08666173B2
Interest points are markers anchored to a specific position in a digital image of an object. They are mathematically extracted in such a way that, in another image of the object, they will appear in the same position on the object, even though the object may be presented at a different position in the image, a different orientation, a different distance or under different lighting conditions. The goal is to match interest points in one image with corresponding interest points in another image. Typically, this involves the construction of a descriptor, which is both computationally expensive and resource-intensive. Methods and devices are described that match interest points without the construction of conventional descriptors and that permit the use of spatial coherency information to increase the accuracy of the match.
US08666162B1
A system, method, and computer program product for improving digital images and video by reducing or eliminating artifacts created by sensor binning, i.e. channel displacement of downscaled image pixels. Red and blue pixels are shifted to corresponding ideal pixel locations using for example bi-linear interpolation for each color. Green pixels are shifted to corresponding ideal pixel locations using one-dimensional cubic interpolation along a diagonal direction in which the green pixels are aligned. Pixel values are replaced by weighted pixel value averages of groups of pixels, preferably four, and the weights used vary inversely with shifted distances. Cubic interpolation results may be separately weighted pairwise among pixels with a weighting parameter favoring pixels near the ideal pixel location. The embodiments noticeably improve image and video quality, particularly by treatment of jagged edges of diagonal image features without compromising image sharpness or creating false colors along edges.
US08666157B2
An apparatus for processing a raster image comprising a plurality of pixels is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing steps of a computer program, and a computer processor connected to the non-transitory computer readable medium for executing the steps of the computer program. A plurality of horizontal axial blobs are identified in the raster image, a plurality of vertical axial blobs are identified in the raster image, and the horizontal and vertical axial blobs are linked into a feature blob.
US08666154B2
A method of pixel interpolation in which a two-dimensional digital filter is arranged so as to interpolate an output pixel from a two-dimensional array of color input pixels by aligning a filtering operation with a detected direction of an image feature at a pixel position to be interpolated comprises detecting image activity within respective color components of a group of input pixels around the pixel position to be interpolated; generating monochromatic test pixels by combining the color components of input pixels in relative proportions dependent upon the detected image activities; detecting the direction of an image feature in a group of the monochromatic test pixels around the pixel position to be interpolated; and interpolating an output pixel using the two-dimensional filter, according to the detected image feature direction.
US08666150B2
A pixel processing method includes: selecting a first plurality of color component values of a first plurality of pixels within a pixel block in a buffering device, performing a first color component process upon a first target pixel in the first plurality of pixels to determine a first target color component value of the first target pixel; and selecting a second plurality of color component values of a second plurality of pixels within the pixel block at the same time as the first color component process is performed, and performing a second color component process upon a second target pixel in the second plurality of pixels according to the second plurality of color component values to determine at least one underdetermined target color component value of the second target pixel, wherein the second target pixel has been processed by the first color component process.
US08666143B2
An image processing apparatus that configures a single frame by determining a central image of a certain viewpoint as an original resolution, and frame another single frame by combining a left image of a left viewpoint and a right image of a right viewpoint. The image processing apparatus may generate three-dimensional (3D) image data configured using the frames, and may encode, decode, and render an image based on the 3D image data.
US08666141B2
A robot system includes a robot having a movable section, an image capture unit provided on the movable section, an output unit that allows the image capture unit to capture a target object and a reference mark and outputs a captured image in which the reference mark is imaged as a locus image, an extraction unit that extracts the locus image from the captured image, an image acquisition unit that performs image transformation on the basis of the extracted locus image by using the point spread function so as to acquire an image after the transformation from the captured image, a computation unit that computes a position of the target object on the basis of the acquired image, and a control unit that controls the robot so as to move the movable section toward the target object in accordance with the computed position.
US08666140B2
A defect inspection method for a wafer is provided. The wafer comprises a component pattern. The method comprises the following steps: providing a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting the defects on the wafer to obtain a defect distribution map; providing a photo mask, wherein the photo mask comprises a exposure pattern corresponding to the component pattern; and comparing the defect distribution map with the exposure pattern and dividing the defects in the defect distribution map into a first killer defect group and a first non-killer defect group according to their corresponding locations in the exposure pattern. In addition, a wafer defect inspection system applying the same method is also provided.
US08666135B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an image input section via which a medical image picked up of a mucous surface of a living body is inputted; a setting section that sets a region of interest as a first region and a second region including a unit region in the medical image; a feature value calculating section that calculates a first feature value relating to a shape of the region of interest based on pixel values of the region of interest and a region in a periphery thereof and a second feature value relating to a shape of the unit region based on pixel values of the unit region and a region in a periphery thereof; and an matching section that matches the region of interest with a predetermined shape based on distributions of the first feature value and the second feature value calculated by the feature value calculating section.
US08666126B2
There is provided a fingerprint detection sensor and a method of detecting a fingerprint. The fingerprint detection sensor according to embodiments of the present invention includes a plurality of piezoelectric sensors arranged on a two-dimensional plane; and a fingerprint detection unit detecting a fingerprint by using ultrasonic signals discharged from the plurality of respective piezoelectric sensors, wherein the fingerprint detection unit determines whether the fingerprint is a forged fingerprint by detecting bloodstreams within a first region on the two-dimensional plane in which the ultrasonic signals discharged from the plurality of respective piezoelectric sensors overlap one another.
US08666124B2
An image processing apparatus for tracking faces in an image stream iteratively receives an acquired image from the image stream including one or more face regions. The acquired image is sub-sampled at a specified resolution to provide a sub-sampled image. An integral image is then calculated for a least a portion of the sub-sampled image. Fixed size face detection is applied to at least a portion of the integral image to provide a set of candidate face regions. Responsive to the set of candidate face regions produced and any previously detected candidate face regions, the resolution is adjusted for sub-sampling a subsequent acquired image.
US08666122B2
A biometric sample training device, a biometric sample quality assessment device, a biometric fusion recognition device, an integrated biometric fusion recognition system and example processes in which each may be used are described. Wavelets and a boosted classifier are used to assess the quality of biometric samples, such as facial images. The described biometric sample quality assessment approach provides accurate and reliable quality assessment values that are robust to various degradation factors, e.g., such as pose, illumination, and lighting in facial image biometric samples. The quality assessment values allow biometric samples of different sample types to be combined to support complex recognition techniques used by, for example, biometric fusion devices, resulting in improved accuracy and robustness in both biometric authentication and biometric recognition.
US08666121B2
An authentication device includes: a vein information extraction section that extracts a piece of vein information representing a vein from an image containing a vein of a finger; an extraction section that extracts a piece of information representing the position of the finger's outline at an intermediate stage of the process of extracting the piece of vein information; and a determination section that determines, based on the degree of similarity between the piece of information and a piece of information associated with a piece of registration-target vein information, a verification target to be compared with the piece of vein information.
US08666120B2
Apparatus and methods are presented for estimating the velocity field based on a multi-image frame sequence having an integer number M frames, M is greater than two, in which a set of M−1 displaced frame difference (DFD) equations is solved including a motion compensated prediction (MCP) equation, M−2 motion compensated interpolation (MCI) equations for solving a velocity field at a first time using a set of iteration equations to determine a velocity field, and 2×(M−2) conservative velocity constraint (CVC) equations for solving a velocity field at times t2, . . . , tM−1.
US08666117B2
A method for determining a parking violation includes receiving video data as a sequence of frames provided by a camera. The method includes defining a location of an exclusion zone in the video data. The method includes detecting a vehicle located in the defined exclusion zone. The detecting includes determining a background in an initial frame of the video data and determining a background in a select frame by applying a predetermined updating process. The detecting includes subtracting the background of the select frame from the initial frame to obtain an image difference. The detecting includes classifying the pixels in the image difference as foreground or background pixels and classifying the pixels in the foreground image as vehicle or non-vehicle pixels. The method includes determining a duration that the detected vehicle is in the exclusion zone based on a number of the sequence of frames including the detected vehicle.
US08666116B2
A method of facilitating obtaining a first signal, for analysis to characterize at least one periodic component, includes obtaining two second signals representative of intensities of electromagnetic radiation. The first signal is at least derivable from an output signal obtainable by applying a transformation to the second signals such that any value of the output signal is based on values from each respective second signal at corresponding points in time. The method further includes obtaining a value of a variable determining influences of components of respective second signals on the output signal when the signals corresponding to the second signals are captured and the transformation is applied, by (i) analyzing the first, second and/or the output signals to select a value of a parameter corresponding to a respective one of the variables; or (ii) calculating values of at least one time-varying factor corresponding to a respective one of the variables.
US08666115B2
A system and method are provided for controlling a device based on computer vision. Embodiments of the system and method of the invention are based on receiving a sequence of images of a field of view; detecting movement of at least one object in the images; applying a shape recognition algorithm on the at least one moving object; confirming that the object is a user hand by combining information from at least two images of the object; and tracking the object to control the device.
US08666113B2
Disclosed methods include: acquiring a first sequence of multiple images of a sample, with each image in the first sequence corresponding to a different spectral weighting function; unmixing the first sequence of images into data corresponding to a first set of unmixed images, where each unmixed image in the first set corresponds to a spatial distribution in the sample of a different one of multiple components at a first time; acquiring one or more additional images of the sample and combining the additional images with one or more of the images in the first sequence to form a second sequence of images; unmixing the second sequence of images into data corresponding to a second set of unmixed images; and displaying information about the sample as a function of time based on the data corresponding to the first and second sets of unmixed images.
US08666112B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for determining the location where an image was captured. In general, a device such as a smartphone may capture one or more images from a location, such as images of buildings, street signs and the like, and a central system may compare the submitted images to images in an image library to identify matches. The location of the match may then be provided back to the smartphone.
US08666109B2
A system and method for recording emergency data during a 911 call. The emergency data recorded may be in the form of a digital image. The digital image may be of the event prompting the 911 call. The digital image may be a single image, a series of images, or streaming video. The emergency data may be received on a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone, through a digital imaging device, such as a digital camera. The emergency data may then be transmitted to a server, wherein the emergency data is stored. The emergency data may be accessed by a 911 dispatcher during a 911 call to review the image data to aid in assessing the emergency recorded in the emergency data.
US08666106B2
A sound reproducing device includes parametric speakers disposed to a display, a loudspeaker, drivers, a human-body sensor, and a controller. The loudspeaker has a wider directivity than the parametric speakers. The drivers change directions of the parametric speakers, respectively. The parametric speakers and the drivers constitute at least two parametric speaker units each composed of respective one of the parametric speakers and respective one of the drivers. The controller reproduces sound information based the number of persons in front of the display detected from an output from the human-body senor. The sound reproducing device reduces the possibility for a number of persons to hear the sound noisily, and allows drawing more attention to the content, e.g. an advertisement.
US08666102B2
A hearing system includes at least one earpiece having a shell, an elongate retention element attached to the shell, and an insert unit. The shell has a sound tube portion carrying a soft tip for insertion into the user's ear canal, an outwardly oriented interface portion for detachably receiving the insert unit, and an engagement portion between the sound tube portion and the interface portion for engaging with the tragus/antitragus region of the ear, wherein the material and the dimensions of the retention element are such that the retention element can engage the user's concha by manual deformation by the user, and wherein the insert unit is a filter unit with at least one sound attenuation filter, or is an active electronic unit with at least a loudspeaker, and with an external electronic unit, which is worn on the user's body below the user's neck.
US08666095B2
The present invention relates to a condenser microphone assembly comprising a capacitive electro-acoustic transducer element comprising a diaphragm and a back-plate operatively connected to a DC bias voltage, a fast charge pump adapted to generate the DC bias voltage, and a controllable or programmable current source operatively connected to the DC bias voltage to draw a predetermined DC current there from. The controllable or programmable current source is responsive to a difference between a representative of a detected DC bias voltage and a DC reference voltage.
US08666088B2
A tunable, sound enhancing air induction system for an internal combustion engine includes an air supply duct extending between an air cleaner and a throttle body, and an acoustic amplifier mounted to the air supply duct at an anti-node of a desirable engine induction sound. The acoustic amplifier furnishes the desired sound to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, either through a duct, or by a directional horn.
US08666086B2
A system and mechanism for monitoring and/or controlling a sound masking system from a computer aided design drawing. According to an embodiment, the system is configured to allow an operator to “click” sound masking components on the design drawing and view operating/configuration settings, and/or edit, change or modify the operating/configuration settings, which are then applied via an interface to the associated physical sound masking component in the sound masking system. According to another embodiment, the system is configured to allow an operator to design or configure sound masking components on a design drawing. The sound masking components correspond to physical sound masking components in a sound masking system and comprise one or more active sound masking elements, which are configured to be responsive to an input and allow an operator to monitor, change and/or modify operating/configuration settings for physical sound masking component via the sound masking element in the design drawing.
US08666085B2
An active noise reduction (ANR) component for provision in an earphone housing is disclosed. The device includes a driver and a sensing microphone, the driver and sensing microphone being housed in a component housing. The earphone housing has an outlet passageway from the ANR component to an auditory canal. The ANR component is adapted for use with a controller to provide active noise reduction to the auditory canal over a predetermined range of physical dimensions or acoustic parameters of the housing outlet passageway. The ANR component can thus be used with different housings which simplifies the design process for producing ANR earphone products.
US08666081B2
A method for processing a media signal, comprising: receiving, by an audio processing apparatus, an audio signal including a first channel signal and a second channel signal; estimating center sound by applying a band-pass filter to the first channel signal and the second channel signal; obtaining a first ambient sound by subtracting the center sound from the first channel signal; obtaining a second ambient sound by subtracting the center sound from the second channel signal; applying at least one of delay and reverberation filter to at least one of the first ambient sound and the second ambient sound to generate a processed ambient sound; and, generating pseudo surround signal using the center sound and the processed ambient sound is provided.
US08666074B2
An optical fiber secure communication apparatus and a data encryption method therefor are provided. The apparatus comprises a transmitter and a receiver being connected with each other via an optical fiber. The transmitter comprises a PPC processor unit, a field programmable gate array test board, a light-emitting module, an optical fiber coupler and a connection optical fiber. The receiver comprises a wavelength division multiplexer, a connection optical fiber, a photodetector, a field programmable gate array test board, a PPC processor unit and a signal output interface. At the transmitter end, two or more paths of input data are forwarded by the PPC, encrypted by the FPGA and then transmitted to the light-emitting module of two or more wavelengths for conversion from electrical signals into optical signals. At the receiver end, signals of two or more wavelengths enter the photodetector for conversion into electrical signals, which are decrypted by the FPGA and then forwarded by the PPC for output. With the present invention, the security of transmission data is improved and the difficulty in cracking data is increased.
US08666069B2
There is provided a highly secure cryptographic processing apparatus and method where an analysis difficulty is increased. In a Feistel type common key block encrypting process in which an SPN type F function having a nonlinear conversion section and a linear conversion section is repeatedly executed a plurality of rounds. The linear conversion process of an F function corresponding to each of the plurality of rounds is performed as a linear conversion process which employs an MDS (Maximum Distance Separable) matrix, and a linear conversion process is carried out which employs a different MDS matrix at least at each of consecutive odd number rounds and consecutive even number rounds. This structure makes it possible to increase the minimum number (a robustness index against a differential attack in common key block encryption) of the active S box in the entire encrypting function.
US08666068B2
A method includes, in a data storage device, receiving data having a particular proportion of zero values and one values and scrambling the data to generate scrambled data that has the particular proportion of zero values and one values.
US08666065B2
A system and a method for real-time encryption of input data are described. A character numerical value associated with the input data is encrypted. The encoded character numerical value is then associated with a glyph corresponding to the input data. The encoded character numerical value and the glyph are then stored in a database. The encoded character numerical value is further encrypted using an encryption key to obtain an encrypted encoded character numerical value.
US08666063B2
A method of masking a cryptographic operation using a secret value, comprising the steps of dividing the secret value into a plurality of parts; combining with each part a random value to derive a new part such that the new parts when combined are equivalent to the original secret value; and utilizing each of the individual parts in the operation.
US08666052B2
A universal phone number is provided for connecting to communication methods, including fixed line, mobile line, and internet communication methods. A communication group of communication methods may include multiple communication methods belonging to one individual or to multiple individuals within the communication group, such as a family. The universal phone number may be designated as the primary contact number for the communication group such incoming phone calls and text messages may be automatically routed to the communication methods in the communication group. The universal phone number may provide alerts to the multiple communication methods for notifying when incoming phone calls are answered. A universal voicemail box may also be provided for a scenario when the incoming call is not answered. Additionally, the universal phone number may provide the ability to keep the contact information for each of the individual communication methods private.
US08666045B2
A method is described of providing validation data associated with a subscriber line of a telecommunication network. The method includes obtaining line data of the subscriber line wherein the line data is suitable for interrogating a line identification database (LIDB). The method interrogates the LIDB with the line data to obtain reference subscriber data associated with the line data, and processes the reference subscriber data to obtain validation data associated with the subscriber line. The invention extends to a subscriber line validation system to validate a subscriber line of a communication network.
US08666043B2
A system and method for providing information local to a called party located in a different geographic location may include storing information and telephone number identifiers as associated with remote geographic locations. In response to a telephone number being dialed, a determination may be made as to whether a portion of the dialed telephone number matches a stored telephone number identifier. If a portion of the dialed telephone number matches a stored telephone number identifier, at least a portion of the information associated with the matched telephone number identifier may be presented to a user. Otherwise, information associated with a portion of the dialed telephone number that identifies a geographic location from a communications network may be requested and presented to the user.
US08666031B2
A method and system for initiating an incident-specific request for assistance from a citizen call station by touching a sequence of positions on a display screen. The citizen call station comprises a display having a touch-responsive mechanism for entering a call sequence of statements including initiating an alert, reporting a concern, and selecting help needed. A transmission mechanism for transmitting the call sequence to a control location is provided. A confirmation of the request, sent from the control location, may be received at the call station. The call station may also deliver information from a central location. The call station may include cameras, various sensors, two-way communications, and may be used to provide information on demand, outside of the normal security concerns.
US08666029B2
Methods, systems, and products provide emergency location services for mobile devices. A communication is received to a 911 emergency address. A code is received during the communication to block emergency location services. The emergency location services are blocked in response to the code.
US08666027B2
The described implementations relate to migrating from a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) system implementing Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) equipment that handles analog communication signals to a DSL system that implements All Digital (AD) enabled equipment capable of handling DSL data and Internet Protocol (IP) telephony traffic.
US08666024B2
A multi-X-ray generating apparatus which has a plurality of electron sources arranged two-dimensionally and targets arranged at positions opposite to the electron sources includes a multi-electron source which includes a plurality of electron sources and outputs electrons from driven electron sources by selectively driving a plurality of electron sources in accordance with supplied driving signals, and a target unit which includes a plurality of targets which generate X-rays in accordance with irradiation of electrons output from the multi-electron source and outputs X-rays with different radiation qualities in accordance with the generation locations of X-rays. The generation locations and radiation qualities of X-rays from the target unit are controlled by selectively driving the electron sources of the multi-electron source.
US08666022B2
Systems, devices, and methods are described including implantable radiation sensing devices having exposure determination devices that determines cumulative exposure information based on the at least one in vivo measurand.
US08666015B2
Apparatus for generating thermal neutrons includes an electron accelerator for generating an electron beam and a converter for converting the electron beam into photons. A receiving device is provided for receiving the photons and includes a material which provides a photoneutron target for the photons, for producing high energy neutrons in a photonuclear reaction between the photons and the photoneutron target, and for moderating the high energy neutrons to generate the thermal neutrons. The electron beam has an energy level high enough to produce photons of sufficient energy to exceed the photodissociation threshold of the selected target material, but that is sufficiently low as to enable the material to moderate the high energy neutrons resulting from the photonuclear reaction.
US08666009B2
An enhanced base station and clock synchronization method are provided. The method includes scanning to discover a satellite transmitting a satellite signal and a master base station providing clock synchronization signal, entering, when a satellite having a signal that fulfills predetermined conditions is found, a master mode for receiving the satellite signal to acquire clock synchronization and transmitting a clock synchronization signal to at least one slave base station, and entering, when no satellite having a signal that fulfills the predetermined conditions is found, a slave mode for receiving the clock synchronization signal from the master base station to acquire clock synchronization. The method allows the base station to switch between the master and slave modes dynamically according to variation of the communication environment, resulting in efficient clock synchronization.
US08666005B2
Method and apparatuses are disclosed to substantially compensate for various unwanted interferences and/or distortions within a communications receiver. Each of these apparatuses and methods estimate the various unwanted interferences and/or distortions within the communications receiver. Each of these apparatuses and methods remove the estimates of the various unwanted interferences and/or distortions within the communications receiver from one or more communications signals within the communications receiver to substantially compensate for the various unwanted interferences and/or distortions.
US08665998B2
The invention relates to a detection method using a receiver of a digital communication system for the detection of a symbol from a received signal, which signal is transmitted by a transmitter of the digital communication system, wherein the symbol is a selected symbol out of a predetermined set of symbols and wherein each symbol of the predetermined set comprises a sequence of chips wherein each of the chips is PSK-modulated according to a selected modulation code.
US08665991B2
A communications device may include an In-phase (I) circuit having an In-phase modulator and mixer circuit, and an I power amplifier circuit coupled thereto, the I circuit configured to modulate and amplify a digital baseband I signal to generate an amplified I signal, and a Quadrature (Q) circuit having a Q modulator and mixer circuit, and a Q power amplifier circuit coupled thereto, the Q circuit configured to modulate and amplify a digital baseband Q signal to generate an amplified Q signal separate from the amplified I signal. A processor selectively switches the digital baseband I signal and the digital baseband Q signal between the I and Q signal inputs to provide selective phase shifting for the digital baseband I and Q signals.
US08665983B2
An apparatus for cooperative multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is provided. The apparatus uses a new carrier assignment scheme (CAS) called generalized interleaved CAS, along with non-data-aided timing synchronization. With the generalized interleaved CAS, random OFDM signals are formed into patterns similar to unequal period synchronization patterns (UPSPs), and a corresponding non-data-aided timing synchronization scheme is set. With the help of majority vote refinement (MVR), the present invention achieves better timing synchronization and enhances the quality of signal demodulation.
US08665981B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, in response to receiving a wireless communication signal, a non-uniform codebook is generated based at least in part on one or more characteristics of the received wireless communication signal for quantization and communication back to a source of the received signal. The non-uniform codebook may be generated by selecting a suitable uniform codebook based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the received wireless communication signal, and supplementing the uniform codebook with additional codewords to generate the non-uniform codebook.
US08665980B2
The present invention provides an antenna diversity apparatus and an antenna diversity method. The antenna diversity apparatus comprises: a plurality groups of antennas, a switching unit, a demodulating unit, an antenna switch selecting unit, and a control unit, wherein each group of the plurality groups of antennas comprises at least an antenna, and the control unit can comprises: a receiving signal quality detecting unit, a packet detecting unit, and an antenna decision unit. The antenna decision unit can be realized by hardware, firmware, or software, and the antenna switch selecting unit can be realized by hardware. The antenna diversity apparatus and the antenna diversity method provided by the present invention can switch antennas fast to avoid the defect of occurring burst error to reduce transmitting data rate, and switch to proper antennas fast when variation of the data transmission channels occurs.
US08665979B2
A CSI vector quantizer (VQ) system is provided for time-correlated channels. The VQ system operates a receiver forwarding quantized channel state information in the form of indices and a transmitter predicting channel state change. The VQ system is aimed at feedback channels, in which bit errors, erasures and delays can occur. The VQ system uses transmitter-side channel prediction algorithms that work with the quantized CSI information and allow the system to recover from feedback channel transmission errors, erasures and delays. Moreover, the techniques can be used to lower the required feedback rate, while keeping the system's throughput at the required level.
US08665975B2
Disclosed is a method for receiving data in a Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) system, the method comprising: decoding data transmitted from a transmitter by using one beam-forming vector included in a codebook that beam-forming vectors are formed in a hierarchical structure according to at least one of change directions of radio channels, the number of channel change directions, and a change rate; determining whether to update the beam-forming vector based on the radio channel changes; selecting other beam-forming vector included in the codebook having a hierarchical structure when it is determined that update for the beam-forming vector is required; feed-backing information about an index indicating where the selected beam-forming vector is located in the hierarchical structure of the codebook to the transmitter; and decoding data received from the transmitter by using the selected beam-forming vector.
US08665972B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting Channel State Information Reference Symbol (CSI-RS) and data with partial muting of the CSI-RS are proposed. The method includes determining a CSI-RS pattern to be used among CSI-RS pattern candidates, determining a muting pattern for muting some resource elements constituting CSI-RS pattern candidates except for the determined CSI-RS pattern, mapping data symbols and CSI-RS to resource elements in a resource grid with rate patching in consideration of the CSI-RS pattern and muting pattern, and transmitting the data symbols and CSI-RS to a terminal.
US08665968B2
Disclosed are various embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) video coding using scalable video coding (SVC) spatial scalability. In one embodiment, 3D video is encoded to generate a SVC base layer that includes a left first-resolution view and a right first-resolution view packed in a first frame. 3D video is encoded to generate a SVC enhancement layer that includes a left second-resolution view and a right second-resolution view packed in a second frame. The left second-resolution view and the right second-resolution view may have a higher spatial resolution than the left first-resolution view and the right first-resolution view.
US08665962B2
A method of operating a digital television decoder is disclosed. The decoder includes a memory, the memory storing onboard software, and the decoder is operable in a run mode to execute the onboard software. The method comprises: activating a power saving mode on the decoder; and upon activating the power saving mode: maintaining power to the memory; suspending execution of the onboard software; acquiring an execution context of the onboard software; updating the execution context of the onboard software to form an updated execution context; and saving the updated execution context in the memory.
US08665953B2
The transmitting end of a content distribution system selectively employs a redundancy mechanism to encoded video data based on the frame type of each frame being transmitted. In the event that a particular frame contains information upon which the decoding of multiple frames may depend, the transmitting end can apply a redundancy mechanism to redundantly distribute the data of the frame throughout a set of data segments, each of which is separately transmitted via the network to the receiving end. Otherwise, in the event that a particular frame to be transmitted does not contain substantial information upon which the decoding of multiple frames may depend, the loss of some or all of the data of the frame may not appreciably affect the presentation of the video content at the receiving end and thus the transmitting end can forgo application of the redundancy mechanism to such frames so as to avoid unnecessarily processing and reduce the overall network bandwidth used to transmit the encoded video data.
US08665952B1
Embodiments of an apparatus and method for decoding an encoded bitstream to generate a video signal are taught. A decoder receives the bitstream and decodes a portion thereof to obtain at least a portion of a predictive reference frame. The reference frame is generated by, for example, selecting a filter set including a target frame with a block having a plurality of pixels and at least one adjacent frame, determining a coding mode associated with the block, determining a block-specific factor derived from the coding mode, determining weighted averages of pixels in the filter set and using the weighted averages to generate the predictive reference frame. The decoder also generates a residual from another portion of the encoded bitstream that represents a portion of a frame of the plurality of frames and reconstructs the portion of the frame by adding the residual to the predictive reference frame.
US08665948B2
Rate control algorithms are adapted to cover multiple encoding standards. A rate controller includes an input adaptation interface, a core rate controller, and an output adaptation interface. The input adaptation interface converts rate control input parameters of a target encoding standard to corresponding native control input parameters of the rate controller. The core rate controller is coupled to the output of the input adaptation interface generating output parameters conforming to its native encoding standard. The output adaptation interface is coupled to the output of the core rate controller converting the generated output parameters to equivalent rate control output parameters conforming to the target encoding standard.
US08665947B2
This invention provides a method and device for video-stream frame rate adaptation. The method includes: allocating a buffer space for each of at least one video conference room respectively and dividing the buffer space into at least one segment, each segment of which is used for buffering a video frame; and performing following steps for each of the at least one video conference room: generating a pulse signal for the video conference room periodically according to a certain pulse rate; and performing a data writing operation for a segment of the corresponding buffer space at an input-video-stream frame rate of the video conference room, and performing a reading operation for a segment of the buffer space at an output-video-stream frame rate. This invention also provides an FPGA chip and a video stream processing apparatus. The invention simplifies frame rate adaptation design, and reduces system processing overhead during the frame rate adaptation.
US08665944B2
An image signal processor and a method thereof are provided. The image signal processor sets the subfields to the intermediate illuminating statuses and moves the subfields according to the motion vectors, to display an image on a plasma display panel (PDP). Accordingly, problems such as pseudo contour, motion blur or rounding error can be prevented, and an image enhancement of a PDP is provided.
US08665933B2
A data transmitting and receiving device and method are used for saving powers and maintaining the connection quality, stability and continuous link. The method includes the step of gradually adjusting the de-emphasis of the signal transmitted from the data transmitting and receiving device according to the setting value thereof. The method also includes the steps of transmitting training sequence signal with an amplitude and the default de-emphasis by the data transmitting and receiving device to the remote device, receiving the training sequence signal from the remote device, thereby the channel attenuation is estimated using the method, and a better de-emphasis is set up. Then, the data transmitting and receiving device gradually increases the amplitude of the training sequence signal and re-transmits it until the remote device receives the training sequence signal transmitted therefrom.
US08665928B1
A circuit generates an output clock signal synchronized to an input clock signal. The circuit includes a reference clock port, a phase interpolator, and a phase controller. The reference clock port receives a reference clock signal. The phase interpolator generates the output clock signal that, as a function of a variable control value, is an interpolation between two reference phases. The reference phases are generated from the reference clock signal and have a reference frequency. The phase controller generates the variable control value providing a phase rotation rate. An output frequency of the output clock signal equals a sum of the reference frequency and the phase rotation rate. The output frequency matches an input frequency of the input clock signal.
US08665927B2
The invention relates to a method for acquisition of a signal (2) emitted by a satellite, by a receiver in a satellite Positioning System using a multi-code correlation and a multi-frequency correlation, also comprising the step in which if the error induced at the output from a first frequency-augmented correlator (14) at each instant in an integration period is greater than the code space between code correlators (12), the summated results of the first frequency-augmented correlator (14) are transferred to the summated results of a second frequency-augmented correlator (14), the second frequency-augmented correlator (14) using the same frequency-shift as the first frequency-augmented correlator (14) and being associated with a second code correlator (12) that is shifted by the code space from the first code correlator (12) with which said first frequency-augmented correlator (14) is associated.
US08665917B2
Method for calibrating a tunable semiconductor laser having a phase section and a first Bragg reflector section, through which sections a phase current and a first reflector current, respectively, is applied, includes: a) selecting a phase current; b) identifying a range of reflector currents that achieves emission of light from the laser within a desired frequency band; c) scanning the reflector current(s) over the range of reflector currents, for each of at least two different phase currents, and reading the relative output power of the laser for each point scanned; d) identifying one stable operating point; e) identifying and storing one stable, continuous tuning line as constructed by interpolating; f) calibrating the laser frequency and observing a fed back signal from a target for the light emitted from the laser; g) measuring the temperature of the laser; and h) storing temperature and one operating point along the tuning line.
US08665916B2
The optical fiber of the present invention has an input double-clad fiber containing high-reflection FBG, an oscillation double-clad fiber, and an output double-clad fiber containing low-reflection FBG. The output double-clad fiber is formed of a core, a first clad, and a second clad. In the output double-clad fiber, a high refractive-index resin coat section recoated with high refractive-index resin whose refractive index is the same as that of the second clad or greater is disposed at a part where the second clad is partly removed between an output end and the low-reflection FBG. The refractive index of the high refractive-index resin coat section gradually increases along the direction in which light travels through the first clad.
US08665907B2
The present invention relates to a broadband wireless access system, and more particularly, to a frame structure to which OFDM symbols having a cyclic prefix are transmitted. A method of constructing a frame in a broadband wireless access system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises including one or more first subframes in the frame, the first subframes including a plurality of symbols having a cyclic prefix of a first length; and including one or more second subframes in the frame, the second subframes including a plurality of symbols having a cyclic prefix of a second length different from the first length, wherein the number of the first subframes and the number of the second subframes are determined considering an idle time for which effective symbols are not included in the frame.
US08665903B2
Policy-based, on-demand provisioning of optical transport bandwidth is disclosed. In one of many possible embodiments, a system is provided for policy-based, on-demand provisioning of optical transport bandwidth. The system includes a layer-specific operation support subsystem (OSS) configured to manage network elements that form a sub-network over an optical transport network. The optical transport network provides bandwidth-on-demand provisioning capabilities. The layer-specific OSS includes one or more predefined bandwidth provisioning policies. The layer-specific OSS is configured to selectively request on-demand provisioning of bandwidth on the sub-network based on the predefined bandwidth provisioning policies.
US08665896B2
Adaptive frequency agility in a body area network (BAN) is enabled by a medium access control protocol by adaptively snooping channels of a frequency band utilized in the BAN. The method includes selecting an anchor channel to be scanned from a rank order list of channels (S520); periodically scanning, at a predefined snoop time interval, the anchor channel for duration of a dwell time set for the anchor channel (S535); periodically scanning all channels preceding the anchor channel in the rank order list, wherein each preceding channel is being scanned for a different predefined duration; checking if a message is received on the anchor channel or any of the preceding channels (S570); selecting a channel ranked immediately after the anchor channel in the rank order list to be a new anchor channel when a message is not received (S540, S545) for a duration of a dwell time set for the anchor channel; and determining the channel on which a message is received to be the new anchor channel (S580).
US08665891B2
A gateway apparatus performs frame forwarding between an external device connected to a first bus and controllers connected to a second bus. Each controller outputs a response frame upon reception of a communication frame from the external device. The response frame has an address field in which a private address is set. The private address is uniquely assigned to each controller in a private network space defined by the second bus. When the communication frame is directed to each controller, the communication frame is forwarded to each controller in sequence at different times to prevent collision between the response frames in the second bus. The private address set in the address field of the response frame is converted into a predetermined transmitting address specified in the first bus.
US08665875B2
A pipelined linecard architecture for receiving, modifying, switching, buffering, queuing and dequeuing packets for transmission in a communications network is disclosed. The linecard has two paths: a receive path and a transmit path. In the receive path, received packets are processed and switched in an asynchronous, multi-stage pipeline. The pipelined switch operates on several packets in parallel while determining each packet's routing destination. Once that determination is made, each packet is modified to contain new routing information. Each packet is buffered and enqueued for transmission over the switching fabric to a destination linecard. The transmit path includes a buffer/queuing circuit similar to that used in the receive path. Both enqueuing and dequeuing of packets is accomplished using a CoS-based decision making apparatus.
US08665869B2
Systems, apparatus, and methods for inserting information into a captured data packet included in a traffic flow of captured data packets are herein disclosed. Exemplary information inserted into a capture data packet includes a data segment, a time stamp, port stamp, a virtual local area network (VLAN) tag, Gateway General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunneling Protocol (GTP) information, and multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) information.
US08665866B2
A base station serves multiple user terminals via a relay node in a cell of a wireless network. The base station includes a time division scheme selection unit that selects a time division scheme from multiple time division schemes that optimizes a parameter associated with network coding of data transmitted between the multiple user terminals and the base station via the relay node. The base station further includes a transmission allocation unit that allocates uplink and/or downlink transmission intervals and interval lengths, based on the selected time division scheme, to each of the multiple user terminals and to the relay node. The base station also includes a notification message unit that notifies the multiple user terminals and the relay node of their respective transmission interval and interval length allocation.
US08665864B1
A method to translate between Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) numbers and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) addresses without performing an address translation database lookup. A network gateway receives and translates a first endpoint identifier associated with a destination client device to a second endpoint identifier associated with the destination client device. The first endpoint identifier is either a PSTN number or a VoIP address comprising at least the PSTN number and a predefined suffix and the second endpoint identifier is the other of the PSTN number and the VoIP address. The network gateway translates the first endpoint identifier to the second endpoint identifier without performing an address translation database lookup, by either adding the predefined suffix to or removing the predefined suffix from the first endpoint identifier. The network gateway generates and transmits a second session initiation message containing the second endpoint identifier to facilitate establishment of the session.
US08665861B1
A method automatically detects and isolates total, partial, and latent total failures of one or more network segments by analyzing delay data collected by an internet protocol monitor during the set-up or termination of an internet protocol connection. The overall and/or intermediate delays of protocol messages exchanged during the set-up or termination of an internet protocol call connection are monitored and flagged based on threshold values. By analyzing the overall and/or intermediate delays, one or more potential problem segments can be isolated.
US08665857B2
Techniques for supporting random access by user equipments (UEs) in a wireless communication system are described. In one design, a UE transmits a random access (RA) preamble for random access. The UE thereafter receives a random access response composed of a first part and a second part. The first part includes a list of N RA preamble IDs for N RA preambles being responded to by the random access response, where N≧1. The second part includes N individual RA responses for the N RA preambles being responded to. The UE processes the first part to detect for an RA preamble ID of the RA preamble transmitted by the UE. If this RA preamble ID is not detected, then the UE skips the second part. Otherwise, the UE processes the second part to obtain an individual RA response for the transmitted RA preamble.
US08665856B2
A data processing apparatus includes a scrambling processing unit and a sending unit. The scrambling processing unit is configured to generate a Pseudo-Random Binary Sequence (PRBS), perform a modulo-2 addition on the pseudo-random sequence and data frame data to scramble the data frame data including first load data, use one section of a part of the pseudo-random sequence on which the modulo-2 addition is performed with the data frame data as an identification sequence, and carry status information corresponding to the identification sequence in frame header information. The sending unit is configured to send the frame header information carrying the status information and the scrambled first load data. Through the scrambling process, continuous run-lengths of “1” and “0” in the data frame data are quite short, while basically the same probability of occurrence is maintained, which is favorable to transmission of the data frame data, thereby alleviating error code problems.
US08665847B2
Embodiments enable prioritization and selection of network access points (NAP) by a computing device using NAP attribute values. The computing device obtains the attribute values based on a location of the computing device and/or proximate NAPs detected by the computing device. The obtained attribute values are compared to a state of the computing device (e.g., sensor values), user preferences, or other criteria to select at least one of the NAPs for connection with the computing device. In some embodiments, a user of the computing device is presented with a list of Wi-Fi access points ranked according to relevance to the computing device and/or user.
US08665841B1
A device within a first mesh node includes a data interface that receives a data frame and a frame generation module that generates a plurality of route request frames based on a type of data within the data frame where each of the plurality of route request frames is used to discover at least one route between the first mesh node and a second mesh node.
US08665839B2
A wireless communications system including a mobile station MS and base stations BS1 and BS2, wherein one or both of the mobile station MS and the base stations BS1 and BS2 is provided with a unit for notifying information of a frame position with the possibility of transmission of packets based on detection of deterioration of a reception quality and wherein the mobile station MS is provided with a unit for determining a frame position without the possibility of transmission of packets and shifting to a peripheral cell detection mode at this frame position based on information of a frame position with the possibility of transmission of packets, whereby it is possible to shift to a peripheral cell detection mode without lowering the transmission efficiency and without complicating the processing.
US08665836B2
The present invention relates to communicating control information in a mobile communication system, wherein the control information of a mobile terminal for scheduling an uplink channel may be notified to a network quickly with less power. The present invention comprises transmitting a data block on a first physical channel, wherein the data block comprises control information, and transmitting an indicator having a specific value on a second physical channel for indicating the transmission of the control information on the first physical channel.
US08665832B2
A mobile device includes a first receiving unit that receives a dedicated pilot signal included in a dedicated pilot signal part of a data unit that is transmitted from a base station to the self-device, an second receiving unit that receives a signal included in a dedicated pilot signal part of a data unit that is transmitted from the base station to the other device other than the self-device, a CQI generating unit that estimates a channel quality indicator that indicates a reception environment when the self-device receives data on the basis of the dedicated pilot signal received by the first receiving unit and the signal received by the second receiving unit, and a radio unit that transmits the channel quality indicator estimated by the CQI generating unit to the base station. Therefore, the present invention can contribute to the assignment optimization of a radio resource of the base station.
US08665830B2
A first method (and related first apparatus) includes transmitting, in a handover request message, an indication of a first protocol version; a second method (and related second apparatus) includes receiving, in the handover request message, the indication, deciding, based on the received indication and a second protocol version, on a value of an information element included in a handover request acknowledgement message to be transmitted, the information element indicating usage of a first or second signaling schemes, and transmitting the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and in the first method receiving the handover request acknowledgement message including the information element; and a third method (and related third apparatus) including receiving the handover command message including the information element, and configuring according to one of the first and second signaling schemes indicated by the information element.
US08665825B2
A method for supporting an idle mode handover of an Single Radio Mobile Station (SR MS) by a target Access Service Network GateWay (ASN_GW) in a heterogeneous wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes, upon detecting that an operation mode of the SR MS is to be changed from an idle mode to an active mode, acquiring an address of a Home Agent (HA) of the SR MS from a preregistered ASN_GW with which the SR MS has performed a preregistration operation, upon detecting that a Base Station (BS) is to set up a path with the preregistered ASN_GW, transmitting a message, including the address of the HA and requesting to set the target ASN_GW as a new Foreign Agent (FA) of the SR MS, to the preregistered ASN_GW, and upon receiving a message, requesting to register the target ASN_GW as the new FA of the SR MS, from the preregistered ASN_GW, setting up a data path with the HA, and then registering the target ASN_GW as the new FA of the SR MS.
US08665819B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes providing an Internet Protocol (IP) address based on an authentication request associated with a device, the authentication request being associated with a Wi-Fi protocol. The method also includes identifying a Wi-Fi event associated with the IP address, and mapping the Wi-Fi event to a WiMax event. Further, the method includes providing a WiMax message, which is based on the Wi-Fi event, to a network element. In other embodiments, the mapping further includes converting the Wi-Fi event to the WiMax message such that the WiMax message is presented to the network element in a WiMax format. The same IP address can be used for both the Wi-Fi event and the WiMax message. In yet other embodiments, the method includes communicating a disconnection request to the network element when the device moves from a Wi-Fi coverage area to a WiMax coverage area, mapping a new WiMax event to a new Wi-Fi event, and providing a Wi-Fi message, which is based on the new WiMax event, to the device.
US08665813B2
The invention relates methods for triggering channel quality feedback for at least one of plural component carriers of a communication system available for downlink transmission. The invention suggests a mechanism for triggering channel quality feedback from a terminal where the downlink control signaling overhead for the selection of component carrier(s) to be reported on is minimized. One aspect of the invention is a new interpretation of a predetermined format for dedicated control information comprising a CQI request flag, which is depending on the status of the CQI request flag. In case the CQI request flag is set at least one further bit of the dedicated control information is interpreted as information indicative of the one or more component carriers available for downlink transmission to the terminal and the terminal is providing channel quality feedback on the channel quality experienced on the indicated component carrier or component carriers.
US08665805B2
Two User Equipment (UE) operate in a Near Companion Mode (NCM), in which a monitoring UE (MUE) monitors an uplink transmission opportunity granted to its companion UE (CUE) on a shared uplink channel. If the CUE does not begin transmitting within a predetermined portion of its transmission opportunity, the MUE may utilize the transmission opportunity to transmit an uplink data packet. In one embodiment, where the CUE does not have data to transmit, it may transmit a predetermined pattern at the beginning of its transmission opportunity, to indicate to the MUE that the transmission opportunity is available. The MUE may transmit an NCM radio block using the entire symbol space associated with the last three of four bursts allocated to the CUE, or using a newly defined NCM format comprising four abbreviated bursts, using only a portion of the symbol space associated with the four bursts corresponding to the transmission opportunity allocated to the CUE.
US08665804B2
A scheduled data communication system of an access node and terminal supports recurring communications of small data amounts such as Voice over IP (VoIP). In order to make error checking more robust in a random access response (RAR), such as for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) for VoIP, a portion of a grant or assignment payload has a constraint imposed that can be verified as a condition precedent to determining a valid grant or assignment rather than only relying upon a validity check field, such as a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). Thereby, incorrect validation of a grant or assignment is avoided for dynamic scheduling or for semi-persistent scheduling, the latter causing a persistent error.
US08665779B2
A method (100) for limiting transmission power of a communication device (600) having a plurality of transceivers (610, 615). The method can include determining a desired maximum transmission power and determining a plurality of power contribution factors. Each of the power contribution factors can be associated with a respective one of the transceivers. The method also can include determining an expected transmission power based on, at least in part, a sum of the power contribution factors. Further, responsive to the expected transmission power exceeding the desired maximum transmission power, the power contribution for at least one of the transceivers can be selectively reduced or terminated.
US08665775B2
A method of performing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) of a relay station in a backhaul link of a multi-carrier system is provided. The method includes: receiving backhaul downlink data through at least one carrier between a first carrier and a second carrier; transmitting acknowledgement/not-acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) for the backhaul downlink data through an uplink component carrier; and receiving new backhaul downlink data or retransmitted backhaul downlink data in accordance with the transmitted ACK/NACK through at least one carrier between the first carrier and the second carrier, wherein the first carrier is a component carrier dedicated to the backhaul downlink between a base station and the relay station, and the second carrier is a component carrier used in both the backhaul downlink and an access downlink between the relay station and a relay user equipment at different times.
US08665772B2
In the field of wireless communications technologies, a method, a device and a system for transmitting a push message are provided, which solve the technical problem that a push message may not be transmitted in an appropriate Point To Multipoint (PTM) bearer mode in the prior art. The method includes: determining at least one mode in PTM bearer modes for a received push message; adapting respectively, for the push message, a transmission bearer type corresponding to the at least one mode; and transmitting the adapted push message to a terminal through a PTM bearer network corresponding to the transmission bearer type.
US08665761B2
A method of relaying data in a wireless communication system is provided. The method comprises: receiving data, transmitted over a first subframe from a base station, over a second subframe; and relaying the data to a user equipment over a third subframe which is placed after one or more subframes from the second subframe, wherein at least any one of the first and the second subframes is a non-detection subframe to which the user equipment does not attempt data detection. According to the present invention, the wireless communication system enables efficient data transmission between a base station and a relay station as compared to conventional subframe-configurated systems. Furthermore, the wireless communication system enables data transmission with improved wireless resource allocation efficiency.
US08665752B2
Methods and devices for network modeling, service provisioning, and service management are disclosed. A network modeling method includes accessing information describing a set of nodes of a communications network, physical links physically connecting the nodes, and logical links logically connecting the nodes using the physical links. The method further includes, based on the information, creating a different connection group object for each of the physical links and for each of the logical links. Each connection group object includes a connection representing the link, a first endpoint representing a first node of the set connected to the link; and a second endpoint representing a second node of the set connected to the link.
US08665748B2
A method for energy efficient configuration of a physical port of a plurality of physical ports of a network device is described herein. One or more physical ports of the plurality of physical ports may be aggregated to a logical port in a logical communication channel between the network device and another device. A configuration of the one or more physical ports is determined. The configuration includes one or more parameters which are monitored. The physical port of the plurality of physical ports is selected and a configuration state of the selected physical port is modified upon detection of an event based on the one or more parameters. The modified configuration state is one of an active port state, an active port state with a limited bandwidth utilization rate, and a standby port state. The selected port is reconfigured according to the modified configuration state.
US08665738B2
A transmission apparatus stores frame data of a first frame in a second frame having a bit rate different from that of the first frame through regulation of the amount of stuffs to be stored in the second frame. The transmission apparatus includes: a storage unit storing the first-frame frame data; a first control unit controlling a timing of writing the first-frame frame data in the storage unit based on first stuff information indicating the amount of stuffs contained in the first frame; an arithmetic and logic unit obtaining second stuff information indicating the amount of stuffs to be contained in the second frame based on a bit rate ratio between the first frame and the second frame; and a second control unit controlling a timing of reading out the first-frame frame data stored in the storage unit based on the second stuff information.
US08665721B2
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for maintaining packet data protocol (PDP) context while performing data offload are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for maintaining PDP context while performing data offload includes detecting a data offload condition wherein a UE for which a first network node is maintaining a PDP context is sending or receiving data using a data path that does not include the first network node. While the data offload condition exists, packets are sent from a source other than the UE to the first network node so as to cause the first network node to maintain the PDP context for the UE. In one embodiment, a node interposed between the UE and the first network node periodically sends dummy packets or heart beat packets to the first network node on behalf of the UE, which may include packets that appear to come from the UE.
US08665711B2
A first network device creates a protection path to a second network device associated with a first service site, and creates a pseudowire between the first service site and a second service site via the first network device and the second network device. The first network device also detects a failure between the first network device and the first service site, and forwards traffic, provided by the pseudowire between the first service site and the second service site, via the protection path. The second network device uses the traffic on the protection path as a trigger to activate a link between the second network device and the first service site.
US08665707B2
A device receives first information from a first service gateway (SGW) and second information from a second SGW. The device further generates a rank of the first SGW and the second SGW based on the first information and the second information. The device also receives a request for a session from a user device, selects the first SGW or the second SGW based on the rank, and uses the selected SGW for the session.
US08665705B2
An example method of rerouting data involves rerouting a logical circuit from a first set of switches to a second set of switches to communicate data between network devices without breaking the logical circuit. The logical circuit comprises variable communication paths. The second set of switches is to form a route associated with the variable communication paths that is not predefined and that is dynamically defined at a time of automatic rerouting. The example method also involves rerouting the data from the logical circuit to a logical failover circuit in the data network when the logical circuit fails based on a committed information rate having been exceeded. The logical failover circuit comprises an alternative communication path to communicate the data.
US08665703B2
A communication control apparatus includes a storage unit and a processor. The storage unit stores, in association with a port number, first address information regarding apparatuses connected to a port identified by the port number. The processor receives a first affected address list containing second address information regarding apparatuses which may be affected by a trouble, extracts the first address information stored in the storage unit in association with a port number of a port via which the first affected address list has been received, selects third address information which is included in both the first and second address information, updates the first affected address list by replacing the second address information with the third address information to acquire a second affected address list, and transmits the second affected address list via each port other than the port via which the first affected address list has been received.
US08665694B2
Systems and methods are provided for transmitting information between an intended source and a receiver to minimize co-channel interference from at least one interfering source. Pilot subcarriers and data subcarriers may be broadcast from an intended source arid at least one interfering source. The pilot subcarriers may be shared across base stations or distributed among base stations in frequency, in time, or both. In addition, the frequency reuse factor of the pilot subcarriers may be different than the frequency reuse factor of the data subcarriers. A receiver receives a composite signal that corresponds with an intended signal from an intended source and an interfering signal from at least one interfering source. The portion of the received signal that corresponds to the intended signal may be recovered by the receiver based on the broadcast of the pilot subcarriers.
US08665683B2
A machine readable information storage medium, a reproducing method and apparatus which reproduces data from the storage medium, and a recording method and apparatus for recording data on the storage medium. The information storage medium includes a control area which stores within a data structure information usable by the recording or reproducing apparatus to record or reproduce the data on or from the storage medium. The information stored within the data structure includes a version corresponding to a specification, a revision number of recording speed, and an extended part version field.
US08665676B2
The acoustic radiating membrane (1) is for assembly in a music box or a striking watch. The membrane is made with at least one area of asymmetrical shape, formed in the material of the membrane or with at least one area of asymmetrical shape having a different thickness from the general thickness of the membrane. It preferably includes two asymmetrical areas of elliptical shape (2, 3) which are partly superposed and have a different thickness from each other. The two ellipses (2, 3), preferably hollowed out of the membrane, are off-centre in relation to each other.
US08665667B2
A computer-implemented method includes providing a first velocity model obtained from a vertical seismic profile survey representative of an upper region of a subterranean formation. Wavefields from the first velocity model are datumed using wave equations to a datum line between the upper region and a target area beneath the upper region to obtain datumed wavefields. The method further includes obtaining interferometric common shot data and interferometric common midpoint data from the datumed wavefield using wave equations at the datum line. The first velocity model, the datumed wavefield, wavefield equations, and the interferometric common midpoint data are then used to generate a second velocity model representative of velocities in the target area.
US08665666B2
An acoustic sensor apparatus includes a housing, a fastener structured to fasten together the housing and an electrical power conductor, an acoustic sensor structured to detect acoustic noise from the electrical power conductor and output a signal, and a circuit structured to detect an electrical conductivity fault from the signal.
US08665665B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a memory controller for controlling a memory. The memory controller comprises a pulse width modulation module, a voltage comparator and a duty cycle calibration device. The pulse width modulation module is suitable for receiving a clock signal to generate a first voltage. The voltage comparator is suitable for receiving and comparing a reference voltage with the first voltage to output a comparison signal. The duty cycle calibration device is suitable for adjusting a duty cycle of the clock signal according to the comparison signal.
US08665664B2
A method for adjusting a timing between an internal clock and a command in a gear down mode of a memory device includes detecting a sync pulse at rising and falling edges of the internal clock, and adjusting between the internal clock of the memory device and the command according to the detection result.
US08665654B2
A column of a memory includes a first edge cell and at least one memory cell. The first edge cell is located at a first edge of the column and includes a first edge cell reference node and a second edge cell reference node. Each of the at least one memory cells includes a first memory reference node. The first edge cell reference node is coupled to respective first memory reference nodes of the at least one memory cell. The second edge cell reference node serves as second memory reference nodes of the at least one memory cell. Front-end layers of the first edge cell are the same as front-end layers of a memory cell of the at least one memory cell.
US08665647B2
A non-volatile memory device performs a read operation for compensating for coupling due to an adjacent memory cell. With the read operation of the non-volatile memory device, the coupling effect included in a read result of the selected memory cell is compensated on the basis of a program state of an adjacent memory cell adjacent to the selected memory cell. Toward this end, a read operation for the adjacent memory cell is selectively performed before the selected memory cell is read. Upon sensing of data from the selected memory cell, one or more read operations for the selected memory cell are performed according to the program state of the adjacent memory cell with a read voltage being changed in level depending on the program state of the adjacent memory cell.
US08665643B2
Disclosed is a non-volatile memory device which includes a memory cell array having memory cells arranged in rows and columns, a page buffer circuit configured to read data from the memory cell array, and a control logic and input/output interface block including a normal read scheduler controlling a normal read operation and a data recover read scheduler controlling a data recover read operation and configured to control the page buffer circuit at a read request. One of the normal read scheduler and the data recover read scheduler is selected according to selection information provided from an external device.
US08665640B2
A magnetic memory cell including a soft magnetic layer and a coupling layer, and methods of operating the memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a stack with a free ferromagnetic layer and a pinned ferromagnetic layer, and a soft magnetic layer and a coupling layer may also be formed as layers in the stack. The coupling layer may cause antiferromagnetic coupling to induce the free ferromagnetic layer to be magnetized in a direction antiparallel to the magnetization of the soft magnetic layer, or the coupling layer may cause ferromagnetic coupling to induce the free ferromagnetic layer to be magnetized in a direction parallel to the magnetization of the soft magnetic layer. The coupling layer, through a coupling effect, reduces the critical switching current of the memory cell.
US08665636B2
According to one embodiment, when a row address of a port A matches a row address of a port B, a memory cell is accessed only from the port A by controlling a word line potential of the port A based on a third clock, and data is exchanged between a bit line of the port A and the port A based on a first clock and data is exchanged between the bit line of the port A and the port B based on a second clock.
US08665621B2
The power supply according to the present invention comprises a transformer, a power switch, a signal generating circuit, an on-time detection circuit, and a delay circuit. The transformer receives an input voltage and generates an output voltage. The power switch switches the transformer for regulating the output voltage. The signal generating circuit generates a switching signal for controlling switching of the power switch. The on-time detection circuit detects an on-time of the power switch and generates a short-circuit signal. The delay circuit counts to a first delay time or to a second delay time in response to a feedback signal of the power supply and the short-circuit signal to generate a turn off signal for controlling the signal generating circuit to latch the switching signal.
US08665619B2
This invention relates to a T-type three-level inverter circuit. The circuit includes an absorption unit. In the absorption unit, a first terminal of the first resistor is connected to a positive bus terminal, and a second terminal of the first resistor is connected to a first terminal of the first capacitor and a negative electrode of the first diode; a second terminal of the first capacitor and an positive electrode of the first diode are respectively connected to an emitter and a collector of the first controllable switch tube; a first terminal of the second resistor is connected to a negative bus terminal, and a second terminal of the second resistor is connected to a positive electrode of a third diode; a negative electrode of the third diode is connected to both a first terminal of the second capacitor and a positive electrode of a second diode; and a second terminal of the second capacitor and a negative electrode of the second diode are respectively connected to a collector and a emitter of the second controllable switch tube. As the T-type three-level inverter circuit according to the invention is implemented, a voltage stress on the bidirectional switch tube is effectively reduced due to strong absorption capacity of the absorption unit, and thus the bidirectional switch tube can adopt a tube having a relatively low breakdown voltage value. Moreover, the absorption unit has a low cost and a small loss.
US08665615B2
One controller for a power supply includes an oscillator, a first circuit, a counter, and a pause circuit. The first circuit generates a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate an output of the power supply. The first circuit initiates an on time period of the switch in response to both a clock signal of the oscillator and an enable signal that is generated in response to a feedback signal of the power supply. The counter receives the enable signal and generates an output signal when the counter reaches a count value indicating that the enable signal has been idle for an amount of time. The pause circuit generates a pause signal in response to the output signal of the counter. The oscillator is paused in response to the pause signal and a maximum on time period of the switch is extended while the oscillator is paused.
US08665613B2
The invention relates to a switched mode power converter and a method of operating such a converter A switched mode power converter according to the invention includes a transformer (2) having a primary winding (2a) and at least one secondary winding (2b) and a secondary side rectifier circuit including an output filter (6, 10) coupled to the at least one secondary winding (2b), and a secondary side active switch device (S3) coupled between the at least one secondary winding and the output filter. The converter further includes primary side and secondary side control means (12, 16, 18) for regulating the switching of the primary side and secondary side switches, respectively, and configured so as to reduce the duty cycle of the primary side switch device (S1) during a lower power mode of operation of the converter, the reduction of the duty cycle of the primary side switch being determined with reference to the duty cycle of the secondary side switch (S3). This leads to a substantial increase in the efficiency of operation in the low power mode.
US08665610B2
The present invention, a modified zero voltage transition (ZVT) full bridge converter, is an isolated dc/dc converter which can operate with high efficiency and high reliability in applications requiring a low input voltage and high output voltage.
US08665606B2
An electronic device includes an integrated circuit, a connector, and a circuit board. The integrated circuit includes a first signal processing circuit, a second signal processing circuit, and an interface multiplexer having a first input port electrically connected to the first signal processing circuit, a second input port electrically connected to the second signal processing circuit, and an output port arranged to be electrically connected to the first input port or the second input port. The circuit board carries the integrated circuit and has a plurality of connector placement sites, including at least a first connector placement site each dedicated to the first signal processing circuit and at least a second connector placement site each dedicated to the second signal processing circuit. The connector placement sites and the output port of the interface multiplexer are electrically connected in series. The connector is installed on one of the connector placement sites.
US08665601B1
The present invention pertains to a hard disk drive form factor compatible solid-state storage device enclosure assembly that protects circuit boards contained within the enclosure from environmental disruption, such as mechanical stress, vibration, external electronic disruption, or any combination of these, while allowing for a variable number of circuit boards in the SSD enclosure. In another embodiment, the solid-state storage device enclosure assembly, or a similar circuit board assembly, includes an alignment guide that precludes a circuit board from being misaligned within the enclosure.
US08665599B2
A portable external power-supplying device is disclosed. The portable external power-supplying device implements a unique mechanism to detachably assemble battery units whose number can be adjusted according to user needs, which means the overall aggregate capacity of the portable external power-supplying device is adjustable. The portable external power-supplying device is adaptive to connect and charge a portable electronic device.
US08665594B2
According to one aspect, a portable electronic device including a first portion having a first surface, a second portion having a second surface, and a slide portion slidably coupled to the first and second portions. The first portion, second portion and slide portion are adapted so that the first portion can slide along a first direction between a closed position wherein the first portion at least partially covers the second surface, and an extended position wherein the second surface is at least partially exposed, and when the first portion is in the extended position, the first portion and slide portion can slide relative to the second portion along a second direction into an open position in which the first surface and the second surface are aligned.
US08665591B2
A system for an electronic device includes a housing having one or more walls that define an internal region. An outlet port is fluidically coupled to the internal region of the housing, which allows emission of a fluid from the internal region of the housing as a first flow at a first temperature. A merging element, fluidically coupled to the outlet port, merges the first flow with a second flow, which has a second temperature that is less than the first temperature.
US08665588B2
A fastening device for a hard disk drive (HDD) includes two fastening members and a bottom plate. Each fastening member includes a sidewall, and a top wall and a bottom wall perpendicularly extending from opposite sides of the sidewall. The top walls are fastened to a bottom of the HDD. An engaging hole is defined in each bottom wall. The engaging hole includes a first hole and a second hole. A positioning tab extends from one of the fastening members. A block is formed on the positioning tab. Two protrusions protrude from the bottom plate. A positioning portion is formed on the bottom plate. The HDD is operable to slide to allow the protrusions to engage in the first holes. The positioning tab extends through a through hole bounded by the positioning portion and bottom plate, to allow the block to be blocked by the positioning portion.
US08665586B2
A display device is provided, including a front case, a rear case fixed to the front case, a frame disposed between the front and rear cases, a display panel disposed on the frame, and a cushion. The cushion is disposed on the frame and contacts the front and rear cases, so as to space the frame apart from the front and rear cases.
US08665585B2
A cover mechanism of covering a hole on a casing is disclosed in the present invention. The cover mechanism includes a base, a first holder, a second holder, a cover and a resilient component. The first holder and the second holder are respectively disposed on the base. The cover is pivotably disposed on the first holder. The resilient component includes a shaft and a curved portion. The shaft pivots to the second holder. A first end of the curved portion is connected to the shaft, and a second end of the curved portion pivots to a connecting hole on the cover. The cover drives the curved portion to generate resilient deformation when rotating from a first position to a second position, and a resilient recovering force of the curved portion can be for stopping the cover at the second position.
US08665583B2
A modular shelving system includes: a rail including a plurality of mounting holes; a plurality of shelves, each shelf including a pair of pivot pins; a plurality of pivots removably secured to the rail, wherein each pivot receives at least one pivot pin such that each of the shelves are rotatably supported on the rail between a corresponding pair of pivots; and a plurality of covers covering the rail and spanning the distance between each corresponding pair of pivots. The shelves each include a portion of a piece of visual art, such that when each of the shelves is positioned approximately vertically, the portion of the visual art is displayed and further such that when all of the plurality of shelves are positioned in the approximately vertical position, the entirety of the visual art is displayed.
US08665580B2
Disclosed are an embedded capacitor and a method of fabricating the same. The capacitor includes a metallic substrate, a metallic oxide layer on the metallic substrate, a first electrode layer on a first surface of the metallic oxide layer, and a second electrode layer on a second surface of the metallic oxide layer.
US08665574B2
A circuit breaker system for providing thermal protection to a conductor conducting current from a power source to a load. While the power source is connected to the load, a microcontroller is powered by the current passing through the conductor to thermally model the temperature of the conductor. If the microcontroller determines that the temperature of the conductor has risen to an undesirable or unsafe level, the circuit breaker disconnects the power source from the load and the current no longer passes through the conductor. With no current passing through the conductor, the microcontroller no longer receives power from the conductor. Instead, the microcontroller continues to model the temperature of the conductor as the conductor cools to an ambient temperature by receiving power from an energy storage device. Accordingly, the microcontroller continuously models the temperature of the conductor until the temperature of the conductor cools to the ambient temperature.
US08665572B2
The present invention relates to a battery charge/discharge protection circuit that protects an associated battery from charge/discharge damage. The charge/discharge protection circuit includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a charge over-current detection circuit, a discharge over-current detection circuit, a short circuit detection circuit, and a PMOS transistor. A drain electrode and a gate electrode of the PMOS transistor are connected to the first terminal and the second terminal respectively. A source electrode of the PMOS transistor is connected to the charge over-current detection circuit, the discharge over-current detection circuit and the short circuit detection circuit, such that when a voltage above an overvoltage threshold is supported by the charger, the voltage of the source electrode of the PMOS transistor is maintained above a negative threshold voltage and the elements in these circuits do not receive such a voltage output by the charger.
US08665564B2
A suspension comprises a flexure and a plurality of electrical traces. The flexure has a leading portion and a tailing portion, and has a laminated structure comprising a substrate layer, a dielectric layer, and a grounding layer sandwiched therebetween. The electrical traces comprise at least one pair of write traces, each write trace has a bonding pad positioned on the leading portion, a terminal pad positioned on the tailing portion, and a write wire connecting the bonding pad and the terminal pad, the write wire has at least one portion being furcated into at least two sub wires. The present invention can lower the impedance and decrease the signal transmission loss, and widen the frequency bandwidth simultaneously. The invention also discloses a HGA and a disk drive unit.
US08665563B2
A partitioning format for magnetic tape media that includes at least a first portion (e.g., a file directory) having a plurality of dynamically updateable (e.g., non-shingled) partitions and a second portion (e.g., a data portion) having a plurality of linearly or sequentially written shingled partitions. Use of both shingled and non-shingled partitions on the same length of magnetic tape allows for an increase in capacity over those applications that perform linear recording of non-shingled partitions while allowing for the dynamic updating of a local file directory free of disturbing the linearly written data of the shingled partitions.
US08665560B1
In one general embodiment, a magnetic head includes at least one first module configured for writing and/or reading data to and from a tape in a first format and/or first generation and writing data to the tape in a second format and/or second generation that is different than the first format and first generation; and a supplemental module coupled to the first module, the supplemental module being configured for reading a tape having data written in the second format and/or the second generation, wherein the data readers on the first module are wider in a cross-track direction than data readers on the supplemental module. Additional products and processes are also presented.
US08665558B2
A disk drive device includes: a base member; a hub on which a recording disk is placed; a bearing unit arranged on the base member for rotatably supporting the hub; and a spindle drive unit for rotationally driving the hub, wherein the spindle drive unit includes a stator core having salient poles, a coil wound around each of the salient poles, and a magnet having a plurality of magnetic poles arranged in a circumferential direction opposed to the salient poles, the hub includes an outer cylindrical portion formed of a magnetic material and engaged with an inner periphery of the recording disk, and an inner cylindrical portion fixing an outer periphery of the magnet, the number of magnetic poles is an even number in a range of 10 to 16, and the number of salient poles is a multiple of 3 in a range of 12 to 24.
US08665536B2
A catadioptric objective configured to inspect a specimen is provided. The catadioptric objective includes a Mangin element having one surface at a first axial location and an extension element positioned together with the Mangin element. The extension element provides a second surface at a second axial location. Certain light energy reflected from the specimen passes to the second surface of the extension element, the Mangin element, and through a plurality of lenses. An aspheric surface may be provided, and light energy may be provided to the specimen using diverting elements such as prisms or reflective surfaces.
US08665534B2
The lens barrel includes a first frame, a second frame configured to be rotatably supported by the first frame, a drive actuator that is disposed on the inside of the second frame, and a transmission mechanism disposed on the inside of the second frame and configured to transmit the drive force of the drive actuator to the second frame. The imaging device includes the above-mentioned lens barrel and an imaging element that converts an optical image formed by this lens barrel into image data.
US08665532B2
A zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit, and a positive fourth lens unit, wherein the first lens unit is composed of a cemented lens element of one object side negative lens element and one image side positive lens element, the fourth lens unit is composed of one lens element, in zooming, the first to fourth lens units are individually moved along an optical axis so that air spaces between the respective lens units vary for magnification change, and the conditions: vdL12<43.50 and fT/fW≧6.0 (vdL12: an Abbe number of the positive lens element in the first lens unit, fT and fW: focal lengths of the entire system at a telephoto limit and a wide-angle limit) are satisfied; an imaging device; and a camera.
US08665524B2
A lens includes a lens portion having two opposite oblong surfaces at least one of which is a curved lens surface having a reflective power. A cross-sectional area of the lens portion varies from a center toward each end in a longitudinal direction of the lens portion. A rib portion is disposed at each of two opposite sides of the lens portion adjacent to longer sides of the oblong surfaces of the lens portion, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the lens portion. A cross-sectional area of the rib portion varies along the longitudinal direction in a manner that renders variations of a cross-sectional area of a portion including the lens portion and the rib portion along the longitudinal direction of the lens portion smaller.
US08665523B2
A multilayer sheeting with a 3D floating image. The sheeting includes a layer of microlenses and a multilayer material disposed adjacent the microlenses. The multilayer material includes multiple adjacent layers having X-Y planar positions and a Z-direction orthogonal to the X-Y planar positions. Individual images, which contrast with the material, are formed in the multilayer material and include connected elements at interfaces between the multiple layers and conjunction elements between connected elements. The connected elements are registered in the Z-direction at the X-Y planar positions in the interfaces between the layers. The individual images collectively form a composite 3D image that appears to the unaided eye to be three-dimensional and floating above or below the sheeting, or both.
US08665515B2
A method of operating a fiber amplifier characterized by a spectral gain curve includes providing an input signal at a signal wavelength. The signal wavelength lies within an in-band portion of the spectral gain curve extending from a first in-band wavelength to a second in-band wavelength, the in-band portion being characterized by a first amplitude range. The method also includes providing pump radiation at a pump wavelength. The pump wavelength is less than the signal wavelength. The method further includes coupling the pump radiation to the fiber amplifier and amplifying the input signal to generate an output signal. All portions of the spectral gain curve at wavelengths less than the first in-band wavelength and greater than the pump wavelength are characterized by a second amplitude less than or equal to 10 dB greater than the first amplitude range.
US08665512B2
Window units, for example insulating glass units (IGU's), that have at least two panes, each pane having an electrochromic device thereon, are described. Two optical state devices on each pane of a dual-pane window unit provide window units having four optical states. Window units described allow the end user a greater choice of how much light is transmitted through the electrochromic window. Also, by using two or more window panes, each with its own electrochromic device, registered in a window unit, visual defects in any of the individual devices are negated by virtue of the extremely small likelihood that any of the visual defects will align perfectly and thus be observable to the user.
US08665509B2
A method of bonding metal and glass using an optical contact bonding includes depositing an optical contact bonding medium on a surface of a metal substrate; and bonding the metal substrate on which the optical contact bonding medium is formed to a glass substrate using optical contact bonding.
US08665504B2
A digital holography device includes a light source that emits light, the light source being provided for supply of object light beams formed by radiation, transmission, scattering, reflection, or diffraction of the emitted light from a subject, an array device that splits the light emitted from the light source into two kinds of reference light beams having different phases in a plane perpendicular to a direction in which the light emitted from the light source travels, a CCD camera having an image-capturing plane on which two kinds of interference fringe patterns are recorded, the interference fringe patterns being formed by interferences between the two kinds of reference light beams, and the object light beams, and an image reconstruction device that generates a reconstructed image of the subject from the two kinds of interference fringe patterns recorded on the image-capturing plane.
US08665496B2
A control device includes a shape information storage storing shape information to be plotted, a stroke generation unit generating first and second stroke data having transmission start and end coordinates of first and second strokes, a scanning start time computation unit determining scanning start time of the second stroke by adjusting, when selecting first and second points having a shortest distance, a waiting time to scan the second stroke, a traveling rate from the transmission end coordinates of the first stroke to the transmission start coordinates of the second stroke, and scanning rates of scanning the first and second strokes to have a desired time interval between the selected points, a plotting instruction generation unit generating plotting instructions including the scanning start time of the second stroke and the transmission start and end coordinates of the first and second strokes, a plotting instruction storage storing the plotting instructions, and a plotting instruction execution unit executing the plotting instructions.
US08665495B2
Inputs of scaled percentages of a single color of ink are received, each of the scaled percentages being associated with a color of multiple colors in a file, the color being different than the single color of ink and being associated with a separate cartridge position from among multiple cartridge positions of a printer. An input of the single color of ink is received, the single color of ink being one of the file colors. The file colors other than the single color of ink for the printer to print in the single color of ink scaled according to each of the scaled percentages.
US08665485B2
A method for printing including preparing an image at a first resolution in a first direction, selecting pixels from the prepared image, reordering the selected pixels to create a translated image having a second resolution in the first direction, where the second resolution is different from the first resolution, and printing the translated image. Also included are a printing system and an article of computer readable code.
US08665477B2
In a print system, print data and print setting information are transmitted from a terminal to a printing apparatus via an email, and the printing apparatus performs a printing process of the print data based on the print setting information. The printing apparatus includes: a first receiving unit that receives a print request email from the terminal; a transmission unit that transmits, to the terminal, a reply email that includes allowable print setting information representing information on designable print settings; and a second receiving unit that receives a second reply email having been transmitted from the terminal and including print setting information designated from among the allowable print setting information.
US08665476B2
Systems and methods are provided for including sheet images of pre-printed inserts in a print preview for a print job. The system is operable to receive a print job, to receive a request for a print preview of the print job, and to rasterize logical pages of the print job to generate sheet images. The system is further operable to identify inserts to be integrated with printed versions of the sheet images of the logical pages, and to include sheet images of the inserts with the sheet images of the logical pages for the print preview.
US08665473B2
A printing system includes a web application server, a storage client apparatus, and a printing apparatus to save the storage capacity. The storage client provides stored bibliographic information data to a web application server and, when the storage client apparatus acquires print instruction from the web application server, the storage client apparatus provides data, to be stored in the storage client apparatus, to the web application server in response to a provision request from the web application server. The printing apparatus acquires and prints corresponding data after acquiring a print request from the web application server. The web application server manages information of the storage client apparatus and the printing apparatus, sends display data to a client apparatus operated by a user, and acts on storage, print, and query requests.
US08665465B2
When, during execution of a job, an operation/display control unit detects a job execution stop command given by an operation display unit, and receives a command to display a list of jobs in an execution standby state from the operation display unit, the operation/display control unit displays a job list screen on the operation display unit, without accepting an input of authentication information from the operation display unit and without passing authentication conducted by an authentication control unit. When the operation/display control unit accepts a command to delete a job in the execution standby state from the operation display unit, the operation/display control unit accepts an input of authentication information, and a job control unit executes deletion of the job in the execution standby state or change of setting of the job in the execution standby state after successfully passing authentication with the authentication control unit using the authentication information.
US08665459B2
A multifunction peripheral 1 of the present invention includes an image data storage section 16 for storing image data received by a first communication section 14 or a modem 15, the first communication section 14 for transmitting reception information including sender's information of the image data to an information processor 2, and a sections control section 10 for causing, according to control information transmitted from the information processor 2, a predetermined process to be executed on the image data stored in the image data storage section 16.
US08665458B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus which generates print data based on control data for page print inputted from an external device and which forms an image based on the print data. The image forming apparatus includes a control unit having a plurality of arithmetic processing units, and an image forming unit for forming an image based on the print data which is outputted by the control unit. The control unit generates the print data by carrying out a rasterizing process of one page in band unit constituted by a predetermined number of lines based on the control data for page print and sequentially outputs the generated print data at output timings defined in a constant output interval, wherein the rasterizing process is controlled based on whether or not generation of print data is to be completed within the output interval for all of bands in the one page.
US08665457B2
Systems and methods presented herein provide for the processing of PostScript print jobs that are not DSC compliant. A single stream of a PostScript data is processed and divided into multiple streams (e.g., page objects), each comprising data operable to render an individual page. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving the PostScript data stream and identifying object tokens in the PostScript data stream. An object token is operable to generate a PostScript object or execute a PostScript operation. A portion of the object tokens may be operable to define page boundaries in the PostScript data stream. The method also includes analyzing the object tokens to parse the object tokens into a plurality of page objects, separating the page objects into a plurality of data paths, and parallel processing the page objects through the data paths to rasterize the PostScript data stream on a page by page basis.
US08665446B2
An apparatus and a method for coherent multi-dimensional optical spectroscopy employs a beam splitter for splitting a base light pulse into at least first to fourth light pulses, three of which are suitable for interaction with a sample, lens system focuses the first to fourth light pulses at a sample site, and an optical delay varies the arrival times of the first to fourth light pulses at the sample. A detector detects an interference signal. The beam splitter is a non-diffractive optical element. The light pulses, at least along part of their light paths, are guided pairwisely such that changes in the optical path length due to vibration of the beam splitter or due to the delay element are identical for each pair of pulses, where the pulse pairs compensate for any change in the interference signal due to a change of the arrival times of the pair of pulses.
US08665437B2
A method for controlling a transformation process in which the conversion of charge materials to a product takes place along a transformation interface from the crystal and/or grain and/or phase and/or pore surface into the charge material, wherein one or more chemical elements in the charge materials is released and/or incorporated and/or rearranged and wherein the conversion of the charge materials takes place along advancing transformation interfaces. The charge materials are identified on the basis of at least one optical, in particular microscopic, analysis with respect to their phases and/or phase components and/or their phase morphology, structure, texture and/or their chemical composition. On the basis of these variables, reference functions for the charge materials, which describe the conversion of the charge materials in the process, are assigned and used for establishing the process parameters of the transformation process.
US08665435B2
A contact probe includes a stylus and an optical detector configured to detect a posture of the stylus optically. An illumination subject portion is formed on the stylus and has three or more reflection surfaces. The optical detector includes three or more fibers, a light source, a condenser lens group, and a wavelength detector. The wavelength detector calculates posture information of the stylus on the basis of wavelength variations of reflection light beams that are caused by variations of intervals between the condenser lens group and the three or more reflection surfaces, respectively. The contact probe acquires coordinates of a position of the contact to the object to be measured on the basis of posture information obtained by the optical detector.
US08665430B2
There is provided an exposure condition determining method for determining an exposure condition for an exposure-objective substrate having a plurality of semiconductor pattern features formed by predetermined exposure on a surface thereon, the method including, irradiating an illumination light onto a surface of a substrate, which has the pattern features, detecting a diffracted light from the plurality of semiconductor pattern features of the substrate irradiated with the illumination light, and determining the exposure condition based on a variation in brightness of the detected diffracted light.
US08665429B2
A method for measuring intensity distribution of light includes a step of providing a carbon nanotube array having a top surface. The carbon nanotube array is located in an inert gas environment or a vacuum environment. A light source irradiates the top surface of the carbon nanotube array, to make the carbon nanotube array radiate a radiation light. An imaging element images the radiation light, to obtain an intensity distribution of the light source.
US08665422B2
Two charge quantities (Q1,Q2) are output from respective pixels P (m,n) of the back-illuminated distance measuring sensor 1 as signals d′(m,n) having the distance information. Since the respective pixels P (m,n) output signals d′(m,n) responsive to the distance to an object H as micro distance measuring sensors, a distance image of the object can be obtained as an aggregate of distance information to respective points on the object H if reflection light from the object H is imaged on the pickup area 1B. If carriers generated at a deep portion in the semiconductor in response to incidence of near-infrared light for projection are led in a potential well provided in the vicinity of the carrier-generated position opposed to the light incident surface side, high-speed and accurate distance measurement is enabled.
US08665418B2
A projection optical system for forming an image of a first surface on a second surface has a first imaging optical system and a second imaging optical system, and a folding member for guiding light from the first imaging optical system to the second imaging optical system. Every optical element having a power in the second imaging optical system is a refractive element.
US08665408B2
A liquid crystal display device (100) according to the present invention includes a first substrate (10) including pixel electrodes (11), gate lines (G) and switching elements (12), a second substrate (20) including a plurality of signal electrodes (21) which are electrically independent of each other, and a liquid crystal layer (30) interposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate further includes a gate driver (15) which generates gate signals to be supplied to the gate lines. The second substrate further includes an external connecting terminal section (24). A signal that has been input through the external connecting terminal section is supplied to the gate driver. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device with a counter source structure which contributes to narrowing its frame area.
US08665404B2
Liquid crystal cell substrate, liquid crystal cell, liquid crystal panel, and liquid crystal display
The present invention provides a liquid crystal cell substrate, a liquid crystal panel, and a liquid crystal display whose thicknesses and weights can be reduced and optical characteristics at the time of producing them are easily controlled. The liquid crystal cell substrate 10 of the present invention is a liquid crystal cell substrate including a resin substrate 11 and an optical compensation layer 12, and the optical compensation layer 12 is laminated on the resin substrate 11. The optical compensation layer 12 has a refractive index distribution satisfying nx≧ny>nz, and the optical compensation layer 12 is formed by applying a material for forming an optical compensation layer to the resin substrate 11 or a base substrate that is different from the resin substrate 11.
US08665401B2
The disclosed invention is with regard to a liquid crystal display panel including a substrate having a plurality of layers formed thereon, and having a first surface region and a second surface region on a surface of an uppermost layer of the plurality of layers, wherein the first and second surface regions having different surface characteristics in reaction to a particular liquid, and a spacer formed on the second surface region.
US08665400B2
A pair of polarizers having different polarization efficiencies is employed for a display device. With such a pair of polarizers, the brightness may increase without deteriorating the contrast.
US08665399B2
The present invention relates to a light output device (10) comprising a plurality of light source units (18) arranged in a laminated glass structure. The light output device is characterized by a plurality of switchable liquid crystal-based (24) devices arranged to alter the beam shapes of light emitted by the light source units when in a beam shape altering mode. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling a light output device.
US08665397B2
There are provided light-emitting layer provided on transparent substrate and emitting light of a specific wavelength, mirror layer formed on a light exit side of light-emitting layer and including a function of reflecting light emitted from light-emitting layer, reflecting layer provided on a side of substrate in a manner to interpose light-emitting layer between mirror layer and reflecting layer; and a diffusion layer that diffuses light emitted from light-emitting layer is disposed between mirror layer and reflecting layer.
US08665393B2
A flat panel display apparatus comprises a flat panel display module; a control PCB placed in one rear edge area of the flat panel display module and having a conductive grounding part; and a grounding contact member including a rear contact part contacting the grounding part of the control PCB, and a side contact part bent from the rear contact part and contacting one edge of the flat panel display module, and grounding the control PCB. With this configuration, the present invention provides a flat panel display apparatus in which a control PCB having the length shorter than the width of a flat panel display module is easily grounded and the production cost thereof is decreased.
US08665385B2
A non-volatile electronic display includes a light valve plate comprising a plurality of liquid crystal cells on a transparent substrate; a plurality of “floating/storage” nodes functioning like non-volatile memories formed on the transparent substrate and corresponding to the liquid crystal cells, and a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines connected to the plurality of non-volatile memories and supplying signal to store charge to at least one non-volatile memory. The charge is retained in the at least one “floating/storage” nodes functioning like non-volatile memory for a predetermined period when no external power is applied to the non-volatile electronic display.
US08665377B2
A video-information-processing apparatus comprising: a smoothing unit to smooth input video information of a plurality of pixels and generate smoothed video information; a subtraction unit to calculate a gradation difference between the input and smoothed video information; a mixing unit to mix the input and smoothed video information at a ratio corresponding to the difference and generate mixed video information; a determination unit to determine whether or not a peripheral pixel region, including each pixel in the input video information and pixels located around the pixel, is a low-frequency region not including a gradation change greater than or equal to a predetermined gradation change; and an output-selection unit to output the mixed video information when the determination unit determines that the peripheral pixel region is the low-frequency region and output the input video information when the determination unit determines that the peripheral pixel region is not the low frequency region.
US08665374B2
Embodiments of this invention relate to controlling insertion of visual elements integrated into video. In an embodiment, a method enables control of insertions in a video. In the embodiment, control data is received from a user input device. Movement of at least one point of interest in a video is analyzed to determine video metadata. Finally, a visual element is inserted into a video according to the control data, and the visual element changes or moves with the video as specified by the video metadata to appear integrated with the video.
US08665371B2
A method is provided for controlling a television including a user input part for manipulating a channel adjusting item. The method includes displaying a channel map showing a predetermined number of channels including a tuned broadcast channel if the channel adjusting item is selected through the user input part, and a channel setting information menu corresponding to one of the channels shown in the channel map. Thus, the television control method not only allows a user to easily and simply recognize a channel setting state according to channels when the user wants to adjust channel-related functions, but also allows a user to conveniently and effectively adjust the channel setting state according to the channels.
US08665370B2
A method for synchronized playback of wireless audio and video is applicable to a playback system. The method for synchronized playback includes steps of receiving and processing multimedia data by the playback system, in which the multimedia data includes video data and audio data; wirelessly transmitting the audio data to a loudspeaker and meanwhile holding the video data for a threshold time; and finishing the transmission of the audio data when the threshold time is reached, so that the video data and the corresponding audio data are synchronously played. The method for synchronized playback can control the delay caused by the wireless audio transmission, thus achieving the objective of synchronously playing the audio and video data.
US08665367B2
A method for increasing the resolution of a frame of a video includes receiving at least three frames of the video and compensating for the motion of a portion of at least two of the frames with respect to another one of the frames. After the motion compensation, spatially processing each of the frames of the video to increase the resolution of each of the at least three frames of the video. After the spatial processing, temporally processing at least three frames to determine the increased resolution of the frame of the video, wherein the frame is one of the at least three frames of the video.
US08665358B2
An apparatus for processing an image, including: a body; a lens module disposed on the body; and a control ring disposed on the lens module, wherein the control ring is configured to change a setting value of a setting item.
US08665351B2
An obtaining unit obtains image data. An image processing unit performs, on the image data, image processing including gradation conversion processing according to an input/output characteristic defined by a gradation curve formed only of an exponential component represented by y=k·xn, where x is an input, y is an output, and k, n are coefficients. A calculating unit performs calculation for correction to improve lightness of dark area gradation of the image data. A correcting unit performs correction to improve lightness of the dark area gradation of the image data on which the image processing is performed by the image processing unit based on a calculation result of the calculating unit. Accordingly, image processing capable of generating a preferred image can be performed when various types of image processing are performed before and after compression of the dark area gradation.
US08665340B2
A digital camera system, comprising: a digital image sensor; an optical system for forming an image of a scene onto the digital image sensor; a global positioning system sensor; a processor-accessible memory system; and a processor. The processor performs the steps of analyzing a signal from the global positioning system sensor to determine whether the digital camera system is indoors or outdoors; capturing an input digital image of the scene using the digital image sensor; processing the input digital image responsive to whether the digital camera system is indoors or outdoors; and storing the processed digital image in the processor-accessible memory system.
US08665337B2
An image processing apparatus determines categories for classifying image data based on shooting information of the image data, generates an update information file for each category, and uploads the update information file along with the image data to an image managing server. A client terminal registers, in advance, the address of a desired update information file, and periodically checks the update information file in the image managing server. If the update information file indicates that new image data has been added to the image managing server, the image data is downloaded in accordance with the file path described in the update information file.
US08665336B2
An imaging apparatus notifies, to an external apparatus, a media content stored in a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, and a control content for use in a control of the imaging apparatus and having a same format as the format of the media content. When the control content is requested from the external apparatus, the imaging apparatus performs a control corresponding to the requested control content. The imaging apparatus determines whether the imaging apparatus notifies the media content or the control content according to an operation mode of the imaging apparatus.
US08665319B2
According to one embodiment, a parallax image generating apparatus is for generating, using a first image, a parallax images with a parallax therebetween. The apparatus includes following units. The first estimation unit estimates distribution information items indicating distributions of first depths in the first image by using first methods. The distribution information items falls within a depth range to be reproduced. The first combination unit combines the distribution information items to generate first depth information. The second calculation unit calculates second depth information indicating relative unevenness of an object in the first image. The third combination unit combines the first depth information and the second depth information by using a method different from the first methods, to generate third depth information. The generation unit generates the parallax images based on the third depth information and the first image.
US08665309B2
Video teleconferencing systems and methods are provided for providing virtual roundtable meetings. In one embodiment, a video teleconference system is provided for providing virtual round table meetings. The system comprises a curved display surface and a video processor configured to receive a video image of a participant from each of a plurality of remote video teleconferencing systems and display each participant equally spaced about the curved display surface.
US08665302B2
An optical device includes: an irradiation unit that irradiates a part of laser beams output from a light source as a scan beam onto an irradiation target and outputs the remaining part of the laser beams as a monitor beam used to monitor a light amount of the laser beams; a measurement unit that measures a light amount of the monitor beam; a storage unit that stores a plurality of measurement results obtained by the measurement unit when the laser beams are output in a plurality of different light amounts, and the plurality of the different light amounts associated with each other; and a prediction unit that predicts the light amount of the monitor beam relative to a reference light amount of the laser beam using a plurality of the light amounts stored in the storage unit and the measurement results corresponding to the plurality of the light amounts.
US08665297B2
A display apparatus includes a temperature sensor, a timing controller, a data driver and a display panel. The temperature sensor senses a temperature, the timing controller includes a dynamic capacitance capture (“DCC”) block, which converts a green data, a red data and a blue data into a green compensation data, a red compensation data and a blue compensation data, respectively, based on the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor, and the data driver converts the red compensation data, the green compensation data and the blue compensation data into a data voltage and outputs the data voltage. The display panel receives the data voltage and displays an image.
US08665295B2
An electroluminescent (EL) panel with 2T1C subpixels is compensated for initial nonuniformity (“mura”). The current of each subpixel is measured at a selected time to provide a status signal representing the characteristics of the subpixel. A compensator receives a linear code value and changes it according to the status signals. A linear source driver drives the panel with the changed code values.
US08665268B2
A system automatically detects objects in an image and automatically displays a chosen object if the object is not currently visible in real time. An image data processing system automatically displays potentially hidden features in 3D (three dimensional) medical image data. A repository includes a 3D (three dimensional) image dataset representing an anatomical volume of interest. An image data processor processes the dataset retrieved from the repository by, (a) automatically detecting if a first object is obscured by a second object in the 3D image dataset, (b) automatically determining if the first object is visible by rotating the anatomical volume of interest and (c) rotating the anatomical volume of interest until the first object is visible in response to a command. A display processor initiates display of the rotated anatomical volume of interest.
US08665264B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device and an LCD panel are disclosed. The LCD panel comprises charging scanning lines, discharging scanning lines, first data lines, second data lines and pixel units. The charging scanning lines and the discharging scanning lines are arranged alternately and parallel with each other in a first direction. The first data lines and the second data lines are arranged parallel with each other in a second direction and insulatedly intersect the charging scanning lines and the discharging scanning lines. Each pixel unit comprises a charging TFT, a discharging TFT and a pixel electrode. When two adjacent charging scanning lines are being scanned in the LCD panel, two adjacent discharging scanning lines located in other rows different from those of the two adjacent charging scanning lines being scanned are scanned within a same scanning time frame. The LCD panel can extend the charging time of gates.
US08665243B2
A sensor device includes sensor elements arranged in a matrix form, and a sensor driving section driving the sensor elements. Each of the sensor elements includes a photoelectric conversion element generating electric charge, a storage node storing electric charge, to show a voltage which fluctuates according to the stored electric charge, a reset transistor resetting the voltage in the storage node and a readout section reading the voltage value resulted from the stored electric charge in the storage node, to output the resultant voltage value. The sensor driving section controls the reset transistor so that the storage nodes of the sensor elements over sensor element lines are reset into the predetermined reset voltage at a time, and then performs read control after a lapse of a predetermined exposure period to allow the sensor detection signals to be sequentially outputted from the respective sensor elements arranged in each sensor element lines.
US08665241B2
A system includes a haptic textile comprising a plurality of haptic threads configured to provide haptic feedback, and an ancillary electronic device configured to transfer data to or from the haptic textile.
US08665236B2
A consumer electronic product includes at least a transparent housing and a flexible display assembly enclosed within the transparent housing. In the described embodiment, the flexible display assembly is configured to present visual content at any portion of the transparent housing.
US08665233B2
A control method includes: receiving a user's input through a touch area of the input device; and recognizing the user's touch input to the touch area through a recognition area of the input device corresponding to the touch area and changing and assigning a range of the recognition area corresponding to the touch area according to a predetermined standard.
US08665226B2
An integrally-formed capacitive touch panel is disclosed including: a singular lens substrate, a mask layer, and a sensing circuit integrally coupled with said singular lens substrate. Said singular lens substrate, said mask layer, and said sensing circuit are integrally formed.
US08665222B2
A handwriting-input device and method capable of inputting a mixture of a character and a graphic without feeling discomfort even when an input area is physically limited. A handwriting-input device including, on a display screen, a normalized pencraft input area for inputting a pencraft desired to be normalized to be input and a pencraft arrangement area for inputting a pencraft that is not normalized and normalizing the pencraft to display it, at least includes: coordinate input means to obtain coordinate position information input by an input medium; and input area judgment means to judge which of the normalized pencraft input area and the pencraft arrangement area the pencraft is input in, based on the coordinate position information, wherein the pencraft can be input based on a judgment result in the input area judgment means.
US08665216B2
A tactile access and navigation system and method for a visually impaired user operating within a computerized data environment includes a bi-directional input-output system having one or more tactile displays and user-operable input controls; a data transformer for extracting display data from the computer and transforming that data into a form suitable for display by the one or more tactile displays; apparatus for arranging the display data into a predetermined structure of GUI elements for navigation by the bi-directional input-output system; and apparatus for providing display data to the one or more tactile displays in any of one or more viewing modes for displaying on the one or more tactile displays a tactile representation of graphical and textual data content; and one or more navigational modes for displaying on the one or more tactile displays a tactile representation of the orientation of the GUI elements within the structure.
US08665214B2
A particular method includes determining a battery charge value of a battery at a particular time and comparing the battery charge value at the particular time to a threshold battery charge value of a battery usage profile associated with the particular time, where the threshold battery charge value varies over time (e.g., a dynamic threshold). When the battery charge value does not satisfy the threshold battery charge value, the method includes prompting a user to select a power save mode. For example, the power save mode may include activating a different backlight element of a plurality of backlight elements of a display device in response to a motion sensor of a portable electronic device detecting movement of the portable electronic device from a first orientation to a second orientation.
US08665212B2
Systems and methods for locking an input device of an electronic device are described herein. An example method includes detecting a moving action of a housing of the electronic device from an open position to a closed position. The method includes detecting at least a first condition of the electronic device after detection of the moving action from the open position to the closed position and locking the input device upon detection of the first condition within a first time interval based on the electronic device being moved to the closed position.
US08665208B2
Disclosed is a product having an absolute positioning pattern on its surface and a method for forming the absolute pattern. The product includes first cells displaying coded binary data or displaying coded data expressed in terms of at least three digits; second cells displaying data coded in a manner different from the first cells or having no data; and a unit cell pattern formed by a group of at least a predetermined number of the first and second cells. The combination of data corresponding to the first cells within the unit cell pattern indicates an absolute coordinate of the corresponding unit cell pattern, and the unit cell pattern is differentiated from other adjacent unit cell patterns by the second cells within the unit cell pattern. The disclosed product and method require a smaller amount of operation to calculate the coordinate value compared with the prior art, but can display a broader position.
US08665199B2
A gate driver creates a dummy insertion period in which the driver does not apply a gate on pulse to a scanning signal line immediately after the time of the inversion of a data signal. When a period from the time of the application of the gate on pulse to an odd numbered or even numbered scanning signal line to which the gate on pulse is applied previously to the time of the application of the gate on pulse to an even numbered or odd numbered scanning signal line to which the gate on pulse is applied later is set as an adjacent line writing time lag period for two scanning signal lines adjacent to each other, a CS control circuit allows the polarity of every CS signal to be reversed on the same cycle at least in the adjacent line writing time lag period.
US08665198B2
A source driver includes a ladder circuit for outputting multilevel gradation voltages by resistance voltage division, a first decoder for selecting one gradation voltage corresponding to the inputted image data to output the selected gradation voltage, an external power supply for supplying multilevel pre-charging voltages, a second decoder for selecting one pre-charging voltage corresponding to the image data, an operational amplifier for outputting the driving voltage corresponding to the inputted gradation voltage to the source electrode, a pre-charging switch interconnected between the operational amplifier and second decoder, and a controller for controlling the pre-charging switch. The connection between the first decoder and operational amplifier is always kept during the whole sampling period including a pre-charging period, and the controller controls the pre-charging switch to be turned on during the pre-charging period and turned off after the pre-charging period has expired.
US08665197B2
A pulse is input to first and second TFTs to turn ON the first and second TFTs so that the potential of a node a rises. When the potential of the node a reaches (VDD−VthN), the node α enters a floating state. Accordingly, a third TFT then turns ON, and potential of an output node rises as a clock signal reaches the level H. On the other hand, potential of a gate electrode of the third TFT further rises due to an operation of capacitance as the potential of the output node rises, so that the potential of the output node would be higher than (VDD+VthN). Thus, the potential of the output node rises to VDD without voltage drop caused by a threshold of the third TFT.
US08665195B2
A liquid crystal display device includes an active matrix substrate including a plurality of pixel electrodes provided in a matrix of a plurality of rows by a plurality columns; a counter substrate including a counter electrode; a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer; and axis-symmetrical liquid crystal domain formation portions each for forming a liquid crystal domain in which liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are aligned in axis symmetry, the axis-symmetrical liquid crystal domain formation portions each being located at the center of the respective liquid crystal domain. The plurality of pixel electrodes each define a pixel area. The axis-symmetrical liquid crystal domain formation portions ; are each provided in correspondence with an area between two pixel areas defined by two pixel electrodes adjacent to each other.
US08665188B2
The invention relates to an apparatus for controlling the output of an LD or LED. The apparatus includes a substantially static bias source and a variable source. The substantially static bias source provides a bias current to the LD/LED. The variable source is capacitively coupled to the LD/LED. The bias current may be provided such that it is higher than a threshold current at which, when provided to an LD, lasing occurs.
US08665180B2
An image display device which includes a plurality of connected image display elements is provided not to cause an image due to the reflection of light beams emitted from one display surface in the other display surface. In an image display device provided with image display elements, each display surface of which is directed toward an observer to display an image, two or more display elements of them display images on the display surfaces, respectively, and one or more display elements of them have a louver film set on the display surfaces, wherein the louver film has a directionality to shield light beams from going to the direction of a display surface that is different from the display surface on which the louver film is set. Thus, the louver film suppresses an image on one display surface so that the image is not reflected in the other display surface.
US08665177B2
Capacitive touch sensors are integrated with a head-mounted display (HMD) device or other video eyewear devices to create a more reliable and more intuitive user interface. The sensors, which may be implemented as an array, control various aspects of a left and right channel multimedia presentation, such as interpupillary distance or stereoscopic convergence, brightness, volume, or power mode.
US08665168B2
A mutually inductive resonant antenna receiving radio waves of dual frequency bands improves a conventional antenna series-connected to a uniaxial wire. The mutually inductive resonant antenna receives FM or TMC radio waves and comprises a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna has a first conductive core wire and a first insulating layer. The first insulating layer encloses the first conductive core wire. The second antenna has a second mesh-like conductive layer and a second insulating layer. The second mesh-like conductive layer encloses a section of the first antenna such that another section of the first antenna is exposed. The second insulating layer encloses the second mesh-like conductive layer. A section of the second mesh-like conductive layer is extended from the first antenna and electrically connected to a signal transmission line. The second mesh-like conductive layer is not in contact with the first conductive core wire.
US08665162B2
A radiation section of an antenna includes a first connection portion and a second connection portion, and is in a loop form having a plate shape. A switch unit couples the second connection portion to the first connection portion e.g. according to a signal input from the outside. Further, the switch unit couples the second connection portion e.g. to ground formed on a reverse side of a substrate according to a signal input from the outside.
US08665161B2
An electronic device may include a substrate and a stacked arrangement of layers thereon. The stacked arrangement of layers may include a visual display layer, and a patch antenna above the visual display layer. The patch antenna may include an optically transmissive electrically conductive mesh.
US08665158B2
A printed filtering antenna is provided. This filtering antenna comprises an antenna part and a coupled line resonator. The antenna part is directly connected to a coupled line resonator and occupies an antenna area. The coupled line resonator provides a filtering mechanism together with the antenna part. The coupled line resonator comprises a short-circuited stub and an open-circuited stub. The short-circuited stub comprises an open-circuited end and a short-circuited end connected to ground. The open-circuited stub is parallel to the short-circuited stub. The open-circuited stub comprises a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the feed point and is corresponding to the open-circuited end of the short-circuited stub such that the open-circuited stub is coupled to the short-circuited stub.
US08665155B2
An emergency rescue system and a rescue-information judgment method are disclosed. The emergency rescue system includes a plurality of fixed nodes, a dynamic node and a back-end processing platform. Each fixed node has its own fixed node identification. The dynamic node can be a portable device with an emergency illumination module. If the dynamic node is manipulated to broadcast a mayday signal, at least one of the fixed nodes senses the mayday signal. Each fixed node which senses the mayday signal sends the fixed node identification thereof and signal strength of the sensed mayday signal to the back-end processing platform. Thereby, the back-end processing platform calculates and determines a rescue location relative to the dynamic node.
US08665148B2
An electronic device such as a cellular telephone may include transceiver circuitry for handling wireless communications. The transceiver circuitry may include a transceiver such as a cellular telephone transceiver or a wireless local area network receiver and may include a satellite positioning system receiver. Radio-frequency circuitry may be used to couple the transceiver circuitry to antenna structures. When operating the transceiver in different modes of operation, the radio-frequency circuitry may be adjusted to optimize performance. Adjustments to the radio-frequency circuitry may impose phase offsets on satellite positioning system signals that are received through the antenna structures and radio-frequency circuitry. These phase offsets which would otherwise cause degradation in the satellite positioning system receiver can be compensated by applying stored compensating phase offset values to the satellite positioning system receiver during operation.
US08665144B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide for improved estimation of environmental parameters in a dual-polarization radar system. In some embodiments, environmental parameters can be estimated using a linear combination of data received in two orthogonal polarization states. In particular, embodiments of the invention improve ground clutter and noise mitigation in dual polarization radar systems. Moreover, embodiments of the invention also provide for systems to determine the differential reflectivity and/or the magnitude of the co-polar correlation coefficient and the differential phase in a dual polarization radar system.
US08665130B2
An ADC is disclosed which has, as a first stage, a successive approximation converter, or other compensated, direct comparison converter, followed by a sigma delta modulation converter as a second stage. The sigma delta converter may beneficially be a first order modulator. The resulting ADC combines accuracy with low power consumption per conversion, and thus is particularly suited for use in temperature sensors for applications such as RFID transponders. Such a temperature sensor and an RFID transponder are also disclosed. There is also disclosed a method of analog-to-digital conversion, comprising a first successive approximation register or other compensated, direct comparison conversion stage followed by a sigma delta modulation stage, which, further, may be combined with providing a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) signal, for low-power, accurate temperature sensing.
US08665121B2
Systems and methods are provided for automated collection and analysis of aircraft flight data. In accordance with one aspect, a system for collecting flight data associated with an aircraft is provided to transmit collected flight data to a remote system for storage and processing. In accordance with another aspect, a remote system utilizes received aircraft location data to determine whether an aircraft flight incident has occurred, and to alert appropriate emergency services. In accordance with another aspect, a remote system analyzes received aircraft flight data and quantitatively evaluates performance of a pilot. In yet another aspect, a system is provided for graphical and textual display of collected aircraft flight data and pilot performance evaluation data.
US08665117B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for assisting a parking process of a vehicle (1) into a longitudinal parking space (P) which is arranged next to a carriageway (F) having a measuring device for measuring the parking space (P) while said vehicle (1) travels past, and for determining the position of a front boundary (A2) and/or of a rear boundary (A1) of the longitudinal parking space (P), and having an evaluation device for determining, on the basis of the position (O1, O2) of the front boundary (A2) and/or of the rear boundary (A1), a parked position (G2) of the vehicle (1) in the longitudinal parking space (P), and of determining a parking travel (E).So that the parked position (G) of the vehicle (1) can be defined by the evaluation unit in a particularly reliable way, the profile of the travel (V) of the vehicle (1) is measured by the measuring device as said vehicle (1) passes the longitudinal parking space (P), and is additionally taken into account in the definition of the parked position (G) of the vehicle (1) by the evaluation device.
US08665113B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting targets across beams at roadway intersections. Embodiments of the invention include tracking a target across a plurality of beams of a multiple beam radar system in a roadway intersection and updating track files for targets within a roadway intersection. Returns from a plurality of radar beams monitoring a roadway intersection are divided into range bins. Identified energy in the range bins is used to compute the position of targets within a roadway intersection. When the position of a target is computed, it is determined if the position is a new position for an existing target or if the position is the position of a new target.
US08665112B2
The present invention provides a message broadcast system and method for vehicular network. The system comprises a positioning device, a transmitting device and a processing device. The positioning device positions a location data of a vehicle. The transmitting device transmits a first packet to a neighbor vehicle. The processing device is coupled to the positioning device and transmitting device. The processing device determines the transmitting device transmits a second packet to the neighbor vehicle when the vehicle is in a section of crossroads. The processing device determines whether the vehicle is in a section of crossroads or a road section according to a third packet periodically transmitted from the neighbor vehicle.
US08665103B2
A seat has an occupant detecting function and is installed in a vehicle. The seat includes a seating portion, a capacitance sensor, a controller, and a supporting member. The seating portion is adapted to support buttocks and thighs of an occupant of the vehicle. The seating portion includes a seat cushion therein. The capacitance sensor is attached to the seating portion. The controller is installed to the seating portion and configured to apply a voltage to the sensor and to detect a value of an electric current, which passes through the sensor because of the voltage. The supporting member supports the controller from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction, such that the controller is rotatable about the supporting member when the seating portion is pressed by the occupant.
US08665097B2
A fall indicating alarm system includes one or more fall sensors and at least one gas sensor coupled to a displaced alarm system which, responsive to an output from a fall sensor, generates an audible or visual alarm indicator. Both local and displaced alarm indicators can be generated.
US08665061B2
An intelligent electronic device (IED) includes a user authentication module configured for authenticating authorized users of the IED and preventing an access by non-authorized personnel to a user-selectable portion of operational features of the IED. In exemplary embodiments, the user authentication module includes a database of information authenticating an authorized user and a sensor acquiring user-identifying information (e.g., a biometric sensor, a reader of magnetic, holographic, RFID, or smart ID cards, or a keypad). In one application, these techniques are implemented in IEDs such as electrical power and energy meters and used to control access to reset, configuration, billing, communication, and data acquisition/processing functions of the meters.
US08665059B2
An ultra wideband frequency compensated resistor and related methodologies for frequency compensation are disclosed. In exemplary configuration, a resistive layer is provided over a substrate, and a frequency compensating structure is provided over at least a portion of the resistive layer and separated therefrom by an insulative layer. In certain embodiments, the insulating layer may be an adhesive that may also be effective to secure a protective cover over the resistive material and supporting substrate. In selected embodiments, the frequency compensating structure corresponds to a plurality of conductive layers, one or more of which may be directly electrically connected to terminations for the resistive material while one or more of the conductive layers are not so connected.
US08665057B2
An electronic circuit includes a conductor path on a circuit board, and at least one SMD component, electronic component and/or electromechanical component mounted on the circuit board and connected to the conductor path. A circuit connection is established via a soldered joint and a spring-loaded or stressed springy contact bridge that provides fuse protection. In the event of excessive power dissipation or high temperature, the soldered joint melts or softens and the contact bridge springs open to interrupt the circuit.
US08665044B2
A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
US08665022B2
The present disclosure describes a distributed amplifier (DA) that includes active device cells within sections that are configured to provide an input gate termination that is conducive for relatively low noise and high linearity operation. A section adjacent to an output of the DA is configured to effectively terminate the impedance of an input transmission line of the DA. Each active device cell includes transistors coupled in a cascode configuration that thermally distributes a junction temperature among the transistors. In this manner, noise generated by a common source transistor of the cascode configuration is minimized. The transistors coupled in the cascode configuration may be fabricated using gallium nitride (GaN) technology to reduce physical size of the DA and to further reduce noise.
US08665013B2
A monolithic integrated circuit (IC) chip containing a plurality of transistors, including: a substrate; a first transistor on the substrate; and a second transistor integrally formed on the substrate with the first transistor, the second transistor having a different structure than the first transistor, wherein the first transistor includes a first material system and the second transistor includes a second material system different from the first material system. The monolithic IC chip may further include a third transistor integrally formed on the substrate with the first and second transistors. The first transistor may include gallium nitride (GaN) and the second and third transistors may include silicon carbide (SiC).
US08665011B2
A micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) circuit includes a MEMS differential capacitor, a read-out circuit, a control circuit, and a compensation circuit. The MEMS differential capacitor includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor. The read-out circuit is coupled to the MEMS differential capacitor for reading a difference between the first capacitor and the second capacitor in a zero-G condition, and generating an output signal according to the difference. The control circuit is coupled to the read-out circuit for receiving the output signal and generating a control signal. The compensation circuit is coupled to the control circuit for compensating the MEMS differential capacitor according to the control signal.
US08665003B2
A dead-time generating circuit includes a constant current circuit; a current generating circuit generating a capacitor-charge current; and a control circuit receiving a dead time control signal and a comparator signal. The control circuit generates a dead time generating signal based on the dead time control signal and the comparator signal, and a charge/discharge signal based on the dead time generating signal. Charging or discharging of a capacitor is controlled by the capacitor-charge current in accordance with the charge/discharge signal. A voltage of the capacitor is compared with a threshold voltage in order to generate a comparator signal when the voltage of the capacitor exceeds the threshold voltage. The control circuit generates the charge/discharge signal for a duration starting from a time when the delay time has elapsed from the rise or fall timing of the dead time control signal until the control circuit receives the comparator signal.
US08665000B2
A method of frequency down-converting an input signal to an output signal, a first local oscillator signal is generated as a square wave having a duty cycle of 1/3 or 2/3, and the input signal is mixed with first oscillator signal to achieve a first down-converted signal, a second local oscillator signal is generated as a modified square wave having the same period time as the first oscillator signal and a duty cycle of 2/3, of which one part has a positive amplitude and another part has a negative amplitude. The input signal is mixed with the second oscillator signal to achieve a second down-converted signal. The first oscillator signal has a delay of 1/4 of the period time to achieve a phase shift of π/2 between the oscillator signals, and at least one down-converted signal is multiplied by a pre-calculated factor. The resulting down-converted signals are added to achieve the output signal.
US08664998B2
An adaptive filter circuit for sampling a reflected voltage of a transformer of a power converter includes a first switch for receiving the reflected voltage, a resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the resistor being coupled to the first switch, a capacitor coupled to the second terminal of the resistor for holding the reflected voltage, and a second switch coupled to the resistor in parallel, wherein the resistor and the capacitor develop a filter for sampling the reflected voltage which is sampled without filtering by the filter in a first period during a disable period of a switching signal and also sampled with filtering by the filter in a second period during the disable period of the switching signal.
US08664996B2
A clock generator utilized for providing a clock signal includes: a first oscillator and a switching circuit. The switching circuit is coupled to the first oscillator and a second oscillator, and utilized for receiving a first oscillating signal generated from the first oscillator and a second oscillating signal generated from the second oscillator, and selecting one of the first oscillating signal and the second oscillating signal as the clock signal according to a status signal.
US08664989B1
The ratio of the output frequency of the PLL to the reference frequency is governed by the ratio of the feedback divider to the output divider. For the case of a fixed-point delta-sigma modulator based PLL, the feedback divide factor can only be a non-recurring/terminating rational number in base-2 (binary) system and the output divide ratio is constrained to be an integer. Hence, the range or resolution of the output frequencies that are possible is inherently limited. To solve this problem, an additional gain factor is introduced in the feedback loop. The gain factor is determined by finding an initial gain factor for which the value of the feedback divide ratio can be represented precisely in the binary format. The closest power of two larger than the initial gain factor is used as the denominator to divide the initial gain factor. The present system and method increases the resolution of such a PLL, while actually saving area/power, by introducing an additional factor within the modulator and also by not affecting the analog part of the circuit.
US08664987B2
A filtering circuit includes a clock selection unit configured to transfer a first clock or a second clock having a frequency lower than the first clock as an operating clock in response to a frequence signal, and a filter configured to filter an input signal and generate a filtered signal in synchronization with the operating clock.
US08664986B2
Systems, methods and circuitry useful for adjusting a periodic signal such as with a voltage controlled oscillator or a delay line. In one series of embodiments, circuits and methods are provided for controlling current flow through first and second parallel paths where an impedance device in one path emulates the impedance characteristics of a different device in the other path. A phase or frequency characteristic of the periodic signal may be adjusted by alternate switching of current through the two paths.
US08664983B1
A clock data recovery circuit includes a sampler circuit, a filter circuit, a control circuit, and a phase shift circuit. The sampler circuit samples input data in response to a clock signal. The filter circuit is coupled to the sampler circuit. The control circuit is coupled to the filter circuit. The phase shift circuit provides the clock signal to the sampler circuit. The control circuit causes the phase shift circuit to shift a phase of the clock signal by a first phase shift, and by a second phase shift after the phase of the clock signal has shifted by the first phase shift, in response to the filter circuit indicating to shift the phase of the clock signal by more than a predefined phase shift.
US08664977B2
A multi-threshold null convention logic circuit. The circuit includes a first circuit, a first high-threshold transistor coupled to Vcc, and an inverter receiving power from the first high-threshold transistor, driven by the first circuit, and including an output.
US08664970B2
A method for accelerated life testing of organic devices is provided. The lifetime of each of one or more individual organic emissive devices is measured at a non-heating current density. Based upon the measured lifetimes of the one or more devices, the device lifetime is determined for a selected luminance. An organic emissive panel is also obtained having a second organic stack that consists essentially of the one or more organic layers of the first organic stack. The junction temperature of the organic emissive panel is then determined at a heating current density. Based upon the junction temperature and the device lifetime of the one or more individual organic emissive devices, the expected lifetime of the organic emissive panel is then determined at the heating current density.
US08664969B2
Various embodiments are directed at an apparatus for implementing electrical connectivity for testing of a semiconductor device. The apparatus comprises a probe head which comprises an upper guide plate and a lower guide plate, wherein the upper guide plate defines a plurality of first apertures, and the lower guide plate defines a plurality of second apertures in some embodiments. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of probes, wherein each of the plurality of probes passes through one of the plurality of first apertures on the upper guide plate and one of the plurality of second apertures on the lower guide plate, and at least one of the plurality of probes defines a buckled form after the at least one of the plurality of probes is finally assembled in the apparatus. The apparatus further comprises a template member to guide the plurality of probes.
US08664966B2
A method of evaluation a degree of degradation of a lubricating oil, comprising: using a device for evaluating a degree of degradation of a lubricating oil, the device comprising a pH-ISFET which is free from a reference electrode; and measuring a current flowing between a drain and a source of the pH-ISFET with a first circuit wherein a constant voltage is applied between the drain and the source, or measuring a voltage between a drain and a source with a second circuit wherein a constant current is caused to flow between the drain and the source.
US08664959B2
There is provided a method for measuring abnormality detection parameters of a disconnect switch, comprising: releasably connecting a first sensor to the disconnect switch, the first sensor adapted to measure a first parameter related to a position of an arm of the disconnect switch, the disconnect switch comprising a rotating actuation element operatively connected to the arm for moving the arm between a closed position and an open position; releasably connecting a second sensor to the rotating actuation element, the second sensor adapted to measure a second parameter related to a torque of the rotating actuation element; moving the arm using the actuation element; measuring and storing in memory the first and second parameters while the arm is moving; and disconnecting the first and second sensors.
US08664952B2
A diffusion imaging method is provided. The diffusion imaging method includes performing a plurality of data collection sequences. Each data collection sequence includes applying an excitation radio frequency signal and a selection gradient. The excitation radio frequency signal includes a first set of frequency bands selected to simultaneously excite a first nuclei type in a plurality of cross sections of a subject. Each data collection sequence further includes applying a diffusion gradient during formation of a magnetic resonance signal, applying a spatial encoding gradient during formation of the magnetic resonance signal, and while acquiring the magnetic resonance signal, applying a separation gradient to change a frequency separation between portions of the magnetic resonance signal. The diffusion imaging method further includes computationally determining a diffusion image of each of the plurality of cross sections.
US08664948B2
A system for measuring a variation in a distance of an axis of rotation of an object relative to a point in a plane perpendicular to this axis comprises at least two sensors for measuring a value representing an angular position of said object about said axis, at least a first of said sensors, whose position is fixed relative to said point, comprising a magnetometer suitable for measuring the magnetic field generated by said object whose magnetization varies around its circumference; and means for determining said variation of distance on the basis of a variation in an angular deviation between said sensors relative to the axis, from one revolution of said object to the next.
US08664947B2
An actuator and sensor assembly comprising respective sensor and actuator housings defining an interior chamber. Clips on the sensor housing engage the actuator housing for coupling the sensor and actuator housings together. The sensor housing includes a wall defining a pocket. A connector with a sensor couples to the sensor housing in a relationship wherein the sensor extends into the sensor housing pocket. A movable piston is located in the interior chamber and a tube thereon defines a receptacle for a magnet located adjacent the pocket. The piston is seated on a flexible diaphragm. An actuator shaft includes one end coupled to the piston and an opposite end coupled to a movable object. A plurality of pins in the actuator housing mount the assembly to a support bracket. The sensor senses changes in the magnetic field in response to changes in the position of the magnet relative to the sensor.
US08664946B2
In one embodiment, a sensor package includes a lead frame with a first portion extending and a second portion extending in a direction inclined with respect to the first potion. The sensor package also includes an application specific integrated circuit and a magneto resistive sensor and a ferrite provided with a molding body.
US08664944B2
An angle measuring system includes a first component group and a second component group, the first component group being mounted in a manner allowing rotation about an axis relative to the second component group. The first component group includes a ring having a running surface and an angle scaling. The second component group has a further ring having a further running surface, as well as a sensor for scanning the angle scaling. Rolling elements are arranged between the running surfaces, the angle scaling being applied such that a geometric pattern of the angle scaling in a first region differs from a geometric pattern of the angle scaling in a second region as a function of radial runouts of the running surfaces and/or of the rolling elements.
US08664943B2
The present invention provides a single component implementing highly precise pulse detection for rotational or liner position detecting apparatuses for jog dials and mechanical products. Focusing on the fact that the phase difference between the magnetic fields in circumferential and radial directions generated by a magnetized ring is precisely 90 degrees, a position detecting apparatus of the present invention includes two Hall elements placed at a distance; a protective film provided on magnetic sensitive portions of the two Hall elements to cover the magnetic sensitive portions; a thin-film magnetic plate placed on the protective film to cover the magnetic sensitive portions of the two Hall elements; and further a processing circuit calculating the sum and difference of the signals from the two Hall elements to generate signals having an accurate phase difference of 90 degrees. The position detecting apparatus can therefore detect the rotation direction and precise rotation angle.
US08664942B2
A sensor device for height measurement, air spring comprising a sensor device for height measuring and a corresponding method allowing determining the height also under rough conditions like noisy, dusty or vibrating environments.
US08664940B2
A graphite-based sensor includes an undoped graphite structure that adsorbs foreign atoms and molecules. A magnetization detection device includes a substrate on which the graphite structure is adhered, a current source by which a current is applied to the substrate and the graphite structure, and a voltage measuring device coupled to the substrate. When the graphite structure adsorbs the gas molecules, the graphite structure exhibits a ferromagnetic-type behavior, and a corresponding voltage generated in the magnetic detection device changes.
US08664939B2
A utility meter cover and complementary base are disclosed, the cover including a window section and a shroud. The shroud is for covering a complementary portion of a meter base, and includes: a radially extending base portion; an axial extension extending from the base portion, the axial extension for obstructing access to the complementary portion of the meter base; and a key member extending axially from the base portion, the key member having a bidirectional tab for engaging a slot in the complementary portion of the meter base.
US08664929B2
When the switching frequency of a constant on-time power converter decreases to a threshold, the power converter is switched from the original operation of triggering a constant on-time of a high-side switch responsive to the output voltage of the power converter reaching a valley point to the operation of triggering a constant off-time of the high-side switch responsive to the output voltage reaching a peak point, to thereby prevent the power converter from operating in an audio frequency range.
US08664927B2
A voltage regulator includes: a normally-on first transistor coupled to an input voltage; an inductor provided between the first transistor and an output terminal; a return circuit provided between a reference voltage and a connection node of the first transistor and the inductor; a drive circuit that supplies a drive signal to a gate of the first transistor; and a negative voltage generation circuit that is coupled to the reference voltage, generates a negative voltage on the basis of a pulse signal generated at the connection node by switching operation of the first transistor, and supplies the negative voltage to the drive circuit.
US08664923B2
A buck converter comprising a controller arranged to monitor an output voltage of the converter, the controller comprising: a comparator arranged to compare an output voltage at an output of the buck converter with a reference voltage, and a modification circuit within the comparator or connected to a modification signal input of the comparator and arranged to produce a correction signal to modify the operation of the comparator.
US08664921B2
Embodiments of the invention include an electronic load having variable reactive load capability and techniques for controlling and/or modeling a reactive component in a load. The electronic load can include a user interface through which a latency value is received from a user. A delay is created based on the latency value between the time that a variable of the input signal is sensed and the time that a variable of the input signal is driven to a new value, thereby simulating a reactive component in the electronic load based on the created delay. In one example embodiment, the driven variable can be stepped after the created delay to produce an approximation of a capacitive or inductive element. In another example embodiment, the driven variable can be slewed during the delay period using an arbitrary waveform generator, thereby more accurately simulating the reactive component.
US08664919B2
A remaining battery power calculation circuit includes: a detection unit configured to detect an output voltage of a battery; a data storage unit configured to store data in an associated manner with each of a plurality of current values for charge or discharge of the battery, the data indicating a relationship between the output voltage and a ratio of remaining power of the battery to a capacity of the battery in a case where the battery is charged or discharged with each of the plurality of current values; and a first calculation unit configured to calculate a charging/discharging current of the battery based on the data and the output voltage.
US08664916B2
A charging control device stores expected driving start time of each of motor vehicles and controls charging operations of the motor vehicles in such a manner as to finish charging a battery mounted to each of the motor vehicles by the corresponding expected driving start time. The charging control device includes a storage unit for storing the expected driving start time of each of the motor vehicles; and a control unit for searching the motor vehicles to find a specific motor vehicle whose charging is expected to be finished by the expected driving start time and causing the specific motor vehicle to discharge an electric power to be used in charging at least one of the motor vehicles other than the specific motor vehicle.
US08664900B2
A system for controlling a motor of a hybrid vehicle that secures robustness and stability of control by selecting an optimal approximation model according to a driving condition of the motor and determines current order for controlling the motor by using the selected optimal approximation model is disclosed. In particular, a current order generator utilizes a reference current determination module to determine reference currents of the first and second axes, a compensation value determination module to determine compensation values of the reference currents of the first and second axes, and a current determination module to determine the currents of the first and second axes from the reference currents of the first and second axes and the compensation values of the reference currents of the first and second axes in order to control the motor more efficiently.
US08664890B2
An LED display device providing current correction includes a number of LED modules, a microprocessor, and a storage unit storing a standard voltage value. The correction sequence begins with each of the plurality of LED modules entering a work state in sequence, outputting a feedback voltage indicating work current of one of the LED modules to the microprocessor in sequence, comparing the feedback voltage with the standard voltage, adjusting the current of the LED module if the feedback voltage does not equal the standard voltage.
US08664884B2
An LED (Light-Emitting Diode) driving circuit to drive an LED module is provided. The LED driving circuit includes a converting circuit and a feedback control circuit. The converting circuit is coupled to the LED module, and converts an input voltage into an output voltage according to at least one control signal. The feedback control circuit generates the control signal to control the converting circuit to perform voltage conversion according to a feedback signal. In addition, the feedback control circuit receives a dimming signal, and is operated in a first state or a second state in response to the dimming signal, wherein the feedback control circuit adjusts the duty cycle of the control signal to have the duty cycle larger than or equal to a predetermined duty cycle in a predetermined period right after the feedback control circuit is operated from the second state to the first state.
US08664880B2
Disclosed herein is a replacement light for a fluorescent tube usable in a fluorescent fixture connected to a power source and containing at least one LED, the improvement including a detection circuit for connection to the power source, the detection circuit configured to identify the power source.
US08664873B2
A method is provided for operating at least one LED by a switched-mode regulator circuit to which a DC or a rectified AC voltage is supplied and which provides a supply voltage for at least one LED by a coil and a switch clocked by a control/regulation unit. When the switch is activated, power is temporarily stored in the coil and is discharged through a diode and through at least one LED when the switch is deactivated and the current flows through the LED through a first power storage element which is coupled to a second power storage element. The first power storage element just reaches its maximum capability of storing power due to the current flowing through the LED. A rising current is supplied to the second power storage element such that the time can be detected when the first power storage element recovers its capability of storing power.
US08664867B1
A device by which windshield wiper arms on motor vehicles are provided with an illumination source is intended to increase vehicle visibility as well as create a unique visual effect at night. A motor vehicle equipped with the device comprises at least one illumination source or sources interconnected via wiring to a dash-mounted control box which provides a pair of switches to control the illumination of at least one illumination source.
US08664863B2
The power supply device (14) for an ion-bombardment-induced secondary-emission electron source in a low-pressure chamber includes a control input, two high-voltage outputs, an element for generating a plurality of positive pulses on a high-voltage output, and an element for generating a negative pulse on the other high-voltage output after at least some of the positive pulses.
US08664858B2
The present invention relates to a light fixture comprising an electrodeless plasma source, said electrodeless plasma source comprises a resonator and a light bulb, said light bulb is operating inside a cavity of a TIR where the TIR lens comprises a metal grid covering at least a part of said TIR lens, the metal grid grounding electromagnetic radiation generated by said electrodeless plasma source. In another embodiment, the light fixture comprises blowing means sending an air stream into the cavity. A further embodiment also comprises at least one LED, which ELPS bulb and the LED are controlled by a control system, which control system performs dimmer control of at least the ELPS and the LED.
US08664857B2
A lighting device may include a substrate attached to one edge side of a radiator and a cover may be attached to cover the substrate. Heat-radiating fins may be provided on the other edge side of the radiator and an air-cooling unit may be rotatably provided inside the heat-radiating fins, thereby enabling freely rotation. In one or more examples, a case storing a circuit part is attached to the other edge side of the radiator and a cap is provided to the case. By the air flow from the air-cooling unit, the heat-radiating fins are caused to be a part of the ventilation path to allow for ventilation of the inside of the radiator.
US08664852B2
Present invention is for an organic light emitting display device in which permeation of exterior moisture can be prevented, dark defects caused by foreign materials can be improved and lifespan can thus be improved by changing the structure and manufacturing method of thin film encapsulation layer, and a method for manufacturing the same, the organic light emitting display device includes the edge region of the thin film encapsulation layer is thicker than the active region thereof and the thin film encapsulation layer includes a plurality of organic film and a plurality of inorganic film, the organic film and the inorganic film being laminated one on top of the other.
US08664849B2
A light-emitting element whose degree of deterioration with driving time is improved and of which emission colors are easily controlled. A light-emitting emitting element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a layer containing an organic compound located between the first electrode and the second electrode, in which the layer containing the organic compound at least has, from the second electrode side, a light-emitting layer in which a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer are stacked, and a hole-transporting layer provided in contact with the third layer; the first layer contains a first organic compound and a second organic compound; the second layer contains a third organic compound and a fourth organic compound; and the third layer contains the first organic compound and a fifth organic compound.
US08664848B2
An organic light emitting display device comprises: a substrate; a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) formed on a first surface of the substrate; a passivation layer covering the plurality of TFTs; a plurality of first pixel electrodes formed on the passivation layer and respectively electrically connected to the plurality of TFTs, and overlapping with the plurality of TFTs so as to cover the plurality of TFTs, and including a reflection layer formed of a light-reflecting conductive material; a second pixel electrode formed of a light-transmitting conductive material and disposed on the passivation layer so as to be electrically connected to the plurality of first pixel electrodes; an opposite electrode formed such that light is transmitted or reflected therethrough, and disposed opposite the plurality of first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrode; and an organic layer interposed between the plurality of first pixel electrodes and the second pixel electrode, and including an emission layer. Accordingly, transmittivity of the organic light emitting display device is increased, and optical outcoupling efficiency of the organic light emitting display device is also increased during double-sided emission.
US08664844B2
An object of the invention is to restrain separation of an electrode tip from a ground electrode or from a center electrode. A spark plug satisfies a condition 0.8≦A1/A2≦1.9, where, as viewed on a section which contains a center axis (O) of an electrode tip, A1 [Hv] is hardness of the electrode tip as measured outside a circle having a radius of 0.2 mm, with a boundary point (PA) on a surface of the spark plug between a fusion zone and the electrode tip serving as the center of the circle, and A2 [Hv] is hardness of the electrode tip as measured within the circle having a radius of 0.2 mm.
US08664838B2
The invention provides an illumination apparatus (10) and a method of assembling the illumination apparatus. The illumination apparatus comprises a light source (101) having a plurality of LED arrays, wherein at least two of the plurality of LED arrays have different lumen degradations as a function of junction temperature of the respective LED arrays; and a heat dissipation unit (102) configured to be capable of dissipating heat generated by the light source, wherein the heat dissipation unit is mounted on a first surface of the light source in such a way that there is a gap between the first surface and the heat dissipation unit when the light source is not in operation, and the gap is narrowed or can be deemed to disappear when the light source reaches a preset temperature, so that the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat dissipation unit is improved.
US08664830B2
An ultrasonic device is configured to transmit ultrasonic waves and includes a substrate, a diaphragm, a piezoelectric member and a control unit. The substrate has an opening. The diaphragm covers the opening of the substrate. The piezoelectric member is coupled to the diaphragm, and includes a first piezoelectric part and a second piezoelectric part. The control unit controls a voltage applied to the first piezoelectric part to be a vibration voltage and controls a voltage applied to the second piezoelectric part to be a constant voltage when the ultrasonic device transmits the ultrasonic waves.
US08664829B2
The invention relates to a piezo drive, in particular for use in geodesic devices, having at least one piezoelectric motor element that includes an advancing component, a running surface component, and a receptacle for the running surface component, wherein said receptacle is to be connected to a component to be driven, wherein the piezoelectric motor element has a window of operation of the motor as a frequency range of the movement of the advancing component. The running surface component and the receptacle are sized and connected to one another such that the natural resonances of the running surface component lie outside the window of operation of the motor.
US08664810B2
An exemplary stator disk of an electric motor stator includes a set of recesses. Each recess being configured to receive a cooling pipe. The stator disk includes one or more positioning elements for aligning the stator disk with another stator disk. The one or more positioning elements being positioned to the stator disk such that when the stator disk is set to a rotated position with respect to the other stator disk in order to align the recesses of the disks for receiving of cooling pipes, the positioning elements of the two disks become only partly aligned with each other.
US08664809B2
An apparatus (structure) is provided to support a superconductor winding (61) of an electromotive machine. An elongated loop (74) provides radial support to the winding. A base assembly (84) may include a base module (89) arranged to anchor the loop at a proximate end (76) of the elongated loop by way of a tubular coupling (86). The tubular coupling may further provide a mechanical connection relative to an axially-adjacent base module. A bracket assembly (100) may define an interior recess to receive a portion of the winding and to support the elongated loop at a distal end (78) of the elongated loop, such as by way of a support (80). A lateral-extending loop (106) may have a first end connected to the bracket assembly (100) and a second end connected to the base module (89) to transfer to the rotor core lateral loads, which may be experienced by the winding.
US08664801B2
A non-contact power supply system includes a power supply device for transmitting high frequency power and a load device which receives the high frequency power in a non-contact mode by electromagnetic induction to supply it to a load. The power supply device includes a power transmission unit having a primary power coil and an inverter circuit, an inquiry unit having at least one primary signal coil and an oscillation circuit, a signal detection unit and a control unit. The load device includes a power reception unit having a secondary power coil magnetically coupled to the primary power coil and a power conversion unit, a secondary signal coil magnetically coupled to the primary signal coil, and a response unit which is operated by electromotive force induced in the secondary signal coil. The control unit stops power transmission when no signal is detected and executes power transmission which a signal is detected.
US08664799B2
An apparatus which has a load that consumes a predetermined amount of electric power per unit time includes a power source circuit configured to generate a voltage for driving the load, a capacitor which is connected to a supply line for supplying electric power to the load from the power source circuit and configured to stabilize a potential of the load, a first supply circuit which can supply electric power smaller than the predetermined amount to the capacitor and can discharge a charge from the capacitor, a second supply circuit which can supply electric power larger than the predetermined amount to the capacitor, a switch circuit configured to operate each of the first supply circuit and the second supply circuit, and a holding circuit configured to hold information based on the operation of the first supply circuit.
US08664793B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that generates electricity. During operation, the system uses a set of rotating blades to convert rotational energy from a wind turbine into heat in a low-heat-capacity fluid. Next, the system selectively transfers the heat from the low-heat-capacity fluid to a working fluid. Finally, the system uses the transferred heat in the working fluid to generate electricity.
US08664786B1
Device and methods associated with underwater pumped-hydro energy storage are disclosed. An underwater pumped-hydro energy storage device includes a submersible tank that includes an inlet and an outlet. A pump is disposed at the outlet of the submersible tank to evacuate water from the submersible tank in a surrounding body of water. A valve is disposed at the inlet of the at least one submersible tank to control a flow of the water into the submersible tank from the surrounding body of water. Moreover, a turbine power unit is to generate output electrical power from the flow water into the submersible tank.
US08664780B2
A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip mounted to a substrate, a first encapsulant covering the first semiconductor chip and have first to fourth sidewall surfaces, and a chip stack mounted to the substrate and disposed on the first encapsulant. The chip stack includes a plurality of second semiconductor chips. A second encapsulant covers the chip stack. The second encapsulant may cover the first sidewall surface of the first encapsulant and expose the third sidewall surface of the first encapsulant.
US08664777B2
A routing layer for a semiconductor die is disclosed. The routing layer includes traces interconnecting integrated circuit bond-pads to UBMs. The routing layer is formed on a layer of dielectric material. The routing layer includes conductive traces arranged underneath the UBMs as to absorb stress from solder bumps attached to the UMBs. Traces beneath the UBMs protect parts of the underlying dielectric material proximate the solder bumps, from the stress.
US08664764B2
One embodiment provides a semiconductor device having: a core substrate having first and second surfaces and an accommodation hole penetrating therethrough; a semiconductor element accommodated in the accommodation hole so that a front surface thereof is on the first surface side; a first metal film formed on a back surface of the semiconductor element; a second metal film formed on the second surface of the core substrate; an insulating layer covering the first and second metal films; and a third metal film formed on the insulating layer, via parts thereof penetrating through the insulating layer to respectively reach the first and second metal films.
US08664760B2
A device includes a top dielectric layer having a top surface. A metal pillar has a portion over the top surface of the top dielectric layer. A non-wetting layer is formed on a sidewall of the metal pillar, wherein the non-wetting layer is not wettable to the molten solder. A solder region is disposed over and electrically coupled to the metal pillar.
