US08831795B2
A method (49) for synchronizing flight information that comprises a step of connecting airborne components (21) of a flight information system (10) and ground-based components (24) of the flight information system (10), a step of comparing flight data stored with the airborne components (21) and content stored with the ground-based components (24), and a step of synchronising (66, 69) the airborne components (21) and the ground-based components (22).
US08831791B2
Illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method, a data processing system, and a computer program product for adjusting cooling settings. The computer implemented method comprises analyzing a set of instructions of an application to determine a number of degrees by which a set of instructions will raise a temperature of at least one processor core. The computer implemented method further calculates a cooling setting for at least one cooling system for the at least one processor core. The computer implemented method adjusts the at least one cooling system based on the cooling setting. The step of analyzing the set of instructions is performed before the set of instructions is executed on the at least one processor core. The step of adjusting the at least one cooling system is performed before the set of instructions is executed on the at least one processor core.
US08831783B2
A biochemical processing apparatus is provided having a stage receiving a biochemical reaction cartridge which includes chambers and flow paths communicating therebetween, a moving system for moving liquid via the flow paths, and a detector for detecting the presence of the liquid in a chamber and/or the amount of the liquid. In addition, a determining device determines a result of the movement of the liquid from the information of the liquid in the chamber detected by the detector.
US08831781B2
A robot includes a first horizontal arm coupled to a base, a second horizontal arm coupled to the base via the first horizontal arm, first and second motors adapted to rotate the respective arms, and first and second encoders adapted to calculate rotational angles and rotational velocities of the respective motors. A first motor control section subtracts first and second angular velocities based on the first and second encoders from a sensor angular velocity detected by an angular sensor, and controls the first motor so that a velocity measurement value obtained by adding a vibration velocity based on a vibration angular velocity as the subtraction result and a first rotational velocity becomes equal to a velocity command value.
US08831778B2
A robotic mapping method includes scanning a robot across a surface to be mapped. Locations of a plurality of points on the surface are sensed during the scanning. A first of the sensed point locations is selected. A preceding subset of the sensed point locations is determined. The preceding subset is disposed before the first sensed point location along a path of the scanning. A following subset of the sensed point locations is determined. The following subset is disposed after the first sensed point location along the path of the scanning. The first sensed point location is represented in a map of the surface by an adjusted first sensed point location. The adjusted first sensed point location is closer to each of the preceding and following subsets of the sensed point locations than is the first sensed point location.
US08831771B2
An automated storage and retrieval system is presented. The automated storage and retrieval system may have at least two zones that are thermally isolated. The automated storage and retrieval system is operative to store and retrieve items from a plurality of storage locations in the first and second zone. An access member may be provided to selectively maintain and interrupt thermal isolation of the zones.
US08831758B1
An approach to facilitating interface-based game-space contest generation is provided. A user interface may be provided to an administrator. The user interface may be configured to receive user inputs from the administrator that include one or more performance criteria to be associated with a contest to be provided in a game space, one or more awards to be distributed in association with the contest, and one or more qualifications to participate in the contest. A notification that relates to the contest may be provided, based on the user inputs, in the game space. Performance scores of users that participated in the contest may be determined based on the performance criteria and activities that are performed in the game space by the participating users. Automated distribution of the awards to individual ones of the participating users may be facilitated in accordance with the performance scores of the individual participating users.
US08831748B2
A medical electrical electrode includes an elongated conductive coil located over a lead body, and a conductive polymer material in contact with the lead body and located between individual coils of the elongated conductive coil. In certain embodiments, the conductive polymer is a polymer (e.g., silicone) implanted with a conductive filler (e.g., carbon black). In certain embodiments, the conductive polymer material is generally isodiametric with an outer diameter of the individual coils of the elongated conductive coil. A medical electrical electrode is fabricated by sliding an elongated conductive coil over a length of a lead body, dispersing a conductive polymer on the helical coil, inserting a tubing over the elongated conductive coil, distributing the polymer material between individual turns of the elongated conductive coil, heating the tubing so the tubing shrinks around the elongated conductive coil, and removing the tubing.
US08831747B1
Leadless neurostimulation (NS) device including a device body and electrodes positioned along an active side of the device body. The electrodes form a multi-electrode array that is configured to interface with nervous tissue of a patient and supply electrical pulses to the nervous tissue. The NS device also includes an electronic sub-system that is coupled to the device body. The electronic sub-system includes switching circuitry, a power source, and an inductive coil that is operably coupled to the power source. The inductive coil is configured to receive electrical power through inductive coupling with an external coil. The device body, including the inductive coil coupled thereto, is sized and shaped to be disposed within an epidural space of a patient.
US08831739B2
The invention relates to a multielectrode probe having a silicon substrate which supports multiple conductive electrodes for deep-brain electrical stimulation or recording of neural responses. The substrate has an upper end with multiple conductive portions for bonding to lead wires, and an elongated shank extends from the upper end. The shank supports multiple spaced-apart electrodes, typically ten in number, and conductive traces electrically connect the electrodes and conductive traces. Multiple probes are combined, and supported as an array by a cylindrical alignment cylinder.
US08831738B2
A method and apparatus for recording, storing and reprogramming the natural electrical signals of cancer cells as found in tumors of humans and animals. A confounding signal is created for retransmission into the cells of a malignant tumor to damage the cell and cause apoptosis. The invention uses ultra low voltage and current to cause apoptosis.
US08831737B2
The disclosure describes a system that measures the distance between one or more electrodes and tissue of a patient, and controls one or more parameters of the stimulation delivered to the tissue by the electrodes based on the measured distance. The system controls the measurement of the distance between the electrodes and the tissue as a function of activity of the patient. The system uses, for example, a piezoelectric transducer to sense activity of the patient, and may determine whether or how frequently to measure the distance between electrodes and tissue based on the sensed physical activity. A piezoelectric transducer may be used both to sense activity and to measure the distance between the electrodes and the tissue.
US08831736B2
The invention relates to a therapy system and a therapy device having at least one data communication interface which can operate in various data transmission modes and cooperates with a data communication control unit. The data communication interface can change from one data transmission mode to another without interruption of an existing data link. The change is controlled by the data communication control unit as a function of predefined selection criteria.
US08831733B2
A method and system of compensating for a damaged brain node is disclosed. The damaged node is determined by techniques such as fMRI or neural recording. A healthy node that can compensate for the function of the damaged node is determined. A stimulating electrode is placed on at least one functioning node to bypass the activity from the damaged node to compensate for a missing node. The functioning node is then stimulated to compensate for the damaged node.
US08831732B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for quantifying the quality of a fiducial time marker for a candidate heart beat, quantifying the quality of a candidate heart beat, or determining a time of beat sequence of the patient's heart. A fiducial time marker is obtained for a candidate heart beat. A quality index of said candidate heart beat is set to a first value. The candidate heart beat is tested with at least one beat validity test. At least a second value is added to said quality index of said candidate heart beat if said candidate heart beat passes said at least one beat validity test. The candidate heart beat is tested with at least a second heart beat validity test. At least a third value is added to said quality index of said candidate heart beat if said candidate heart beat passes said at least second heart beat validity test. In one class of beat validity test, a constraint defining a pass is modified at one or more times after the most recent prior valid heart beat that is greater than a constraint modification time threshold.
US08831719B2
An external defibrillator includes a therapy delivery circuit, a sensor, and a processor. The therapy delivery circuit is configured to be electrically charged and to deliver electrical therapy to a patient. The sensor is configured to sense a physiological condition of the patient and generate data indicative of a probability that therapy will be delivered to the patient. The processor is configured to analyze data generated by the sensor to determine whether there is a threshold level of the probability that the therapy delivery will be delivered to the patient, if the probability is at least at the threshold level, charge the therapy delivery circuit, and determine whether therapy delivery is advisable based on the physiological condition of the patient after determining whether the probability is at least at the threshold level.
US08831708B2
A nuclear probe and ultrasound transducer are interconnected, such as being in a same hand-held housing. The interconnection aligns the coordinate systems in a known spatial relationship. The ultrasound data is used to detect transducer offset or change in position without a tracking sensor. The radiation detected by the nuclear probe may be reconstructed into an image based on the detected transducer position since the nuclear probe moves with the ultrasound transducer. Both anatomical and functional imaging may be provided together without the complications of calibration and tracking. Where a therapeutic transducer is included, therapy may also be provided. The anatomical and functional information identifies the regions for treatment. The same device, already positioned correctly based on the functional and anatomical imaging, is then used for treatment with high intensity focused ultrasound.
US08831707B2
A method of puncturing an interatrial septum between a right atrium and a left atrium may include introducing a distal end of a catheter endoluminally into the right atrium. The method also may include introducing a distal end of a cannula into the right atrium. The cannula may include a proximal first segment and a distal second segment. The distal second segment may be deflectable away from a linear configuration relative to the proximal first segment. A needle tip may be provided at a distal end of the distal second segment. At least a portion of the cannula may be received within a lumen of the catheter. The method also may include deflecting the distal second segment in the right atrium to a deflected configuration by actuating a mechanism at a proximal end of the cannula to align the needle tip with a target point on the interatrial septum.
US08831705B2
Systems and methods according to the invention employ an acceleration sensor to characterize the synchrony or dyssynchrony of the left ventricle. Patterns of acceleration related to myocardial contraction can be used to assess synchrony or dyssynchrony. Time-frequency transforms and coherence are derived from the acceleration. Information and numerical indices determined from the acceleration time frequency transforms and coherence can be used to find the optimal pacing location for cardiac resynchronization therapy. Similarly, the information can be used to optimize timing intervals including V to V and A to V timing.
US08831692B2
A protective gasket for a display module of a portable electronic device and a method for assembling the device. The electronic device includes a housing frame, a main body having a display module, and a flexible gasket between the frame and main body, the frame having a display window corresponding to the display module. A cut is at corner portions of the gasket so that inner edges of the flexible gasket are bent after the display module is embedded into the display window, and then compressed and fitted between the outer periphery of the display module and the inner periphery of the display window. With the inner edges of the flexible gasket bent, the thickness of the electronic device can be reduced, and the periphery of the display module can be protected. The display module also can be protected from intrusion by foreign matters such as dust and moisture.
US08831689B2
Manipulation receiving unit receives an operation input by a user manipulation. In case the manipulation receiving unit does not receive an input operation for a predetermined time period, a state control unit sets an operation state to a power saving state. However, if the voice receiving unit receives voice input before a non-operation time period reaches the predetermined time period, the status control unit does not set the operation state to the power saving state even if the manipulation receiving unit does not receive an input operation during the predetermined time period. The non-operation time period is defined as a time period during which the manipulation receiving unit does not receive an input operation.
US08831681B1
An image guided audio communication device is disclosed that includes a camera mounted on a front-side that captures an image. Directional information from the image is used to control priorities given to audio signals coming toward a front-side of the communication device during audio processing.
US08831672B2
A method in a communication system for managing energy consumption of base stations within the communication system includes computing a marginal energy value for a first base station based on an energy source type of the first base station and computing a marginal energy value for a second base station based on an energy source type of the second base station. The method also includes comparing the marginal energy value for the first base station and the marginal energy value for the second base station. Additionally, the method includes adjusting an amount of wireless communication managed by the first base station in relation to the second base station, such that the amount of wireless communication managed by the first base station is increased if the first base station has a lower marginal energy value than the second base station, or the amount of wireless communication managed by the first base station is decreased if the first base station has a higher marginal energy value than the second base station.
US08831667B2
Techniques for determining and reporting channel quality indicator (CQI) information are described. A user equipment (UE) may determine a transmit power per channelization code, POVSF, based on the available transmit power and a designated number of channelization codes. The UE may estimate SINRs of multiple transport blocks based on POVSF, determine CQI indices for the transport blocks based on the SINRs, and send the CQI indices to a Node B. The Node B may send multiple transport blocks to the UE based on the CQI indices. The Node B may send the transport blocks (i) with the designated number of channelization codes at POVSF or (ii) with a second number of channelization codes at POVSF, with the transport block sizes being scaled based on the designated and second numbers of channelization codes.
US08831663B2
A method for providing an indicator to a dispatcher of traffic on a shared multi-talkgroup channel is provided. The method includes initiating and transmitting a first communication on a first talkgroup over the multi-talkgroup channel, receiving a notification at a first dispatch console indicating a presence of traffic on the multi-talkgroup channel that will conflict with a second talkgroup during the first communication, wherein the first dispatch console is subscribed to participate in the second talkgroup on the multi-talkgroup channel, and generating an indicator at the first dispatch console indicating to a dispatcher the presence of traffic on the multi-talkgroup channel that will conflict with the second talkgroup during the first communication.
US08831662B2
Disclosed is a two-way radio frequency (RF) communications system including a first device that receives, from a first subscriber unit, a virtual radio conferencing call (VRC) request identifying a plurality of other subscriber units to be partied to the VRC call and a conference time period during which to conduct the VRC call. The device reserves RF resources at one or more corresponding radio sites associated with the subscriber units partied to the VRC call for the conference time period. At a beginning of the conference time period, the device causes a virtual radio conference call start message to be transmitted to the subscriber units partied to the call instructing the subscriber units to join the VRC call via the reserved RF resources at their respective radio sites.
US08831660B2
A dynamic wireless network discovery system, apparatus and method are provided for users of wireless device to find, connect to, and use wireless networks in an automated manner. New gained knowledge about a wireless network is shared with a central server, which in turn aggregates knowledge about wireless networks collected from various wireless devices, and takes all this aggregated knowledge and reduces the individual data points to aggregate data that provides valuable information about the status of the networks. The central server then in turn distributes this information to a software client operating on wireless devices. Dynamically learned wireless network information is shared from one wireless device with other wireless devices through the distributed intelligence network, either through the central server or by communicating with other wireless devices, providing group-based intelligence about wireless networks to other wireless devices. Devices may further dynamically discover wireless networks that should not be used.
US08831658B2
A method of wireless communication includes intercepting a request from an application desiring use of communication resources. The intercepted request is held and is then evaluated to determine whether the held request can be released. The held request is released based on the outcome of the evaluation.
US08831647B2
A real-time communications system that is capable of convening an on-line meeting or teleconference involving text, audio, video, and/or data between multiple users of mobile and non-mobile devices. A mobile telephone is operative to receive an invitation to join an on-line meeting with at least one user of another mobile or non-mobile device. If the mobile telephone network can provide an indication of whether the mobile telephone is powered-on and within the coverage area of the mobile telephone network, a real-time messaging server employs this information to determine the on-line presence of the mobile telephone user before transmitting the meeting invitation. Otherwise, the real-time messaging server assumes that the mobile telephone user is present and on-line. The mobile telephone user may indicate his or her desire to join the on-line meeting by transmitting an SMS message to the real-time messaging server in response to the meeting invitation, after which the real-time messaging system may convene the on-line meeting between the multiple users.
US08831646B2
A network sends an indication of discontinuous reception period (ldle_Mode_DRX_Period) and an indication of number of paging groups (Paging_Group_Count). Paging occasions for a user equipment are determined by a predetermined formula. One exemplary formula is SFN mod IDLE_Mode_DRX_Period=(IDLE_Mode_DRX_Period div Paging_Group_Count) *(ID) mod (Paging_Group_Count); where SFN is system frame number and ID is the identifier of the user equipment, which can be IMSI or some value derived from IMSI. The UE's temporary ID is sent during a determined paging occasion, which maps to a paging channel on which the page is sent. Options for restricting the paging occasion to less than a frame, and for offsetting the paging occasions from that of the above formula are detailed.
US08831639B2
Provided are a social network service providing system and method for setting a relationship between users based on a motion of a mobile terminal, and a distance determined by a user. The social network service providing system may include a request receiver to receive, from a mobile terminal, a request generated in accordance with a motion of the mobile terminal, an information providing unit to provide location information of the mobile terminal, and distance information determined by a user of the mobile terminal, a mobile terminal identifying unit to identify at least one other mobile terminal based on the location information and the distance information, and a user information providing unit to provide information about a user of the at least one other mobile terminal.
US08831626B2
Provided are a system and method for determining a position based on portable Internet in a portable Internet system. The method includes receiving, by the terminal, information on neighbor base stations (BSs) from a main BS, scanning the neighbor BSs while measuring Received Signal Strength Indicators (RSSIs) for the main BS and the neighbor BSs, determining whether the RSSI for the main BS is greater than a preset threshold value, and deciding, as a position of the terminal, a position associated with an IDentification (ID) of the main BS when the RSSI is greater than the threshold value.
US08831599B2
The present invention provides a method and respective entities for avoiding handovers in a ping-pong manner in a communication network. The method comprises comparing, when a handover of a mobile station to a base station is intended, decision criteria of the intended handover with decision criteria of previous handovers of the mobile station to that base station, and deciding on allowing or preventing the intended handover based on the result of the comparison.
US08831598B1
A method of communicating via a satellite using a remote apparatus includes determining a geographical location of the remote apparatus, and determining a local data set corresponding to the geographical location. The data set includes communication parameters for a communication conducted by the remote apparatus from the geographical location. The method also includes retrieving the local data set from a global data set stored entirely in a memory of the remote apparatus, and conducting the communication via the satellite by the remote apparatus according to the communication parameters. The global data set includes local data sets corresponding to every geographical location in the world. A corresponding apparatus, a method and apparatus for generating a global data set, and a satellite communication system are also disclosed.
US08831597B1
A mobile device is adapted to operate in a first communication mode and a second communication mode. An identifier is acquired for a mobile device, wherein the identifier is sent to identify the mobile device when the mobile device places a call in the first communication mode. A call is placed to a destination device while the mobile device operates in the second communication mode. The same identifier is sent to the destination device while the mobile device operates in the second communication mode. The mobile device is served by a first service provider while it operates in the first communication mode. The mobile device is served by a second service provider while it operates in the second communication mode, the second service provider being different from the first service provider.
US08831581B2
Systems, methods and processor-readable media for initiating a call are disclosed. A particular system includes an access interface to receive a data message including a destination address from a mobile communication device. The system also includes a communication bridge responsive to the access interface. The communication bridge initiates a first call to the mobile communication device and initiates a second call to the destination address in response to the data message. The communication bridge bridges the first call to the second call.
US08831576B2
A mobile communications device and registration server and methods of use thereof. The mobile communications device comprises means for establishing a first data context and means for establishing a second data context. The first data context is established to transmit a request for parameters from the mobile communications device to a first network node and to receive at the mobile communications device a response from the first network node including the parameters. The second data context is established by transmitting the parameters from the mobile communications device to the second network node.
US08831569B2
Systems and methods for processing encoded messages within a wireless communications system are disclosed. A server within the wireless communications system performs signature verification of an encoded message and provides, together with the message, an indication to the mobile device that the message has been verified. In addition, the server provides supplemental information, such as, for example, a hash of the certificate or certificate chain used to verify the message, to the device, to enable the device to perform additional checks on the certificate, such as, for example, validity checks, trust checks, strength checks, or the like.
US08831565B2
A system and method for determining, based at least in part on communication device position, whether access to an alternative communication network is authorized. Various aspects of the present invention may, for example and without limitation, comprise determining a position of a mobile communication device serviced by a communication network; determining, based at least in part on the determined position of the mobile communication device, whether the mobile communication device is authorized to access an alternative communication network; and communicating information regarding said determined authorization.
US08831563B2
Methods and systems for providing a service are provided. A request is received to provide the service to a device. A location of the device, or a network interface through which the device is coupled, is determined. Finally, the delivery of the service is authorized based on the determined location of the device, or the determined network interface.
US08831559B2
A method and storage medium with instructions for identifying an association between a Smart Card and a mobile device by selecting card-swiping record pairs from a set of card-swiping records of the Smart Card, each including a card-swiping location and a corresponding card-swiping time; calculating overlap degree in time and location dimensions of the card-swiping record pair and the communication behavior record pair of the mobile phone, which is recorded in a mobile network as a communication log; determining that the card-swiping record pair overlaps with the communication behavior record pair of the mobile phone recorded in the communication log if the overlap degree is greater than a predetermined threshold, and determining that the Smart Card is associated with the mobile phone if each card-swiping record pair of the plurality of card-swiping record pairs overlaps with the communication behavior record pair of the mobile phone recorded in the communication log.
US08831558B2
Disclosed in the present invention are a method and device for calculating statistics of inter-system reselection frequency, for realizing calculation and analysis of inter-system reselection frequency of dual-mode user equipment during the 3G network construction in the situation where the 2G and 3G networks are deployed as different location areas at the initial stage of network construction. In the present invention, in the situation where the 2G and 3G networks are deployed as different location areas at the initial stage of network construction, the data is collected based on the radio network control system, the location area or routing area update log of the UE is counted and analyzed, multi-dimensional classification is carried out by the signaling monitoring and analysis system at the network side, the distribution of inter-system reselection frequency of dual-mode user equipment during the 3G network construction is reflected in the sense of statistics, so as to direct the network area coverage layout and network convergence establishment planning and improve user experience.
US08831556B2
A prank call server that performs 911 prank call filtering over a 911 emergency call system, prior to routing a 911 call to a PSAP. The inventive prank call server identifies prank calling devices, regardless of current service subscription, by retrieving and analyzing emergency call data pertaining to detected prank 911 calls. The prank call server assigns a unique global identifier to each 911 call detected on the 911 emergency call system. Unique global identifiers enable a PSAP to uniquely identify prank 911 calls that are identified thereon. A PSAP transmits a prank call signal and a relevant unique global identifier to the prank call server, for each prank 911 call that is detected. A prank call signal/unique global identifier combination triggers the prank call server to store all available call data for a referenced prank 911 call in to a prank call database, for subsequent prank call filtering analysis.
US08831550B2
Filter coefficients are generated by testing a wireless communication system using single-tone signals. While using the filter coefficients in a filter module, signal imbalance caused by a local oscillator or analog elements in a wireless communication system can be eliminated, so as to prevent the wireless communication system from being affected by the noises.
US08831546B2
A radio receiver includes a first signal path including a first tuner configured to receive a first signal from a first antenna, and a first demodulator configured to demodulate symbols from an output of the first tuner to produce first branch metrics derived from the demodulated symbols; a second signal path including a second tuner configured to receive a second signal from a second antenna, and a second demodulator configured to demodulate symbols from an output of the second tuner to produce second branch metrics derived from the demodulated symbols; a combiner for maximum ratio combining the first branch metrics and the second branch metrics; and processing circuitry to process the combined first and second branch metrics to produce an output signal.
US08831544B2
An in-phase radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) stage and a quadrature-phase RF PA stage are disclosed. The in-phase RF PA stage includes a first group of arrays of amplifying transistor elements and the quadrature-phase RF PA stage includes a second group of arrays of amplifying transistor elements. A group of array bias signals is based on a selected one of a group of DDS operating modes. Each of the group of array bias signals is a current signal. The in-phase RF PA stage biases at least one of the first group of arrays of amplifying transistor elements based on the group of array bias signals. Similarly, the quadrature-phase RF PA stage biases at least one of the second group of arrays of amplifying transistor elements based on the group of array bias signals.
US08831541B2
A wireless telecommunication system and method including at least two transmit antennae and means for implementing a downlink switched sub-channels diversity scheme during transmission. The method includes splitting a total bandwidth allocated for transmission of a transmitted signal to individual sub-channels or groups of sub-channels; boosting each of the sub-channels or groups of sub-channels; and routing each of the sub-channels or groups of sub-channels to a different transmit antenna.
US08831518B2
The subject innovation relates to a device for contactless short range communication. An exemplary device comprises a contactless communication module enabled for contactless short range communication with an external target. A processor of the device is configured to execute at least one contactless application. The exemplary device includes a smart card external to the processor and connected to the contactless communication module. The smart card provides an interface used by the contactless application to access functions of the contactless communication module via the smart card.
US08831514B2
A near-field communication (NFC) system may include an NFC tag comprising a memory configured to store geo-position data corresponding to a geographic position of the NFC tag, and a first NFC sensor coupled to the memory and configured to initiate a transaction based upon NFC communications. The NFC system may further include a mobile wireless communications device comprising a second NFC sensor and a controller coupled thereto. The controller may be configured to establish NFC communications with the first NFC sensor when in proximity thereto and retrieve the geo-position data therefrom, authenticate a geographic position of the NFC tag based upon the retrieved geo-position data, and perform the transaction with the NFC tag if the geographic position of the NFC tag is authenticated.
US08831511B2
A mobile converter application is configured for installment on a mobile device. The mobile converter device provides interoperability between barcodes and NFC codes by translating barcodes to equivalent NFC codes and by translating NFC codes to equivalent barcodes. This enables the mobile device to transact with endpoint devices using either barcode technology or NFC technology depending on the capabilities of the endpoint devices.
US08831503B2
An apparatus includes a sheet path, an creasing member positioned on a first side of the sheet path, and a base positioned on a second side of the sheet path opposite the creasing member. The base is positioned relative to the creasing member so that a sheet of print media passes along a processing plane between the creasing member and the base when traveling in a processing direction along the media path. The processing plane is parallel to flat sides of the sheet of print media as the sheet of print media passes between the creasing member and the base. The base comprises a surface positioned parallel to the processing plane. The surface of the base has a recess having a shape corresponding to the creasing member. The surface of the base rotates in the processing plane.
US08831502B2
The height of an image reading unit or an operating panel in an image forming apparatus is adjusted to facilitate their operation depending on the physical characteristics of a user, such as his height or use of a wheel chair. A second operating panel and a second automatic document feeder (ADF) are disposed on the side of the image forming apparatus, so that a user on a wheel chair can access them easily. The second ADF houses plural sheet trays that are configured to open or close together. When the sheet trays are closed, a first operating panel disposed at the top of the apparatus is activated while the second operating panel on the side is deactivated. When the sheet trays are open, the second operating panel is activated while the first operating panel is deactivated.
US08831500B2
A microwave heating device includes a microwave generating portion outputting a microwave, a conductive heating chamber into which the microwave is led and having a short-circuited terminal end in a traveling direction of the microwave, and a tuner provided between the microwave generating portion and the heating chamber. The heating chamber has an opening for passing a member to be heated therethrough. The tuner re-reflects the microwave reflected at the terminal end of the heating chamber onto the heating chamber side. The microwave output end of the microwave generating portion and the tuner are connected by a square tubular waveguide made of a conductive material. The tuner and the terminal end of the heating chamber are connected by a square tubular waveguide, which is made of a conductive material except for the opening for passing the member to be heated therethrough.
US08831498B2
A fixing device includes a rotatable, endless flexible belt, an elongated stationary pad, a rotatable pressure member, a rotary driver, a releasable biasing mechanism, a first guide member, and a second guide member. The endless flexible belt is looped into a generally cylindrical configuration. The elongated stationary pad is stationarily disposed inside the loop of the belt. The rotatable pressure member is disposed parallel to the stationary pad with the belt interposed between the pressure member and the stationary pad. The rotary driver is operatively connected with the pressure member to impart torque to the pressure member. The releasable biasing mechanism is operatively connected with the pressure member to apply a releasable pressure to the pressure member against the belt in a load direction. The first guide member defines a first elongated opening. The second guide member defines a second elongated opening.
US08831497B2
A fuser includes a fixing belt that is endless and includes a heat generating layer and circulates, an end restraining member that supports an end of the fixing belt, a heat generating source that is disposed around the fixing belt and heats the heat generating layer, an opposite part that contacts an outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt, a pressure part that is disposed inside the fixing belt and located at a position opposite to the opposite part, and presses the fixing belt to the opposite part side to form a nip between the fixing belt and the opposite part, and a rotation part that contacts an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt at a position opposite to the heat generating source.
US08831492B2
An image heating apparatus, including: a heat rotary member configured to heat an image on a recording material; a rubbing rotary member configured to rub the heat rotary member; a separation plate configured to separate the recording material from the heat rotary member; and a first and a second contact member which are in contact with the heat rotary member to position the separation plate with a predetermined gap from the heat rotary member, wherein, in a width direction of the heat rotary member, the first and second contact members are out of contact with the heat rotary member within a range in which the rubbing rotary member rubs the heat rotary member, and are in contact with the heat rotary member outside the range, and wherein the first and second contact members are in contact with on one end and the other end of the heat rotary member, respectively.
US08831480B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a drum; a charger; a developing portion; a transfer portion; a first adjuster; a second adjuster; and a controller for controlling the first and second adjuster. A first voltage is applied to the first adjuster during a period from a time when a rear end of a region in which an electrostatic image corresponding to a final image is to be formed passes through the first adjuster until a time when the rear end passes through the charger. The first voltage is lower in absolute value than a voltage applied to the first adjuster. A second voltage is applied to the second adjuster when a front end of a region of the drum opposing the first adjuster to which the first voltage is applied reaches the second adjuster. The second voltage is higher in absolute value than the voltage applied to the second adjuster.
US08831469B2
An image forming apparatus including a main body provided with an opening, a cover to open and close the opening, a plurality of development units developing electrostatic latent images into visible images through developers, a transfer device including an intermediate transfer belt receiving the developers from the plurality of development units and transferring the developers to printing media, and a sensor unit provided with light windows located at first positions opposite the intermediate transfer belt when the opening is closed by the cover, and located at second positions exposed to the opening when the opening is opened by the cover. Thereby, a user may clean the light windows through the opening.
US08831468B2
An optical scanner includes a plurality of automatic cleaning units which automatically cleans dust-proof glasses. The automatic cleaning units include screw shafts threadedly coupled to holding units that hold cleaning members. When the holding members are moved by rotationally driving the screw shafts of the automatic cleaning units at the same time, the height of the cleaning member of at least one of the automatic cleaning units with respect to the dust-proof glasses becomes different from the height of the cleaning members of the remaining automatic cleaning units with respect to the dust-proof glasses.
US08831466B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image bearing members to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer device including a plurality of transfer members and an endless belt formed into a loop and entrained around the transfer members, to transfer the toner images from the image bearing members onto the surface of the belt so that the toner images are superimposed one atop the other on the belt to form a composite toner image, a plurality of cleaning devices including a cleaning blade to remove residual toner remaining on the image bearing members after transfer of the toner images onto the belt, and a plurality of heaters disposed inside the loop formed by the belt. Each of the heaters is disposed between adjacent image bearing members. The belt is interposed between the plurality of heaters and the plurality of image bearing members.
US08831465B2
The present application discloses an image forming apparatus for forming an image by means of toner. The image forming apparatus includes an image carrier including an image carrying surface to form an electrostatic latent image; a developing device which supplies the toner to the image carrying surface to form a toner image; and a suction device configured to create airflow for suctioning the toner scattered from the developing device. The developing device includes a duct configured to guide the airflow to the suction device. The duct includes a connection surface, to which the suction device is connected, and a suction surface provided with suction ports into which the toner flows. The suction ports aligned in a direction apart from the connection surface include different suction ports in ventilation area.
US08831463B2
An image forming apparatus includes an outer cover in which an air intake and an exhaust outlet are formed, an image forming unit, a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium and including a fixing casing in which a sheet inlet and a first exhaust opening are formed, and a thermal shield disposed above the sheet inlet of the fixing device and between the fixing device and a component adjacent to the fixing device, an air channel to guide air sucked in through the air intake to the exhaust outlet, defined by the thermal shield as well as the fixing casing. The first exhaust opening formed in the fixing casing communicates with the air channel formed by the thermal shield and the fixing casing to merge the hot air discharged from the fixing device into the air flowing in the air channel.
US08831441B2
To reduce PAPR in an optical OFDM communication system, light is phase-modulated by a base-band OFDM signal which is the output of a transmission signal processing unit 100 provided in an inner section of an optical receiver. When optical communication is implemented with the light as signal light, PAPR of low level of almost 0 dB can be achieved at places in an inner section of an optical fiber wherein the optical power is large. The signal light is propagated along an optical fiber which is a transmission path, the light is passed through a delay interferometer, and converted to electrical signals by two optical receivers. Each of the two electrical signals is converted to a subcarrier by FFT signal processing and an AD converter disposed in an inner section of the optical receivers, then, subcarriers having the same frequency are subtracted and decoded, and data is regenerated.
US08831440B2
The method includes: receiving a first Non Return to Zero (NRZ) data signal and a synchronous clock signal, and performing Return to Zero (RZ) processing to generate a first complementary RZ data signal pair; receiving a second NRZ data signal and a synchronous clock signal, and performing RZ processing to generate a second complementary RZ data signal pair; and modulating the first complementary RZ data signal pair and the second complementary RZ data signal pair on light to generate an RZ-Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (RZ-DQPSK) optical signal. Through the method and device, RZ processing are performed on the NRZ data signals to generate the complementary RZ data signal pairs, and the complementary RZ data signal pairs are modulated on the light, thereby reducing the cost and the insertion loss of the entire device, lowering the requirements for input optical power and reducing the complexity of loop circuit control.
US08831434B2
A computer data transmission system includes a CPU, a photoelectrical conversion module electrically connected to the CPU, a plurality of I/O interface cards, and a plurality of first optical fibers. The photoelectrical conversion module includes a plurality of photoelectrical conversion units. Each I/O interface card includes at least one photoelectrical conversion unit for converting electrical signals to optical signals or converting optical signals to electrical signals. The first optical fibers connect the photoelectrical conversion units of the I/O interface cards and the photoelectrical conversion units of the photoelectrical conversion module. The photoelectrical conversion unit of the photoelectrical conversion module receives electrical signals outputted by the CPU, and convert the electrical signals to optical signals. The converted optical signals are transmitted to the photoelectrical conversion unit of the I/O interface card, and the photoelectrical conversion unit of the I/O interface card converts the optical signals to electrical signals.
US08831428B2
Communication devices, systems, and methods for dynamic cell bonding (DCB) for networks and communication systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of operating a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes determining a first plurality of remote units in a cloud bonded to a communication session, measuring a received signal strength from each of the first plurality of remote units, and measuring a received signal strength from each of a second plurality of remote units in the cloud not bonded to the communication session. One or more of the second plurality of remote units is dynamically bonded to the communication session if the measured received signal strength of the one of the second plurality of remote units is greater than the measured received signal strength of the first plurality of remote units.
US08831425B1
A Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) Passive Optical Network (PON) system (DPON) makes optical subscribers appear as cable subscribers. In one embodiment, a Cable Modem (CM) proxy is located in an Optical Line Termination (OLT). The OLT implements a cable modem protocol stack that operates as the CM proxy and communicates with a back office system. The OLT translates the data retrieved by the CM proxy into Optical Network Unit (ONU) recognizable commands, and sends the translated data to the ONU. In a second embodiment, the CM proxy is located in the ONU. The ONU implements the cable modem protocol stack that operates as the CM proxy and communicates with the back office system. The ONU translates the data retrieved by the CM proxy into ONU recognizable commands and sends the translated data to the ONU.
US08831424B2
In an optical communication network that includes a plurality of interconnected network nodes, a method includes storing in each network node, and for each communication channel that traverses the node, one or more impairment margins of respective impairments that affect the communication channel. A potential communication channel that traverses a subset of the nodes in the network is identified. A quality of the potential communication channel is evaluated by processing the impairment margins stored in the nodes in the subset.
US08831420B2
There is provided a focus detection device including a phase difference acquisition unit that calculates an amount of deviation between light-reception amount distributions of a pair of light-receiving element groups arranged in a predetermined direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction as a phase difference, a conversion coefficient correction unit that corrects a conversion coefficient, representing a ratio of an amount of focus deviation in the optical axis direction to the phase difference when shapes of the light-reception amount distributions are same, according to a degree of discrepancy between the shapes of the light-reception amount distributions, and a defocus amount generation unit that generates the amount of focus deviation as an amount of defocus based on the corrected conversion coefficient and the phase difference.
US08831414B2
An imaging apparatus including a light emitting device includes a determination unit configured to determine a weighting coefficient of each of a plurality of light metering regions, a calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of main flash light of the light emitting device after performing weighting of the light metering value of each of the plurality of light metering regions according to the weighting coefficient determined by the determination unit, and a selection unit configured to select, from the plurality of light metering regions, a reference region which is used when the weighting coefficient of each of the plurality of light metering regions is determined by the determination unit, and the selection unit selects the reference region in such a manner that a light metering region different from a light metering region whose color information acquired by the color information acquisition unit satisfies a particular condition, is preferentially selected.
US08831403B2
An example method includes receiving a search query that includes one or more attributes; evaluating a plurality of video files; identifying video clips within the video files that have one or more of the search attributes; and creating a video report comprising a contiguous sequence of the video clips, where the video clips are stitched together according to a stitch criterion. In more particular embodiments, the method can include providing a user interface configured for receiving feedback associated with the plurality of video files. Additionally, the method may include tagging the video files with tags corresponding to predefined attributes; and identifying the predefined attributes in response to the search query. Furthermore, method can include matching the tags with the one or more search attributes, where at least one video clip in a particular one of the video files has at least some of the one or more search attributes.
US08831376B2
An image processing device includes an image input portion, a motion vector acquisition portion and a distortion component estimation portion. The image input portion inputs a plurality of frame images. The motion vector acquisition portion acquires an amount of parallel movement between two frame images. The distortion component estimation portion performs approximation such that a motion matrix indicating a motion between the frame images consists only of a parallel movement component and a rolling shutter distortion component, uses the amount of parallel movement to calculate, for each of the frame images, a tentative distortion coefficient included in the rolling shutter distortion component and uses the plurality of tentative distortion coefficients calculated to estimate a distortion coefficient.
US08831368B2
Provided are an adaptive coding modulation (ACM)-based simulcast transmission and reception apparatus and method. The apparatus includes a transmitter configured to analyze whether or not it is raining in a region where a receiver is present on the basis of channel state information (CSI) provided by the receiver, encode and/or modulate an image signal according to the analysis result, and provide the encoded and/or modulated image signal through a single band or multiple bands. On the basis of a result of analyzing whether or not it is raining in a region where a receiver is present, it is possible to effectively prevent signal attenuation caused by rain by providing image signals having different resolutions through multiple bands when the region is in a rainfall state.
US08831367B2
Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are configured to render images using light field image files containing an image synthesized from light field image data and metadata describing the image that includes a depth map. One embodiment of the invention includes a processor and memory containing a rendering application and a light field image file including an encoded image and metadata describing the encoded image, where the metadata comprises a depth map that specifies depths from the reference viewpoint for pixels in the encoded image. In addition, the rendering application configures the processor to: locate the encoded image within the light field image file; decode the encoded image; locate the metadata within the light field image file; and post process the decoded image by modifying the pixels based on the depths indicated within the depth map to create a rendered image.
US08831347B2
Data segmenting apparatus and method are provided. An apparatus for segmenting an input data sequence includes: a boundary searching device configured to search for one or more candidate boundaries in the data sequence, to obtain one or more candidate segmenting schemes formed by different combinations of these candidate boundaries; and an evaluating device configured to generate, for each candidate segmenting scheme, an evaluation value of each candidate boundary in the scheme by evaluating a segmenting loss caused by using the candidate boundary to segment the data sequence, and determine whether the candidate boundary is valid in the candidate segmenting scheme according to the evaluation value reflecting association relationship between a pair of adjacent data segments adjoining to the candidate boundary and association relationship between each of one or more pairs of non-adjacent data segments, each of which includes two non-adjacent data segments located at two sides of the candidate boundary.
US08831344B2
An apparatus and method for adjusting hue in an image processing device are provided. The method includes: setting a rotation angle of hue of each of regions of an image divided into a predetermined number about a central point; calculating coordinates of hue values Cr and Cb of an input pixel to determine in which of the regions the pixel is located; calculating an angle of the pixel in the determined region; calculating a movement angle using rotation angles set for the determined region and an adjacent region, and determining whether interpolation is to be performed to the angle of the pixel based on a difference between the movement angle and the angle of the pixel; and if it is determined that the interpolation is to be performed, calculating an interpolation angle using the movement angle and the angle of the pixel, and moving the pixel by the interpolation angle.
US08831319B2
A method of correcting CT numbers in image data includes selecting at least one reference region in a CT image, wherein the selected region is a region associated with substantially same CT number when no artifacts are present in the CT image, estimating artifacts in at least one other region of the CT image based at least in part on detected CT numbers in the at least one reference region, and correcting CT numbers in the at least one other region of the CT image based on the estimated artifacts.
US08831317B2
Blood streams different in direction can be selectively depicted, and a blood vessel image (MRA image) which has an excellent blood vessel contrast and in which a background signal is suppressed is obtained. Therefore, the present invention sets a pre-saturation area (pre-saturation area) in an area containing at least a part of an imaging area and performs imaging in a blood vessel imaging operation using a pre-saturation pulse for pre-exciting spins.
US08831313B2
A method for detecting microorganisms, which comprises: a training step for forming, by a classifier, feature vectors based on color data on individual points within a subject region of training in a culture medium, mapping the points in the culture medium, that are specified by the feature vectors, on a high-dimensional feature space, and linearly separating a set of the points ψ (x1), that are specified by the high-dimensional feature vectors thus obtained, to thereby color-classify the class (C1) of the culture medium; and a identifying step for forming, by a classifier, feature vectors based on color data on individual inspection points within a region in the culture medium using image data obtained by capturing an image of the culture medium under cultivation, mapping the inspection points (xj), that are specified by the feature vectors, on a high-dimensional feature space, and determining whether or not the mapped points ψ (xj), that are specified by the high-dimensional feature vectors thus obtained, belong to the class (C1) of the culture medium, thereby identifying a colony based on inspection points not belonging to the class (C1) of the culture medium.
US08831309B2
A method including receiving a first two-dimensional (2D) image; and applying a filter to the 2D image to produce a filtered image that identifies a circular object of interest, wherein the filter is based on the integral sum of the function S, where the filter output at point x is M ( x ) = ∫ ∀ y ∈ V ′ S ( m , θ , r , y ) Δ y which is obtained from the 2D image, the function S is represented by S(m,θ,r,y)=S1(m)S2(θ,r), where m is a magnitude of a gradient at location y, r is a radial distance from y to x, and θ is an angle between the gradient at location y and the radial distance from y to x, S 1 ( m ) = ( tan - 1 ( m - C 1 ) + π 2 ) π , s 2 ( θ , r ) = 1 σ 2 π ⅇ - ( r × sin θ ) 2 2 σ 2 × ∫ - r × sin ( 90 - θ ) C 2 - r × sin ( 90 - θ ) 1 σ 2 π ⅇ - x 2 2 σ 2 ⅆ x , C1 depends on a gray-level value of the object, C2 and σ depend on a size of the object.
US08831308B2
A method for segmenting intracranial aneurysms in digital medical images includes extracting a mesh representing a vessel surface from a volumetric digital image, the mesh comprising a set of points {pi} and edges {eij} respective points, and finding a set of binary labelings that minimizes an energy functional of the labelings and of shape descriptors of each point in the mesh, where the binary labelings segments an aneurysm from the surface by associating one of two labels with each point pi, where a label indicates whether an associated point is on a vessel or on an aneurysm, where the energy functional includes a unary potential term summed over all points that represent a posterior distribution of the labels over the points, and a pairwise potential term summed over all edges that represents neighborhood labeling relationships.
US08831304B2
In the context of the early detection and monitoring of eye diseases, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, the use of optical coherence tomography presents the difficulty, with respect to blood vessel segmentation, of weak visibility of vessel pattern in the OCT fundus image. To address this problem, a boosting learning approach uses three-dimensional (3D) information to effect automated segmentation of retinal blood vessels. The automated blood vessel segmentation technique described herein is based on 3D spectral domain OCT and provides accurate vessel pattern for clinical analysis, for retinal image registration, and for early diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of glaucoma and other retinal diseases. The technique employs a machine learning algorithm to identify blood vessel automatically in 3D OCT image, in a manner that does not rely on retinal layer segmentation.
US08831301B2
The identification of known normal structures within an image is preferably accomplished using an appearance model. Specifically, an active appearance model, which encapsulates a complete model of the shape and global texture variations of an object from a collection of samples, is utilized to define normal structures within an image by restricting training samples supplied to the active appearance model during a training phase to those that do not contain abnormal structures. Accordingly, the trained appearance model represents only normal variations in the object of interest. When another image with abnormalities is presented to the system, the appearance model cannot synthesize the abnormal structures which show up as errors in a residual image. Accordingly, the errors in the residual image represent potential abnormalities.
US08831294B2
A system may recognize faces within an image by using wireless identifiers captured at the time the image was taken to determine a list of candidates for facial recognition. A database may contain people associated with one or more wireless identifiers, which may be identifiers associated with various protocols, such as Bluetooth, cellular telephones, WiFi, or other protocols. In some cases, the list of candidates may be expanded by using candidate's social networks. The recognized faces may be tagged in the image as metadata, then used in various scenarios. In one scenario, an album of images from an event may be created by matching people who were tagged in images. In another scenario, people may exchange business contact information or social network contacts by taking images of each other.
US08831287B2
A computer implemented method for sensing occupancy of a workspace includes creating a difference image that represents luminance differences of pixels in past and current images of the workspace resulting from motion in the workspace, determining motion occurring in regions of the workspace based on the difference image, and altering a workspace environment based at least in part on the determined motion. The method also includes determining which pixels in the difference image represent persistent motion that can be ignored and determining which pixels representing motion in the difference image are invalid because the pixels are isolated from other pixels representing motion.
US08831286B2
An object identification device identifying an image region of an identification target includes an imaging unit receiving two polarization lights and imaging respective polarization images, a brightness calculation unit dividing the two polarization images into processing regions and calculating a brightness sum value between the two polarizations images for each processing region, a differential polarization degree calculation unit calculating a differential polarization degree for each processing region, a selecting condition determination unit determining whether the differential polarization degree satisfies a predetermined selecting condition, and an object identification processing unit specifying the processing region based on the differential polarization degree or the brightness sum value depending on whether the predetermined selecting condition is satisfied and identifying plural processing regions that are specified as the processing regions as the image region of the identification target.
US08831285B2
Detecting an object includes receiving depth data and infrared (IR) data from a depth sensor. A first background subtraction is performed on the IR data to create a first mask, and a second background subtraction is performed on the IR data to create a second mask. The first and second masks and the depth data are merged to create a third mask.
US08831281B2
Disclosed herein are a method, system, and computer program product for displaying on a display device (214, 410) a track summary (411, 412) of an object in a scene of a video sequence. The method includes the steps of: determining a plurality of detected track elements of the object in the scene of the video sequence; receiving a selection criterion; identifying at least one characteristic of interest of the object, based on the selection criterion; selecting a track element from the plurality of detected track elements, said selected track element corresponding to the at least one identified characteristic of interest; determining a parameter of the selected track elements depending on the at least one characteristic of interest; and displaying the track summary derived from said detected track elements, based on the determined parameter.
US08831272B2
A system (50) is used for identifying a content item. The system (50) receives a received first identifier (101) of the content item, the received first identifier being based on at least part of a baseband level representation of the content item; a received second identifier (102) of the content item, the received second identifier being based on at least part of an encoded representation (103) of the content item; and the at least part of the encoded representation (103) of the content item. The system comprises a second identifier generator (53) for generating a generated second identifier based on the at least part of the encoded representation (103) of the content item; and a validation unit (54) for validating the received first identifier as a valid first identifier of the content item if the generated second identifier matches the received second identifier.
US08831268B2
A micro-speaker includes a case having a ring wall forming a receiving cavity, a number of restricting apertures formed in the ring wall, a magnetic plate received in the case and having a main plate, a plurality of auxiliary plates extending from the main plate, and a number of protrusions extending from edges of the auxiliary plates, a first gap formed between two adjacent auxiliary plates communicating with the receiving cavity of the case, the main plate and the auxiliary plates being surrounded by the ring wall of the case, and the protrusions being located in the restricting apertures for restricting the magnetic plate in proper position.
US08831256B2
The present application discloses systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for determining prescription rules for a hearing prosthesis. A system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a receiver, a transmitter for wirelessly inducing electrical signals in the receiver, and first and second loads coupled to the receiver and associated with first and second applications, respectively. The system also includes a signal generator coupled to the transmitter. The signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a first duty cycle to the receiver for the first application and to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a second duty cycle to the receiver for the second application.
US08831254B2
Systems and methods of processing audio signals are described. The audio signals comprise information about spatial position of a sound source relative to a listener. At least one audio filter generates two filtered signals for each of audio signal. The two filtered signals are mixed with other filtered signals from other audio signals to create a right output audio channel and a left audio output channel, such that the spatial position of the sound source is perceptible from the right and left audio output channels.
US08831253B2
An electroacoustic apparatus with an optical energy conversion function is provided. The electroacoustic apparatus includes an optical energy converter for converting optical energy into electrical power. The electroacoustic apparatus further includes a signal generator and a flat speaker. The signal generator receives a signal from a sound source and generates a sound signal according to the received signal. The signal generator sends the sound signal to the flat speaker, and the flat speaker makes a sound according to the sound signal. Aforementioned operations are all performed by using the electrical power generated by the optical energy converter or a power stored therein.
US08831250B2
An electronic device comprises a first output module, a judgment module, a first switch module, a second output module, an operation module, a second switch module and a play module. The first output module generates a first audio signal. The second output module generates second audio signals. If the first audio signal is generated, the judgment module generates a first control signal. The first switch module switches to the first state and transmits the first audio signal. If the first audio signal is not generated, the judgment module generates a second control signal. The operation module generates a selecting signal. The second switch module switches to a second audio signal according to the selecting signal and transmits to the first switch module. The first switch module switches to the second state and transmits the selected second audio signal. The play module plays the audio signal.
US08831241B2
An earphone jack drive circuit applied in an electronic device is provided. The earphone jack drive circuit includes a mute circuit; a micro-controller including a detect pin and a control pin; a delay switch circuit including a resistance, a capacitance, an npn transistor and a first current-limiting resistance. During the plugging in or the unplugging out of the earphone, any momentary logic high of the detect pin charges the capacitance, the capacitance discharges when the detect pin is set to be logic low. For a period, the npn transistor is kept on, the connector of the npn transistor is set to be logic low, the input port of the mute circuit is set to be logic low, thereby the mute circuit is controlled to perform the mute mode during the period to eliminate the popping noises of connection and disconnection.
US08831222B2
A bilateral data transfer system comprising a first node, a second node, a first one-way link for unidirectional transfer of first data from the first node to the second node, and a second one-way link for unidirectional transfer of second data from the second node to the first node, wherein the unidirectional transfer of the first data across the first one-way link and the unidirectional transfer of the second data across the second one-way link are independently administered by the bilateral data transfer system. Under such bilateral data transfer system, each of the one-way data links may be subject to separately administered security restrictions and data filtering processes, enabling secure bilateral communications across different network security domains.
US08831214B2
A public key cryptographic system and method is provided for a password or any other predefined personal secret information that defeats key factoring and spoofing attacks. The method adopts a new technique of encrypting a password or any predefined secret information by a numeric function of itself, replacing the fixed public key of the conventional RSA encryption. The whole process involving key generation, encryption, decryption and password handling is discussed in detail. Mathematical and cryptanalytical proofs of defeating factoring and spoofing attacks are furnished.
US08831210B2
A method, a system and a computer program product for fast detection of the onset of a near-end signal is provided. An Acoustic Echo Canceller (AEC) attenuates an acoustic echo present in a tele-communication network. The AEC includes an adaptive filter that estimates the acoustic echo and generates an error signal. The error signal is the difference between the acoustic echo and the estimate of acoustic echo plus a near-end signal, if present. The method comprises computing an onset indicator parameter from the error signal and the estimate of acoustic echo. Several other parameters are subsequently calculated by using the onset indicator parameter, the error signal and the estimate of acoustic echo.
US08831208B2
A dialog manager for a spoken dialog system. A decision module selects a path from a plurality of alternative paths for a given call, wherein each path implements one of a plurality of strategies for a call flow. A weighting module weights the path selection decision and is connected to a probability estimator for estimating the probability value that a given one of the plurality of paths is the best-performing path.
US08831198B1
The system and method store an address of a communication device (e.g., a telephone number). A system access code of a user and a user access code are also stored (e.g., in a profile). The user access code is associated with the system access code. The user access code is used to simplify access to a conference. A call request with the address is received from the communication device to join a conference. In response to receiving the call request to join the conference, a request for a conference access code is sent to the user. The conference access code is received from the user. In response to receiving the conference access code, the conference access code is compared with the user access code. In response to the conference access code and the user access code matching, the user is logged into the conference using the system access code.
US08831195B2
A method for accessing and interacting with an interactive telecommunications service system according to one embodiment can include activating a programming mode, and entering a plurality of keystrokes to create a keyed sequence where the keyed sequence can include a telephone number and a menu response sequence. The menu response sequence can control the menu driven portion of the telecom service system after the device is connected via a telecommunications network. The keyed sequence can include delays between each of the plurality of keystrokes. The delays can be recorded and a session identifier can also be recorded. The keyed sequence can be associated with the delays and the session identifier in response to the activated programming mode. Access to the service and results from a service request can be automated.
US08831190B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which a first telephone number is associated with a second telephone number, and a web-based advertisement is served for an advertiser that includes the first telephone number. A call placed to the first telephone number is received, and the call is routed to the second telephone number based on the association of the second telephone number with the first telephone number. A determination as to whether a call-through event in response to receiving the call placed to the first telephone number has occurred, and an advertiser associated with the second telephone number is charged a cost-per-call amount if the call-through event is determined to have occurred.
US08831188B1
The invention disclosed comprises a method and device for receiving an order request from a first party along with contact information for the first party, routing at least some communication made using, or to, second contact information, such as may be provided to the first party, and providing at least part of the order request and first contact information to a third party. The contact information may be a phone number or an e-mail address or a plurality of same.
US08831180B2
A collimator for an imaging system includes a first region comprising a first one-dimensional array of apertures along a channel direction, and a second region comprising a second one-dimensional array of apertures along the channel direction, wherein an aspect ratio of the apertures of the first region is greater than an aspect ratio of the second region.
US08831175B2
According to some aspects, a hybrid optic is provided. The hybrid optic comprises a capillary optic for receiving x-rays from an x-ray source at an entrance portion of the capillary optic and for providing x-rays at an exit portion of the capillary optic, and a grazing incidence multi-shell optic (GIMSO) coupled, at an entrance portion of the GIMSO, to the exit portion of the capillary optic to receive x-rays emerging from the exit portion of the capillary optic, the GIMSO including an exit portion for providing x-rays.
US08831156B2
Techniques for interference cancellation in a CDMA system. In an exemplary embodiment, a channel set scrambled using a secondary scrambling code (SSC) is estimated and cancelled along with a channel set scrambled using a primary scrambling code (SSC). The estimation and cancellation of the SSC channel set may proceed in series with the estimation and cancellation of the PSC channel set. Alternatively, the estimation of the SSC channel set may proceed in parallel with the estimation of the PSC channel set, and the cancellations of the PSC and SSC channel sets may be simultaneously performed. Multiple iterations of such estimation and cancellation may be performed in a successive interference cancellation (SIC) scheme.
US08831145B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a communications system. The system includes a Highway-Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) transmitter comprising a direct memory access (DMA) module configured to access at least one transmitter lookup table (LUT) using DMA transfers to modulate a HART data packet into a frequency-shift keying (FSK) data signal. The system also includes a HART receiver configured to demodulate a received FSK data signal into a demodulated HART data packet.
US08831144B2
In an FSK receiver according to the present invention, a correction operation for a DC offset component is performed based on a maximum value and a minimum value of a demodulation signal. If a difference between the maximum and minimum values is less than a predetermined threshold value TH1, the correction operation is halted. Thus, the FSK receiver can rapidly perform an appropriate offset removal from a multi-level FSK signal.
US08831142B2
Described embodiments include a receiver for a serial-deserializer or the like. The receiver has adaptive offset voltage compensation capability. The offset voltage is canceled by a controller in a feedback loop to generate a compensation signal depending on a data decision error signal or by timing signals used for clock recovery.
US08831137B2
Allocation of multiple training sequences transmitted in a MIMO timeslot from multiple transmit antenna elements is provided. For example, a method of generating signals in a MIMO timeslot, the method comprising: selecting a first training sequence; preparing a first data payload; generating a first signal including the prepared first data payload and the first training sequence; transmitting the first signal in a MIMO timeslot from a first antenna of a network element; selecting a second training sequence, wherein the second training sequence is different from first training sequence; preparing a second data payload; generating a second signal including the prepared second data payload and the second training sequence; and transmitting the second signal in the MIMO timeslot from a second antenna of the network element.
US08831126B2
The present invention provides a method and device for obtaining precoding matrix. A network apparatus comprises a plurality of groups of cross-polarized linear array antennas. The method comprises: obtaining first channel indicating information indicating a first code word; obtaining second channel indicating information indicating a second code word; determining the precoding matrix, according to the first channel indicating information and the second channel indicating information, the first code word and/or the second code word comprises phase shifts and/or amplitude differences among the plurality of groups of cross-polarized linear array antennas. Since the first code word and the second code word for determining the precoding matrix by the network apparatus comprise phase shifts and amplitude differences among cross-polarized linear array antennas, the phase shifts and amplitude differences among cross-polarized linear array antennas are considered when the network apparatus sends downlink data according to the precoding matrix, so as to be able to improve the receiving quality of the sent data, thereby improving the system performance effectively.
US08831120B2
The invention concerns a method for performing adaptive subcarrier allocation to a mobile terminal (T1-T4) for OFDM or FDM transmission in a multi cell network (CN), whereby transmit powers of base stations (BS1-BS8) are estimated, channel transfer functions are calculated based on measurements in the mobile terminal (T1-T4) of pilots transmitted from base stations (BS1-BS8), the transmit powers are weighted with the channel transfer functions, a signal power and an interference power received in the mobile terminal (T1-T4) are estimated based on said weighted transmit powers, a signal to interference ratio is estimated based on the estimated signal and interference power received in the mobile terminal (T1-T4), and the adaptive subcarrier allocation is based on the signal to interference ratio of the subcarriers experienced by the mobile terminal (T1-T4), a base station (BS1-BS8), a mobile terminal (T1-T4) and a multi cell network (CN) therefor.
US08831115B2
Techniques are provided to support multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) in an orthogonal uplink of a wireless communication system. A method of wireless multi-carrier communications comprises dividing sub-carriers on an uplink into non-overlapping groups, allocating a time-frequency block including a hopping duration and a non-overlapped group, respectively, assigning a different set of orthogonal codes to each user, spreading data (or pilot) symbols of each user over the allocated time-frequency block, wherein the data (or pilot) symbols of each user are spread using the different set of orthogonal codes assigned to each user, mapping each data (or pilot) symbol to a modulation symbol in the time-frequency block, generating an orthogonal waveform based on the mapped symbols, and transmitting the orthogonal waveform.
US08831109B2
A decoder arrangement (10) includes a processor (12) programmed to decode multiple streams (111-11n), including multiple streams of different formats. In terms of functionality, the decoder arrangement includes a routing stage (13) routes each streams to different decoder stages (141-14n), each capable of decoding a stream of a particular format to yield an uncompressed stream at its output. Each of plurality of buffer stages (161-16n) stores a successive frame of an uncompressed stream output by an associated decoder stage. An output stage scales and the frames stored by the buffer stages to a common size for input to a display device (22).
US08831104B2
A method and an apparatus of decoding a video signal are provided. The present invention includes the steps of parsing first coding information indicating whether a residual data of an image block in the enhanced layer is predicted from a corresponding block in the base layer, from the bitstream of the enhanced layer, and decoding the video signal based on the first coding information. And, the step of parsing includes the step of performing modeling of the first coding information based on second coding information indicating whether prediction information of the corresponding block in the base layer is used to decode the image block in the enhanced layer. Accordingly, the present invention raises efficiency of video signal processing by enabling a decoder to derive information on a prediction mode of a current block in a decoder instead of transferring the information to the decoder.
US08831103B2
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method in which a motion vector corresponding to the difference between the coordinates of an encoding target block and the coordinates of a reference block is calculated, a horizontal-direction fine adjustment filter Hh and a vertical-direction fine adjustment filter Hv are generated and applied to the reference block, which is further assigned to the encoding target block in order to generate a motion-compensated prediction image.
US08831099B2
Non-encoded data for a macroblock of an image frame is accessed. A cost to intra-encode the macroblock is computed using at least a portion of the non-encoded data in place of reconstructed image data from another macroblock of the image frame. The cost can be compared against the cost to inter-encode the first macroblock in order to select how the first macroblock is to be encoded.
US08831098B2
A method and apparatus for decoding a video and a method and apparatus for encoding a video are provided. The method for decoding the video includes: receiving and parsing a bitstream of an encoded video; extracting, from the bitstream, encoded image data of a current picture of the encoded video assigned to a maximum coding unit, and information about a coded depth and an encoding mode according to the maximum coding unit; and decoding the encoded image data for the maximum coding unit based on the information about the coded depth and the encoding mode for the maximum coding unit, in consideration of a raster scanning order for the maximum coding unit and a zigzag scanning order for coding units of the maximum coding unit according to depths.
US08831097B2
A method and apparatus for decoding a video and a method and apparatus for encoding a video are provided. The method for decoding the video includes: receiving and parsing a bitstream of an encoded video; extracting, from the bitstream, encoded image data of a current picture of the encoded video assigned to a maximum coding unit, and information about a coded depth and an encoding mode according to the maximum coding unit; and decoding the encoded image data for the maximum coding unit based on the information about the coded depth and the encoding mode for the maximum coding unit, in consideration of a raster scanning order for the maximum coding unit and a zigzag scanning order for coding units of the maximum coding unit according to depths.
US08831088B2
Provided are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method. The image processing method includes: obtaining a reference block a having a first resolution and a differential block having the first resolution; transforming a resolution of a prediction block having the first resolution and a resolution of the differential block having the first resolution in order to generate a prediction block having a second resolution and a differential block having the second resolution, the prediction block having the first resolution and the differential block having the first resolution being generated based on a pixel value of the reference block having the first resolution; and synthesizing the generated prediction block having the second resolution and the generated differential block having the second resolution in order to generate a target block having the second resolution.
US08831084B1
In an embodiment of the present invention, a feedback technique is used to track a reference signal with a DFE summing node common mode voltage. For example, in an embodiment implemented in CML, the feedback signal shifts both differential signals (e.g., the summing node common voltage and the reference voltage) by the same amount. In such an embodiment, the feedback technique preferably changes the reference common mode but not its differential mode.
US08831073B2
A wireless transmission system includes: a communication unit for transmission; and a communication unit for reception. The communication units for transmission and reception are housed in a housing of the same electronic apparatus, or the communication unit for transmission is housed in a housing of first electronic apparatus and the communication unit for reception is housed in a housing of second electronic apparatus and a wireless signal transmission path enabling wireless information transmission between the communication units is formed between the communication units when the first and the second electronic apparatus are disposed at given positions to be integrated with each other. The communication unit for transmission includes a first carrier signal generating unit and a first frequency converter, and the communication unit for reception includes a second carrier signal generating unit, and a second frequency converter.
US08831064B1
A method of generating a spread spectrum clock signal in an integrated circuit, the method comprising providing a programmable digital clock generator in programmable logic of the integrated circuit, coupling a user-programmable control signal to the programmable clock generator to control the frequency deviation of the spread spectrum clock signal, and generating the spread spectrum clock signal in response to the user-programmable control signal.
US08831057B2
In a laser device having at least one gas-purged laser resonator which is arranged in a purging gas circuit which has upstream of the laser resonator both a low pressure generator for generating a purging gas excess pressure in the purging gas circuit and, between the low pressure generator and the laser resonator, a cleaning device for cleaning the purging gas, the purging gas being air, according to the invention the purging gas circuit has downstream of the laser resonator between the laser resonator and the low pressure generator an intake opening which is permanently open towards the atmosphere, the purging gas pressure (p1) generated by the low pressure generator being greater than the atmospheric air pressure (p0).
US08831054B2
There is discussed an optical system comprising a laser device that outputs a divergent light beam. A first portion of the divergent light beam, including a central portion, passes through an etalon device, which acts as a wavelength discriminator, and then the central portion is incident on a first monitor photodiode, which generates a wavelength-dependent detection signal. A second portion of the divergent light beam is incident on a second monitor photodetector, without passing through the etalon device, to generate a wavelength-independent detection signal. A processor processes the wavelength-dependent detection signal and the wavelength-independent detection signal to determine a control signal for controlling the wavelength of the laser device. By accurately positioning a photodetector at the central fringe of the divergent light beam following transmission through the etalon device, a compact and cost-effective wavelength locking arrangement is provided.
US08831051B2
Techniques, devices and systems for optical communications based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) that use tunable multi-wavelength laser transmitter modules.
US08831049B2
A tunable optical system with hybrid integrated semiconductor laser is provided. The optical system includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate; a first optical waveguide tunable comb filter formed at the first side of the SOI substrate; a second optical waveguide tunable comb filter with detuned filter response formed at the first side of the SOI substrate; an etched laser pit at the first side of the SOI substrate; a plurality of spacers formed on the bottom surface of the laser pit near the plane of the first side of the SOI substrate; a plurality of bumping pads formed on the bottom surface of the laser pit near the plane of the first side of the SOI substrate; and a laser chip flip-chip bonded at the first side of the SOI substrate supported by the spacers. Heating sections may be provided on the filters to tune the filters.
US08831045B2
A method for performing a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) operation by a connected mode User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system. The method includes waking up at a wake-up timing, and determining whether an incoming data indication is received from a Node B; reestablishing uplink synchronization upon receipt of the incoming data indication; and waking up after sleeping for a time from the incoming data indication reception timing, receiving a transmission resource allocation message from the Node B, and receiving downlink data over allocated transmission resources.
US08831044B1
A first network device generates a first clock. A second network device transmits a plurality of frames in response to receiving a request from the first network device. A third network device generates a second clock, receives the plurality of frames, generates time stamps based on the second clock, and transmits a first signal including the time stamps. The first network device receives the plurality of frames, receives the first signal, generates a second signal based on the plurality of frames and the first signal, and transmits the second signal. The third network device synchronizes the second clock of the third network device to the first clock of the first network device based on the second signal received from the first network device.
US08831036B2
When the provided large cell base station (100) is to allocate a resource block to a radio terminal (200) connected to said large cell base station (100), band-use restriction information that indicates use restrictions on the frequency band corresponding to the aforementioned resource block is transmitted to a small cell base station (300). The large cell base station (100) then allocates the resource block to the radio terminal (200) after an amount of time corresponding to the signal transmission delay from the large cell base station (100) to the small cell base station (300) has passed since the aforementioned transmission.
US08831027B2
A method intended to aid in the reservation of resources within a packet-switched communication network comprising a number N of relaying nodes. This method consists i), in determining for some at least of the N nodes at least one resource reservation plan Pik defined by a plan identifier associated with a stream identifier and at least two ports, and ii) in memorizing for each of the N nodes the various plans Pik relating to them.
US08831021B2
A bridge interfaces a first network protocol and a second network interface protocol. Each of a plurality of mapping windows is defined by corresponding mapping parameters defining a space in the first protocol and defining the mapping window translation rules to the second network protocol. Transaction requests in the first network protocol are selectively associated with the mapping windows.
US08831020B2
In a remote control method and system, a virtual private network is created between a home control network key and a home control network device. Both the home control network key and the home control network device determine their network paths to the Internet from the data transfer network to which they are connected. The determined network paths are stored in a home control network server on the Internet. When it is desired to form a virtual private network, the home control network server supplies the stored network paths to the home control network key and the home control network device. By using the received network paths, the home control network key and the home control network device create between them a virtual private network, to which the client device used by the person performing the remote-controlling and the actuators to be remote-controlled are also connected to implement the remote control.
US08831019B2
Internet data such as Border Gateway Protocol routing information and traceroute measurements are processed to create realistic predictive models of the paths IP traffic is likely to take between any two points on the Internet, even when direct measurements of the paths is not feasible. The prediction includes three categories: topology (what paths may exist), weighting (which paths are more or less likely to be taken under varying operational circumstances), and performance (latency, loss, jitter, etc. across the predicted paths).
US08831018B2
A gateway device includes a SIP server and a media converter. The SIP server uses media communication control data output from communication terminal devices (CTDs) to discriminate the communication media standards adopted by the CTDs, based on a call control, to call-control the CTDs. The media converter uses the communication media standards discriminated and acquired to convert media data, delivered from the CTDs, involved in communication, to a signal of a relevant communication media standard. The SIP server causes the communication media standard and information used for communication to be stored in an information memory. The media converter includes input/output interfaces, a controller, a media converter circuit and a data switcher. The interfaces verify whether or not the received data is media data, the media converter circuit converts the communication media standard of received media data received from the source CTD to a communication media standard of the destination CTD.
US08831013B2
A Layer 2 network switch is partitionable into a plurality of switch fabrics. The single-chassis switch is partitionable into a plurality of logical switches, each associated with one of the virtual fabrics. The logical switches behave as complete and self-contained switches. A logical switch fabric can span multiple single-chassis switch chassis. Logical switches are connected by inter-switch links that can be either dedicated single-chassis links or logical links. An extended inter-switch link can be used to transport traffic for one or more logical inter-switch links. Physical ports of the chassis are assigned to logical switches and are managed by the logical switch. Legacy switches that are not partitionable into logical switches can serve as transit switches between two logical switches.
US08831011B1
Communicating with a plurality of networks is disclosed. One or more credentials is provided to a first gatekeeper of a first network. One or more credentials is provided to a second gatekeeper of a second network. A session is maintained with the first gatekeeper. A second session is simultaneously maintained with the second gatekeeper.
US08831000B2
A multicast cloud controller (“MCC”) in a cloud system implements a process to manage multicast traffic in a cloud network. The MCC is coupled to at least one virtualized server for hosting one or more virtual machines (“VM”), wherein the virtualized server comprises at least one virtual switch (“VS”) that supports multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and the virtual switch is coupled to a top of rack switch (“TORS”) that supports MPLS. MPLS is utilized to support multicast data traffic in the cloud system such that the system and method reduces state and is scalable.
US08830998B2
Techniques disclosed herein include systems and methods for providing a scalable solution to transmit edge IP Multicast sender information in a Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) network. Control information is exchanged between Ingress Backbone Edge Bridges and Egress Backbone Edge Bridges Such control messages do not cause path computations at Backbone Core Bridges within the SPB network. Such exchanges of control messages trigger sending SPB specific Intermediate System To Intermediate System (IS-IS) TLV control message with path computation information via IS-IS control messages. This second set of control messages is exchanged within the SPB network and includes source-specific multicast stream information that is used by Backbone Core Bridges to establish a multicast forward state and compute multicast forwarding paths. By separating edge and routing information, IP multicasting functionality within the SPB is provided while enabling scaling and new edge multicasting applications.
US08830993B1
A time-space switch in a ring architecture includes input circuitry including N links each receiving M timeslots, a two-dimensional matrix of a plurality of switching circuits, the two-dimensional matrix is configured to receive from the input circuitry each of the M timeslots from the N links in a pipelined manner, and output circuitry including N links configured to receive any of the M timeslots from any of the N links from the two-dimensional matrix. The input circuitry, the two-dimensional matrix, and the output circuitry are arranged in a ring architecture therebetween. A link encoding protocol method performed in electrical circuitry includes receiving a plurality of time slots, grouping the plurality of time slots into time slot groups, performing a cyclic redundancy check between adjacent time slot groups, 64/65B encoding the time slot groups, and forward error correction encoding a plurality of 65B codewords from the 64/65B encoding.
US08830987B2
An apparatus and a method for IP-based call answering point selection and routing. When an IP-based call is placed to an answering point such as, for example, a Public Safety Answering Point a location for the caller can not be determined using traditional DNIS and ANI based techniques. In the present invention, a geographic location (geolocation) for the caller is determined, from as IP address associated with the caller, using a database. The database comprises information obtained from a plurality of IP location sources (e.g. Skyhook Wireless Inc.'s Loki™, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated WiFi™ hotspot registration data). An answering point is selected from a plurality of answering points as a function of the caller's location. The call is routed to the selected answering point and the caller's location information is provided to that answering point.
US08830984B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a transmitter, a receiver and methods of operating a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter includes a synchronization unit configured to provide a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal having first and second segments. The transmitter also includes a secondary scrambling unit configured to provide a scrambled secondary synchronization signal, wherein scrambling agents for the first and second segments are derived from a primary synchronization sequence of the primary synchronization signal. The secondary scrambling unit is further configured to provide an additional scrambling of one of the first and second segments, wherein a second scrambling agent is derived from the remaining segment of a secondary synchronization sequence of the secondary synchronization signal. The transmitter further includes a transmit unit configured to transmit the primary synchronization signal and the scrambled secondary synchronization signal.
US08830968B2
The invention provides a method for IQ data mapping, including the following steps of: mapping IQ data of one or more standards to a CPRI radio frame, wherein, the CPRI radio frame includes multiple multi-frames, and boundaries of the multi-frames are aligned with the header of the CPRI radio frame, and each multi-frame includes K basic frames, and each basic frame includes a plurality of IQ sub-containers, and one IQ sub-container constitutes one time slot, and the number K of the basic frames and bit widths Naxc of the IQ sub-containers included in each multi-frame are identical for different standards, and the length of the CPRI radio frame is 10ms. The invention also provides an IQ data mapping apparatus.
US08830962B2
Method, apparatus and communication system for resource release controlling are provided in the disclosure. When a user equipment (UE) with an idle mode signaling reduction (ISR) being activated moves from a first source network to a second target network, if a first SGSN in the first source network knows that a second SGSN in the second target network does not support interaction with a serving gateway (S-GW) and does not support ISR, the first SGSN controls the deletion of bearer resources on a MME in the first network by sending a resource deletion message.
US08830960B2
A method and apparatus enable high-speed downlink data transmissions to continue while a baton handover is in progress. In an aspect of the disclosure, a method of wireless communication includes switching an uplink from a source cell to a target cell while maintaining a downlink with the source cell, and transmitting over the uplink to the target cell at least one metric of quality of the downlink. In one example, the metric of quality may be a CQI. In another example, the metric of quality may be a HARQ ACK/NACK. The metric of quality of the downlink may be transmitted from the target cell to the source cell, directly or by way of a radio network controller.
US08830956B2
A method for configuring an absolute grant mapping relationship table for a drift radio network controller, comprises: a serving radio network controller informing the drift radio network controller of the absolute grant mapping relationship table used by an enhanced-dedicated channel absolute grant channel (E-AGCH) by signaling; and the drift radio network controller returning a response message to the serving radio network controller after storing the information configured. The present invention guarantees that absolute grant values corresponding to the Node B and the user equipment are obtained from the same absolute grant mapping relationship table, i.e. from the same table of relationships between absolute grant values and indexes, and the allocation and use of the power resource by them are consistent, so that efficient use of resources and security of the system are guaranteed.
US08830948B2
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes a step of assigning one or a plurality of Zadoff-Chu sequences to each of cells #A to #G, a step of generating a plurality of RACH preambles by performing a cyclic shift with respect to the assigned Zadoff-Chu sequences by a predetermined period Ncs in each of the cells #A to #G, and a step of acquiring the reception timing distribution of the RACH preambles in the predetermined period Ncs in each of the cells #A to #G.
US08830946B2
An approach provides a frame structure for supporting different operational modes. A frame is generated for transmission over a network to a first device and a second device over a first bandwidth and a second bandwidth, respectively. The preamble provides synchronization for operation over the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.
US08830931B2
The present invention relates to a method in which a user equipment transmits a plurality of sounding reference signals to a base station in a wireless communication system. More particularly, the method comprises the steps of: generating a plurality of sounding reference signals on the basis of repetition factors (RPFs) corresponding to the number of transmitting antennas; multiplexing the plurality of sounding reference signals to a frequency domain in the same OFDM symbol or SC-FDMA symbol on the basis of a transmitting antenna index; and transmitting the multiplexed sounding reference signals to the base station using a plurality of transmitting antennas.
US08830925B2
A method for reporting channel quality information in a wireless communication system, and a method for assigning radio resources according to the channel quality information are disclosed. A method for reporting channel quality information by a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system measures channel quality information of a downlink multi-carrier including a plurality of downlink component carriers, and transmits the measured channel quality information to a base station.
US08830919B2
A time tracking method is provided for channel estimation of a mobile communication receiver and a related channel estimation apparatus is provided. The channel estimation apparatus includes a channel estimation control unit for analyzing and outputting a delay profile of a multipath channel by using a channel estimation value of each multi-tap, a tracking mode control unit for calculating a distance between an earliest tap and a preset margin tap by using the delay profile analysis results, and for generating and outputting a hopping tracking control signal for tracking a position of the earliest tap to a position of the margin tap at a time when the determined distance is greater than a preset hopping threshold value, and a hopping tracking mode execution unit for receiving the hopping tracking control signal and for shifting the position of the earliest tap to the position of the margin tap at a time.
US08830897B2
A network handover method, a communications system, and relevant devices are provided, so as to implement handover between a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) network and a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network. The method specifically includes the following steps. A user terminal determines a target network access point (AP) and acquires a tunnel destination address. A signaling transmission tunnel between the user terminal and the target network AP is established through a current network according to the tunnel destination address. The user terminal executes a network access operation with the target network AP through the signaling transmission tunnel. The communications system and the relevant devices are further provided. Thus, the handover between the WiFi network and the WiMAX network can be implemented.
US08830896B2
Feedback information including a transmission quality of a packet transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device is received from the receiving device and the transmission quality included in the feedback information is revised down, to be transferred to the transmitting device, based on information of resource consumed for maintaining a wireless link included in a path to the receiving device. The above revising down is executed if it is found that the information of resource consumed reaches a predetermined threshold or is not executed unless it is found otherwise. The information of resource includes, for example, the number of retransmission times of a packet for a predetermined period of time, a transmission power level or a code length of an error correcting code.
US08830894B2
A notification method for an information change of a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Control Channel (MCCH) comprises: a base station side indicates with a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Radio Network Temporary Identity (M-RNTI) that information of an MCCH has a change, and notifies a User Equipment (UE) side; after detecting the M-RNTI, the UE continues reading the information of the MCCH or determines whether to continue reading the changed information of the MCCH according to service requirements of itself. A notification system for an information change of an MCCH comprises a notification unit on a base station side. When the base station side indicates with an M-RNTI that the information of the MCCH has a change, the notification unit on the base station side notifies the UE side. The notification mechanism for an information change of an MCCH is implemented by the method and the system. The UE monitors an information change of an MCCH, and the power consumption of the UE is reduced accordingly.
US08830888B2
A method and system for wireless charging using a radio wave. The method includes scanning a radio wave of an access point, determining an available charging frequency band among frequency bands, sending the access point a request for transmitting a charging radio wave at the charging frequency band, and switching power output from an antenna, to a battery circuit.
US08830887B2
A system and method for multi-resolution packet (MRP) transmission for ultra-low power wireless networks is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of transmitting a MRP for ultra-low power wireless networks and wherein each ultra-low power wireless network includes a transmitting unit and one or more communication units that communicate via wireless links, includes transmitting destination identifier data during a preamble period by the transmitting unit, not transmitting data during a midamble period that substantially follows the preamble period for processing the received destination identifier data to determine a destination identifier by the one or more communication units, and transmitting payload data during a payload period substantially following the midamble period for processing payload data received during the payload period based on the determined destination identifier during the midamble period.
US08830872B2
A method includes receiving a wireless beacon from an ad hoc network at a wireless device, wherein the wireless beacon includes a data structure that encodes at least a portion of a wireless identifier of an access point. The method includes configuring the wireless device from the data structure received from the wireless beacon. The method also includes establishing a wireless network between the access point and the wireless device utilizing at least a portion of the wireless identifier encoded in the data structure.
US08830867B2
A method, performed by a transmitter network element utilizing a link state routing protocol which has a maximum link state message size. The method is for providing information to avoid a disruption in data forwarding that would result from a receiver network element performing preferred route computations based on an incomplete set of link state messages. The method includes generating a complete set of link state messages having information indicating that the link state messages are the complete set of the link state messages. The complete set of the link state messages are collectively coherent with a link state of the transmitter network element. The method also includes transmitting the complete set of the link state messages, and the information indicating that the link state messages are the complete set of the link state messages, to a network. Also disclosed are transmitter network elements, receiver network elements, and methods thereof.
US08830858B2
A method may include monitoring available radio access networks for information on one or more of types of radio access technologies, measurements of signal quality, measurements of signal strengths, or carrier identifiers of the available radio access networks; calculating network priorities for the available radio access networks based on the monitored information; detecting a border condition, the border condition based on a decrease in the measurements of signal quality or the measurements of signal strength; selecting, when a border condition is detected, a new radio access network from the available radio access networks based on the calculated network priorities of the available radio access networks; and connecting to a communication channel using the selected available radio access network.
US08830854B2
A system for managing parallel processing of network packets is also provided. A wireless access device that includes multiple transceivers and multiple processing units receives network packets. A media access controller determines which transceiver a received network packet is associated with. A tagging module determines whether the transceiver associated with the received network packet is bound to one of the processing units. In response to a determination that the transceiver is bound, a scheduler assigns the received packet to the processing unit the transceiver is bound to. In response to a determination that the transceiver is not bound, the tagging module binds the transceiver to a processing unit such that the processing unit processes network packets associated with the transceiver while the transceiver is bound to the processing unit, and the scheduler assigns the received network packet to the processing unit the transceiver is bound to.
US08830834B2
Network topology independent service deployment techniques, referred to as overlay-based packet steering techniques, are provided. In one example, a server destined packet is intercepted by an in-path network device enabled as a service classifier. The service classifier encapsulates the packet and inserts the packet into a service path to a service virtualization endpoint front ending one or more service nodes. In other words, the service virtualization endpoint receives the service-directed packet on an overlay-based service path. The service-directed packet includes a service header and a service overlay tunnel encapsulation. The service virtualization endpoint inspects the service header in the service-directed packet to identify a first service node to which the service-directed packet should be forwarded and, based on the inspection, forwards the service-directed packet, on the overlay-based service path, to the first service node.
US08830817B2
The present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for multiplexing a sync node and a gateway of a wireless sensor network, which is capable of allowing communication of the wireless sensor network to be normally performed by multiplexing paths of the sync node and the gateway of the wireless sensor network even in the case where any one of the sync node and the gateway abnormally operates and by transmitting upstream data and downstream data through a path selected among the duplexed paths according to characteristics of the wireless sensor network.
US08830809B2
An optical information recording/reproduction device includes a detection unit which detects a focus-direction height of a recording medium, a focus adjustment unit which adjusts a focus-direction distance between the recording medium and a signal light optical system and a reference light system, and a control unit which controls the focus adjustment unit so that a relative distance between the object lens of the signal light optical system and the recording medium is adjusted according to the focus-direction height of the recording medium detected by the detection unit.
US08830808B1
Aspects of the disclosure provide a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit includes a processing path and a zero-start module. The processing path is configured to process an electrical signal that is generated in response to reading data on a storage medium. The data includes at least a first field and a second field. The electrical signal has a first profile corresponding to the first field and has a second profile corresponding to the second field. The zero-start module is configured to detect a field change from the first field to the second field, and control the processing path to add a compensation as a function of a profile change from the first profile to the second profile to keep the processed electrical signal to have a predetermined profile in response to the detected field change.
US08830801B2
A recording apparatus records information onto a recording medium. The recording apparatus is provided with: a near-field light device; and a control unit for controlling the near-field light device. The near-field light device is provided with: a light source; a quantum dot structure which is laminated on the light source; a plurality of quantity dots which are included in the quantity dot structure and each of which generates near-field light on the basis of light emitted from the light source; and an output end which is configured to output at least one portion of energy of the near-field light to the exterior of the quantity dot structure. The control unit of the recording apparatus controls the light source to emit the light upon recording the information, thereby increasing temperature of a region of the recording medium based on a size of the output end.
US08830800B1
A device including a magnetic structure having a substrate adjacent surface and a second, opposing surface and including a NFT that includes gold or an alloy thereof, and is positioned at the second surface; an overcoat structure; and a film structure positioned between the magnetic structure and the overcoat structure, the film structure having a total thickness of not greater than about 100 Å, and including: a first interfacial structure; a second interfacial structure; and an intermediate structure positioned adjacent the NFT of the magnetic structure, and the second interfacial structure positioned adjacent the overcoat structure, and the intermediate structure positioned between the first interfacial structure and the second interfacial structure, and wherein the first interfacial structure includes one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or a combination thereof.
US08830797B2
This timepiece comprises an indicator dial (40), a days-of-the-month mechanism (1) comprising a days-of-the-month mobile (10) and a stepper drive member (13) for driving the days-of-the-month mobile (10), a months mobile (30) coaxial with the days-of-the-month mobile placed beneath said dial (40) and connected to the days-of-the-month mobile (10) by stepper drive means (12, 20) formed so that the months mobile (30) turns through an angle of 30° each month. The dial (40) has twelve windows (41) that are angularly equidistant and the months mobile (30) supports a distinctive zone (32) of which the trajectory passes through said windows (41) and of which the maximum angular extent is 30° and the minimum angular extent corresponds to that of said windows (41).
US08830796B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a snooze button; an alarm stop button; an alarm processing unit that outputs the alarm at alarm time to be scheduled get-up time, resumes the alarm when manipulating the snooze button during the alarm after suspending the alarm for a predetermined period, stops the alarm when manipulating the alarm stop button during the alarm, and stops, when manipulating the alarm stop button during the suspension of the alarm, resuming the alarm after suspending the alarm; a computing unit that calculates, when stopping the alarm or stopping resumption of the alarm at the alarm processing unit, a get-up index based on the number of times to manipulate the snooze button from the start of the alarm to the manipulation of the alarm stop button; and a registration unit that registers the get-up index as the information to be browsed in the server.
US08830783B2
A semiconductor memory storage device is disclosed. The memory comprises a plurality of storage cells for storing data each storage cell comprising an access control device for providing the storage cell with access to or isolation from a data access port in response to an access control signal, access control circuitry for transmitting the access control signal along an access control line to control a plurality of the access control devices connected to the access control line. The access control circuitry responds to a data access request signal by increasing a voltage level supplied to the access control line to a first voltage level at a first average rate and then in response to receipt of a further signal increasing the voltage level supplied to the access control line to the predetermined higher voltage level, in such a way that a further average rate of increase of the voltage level from the first to the predetermined higher voltage level is lower than the first average rate of increase to the first level.
US08830779B1
A fuse-based memory includes a plurality of bit lines. Each bit lines couples to a corresponding plurality of fuses. The fuses couple to ground through corresponding access transistors. The memory is configured to precharge an accessed one of the bit lines and a reference one of the bit lines using a low voltage supply. In contrast, a resulting voltage difference between the accessed bit line and the reference bit line is sensed using a sense amplifier powered by a high voltage supply, wherein a high voltage supplied by the high power supply is greater than a low voltage supplied by the low voltage supply.
US08830778B2
A semiconductor memory device includes an all bank select signal generation block configured to receive level signals including information on at least one bank which has been refreshed, and generate all bank select signals, in response to an all bank refresh command; and a bank block including a plurality of banks which are configured to be refreshed in response to the all bank select signals or are refreshed in response to per bank select signals which are enabled when the level signals are enabled.
US08830772B2
A sense amplifier (100) includes first and second inverters (112 and 113). The first inverter has an input terminal (116) and an OUT_B output node and a first transistor (124). The second inverter (113) has an input terminal (115) and an OUT output node and a second transistor (125). The OUT_B output node of the first inverter is coupled to an input terminal of the second inverter, and the OUT node of the second inverter is coupled to an input terminal of the first inverter. The sense amplifier does not use a reference current; therefore, the sense amplifier does not need a reference current generator. The sense amplifier needs only one enable signal to reset a latch (110) of the sense amplifier. When coupled to a non-volatile memory element, voltages at the output nodes are indicative of a logic level of a bit stored in the non-volatile memory element.
US08830770B2
A bit line equalizing signal generator of a semiconductor memory device uses a supply voltage and a pumping voltage in stages during a period where a bit line equalizing signal is enabled, thereby enhancing an equalizing speed and an active speed while minimizing power consumption. The semiconductor memory device includes a bit line equalizing signal generating unit configured to drive an output terminal with the supply voltage during a first activation period at the beginning of the period where the bit line equalizing signal is enabled, and to drive the output terminal with the pumping voltage higher than the supply voltage during a second activation period following the first activation period, thereby outputting the bit line equalizing signal, and a bit line equalizing unit configured to equalize a bit line pair in response to the bit line equalizing signal.
US08830769B2
A signal driving device includes a constant current circuit configured to provide a constant current, a first mirror circuit configured to generate a mirror current from the constant current and provide a voltage according to the mirror current of the constant current, a circuit comprising a switch device and configured to provide a driver current, a second mirror circuit configured to generate a mirror current of the driver current and output a voltage that includes a voltage drop caused when the mirror current of the driver current flows through a replica switch device, and a differential amplifier configured to receive the voltage from the first mirror circuit and the voltage from the second mirror circuit to provide a biased voltage for the bias circuit and thereby induce the driver current.
US08830764B2
A semiconductor memory device includes: a plurality of memory cells coupled in series between a bit line and a source line; and a bit line control voltage supply unit configured to provide a control voltage to the bit line according to an operation mode, wherein the bit line control voltage supply unit provides a control voltage having a ground voltage level to the bit line during a soft programming operation.
US08830762B2
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for dealing with threshold voltage change in memory devices. A number of embodiments include an array of memory cells and control circuitry having sense circuitry coupled to the array. The control circuitry is configured to determine changes in threshold voltages (Vts) associated with the memory cells without using a reference cell, and adjust the sense circuitry based on the determined changes and without using a reference cell.
US08830756B2
A method and apparatus for detecting a latent slow bit (e.g., a latent slow-to-erase bit) in a non-volatile memory (NVM) is disclosed. A maximum number of soft program pulses among addresses during an erase cycle is counted. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a number of erase pulses during the erase cycle is counted. In accordance with various embodiments, determinations are made as to whether the maximum number of the soft program pulses has increased at a rate of at least a predetermined minimum rate comparing to a previous erase cycle, whether the maximum number of the soft program pulses has exceeded a predetermined threshold, whether the number of erase pulses has increased comparing to a previous erase cycle, or combinations thereof. In response to such determinations, the NVM is either passed or failed on the basis of the absence or presence of a slow bit in the NVM.
US08830754B2
A memory access method is applied in a memory controller for accessing a memory array, including a number of respective select switches globally controlled with a string select signal. The memory access method includes: enabling the string select signal and disabling the string select signal before a read phase.
US08830741B1
Methods and systems for time-based cell decoding for PCM memory. Generally, the higher the PCM element resistance, the longer it takes for a read output to change state. PCM memory output is determined using differentiated timings of read outputs changing state, rather than differentiated values of read outputs. In some single-bit single-ended sensing embodiments, a reference, with resistance between the resistances corresponding to a pair of adjacent logical states, is stored in multiple reference cells; a “vote” unit emits a clock signal when a majority of the reference cell read outputs transition at the vote unit. Timing units produce different binary outputs depending on whether a data read output or the clock signal changes state first at the timing unit. Time-based decoding provides advantages including improved temperature and drift resilience, improved state discrimination, improved reliability of multibit PCM, and fast and reliable sensing.
US08830725B2
A crystalline semiconductor Schottky barrier-like diode sandwiched between two conducting electrodes is in series with a memory element, a word line and a bit line, wherein the setup provides voltage margins greater than 1V and current densities greater than 5×106 A/cm2. This Schottky barrier-like diode can be fabricated under conditions compatible with low-temperature BEOL semiconductor processing, can supply high currents at low voltages, exhibits high on-off ratios, and enables large memory arrays.
US08830723B2
Pulse voltages V1 and V2 are applied to the first upper gate electrode and the second upper gate electrode, respectively, for a period T1 which is shorter than a period necessary to invert all the polarizations included in the ferroelectric film, while voltages Vs, Vd, and V3 are applied to the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the lower gate electrode film, respectively, so as to increase the values of the widths WRH1 and WRH2 and so as to decrease the value of the width WRL. The pulse voltages V1 and V2 have a smaller voltage than a voltage necessary to invert all the polarizations included in the ferroelectric film. The voltage Vs, the voltage Vd, the voltage V3, the pulse voltage V1, and the pulse voltage V2 satisfy the following relationship: Vs, Vd, V3
US08830722B2
Subject matter described pertains to methods, apparatuses, and circuits for programming a memory device.
US08830721B2
Embodiments provide improved memory bitcells, memory arrays, and memory architectures. In an embodiment, a memory cell comprises a transistor having drain, source, and gate terminals; and a plurality of program nodes, with each of the program nodes charged to a pre-determined voltage and coupled to a respective one of a plurality of bit lines.
US08830710B2
An energy recovery system is provided that can be used in place of a resistive termination. The energy recovery system can simulate the behavior and performance of a resistive termination, while recovering at least some of the energy that would otherwise have been dissipated within the termination. In one embodiment, the energy recovery system includes a rectification system having a plurality of tuned rectifier circuits and an RF input network to provide input power distribution to the plurality of tuned rectifier circuits and input impedance shaping to shape the collective input impedance of the plurality of tuned rectifier circuits as seen at the RF input port of the RF input network.
US08830706B2
Provided is a soft-start circuit which is capable of reducing the current consumption after the output of a switching power supply apparatus having been raised. It comprises a soft-start generation unit 30 for generating a soft-start voltage Vss gradually raised from 0V by charging an external capacitor Css connected thereto; a power supply unit 20 for detecting the termination of a soft-start for supplying power to the soft-start generation unit 30; and a power supply judgment unit 40 for causing the supply of power from the power supply unit 20 to the soft-start generation unit 30 to be shut down. The power supply judgment unit 40 causes the supply of power from the power supply unit 20 to the soft-start generation unit 30 to be shut down after the soft-start voltage Vss having reached the reference voltage Vref.
US08830696B2
An image display apparatus according to the present invention includes a housing, a front frame provided forward of the housing, and a display assembly accommodated in the housing. The display assembly includes a display and a transparent plate provided forward of the display. The transparent plate is larger in outer dimension than the display and has a flange portion extending outward with respect to an outer edge of the display. A seal member is interposed between the flange portion and an outer peripheral portion of the housing. When the housing and the front frame are fastened to each other, a front surface of the flange portion of the transparent plate is brought into pressure contact with a rear surface of the front frame, and the seal member is sandwiched between the front frame and the housing with a pressure applied thereto.
US08830695B2
An electronic device includes a substrate (1), an electronic component (2) seated on the substrate (1), and a cover (3) across the electronic component (2) with a space (330) between the cover (3) and the electronic component (2). The cover (3) is configured on an inside (32) facing the electronic component (2) in such fashion that the cover (3) has at least one support structure (4, 40) protruding into the space (330).
US08830690B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to shifting the resonant frequency in a high-frequency chip package away from an operational frequency by connecting a capacitance between an open-ended plating stub and ground. One embodiment provides a multi-layer substrate for interfacing a chip with a printed circuit board. A first outer layer provides a chip mounting location. A signal interconnect is spaced from the chip mounting location, and a signal trace extends from near the chip mounting location to the signal interconnect. A chip mounted at the chip mounting location may be connected to the signal trace by wirebonding. A plating stub extends from the signal interconnect, such as to a periphery of the substrate. A capacitor is used to capacitively couple the plating stub to a ground layer.
US08830686B2
A housing for an in-vehicle electronic control unit is disclosed. The housing includes: a case made of resin and formed into a box shape having an opening; a board received in the case and provided with an electronic part, the electronic part being mounted to the board; a cover made of metal and covering the opening of the case so that the board is arranged between the case and the cover; and multiple stays each provided to fix the cover or the case to a vehicle. The multiple stays include a first stay made of the resin and formed on the case, and a second stay made of the metal and formed on the cover.
US08830682B2
An electronic device includes an enclosure, a side-plate to extend horizontally along a side surface of the enclosure, the side plate including a first horizontal guide, a second horizontal guide and a vertical guide extending vertically from an operating position of the first horizontal guide, a pivot lever to extend horizontally along the side plate, the pivot lever having a fulcrum being engaged with the second horizontal guide, an action point being engaged with the first horizontal guide and a force point, a lifter being engaged with the action point of the pivot lever upon the action point being at the operating position of the first horizontal guide, and a first connector to be disposed at an upper portion of the lifter and to be protruded from the enclosure upon the lifter being moved up by pivoting the pivot lever.
US08830680B2
Power supply and heat sink modules are suitable for use in sealed outdoor enclosures. Circuit elements in the power supply modules are connected to multiple heat sinks. The heat sinks are combined in heat sink modules. The heat sink modules provide high thermal conductivity while avoiding electromagnetic interference.
US08830674B2
The present disclosure discloses a cooling system and an electronic device. The cooling system is configured to cool a circuit board assembly in an orthogonal architecture, where the circuit board assembly is arranged inside a cabinet. The cooling system includes: a first cooling air duct that allows air to flow from the front area of the cabinet corresponding to the region of the circuit board assembly into the cabinet and flow through the front portion of the circuit board assembly, then be distributed into two lateral sides of the circuit board assembly, and be discharged out of the cabinet; and a second cooling air duct that allows air to flow from the front area of the cabinet corresponding to one end of the circuit board assembly into the cabinet and through the rear portion of the circuit board assembly, and then be discharged out of the cabinet.
US08830668B2
Flexible hinge and removable attachment techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a flexible hinge is configured to communicatively and physically couple an input device to a computing device and may implement functionality such as a support layer and minimum bend radius. The input device may also include functionality to promote a secure physical connection between the input device and the computing device. One example of this includes use of one or more protrusions that are configured to be removed from respective cavities of the computing device along a particular axis but mechanically bind along other axes. Other techniques include use of a laminate structure to form a connection portion of the input device.
US08830665B2
Methods and apparatus for forming a housing, such as for an electronic device, from multi-layer materials are disclosed. The multi-layer materials include at least two layers. Typically, one or more of the layers are metal. However, different layers of the multi-layer materials can be different metals. In one embodiment, an inner layer of the multi-layer materials can be provided with or form internal features that can be for attaching parts or components to the multi-layer materials. In another embodiment, processing of an inner layer of the multi-layer materials can facilitate part formation with increased curvature and/or internal part clearance. In another embodiment, the multi-layer materials can include an intermediate layer that facilitates creation of internal features that can be for attaching parts or components to the multi-layer materials. In still another embodiment, the multi-layer materials can provide a protective layer that serves to protect an outer surface of the housing during manufacturing and/or assembly.
US08830659B2
The invention relates to a device for suppressing the interference phenomena between several detection areas (A, B) of a capacitive sensor (30) submitted to a humid ambient environment, characterised in that it comprises means for preventing the propagation of humidity (50) between the detection areas (A, B) in order to prevent any capacitive coupling between the different areas. The invention also relates to an opening handle (10) for an automobile.
US08830657B2
A switchboard for coupling with a structure surface includes a panel box comprising a back wall and at least one sidewall extending from the back wall. The sidewall comprising a front. The switchboard further includes a door panel coupled to the front of the side and a positioning member located in the sidewall. The positioning member comprising a fixed end coupled to the sidewall and a moveable end configured to be positioned to contact the structure surface when the front of the panel box is at a pre-determined distance from the structure surface.
US08830644B2
A method and circuit for protecting against an over current condition. A conduction time of one or more transistors is reduced during the over current condition. The conduction time is reduced in an amount that is an increasing function of the amount of the over current. The conduction time may be reduced proportionally to the excess current.
US08830641B2
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is disclosed. The ESD protection circuit is configured to operate in high voltage domains. The ESD protection device may further include stacked NMOS or PMOS devices. The gates of the MOS devices may be driven by respective inverters. The inverters may be coupled to a voltage divider and may be triggered by respective trigger circuits. Power nodes of the inverters may be connected such that devices in the ESD protection circuit are exposed to voltages that are within their maximum voltage rating.
US08830639B2
This document discusses among other things apparatus and methods for reducing ESD damage to buffer circuits. In an example, an output buffer can include an output, a first transistor configured to couple the output to a high logic supply rail, a second transistor configured to couple the output node to a low logic supply rail, pre-driver logic configured to drive a gate of the first transistor and a gate of the second transistor, and a first resistor configured to reduce electrostatic discharge (ESD) induced current between the first transistor and the pre-driver logic.
US08830630B2
A magnetic recording medium may include a stacked structure of orientation control, lower recording, intermediate, and upper recording layers. The lower recording layer has a coercivity higher than that of the upper recording layer. The lower recording layer includes a first layer with a granular structure that includes magnetic particles including Co, Cr, and Pt, and an oxide covering a periphery of the magnetic particles, and a second layer with a non-granular structure that includes magnetic particles including Co, Cr, and Pt. The lower recording layer includes columnar crystals continuous with crystal particles forming the orientation control layer in a stacking direction of the stacked structure.
US08830627B2
In a magnetic head of a high-frequency magnetic field assisted recording system, a width of a high-frequency magnetic field from an oscillator is decreased to enhance an oscillation frequency, in order to realize a high-density recording. An oscillator provided near a main pole, which generates a recording magnetic field, for generating a high-frequency magnetic field is patterned by a conventional photolithography, and then, an oxidation, nitridation, or oxynitridation is performed on the side face in a track width direction. With this process, an oxide layer, a nitride layer, or an oxynitride layer, which is made of a material of the oscillator, is formed on the side face of the oscillator in the track width direction, and the shape of the oscillator is formed to be semi-circular.
US08830626B2
A magnetic element may be generally configured as a data writer constructed at least with a write pole positioned within and separated from a box shield by a write gap. The box shield may be configured to maintain at least a separation distance from a first side of a leading edge of the write pole to an opposite second side of the leading edge.
US08830622B1
There is provided a spindle motor including a base member formed by firing processing a steel plate and provided with a cylindrical installation part, a shaft support part including a sleeve insertedly disposed in the installation part, a shaft rotatably supported by the shaft support part, a rotor hub fixed to an upper end of the shaft and provided with a driving magnet, and a stator core installation member disposed on the base member so as to be disposed outwardly of the installation part in a radial direction and having a stator core, wherein the stator core installation member includes a body part, an installation wall part extending from an upper surface of the body part and a support part, and the rotor hub is provided with an extending wall extending from a bottom surface thereof to form a labyrinth seal with the installation wall part.
US08830618B2
A fly height control circuit includes an input node to receive a digital control signal, an output node to output a control current to a resistive heater element to adjust a spacing between a read/write head and a surface of a storage medium, and control circuitry to process the digital control signal and generate the output control current based on the digital control signal. The control circuitry generates a first reference current based at least in part on the control current output from the output node. The control circuitry controls a slew rate of the first reference current to generate a slew rate controlled reference current. The control circuitry generates a second reference current based on a feedback voltage at the output node. The control circuitry compares the slew rate controlled reference current with the second reference current to adjust the control current output from the output node.
US08830610B2
An exposure method is provided. In (a) of FIG. 8, exposure is performed while a substrate 20 is being transported in the Y direction, to simultaneously form first layers 81 and layers 91 in first non-display regions 51 and the display region, respectively, on the substrate 20. Next, in (b) of FIG. 8, the substrate 20 is rotated by 90 degrees, and exposure is performed while the substrate 20 is being transported in the X direction, to form second layers 82 in second non-display regions 52. Subsequently, in (c) of FIG. 8, proximity exposure is performed once on the substrate 20 to simultaneously form third layers 83 on the first layers 81 in the first non-display regions 51, fourth layers 84 on the second layers 82 in the second non-display regions 52, and layers 92 in the display region 40.
US08830605B2
A lens unit has an optical system having at least one lens, a lens holder supporting the optical system and a lens frame having a guide component. The guide component guides a movement of the lens holder in a first direction. The lens holder has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed slidably over the guide component. The second portion is disposed slidably over the guide component and disposed spaced apart from the first portion in the first direction. The guide component is sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion by an elastic force of the first portion and/or the second portion.
US08830601B2
An optical instrument with temperature-related focal length variations compensation mechanism is provided herein. The optical instrument includes: a housing within a bore of the optical instrument, wherein the bore and the housing have each a distal end and a proximal end; a set of lenses located on a common optical axis and affixed within the housing, wherein the set of lenses is associated with a specified focal length for each specified temperature; and a temperature compensation member connecting the distal end of the housing to the distal end of the bore of the optical instrument, wherein the temperature compensation member comprises one or more sections whose thermal expansion coefficient and length along the optical axis are selected such that for a specified range of temperatures, the expansion of the temperature compensation member along the optical axis compensates for a change of the focal length of the lenses.
US08830597B2
A zoom lens includes, from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, an aperture stop, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power. During zooming, the first lens unit and the aperture stop do not move and the second, third, and fourth lens units move along different loci. Lateral magnifications of the second lens unit at a wide angle end and at a telephoto end and lateral magnifications of the third lens unit at the wide angle end and at the telephoto end are each appropriately set based on predetermined mathematical conditions.
US08830587B2
An apparatus for providing pump light of a first wavelength λ1 to a laser that emits a second wavelength λ2 has first and second lasers of the wavelength λ1 to direct light along first and second axes in a first direction. The first and second axes define a first plane P1. To form a composite light beam of wavelength λ1, a filter apparatus has a first filter on a first surface at an oblique angle to the first and second axes and that transmits λ1 and reflects λ2. A second filter on a second surface parallel to the first surface, reflects λ1 and transmits λ2. A third filter formed on the first surface coplanar with the first filter reflects λ1 and transmits λ2. The filter apparatus re-aligns the first and second axes along a second plane P2, orthogonal to P1 and parallel to the first direction.
US08830585B2
An optical element transmits incident light having a particular polarization direction mainly by 0-order transmission and diffracts incident light having a perpendicular polarization direction. The optical element includes a periodic structure having a period equal to or greater than the wavelength of the incident light. The periodic structure includes first and second subwavelength concave-convex structures formed perpendicularly adjacent to each other in each period of the periodic structure. The first and the second subwavelength concave-convex structures have a period less than the wavelength of the incident light. A filling factor and a groove depth of the first and the second subwavelength concave-convex structures are determined such that they have the same effective refraction index with respect to the incident light having the particular polarization direction and a phase difference π with respect to the incident light having the particular polarization direction.
US08830581B2
A polarization switching apparatus has a first birefringent polarizer formed as a composite prism and disposed to direct incident light of a first polarization along a first optical path and light of a second polarization along a second optical path, wherein the second optical path is oblique to the first optical path. A beam redirector is disposed to redirect the first optical path from the first birefringent polarizer toward an input face of a second birefringent polarizer; wherein the second birefringent polarizer is also formed as a composite prism and is disposed to combine incident light of the first and second polarizations onto a common output path. A shutter apparatus is actuable to selectively block light of the first polarization or light of the second polarization from the input face of the second birefringent polarizer.
US08830575B2
A binocular system includes a first monocular, a second monocular, a mounting bracket, a base plate, coupled to the mounting bracket, a first arm coupled to the base plate via a first hinge and coupled to the first monocular via a first guide rail, and a second arm coupled to the base plate via a second hinge and coupled to the second monocular via a second guide rail. The monoculars are independently moveable using the guide rails and the hinges. Collimation of the monoculars is maintained independently of movement of the monoculars side to side and fore and aft on the guiderails.
US08830572B2
A microscope stand (11) is disclosed, including at least one pivot support (12), a mount (22) attached to a first end (15) of the pivot support (12), and a C-slide displacement assembly (112). The pivot support (12) is held to a stand interface (14) by a parallel guide mechanism (116), which allows the pivot support (12) to perform a circular motion in a vertical plane. The parallel guide mechanism (116) is formed by a cross-lever linkage which is rotatable about a cross-lever axis (115) extending centrally between and parallel to the support axis (113) of the pivot support (12) and the pivot axis (114) of the C-slide displacement assembly (112) and which is connected to both the stand interface (14) and the pivot support (12) in such a way that it transmits its own pivotal state simultaneously and equally to the stand interface (14) and to the pivot support (12).
US08830564B2
A fiber laser system is configured with a nonlinear resonator cavity which includes a plurality of mirrors. One of the mirrors is a piezoelectric mirror capable of being displaced between multiple positions in response to a control signal generated by a digital controller. The generation of the control signal is caused by mismatch between a fundamental frequency, imputed into the resonant cavity and further split by a nonlinear crystal into resonant and harmonic frequencies, and the resonant frequency. The positions of the piezoelectric mirror and time interval the piezoelectric mirror may occupy these position are controlled so that the output radiation at the harmonic may be periodically interrupted which results in a pulsed output radiation.
US08830561B2
The present invention is directed to an electrophoretic display comprising: (a) microcups comprising partition walls and top-openings; (b) an organic-based electrophoretic fluid filled in the microcups, wherein said fluid comprises charged pigment particles dispersed in a solvent; and (c) a top-sealing layer formed from a sealing composition to enclose the electrophoretic fluid within the microcups. The sealing composition comprises: (i) a water soluble polymer, (ii) a water-based suspension, a water-based dispersion, a water-based emulsion, or a water-based latex, each comprising a polymer; and (iii) water.
US08830560B2
Various types of edge seals for protecting electro-optic displays against environmental contaminants are described. In one type of seal, the electro-optic layer is sandwiched between a backplane and a protective sheet and a sealing material extends between the backplane and the protective sheet. In other seals, the protective sheet is secured to the backplane or to a second protective sheet adjacent the backplane. The electro-optic layer can also be sealed between two layers of adhesive or between one layer of adhesive and the backplane. Other seals make use of flexible tapes extending around the periphery of the display.
US08830558B2
The disclosure provides an electrowetting display device. The electrowetting display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed to each other. A first electrode layer may dispose on the first substrate. A second electrode layer may dispose on the second substrate. A hydrophobic dielectric layer is disposed on the first electrode layer. A first pixel rib is disposed on the first substrate. A second pixel rib is disposed on the first pixel rib. A water contact angle of the second pixel rib may be larger than that of the first pixel rib. A first liquid and a second liquid may be disposed in between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US08830552B2
An optical modulation device includes: an optical modulator; an insulating layer; an RC circuit including a resistor and a capacitor connected in series; a bonding wire connected between the optical modulator and the RC circuit; a first metal layer provided on the insulating layer; and a second metal layer that has a width larger than that of the first metal layer and is provided on the insulating layer, the second metal layer being connected with a ground potential and being connected to the RC circuit via the first metal layer.
US08830545B2
A document image processing system includes an extraction portion, an estimation portion, a calculation portion, a substitution portion, and a generation portion. The extraction portion extracts first and second document elements of an inputted document image and a preprint data. The estimation portion estimates first and second representative colors due to first and second document elements in a color space, respectively. The calculation portion calculates first and second planes to separate the color space into first and second sub-spaces which each includes each of the first and second representative colors, respectively. The substitution portion substitutes a color of a first pixel of the first document elements with the first representative color and a color of a second pixel of the second document elements with the second representative color. The generation portion subtracts each of the substituted first pixel from each of the substituted second pixel to generate a difference image.
US08830536B2
In the image processing device, method and system of the present invention, a destination identifier of an image file is stored, the destination identifier indicating one of a plurality of external stations as a destination station which receives the image file from the image processing device through a network. At least one of a sender identifier of the image file, a subject identifier of the image file and a scan condition of the image file is stored. The image file is transmitted, together with at least one of the sender identifier, the subject identifier and the scan condition, through the network to one of the external stations indicated by the stored destination identifier.
US08830534B2
An image processing apparatus, includes an image-scanning unit, and an image processing unit, wherein when the image-scanning unit continuously scans a plurality of documents, the image-scanning unit continuously scans the documents and parallel the image processing unit executes image processing on the scanned documents.
US08830533B2
System and method for creating machine-readable codes in combination with other images such as logos
A process for creating a barcode with an embedded logo considers a printer gamut and divides the printer gamut into multiple regions. A virtual printer gamut is then generated with the colors in bright and dark regions. A target logo image is generated by mapping the virtual gamut to the original logo image. A logo with embedded barcode is produced using the colors specified in the target logo image.
US08830529B2
An image forming device performs functions including: dividing the image into a plurality of band images each including at least one sub-region; creating region data used to identify each sub-region included in the band image; updating the region data such that the region data identifies both first and second uniform sub-regions as a single uniform region of the image when the first uniform sub-region abuts the second uniform sub-region, the first and second uniform sub-regions being included in the first and second band image and classified as the uniform sub-region, respectively; and updating the region data such that the region data identifies both first and second nonuniform sub-regions as a single nonuniform region of the image when the first nonuniform sub-region abuts the second nonuniform sub-region, the first and second nonuniform sub-regions being included in the first and second band image and classified as the nonuniform sub-region, respectively.
US08830526B2
An image processing apparatus includes a color material layer forming unit and a proportion controller. The color material layer forming unit forms on a printing medium a first metallic color material layer including a color material having metallic particles, one or more process color material layers including color materials of one or more process colors, and a second metallic color material layer including a color material having metallic particles so that the first metallic color material layer, the one or more process color material layers, and the second metallic color material layer are stacked on the printing medium in this order. The proportion controller executes first control to increase a proportion of the second metallic color material layer with respect to the first metallic color material layer when a total amount of the color materials of the one or more process colors exceeds a predetermined value.
US08830525B2
An image creating apparatus has a printing device configured to print a changed image on a recording medium; a difficult-to-recognize color arrangement storage unit configured to store a difficult-to-recognize color arrangement that is difficult to visually recognize; an object extracting unit configured to extract objects from an original image; a difficult-to-recognize object detecting unit configured to detect a difficult-to-recognize object; a representative color obtaining unit configured to obtain the representative color of the difficult-to-recognize object; a color arrangement changing unit configured to (i) change the color arrangement of the image so that the color arrangement of the periphery is changed from the difficult-to-recognize color arrangement in at least part of the difficult-to-recognize object and (ii) embed information about the representative color as dots; and a changed image printing unit configured to command the printing device to print the changed image with the changed color arrangement.
US08830523B2
An article image annotation system including an imager and a transparent sheet discrete from the imager having a first face adapted to engage an imageable surface of an article and a second face adapted to receive annotations and adapted for engagement with the imager to allow imaging of the imageable surface of the article in association with the annotation through the transparent sheet, thereby producing an annotated article image.
US08830518B2
An image data management apparatus which provides a pull-print mark for a file which is expected to be printed at an externally connected image forming apparatus, that is, to be subjected to pull-printing. It is possible to provide the pull-print mark for a plural number of files. When a user commands pull-printing of such a file at an externally connected image forming apparatus, a search is made within the files provided with the pull-print mark. Thereby, the load on the image data management apparatus for searching the file is light. In order to permit a user to command pull-printing at a printer with a simple user interface, simple authentication codes may be used.
US08830510B2
The invention has been made to solve a problem that as the cycle of a transmission clock fluctuates with respect to the cycle of a sampling clock for one bit on the reception side, a reception error occurs. To deal with this, every time sampling data is inverted in a reception data string, the sampling clock is re-synchronized. Furthermore, if there are a predetermined number of successive identical data, an inverted dummy bit is inserted for re-synchronization.
US08830507B2
A printing system includes a storage unit that associates and stores print job data and post processing job data; a printing unit that prints a code regarding the association on media when an image is printed on the media based on the print job data; a code reading unit that reads the code that is printed on the media; and a post processing unit that selects the post processing job data that is associated from the storage unit based on the read code and performs the post processing with respect to the media based on the selected post processing job data.
US08830486B2
A local purging tool for purging a portion of a surface of a wafer with purging gas is disclosed. The purging tool includes a purging chamber configured to contain purging gas within a cavity of the purging chamber, a permeable portion of a surface of the purging chamber configured to diffuse purging gas from the cavity of the chamber to a portion of a surface of a wafer, and an aperture configured to transmit illumination received from an illumination source to a measurement location of the portion of the surface of the wafer and further configured to transmit illumination reflected from the measurement location to a detector.
US08830485B2
A laser scanner optically scans and measures an environment, the laser scanner having a base resting in the stationary reference system of the laser scanner, a measuring head rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the base, a measuring head rotatable relative to the base about a vertical axis, a motor supported in the measuring head, the motor having a motor shaft and a gear which, when driven by the motor by the motor shaft, turns the measuring head relative to the base, the gear being configured as a planetary gear.
US08830483B2
An optical tomographic image forming method including: splitting low coherence light emitted from a light source is split into a measuring light and a reference light; forming an optical tomographic image of a measured object by detecting an interference light that is obtained by superposing reflected light, reflected from the measured object when the measuring light is irradiated onto the measured object via a condenser lens, and reflected light, reflected from a reference mirror, which is positioned a predetermined length of optical path away from the splitting position, when the reference light is irradiated onto the reference mirror, wherein the method further includes: inputting a refractive index of the measured object; correcting the tomographic image in accordance with the inputted refractive index of the measured object; and outputting the corrected tomographic image.
US08830478B2
Systems and methods for measuring rotation using an optical frequency comb stimulated Brillouin scattering gyroscope are provided. In certain embodiments, a system comprises a light source that produces a multiple-frequency light beam based on an optical frequency comb; and an optical fiber resonator coupled to the light source, the multiple-frequency light beam propagating in a first direction within the optical fiber resonator, wherein the multiple -frequency light beam generates stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) for a frequency, wherein the Brillouin scattering generates an SBS light beam to propagate in a second direction, the first direction being opposite in direction to the second direction. The system also comprises a servo to control the frequencies of the optical frequency comb to lock a plurality of component frequencies on resonance peaks of the optical fiber resonator; and a mixer that determines a frequency difference between the SBS light beam and the multiple-frequency light beam.
US08830474B2
A Fourier Transfer Infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer having reduced baseline noise. The system and method include internal or external optical adapters having a moveable beamsplitter for splitting the source light beam into a reference beam and a sample beam, and may include a variable bandpass filter, variable preamplifier and reversed biased photodiodes.
US08830465B2
A defect inspecting apparatus includes an irradiation optical system having a light source that emits illumination light and a polarization generation part that adjusts polarization state of the illumination light emitted from the light source, a detection optical system having a polarization analysis part that adjusts polarization state of scattered light from a sample irradiated by the irradiation optical system and a detection part that detects the scattered light adjusted by the polarization analysis part, and a signal processing system that processes the scattered light detected by the detection optical system to detect a defect presenting in the sample. The polarization generation part adjusts the polarization state of the illumination light emitted from the light source on the basis of predetermined illumination conditions and the polarization analysis part adjusts the polarization state of the illumination light emitted from the light source on the basis of predetermined detection conditions.
US08830464B2
The present disclosure is directed to a method for inspecting a wafer, the wafer including a film deposited on a surface of the wafer. The film may have a thickness that varies over the surface of the wafer. The method includes the step of measuring the thickness, refractive index, and extinction coefficient of the film across the surface of the wafer. With this data a film curve is created in real time. The method also includes the step of determining a size of a defect on the surface based on at least the film curve.
US08830460B2
An optical measurement apparatus that measures a property of a scatterer, including: a light source that supplies illumination light having at least one spectral component; an illumination fiber that propagates, to a distal end thereof, light supplied from a proximal end thereof by the light source and illuminates light onto the scatterer from the distal end; first and second light detection fibers, each outputting, from a proximal end thereof, returned light from the scatterer, the returned light entering from a distal end thereof, the first and second light detection fibers having distal end positions different from each other in a longitudinal direction; a detection unit that detects light output from the proximal ends of the first and second light detection fibers; and a measurement unit that measures a property of the scatterer based on a result of the detection by the detection unit.
US08830457B1
An optical inspector includes a radiating source, a time varying beam reflector, a telecentric scan lens, a first waveplate, a second waveplate, a polarizing beam splitter, and a detector. The radiating source irradiates the first waveplate with a linearly polarized source beam generating a circularly polarized source beam, which irradiates a first position of on the time varying beam reflector. The time varying beam reflector directs the source beam to the telecentric scan lens, which in turn directs the source beam to a transparent sample. The reflected radiation from the transparent sample is directed via the telecentric lens and the time varying beam reflector to the second waveplate, which converts circularly polarized reflected radiation to linearly polarized reflected radiation including radiation that is vertically polarized and radiation that is horizontally polarized. The polarizing beam splitter redirects vertically polarized reflected radiation to the detector while horizontally polarized reflected radiation passes through.
US08830454B2
Provided are novel methods and systems for setting up ranges of optical inspection parameters. These ranges may be later used for inspection of photovoltaic cells for discoloration, for example. A set of values corresponding to an inspection parameter, such as hue, saturation, and intensity, is obtained from a set-up image. The image includes multiple set-up areas, e.g., a defined group of pixels, wherein each set-up area is assigned a corresponding value in the set. A test image is then constructed from multiple test areas that are also associated with the values in the set. Each test area is assigned a color from a set of user defined colors based on the corresponding value and user defined ranges. A user interface includes both a range diagram and test image, which are used to adjust the ranges in the diagram that result in modification of the test image. Adjusting is repeated until the test image meets predetermined criteria.
US08830450B2
Cross-interrogating photonic detection systems and methods are shown. A flow through photonic crystal membrane with a surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is provided with pores which are distributed along multiple regions. The pores of one region have walls to which a first type of target specific anchor can be attached, while pores of another region have walls to which a second type of target specific anchor can be attached. An optical arrangement out-of-plane to the SERS substrate is also provided for enhanced sensitivity and identification of target organisms.
US08830449B1
A blood analysis system functions as a non-invasive blood parameter analyzer when a monitor is coupled with an optical sensor and as an invasive blood sample analyzer when the monitor is coupled with a blood analysis adapter. The blood analysis adapter has a transmitting assembly and a receiving assembly in electrical communications with the adapter connector so as to receive emitter signals for driving emitters within the transmitting assembly and so as to transmit a detector signal for responding to at least one detector in the receiving assembly. A cuvette containing a blood sample is irradiated with multiple wavelength light from the emitters, the detector responds to the multiple wavelength light after attenuation by the blood sample, and the monitor analyzes the blood sample according to the detector signal.
US08830434B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a thin film transistor substrate, a counter substrate, a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the thin film transistor substrate and the counter substrate. The thin film transistor substrate includes a first electrode and a second electrode for applying an electric field in a substrate in-plane direction, the first electrode includes a plurality of strip portions which extend in a predetermined direction. A chiral dopant which imparts rotation in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of liquid crystal induced by an electric field applied between the strip portions and the second electrode is added to the liquid crystal layer, and the first electrode further includes bent portions which are bent from the strip portions.
US08830433B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, two polarizing plates, and a backlight unit. A pixel included in the liquid crystal display panel is divided into a first domain and a second domain and includes a second electrode and a third electrode. The third electrode is insulated from and overlapped with the second electrode. First liquid crystals disposed in the first domain are twisted in a direction different from a direction in which the second liquid crystals disposed in the second domain are twisted. The liquid crystal display device selectively drives the second electrode and the third electrode, thereby controlling a viewing angle thereof.
US08830432B2
The electrode structures in the display units of the liquid crystal display (LCD) panel described in the embodiments of the invention are formed by stacking the bottom electrodes, the insulation pattern layers, and the top electrodes. The width of each of the bottom electrodes is greater than the width of each of the top electrodes (i.e., the electrode structures have the protrusion-like shape). Therefore, the operating voltage can be effectively reduced, and the transmission rate can be improved.
US08830427B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate. A first alignment layer formed on the first substrate includes a first area aligned in a first direction and a second area aligned in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a second alignment layer formed on the second substrate includes a third area aligned in a third direction different from the first direction and a fourth area aligned in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction. Liquid crystal molecules in a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second alignment layers are aligned in different directions from each other in plural domains defined by the first to fourth areas. Thus, the liquid crystal display may have improved aperture ratio and transmittance.
US08830420B2
A supporting member and a liquid crystal module with the same are disclosed. The supporting member includes a first sub-supporting member for supporting a liquid crystal panel, and a second sub-supporting member for abutting against a light guiding plate and an optical film on the light guiding plate. The second sub-supporting member is arranged on the first sub-supporting member. A hardness of the first sub-supporting member is higher than the hardness of the second sub-supporting member. With the structure, the safety of the liquid crystal panel under a vibration environment is enhanced, and a tolerance range of the liquid crystal module subjected to the vibrations is guaranteed.
US08830415B2
A flat display panel includes a bridge line disposed between adjacent common lines. When a short defect occurs, the common line near the short defect can be directly cut off in order to repair the short defect and the common voltage can be transferred through the bridge line to maintain the normal operation of the flat display panel.
US08830403B1
An image processing device includes: a control section configured to allow, upon receipt of a moving image that includes, in time-series order, an original image and a duplicate image, a frame memory to hold a partial region in the original image and a remaining region in the duplicate image, in which the duplicate image is a duplicate of the original image, and the remaining region is a region excluding a region that agrees with the partial region; and an image processing section configured to read a piece of data that includes the partial region and the remaining region from the frame memory a plurality of times, and perform image processing by processing any of the read pieces of data as the original image and the remaining piece of data as the duplicate image.
US08830401B2
A method and apparatus for producing video are provided. The method includes: determining a reference time used as a reference for producing a PIP video; determining a first task time at which to acquire the first image, a second task time at which to acquire the second image, and a third task time at which to acquire the audio; acquiring the first image, the second image, and the audio at the respective task times; and combining the first image, the second image, and the audio according to a result of comparing the reference time and each of the task times, and producing the PIP video. Accordingly, a time and cost for producing the PIP video can be remarkably reduced.
US08830400B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, and a system for implementing picture in picture in a home network. The method for implementing picture in picture in a home network includes: obtaining a video stream of a video main window from a video network and decoding and playing the video stream of the main window; receiving a picture in picture activation signal sent by a user; sending a transcoding request message to a control device, where the transcoding request message carries a number of a picture in picture video sub-window channel; receiving a video stream of the video sub-window channel, where the video stream has been transcoded and then sent by the control device; and decoding and playing the video stream of the video sub-window channel.
US08830388B2
In order to attain an optical module which can prevent a foreign object from intruding into the optical module, a camera module includes a top surface section having an opening for allowing light to pass through the opening into the optical module; and a glass substrate for sealing the opening, the glass substrate being adhered to the top surface section, the top surface section including a projection section which projects to abut on the glass substrate, the projection section being formed to surround the opening.
US08830385B2
A drive unit includes: a holding member holding an object to be driven; a polymer actuator device provided on one side of the object to be driven; one or more supporting members provided on the other side of the object to be driven; and a fixing member directly or indirectly fixing a first end of each of the polymer actuator device and the supporting members. A second end of each of the polymer actuator device and the supporting members is directly or indirectly connected to an end of the holding member.
US08830376B2
A mobile phone apparatus has a camera module which increases in temperature by a focusing operation. A processor acquires a correlation coefficient of a lens position including a numerical value of a focal length as a numerical value correlating with a lens position of a focus lens. Furthermore, the processor converts the focal length into an object distance, and starts to count a time when the object distance is equal to or less than a threshold value. Then, the processor suspends the focusing operation by a camera module when the counted time reaches a time-out period.
US08830375B2
A vignetted optoelectronic array for systems and methods performing electronic image formation and refinement from overlapping measurement vignettes captured by an array of image sensors and associated micro-optics. The invention is directed to a new type of image formation system that combines readily-fabricated micro-optical structures, a two-dimensional image sensor array, and electronic or digital image processing to construct an image. Image formation is performed without a conventional large shared lens and associated separation distance between lens and image sensor, resulting in a “lensless camera.”In an embodiment, an LED array is used as a light-field sensor. In an application, the LED array further serves as a color “lensless camera.” In an application, the LED array also serves as an image display. In an application, the LED array further serves as a color mage display. In an embodiment, one or more synergistic features of an integrated camera/display surface are realized.
US08830373B2
Disclosed is an imaging device that has a base and a plurality of image capture devices. The base includes a bottom portion and an elongate stem portion that is pivotally attached at one of its ends to the bottom portion. An arm is pivotally attached to the stem portion. The arm has an elongate flap pivotally attached to the arm's mid-portion. A plurality of image capture devices are embedded in at least one of the bottom portion, the stem portion, the arm and the flap. An additional embodiment of the image capturing system includes a housing, a light capture mechanism and an image display mechanism. The housing includes a base and a linkage having a plurality of elongate sections. The light capture mechanism simultaneously captures first and second images and is contained within at least one of the elongate sections. First and second lenses make up the light capturing mechanism.
US08830370B2
An image processing device includes: a first storage unit storing electric charges outputted from a photodiode; a reset unit resetting a voltage stored in the first storage unit; a transfer unit transferring electric charges outputted from the photodiode to the first storage unit; a switching unit switching a DC voltage supplied from a supply line of a pixel power source; an output unit outputting the voltage stored in the first storage unit to a signal output line; a second storage unit storing the DC voltage supplied through the switching unit; and a drive unit driving the output unit by receiving the DC voltage stored by the second storage unit as a power source.
US08830369B2
An image sensor includes: a pixel array block configured to get image data by photoelectrically converting light; a register group configured to store information associated with processing of the image sensor; and a parallel interface configured to output the image data to outside in parallel output; wherein the parallel interface further outputs a register value group stored in the register group to outside when the image data is not being outputted to outside.
US08830361B2
A method of reducing column fixed pattern noise including calibrating a readout circuit, wherein the readout circuit is electrically connected to at least one programmable gain amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter. Calibrating the readout circuit includes electrically disconnecting the readout circuit from a pixel output and electrically connecting a pixel reset input of the readout circuit to a pixel output signal input of the readout circuit. Calibrating the readout circuit further includes comparing a measured output of the readout circuit to a predetermined value and storing the comparison result in a non-transitory computer readable medium. The method further includes operating the readout circuit, the operating the readout circuit includes receiving a pixel sample signal and outputting a calibrated output based on an operating output and the stored comparison result.
US08830358B2
A high zoom-ratio zoom lens system includes a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group and a positive fourth lens group. Upon zooming, the distance between the first and second lens groups increases, the distance between the second and third lens groups decreases, and the distance between the third and fourth lens groups increases. The first lens group includes a negative lens element, and two positive lens elements. The absolute value of the radius-of-curvature of the image-side surface of the negative lens element within the first lens group is smaller than the absolute value of the radius-of-curvature of the object-side surface of the positive lens element on the object side within the first lens group. The following condition (1) is satisfied: 1.95
US08830357B2
An image processing device is provided that includes a subject image designator and an image processor. The subject image designator designates a main subject in an image. The image processor subjects an image to image processing that depends on the distance to the main subject.
US08830356B2
The present disclosure provides a method and device for composite image creation. Images from multiple lenses, such as a front camera and rear camera of a host electronic device, are combined to create a composite image. The images may be modified before combining using location, orientation and/or proximity information associated with the images.
US08830342B2
An image-capturing device includes image-capturing section, an image-data-generation section, and an image capture control section. The image-capturing section is for capturing an image of a subject and starting generating of image-capture data corresponding to a single frame in synchronization with a vertical synchronization signal, The image-data-generation section is for carrying out processing for generating image data showing an image of the subject, on the basis of the image-capture data. The image capture control section is for varying, at a minimum, either a number of pulses of subsignals generated a plurality of times within a period of one cycle of the vertical synchronization signal, or the cycle for generating the vertical synchronization signal.
US08830334B2
This is generally directed to systems and methods for providing shiftable column circuitry for a pixel array of an imaging system. Columns of a pixel array can be switchably coupled (e.g., through multiplexers) to their default column circuitry as well as coupled to one or more instances of a neighboring column's column circuitry. In response to an instance of default column circuitry being identified as defective, its corresponding column may “shift” and choose to couple to the neighboring column circuitry. Similarly, all following columns may also shift and couple to a neighboring column circuitry. In some embodiments, the defective column circuitry can be identified during wafer testing and identifying information (e.g., an address) of the defective column circuitry stored in memory. The identifying information may then be accessed from memory and, during an image signal readout phase, used to suitably shift the columns to avoid the defective column circuitry.
US08830331B2
Methods and apparatus for detection and identification of duplicate or near-duplicate videos using a perceptual video signature are disclosed. The disclosed apparatus and methods (i) extract perceptual video features, (ii) identify unique and distinguishing perceptual features to generate a perceptual video signature, (iii) compute a perceptual video similarity measure based on the video edit distance, and (iv) search and detect duplicate and near-duplicate videos. A complete framework to detect unauthorized copying of videos on the Internet using the disclosed perceptual video signature is disclosed.
US08830330B2
Segments of interest within video footage are identified automatically. Such segments of interest include portions of the footage which were taken using a hand held camera and which show a static subject, portions which track the motion of a moving subject, and portions which show an abrupt event. Methods are presented for identifying such segments, based on motion and/or colour analysis of the video footage or based on observations of discontinuities in the video footage following a period of stability.
US08830328B2
A duplex imaging apparatus for imaging at least one side of a document, including a processor and lower and upper imaging devices. Each imaging device includes an optical-chamber, a camera and a light-source-configuration, facilitated to directly illuminate each face of the document from at least two illuminating angles. The lower imaging device is enclosed by a glass-window, wherein the document is operatively disposed on the glass-window. Each of the light source configurations includes at least one cluster of light sources, wherein the clusters of light sources are operated in a preconfigured sequence. Direct illumination forms hotspots in the acquired image frames at preconfigured locations, corresponding to the light sources positioning. The processor is facilitated to cutout preconfigured image frame portions containing the hotspots, forming clean portions of the image frames, and to combine the clean portions to form a clean output image frame.
US08830323B1
Tracking the use of at least one destination location is disclosed. Initially, five or more first images are received from a first camera. A first static characteristic, a second static characteristic, a first dynamic characteristic, and a second dynamic characteristic of the first vehicle are determined based the five or more first images. The second static characteristic is determined to be approximately equal to the first static characteristic. The second dynamic characteristic is determined to be approximately equal to the first dynamic characteristic. In response, it is determined that the first vehicle is traversing a portion of a roadway. Then, it is determined that the first vehicle is stopped within the at least one destination location at a first time. It is then determined that the first vehicle left the at least one destination location at a second time that is after the first time. Finally, the first time and the second time are indicated.
US08830319B2
A device for detecting and displaying the rear and/or side traffic of a motor vehicle is to be improved upon such that the driver can safely and quickly detect the present traffic situation by way of the overall image shown, in particular when the direction of travel is changed. This is accomplished in that the device for detecting and displaying the rear and/or side view of a motor vehicle (1) comprises a first apparatus (3) for producing images of the optically detected rear view (A), one or more further apparatuses (2) for producing images of the optical side view (B,C) of the motor vehicle (1), a display apparatus (6) adapted to display images or image sections of the first and/or the further apparatuses (2, 3) in partial areas (T1, T2), and a control apparatus (5) adapted to select the images or image sections and to assign them to the partial areas (T1, T2). The images or image sections are selected according to the signals of a driving direction indicator (7) and/or the signals of a sensor (8) that represents the steering direction and are assigned to the partial areas (T1, T2). Also provided is a method for detecting and displaying an overall image from an image section or overlapping image sections.
US08830317B2
A rear camera system for a vehicle with a rear-lift door including a camera unit mounted on the rear-lift door, the rear-lift door having open and closed positions, the camera unit having a first field of view when the rear-lift door is in the open position and a second field of view when the rear-lift door is in the closed position, the first and second fields of view overlapping in a shared field of view; a sensor configured to indicate when the rear-lift door is in the open or closed position; a controller configured to receive image data from the camera unit, determine whether the rear-lift door is in the open or closed position based on a signal received from the sensor, and adjust the image data to primarily include the shared field of view based on whether the rear-lift door is in the open position or the closed position.
US08830314B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to imaging technologies, and, in particular, to an imaging system that detects relatively weak signals, over time, and that uses the detected signals to determine the positions of signal emitters. Particular embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for imaging fluorophore-labeled samples in order to produce images of the sample at resolutions significantly greater than the diffraction-limited resolution associated with optical microscopy. Embodiments of the present invention employ overlapping-emitter-image disambiguation to allow data to be collected from densely arranged emitters, which significantly decreases the data-collection time for producing intermediate images as well as the number of intermediate images needed to computationally construct high-resolution final images. Additional embodiments of the present invention employ hierarchical image-processing techniques to further resolve and interpret disambiguated images.
US08830313B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus including: a connection connecting to a microscope including a stage having a disposition surface on which a target object can be placed, and an image picking-up section including an objective lens for picking up an image of the object, the microscope being movable in first and second axis directions orthogonal to an optical axis of the objective lens and orthogonal to each other and in a third axis direction along the optical axis; a calculator calculating, as an undulation-correcting value, a value for correcting a misalignment of a position in the third axis direction for each predetermined image-capturing range smaller than the disposition surface; a correcting-value storage storing the calculated value; and a corrector correcting a relative distance between the stage and the objective lens on the basis of the stored value for each image-capturing range.
US08830308B2
An apparatus includes: a storage that stores operation information including information on an operation on a display screen of a medical image and reference feature data that are feature data of the medical image subjected to the operation; an acquiring unit that acquires image data corresponding to a series of medical images; a processor that calculates feature data of each medical image; a setter that compares the feature data calculated by the image processor with the stored reference feature data, and, when reference feature data having a correspondence to the feature data exist, sets, as information related to a display operation executed when the series of medical images are displayed on a screen, the information related to the operation associated with the reference feature data having the correspondence; and a controller that executes the set display operation when image data included in the series of medical images are played back.
US08830307B2
To reduce a display time of an image for which an observation is less required, and to effectively perform an observation of a series of images, the image display apparatus (1) includes an image processing controller (2a) that acquires an image from a storage unit (5), controls various image processes for the acquired image, and stores an image of a processing result in the storage unit (5), an image classification unit (2b) that calculates a correlation value between temporally continuous images and classifies each of the images into an image group based on the calculated correlation value, an image-of-interest detecting unit (2c) that detects a feature-image area including a predetermined feature from each of the images, and detects the feature image including the detected feature-image area as an image-of-interest, a representative-image extracting unit (2d) that extracts the image-of-interest and a first image in each of the image groups as a representative image and sets a display rate for each of the extracted representative images, and an image display controller (6a) that performs a control of sequentially displaying the series of representative images based on the set display rates.
US08830302B2
A gesture-based user interface method and corresponding apparatus that includes a light source configured to irradiate light to a user, an image sensor configured to receive light reflected from the user and output a depth image of the user, an image processor configured to recognize a user gesture based on the depth image output from the image sensor, and a controller configured to control the light source and the image sensor such that at least one of an optical wavelength of the light source, an optical power level of the light source, a frame rate of the light source and a resolution of the depth image is adjusted according to a gesture recognition mode.
US08830300B2
Techniques for converting 3D images using alpha maps are described. A left-view image and a right-view image may be determined from media data received by a 3D display system. An alpha map specifying a plurality of operations for a plurality of locations that correspond to the first plurality of locations in the images may also be determined. The plurality of operations specified in the alpha map may be applied by the 3D display system to process the left-view and right-view images, and to generate, based on the left-view and right-view images, a third image in an appropriate 3D format.
US08830298B2
A wide-angle lens comprising: an imaging lens system, including: a front lens group, an aperture, and a rear lens group, arranged in that order from an object side to an image side; wherein said front lens group comprises first and second lens elements, having negative power respectively, and a third lens that is a positive lens, arranged in that order from the object side to an aperture side; wherein said rear lens group comprises fourth and fifth lens elements, having positive power respectively, arranged in order from the aperture side to the image side; where an incident angle to an optical axis of the imaging lens system of a chief ray of a maximum angle of view passing through the aperture is θI, the following Expression 1 is satisfied. 40° (degrees)<θI<60° (degrees) Expression 1.
US08830280B2
A driving unit of a display panel includes a control part, a gate driving part, a grayscale compensating part, and a data driving part. The control part provides a control signal and a grayscale signal. The gate driving part provides a gate signal to the display panel. The display panel is divided into a plurality of blocks according to a distance from a light source to each of the blocks. The grayscale compensating part outputs a compensating signal of an n-th frame using look-up tables, and the look-up tables respectively correspond to the blocks of the display panel. The data driving part converts the compensating signal of the n-th frame into a grayscale voltage and provides the grayscale voltage to the display panel. Accordingly, the driving unit of the display panel may improve a response speed of liquid crystals and display quality.
US08830275B2
A hardware-implemented function evaluator performs mathematical calculations at high speeds to generate data values in place of an LUT. The disclosed embodiments can generate a small number of output values from a large number of input values. The calculations can use functions that are monotonically increasing such as, for example, square root, power curves, and trigonometric functions.
US08830274B2
A content playback device 1 displays a content list displayed on a display unit 2 in a first display mode in which list words are identical in size to each other and list buttons are identical in size to each other if a speed of scrolling for the content list is lower than a threshold. If the speed of the scrolling for the content list is equal to or higher than the threshold, the content playback device 1 displays the content list in a second display mode in which list words and list buttons arranged at the middle of the content list are displayed to be larger in size than those displayed in the first display mode with list words and list buttons being gradually reduced in size from the middle to each of the upward and downward directions.
US08830266B1
The illustrative embodiment of the present invention provides a method of reconciling and merging differences between displayed electronic diagrams. After differences between corresponding areas of the two electronic diagrams are detected, the software provides a mechanism for merging different attributes between the diagrams. Alternatively, the second diagram may receive all of the differences identified from the first diagram. Distinctions are made between graphical and functional attributes noted as differences between the two diagrams prior to the merge operation. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention enables the user to specify which type of attribute differences should be merged (i.e., graphical differences, functional differences, both graphical and functional, or only selected differences).
US08830265B2
Assessing at least one aspect relating to a marking operation performed by a locate technician, based on an electronic representation of the marking operation. The marking operation comprises identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. The physical locate mark(s) is/are digitally represented on a display device so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the marking operation. A length associated with at least a portion of the digitally represented physical locate mark(s) is determined and, based on the determined length, one or more aspects relating to the marking operation is/are automatically assessed. Exemplary aspects include a cost of the marking operation, a productivity of the locate technician, and/or a competence of the locate technician.
US08830264B2
An method for providing an image to a multiple number of devices is disclosed. The method includes providing a part of the image to a first device, receiving, from a second device, second position information of the second device relative to first position information of the first device, and providing, to the second device, another part of the image corresponding to the position information of the second device.
US08830262B2
Disclosed herein is a technique for delimiting the alpha channel at the NAL layer in codecs like H.264 to facilitate the optional nature of the alpha channel. In coded video sequences that include alpha, there is one alpha picture for every primary coded (e.g., luma-chroma) picture, and the coded alpha picture is contained in the same access unit as its corresponding primary coded picture. The alpha coded slice NAL units of each access unit are sent after the NAL units of the primary coded picture and redundant coded pictures, if any. The presence or absence of the alpha NAL units does not affect the decoding of the remaining NAL units in any way.
US08830261B2
An information processing terminal device includes: an acquiring unit acquiring image data; a detecting unit detecting a posture of the information processing terminal device; a generating unit generating display image data based on the image data acquired in the acquiring unit according to the posture of the terminal device detected by the detecting unit; and a displaying unit displaying the display image data generated by the generating unit on a display unit. If the posture of the terminal device is changed, the generating unit generates the display image data according to the changed posture of the terminal device. If the posture of the terminal device is changed during the generation of the image data by the generating unit, the generating unit does not generate the display image data according to the changed posture of the terminal device, until the generation of the display image data is completed.
US08830260B2
Afterimages of a move-target image which is moved at high speed are reduced even if a display unit with slow response characteristics is used. A drawing device for continuously drawing a move-target image as a moving picture on a display image displayed on a display unit includes: a drawing position identification unit which identifies a current drawing position at which the move-target image is drawn on the display screen; a past drawing position storage unit in which is stored a prescribed number of past drawing positions where the move-target image is drawn previously; an afterimage-reducing region detection unit which detects an afterimage-reducing region of the move-target image, the afterimage reducing region extending from the current drawing position to any one of the past drawing positions; an afterimage-reducing image drawing unit which draws an afterimage-reducing image in the afterimage reducing region; and a move-target image drawing unit which draws the move-target image at the current drawing position.
US08830258B2
A method and system for generating strokes in real-time on an electronic paper display. A display device receives the stroke input, which is converted to binary code by a digitizer. A rendering engine renders the high-resolution stroke data in non-antialiased form to an ink buffer. The rendering engine then updates pixels based on the color or gray level of the background (unlinked) pixel and the amount of ink covering the pixel.
US08830256B2
Displays are provided with circuitry performing color correction to compensate for the displays' luminance and chrominance transfer characteristics. Some techniques are suitable for RGBW displays and for subpixel-rendered displays. Some displays include an external light source (e.g. a backlight unit in LCDs), and the color correction is coordinated with dynamic control of the light source.
US08830253B2
A viewing angle controllable display device and a driving method thereof. The viewing angle controllable display device includes: an image mixing unit generating a mixed image data signal by mixing an original image data signal, or a gray-adjusted original image data signal, with a protection image data signal that disturbs recognition of the original image; an output image selecting unit receiving the original image data signal or the mixed image data signal, and selecting an image data signal corresponding to an image output to a display panel; and a display panel receiving a data voltage corresponding to the image data signal selected and output from the output image selecting unit through a data drive to display an original image or a mixed image, responding to gate signals sequentially transmitted from a gate driver.
US08830241B1
Conversion of text-based images to vector graphics (VG) is disclosed. The text-based images may include images of equations, custom typefaces, or other types of text that may not be included in a font selection of an optical character recognition (OCR) device or an application stored on a viewing device. A textual image may be converted from a raster graphics (RG) image to a VG image, which may enable resizing and alignment of the VG image with body text. In some aspects, the server may determine a body size of a reference character in the VG image. The server may determine a baseline of the VG image that may be used to align the image with the body text.
US08830237B2
A computer graphic editing or modeling system that automatically alters a computer graphic object based on a user sketch. The computer graphic object may be presented as an image space view of the object (proxy). The sketch is placed in proximity to some feature of the image space view. The system matches the sketch with the feature taking into account silhouettes, which may be derived by way of depth continuity and depth gradient similarity, of the object and matching the silhouette with the feature based on proximity and shape. The matched handle silhouette is transformed to associated handle vertices of a mesh of the graphic object. The system may then deform the mesh based on the user sketch by obtaining a dimensional relationship between the user sketch and the associated silhouette and applying the dimensional relationship to a region of interest, which includes the handle vertices.
US08830225B1
Instances of content, such as search results or browse items, can be displayed using a plurality of three-dimensional elements, with selected pieces of information for each instance placed upon faces, sides, or other portions of those elements. A user can view similar information for each of the instances of content by rotating the elements, such as by interacting with an input element or rotating a portable computing device rendering the elements. The user can apply various filtering criteria or value ranges, whereby the relative position of the elements in three-dimensional space can be adjusted based at least in part upon the applied values. By rotating the elements, applying criteria, and changing the camera view of the elements, a user can quickly compare a large number of instances of context according to a number of different criteria, and can quickly locate items of interest from a large selection of items.
US08830217B2
A lightweight, thin, small size semiconductor device is provided. A pixel has a display portion, and a light receiving portion comprising a photodiode. A transistor is used with the semiconductor device for controlling the operation of the display portion and the light receiving portion.
US08830211B2
Bending wave vibration is used to calculate information relating to a contact on a contact sensitive device. The contact sensitive device has a member capable of supporting bending waves, and a device attached to the member measures bending wave propagation in the member to determine a measured bending wave signal. The measured bending wave signal is processed to calculate information relating to the contact. The contact sensitive device may comprise a transparent touch sensitive plate mounted in front of a display device.
US08830206B2
An information handling system includes a housing, a processor, memory, and a touch screen display that has a display portion operable to present information as an image. The system also includes a touch controller and an orientation module.
US08830192B2
A computing device for performing functions of multi-touch finger gesture is disclosed. The computing device includes a receiver to receive at least one of a first input from a first object or a second input from at least two second objects, a look-up-table (LUT) module to store a second set of functions associated with the at least two second objects, and a mapping module to map one type of the first input from the first object to a corresponding one of the second set of functions. The computing device is configured to perform a corresponding one of the second set of functions based on the type of the first input.
US08830183B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) with a built-in touch screen includes: a first substrate including a pixel area having a plurality of pixels and a sensor area having a plurality of photosensors; a second substrate positioned over the first substrate, and including a color filter, a light receiving portion, a transparent electrode layer, and a front polarizing plate; an LCD panel including a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates; and a touch screen driver circuit to sense a capacitance variation provided through a first sensing line connected to the transparent electrode layer when an object is in contact with the LCD panel, and to output position information of the object, sensed by using optical information sensed through a second sensing line connected the plurality of photosensors when the capacitance variation is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.
US08830176B2
A mobile wireless communications device includes a housing to carry a wireless transceiver, a display, a keyboard, and a processor cooperating with the wireless transceiver to perform at least one wireless communication function. The processor also cooperates with the display and the keyboard to permit selection of a keyboard mode from among a plurality of different keyboard modes, at least one of the keyboard modes having multiple different letters selectable from a given key. The processor generates a respective different cursor on the display based upon the selected keyboard mode.
US08830175B2
An auxiliary input device for virtual keyboard sized on a displayed virtual keyboard of a capacitive touch panel, comprising: a membrane and a plurality of conducting keys. The membrane has a plurality of bulged supporting members arranged in correspondence to the plurality of virtual keys of the virtual keyboard, wherein a trough is arranged facing the virtual keyboard between every two adjacent supporting members. The conducting keys are arranged atop each of the supporting member, and kept at a predetermined distance from the capacitive touch panel, the conducting keys selectively operable to establish contact with the capacitive touch panel. The auxiliary input device for virtual keyboard is a thin structure which provides tactile feedback and pressure-sensitivity just like a physical keyboard, and is advantageous in its low cost construction, easy portability and the lack of additional power consumption.
US08830168B2
The system provides a gestural interface to various visually presented elements, presented on a display screen or screens. A gestural vocabulary includes ‘instantaneous’ commands, in which forming one or both hands into the appropriate ‘pose’ results in an immediate, one-time action; and ‘spatial’ commands, in which the operator either refers directly to elements on the screen by way of literal ‘pointing’ gestures or performs navigational maneuvers by way of relative or “offset” gestures. The system contemplates the ability to identify the users hands in the form of a glove or gloves with certain indicia provided thereon, or any suitable means for providing recognizable indicia on a user's hands or body parts. A system of cameras can detect the position, orientation, and movement of the user's hands and translate that information into executable commands.
US08830165B1
A method includes receiving a first input through a hands-based input device. A prompt is then output, and input responsive to the prompt may be received through either of a hands-based input device or a hands-free input device. Responsive to receiving a second input through a hands-free input device, a determination that the second input is responsive to the prompt may be made, an operation based on the second input may be performed, and cessation of the output of the prompt may occur.
US08830163B2
A data input system including a screen that selectably displays an image of a data input device such as a keyboard or a computer mouse. The screen tracks pressure applied by the user, and processes an input signal created by the pressure into input data according to the image displayed on the screen.
US08830158B2
In a method of local dimming a light source, which includes driving a light source including a plurality of light-emitting blocks by individually driving the light-emitting blocks, the dimming level of each light-emitting block is determined. In the method, the luminance of a first light-emitting area may be adjusted according to a size of the first light-emitting area corresponding to a display area in which an image having a maximum luminance is displayed.
US08830153B2
A display panel and a method for repairing signal lines thereof are disclosed. The display panel includes at least one shorting bar, switches, and auxiliary repair lines. The switches are electrically coupled respectively to signal lines and the at least one shorting bar. Both ends of each of the auxiliary repair lines overlap one of connections between the switches and the at least one shorting bar. When a signal line is damaged, the method for repairing includes: breaking off each of the connections between the switches and the at least one shorting bar by cutting; and welding both ends of one of the auxiliary repair lines which correspond to the damaged signal line with both sides of one of the connections which correspond to the damaged signal line.
US08830147B2
A display apparatus includes a plurality of light emitting devices arranged in row and column directions, drive circuits for driving the light emitting devices, a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of lighting lines connecting the drive circuits in the row direction, a plurality of data lines connecting the drive circuits in the column direction, and a control circuit for controlling the scanning lines, the lighting lines, and the data lines. The control circuit performs at least twice, while performing a first programming scanning and a second programming scanning respectively once, a light emitting scanning in which the plurality of lighting lines are sequentially selected and currents corresponding to the signals set to the drive circuits are supplied from the drive circuit connected to the selected lighting lines to the light emitting devices. In addition, the control circuit varies the length of a period for which the currents are supplied from the drive circuits connected to the selected lighting lines to the light emitting devices every time the light emitting scanning is performed at least twice.
US08830144B2
A display panel includes: a plurality of pixel circuits formed in a matrix on a substrate; an insulating layer covering the plurality of pixel circuits; a plurality of light emitting elements connected to the plurality of pixel circuits, and arranged in a matrix on the insulating layer; a filtering layer including a light transmitting section at least in a part of a region facing the light emitting element and a light shielding section formed in a same plane as the light transmitting section, and formed on an opposite side from the pixel circuit in relation to the light emitting element; a light reflecting section formed in a region facing the light shielding section, and between the light emitting element and the filtering layer; and a light receiving element formed in a region facing the light shielding section, and on the pixel circuit side in relation to the light emitting element.
US08830131B1
The present invention is an integrated antenna assembly which allows for integration of a first radio system and a second radio system with the integrated antenna assembly. The integrated antenna assembly may include a coupler for providing sufficient isolation between the first radio system (ex.—a vertical polarization system) and the second radio system (ex.—a horizontal polarization system). The integrated antenna assembly may further include a common mode choke connected between a first antenna element and a second antenna element of the integrated antenna assembly. The coupler may produce a common mode based on signals received from the vertical polarization system and may also produce a differential mode based on signals received from the horizontal polarization system. The common mode choke may be configured for: preventing transmission of common mode currents from the first antenna element to the second antenna element; and being transparent to differential mode current flow.
US08830130B2
A foldable electronic device includes a flat panel display, a base and at least one antenna set. The flat panel display has a metal housing. The base has a pivot side, and the metal housing is pivoted to the pivot side. The antenna set is disposed in the base, and each antenna set has a main antenna and at least one auxiliary antenna, in which the main antenna and the auxiliary antenna are staggered.
US08830129B2
A dielectric artificial impedance surface antenna (DAISA) including a dielectric with a thickness, the dielectric thickness varying to provide a modulated impedance to a signal traversing the dielectric, the dielectric having a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface.
US08830127B2
A patch antenna including: a dielectric substrate having a vertical through-hole and a recess that is open downward, the recess having an inner periphery greater than a diameter of the through-hole, the recess being connected to the through-hole; a radiation electrode provided on an upper surface of the dielectric substrate; a ground electrode provided on a lower surface of the dielectric substrate; and a feed pin inserted into the through-hole such that a lower end portion of the feed pin is arranged inside the recess, the feed pin electrically connected to the radiation electrode through an upper end portion of the feed pin, wherein first solder is applied to the lower end portion of the feed pin, and a lower end of the feed pin and a lower end of the first solder are flush with or above a lower surface of the ground electrode.
US08830100B2
A digital-analog converter circuit includes sampling capacitive elements (111, 112, . . . , 11N) of which one ends are to be electrically connected to and disconnected from input terminals (D1, D2, . . . , DN), to which digital signals are input, via a switch unit (SWu10), an operational amplifier (501), a switch (301) capable of electrically connecting and disconnecting the other ends of the sampling capacitive elements (111, 112, . . . , 11N) and an inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (501), and a switch unit (SWu40) that is disposed between nodes between the switch unit (SWu10) and the sampling capacitive elements (111, 112, . . . , 11N) and the output terminal of the operational amplifier (501) and capable of connecting and disconnecting them. An on-resistance value of a MOS transistor included in the switch (301) is set to be larger than an on-resistance value of a MOS transistor included in the switch unit (SWu40).
US08830096B2
A method of reducing a water-wave noise for an analog to digital conversion includes performing sampling on an analog input signal; determining whether the analog input signal is interfered with by a periodic noise such that a water wave is generated; and executing one or both of the following steps when the analog input signal is interfered with by the periodic noise: adjusting a sampling frequency of the ADC, and adjusting a noise frequency of the periodic noise.
US08830093B2
The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for compressing messages, such as Short Message Service (SMS) or text messages between fixed or mobile devices through communications networks. The data of, for example, SMS messages is compressed and forwarded through a communication network to an appliance having a processing unit. The appliance decompresses the message and controls its delivery through network communication devices, where the decompressed SMS message is forwarded to its destination.
US08830086B2
A method and system for adjusting traffic lights. The method and system can dynamically divide a region according to the road congestion situation and adjust traffic lights in a resulting control region according to the control region, so as to solve the traffic congestion problem. The system for adjusting traffic lights includes: a congestion determining module, a control region determining module and a adjusting module, wherein the control region determining module is configured to determine a control region according to a dispersion demand of a first phase and a dispersal capability of a corresponding phase of an adjacent intersection, and the adjusting module is configured to adjust traffic lights of at least one corresponding phase of an adjacent intersection in the control region so as to relieve the traffic congestion situation at the first phase of the first intersection. Also described is a corresponding method for adjusting traffic lights.
US08830084B2
A device for activating a horn of a motor vehicle by a remote transmitter independent of a vehicle user includes a receiver and a control unit. The receiver is implemented to receive an activation signal from the remote transmitter. The control unit is implemented to activate the horn of the motor vehicle in response to the activation signal.
US08830076B2
A product includes an indicator at least a portion of which is carried by a container and responsive to a change in at least one state of the container to irreversibly modify a visual characteristic visible from outside the container.
US08830070B2
A bed includes a frame, a controller coupled to the frame, and a patient position detection system coupled to the frame and coupled to the controller. The patient position detection system has multiple modes of operation of varying sensitivities for determining whether a person supported on the frame has moved by a sufficient amount to activate an alarm. The frame includes a plurality of barriers. An alert light is coupled to one of the barriers.
US08830067B2
The illumination device disclosed in the present specification has a light source, a touchless sensor for detecting proximity and movement of an object without contact, and a control unit for controlling the driving of the light source on the basis of an output of the touchless sensor.
US08830060B2
A theft prevention system includes an RFID reader configured to read an RFID tag to authenticate access to a predefined area, a laser scanner configured to scan the predefined area and detect an object in the predefined area, and a security component configured to initiate a security action when the detected object is at least one of an unauthenticated object and an unauthorized object.
US08830057B1
Methods and devices are disclosed for monitoring environmental conditions in one or more environments. In one embodiment, the method includes maintaining a plurality of environmental-condition thresholds, each of which corresponds to an environmental condition and is predetermined based on data corresponding to the environmental condition that is received from a plurality of robots. The method further includes receiving from a first robot first data corresponding to a first environmental condition in a first environment. The method may still further include making a first comparison of the first data and a first environmental-condition threshold corresponding to the first environmental condition and, based on the first comparison, triggering a notification. Triggering the notification may comprise transmitting to the robot instructions to transmit the notification to at least one of a call center and a remote device.
US08830040B2
Systems and methods are operable to communicate information to a direct current (DC) powered electronic device. An exemplary embodiment receives alternating current (AC) power with an AC information signal modulated thereon, converts the received AC power to DC power, demodulates the received AC information signal to determine information, modulates the information onto the transmitted DC power as a DC information signal, transmits the DC power with the DC information signal over a DC connector to the DC powered electronic device, detects the DC information signal on the modulated DC power at the DC powered electronic device, demodulates the DC information signal from the received DC power, and determines the information at the DC powered electronic device based upon the demodulated DC information.
US08830037B2
An in vivo RFID chip implanted in a patient's body, comprising an integrated antenna formed on the chip, and a CMOS-compatible circuitry adapted for biosensing and transmitting information out of the patient's body. In preferred embodiments, the CMOS-compatible circuitry is adapted to sense a chemical and/or physical quantity from a local environment in the patient's body and to control drug release from the drug reservoirs based on the quantity sensed.
US08830036B2
Provided is an apparatus and a method for transmitting power to electronic devices and of transmitting and receiving data. The method of transmitting power includes searching for a device to be charged located in an area, determining whether the found device needs charging, and transmitting power to the found device when the found device is determined to need charging. The apparatus may be mobile, and may travel towards or away from one or more devices based on whether the one or more devices need charging.
US08830034B2
A system and method for verifying the occurrence of an environmental condition is disclosed. Rather than store information concerning the occurrence and/or success of the sterilization process, the present invention modifies the wireless transmission characteristics of the device. In some embodiments, the bandwidth of the wireless transceiver is altered as a result of undergoing sterilization. In other embodiments, the resonance frequency of the circuit is affected. In other embodiments, one or more of these parameters are affected based on other environmental conditions, such as shock or vibration.
US08830033B1
An active EMI shield for protecting medical instruments from mobile RF emitters uses RFID tags and tag readers to facilitate identification of an RF emitter entering the EMI shield. Clinicians and mobile RF emitters are tagged with RFIDs that indicate their identity, and possibly RF power level. Medical instruments are either tagged with RFIDs that indicate their identity and susceptibility to EMI, or equipped with RFID readers/EMI sensors. The proximity of the RF emitter relative to the medical instrument in terms of power density can then be determined by either position-sensitive RFID readers or the EMI sensors affixed to the medical instruments. The shield is executed by signaling to the tagged RF emitter when it reaches a predetermined proximity relative to the medical instrument.
US08830026B2
A thermal trip unit for a circuit breaker having a primary conductive path for conducting a load current is provided. The thermal trip unit comprises a shape memory alloy (SMA) member adapted to change from a first shape to a second shape at a predetermined thermal condition, a holding member coupled electrically in series with the circuit breaker primary conductive path, said holding member arranged to operatively support said SMA member, wherein said SMA member is configured and disposed within the circuit breaker to trigger a trip response of the circuit breaker at said predetermined thermal condition.
US08830023B2
Modular fuse block assemblies configurable to accommodate overcurrent protection fuses of different physical sizes. Single and multi-pole blocks may be easily assembled from a reduced number of modular parts than would otherwise be required, with enhanced safety features and improved capability to meet spacing requirements in a multi-pole fuse block.
US08830017B2
A mini high-power magnetic latching relay comprising a base seat, an insulation sleeve, a push rod, a magnetic circuit, and a contact part. The magnetic circuit comprises a magnetic enclosure, an iron core, a yoke, and a winding; the winding comprising a coil former and a coil wrapped on the coil former. One end of the yoke is a U-shaped end; the iron core penetrates through the coil for forming a fixed connection with the other end of the yoke; and one end of the iron core is located at the center of the U-shaped end to form an E-shaped gap. The magnetic enclosure is formed by magnetic steel and armature vertically located on both ends of the magnetic steel.
US08830001B2
A new all digital PLL (ADPLL) circuit and architecture and the corresponding method of implementation are provided. The ADPLL processes an integer and a fractional part of the phase signal separately, and achieves power reduction by disabling circuitry along the integer processing path of the circuit when the ADPLL loop is in a locked state. The integer processing path is automatically enabled when the loop is not in lock. Additional power savings is achieved by running the ADPLL on the lower-frequency master system clock, which also has the effect of reducing spur levels on the signals.
US08829997B1
An apparatus comprising a power amplifier and a control circuit. The power amplifier may be configured to generate an output signal in response to an input signal and a control signal. The control circuit may be configured to present (i) a bias signal as the control signal during un-regulated conditions and (ii) a power down voltage as the control signal when one or more predetermined design parameters are exceeded. The magnitude of the control signal may be configured to dynamically adjust a power level of the output signal. The power down voltage may be generated by sampling the input signal.
US08829993B2
Circuits and methods for achieving high linearity, high efficiency power amplifiers, including digital predistortion (DPD) and pulse cancellation in switched-state RF power amplifier systems are described.
US08829992B2
A signal level conversion circuit 1 includes a first differential amplifier circuit 10 and a second differential amplifier circuit 20. The first differential amplifier circuit 10 multiplies a potential difference between a first input signal and a second input signal by G1 thereby providing an output signal. The second differential amplifier circuit 20 multiplies a potential difference between the output signal of the first differential amplifier circuit 10 and the second input signal by G2 thereby providing an output, where the two gains satisfy the relation of G1×G2<0 and 0<−(G1+1)×G2<2.
US08829973B2
A radio frequency mixer circuit comprises a first terminal, a local oscillator terminal and a second terminal, a wave propagation medium having a first and second end, a circulator coupling together the first terminal, the first end of the wave propagation medium and the second terminal, a switching means operable according to a signal coupled to the LO terminal, the switching means being coupled to the second end of the wave propagation medium for causing a reflection with unchanged voltage wave polarity when the switching means is in an open state, or a reflection with inverted voltage wave polarity when the switching means is in a closed state, at the second end of the wave propagation medium when a wave is travelling therein.
US08829965B2
A system and method to perform scan testing using a pulse latch with a blocking gate is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, a scan latch includes a pulse latch operable to receive data while a pulse clock signal has a first logical clock value and a blocking gate coupled to an output of the pulse latch. The blocking gate is operable to propagate the data from the output of the pulse latch while the pulse clock signal has a second logical clock value.
US08829960B2
The DLL comprises a coarse delay line configured to have a plurality of unit delays and delay an reference dock to output a delayed clock, a fine delay line configured to delay the delayed clock to output a delayed output clock, a replica delay unit configured to delay the delayed output clock by an expected modeling value to output a feedback clock, a phase detection unit configured to compare a phase of the feedback clock with a phase of the reference clock to generate first to third phase detection signals based on a result of the comparison, a locking detection unit configured to output a locking signal by selecting a first locking detection signal or a second locking detection signal, and a control unit configured to control the coarse and fine delay lines in response to the locking signal and the first phase detection signal.
US08829955B1
A multi-channel isolation system has N+1 isolators for N channels of communication data. N of the isolators may transfer data signals across an isolation barrier, one for each of the N channels of data. An N+1st isolator transfers refresh signals representing state of the data signals on the N isolators. Receiver circuitry, therefore, may receive signals from the N isolation channels without risk for collision with refresh signals. If reception of the refresh signals becomes necessary, circuitry on a receive side of the isolator may switch over to the N+1st receive path to output state data contained in the refresh signals.
US08829953B1
A programmable clock divider includes first and second comparators for generating first and second signals respectively based on a count value of a counter and a frequency ratio value. First and second flip-flops delay the first and second signals by one clock cycle of the input clock signal. An active-low latch delays the second signal by half a clock cycle of the input clock signal. A multiplexer receives the delayed first and second signals at first and second input terminals respectively and the input clock signal at a select terminal, and generates a divided clock signal. The multiplexer outputs the second delayed signal when the input clock signal is at a logic high state and outputs the first delayed signal when the input clock signal is at a logic low state.
US08829952B2
A gate drive circuit of the present invention is a gate drive circuit for driving an insulated gate switching element, which comprises a control drive circuit for applying a driving voltage to a control terminal of the switching element at a predetermined timing, and a voltage monitoring circuit for monitoring both a first voltage which is a power supply voltage of the control drive circuit and a second voltage which negatively biases the control terminal of the switching element, and in the gate drive circuit, the control drive circuit cuts off an output when at least one of the first and second voltages monitored by the voltage monitoring circuit becomes lower than a threshold value. It is an object of the present invention to provide an insulated gate switching element which can suppress wrong ON.
US08829947B1
An apparatus includes first and second switches. The first switch is for coupling a first node to a second node responsive to a first control signal having a first value, and for decoupling these nodes responsive to the first control signal having a second value. The second switch is for coupling the first node to a third node responsive to a second control signal having the first value, and for decoupling these nodes responsive to the second control signal having the second value. A load is coupled between the second and third nodes. A detection circuit coupled to the first node is configured to generate a signal indicating whether voltage at the first node exceeds a threshold. First and second modules are configured to set the first and second control signals to the second value responsive to the signal indicating that the voltage at the first node exceeds the threshold.
US08829946B2
One aspect is a circuit having an input configured to receive an input signal, and an actuation output configured to be connected to an actuation terminal of a transistor. A measurement arrangement is configured to ascertain at least one of a load current through a load path of the transistor, and a load voltage across the load path of the transistor and to provide a measurement signal that is dependent on at least one of the load current and the load path voltage. An actuation current source is configured to receive the measurement signal and to provide an actuation current at the actuation output, the actuation current having a current level dependent on the measurement signal.
US08829941B2
A method is provided for receiving a differential signal pair input at a first circuit stage and converting the differential signal pair input to a single-ended signal at a second circuit stage. The method also provides for receiving an output of the first circuit stage and an output of the second stage at a third circuit stage and transmitting an amplified signal output from the third circuit stage. The method allows for a 60 dB signal gain or more. A circuit is also provided that includes multiple circuit stages that can provide signal gain to an input differential signal pair. The circuit converts the differential pair into a single-ended signal and transmits the amplified signal as an output. The circuit provides the signal gain without using a current mirror. A computer readable storage device encoded with data for adapting a manufacturing facility to create an apparatus is also provided.
US08829936B2
A probe card structure adaptable to different test apparatuses of different specifications includes a probe card adapted to a first specification, a reinforcement member adapted to a second specification and a specification conversion interface unit disposed between the probe card and the reinforcement member. The probe card without the specification conversion interface unit can be directly mounted on a test apparatus of the first specification by means of a reinforcement member of the first specification to carry out the test process. Alternatively, the specification conversion interface unit can be combined with the probe card to convert the probe card from the first specification to the second specification. Accordingly, the probe card of the second specification can be mounted on a test apparatus of the second specification by means of the reinforcement member of the second specification to carry out the test process.
US08829935B2
A test apparatus that test a device under test, comprising a test head that is arranged facing the device under test and that includes a test module for testing the device under test, and a probe assembly that transmits a signal and that is arranged between the test head and the device under test. The probe assembly includes a plurality of low voltage pins arranged at prescribed intervals from each other, and a plurality of high voltage pins that are arranged such that distance between each high voltage pin and each low voltage pin is greater than the prescribed interval, and that transmit a signal with a higher voltage than a signal transmitted by the low voltage pins. All of the high voltage pins are arranged in only one of two regions formed by dividing a surface of the probe assembly in half.
US08829924B2
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for measuring physical properties using microwave cavity sensors. In operation, a number of microwave cavity sensors are interrogated by a remote wireless unit in order to determine the current resonant frequency for the sensor. The current values for various parameters measured by the sensors, such as temperature, stress/stain, or the like, are determined by comparing the current resonant frequency to a first resonant frequency of the sensor, and thus, detect any change in the value of the selected parameter. In particular, the present invention is directed toward extending the range over which such measurements may be performed, using these types of sensors.
US08829923B2
A proximity sensor assembly with a sensing element having a substrate and an antenna pattern disposed on one or more planar surfaces of the substrate is disclosed. The cable is fed substantially parallel to the planar surfaces of the substrate and is attached to the side surface of the substrate, such that the cable is oriented substantially perpendicular to the direction of the electromagnetic field emitted from the sensing element.
US08829922B2
An apparatus for determining alternating current (AC) delay variation of a transistor device under test includes a ring oscillator, the ring oscillator having the transistor device under test configured within a feedback path of the ring oscillator; and circuitry configured to measure a difference between a first signal delay path and a second signal delay path, the first signal delay path being between a gate terminal and a drain terminal of the transistor device under test, and the second signal delay path being between a source terminal and the drain terminal of the transistor device under test.
US08829916B2
In one embodiment, the method for locating a defect in a wired transmission line, which extends between a first end and a second end, includes measuring a first modified noise signal at the first end by a first measuring unit, and making a first representation of the first modified noise signal. A second modified noise signal is measured at the second end by a second measuring unit, and a second representation of the second modified noise signal is made. The location of the defects are derived from the representations.
US08829912B2
A fixture can include a test fixture that holds an object whose electrostatic charge characteristics are to be measured, means for moving a piece of rubbing material into contact with the object, and means for rubbing a surface of the object. A method for measuring the electrostatic charge characteristics of an object using a test fixture can include: placing the object in the test fixture, moving a piece of rubbing material into contact with the object and rubbing a surface of the object with the piece of rubbing material for a period of time. The rubbing causes an electrostatic charge to be built up on the surface of the object. The electrostatic charge characteristics of the object can be measured and the measured electrostatic charge characteristics of the object can be displayed.
US08829910B2
A portable device for displaying charge information has a transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting a signal, requesting charge information on a battery, to a controller provided with a unit for detecting a remaining amount of a battery, a reception unit for wirelessly receiving the charge information from the controller, a storage unit for storing charge information received by the reception unit, a display unit for displaying charge information stored into the storage unit, and a charge prediction information calculating unit for calculating prediction information regarding a state-of-charge of the battery based upon charge information stored in the storage unit in the case of the reception unit being unable to receive charge information from the controller after transmitting a signal requesting charge information from the transmission unit. The prediction information calculated by the charge prediction information calculating unit is displayed in the display unit.
US08829909B2
A method and apparatus for steering a drilling assembly within a reservoir of an earth formation is disclosed. The drilling assembly is positioned within the reservoir between a conductive upper layer having a DC magnetic field and a conductive lower layer having a DC magnetic field. A sensor of the drilling assembly measures a magnetic field in the reservoir resulting from the DC magnetic field of the conductive upper layer and the DC magnetic field of the conductive lower layer. A processor uses the measured magnetic field to steer the drilling assembly within the reservoir.
US08829904B2
A method of and miniaturized apparatus adapted for in-situ measurement of degradation of automotive fluids and the like by micro-electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry, wherein the use of a modulated constant magnetic field in an RF resonating variable frequency microwave cavity resonator through which a fluid sample is passed, enables direct detection of molecular changes in such fluid sample resulting from fluid degradation during use.
US08829903B2
An MRI apparatus includes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a plurality of gradient coils positioned about a bore of a magnet, an RF coil assembly having at least a first port and a second port, an RF transceiver system having a pulse module and configured to transmit RF signals to the first port and the second port, and a computer programmed to drive the RF coil assembly in quadrature through the at least first port and the second port, measure a B1 field using at least one flux probe at two or more angular orientations within the RF coil assembly, and characterize and optimize performance of the MRI system based on the measurements of the B1 field.
US08829900B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing the effect of contact resistances for Hall effect device contacts. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a Hall effect device comprising a plurality of force and sense contact pairs. The force and sense contact pairs comprise a force contact and a separate and distinct sense contact. The force contact is configured to act as a supply terminal that receive an input signal while the sense contact is configured act as an output terminal to provide an output signal indicative of a measured magnetic field value. By utilizing separate contacts for inputting a signal (e.g., an applied current) and reading out a signal (e.g., an induced voltage) the non-linearities generated by contact resistances may be removed, thereby minimizing the zero point offset voltage of the measured magnetic field.
US08829898B1
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for testing. The method includes determining an electrical characteristic of an integrated circuit (IC), subjecting the IC to a stress test, characterizing the electrical characteristic of the IC subsequently to subjecting the IC to the stress test, and determining a quality attribute of the IC based on a comparison of the respective electrical characteristics of the IC before and after subjecting the IC to the stress test.
US08829896B2
A stroke amount detecting device includes a magnetism detecting unit, a first magnetic field generating unit and a second magnetic field generating unit. A magnetic pole of the first generating unit and a magnetic pole of the second generating unit, which are opposed to each other, have different polarities. A distance between a gap end of the first generating unit and a gap end of the second generating unit, which are located on a farther side of a rectilinear axis, is smaller than a distance between an open end of the first generating unit and an open end of the second generating unit, which are located on a closer side of the rectilinear axis. The magnetism detecting unit detects a stroke amount of an object based on a magnetic flux generated between the open end of the first generating unit and the open end of the second generating unit.
US08829892B2
A relay, in particular for high-current operation, having at least one coil and a movable armature which by the magnetic flux generated in the at least one coil permits or interrupts a current flow via two main contact terminals and having a current-measuring instrument for measuring at least one current flowing via the main contact terminals by at least one Hall sensor has a device around the main contacts for aligning the magnetic flux with the Hall sensor or sensors.
US08829886B2
An defect detection system includes an exoemission sensor having a conductive layer and an insulating layer. The exoemission sensor is mountable to a material of interest and configured to receive exoemissions from the material while in an atmosphere. The exoemission sensor outputs a signal based upon the received emissions. An analysis device is configured to receive the signal from the exoemission sensor and determine whether a defect is present in the material based upon the signal.
US08829885B2
Provided is a voltage reference circuit which is able to obtain high PSRR without a variation in power-supply voltage and an influence of noise. A voltage reference circuit for performing voltage-current conversion on forward voltages of PN junction elements and on a difference therebetween to generate a voltage so as not to depend on a temperature is constituted by an amplifier for controlling a temperature characteristic of a voltage of an output terminal, a source follower circuit for supplying a power to the amplifier, and a PMOS transistor which is controlled by the amplifier and which controls a current to flow into the PN junction elements.
US08829883B2
In one embodiment, a method includes generating a drive current. Generation of the drive current results in a first leakage current, and the drive current and first leakage current each flow into a first node. The method also includes generating a second leakage current and amplifying the second leakage current to generate a leakage-compensation current. The leakage-compensation current flows away from the first node.
US08829873B2
A low voltage current mirror design is used to control a high voltage boost converter. A high amperage reference current emanating from a high voltage inductor based DC-to-DC boost converter is mirrored to a low amperage output current. On-chip CMOS elements are used to measure and manipulate the output current, eliminating the need for a high precision, low resistance, external resistor. The measured and manipulated current is used to control the PWM duty cycle of an inductor based DC-to-DC boost converter, allowing for a lower cost solution in a high voltage, high current situation.
US08829872B1
Methods and systems for dropping and/or adding phases in multiphase regulators according to various aspects of the present invention may operate in conjunction with multiple output circuits configured to deliver power to a load and a controller. The controller may be connected to each of the output circuits, such as to drive the output circuits. The controller may be adapted to selectively disable and/or enable phases. For example, the controller may disable one output circuit without disabling another output circuit. In addition, the controller may smoothly reduce the power delivered to the load by the output circuit prior to disabling it, for example to control output glitches.
US08829867B2
This invention relates to a device (13) for the distribution of firing pulses, a circuit arrangement (10) for sequence control of power regulators (20) with this device (13) for the distribution of firing pulses and a process for the sequence control of power regulators (20) for operation with this circuit arrangement (10). A circuit arrangement of the above type and components for such a circuit arrangement and a process for operation of the circuit arrangement is provided, enabling better usage of the components, in particular of the device (12) for the generation of firing pulses. This is made possible through the invented device (13) for the distribution of firing pulses or an invented circuit arrangement (10) with this device (13).
US08829864B2
A current driver circuit includes a converter part having a switching element and converting an input voltage into an output voltage; a current detector which generates a detection signal indicative of the current of the switching element; an input voltage compensating circuit which generates a compensation signal corresponding to the input voltage; a comparator which compares the detection signal and the compensation signal against each other; and a switch driver circuit which generates a drive signal. The drive signal turns the switching element off in accordance with an output of the comparator, and turns the switching element on again after a lapse of a prescribed time from the switching element being turned off.
US08829859B2
A device and a method automatically trace and fix a resonance frequency of the batteries for offering an optimal charging frequency to the batteries. The device and method utilize a resonance frequency fr that charges batteries with a sinusoidal wave, automatic tracing function, and a fixed current. While the resonance frequency fr is adopted in a charging device and served as the optimum charging frequency, the using life of the batteries could be extended.
US08829850B2
An interactive charging management system and a method thereof are provided. The present method includes following steps. A leakage event is detected when an electric vehicle is connected with a charging post. When the leakage event is not detected, the charging post is controlled to enter a charging state from a ready state, so as to continuously supply a charging power to the electric vehicle until the electric vehicle is completely charged. When the leakage event is detected, the charging post is controlled to stop supplying the charging power to the electric vehicle, and the electric vehicle is indicated to go offline, so as to perform a leakage test and determine whether to resume the ready state. When the charging post cannot resume the ready state, a service notice is issued to notify a curing unit to process.
US08829847B2
A power management method with a portable electronic device (100) includes identifying, with a controller (202) of the portable electronic device, a power consumption event in the portable electronic device, the power consumption event having a power consumption requirement. The method further includes selecting (818), in response to the identifying, one of a collection of energy storage devices (304, 306, 308, 320) in an energy storage device farm (218) for the portable electronic device, the selecting being based at least on the power consumption requirement of the power consumption event and on one or more characteristics of the one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device executes the power consumption event using energy stored in the selected one of the plurality of energy storage devices. The portable electronic device (100) may be a mobile phone or other wireless communication device.
US08829844B2
Systems and methods for operating a stepper motor of a pump at a desired low velocity include memory for storing information corresponding to an intake velocity profile. The intake velocity profile represents an optimized acceleration curve for operating the stepper motor over a range of motor velocities during an intake cycle. A processor of a system controller dynamically accesses the memory during the intake cycle to acquire the information representing the intake velocity profile and issues a series of pulses to the stepper motor based on this information. In response to the pulses, the stepper motor accelerates in accordance with the optimized acceleration curve represented by the intake velocity profile. The optimized acceleration curve is based on the available torque of the stepper motor across a range of motor velocities and enables the motor to operate with greater torque utilization and less margin than traditional linear acceleration profiles.
US08829842B2
A control circuit for an electric fan, has a MOSFET transistor connected essentially in series with the motor of an electric fan between the two terminals of a first D.C. voltage source and having its source terminal connected to the motor; a transistor driving stage, having an input intended to receive a pulse-width modulation control signal and an output connected to the gate terminal of the MOSFET transistor, and a bootstrap capacitor connected between a second D.C. voltage source and the source terminal of the MOSFET transistor. A controlled electronic switch having a parallel-connected diode for conducting current from the bootstrap capacitor to the motor is arranged between the bootstrap capacitor and the source terminal of the MOSFET transistor. The electronic switch has a control input or gate connected to the output of the transistor driving stage.
US08829840B2
A condition monitoring method for an electrical machine is provided. The method includes providing at least one first sensor element embedded in or disposed on at least one substrate element located in a stator core for obtaining a first set of data. The method also includes providing at least one second sensor element for obtaining a second set of data from the electrical machine. Further, the method includes generating signals indicative of changes in characteristics of the first sensor element based on the second set of data. Finally, the method includes refining the first set of data by combining the first set of data with the generated signals.
US08829830B2
A control command generator that generates an armature interlinkage flux command and a torque current command by a torque command, a rotation speed, and an operation target command, includes a first flux command generator generating a first flux command by the toque command or the torque current command, a second flux generator generating a second flux command by the torque command or the torque current command and the rotation speed of the synchronous machine, a command allocation setting unit setting an allocation coefficient equivalent to an allocation ratio of the two first and second flux commands by the operation target command, a flux command adjuster outputting an armature interlinkage flux command by the two flux commands and the allocation coefficient, and a torque current command generator generating the torque current command by the torque command and the armature interlinkage flux command.
US08829828B2
A controller device for controlling a power converter device of an electrical generator during rotation of the electrical generator includes a signal converter which is configured to receive an angle signal and in response hereto transposes a current feedback onto two axes of a rotating d, q-reference frame. Further, a current controller has a regulator receiving a d-axis feedback and a d-axis demand and provides in response hereto a d-axis response operative in reducing the difference between the d-axis feedback and the d-axis demand. An error unit provides an error signal indicative of an angle error of the rotating reference frame on the basis of the d-axis response of the d-axis regulator.
US08829825B2
A vehicle power system including an unregulated alternator; a saturable reactor receiving an output AC voltage from the alternator and generating a reduced AC voltage in response to a bias signal; and an active rectifier rectifying the reduced AC voltage to a DC voltage.
US08829816B2
Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide a linear walk arrangement for a control signal. A modified clock signal is used to increment or decrement a value of the control signal toward a target value. The modified clock signal is based on a specified transition time and a difference between an initial value for the control signal and the target value. Multiple control signals may be transitioned such that the control signals arrive at their respective target values simultaneously, notwithstanding the differences in transitions among the control signals.
US08829812B2
A lighting system for operation with a dimmer circuit comprising a triac connected to a load. The load comprises a driver circuit for supplying current to a light source comprising one or more LEDs, the current being determined at least in part by an adjusted setpoint value. The system further comprises a setpoint filter circuit for obtaining a dimmer setpoint value determined at least in part by a setting of the dimmer circuit, and for generating an adjusted setpoint value. The sensitivity of the adjusted setpoint value to changes in the dimmer setpoint value is low at low values of the dimmer setpoint value.
US08829810B2
The present invention relates to a circuit for controlling at least one LED and to a light- and/or signal element including said circuit, wherein the circuit facilitates an optimum utilization of any input voltage provided by an energy source and provides constant light intensity of the LEDs independent from an input voltage. For this purpose, the circuit contains a step-up converter arranged in the circuit in a way such that the step-up converter outputs a voltage adapted to a forward voltage of the at least one LED at a constant current independent from an input voltage provided by the energy source.
US08829807B1
The present invention provides a backlight dimming circuit, a dimming method of the same and a liquid crystal display thereof. The backlight dimming circuit comprises a power supply voltage terminal VCC, which is used to provide supply voltage; an operational amplifier Q, the noninverting input terminal of which connected with the power supply voltage terminal VCC, and the inverting input terminal of which connected with a load terminal; a precision resistor R, which is connected between the noninverting input terminal and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier Q, the voltage differential signal across the precision resistor R being converted and amplified to a DC voltage signal by the operational amplifier Q and outputting; and a comparator C, the noninverting input terminal of which receiving the DC voltage signal output from the operational amplifier Q, and the inverting input terminal of which receiving a sawtooth signal from a boost IC in a boost converter, which is used to compare the DC voltage signal with the sawtooth signal of the boost IC and then outputting a pulse width modulation dimming signal according the comparison results. The structure of the present invention is simple, and the costs are low. The backlight brightness is associated with the screen in real-time, which reduces the backlight power consumption and promotes the energy conservation of the products.
US08829802B2
In order to keep the advantage of PWM dimming control scheme and make the LED driver high reliability and the LED lamp long lifetime, it is required that the frequency of PWM dimming control scheme is related with or the same as the output frequency of existed dimmers; and the output PWM dimming pulse is covered by the output pulse from dimmers further. The present invention discloses a novel “LED dimming control” scheme to make that the frequency of PWM dimming control scheme is related with or the same as the output frequency of dimmers; and the output PWM dimming pulse is covered by the output pulse from the dimmers further. In this way, it can guarantee that as PWM dimming pulse comes, the output from the dimmer can offer enough power to the LED driver and the LED driver can output the required LED driving current without flicker.
US08829797B2
Lighting systems including lighting fixtures having multiple light-emitting diode units and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. A lighting system configured in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a plurality of lighting fixtures individually including first and second light-emitting diode units. The system further includes a power source, first wiring operably connecting the first light-emitting diode units to the power source, and second wiring operably connecting the second light-emitting diode units to the power source. An automatic controller is operably connected to the first wiring such that the second light-emitting diode units operate independently of the automatic controller. A method for operating a lighting system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes reducing power to a first light-emitting diode unit of a lighting fixture in response to an automatically generated signal without reducing power to a second light-emitting diode unit of the lighting fixture.
US08829792B2
The invention relates to an OLED and its manufacture. The OLED comprises substrate (1), a first electrode layer (2), a package (3) of layers comprising organic electroluminescence material, a second electrode layer (4), a spacer layer (5) and a cover (6) being sealed to the substrate (1) via a sealing material (8). According to the invention, the cover (6) is formed as a layer of a flexible material which is permanently fixed to at least a part of the spacer layer (5). OLEDs with this feature have less moisture penetration and can be produced with less costs. Moreover, electrical contacts (11) between the cover (6) and one of the electrode layers (2, 4) are more reliable in OLEDs having this feature.
US08829787B2
The invention describes a method of manufacturing an OLED device (10), which method comprises applying a number of conductive strips (4) onto a substrate (1); depositing an organic layer (2) onto the substrate (1) within a region bounded by the conductive strips (4); applying a sealant onto the conductive strips (4) to encapsulate the OLED device (10); and depositing a conductive protective layer (6) at least partially onto each conductive strip (4) such that a surface of a conductive strip (4) external to the sealant is protected by the conductive protective layer (6). The invention also describes an OLED device (10) comprising a number of conductive strips (4) applied onto a substrate (1); an organic layer (2) deposited on the substrate (1) within a region bounded by the conductive strips (4); a conductive protective layer (6) deposited at least partially onto the conductive strips (4); and a sealant for encapsulating the OLED device (10), which sealant is applied to the conductive strips (4) such that a surface of the conductive strips (4) external to the sealant is protected by the conductive protective layer (6).
US08829785B2
An organic EL device includes a light-transmitting substrate, a light-transmitting first electrode layer arranged on the substrate, three or more light-emitting units layered and arranged on the first electrode layer, each of the light-emitting units including a central organic emission layer, a hole transfer layer and an electron transfer layer, a plurality of charge generation layers, each of the charge generation layers being interposed and arranged between two corresponding adjacent ones of the light-emitting units, and a second electrode layer arranged on the light-emitting unit positioned highest in a layering direction among the light-emitting units. The total thickness of the layers interposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer being 360 nm or less.
US08829781B2
Disclosed is a light-emitting device (1) including a light-emitting element (2) emitting primary light, and a light converter (3) absorbing a part of the primary light emitted from the light-emitting element (2) and emitting secondary light having a longer wavelength than the primary light. The light converter (3) contains a green light-emitting phosphor (4) and a red light-emitting phosphor (5). The green light-emitting phosphor (4) is composed of at least one phosphor selected from a divalent europium-activated oxynitride phosphor substantially represented by the following formula: EuaSibAlcOdNe and a divalent europium-activated silicate phosphor substantially represented by the following formula: 2(Ba1-f-gMIfEug)O.SiO2, while the red light-emitting phosphor (5) is composed of at least one phosphor selected from tetravalent manganese-activated fluoro-tetravalent metalate phosphors substantially represented by the following formulae: MII2(MIII1-hMnh)F6 and/or MIV(MIII1-hMnh)F6. Consequently, the light-emitting device (1) has excellent color gamut (NTSC ratio).
US08829780B2
The invention aims at providing controllable parameters that are correlated with special color rendering index R9, and at providing a white-light emitting semiconductor device having a high R9 value obtained through optimization of such parameters. The white-light emitting semiconductor device is provided with a phosphor as a light-emitting material and with a light-emitting semiconductor element as an excitation source of the phosphor. The phosphor includes at least a green phosphor and a wide-band red phosphor. In the white light-emitting semiconductor device, an intensity at wavelength 640 nm of an emission spectrum which has been normalized with respect to luminous flux is 100-110% of the intensity at wavelength 640 nm of a spectrum of standard light for color rendering evaluation which has been normalized with respect to luminous flux.
US08829779B2
A conversion element (3) comprising a ceramic material (31) with a multiplicity of pores (32) provided for at least the partial absorption of at least one primary radiation (52) and for transforming the primary radiation (52) into at least one secondary radiation (53), wherein the conversion element (3) has a density greater than or equal to 97% of the theoretical solid-state density of the ceramic material (31), and the pores (32) in the conversion element (3) have a diameter substantially between 200 nm and 5000 nm.
US08829776B2
There are provided a light-source circuit unit, an illumination device, and a display device which are capable of extracting light emitted from the back surface of a light-emitting element chip to the front surface, suppressing a reduction in reflectance, and reducing cost, with a simple configuration. The light-source circuit unit includes a circuit substrate that has a light-reflective wiring pattern on a surface thereof and includes a chip mounting layer as a part of the wiring pattern, and one or more light-emitting element chips that are directly placed on the chip mounting layer, and are driven by a current flowing through the wiring pattern.
US08829772B2
Provided is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display including: a substrate; an organic light emitting element disposed on the substrate; an encapsulation substrate disposed on the organic light emitting element; and an adhesive layer disposed on the substrate to cover the organic light emitting element and bonding the substrate including the organic light emitting element disposed therein with the encapsulation substrate. Herein, the adhesive layer is formed by laminating a filling adhesive sheet including at least one opening that is open in a vertical direction in a thickness of the adhesive layer with a heat dissipation adhesive sheet filling the opening, or by laminating a heat dissipation adhesive sheet including at least one opening that is open in a vertical direction in a thickness of the adhesive layer with a filling adhesive sheet filling the opening.
US08829765B2
A piezoelectric actuator device includes a substrate anchor region; a support beam arrangement having first and second ends, wherein the first end is fixed to the anchor region and the second end is freely suspended; first and second beams having first and second ends, wherein the first end of each beam is mechanically fixed to at least a part of the second end of the support beam arrangement and the second end of each beam is freely suspended; a coupling beam mechanically coupling the second end of the first and second beams; wherein the first and second beams are arranged such that the first end of the support beam arrangement is located between the coupling beam and the second end of the support beam arrangement.
US08829763B2
A pulse generation circuit and method includes using digital signals to trigger a first and second varying analog signals and detecting when they reach one or more reference levels. In response to the first and second varying analog signals reaching one or more reference levels, a first and a second digital control signals are produced and provided as input to a pulser producing a voltage excitation pulse having a width and timing defined by the first and second digital control signals.
US08829761B2
A sliding contact assembly comprises: at least one contact slide track; a brush holder for holding at least one brush contact member and maintaining the at least one brush contact member in sliding contact with the at least one contact slide track during relative movement between the brush contact member and the contact slide track; and a collecting container disposed to collect particles of abraded material from the at least one brush contact member; wherein a cover is provided to surround substantially the brush holder and the at least one brush contact member, the cover having walls extending along a direction of the contact slide track laterally of the brush holder and the brush contact member and along a side of the brush holder remote from the contact slide track; the collecting container is disposed at a downstream end of the cover; and the cover is designed to channel a stream of air, generated within the cover by movement of the contact slide track, towards the collecting container.
US08829760B2
A support system for a dynamoelectric machine is disclosed. In one embodiment, the support system includes: a mounting pad having a first face and a second face, the second face including a pair of slots; a pair of spring bars welded or brazed to the mounting pad at the pair of slots; a collar welded or brazed to the first face of the mounting pad; and a key bar between and affixed to the pair of spring bars.
US08829754B2
An alternator comprising a rotor having plural magnetic poles in the circumferential direction; and a stator whose teeth are disposed opposite to the periphery of the rotor, with an air gap interposed between the rotor and the stator, wherein the coil conductors are wound on the stator so that two stator magnetic poles may be formed by two coil units of a phase wound around stator teeth within the range of 360 electrical degrees subtended by the magnetic poles of the rotor; each of the two coil units forming the stator magnetic poles spans an electrical angle less than 180 electrical degrees; the two coil turns forming the two stator magnetic poles are laid out so that they may not overlap each other; and the coil conductors are so wound that the adjacent stator magnetic poles exhibit opposite magnetic polarities.
US08829747B2
Provided is an electric compressor for car air conditioning that allows insulation and airtightness to be ensured at a terminal part thereof. Provided are an opening (111) through which a motor section in a casing communicates with a control section; an insulating terminal (112) closing off the opening (111); a plurality of first wires (131) arranged substantially on a straight line, penetrating the insulating terminal (112), and extending toward the motor section and the control section; a plurality of second wires electrically connected to at least one of the motor section and the control section; plate-shaped male terminals (122) electrically connected to one of the first wires (131) and the second wires; and female terminals electrically connected to the other of the first wires (131) and the second wires, each including a plate portion extending in a plate shape and securing portions disposed at both ends of the plate portion, the male terminals (122) being secured between the plate portions and the securing portions, and the male terminals (122) and the plate portions of the female terminals are disposed so as to extend across the straight line at an acute or obtuse angle.
US08829742B2
The present invention is a high efficiency permanent magnet machine capable of maintaining high power density. The machine is operable over a wide range of power output. The improved efficiency is due in part to copper wires with a current density lower than traditional designs and larger permanent magnets coupled with a large air gap. In a certain embodiment wide stator teeth are used to provide additional improved efficiency through significantly reducing magnetic saturation resulting in lower current. The machine also has a much smaller torque angle than that in traditional design at rated load and thus has a higher overload handling capability and improved efficiency. In addition, when the machine is used as a motor, an adaptive phase lag compensation scheme helps the sensorless field oriented control (FOC) scheme to perform more accurately.
US08829739B2
A power converter capable of activating a control circuit therein without increasing a length of a wiring for conveying an external activation signal. In the power converter, a converter circuit isolates a first voltage of a first power supply, converts the first voltage into a second voltage, and outputs the second voltage to a second power supply. A first power supply connecting circuit connects the first power supply to the converter circuit in response to the activation signal. An activation circuit determines whether or not the activation signal has been received by the first power supply connecting circuit on the basis of a voltage between input terminals of the converter circuit and activates the control circuit when it is determined that the activation signal has been received by the first power supply connecting circuit.
US08829736B2
An electric circuit for remotely starting and controlling the direction of a center pivot irrigation system comprises a first transformer, a second transformer, a first relay, a second relay, a third relay, and a fourth relay. The first transformer is coupled to a voltage source with a first voltage and may step the first voltage down to a second voltage. The second transformer is coupled to the first transformer, receiving a third voltage and stepping the third voltage up to a fourth voltage. The first relay may include contacts that are open when the irrigation system is started remotely. The second relay may include contacts that are closed when the irrigation system is started remotely. The third relay may include contacts that are closed momentarily to drive the system in a first direction. The fourth relay may include contacts that are closed momentarily to drive the system in a second direction.
US08829731B2
A magnetic positioning system for use in inductive couplings. The magnetic positioning system having a magnet that provides sufficient magnetic force, but does not have enough electrical conductivity to overheat in the presence of the anticipated electromagnetic field. The magnet may be a bonded magnet or a shielded magnet. In another aspect a plurality of magnets are used to provide magnetic attraction forces and said magnetic repulsion forces that cooperate to align the inductive power supply and the remote device. In another aspect, a sensor allows differentiation between different positions of the remote device or inductive power supply. In another aspect, multiple magnets in the inductive power supply interact with multiple magnets in the remote device to position the remote device in different positions.
US08829720B2
A power storage system includes a power control unit including an inverter, and a battery for storing electrical energy supplied with commercial AC power by way of the inverter to supply the electrical energy to an electrical load. An apparatus for selecting specifications of a power storage system includes a data input interface unit for input of data obtained by measuring power usage during prescribed hours at a location of power consumption where the power storage system is to be installed, and an operation processing unit for finding annual average power usage during prescribed hours based on the measured data, and determining an output of the inverter based on the average power usage.
US08829715B2
A distributed photovoltaic (PV) power plant includes a plurality of distributed dc-dc converters. The dc-dc converters are configured to switch in coordination with one another such that at least one dc-dc converter transfers power to a common dc-bus based upon the total system power available from one or more corresponding strings of PV modules. Due to the coordinated switching of the dc-dc converters, each dc-dc converter transferring power to the common dc-bus continues to operate within its optimal efficiency range as well as to optimize the maximum power point tracking in order to increase the energy yield of the PV power plant.
US08829704B2
A PAVA (parallel and vertical axis) turbine includes a plurality of wing assemblies having vertical pivot shafts extending between two vertically spaced end assemblies that are joined to a central driveshaft assembly. The wing assemblies are rotatable about their respective pivot axes from a drive position in which they extend radially outwardly from the central axis and transverse to incident fluid flow to maximally capture fluid flow and rotate the turbine, to a glide position in which the wings extend tangentially to the direction of rotation and parallel to incident fluid flow to minimize drag. The wings may have articulating flaps rotating outwardly from the wing assembly in the drive quadrant to capture more of the passing fluid flow.
US08829692B2
One embodiment is a packaged device having multiple layers. Another embodiment is a method of forming a packaged device having multiple layers. Conductive layers and insulating layers can be formed with openings exposing semiconductor devices. The semiconductor devices can be wire-bonded to the conductive layers. In some embodiments, parasitic effects and a relative footprint of the packaged device can be reduced.
US08829690B2
A system and method for chip package fabrication is disclosed. The chip package includes a base re-distribution layer having an opening formed therein, an adhesive layer having a window formed therein free of adhesive material, and a die affixed to the base re-distribution layer by way of the adhesive layer, the die being aligned with the window such that only a perimeter of the die contacts the adhesive layer. A shield element is positioned between the base re-distribution layer and adhesive layer that is generally aligned with the opening formed in the base re-distribution layer and the window of the adhesive layer such that only a perimeter of the shield element is attached to the adhesive layer. The shield element is separated from the die by an air gap and is configured to be selectively removable from the adhesive layer so as to expose the front surface of the die.
US08829688B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element on which electrode pads are laid out. A wiring substrate includes connecting pads respectively arranged in correspondence with the electrode pads. Pillar-shaped electrode terminals are respectively formed on the electrode pads of the semiconductor element. A solder joint electrically connects a distal portion of each electrode terminal and the corresponding connecting pad on the wiring substrate. Each electrode terminal includes a basal portion, which is connected to the corresponding electrode pad, and a guide, which is formed in the distal portion. The guide has a smaller cross-sectional area than the basal portion as viewed from above. The guide has a circumference and the basal portion has a circumference that is partially flush with the circumference of the guide. The guide is formed to guide solder toward the circumference of the guide.
US08829684B2
An integrated circuit package has a host integrated circuit with an active front side that is surface-mounted on a support and an inactive backside. Conductive pathways extend between the front and back sides of the integrated circuit. A redistribution layer on the back side of the host integrated circuit provides conductive traces and contact pads. The traces of the redistribution layer establish connection between the conductive pathways and the contact pads. At least one additional component is surface-mounted on the back side of the host integrated circuit by electrical connection to the contact pads of the redistribution layer to provide a compact three-dimensional structure. In an alternative embodiment, the additional components can be mounted on the active side.
US08829682B2
Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device may include interconnections extending in a first direction on a substrate and spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, barrier dielectric patterns disposed on top surfaces of the interconnections, respectively, and an upper interlayer dielectric layer disposed on the interconnection. Respective air gaps are disposed between adjacent ones of the interconnections.
US08829680B2
Methods and apparatus for forming a semiconductor device are provided which may include any number of features. One feature is a method of forming an interconnect structure that results in the interconnect structure having a top surface and portions of the side walls of the interconnect structure covered in a dissimilar material. In some embodiments, the dissimilar material can be a conductive material or a nano-alloy. The interconnect structure can be formed by removing a portion of the interconnect structure, and covering the interconnect structure with the dissimilar material. The interconnect structure can comprise a damascene structure, such as a single or dual damascene structure, or alternatively, can comprise a silicon-through via (TSV) structure.
US08829679B2
A semiconductor device wherein destruction of a sealing ring caused by cracking of an interlayer dielectric film is difficult to occur, as well as a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, are provided. A first laminate comprises first interlayer dielectric films having a first mechanical strength. A second laminate comprises second interlayer dielectric films having a mechanical strength higher than the first mechanical strength. A first region includes first metallic layers and vias provided within the first laminate. A second region includes second metallic layers and vias provided within the second laminate. When seen in plan, the second region overlaps at least a part of the first region, is not coupled with the first region by vias, and sandwiches the second interlayer dielectric film between it and the first region.
US08829678B2
One embodiment provides a semiconductor package by forming a redistribution layer extending from a bonding pad of a semiconductor chip using a photoresist pattern plated with the seed layer. Fabrication of the semiconductor package is relatively simple thereby shortening a manufacturing time and reducing the manufacturing cost, and which can increase an adhered area of input/output terminals and can prevent delamination by connecting and welding the input/output terminals to a pair of redistribution layers.
US08829677B2
A die has interconnect pads on an interconnect side near an interconnect edge and has at least a portion of the interconnect side covered by a conformal dielectric coating, in which an interconnect trace over the dielectric coating forms a high interface angle with the surface of the dielectric coating. Because the traces have a high interface angle, a tendency for the interconnect materials to “bleed” laterally is mitigated and contact or overlap of adjacent traces is avoided. The interconnect trace includes a curable electrically conductive interconnect material; that is, it includes a material that can be applied in a flowable form, and thereafter cured or allowed to cure to form the conductive traces. Also, a method includes, prior to forming the traces, subjecting the surface of the conformal dielectric coating with a CF4 plasma treatment.
US08829676B2
A package includes a device die having a substrate. A molding compound contacts a sidewall of the substrate. A metal pad is over the substrate. A passivation layer has a portion covering an edge portion of the metal pad. A metal pillar is over and contacting the metal pad. A dielectric layer is over the passivation layer. A package material formed of a molding compound or a polymer is over the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer includes a bottom portion between the passivation layer and the package material, and a sidewall portion between a sidewall of the metal pillar and a sidewall of the package material. A polymer layer is over the package material, the molding compound, and the metal pillar. A post-passivation interconnect (PPI) extends into the polymer layer. A solder ball is over the PPI, and is electrically coupled to the metal pad through the PPI.
US08829667B2
An electronic apparatus includes a main board, a semiconductor package, an upper conductive EMI shield member, and a lower conductive EMI shield member. The main board includes a first ground pad. The semiconductor package is spaced apart from and electrically connected to the main board. The upper conductive EMI shield member covers a top surface and a sidewall of the semiconductor package. The lower conductive EMI shield member surrounds a space between the main board and the semiconductor package, and is electrically connected to the upper conductive EMI shield member and the first ground pad.
US08829661B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for an electronic panel assembly (EPA) (82, 83), comprising: providing one or more electronic devices (30) with primary faces (31) having electrical contacts (36), opposed rear faces (33) and edges (32) therebetween. The devices (30) are mounted primary faces (31) down on a temporary support (60) in openings (44) in a warp control sheet (WCS) (40) attached to the support (60). Plastic encapsulation (50) is formed at least between lateral edges (32, 43) of the devices (30) and WCS openings (44). Undesirable panel warping (76) during encapsulation is mitigated by choosing the WCS coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to be less than the encapsulation CTE. After encapsulation cure, the EPA (82) containing the devices (30) and the WCS (40) is separated from the temporary support (60) and, optionally, mounted on another carrier (70) with electrical contacts (36) exposed. Thin film insulators (85) and conductors (87) are desirably applied to couple electrical contacts (36) on various devices (30) to each other and to external terminals (88), thereby forming an integrated multi-device EPA (84).
US08829659B2
An integrated circuit connection comprises a substrate, first and second transmission lines, a die, and a conductive ribbon. The first transmission line has a first end and is arranged on the substrate. The die is spaced from the first end. The die has a first surface, which is arranged on the substrate, and a second surface, which is opposite to the first surface and which has the second transmission line arranged thereon. The second transmission line has a second end. The conductive ribbon electrically couples the first and the second ends.
US08829656B2
The present application discloses various implementations of a semiconductor package including an organic substrate and one or more interposers having through-semiconductor vias (TSVs). Such a semiconductor package may include a contiguous organic substrate having a lower substrate segment including first and second pluralities of lower interconnect pads, the second plurality of lower interconnect pads being disposed in an opening of the lower substrate segment. The contiguous organic substrate may also include an upper substrate segment having an upper width and including first and second pluralities of upper interconnect pads. In addition, the semiconductor package may include at least one interposer having TSVs for electrically connecting the first and second pluralities of lower interconnect pads to the first and second pluralities of upper interconnect pads. The interposer has an interposer width less than the upper width of the upper substrate segment.
US08829649B2
A semiconductor device includes a first insulating layer (interlayer insulating layer), a resistive element that is disposed over the first insulating layer (interlayer insulating layer) and at least a surface layer of which is a TaSiN layer, and an interlayer insulating layer disposed over the first insulating layer (interlayer insulating layer) and the resistive element. Multiple via plugs having ends coupled to the TaSiN layer are disposed in the interlayer insulating layer.
US08829640B2
This invention discloses a semiconductor power device disposed in a semiconductor substrate and having an active cell area and an edge termination area the edge termination area wherein the edge termination area comprises a superjunction structure having doped semiconductor columns of alternating conductivity types with a charge imbalance between the doped semiconductor columns to generate a saddle junction electric field in the edge termination.
US08829639B2
An integrated thermoelectric device in semiconductor technology comprising a hot side arranged in proximity to a heat source, and a cold side, providing a signal according to the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides. The hot and cold sides are arranged in such a way that their temperatures tend to equal out when the temperature of the heat source varies, i.e. when the sensor is in poor operating conditions. A measuring circuit provides useful information according to a continuously variable portion of the signal from a time when the temperature of the heat source varies. If the temperature of the heat source ceases to vary, the temperatures of the hot and cold sides eventually equal out and the signal is annulled and ceases to vary. The distance between the hot and cold sides can be less than 100 μm.
US08829637B2
An image sensor includes front-side and backside photodetectors of a first conductivity type disposed in a substrate layer of the first conductivity type. A front-side pinning layer of a second conductivity type is connected to a first contact. The first contact receives a predetermined potential. A backside pinning layer of the second conductivity type is connected to a second contact. The second contact receives an adjustable and programmable potential.
US08829629B2
A capacitance type gyro sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a first electrode integrally including a first base portion and first comb tooth portions and a second electrode integrally including a second base portion and second comb tooth portions, formed by processing the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate. The first electrode has first drive portions that extend from opposed portions opposed to the respective second comb tooth portions on the first base portion toward the respective second comb tooth portions. The second electrode has second drive portions formed on the tip end portions of the respective second comb tooth portions opposed to the respective first drive portions. The first drive portions and the second drive portions engage with each other at an interval like comb teeth.
US08829625B2
In one embodiment, a method of providing a nanowire semiconductor device is provided, in which the gate structure to the nanowire semiconductor device has a trapezoid shape. The method may include forming a trapezoid gate structure surrounding at least a portion of a circumference of a nanowire. The first portion of the trapezoid gate structure that is in direct contact with an upper surface of the nanowire has a first width and a second portion of the trapezoid gate structure that is in direct contact with a lower surface of the nanowire has a second width. The second width of the trapezoid gate structure is greater than the first width of the trapezoid gate structure. The exposed portions of the nanowire that are adjacent to the portion of the nanowire that the trapezoid gate structure is surrounding are then doped to provide source and drain regions.
US08829618B2
An ESD protection circuit with a diode string coupled to a diode-isolated, gate-grounded NMOS ESD device. A method of forming an ESD protection circuit with a diode string coupled to a diode-isolated, gate-grounded NMOS ESD device.
US08829617B2
A method including providing a plurality of fins etched from a semiconductor substrate and covered by an oxide layer and a nitride layer, the oxide layer being located between the plurality of fins and the nitride layer, removing a portion of the plurality of fins to form an opening, and forming a dielectric spacer on a sidewall of the opening. The method may also include filling the opening with a fill material, wherein a top surface of the fill material is substantially flush with a top surface of the nitride layer, removing the nitride layer to form a gap between the plurality of fins and the fill material, wherein the fill material has re-entrant geometry extending over the gap, and removing the re-entrant geometry and causing the gap between the plurality of fins and the fill material to widen.
US08829616B2
A semiconductor device and method of making same. The device includes a substrate comprising a semiconductor layer on an insulating layer, the semiconductor layer including a semiconductor body having a body contact region and an abutting switching region; a bridged gate over the semiconductor body, the bridged gate having a bridge gate portion and an abutting gate portion, the bridge gate portion comprising a multilayer first gate stack and the gate portion comprising a multilayer second gate stack comprising the gate dielectric layer on the semiconductor body; first and second source/drains formed in the switching region on opposite sides of the channel; and wherein a first work function difference between the bridge portion and the body contact region is different from a second work function difference between the gate portion and the channel region.
US08829607B1
A fast switching super-junction trench MOSFET is disclosed having a floating region formed underneath each gate trench and surrounding at least bottom of each the gate trench, which has a parasitic body diode with superior reverse recovery characteristics.
US08829603B2
A shielded gate trench field effect transistor can be formed on a substrate having an epitaxial layer on the substrate and a body layer on the epitaxial layer. A trench formed in the body layer and epitaxial layer is lined with a dielectric layer. A shield electrode is formed within a lower portion of the trench. The shield electrode is insulated by the dielectric layer. A gate electrode is formed in the trench above the shield electrode and insulated from the shield electrode by an additional dielectric layer. One or more source regions formed within the body layer is adjacent a sidewall of the trench. A source pad formed above the body layer is electrically connected to the one or more source regions and insulated from the gate electrode and shield electrode. The source pad provides an external contact to the source region. A gate pad provides an external contact to the gate electrode. A shield electrode pad provides an external contact to the shield electrode. A resistive element can be electrically connected between the shield electrode pad and the source lead in the package.
US08829599B2
In a semiconductor memory device, a plurality of control gates is stacked in a first region and a second region of a substrate. A plurality of interlayer insulating layers is stacked in a portion of the second region of the substrate. Each interlayer insulating layer is formed at the same level as a corresponding one of the control gates. A plurality of sub-control gates is stacked in the first and second regions region of the substrate and interposed between the control gates and the interlayer insulating layers. A common node penetrates the interlayer insulating layers and the sub-control gates.
US08829594B2
A nonvolatile programmable switch according to an embodiment includes: a first nonvolatile memory transistor including a first to third terminals connected to a first to third interconnects respectively; a second nonvolatile memory transistor including a fourth terminal connected to a fourth interconnect, a fifth terminal connected to the second interconnect, and a sixth terminal connected to the third interconnect, the first and second nonvolatile memory transistors having the same conductivity type; and a pass transistor having a gate electrode connected to the second interconnect. When the first and fourth interconnects are connected to a first power supply while the third interconnect is connected to a second power supply having a higher voltage than that of the first power supply, a threshold voltage of the first nonvolatile memory transistor increases, and a threshold voltage of the second nonvolatile memory transistor decreases.
US08829591B2
A monolithic three dimensional NAND string includes a semiconductor channel having at least one end extending substantially perpendicular to a major surface of a substrate, a plurality of control gates extending substantially parallel to the major surface of the substrate, including a first control gate located in a first device level and a second control gate located in a second device level, a charge storage material located in the first device level and in the second device level, a blocking dielectric located between the charge storage material and the plurality of control gates, and a tunneling dielectric located between the charge storage material and the semiconductor channel. The tunneling dielectric has a straight sidewall, portions of the blocking dielectric have a clam shape, and each of the plurality of control gates is located at least partially in an opening in the clam-shaped portion of the blocking dielectric.
US08829589B2
A three-dimensional semiconductor memory device may include gap-fill insulating layers extending upward from a substrate, an electrode structure delimited by sidewalls of the gap-fill insulating layers, vertical structures provided between adjacent ones of the gap-fill insulating layers to penetrate the electrode structure, and at least one separation pattern extending along the gap-fill insulating layers and penetrating at least a portion of the electrode structure. The separation pattern may include at least one separation semiconductor layer.
US08829588B2
Embodiments relate to a nonvolatile memory (“NVM”) bitcell with a replacement metal control gate and an additional floating gate. The bitcell may be created using a standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor manufacturing processes (“CMOS processes”) without any additional process steps, thereby reducing the cost and time associated with fabricating a semiconductor device incorporating the NVM bitcell.
US08829586B2
In a miniaturized transistor, a gate insulating layer is required to reduce its thickness; however, in the case where the gate insulating layer is a single layer of a silicon oxide film, a physical limit on thinning of the gate insulating layer might occur due to an increase in tunneling current, i.e. gate leakage current. With the use of a high-k film whose relative permittivity is higher than or equal to 10 is used for the gate insulating layer, gate leakage current of the miniaturized transistor is reduced. With the use of the high-k film as a first insulating layer whose relative permittivity is higher than that of a second insulating layer in contact with an oxide semiconductor layer, the thickness of the gate insulating layer can be thinner than a thickness of a gate insulating layer considered in terms of a silicon oxide film.
US08829584B2
A semiconductor device with a dynamic gate drain capacitance. One embodiment provides a semiconductor device. The device includes a semiconductor substrate, a field effect transistor structure including a source region, a first body region, a drain region, a gate electrode structure and a gate insulating layer. The gate insulating layer is arranged between the gate electrode structure and the body region. The gate electrode structure and the drain region partially form a capacitor structure including a gate-drain capacitance configured to dynamically change with varying reverse voltages applied between the source and drain regions. The gate-drain capacitance includes at least one local maximum at a given threshold or a plateau-like course at given reverse voltage.
US08829575B2
A semiconductor structure includes a gate, a dual spacer and two recesses. The gate is located on a substrate. The dual spacer is located on the substrate beside the gate. The recesses are located in the substrate and the dual spacers, wherein the sidewall of each of the recesses next to the gate has a lower tip and an upper tip, and the lower tip is located in the substrate while the upper tip is an acute angle located in the dual spacer and close to the substrate. The present invention also provides a semiconductor process formed said semiconductor structure.
US08829571B2
A maximum-punch-through semiconductor device such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a diode, and a method for producing same are disclosed. The MPT semiconductor device can include at least a two-layer structure having an emitter metallization, a channel region, a base layer with a predetermined doping concentration ND, a buffer layer and a collector metallization. A thickness W of the base layer can be determined by: W = V bd + V pt 4010 kV cm - 5 / 8 * ( N D ) 1 / 8 wherein a punch-through voltage Vpt of the semiconductor device is between 70% and 99% of a break down voltage Vbd of the semiconductor device, and wherein the thickness W is a minimum thickness of the base layer between a junction to the channel region and the buffer layer.
US08829570B2
A switching device for heterojunction integrated circuits is disclosed. According to one aspect, the switching device is configured to protect a circuit from an electro-static discharge (ESD) event. The switching device includes a second base contact region that is configured to be electrically floating, a first base contact region and a collector contact region that are coupled to a first input terminal of the switching device, and an emitter contact region that is coupled to a second input terminal of the switching device. Due in part to capacitive coupling between the first base contact region and the second base contact region, the switching device exhibits a low transient trigger voltage and a fast response to ESD events. Further, the switching device exhibits a high DC trigger voltage (for example, greater than 20V), while maintaining relatively low leakage current during operation (for example, less than about 0.5 μA at 20V DC.
US08829568B2
An insulating layer, an undoped first GaN layer and an AlGaN layer are laminated in this order on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A surface barrier layer formed by a two-dimensional electron gas is provided in an interface between the first GaN layer and the AlGaN layer. A recess (first recess) which reaches the first GaN layer but does not pierce the first GaN layer is formed in a surface layer of the AlGaN layer. A first high withstand voltage transistor and a control circuit are formed integrally on the aforementioned semiconductor substrate. The first high withstand voltage transistor is formed in the first recess and on a surface of the AlGaN layer. The control circuit includes an n-channel MOSFET formed in part of the first recess, and a depression type n-channel MOSFET formed on a surface of the AlGaN layer. In this manner, there are provided a gallium nitride semiconductor device which can be used under a high temperature environment while reduction in total circuit size can be attained, and a method for producing the gallium nitride semiconductor device.
US08829567B2
Semiconductor structures having a first layer including an n-type III-V semiconductor material and a second layer including an M(InP)(InGaAs) alloy, wherein M is selected from Ni, Pt, Pd, Co, Ti, Zr, Y, Mo, Ru, Ir, Sb, In, Dy, Tb, Er, Yb, and Te, and combinations thereof, are disclosed. The semiconductor structures have a substantially planar interface between the first and second layers. Methods of fabricating semiconductor structures, and methods of reducing interface roughness and/or sheet resistance of a contact are also disclosed.
US08829562B2
A semiconductor device includes a trench extending into a drift zone of a semiconductor body from a first surface. The semiconductor device further includes a gate electrode in the trench and a body region adjoining a sidewall of the trench. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric structure in the trench. The dielectric structure includes a high-k dielectric in a lower part of the trench. The high-k dielectric includes a dielectric constant higher than that of SiO2. An extension of the high-k dielectric in a vertical direction perpendicular to the first surface is limited between a bottom side of the trench and a level where a bottom side of the body region adjoins the sidewall of the trench.
US08829539B2
A luminous vehicle glazing, containing: a first sheet containing a mineral or an organic glass having a first main face, a second main face, and an injection edge; a peripheral light source with an emitting face, which faces the injection edge; a guided-light extracting element; a peripheral functional element, bonded to the first sheet, which is fluid-tight, including a cavity for placing the peripheral light source; a covering element, which covers the cavity and the peripheral light source, which is fluid-tight, and which is selected from i) a cap combined with an interfacial element, for interfacial fluid-tightness or ii) a fluid-tight sealing mastic covering the peripheral light source and sealing the peripheral functional element. In addition, a method of manufacturing the luminous vehicle glazing.
US08829536B2
According to one embodiment, an SiC semiconductor device including a p-type 4H—SiC region formed on at least part of a surface portion of an SiC substrate, a first gate insulating film formed on the 4H—SiC region and formed of a 3C—SiC thin film having p-type dopant introduced therein, a second gate insulating film formed on the first gate insulating film, and a gate electrode formed on the second gate insulating film.
US08829531B2
Some embodiments include photonic systems. The systems may include a silicon-containing waveguide configured to direct light along a path, and a detector proximate the silicon-containing waveguide. The detector may comprise a detector material which has a lower region and an upper region, with the lower region having a higher concentration of defects than the upper region. The detector material may comprise germanium in some embodiments. Some embodiments include methods of forming photonic systems.
US08829527B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a highly reliable display device at a low cost with high yield. According to the present invention, a step due to an opening in a contact is covered with an insulating layer to reduce the step, and is processed into a gentle shape. A wiring or the like is formed to be in contact with the insulating layer and thus the coverage of the wiring or the like is enhanced. In addition, deterioration of a light-emitting element due to contaminants such as water can be prevented by sealing a layer including an organic material that has water permeability in a display device with a sealing material. Since the sealing material is formed in a portion of a driver circuit region in the display device, the frame margin of the display device can be narrowed.
US08829526B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device in which a thin film transistor and a thin film diode are provided on one same substrate, and the characteristics respectively required for the thin film transistor and the thin film diode are achieved. Specifically disclosed is a semiconductor device that includes an insulating layer (104) formed on the surface of a substrate (101), and a thin film transistor and a thin film diode that are formed on the insulating layer (104). A portion of the surface of the insulating layer (104), which is positioned below a semiconductor layer (109) for the thin film diode, is provided with a first recessed and projected pattern (105). Meanwhile, a portion of the surface of the insulating layer (104), which is positioned below a semiconductor layer (108) for the thin film transistor, is not provided with the first recessed and projected pattern (105). The surface of the semiconductor layer (109) for the thin film diode has a second recessed and projected pattern that reflects the shape of the first recessed and projected pattern (105).
US08829524B2
An exemplary thin film transistor array substrate (200) includes a substrate (210) and a gate electrode (220) formed on the substrate. The gate electrode includes an adhesive layer (226) formed on the substrate, a conductive layer (224) formed on the adhesive layer and a barrier layer (222) formed on the conductive layer, the adhesive layer and the barrier layer both have sandwich structures. A central core of the adhesive layer, the conductive layer, and a central core of the barrier layer are made of a same material.
US08829523B2
The present invention provides a thin film transistor (TFT) manufacturing method and a TFT, a source electrode or drain electrode of the TFT is electrically connected to a data line directly during a forming process by providing a through hole in a surface above the data line of the TFT, so as to save the process cost. Further, the source electrode and drain electrode of the TFT are also manufactured with poly-silicon rather than metal material used in prior art, processing steps are simplified, thereby further saving the process cost.
US08829514B2
Disclosed herein is a thin film transistor, which includes a metal oxide semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The metal oxide semiconductor layer includes a channel region having at least one first region and a second region. The first region has an oxygen vacancy concentration greater than an oxygen vacancy concentration of the second region. The second region surrounds the first region. A method for manufacturing the thin film transistor is disclosed as well.
US08829512B2
A miniaturized semiconductor device including a transistor in which a channel formation region is formed using an oxide semiconductor film and variation in electric characteristics due to a short-channel effect is suppressed is provided. In addition, a semiconductor device whose on-state current is improved is provided. A semiconductor device is provided with an oxide semiconductor film including a pair of second oxide semiconductor regions which are amorphous regions and a first oxide semiconductor region located between the pair of second oxide semiconductor regions, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode provided over the first oxide semiconductor region with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween. Hydrogen or a rare gas is added to the second oxide semiconductor regions.
US08829511B2
A hybrid thin film transistor includes a first thin film transistor and a second thin film transistor. The first thin film transistor includes a first gate, a first source, a first drain and a first semiconductor layer disposed between the first gate, the first source and the first drain, and the first semiconductor layer includes a crystallized silicon layer. The second thin film transistor includes a second gate, a second source, a second drain and a second semiconductor layer disposed between the second gate, the second source and the second drain, and the second semiconductor layer includes a metal oxide semiconductor layer.
US08829507B2
The disclosure relates generally to sealed electronic devices. More particularly, the invention relates to electronic devices employing organic devices having a seal. Packages having organic electronic devices are presented, and a number of sealing mechanisms are provided for hermetically sealing the package to protect the organic electronic device from environmental elements.
US08829500B2
Provided is a light emitting device having a mechanism capable of efficiently dissipating heat kept in the device to the outside. The light emitting device includes: a first substrate including a heat radiation layer; a second substrate exhibiting light transmittance; and a plurality of organic EL elements provided, between the first substrate and the second substrate to emit light toward the second substrate. The second substrate includes fibrous, thermally conductive wires dispersively arranged therein, and the thermally conductive wires have a diameter of 0.4 μm or less and have a thermal conductivity higher than the remaining component of the second substrate excluding the thermally conductive wires.
US08829494B2
An organic thin film transistor comprising source and drain electrodes, an organic semiconductor disposed in a channel region between the source and drain electrodes, a gate electrode, and a dielectric disposed between the source and drain electrodes and the gate electrode, wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode comprise at least one different physical and/or material property from each other.
US08829488B2
Provided is a laminate containing a first compound semiconductor layer; and a second compound semiconductor layer integrally bonded to the first compound semiconductor layer via a bonding layer. A plane A is in the second compound semiconductor layer bonded to a surface where a plane B is in the first compound semiconductor layer, or a surface where a plane B is in the second compound semiconductor layer bonded to a surface where a plane A in the first compound semiconductor layer. The impurity concentration of the bonding layer is 2×1018 cm3 or more.
US08829483B2
This invention discloses a semiconductor device and its manufacturing method. According to the method, a stop layer is deposited on a step-shaped bottom electrode, and then a first insulating layer is deposited through a high aspect ratio process. A first chemical mechanical polishing is performed until the stop layer. A second chemical mechanical polishing is then performed to remove the upper horizontal portion of the bottom electrode. Then, a phase-change material can be formed on the vertical portion of the bottom electrode to form a phase-change element. Through arranging a stop layer, the chemical mechanical polishing process is divided into two stages. Thus, during the second chemical mechanical polishing process preformed on the bottom electrode, polishing process can be precisely controlled to avoid the unnecessary loss of the bottom electrode.
US08829482B1
A programmable impedance memory device structure can include a multi-layer variable impedance memory element formed on a planar surface of a first barrier layer, the multi-layer variable impedance memory element comprising a plurality of layers substantially parallel to the planar surface, including a memory material layer in contact with the planar surface, the first barrier layer being formed above a first insulating layer; and a second barrier layer formed over the memory element having a top surface substantially parallel with the planar surface. The first and second barrier layers can have lower mobility rates for at least one element within the memory material layer than the first insulating layer, and the memory material layer can be programmable by application of an electrical field between at least two different impedance states.
US08829468B2
The present invention provides an inductively coupled, magnetically enhanced ion beam source, suitable to be used in conjunction with probe-forming optics to produce an ion beam without kinetic energy oscillations induced by the source.
US08829465B2
A charged particle beam lens includes a first electrode including a surface having at least one aperture and a second electrode including a surface having at least one aperture. A support intervenes between the first electrode and the second electrode to electrically insulate the first and second electrodes from each other and to support the first and second electrodes in a predetermined positional relationship. A side surface of the support intervenes between the first electrode and the second electrode and includes a non-flat portion having at least one of a projected portion and a depressed portion, and includes a tapered portion. A taper angle formed by the tapered portion and the surface having the aperture of the second electrode is greater than zero degree and less than ninety degrees.
US08829463B2
An ion transport apparatus for a mass- or ion-mobility-spectrometer comprises: (a) a plurality of strip electrodes in a series on a flat substrate; (b) an ion outlet aperture in the substrate disposed adjacent to a first one of the plurality of strip electrodes; (c) a cage electrode at least partially enclosing the plurality of strip electrodes and the ion outlet aperture; (d) a radio frequency (RF) voltage generator operable to supply an RF phase difference between each pair of adjacent electrodes; and (e) at least one DC voltage source operable to supply first and second DC voltages to the cage electrode and an extraction electrode and to supply respective DC bias voltages to each of the plurality of electrodes, wherein electrode strip widths of a series of the plurality of electrodes progressively increase away from the first one of the plurality of electrodes.
US08829460B2
Three-dimensional boron particle loaded thermal neutron detectors utilize neutron sensitive conversion materials in the form of nano-powders and micro-sized particles, as opposed to thin films, suspensions, paraffin, etc. More specifically, methods to infiltrate, intersperse and embed the neutron nano-powders to form two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional charge sensitive platforms are specified. The use of nano-powders enables conformal contact with the entire charge-collecting structure regardless of its shape or configuration.
US08829459B2
A radiation detection apparatus includes a radiation detection unit that detects a first intensity of a radiation that has been transmitted through an inspection target to generate a first measurement value, the inspection target being disposed between a radiation source that irradiates the radiation and the radiation detection unit, a transmission ionization chamber that detects a second intensity of the radiation that has not reached the inspection target to generate a second measurement value, the transmission ionization chamber having an enclosed structure, the transmission ionization chamber being disposed between the radiation source and the inspection target, the transmission ionization chamber including an entrance window through which the radiation enters the transmission ionization chamber and an exit window through which the radiation goes out of the transmission ionization chamber, and an operation unit that calculates a physical quantity of the inspection target.
US08829456B2
A radiation imaging apparatus includes a substrate, at least one imaging element, a scintillator, a first heat peelable adhesive member which fixes the substrate to the imaging element, and a second heat peelable adhesive member which fixes the imaging element to the scintillator. An adhesive strength of the first heat peelable member is decreased by heat. A temperature of the first heat peelable adhesive member at which the adhesive strength is decreased is substantially equal to a temperature at which second heat peelable adhesive member fixes the imaging element to the scintillator. A heat transfer quantity per unit time of the substrate is different from that of the scintillator.
US08829444B2
Transparent optical ceramic coating materials have been fabricated from europium-doped lutetium oxide (Lu2O3:Eu) using physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition techniques. The non-pixilated film coatings have columnar microcrystalline structure and excellent properties for use as radiological scintillators, namely very high density, high effective atomic number, and light output and emission wavelength suitable for use with silicon-based detectors having a very high quantum efficiency. The materials can be used in a multitude of high speed and high resolution imaging applications, including x-ray imaging in medicine.
US08829441B2
A system, for calculating an object location within a portal, includes a portal map formed by a plurality of infra-red beams. The system further includes a broken beam detector for detecting and recording, in response to an object moving through the portal map, data indicative of one or more broken beams of the plurality of infra-red beams. The data includes first data indicative of an initial position of the object within the portal, second data indicative of a subsequent position of the object within the portal, and third data including one or more time records. The system also includes at least one broken beam analyzer for obtaining the data from the broken beam detector, the broken beam analyzer calculating the object location based on at least one of the first data, the second data, and the third data.
US08829419B2
A spectrum information measurement method may include steps of; controlling a reference pixel accumulating charges based on an amount of light irradiated from a test specimen; controlling a plurality of measurement pixels accumulating the charge based on an amount of light that is irradiated from the test specimen and has a prescribed wavelength; generating and outputting a reference signal based on an amount of change in the charge that is accumulated in the reference pixel over the prescribed measurement time; generating and outputting a plurality of measurement signals based on an amount of change in the charge that is accumulated in each of the plurality of measurement pixels over the prescribed measurement time; determining whether or not any one or more of the plurality of measurement signals is greater than the reference signal, and determining that the measurement signal that is greater than the reference signal includes saturated output.
US08829408B2
A demodulation image sensor, such as used in time of flight (TOF) cameras, performs the acquisition and readout of the pixels in parallel. This is used to avoid motion artifacts due to samplings performed separated in time.
US08829407B2
This is generally directed to systems and methods for reduced metal lines and control signals in an imaging system. For example, in some embodiments a pixel cell of an imaging system can operate without a row select transistor, and therefore can operate without a row select metal control line. As another example, in some embodiments a pixel cell can share its reset transistor control line with a transfer transistor control line of another pixel cell. In this manner, an imaging system can be created that averages a single metal line per pixel cell. In some embodiments, operation of such reduced-metal line imaging systems can use modified timing schemes of control signals.
US08829403B2
A scanning multispectral telescope comprises an optical architecture arranged so as to focus the image of an object in the vicinity of a photodetection assembly, the area of focus being an image plane. The photodetection assembly comprises a number of parallel rows of photodetectors, each row being dedicated to a particular spectral band, each spectral band being centered on a mean wavelength. The telescope comprises means for acquiring and analyzing the images obtained from the rows of photodetectors using a phase diversity algorithm. Finally, the telescope comprises optical or mechanical means arranged in such a way that at least one of the rows of photodetectors is offset by a fraction of the mean wavelength which corresponds to it on an axis perpendicular to the image plane.
US08829400B2
A packaging container which includes a synthetic resin container body having a flange part and the cover member heat-sealed to the flange part of the container body. The cover member includes (1) an upper member in which inner surfaces of resin films are positioned opposite to each other to form an abutted part, an unsealed part communicating with the inside of the container body is formed by heat-sealing a peripheral edge part of the abutted part excluding one side of the abutted part forming a base part, and the steam releasing seal part is formed at the abutted part and (2) a lower member which covers a lower surface of the upper member and in which a steam guide part communicating with the inside of the container body is formed at or near the base part of the abutted part.
US08829393B2
The thermal processing device includes a stage, a continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source, a series of lenses, a translation mechanism, a detection module, a three-dimensional auto-focus, and a computer system. The stage is configured to receive a substrate thereon. The continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source is disposed adjacent the stage, and is configured to emit continuous wave electromagnetic radiation along a path towards the substrate. The series of lenses is disposed between the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation source and the stage, and are configured to condense the continuous wave electromagnetic radiation into a line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation on a surface of the substrate. The translation mechanism is configured to translate the stage and the line of continuous wave electromagnetic radiation relative to one another. The detection module is positioned within the path, and is configured to detect continuous wave electromagnetic radiation.
US08829379B2
Systems and methods using intelligent barcodes for processing mail, packages, or other items in transport are provided. Systems and methods allowing end-to-end visibility of a mail stream by uniquely identifying and tracking mail pieces are also provided. Systems and methods include the use of standardized intelligent barcodes on mail pieces, a seamless process for mail acceptance, continuous mail piece tracking, and feedback on mail quality in real time. In one embodiment, systems and methods using intelligent barcodes allow a mailing service to provide enhanced acceptance, sorting, tracking, address correction, forwarding, and delivery services. In another embodiment, systems and methods using intelligent barcodes allow a mailing service to identify a mail piece as undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) and determine a final disposition for the mail piece. In yet another embodiment, systems and methods using intelligent barcodes allow mailers more visibility into the mail stream and information on the quality of their mailings.
US08829378B2
A device for controlling an electronic apparatus, comprising: a generally flat upper panel; a lower armature of a support with respect to which armature the upper panel can move in a generally vertically downward movement; a switch; and at least two arms for actuating the switch, each arm comprising a first end which bears on the upper panel, a second end which bears on the switch, and an intermediate portion which bears on the armature, in which the arms cooperate with the upper panel and the armature in order to keep the upper panel parallel to a horizontal plane during its vertical movement with respect to the armature.
US08829376B2
A control panel for fitness equipment has a board, a screen, a rotary knob switch and a wire. The board has an inner surface and an outer surface. The screen is securely mounted on the outer surface of the board. The rotary knob switch is rotatably mounted through the board beside the screen and has a held end and a wire end opposite to the held end. The wire has an end that is securely mounted at the wire end of the rotary knob switch. Accordingly, the rotary knob switch can be directly and conveniently turned at the board.
US08829374B2
An apparatus includes a switching member which is attached to a main unit of the apparatus; a fixing member which is placed to be movable in a direction along a surface of a supporting portion that is an attaching portion for the switching member, and that contacts with and supports the switching member, which is disposed separately from or integrally with the switching member, and which fixes the switching member; an opening/closing member which has an opening for operating the switching member, and which is openably and closably disposed with respect to the main unit to cover a periphery of the switching member; and a positioning member as defined herein.
US08829373B2
An acceleration switch array having at least two acceleration switches. Each acceleration switch includes a substrate, an anchor attached to the substrate, an electrically conductive mass disposed around the anchor and secured to the anchor by a spring assembly which permits movement of the mass relative to the anchor, and a plurality of electrical contacts positioned at circumferentially spaced positions around and outwardly from the mass. These electrical contacts are aligned along at least one orthogonal axis. A resistor array is electrically connected between the electric contacts of each acceleration switch for each orthogonal axis so that, upon contact between the mass and any of the electrical contacts, an electrical resistance is presented at an output terminal that is unique for each electrical contact for each acceleration switch.
US08829367B2
Force plate (1) having a plate-shaped carrier (2) which, when arranged vertically, has an upper carrier section (3) at the top in the vertical direction and a lower carrier section (4) at the bottom in the vertical direction. A first end carrier section (5) is connected, on the one hand, to the upper carrier section (3) via a vertical rod (7) and, on the other hand, to the lower carrier section (4) via a horizontally oriented spring element (6). That end of the lower carrier section (4) which faces away from the first end carrier section (5) is connected to the upper carrier section (3) via a horizontal rod (8). A second end carrier section (15) connects the horizontal rod (8) to the lower carrier section (4) via a vertically arranged spring element (16).
US08829364B2
A belt weighing system comprising a weigh frame, an entry transition support structure and an exit transition support structure positioned on either sides of the weigh frame. The weigh frame preferably includes a plurality of closely spaced idlers to support a conveyor belt. The optional entry transition support structure can include one or more second belt support components, and the optional exit transition support structure can include one or more third belt support components. In one example form, a plurality of closely spaced idlers is also provided to support the belt adjacent or near the weigh frame in the transition regions. The plurality of closely spaced idlers reduces, ameliorates or controls belt sag at or near the weigh frame and thus reduces errors that are otherwise introduced by relative material movement or other non-linear dynamic effects along the conveyor belt.
US08829344B2
A mural electrical apparatus has a metal mounting bracket, a sub-plate, a plate fixed to the sub-plate by a local link, this plate bearing or constituting a conductive portion. This apparatus further has an elastic conductive member provided at least with an orifice, a flexible arm, and a flexible arm, this member being secured to the sub-plate by the local link, crossing the orifice, and the flexible arms protruding in opposite directions to elastically respectively press against the conductive portion and against the bracket, the conductive portion thus, being brought to the same electric potential as the bracket.
US08829342B2
A photovoltaic cell structure is disclosed that includes a buffer/passivation layer at a CdTe/Back contact interface. The buffer/passivation layer is formed from the same material that forms the n-type semiconductor active layer. In one embodiment, the buffer layer and the n-type semiconductor active layer are formed from cadmium sulfide (CdS). A method of forming a photovoltaic cell includes the step of forming the semiconductor active layers and the buffer/passivation layer within the same deposition chamber and using the same material source.
US08829341B2
There is provided a solar cell comprising: a substrate; a rear electrode layer disposed on the substrate; a light absorption layer disposed on the rear electrode layer; and a window layer disposed on the light absorption layer, wherein the window layer includes a plurality of conductive particles. The conductive particles improve the optical and electrical properties of the window layer.
US08829339B2
A method for forming a photovoltaic device includes patterning a dielectric layer on a substrate to form a patterned dielectric having local spacings between shapes and remote spacings between groups of shapes, and depositing a doped epitaxial layer over the patterned dielectric such that selective crystalline growth occurs in portions of the epitaxial layer in contact with the substrate and noncrystalline growth occurs in portions of the epitaxial layer in contact with the patterned dielectric. First metal contacts are formed over the local spacings of the patterned dielectric, and second metal contacts are formed over the remote spacings. Exposed portions of the noncrystalline growth are etched using the first and second metal contacts as an etch mask to form alternating interdigitated emitter and back contact stacks.
US08829336B2
A photovoltaic device includes one or more structures, an array of at least one of quantum dots and quantum dashes, at least one groove, and at least one conductor. Each of the structures comprises an intrinsic layer on one of an n type layer and a p type layer and the other one of the n type layer and the p type layer on the intrinsic layer. The array of at least one of quantum dots and quantum dashes is located in the intrinsic layer in at least one of the structures. The groove extends into at least one of the structures and the conductor is located along at least a portion of the groove.
US08829325B2
A method and system for using a method of pre-equilibrium ballistic charge carrier refraction comprises fabricating one or more solid-state electric generators. The solid-state electric generators include one or more of a chemically energized solid-state electric generator and a thermionic solid-state electric generator. A first material having a first charge carrier effective mass is used in a solid-state junction. A second material having a second charge carrier effective mass greater than the first charge carrier effective mass is used in the solid-state junction. A charge carrier effective mass ratio between the second effective mass and the first effective mass is greater than or equal to two.
US08829324B2
A transverse thermoelectric device includes a superlattice body, electrically conductive first and second contacts, and first and second thermal contacts. The superlattice body extends between opposite first and second ends along a first direction and between opposite first and second sides along a different, second direction. The superlattice body includes alternating first and second layers of crystalline materials oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. The electrically conductive first contact is coupled with the first end of the superlattice and the electrically conductive second contact is coupled with the second end of the superlattice. The first thermal contact is thermally coupled to the first side of the superlattice and the second thermal contact is thermally coupled to the second side of the superlattice. A Seebeck tensor of the superlattice body is ambipolar.
US08829322B2
Computer-based methods infer a metrical grid from music that has been input without a predetermined time signature or tempo, enabling such free rhythm input to be annotated with the inferred grid, and stored and transcribed as a musical score. The methods use Bayesian modeling techniques, in which an optimal metrical grid is inferred by identifying the metrical grid that best explains the given sequence of notes by maximizing the posterior probability that it represents the note sequence. Prior musical input from a given user as well as explicit information about the musical style of the input may be used to improve the accuracy of the transcription.
US08829320B2
A collapsible musical drum with collapsible drum shell is disclosed in the present invention. Said musical drum is comprised of a base drum member with a drum head and a drum shell, and a plurality of shell extension member which can be attached to the drum shell. The shell extension members attached to the drum shell can form a collapsible drum shell either in an extended, or a collapsed status. Thus the musical drum has an adjustable size of a resonate chamber formed by drum head and drum shell and thus produces various sounds. When in collapsed status, the musical drum can save spaces and is easier for transportation.
US08829319B2
This invention concerns a percussion instrument comprising a batter (10) and a resonant (12) drum both including a ring base (14), a lateral wall (16) that stands on it and a membrane (18) which is put in traction on it. The two drums are spaced each other and facing with their bases so as to define a lateral opening (20) for the air set in vibration by the two membranes.
US08829318B1
A system relating to providing improved bodies for stringed instruments. The present invention is directed toward the fabrication of alloy electric-guitar bodies utilizing CNC processes.
US08829314B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1D4N and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1D4N with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1D4N through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1D4N or a locus conversion of PH1D4N with another maize variety.
US08829306B1
A novel maize variety designated PH18NK and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH18NK with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH18NK through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH18NK or a locus conversion of PH18NK with another maize variety.
US08829292B1
A soybean cultivar designated 27471761 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 27471761, to the plants of soybean cultivar 27471761, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 27471761, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 27471761. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 27471761. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 27471761, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 27471761 with another soybean cultivar.
US08829287B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026894. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026894. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026894 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026894 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08829286B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026853. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026853. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026853 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026853 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08829275B2
The invention provides methods and compositions for identifying transgenic seed that contain a transgene of interest, but lack a marker gene. Use of an identification sequence that results in a detectable phenotype increases the efficiency of screening for seed and plants in which transgene sequences not linked to a gene of interest have segregated from the sequence encoding a gene of interest.
US08829270B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1CJK and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1CJK with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1CJK through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1CJK or a locus conversion of PH1CJK with another maize variety.
US08829269B1
A novel maize variety designated X90A809 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X90A809 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X90A809 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X90A809, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X90A809. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X90A809.
US08829261B2
Disclosed herein is a method of treating radioactive metal waste using melt decontamination, wherein radioactive metal waste, which is generated from nuclear fuel processing facilities or nuclear fuel production facilities, and which cannot be easily treated by surface decontamination because it has a complicated geometric shape, and the surface contamination of which cannot be measured, can be treated by melt decontamination. The method is advantageous in that radioactive metal waste, which cannot be treated by conventional surface decontamination, can be treated, so that radioactive metal waste can be recycled, thereby obtaining economic profits, and further in that a large storage space necessary for cutting and then storing radioactive metal waste is not required, and in that excessive manpower and cost are not required.
US08829253B2
Processes and systems for forming ethanol from methanol. The process involves carbonylating the methanol to form acetic acid and hydrogenating the acetic acid to form ethanol. In a first aspect, at least some hydrogen for the hydrogenating step is derived from a tail gas stream formed in the carbonylation step. In a second aspect, at least some carbon monoxide for the carbonylation step is derived from a vapor stream in the hydrogenation system. In a third aspect, a syngas stream is separated to form a hydrogen stream and a carbon monoxide stream, and the hydrogen stream is methanated to remove residual carbon monoxide prior to being introduced into the hydrogenation system.
US08829248B2
Disclosed is a process for the extractive recovery of a homogeneous ruthenium catalyst from the reaction product of the hydrogenation of glycolic acid, glycolate esters, and/or glycolic acid oligomers with an extractant comprising a hydrophobic solvent and an optional hydrophilic solvent. The ruthenium catalyst, which can include 1,1,1-tris(diaryl- or dialkylphosphinomethyl)alkane ligands, can be recovered from the hydrophobic extract phase by back extraction with a hydrophilic solvent and recycled to a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol by the hydrogenation of glycolic acid and glycolic acid derivatives.
US08829245B2
Provided is a 3-aminomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylamine preparation method. A feeding flow of 3-cyano-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylamine is reacted with NH3 and hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst; the method is characterized by: firstly adding a basic compound to the feeding flow of 3-cyano-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylamine, and then after a portion of 3-cyano-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexylamine has reacted, adding an acidic compound to reaction materials for further hydrogenation reaction to prepare the product. The method ensures that the aminonitrile content in the product is low, thus effectively reducing the duration of the reaction and greatly reducing the consumption of the catalyst during the hydrogenation reaction process.
US08829238B2
A method for synthesizing a deuterated acrylate of the Formula (1), the method comprising: (i) deuterating a propiolate compound of Formula (2) to a methyne-deuterated propiolate compound of Formula (3) in the presence of a base and D2O: and (ii) reductively deuterating the methyne-deuterated propiolate compound of Formula (3) in a reaction solvent in the presence of deuterium gas and a palladium-containing catalyst to afford the deuterated acrylate of the Formula (1). The resulting deuterated acrylate compounds, derivatives thereof, and polymers derived therefrom are also described.
US08829237B2
This invention provide processes for producing carboxylic acid product, along with useful salts. The carboxylic acid product that is produced according to this invention is preferably a C2-C12 carboxylic acid. Among the salts produced in the process of the invention are ammonium salts.
US08829234B2
Disclosed is a process for the production and purification of glycolic acid or glycolic acid derivatives by the carbonylation of formaldehyde in the presence of a solid acid catalyst and a carboxylic acid. This invention discloses hydrocarboxylations and corresponding glycolic acid separations wherein the glycolic acid stream is readily removed from the carboxylic acid and the carboxylic acid is recycled.
US08829232B2
The invention relates to a process for preparing isocyanates by reacting the corresponding amines with phosgene in the liquid phase, if appropriate in the presence of at least one inert medium, in which the amine and the phosgene are first mixed in a mixing chamber (1) to give a reaction mixture and the reaction mixture is fed to a reactor, the amine being added through an orifice (3) arranged coaxially to the mixing chamber (1) and the phosgene being added through feed orifices (5) in at least two planes (7, 9) arranged at right angles to the axis (11) of the mixing chamber (1), or the phosgene being added through the orifice (3) arranged coaxially to the mixing chamber and the amine through the feed orifices (5) in at least two planes (7, 9) arranged at right angles to the axis (11) of the mixing chamber (1). At least one plane (9) is arranged upstream and at least one plane (7) downstream of the orifice (3) arranged coaxially to the mixing chamber (1) in main flow direction of the reaction mixture. The mean residence time of the reaction mixture in the mixing chamber (1) is not more than 20 ms.
