US08989692B2
The present disclosure is directed to a unit phase mixer in combination with an input buffer. The unit phase mixer has a pull-up path for pulling an output terminal up to a first voltage. The pull-up path has a first transistor responsive to a first enable signal and a series connected second transistor responsive to a first clock signal. The unit phase mixer has a pull-down path for pulling the output terminal down to a second voltage. The pull-down path has a third transistor responsive to a second clock signal and a series connected fourth transistor responsive to a second enable signal. The input buffer skews the first and second clock signals by different amounts to enable a break-before-make method of operation so that the first voltage is not connected to the second voltage. The unit phase mixer can be used as a building block in more complex mixers which may include the ability to weight the input clocks as well as providing feed-forward paths for certain of the signals. Because of the rules governing abstract, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.
US08989682B2
Apparatus and methods for envelope tracking calibration are provided. In one embodiment, a method of calibrating an envelope tracker having an envelope shaping table generated at a desired gain compression of a power amplifier is provided. The method includes generating a supply voltage for the power amplifier using the envelope tracker, operating the supply voltage of the power amplifier at a first voltage level associated with substantially no gain compression of the power amplifier, and measuring an output power of the power amplifier at the first voltage level. The method further includes decreasing a voltage level of the supply voltage one or more times and measuring the output power at each voltage level, determining a second voltage level of the power amplifier associated with a gain compression equal to about that of the desired gain compression, and calibrating the envelope tracker based on the determination.
US08989673B2
A system for delivering data to a user includes a beverage container provided with an electronic device having an electronic display, and a portable electronic apparatus such as an electronic mobile phone or an electronic tablet, so that a user operates the portable electronic apparatus to compose data, which are transmitted via ultra-sound to the beverage container and displayed on its electronic display.
US08989672B2
An electronic device may transmit and receive wireless signals using wireless circuitry that is controlled by control circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include adjustable components such as adjustable antenna structures, adjustable front end circuitry, and adjustable transceiver circuitry. During characterization operations, the electronic device may be tested to identify operating settings for the wireless circuitry that lead to potential wireless interference between aggressor transmitters and victim receivers. The control circuitry can adjust the wireless circuitry to mitigate the effects of interference based on settings identified during characterization operations or real time signal quality measurements.
US08989671B2
A cellular communication network is described wherein the power of the pilot channel transmitted by the base station is decreased when the uplink interference in its cell area increases above a threshold value. As a result the mobile terminals at the edge of the cell area are triggered to reselect to another base station and the number of call drops and failed call set-ups is reduced.
US08989667B2
Methods and apparatus for scheduling shared time resources. In one embodiment, Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 interfaces with overlapping frequency ranges are managed by an intelligent scheduler entity or process that schedules time slots for human interaction devices based on predictions on which Bluetooth device is active. By reducing the number of time slots reserved for inactive Bluetooth devices, the scheduler can free up time slots for IEEE 802.11 systems without significant perceptible impact on the Bluetooth devices. The freed time slots can increase in IEEE 802.11 performance by providing additional bandwidth (which can be perceptible by the user), thereby increasing user satisfaction and experience.
US08989639B2
An image forming apparatus includes a toner carrying roller for carrying a toner, an image carrying member, contacting the toner on the toner carrying roller, on which a toner image is to be formed with the toner, and an electrode portion provided at an opposing position in which the electrode portion opposes the toner carrying roller via the image carrying member interposed therebetween. The toner image is formed on the image carrying member by changing a value of a voltage, on the basis of image information, applied to the electrode portion, and the toner carried on the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member contact each other in a toner contact area. The toner is moved between the toner carrying roller and the image carrying member in a toner movement area by changing the value of the voltage applied to the electrode portion, and the toner movement area is present downstream of the toner contact area with respect to a movement direction of the image carrying member.
US08989638B2
A developer carrying device includes a first developer containing part configured to contain developer, a first rotational member arranged in the first developer containing part, a second developer containing part arranged side by side with the first developer containing part, a second rotational member arranged in the second developer containing part, an opening part formed between the first developer containing part and the second developer containing part, and a restriction part arranged between the first rotational member and the second rotational member.
US08989637B2
A developing device including a first developer holding member disposed opposite to an image holding member that holds an electrostatic latent image, a second developer holding member, disposed opposite to the image holding member and the first developer holding member, a developer supply mechanism that supplies a developer to a position located further downstream than a development area in a direction of rotation of the second developer holding member and located further upstream than opposite locations of the two developer holding members, a regulation member that regulates the developer supplied by the developer supply mechanism, a developer division unit that divides the developer, supplied from the developer supply mechanism into two parts for the two developer holding members, and a developer carrying unit that holds and carries the developer after division toward the development area in a state where the developer is separated.
US08989629B2
A blade-like charging member comprises a charging portion, a non-charging portion, and an electrode portion. The non-charging portion is capable of contacting the image bearing member while maintaining an electrically dischargeable gap therebetween. To prevent electric discharge between the non-charging portion and the surface of the image bearing member, at least part of the non-charging portion is made of material having a higher resistance than that of the charging portion. The non-charging portion contacts and slides on the surface of the image bearing member over a range that exceeds the length of the charging portion. A shortest distance between the discharge position and an end portion of the electrode portion with respect to a longitudinal direction of the image bearing member is longer than a shortest distance between the discharge position and a central portion of the electrode portion with respect to the longitudinal direction of the image bearing member.
US08989623B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of cartridges, and a moving member to which the plurality of cartridges is detachably attached. Of a pair of cartridges attached to the moving member and adjacent to each other, one cartridge has a recessed portion recessed from a frame member thereof and extending in an attachment direction of the cartridge, and the other cartridge has a raised portion protruding from the frame member thereof and extending in the attachment direction. The raised portion provided on the other cartridge enters the recessed portion provided in the one cartridge when the pair of cartridges is attached to the moving member. Positions of the raised portion and the recessed portion overlap each other as viewed in an axial direction of the image bearing member.
US08989616B2
An image forming apparatus includes first and second image bearing drums; first and second developing devices for forming a toner image on the drums; an intermediary transfer member for carrying images transferred front the drums and secondary transferring the toner image onto a recording material; a heater for heating the recording material; an executing portion for executing a first mode for forming a toner image on the intermediary transfer member from both drums and a second mode for forming a toner image on the intermediary transfer member only from the second drum; a temperature detecting portion; a fan; a controller for controlling the fan based on a detected temperature; a setting portion for setting a temperature at which an air feed amount of the fan is increased in the second mode is lower than a temperature at which the all feed amount is increased in the first mode.
US08989610B2
The image forming apparatus includes a fixing section which has a heater and heats and fixes an unfixed image, formed on a recording material, to the recording material, a power supply section which has a rectification section rectifying alternating current, a power factor improvement section receiving input of current output from the rectification section, and a DC/DC converter DC/DC converting current output from the power factor improvement section, a current detection section which detects current flowing to the heater, and a control section which controls operation of the power factor improvement section according to current detected by the current detection section.
US08989605B2
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of white reference plates, a plurality of measurement units configured to be arranged in positions opposed to the respective plurality of white reference plates, irradiate the white reference plates with light, and measure reflected light from the white reference plates, and a determination unit configured to determine an abnormality of the plurality of white reference plates by using respective measurement results measured by the plurality of measurement units.
US08989601B2
A modular hub driver architecture may include a multi-delay block configured to provide an enhanced delay match among N distinct stages of a distributed modulating electro-optical interface core. The electro-optical multi-core modulator driver may include an input impedance matching stage and a pre-conditioning circuit configured to generate a number M, an integer divisor of N, of delayed replicas of an electrical modulating signal. The electro-optical multi-core modulator may include an array of M launch buffers of the replica signals, and an array of M multi-delay blocks, each including delay circuit modules differently cascaded on distinct signal paths, and configured to receive, at respective inputs, the M replica signals and to output N/M differently delayed replicas of the input signals, each driving a correspondent output stage of one on the N electro-optical interface cores.
US08989599B2
Since it is difficult to fast, simply monitor impairments of received signals with higher receiver sensitivity, a monitoring method for an optical communication system according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes the steps of emitting lightwave signals to be modulated according to a data, forming dips at transitions between temporally consecutive groups of n symbols of the lightwave signals, wherein the dips are formed at each of (n−1) first transitions of the group, no dip is formed at the n-th transition on the lightwave signals, receiving the lightwave signals, extracting frequency components characterized by the numerical value n from received lightwave signals, and monitoring the received lightwave signals by using the frequency components.
US08989594B2
A method for adjusting a filtering bandwidth of an optical device includes: acquiring a modulation bandwidth of a first optical signal and s modulation bandwidth of a second optical signal, where the first optical signal is an optical signal input into a first wavelength channel of an optical device, the second optical signal is an optical signal input into a second wavelength channel of the optical device, and the second wavelength channel is adjacent to the first wavelength channel; comparing the modulation bandwidth of the first optical signal with the modulation bandwidth of the second optical signal; and according to a result of comparing the modulation bandwidth of the first optical signal with the modulation bandwidth of the second optical signal, adjusting a filtering bandwidth of at least one wavelength channel of the first wavelength channel and the second wavelength channel.
US08989590B2
One embodiment provides a pluggable optical line terminal (OLT). The OLT includes a bi-directional optical transceiver configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from a number of optical network units (ONUs), an OLT chip coupled to the optical transceiver and configured to communicate with the ONUs through the optical transceiver, and a pluggable interface coupled to the OLT chip and configured to electrically interface between the OLT chip and a piece of network equipment. The optical transceiver, the OLT chip, and the pluggable interface are contained in an enclosure complying with a form factor, thereby allowing the pluggable OLT to be directly plugged into the network equipment.
US08989588B2
An optical transceiver includes an optical IC coupled to a processor IC. For transmit, the optical IC can be understood as a transmitter IC including a laser device or array. For receive, the optical IC can be understood as a receiver IC including a photodetector/photodiode device or array. For a transmitter IC, the processor IC includes a driver for a laser of the transmitter IC. The driver includes an equalizer that applies high frequency gain to a signal transmitted with the laser device. For a receiver IC, the processor IC includes a front end circuit to interface with a photodetector of the receiver IC. The front end circuit includes an equalizer that applies high frequency gain to a signal received by the receiver IC. The driver can be configurable to receive a laser having either orientation: ground termination or supply termination.
US08989586B2
Optical communications system (10) and method for transmission of payload data (PD) from a low earth orbit satellite (20) to an optical ground terminal (30), the low earth orbit satellite (20) being connectable with the optical ground terminal (30) via an optical downlink channel (DL), and the optical ground terminal (30) being connectable with the low earth orbit satellite (20) via an uplink channel (UC); wherein said uplink channel (UC) is an acquisition and tracking beacon channel by means of a ground beacon (GB) controlled by a point-acquisition-track subsystem (PAT), the ground beacon (GB) comprising a wide angle beam (W) for acquisition and a guidance beam (G) for tracking; and wherein the ground beacon (GB) for the uplink channel (UC) is a pulse position modulated PPM channel.
US08989583B1
A system and a method are disclosed for generating an infrared signal on a mobile device. The infrared signal is generated on a mobile device by generating a bitstream based on information to be transmitted as an infrared signal. The bitstream is modulated and output on a bus to an infrared-emitting diode. The bitstream is processed in a software layer configured on the computing device, enabling the computing device to generate and process signals without additional hardware configured on the device.
US08989578B2
A system is provided for identifying signal propagation information. The system includes at least one component configured to receive an optical input signal and to emit an optical output signal. The emitted optical output signal is representative of the optical input signal, and is associated with characteristic information indicative of the component. A processor is also included, the processor being configured to sense the optical output signal and correlate the characteristic information with said component.
US08989575B2
The present invention provides a signal detection method, including: receiving, by a frequency mixer, wavelength division multiplexing signals and a local oscillator signal, where a wavelength of the local oscillator signal and a wavelength of a target signal in the wavelength division multiplexing signals are the same; a frequency mixer performs interference on the wavelength division multiplexing signals through the local oscillator signal to obtain a coherent signal formed by the local oscillator signal and the target signal; sending the coherent signal to a transimpedance amplifier for amplification to obtain a voltage signal; and obtaining the power of the target signal according to a power amplitude of the voltage signal.
US08989571B2
According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method of modulating supervisory data onto an optical signal includes increasing a first power level of a first polarization component of an optical signal based on supervisory data. The method further includes decreasing a second power level of a second polarization component of the optical signal based on the supervisory data. The decrease in the second power level is substantially the same as the increase in the first power level such that a total power of the optical signal is substantially constant.
US08989566B2
A heating pump includes a motor, a housing fixed to the motor, an impeller driven by the motor and received in the housing, and a tubular heating member fixed in the housing. The housing includes an intake tube and a discharge port arranged at the periphery of the intake tube. The impeller includes an inlet communicating with the intake tube and a plurality of outlets around the inlet. The outlets communicate with the discharge port via a first passage surrounded by the heating member. A second passage, which communicates with the first passage, is formed between a radially outer surface of the heating member and a radially inner surface of the housing.
US08989561B1
Systems and methods are provided herein in relation to notifications about alternative viewing opportunities for recording and playback of media programs. In particular, the systems and methods provide users with information related to alternative recorded programming viewing opportunities for programs scheduled for recording by a user.
US08989556B2
On a recording medium, a monoscopic video specific section and a stereoscopic video specific section are continuous immediately after an extended data specific section. A shared section includes a continuous, interleaved arrangement having one each of main-view extents, sub-view extents, and extended extents. The stereoscopic video specific section includes a continuous, interleaved arrangement of extents having one each of the main-view extents and the sub-view extents. The monoscopic video specific section includes a continuous arrangement of a copy of the main-view extent arranged in the stereoscopic video specific section. The extended data specific section includes one of the extended extents that is to be used in combination with the copy of the main-view extent arranged in the monoscopic video specific section. The shared section is accessed when stereoscopic video images are played back, when monoscopic video images are played back, and when an extended stream is used. The stereoscopic video specific section is accessed during playback of the stereoscopic video images. The monoscopic video specific section is accessed during playback of the monoscopic video images. The extended data specific section and the monoscopic video specific section are accessed when the extended stream is read, immediately before or after a long jump.
US08989551B2
Disclosed is a captioned video playback apparatus comprising a storage unit that stores a caption signal defining a plurality of caption lines and a video signal defining a plurality of video images in association with a playback timing; a caption select unit that selects one of the plurality of caption lines defined by the caption signal stored in the storage unit; a caption playback unit that plays back the caption line selected by the caption select unit; a video playback unit that plays back the video signal stored in the storage unit; and a mode changeover unit that changes between a caption view mode for playing back a caption line selected by the caption select unit and a video image corresponding to the caption line using the caption playback unit and the video playback unit, and a normal view mode for playing back a video image using the video playback unit.
US08989550B2
A cable sealing and cable anchoring system has a primary sealant assembly that includes a primary volume of sealant that defines primary through-ports. The primary sealant assembly includes a primary actuator for pressurizing the primary volume of sealant. The system also has a secondary cable tube that mounts within one of the primary cable through-ports and a secondary cable sealant assembly that mounts within a first end of the secondary cable tube. The secondary cable sealant assembly includes a secondary sealant volume that defines secondary cable through-ports. The secondary cable sealant assembly also includes a secondary actuator for pressurizing the secondary sealant volume. The system further has a cable anchoring assembly for anchoring a strength member of a secondary cable to the secondary cable tube. The cable anchoring assembly is supported by the secondary cable tube adjacent the second end of the secondary cable tube.
US08989540B2
The device includes a main waveguide on a base. The main waveguide is configured to guide a light signal through a light-transmitting medium. The device also includes multiple transition waveguides on the base. Each of the transition waveguide intersects a terminal end of the main waveguide such that each transition waveguide receives a different portion of the light signal from the main waveguide. The device also includes one or more light sensors positioned on the base. Each transition waveguide guides the received light portions to the one or more light sensors such that each of the light signal portions is received at the one or more light sensors.
US08989527B2
The location of one or more fiber optic channels (16) along the length of a fiber optic cable (12) is determined by: a) arranging an electrical conductor and a magnetic source at a known location adjacent to at least one of the channels (16); b) transmitting an electrical current through the electrical conductor, thereby deforming the electrical conductor by Lorenz forces in the vicinity of the magnetic source; c) conveying the deformation of the electrical conductor to deform an adjacent channel (16); d) transmitting light pulses through the fiber optic cable (12) and using variations in the light pulses back reflected by the deformed channel (16) and the known location of the magnetic source to determine the location of the deformed channel (16).
US08989525B2
According to an embodiment, a light deflecting element includes a dielectric body, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The second electrode is configured to sandwich the dielectric body with the first electrode so as to apply a voltage to the dielectric body. The second electrode includes orthogonal portions that are substantially orthogonal to an incident direction of a light beam passing through the dielectric body, parallel portions that are substantially parallel to the incident direction of the light beam. The orthogonal portions and the parallel portions are formed in an alternate manner on the light beam incident side of the dielectric body. The second electrode includes a linear sloping portion that slopes in a direction toward intersection with the incident direction of the light beam. The orthogonal portions, the parallel portions, and the linear sloping portion are formed integrally.
US08989523B2
Waveguide and associated methods for controlling an optical phase delay (OPD) of TE polarized light traveling along a propagation direction through a waveguide are disclosed. In one example, the method includes providing the waveguide with a core, at least one cladding; initially aligning at least a portion of the liquid crystal molecules in an initial orientation with their longitudinal axes oriented at an out-of-plane tilt angle, and their longitudinal axis oriented at an in-plane angle; providing the waveguide with a pair of electrodes for receiving a control signal; and applying the control signal to the pair of electrodes to rotate the liquid crystal molecules from the initial orientation, thereby controlling the optical phase delay of the TE polarized light traveling through the waveguide.
US08989522B2
The optical device includes an active component on a base. The active component is a light sensor and/or a light modulator. The active component including an active medium that includes a ridge and slab regions. The ridge extends upwards from the base and is positioned between the slab regions. The ridge defines a portion of a waveguide on the base. One or more isolation trenches each extends into the slab regions of the active medium and is at least partially spaced apart from the ridge of the active medium.
US08989517B2
A method of modifying the blur in at least a part of an image of a scene captures at least two images of the scene with different camera parameters to produce a different amount of blur in each image. A corresponding patch in each of the captured images is selected each having an initial amount of blur is used to calculate a set of frequency domain pixel values from a function of transforms of the patches. Each of the pixel values in the set are raised to a predetermined power, forming an amplified set of frequency domain pixel values. The amplified set of frequency domain pixel values is combined with the pixels of the patch in one of the captured images to produce an output image patch with blur modified relative to the initial amount of blur in the image patch.
US08989511B1
Methods for correcting for thermal drift in microscopy images are described. One such method includes receiving an original image for correction, the original image having been generated using microscopy, receiving information indicative of a feature selected from within the original image by a user, the selected feature including an edge, storing the original image in a database including a plurality of images, each having one or more features, correlating the selected feature with one of the one or more features stored in the database to identify a first plurality of points defining the edge, removing one or more points of the first plurality of points using an outlier rejection technique, generating a smoothing spline approximation for a second plurality of points defining the edge, and generating a corrected image by shifting points of the original image in accordance with the smoothing spline approximation.
US08989504B2
An image pickup device includes an image acquiring unit, calculating unit, memory controlling unit, first judging unit and notification unit.The calculating unit calculates a degree of similarity between information of a specific subject contained in the image acquired by the acquiring unit and identification information of the specific subject registered in a registering unit.The memory controlling unit controls a memory unit to store the calculated degree of similarity such that the degree of similarity is associated with date/time information.The first judging unit judges whether the calculated degree of similarity is relatively low compared with predetermined number of other degrees of similarity based on a chronological change of the degrees of similarity.The notification unit notifies that the identification information registered in the registering unit is to be renewed when judged, by the first judging unit, that the calculated degree of similarity is relatively low.
US08989502B2
A computer-implemented method of providing georeferenced information regarding a location of capture of an image is provided. The method includes receiving a first image at an image-based georeferencing system, the first image comprising digital image information and identifying a cataloged second image that correlates to the first image. The method further includes automatically determining reference features common to both the second image and the first image, accessing geographic location information related to the common reference features, utilizing the geographic location information related to the common features to determine a georeferenced location of capture of the first image and providing the georeferenced location of capture for access by a user of the image-based georeferencing system.
US08989495B2
Capturing metadata, including: a data capture device, wherein the data capture device captures notes made by a user and stores the notes as captured data; a data ingest computer, including a connection interface to connect to the data capture device and receive the captured data from the data capture device, and a data conversion component to convert the captured data to formatted data; and a data repository, connected to the data ingest computer, wherein the data repository is connected to a network. Keywords include smart pen and on set metadata acquisition.
US08989485B2
A method for detecting a junction in a received image of the line of text to update a junction list with descriptive data is provided. The method includes creating a color histogram based on a number of color pixels in the received image of the line of text and detecting, based at least in part on the received image of the line of text, a rung within the received image of the line of text. The method also includes identifying a horizontal position of the detected rung in the received image of the line of text and identifying a gateway on the color histogram, wherein the identified gateway is associated with the detected rung. The junction list is updated with data including a description of the identified gateway.
US08989483B2
A method and apparatus for determining a geographic location of a scene in a captured depiction comprising extracting a first set of features from the captured depiction by algorithmically analyzing the captured depiction, matching the extracted features of the captured depiction against a second set of extracted features associated with reference depictions with known geographic locations and when the matching is successful, identifying the geographic location of the scene in the captured depiction based on a known geographic location of a matching reference depiction from the reference depictions.
US08989479B2
The present invention includes searching imagery data in order to identify one or more patterned regions on a semiconductor wafer, generating one or more virtual Fourier filter (VFF) working areas, acquiring an initial set of imagery data from the VFF working areas, defining VFF training blocks within the identified patterned regions of the VFF working areas utilizing the initial set of imagery data, wherein each VFF training block is defined to encompass a portion of the identified patterned region displaying a selected repeating pattern, calculating an initial spectrum for each VFF training block utilizing the initial set of imagery data from the VFF training blocks, and generating a VFF for each training block by identifying frequencies of the initial spectrum having maxima in the frequency domain, wherein the VFF is configured to null the magnitude of the initial spectrum at the frequencies identified to display spectral maxima.
US08989463B2
A method for the detection of a balloon catheter within a fluoroscopic image, including: removing noise from a fluoroscopic image; detecting edges of a balloon catheter in the fluoroscopic image, wherein the detected edges include subsets of connected edges; extracting an edge subset from the subsets of connected edges; fitting a model to the extracted edge subset; removing outliers of the extracted edge subset based on the fitting of the model; adding the extracted edge subset without the outlier to a data set; repeating the extracting, fitting, removing and adding steps for the remainder of the subsets of connected edges; and fitting the model to the data set, wherein the data set is indicative of the balloon catheter.
US08989461B2
A method (100) that provides image processing of X-ray images that is particularly effective for the alignment of stent images and that, ultimately, provides stent image quality enhancement.
US08989459B2
An image processing apparatus includes a suspected-lesion-region extracting unit that extracts a suspected lesion region from an in-vivo image that is obtained by taking an image of inside of body; a groove determining unit that determines whether the suspected lesion region is a region corresponding to a shadow of a groove that is formed between in-vivo organ walls; and a lesion-region extracting unit that extracts a lesion region using the suspected lesion region and a result of determination by the groove determining unit.
US08989458B2
There is disclosed an image diagnosis support system which acquires a medical image from a medical image imaging unit, generates object information on the medical image, stores the medical image and the object information in a data storage unit and a database, stores case information for each patient based on the object information in correspondence with a case name and information of the medical image in an information table, collects the case information for each patient read from the information table in correspondence with the case name in accordance with a conference instruction and the medical image read from the data storage unit and the database in accordance with the information of the medical image, respectively, as conference information by a conference information display•feedback section to display the same, and feeds back a conference result based on display contents to the information table.
US08989453B2
A method of processing a digital image using face detection within the image achieves one or more desired image processing parameters. A group of pixels is identified that correspond to an image of a face within the digital image. Default values are determined of one or more parameters of at least some portion of the digital image. Values are adjusted of the one or more parameters within the digitally-detected image based upon an analysis of the digital image including the image of the face and the default values.
US08989449B2
An arrangement and methods for firing a fire arm. The fire arm includes a determining unit configured to determine a movement of an aim point for the fire arm relative to a target. A processing unit is configured to determine a target point for the aim point based on the movement of the aim point relative to the target and to predict the future movement of the aim point. A firing unit is configured to fire the fire arm when the aim point is predicted to be within a tolerance of the target point.
US08989445B2
A method and apparatus for localizing an area in relative movement and for determining the speed and direction thereof in real time is disclosed. Each pixel of an image is smoothed using its own time constant. A binary value corresponding to the existence of a significant variation in the amplitude of the smoothed pixel from the prior frame, and the amplitude of the variation, are determined, and the time constant for the pixel is updated. For each particular pixel, two matrices are formed that include a subset of the pixels spatially related to the particular pixel. The first matrix contains the binary values of the subset of pixels. The second matrix contains the amplitude of the variation of the subset of pixels. In the first matrix, it is determined whether the pixels along an oriented direction relative to the particular pixel have binary values representative of significant variation, and, for such pixels, it is determined in the second matrix whether the amplitude of these pixels varies in a known manner indicating movement in the oriented direction. In each of several domains, histogram of the values in the first and second matrices falling in such domain is formed. Using the histograms, it is determined whether there is an area having the characteristics of the particular domain. The domains include luminance, hue, saturation, speed (V), oriented direction (D1), time constant (CO), first axis (x(m)), and second axis (y(m)).
US08989443B2
Method of improving orientation and color balance of digital images using face detection information
A method of generating one or more new spatial and chromatic variation digital images uses an original digitally-acquired image which including a face or portions of a face. A group of pixels that correspond to a face within the original digitally-acquired image is identified. A portion of the original image is selected to include the group of pixels. Values of pixels of one or more new images based on the selected portion are automatically generated, or an option to generate them is provided, in a manner which always includes the face within the one or more new images. Such method may be implemented to automatically establish the correct orientation and color balance of an image. Such method can be implemented as an automated method or a semi automatic method to guide users in viewing, capturing or printing of images.
US08989432B2
A plurality of signature bits to be used to generate a watermark in a JPEG image file is determined, wherein the JPEG image file comprises at least one quantization table. A plurality of locations in the at least one quantization table is selected. A respective value associated with each of the selected plurality of locations in the at least one quantization table is changed, based on the plurality of signature bits.
US08989429B2
Electro-dynamic transducer including a main magnetic circuit defining an air gap, a moving part comprising a dome shaped diaphragm and a movable coil fixed thereto and diving into the air gap; a support to which the moving part is suspended; and a suspension linking the moving part and the support; wherein the suspension is floating with respect of the support, allowing a radial degree of freedom.
US08989428B2
A mobile electronic device including a processor, a first electrical component including at least one contact area, and a second electrical component including at least one contact arm extending over a top surface of the second electrical component and secured in at least two locations, the at least one contact arm configured to be in electrical communication with the at least one contact area. In another embodiment, the electronic device further includes a microphone operably connected to an enclosure. A first resilient member coupled to the enclosure and a first side of the microphone and a second resilient member coupled to a second side of the microphone and a support structure within the enclosure.
US08989417B1
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media are described herein related to implementing stereo audio using bone conduction transducers (BCTs). A wearable computing device can receive audio signals effective to cause the wearable computing device to provide stereo sound to a first ear and a second ear opposite the first ear. The wearable computing device can also apply a transform to the audio signals so as to determine other audio signals that are out of phase with the audio signals and effective to substantially cancel crosstalk signals resulting from the audio signals, where the transform may be based on one or more wearer-specific parameters. The wearable computing device may then cause two BCTs to vibrate substantially simultaneous to each other so as to provide the stereo sound to the first ear and the second ear and substantially cancel the crosstalk signals.
US08989413B2
A hearing prosthesis, the hearing prosthesis including a plurality of sound capture devices and a determinator configured to generate a parameter indicative of an orientation of the plurality of sound capture devices relative to a reference, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to adjust a direction of focus of the hearing prosthesis based on at least the parameter.
US08989409B2
An image display device includes: a first audio signal input terminal to which a first audio signal is input from a microphone; and a control section adapted to control power supply from a power supply circuit to the microphone based on type information indicative of whether a type of the microphone to be connected to the first audio signal input terminal is a first type which is requiring power supply or a second type which is not requiring power supply.
US08989401B2
A method comprising: obtaining a plurality of audio signals originating from a plurality of audio sources in order to create an audio scene; analyzing the audio scene in order to determine zoomable audio points within the audio scene; and providing information regarding the zoomable audio points to a client device for selecting.
US08989389B2
Various methods for device-to-device key management are provided. One example method includes receiving a communication mode change command requesting a mode change to device-to-device communications, and generating a local device security key based on a secret key and a base value. The local device security key may be configured for use in device-to-device communications. The example method may also include receiving a security key combination value, and deconstructing the security key combination value using the local device security key to determine a peer device security key. The peer device security key may be configured for use in device-to-device communications. Similar and related example methods and example apparatuses are also provided.
US08989387B2
A method and system for ascertaining an object status of an object associated to an authenticity certificate. A first hashing result of an object identifier encoded within a decrypted first encrypted step certificate is extracted. A second hashing result is obtained from hashing the object to be authenticated. A third hashing result of an object identifier encoded within a decrypted second encrypted step certificate is extracted. A fourth hashing result is obtained from hashing the object to be authenticated. It is determining that the first hashing result is equal to the second hashing result and that the third hashing result is equal to the fourth hashing result, from which it is ascertained the object status of the object is that the object is an authentic object, a counterfeited object, or a stolen object. The ascertained object status is displayed on a screen of an authenticity verification equipment.
US08989378B1
A new media device including a decryption device that is operable to create a decryption key to read media. The decryption device is itself a read/write device that allows reducing or decrementing each time the decryption key is used.
US08989377B2
An apparatus comprising a processor configured to perform at least one transcoding operation on a first encrypted video frame to generate a second encrypted video frame. Also, a method comprising performing at least one transcoding operation on a first encrypted video frame to generate a second encrypted video frame. Also, an apparatus comprising a processor configured to retrieve a first encrypted video frame, wherein the first encrypted video frame is generated by encrypting an original video frame using an encryption key, and perform a transcoding operation on the encrypted video frame without revealing content of the original video frame.
US08989363B2
An incoming call relaying status identifying unit determines whether or not a call receiving request from an incoming call forwarding system is delivered through a preset forward source terminal apparatus based on incoming call relaying status identifying information included in the call receiving request. Next, when a determination based on the incoming call relaying status identifying information brings about a positive result, a display unit displays information for a call-back including forward source terminal information representing the forward source terminal apparatus utilized for relaying the incoming call based on the incoming call relaying status identifying unit. This makes it possible for a user of a forward destination to recognize from which forward source the incoming call is forwarded.
US08989360B2
A system and method for receiving sound from a teleconference host at a teleconference phone is disclosed. The method comprises identifying a person to act as the teleconference host. A location of the identified teleconference host relative to the teleconference phone is determined. A plurality of microphones on the conference phone are configured as a beamforming receiver to receive an audio signal from the location of the teleconference host. Selected microphones from the plurality of microphones are biased to receive sound from the direction of the teleconference host relative to sound received from other directions.
US08989359B2
A system and method for dynamically changing contact information is presented. The system and method includes receiving a contact information change associated with a contact in a first contact list, determining that the contact is also in a second contact list and modifying the second contact list based on the contact information change.
US08989355B2
Methods and apparatuses for enabling electronic communication with a hearing-capable user and a hearing-impaired user are disclosed. An identified entry is selected from a database comprising one or more entries, wherein each of the one or more entries is associated with a contact of the hearing-impaired user and includes one or more connection indicators for the contact and one or more custom greetings for the contact. The identified entry is selected responsive to the one or more connection indicators for the hearing-capable user. A calling connection from the hearing-capable user to a translator is established and the translator is instructed to greet the hearing-capable user with one of the one or more custom greetings.
US08989348B2
An x-ray scanner includes an x-ray source producing a fan of x-rays, an x-ray detector array, a collimator between the source and array, fixed to the source, and defining one or more slits collimating the x-ray fan into a linear x-ray beam. The array is spaced from the source such that a linear extent of the linear x-ray beam is no greater than a detector dimension of the array. An x-ray processing unit processes detection of the linear x-ray beam by the array. A processor-controlled motor moves the x-ray source about a source movement axis to pan the linear x-ray beam and create an x-ray emission cone and moves the array correspondingly with the source. The x-ray processing unit form an x-ray scanned image of an object disposed between the collimator and the array within the x-ray emission cone when the linear x-ray beam is panned across the object.
US08989347B2
A phase retrieval method for differential phase contrast imaging includes receiving data corresponding to a differential phase image generated from a measured signal. The measured signal corresponds to an X-ray signal detected by a detector after passing through a subject located with a grating arrangement between an X-ray source and the detector. The method further includes generating a phase image corresponding to the integration of the differential phase image. Generating the phase image includes performing an iterative total variation regularized integration in the Fourier domain.
US08989320B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method and an apparatus for simplified serial interference cancellation in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and non-MIMO wireless systems by using a single hardware element for multiple interference cancelled streams.
US08989314B1
A computer-readable medium stores instructions causing one or more processors to demodulate a received signal including a plurality of user signals. Respective user data in each of at least some of the plurality of user signals is encoded with a respective finite state machine encoder having a respective number of states Si, wherein i=1, 2, . . . , N, N being the number of users, and wherein at least a first user signal and a second user signal are encoded independently of each other. The instructions cause the processor(s) to calculate distances between transmit symbols in the received signal and an expected joint symbol value, and jointly decode, with a finite state machine decoder, user data in the demodulated received signal, including at least first user data corresponding to the first user signal, based on the calculated distances. The finite state machine decoder has S1*S2* . . . *SN states.
US08989311B2
Wireless receiver circuits and methods include algorithms for switching between a least-squares/minimum mean-square error method of channel estimation known as the CE algorithm, and a continuous plot method of channel estimation known as the CPCE algorithm based upon channel characteristics to improve reception of wireless communications in different reception conditions. In an embodiment, the CPCE algorithm may be selected by a processor for use in channel estimation when a calculated number of candidate paths is less than or equal to a first threshold value, a calculated power ratio of the L strongest paths to the total of all paths is greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and the maximum Automatic Gain Control variation is greater than or equal to a third threshold value. Threshold values may be based on field testing, and set to values at which the CE or CPCE algorithm exhibits better performance.
US08989306B1
The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques for low-noise regulation of battery power. In some aspects an indication of a voltage level of a battery supplying power to a linear regulator is received, an output voltage level is determined for the linear regulator that permits the linear regulator to operate in an active condition in which noise of the power supplied by the battery is mitigated, and the linear regulator is configured to output the regulated power at the output voltage level effective to provide low-noise regulated power for components of a device.
US08989294B2
A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system can transmit on multiple antennas simultaneously and receive on multiple antennas simultaneously. Unfortunately, because a legacy 802.11a/g device is not able to decode multiple data streams, such a legacy device may “stomp” on a MIMO packet by transmitting before the transmission of the MIMO packet is complete. Therefore, MIMO systems and methods are provided herein to allow legacy devices to decode the length of a MIMO packet and to restrain from transmitting during that period. These MIMO systems and methods are optimized for efficient transmission of MIMO packets.
US08989293B2
The present invention provides a method and a coder for jointly coding Pre-coding Matrix Index #1 (W1) and Rank Index (RI) for channel state information feedback of a double codebook precoding frame. In the present invention, it is determined whether Rank Index RI is more than 2; if the RI is no more than 2, a first half branch of a coding binary tree is used to represent joint coding of the RI and W1 when RI=1 and RI=2; if the RI is more than 2, a second half branch of the coding binary tree is used to represent remaining separate codings and/or joint codings when the RI is more than 2; and processing results of the above coding steps are output. The present invention may be applied to an equal-length coding or an unequal-length coding. The present invention has advantages such as easy implementation, lower signaling overhead etc., and may be suitable for an LTE-A/4G cellular communication system and a future 5G cellular communication system.
US08989287B2
A circuit for use in a complementary Golay sequence generator or in a complementary Golay sequence correlator includes an input configured to receive an input signal, a set of delay elements, including delay elements corresponding to respective delays of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64, and a set of multipliers interconnected with the input and the set of delay elements. The set of multipliers is configured to apply weight factors, and the weight factors define the sequence 1,1,−1,1,−1,1,−1. The circuit also includes a pair of outputs configured to output, in response to the input signal, one of (i) a pair of complementary Golay sequences or (ii) a pair of correlation output signals, using (a) the set of delay elements and (b) the set of weight multipliers.
US08989286B2
Embodiments include processes, systems, and devices for reshaping virtual baseband signals for transmission on non-contiguous and variable portions of a physical baseband, such as a white space frequency band. In the transmission path, a spectrum virtualization layer maps a plurality of transmission components associated with a transmission symbol produced by a physical layer protocol to sub-carriers of the allocated physical frequency band. The spectrum virtualization layer then outputs a physical transmission symbol composed of time-domain samples derived from the mapped frequency components and a cyclic prefix. In the receive path, a time-domain symbol received on the physical baseband is reshaped and equalized by the virtual spectrum layer in order to recompose a time-domain samples of a transmission stream in the virtual baseband.
US08989285B2
Methods and apparatus for efficiently feeding back preceding information in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system. A codebook including a plurality of codebook entries is constructed. A plurality of subsets of codebook entries are defined for the codebook. Each subset includes a plurality of codebook entries. A subset of codebook entries is selected for precoding data in dependence upon a channel condition, and a codebook entry is selected from the subset. Then, a subset index corresponding to the selected subset, and a codebook entry index corresponding to the selected codebook entry within the selected subset, is transmitted as feedback information.
US08989280B2
An unbound, out-of-band identification concept for identifying video frames and/or other data sets within a transport stream. The identification may include the use of reference markers to identify the video frames independently of a transmission protocol used to facilitate the transport stream. This type of ubiquitous generation of reference markings may allow the reference markers to be easily propagated and used with disparate transmission protocols and transport streams.
US08989274B2
An apparatus and method for encoding video data and an apparatus and method for decoding video data are provided. The encoding method includes: splitting a current picture into at least one maximum coding unit; determining a coded depth to output an encoding result by encoding at least one split region of the at least one maximum coding unit according to operating mode of coding tool, respectively, based on a relationship among a depth of at least one coding unit of the at least one maximum coding unit, a coding tool, and an operating mode, wherein the at least one split region is generated by hierarchically splitting the at least one maximum coding unit according to depths; and outputting a bitstream including encoded video data of the coded depth, information regarding a coded depth of at least one maximum coding unit, information regarding an encoding mode, and information regarding the relationship.
US08989263B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for performing inverse quantization for multiple decoding standards, where the functional operations that comprise the inverse quantizer are modularly implemented and can be selectably performed. Each operation can be represented via a table entry in an associated memory area, with the functional operation being performed via reference to that table entry. Functional operations can be bypassed as needed if inverse quantization does not need to be performed on a set of data. Certain other processing operations can be performed between steps as needed to accommodate different coding standards. Macroblock data can be read from and written back to a common storage area, or a direct path is provided for writing the data directly to a subsequent inverse transform device.
US08989252B1
Systems and methods for power efficient iterative equalization on a channel are provided. An iterative decoder decodes received data from a channel detector using a decoding process. The decoder computes a decision metric based on the decoded data and adjusts the number of iterations of the decoding process based on the decision metric. The adjustment occurs prior to a reliability criterion for the decoded data being satisfied. The decoder may pass control back to the channel detector if the adjusted number of iterations has occurred or if the reliability criterion is satisfied. Adjusting the number of iterations of the decoding process may include increasing the number of iterations from a predetermined number of iterations. The decision metric may be based on syndrome weight or hard decisions. The decision metric may be chosen to reduce average power consumption of the detector, the decoder, or circuitry including the detector and the decoder.
US08989232B2
Methods, structures, devices and systems are disclosed for implementing compact (e.g., nanoscale) coaxial lasers with coaxial cavity geometries which can be used to construct various coaxial cavity lasers that can operate in single mode, at room-temperature, and produce continuous-wave lasing. The described laser systems can also operate at low-temperatures, and provide thresholdless lasing using a spectrally broadband semiconductor gain medium. The cavity of the compact lasers includes a central metal core and a hollow ring surrounding the central metal core, formed within a housing with an open terminal and a closed terminal. The open terminal is positioned to both receive pump light and output laser light, and the closed terminal includes a metal cap that encloses the central metal rod and one side of the hollow ring. The described nano cavities also include a ring-shaped gain medium section, and ring-shaped lower and upper plug sections.
US08989220B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a station circuit. The station circuit includes a data layer and a transport layer. The station circuit is capable of a source mode and a destination mode. The data layer of the station circuit in source mode disassembles a source packet into one or more source parcels and sends the one or more source parcels to the transport layer. The station circuit in destination mode receives the one or more destination parcels over a ring at its transport layer, reassembles the one or more destination parcels into a destination packet, and delivers the destination packet from the transport layer to the data layer. The transport layer of the station circuit in source mode transmits the one or more source parcels over the ring. The transport layer of the station circuit in destination mode receives the one or more destination parcels over the ring.
US08989209B2
In a mobile wireless network system including a plurality of nodes communicating with each other, a node attempting to transmit data finds useable resources through performing carrier sensing on packet data unit (PDU) slots and transmits data through the found resources. A node attempting to receive data finds useable resource through performing carrier sensing on acknowledge (ACK) slots and receives data through the found resources.
US08989200B2
A queuing method and system for wireless/LAN routers processes and routes an incoming data packet from a wireless mobile network to a destination server. The system uses a wireless transport module to initiate storage of the data packet in a permanent storage device while simultaneously forwarding the data packet to the destination server. A database thread is used to manage the operations being performed on the data packet and for initiating the storage of the data packet in a permanent storage device based on a permanent storage queue. A main thread is used to simultaneously forward the data packet to the destination server. The wireless transport module is adapted to determine whether the data packet has been acknowledged by the destination server and aborting the storage of the data packet in the permanent storage device once acknowledgment from by destination server has been received.
US08989199B1
A Software Defined Network (SDN) includes a plurality of forwarding devices and a routing control device located separate from the forwarding devices. The routing control device, establishes paths to and from the network forwarding devices. Using such paths, forwarding devices send the routing control device information reflecting the topology if the network. Embodiments disclosed herein enable automatic discovery of the topology of the network and the paths to and from the routing control device.
US08989196B2
A method is implemented in a host node for communicating with a corresponding node. The host node has connections to a plurality of networks, where each of the plurality of networks includes a network address translation 64 (NAT64) node, each NAT64 node utilizes a distinct prefix to generate virtual Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) addresses, each of the plurality of networks is an IPv6 network, but the corresponding node is an Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) node. The host node implementing this method is able to maintain connectivity with the corresponding node despite having connections to the plurality of networks that each have NAT64 nodes that utilize distinct prefixes for virtual IPv6 addresses.
US08989191B1
Method and system for a network device configured to control access to other devices in a network is provided. The network device includes a port configured to receive a frame. The port includes a plurality of sub-ports configured to operate as independent ports for sending and receiving frames using one of a plurality of network links at a plurality of rates and complying with a plurality of protocols. The network device also includes a source address look up table (ALUT) and a destination address look up table (LLUT), wherein when the frame is received the network device is configured to compare a source identifier of the frame and a destination identifier of the frame to the ALUT and the LLUT. When one ALUT table entry matches the source identifier of the frame, the network device outputs a bit map of zones based on the source identifier of the frame, compares the output bit map of zones with a zone bit map of the LLUT, and when there are any matching bits between the two maps, transmits the frame.
US08989186B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch includes a port that couples to a server hosting a number of virtual machines. The switch also includes a set of virtual port grouping information and a virtual port grouping mechanism. During operation, the virtual port grouping mechanism determines whether a frame is traveling from a virtual port group to the same virtual port group. If the frame is not traveling to the same virtual port group, the virtual port grouping mechanism prevents the frame from being forwarded.
US08989184B2
A disclosed apparatus is a message relay apparatus. This message relay apparatus includes: a receiver that receives a message to be transferred; a determination unit that determines whether or not the message relay apparatus can afford to perform a conversion processing, when performing the conversion processing for the message; a selection unit that selects another apparatus to which the conversion processing is requested based on stored information representing other apparatuses that can afford to perform the conversion processing, when the message relay apparatus cannot afford to perform the conversion processing; a requesting unit that requests the selected another apparatus to perform the conversion processing for the message, and receives the converted message from the selected another apparatus; and a transmission unit that transmits the received and converted message to a transfer destination.
US08989174B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure propose methods and apparatus for utilizing unused Multimedia Broadcast over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframes for unicast transmissions. The proposed methods include efficient cyclic prefix (CP) and MBSFN frame structure design, and an optimized subframe/carrier bundling window design for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback in presence of the MBSFN subframes.
US08989173B2
The present invention provides a communications unit for operation in a communication system in accordance with a protocol that operates to a first clock resolution, the communications unit comprising a first clock, operating to the first resolution, a second clock operating to a second resolution higher than the first resolution, means configured to respond to a request to report a clock value by reporting: (a) the current value of the first clock and (b) information indicating the time on the second clock at which the first clock ticked to its current value.
US08989171B2
A system and method transmit a data stream from a source to a destination over a communication channel. A transmitter includes devices for processing inputs to assemble data packets for the data stream, and a multiplexer for assembling a data frame to be transmitted over the communication channel, in which each data frame has at least one fixed slot. The multiplexer sets at least one freely allocatable time slot in each data frame. Retransmission control devices connected to the multiplexer retransmit a specific data packet which is not properly received by the destination, using one of the freely allocatable slots.
US08989168B2
Data rates of simultaneous radio transmissions of data are matched for services over a connection between a base station and a subscriber station by determining a service-specific rate matching factor for one of the services based on a steady-state rate matching factor and a dynamic rate matching factor. The dynamic connection-oriented rate matching factor is based on the steady-state matching factor. The dynamic-connection oriented rate matching factor matches a sum of a volume of data for the services over the connection to a volume of data available in a next frame of data. In addition, the data is compressed or expanded for the one of the services based on the corresponding service-specific rate matching factor.
US08989165B2
A method and system for a quality of service (QoS) point coordinator (PC) for a basic service set (BSS) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is disclosed. For example, the PC includes a QoS management entity (QME) and an admission control entity (ACE). The QME receives at least one reservation request message that characterizes one of a QoS session and QoS application (session/application) that can be of a continuous/periodic flow type that is time sensitive, or can be of a discontinuos/bursty flow type that is time tolerant. The reservation request message contains at least one QoS parameter set and requests a resource of a communication channel in the BSS for the QoS session/application.
US08989146B2
A terminal apparatus (1) which is a radio transmitting/receiving apparatus receives, from a femto cell base station (home eNB), a pilot channel signal for reception quality measurement and a synchronization channel signal for synchronization. The terminal apparatus (1) has a whitelist stored therein indicative of an accessible femto cell, and determines whether or not a CSG cell of handover destination is accessible based on a PCI of the CSG cell acquired from the synchronization channel and the whitelist. The terminal apparatus (1) then adds the PCI and a CGI to a measurement report for reception quality, and transmits the measurement report to a macro eNB (base station apparatus (2)). In this way, it is possible to suppress wasteful signaling and prevent unnecessary resources from being reserved even when two or more CSG cells that use the same PCI are present in the macro cell.
US08989144B2
If a target node that enters into a transmission range is sensed, a mesh node of a wireless communication system selects an agent node having itself and a target node as a neighboring node among a plurality of neighboring nodes to form a link with the target node through the agent node. Also, the mesh node deletes the formed link if a target node that is out of a transmission range among a plurality of neighboring nodes is sensed, and forms a substitution path for at least a portion among an entire path of a connection including the deleted link.
US08989142B2
A method, system and device are provided for managing LIPA and/or SIPTO connection releases when UE moves out of residential/enterprise network coverage in case service continuity is not supported for the LIPA/SIPTO PDN connection(s). To address problems caused by not providing service continuity for LIPA/SIPTO PDN connections, the PDN connection/PDP context created in the HeNB/HNB by the MME/SGSN includes context information related to the UE indicating whether such connection is a LIPA PDN connection PDN connection or not. In addition, each UE may be configured to reconnect or not reconnect to the PDN corresponding to a certain APN or service, depending on how the PDN connection was disconnected by the network.
US08989139B2
A Generic Access Network (GAN) and a method for implementing services by using the GAN are disclosed. The GAN is configured to connect a generic IP network with a target network, and includes a Generic Access Network Controller (GANC) configured to enable a User Equipment (UE) to access the target network via the generic IP network. The GANC includes: a user interface, configured to connect the UE; and a Policy and Charging Control (PCC) interface, configured to trigger a process of establishing bearers of the generic IP network.
US08989138B2
Systems and methods for performing a handoff of an access terminal from a macro node to a femto node are disclosed. In one embodiment, the femto node is configured to transmit a predetermined signal for determining signal quality and an identifier that uniquely identifies the femto node to the access terminal. The access terminal is configured to transmit the identifier to the macro node. The femto node is identified as a hand in target based on the transmitted identifier and the macro node is configured to hand in the access terminal to the femto node.
US08989135B2
A spectral arrangement for radio resources is usable for transmitting radio data within a telecommunication network. The spectral arrangement includes (a) a first radio resource usable for transmitting radio data in a first data flow direction, wherein the first data flow direction is either an uplink direction or a downlink direction, (b) a second radio resource usable for transmitting radio data in a second data flow direction, wherein the second data flow direction is opposite to the first data flow direction, (c) a third radio resource usable for transmitting radio data in the second data flow direction and (d) a guard band, which on the frequency scale is located between the first radio resource and the second radio resource such that the first radio resource is separated from the second radio resource Between the second radio resource and the third radio resource there is provided no guard band.
US08989133B2
A wireless device including a first transceiver to communicate according to a first schedule using a first communication protocol. The first schedule includes information of uplink and downlink slots. A second transceiver communicates according to a second schedule using a second communication protocol. The second schedule includes a first number of slots for transmitting packets. A scheduler changes, based on the first schedule, the first number of slots to a second number of slots. The second number of slots is greater than the first number of slots. A packetizer selects a packet type of a first packet for transmission from the first transceiver to a remote device. The packet type indicates that the first packet requires the second number of slots for transmission and shifts transmission of a response from the remote device to one of the downlink slots to minimize interference between communications of the first and second transceivers.
US08989132B2
The present invention relates to a method of exchanging data between a first station and a second station, said data being exchanged in packets. Said method comprises the steps of: receiving a packet from the second station; decoding said packet; determining whether to transmit to the second station a resource allocation message on a signalling channel; if a said resource allocation message is transmitted, further transmitting to the second station a first indicator signal on an indicator channel; if both the decoding has not been successful and the said resource allocation message is not transmitted, transmitting to the second station a second indicator signal on the indicator channel.
US08989130B2
A base station transmits a message comprising configuration parameters of first radio resources of a control channel. The first radio resources comprise one or more sets of resource blocks in a subset of subframes in a plurality of subframes. The base station transmits scheduling information on the control channel for a packet transmitted on an uplink data channel. The base station transmits a positive or negative acknowledgement on second radio resources of a feedback channel for the received packet. The second radio resources start from the first OFDM symbol of a second subframe.
US08989129B2
Provided are a communication device and an SRS transmission method capable of reducing the possibility of a difference in recognition between the presence or absence of an SRS transmission between a base station and a terminal or of an SRS resource so as to prevent degradation of system throughput. At a terminal (200), a reception processing unit (203) detects control information indicating whether or not to request transmission of a sounding reference signal (SRS), whereupon a transmission signal forming unit (207) transmits an A-SRS by way of control by a transmission control unit (206) on the basis of control information. The transmission control unit (206) determines whether or not to execute SRS transmission on the basis of an “SRS Transmission Execution Rule” and the reception status of trigger information.
US08989127B2
The present invention discloses a method for a relay node configuring a backhaul uplink hybrid automatic repeat and request (HARQ) process in a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention comprises the following steps: receiving from a base station a backhaul downlink subframe pattern and a HARQ process offset value; allocating a backhaul uplink subframes, based on the backhaul downlink subframe pattern excluding the subframe which is set to an access downlink subframe; applying the HARQ process offset value to the number of HARQ processes corresponding to the backhaul downlink subframe pattern; and configuring HARQ process identifiers to the allocated backhaul uplink subframes, wherein each of the configured HARQ process identifiers have a predetermined roundtrip time (RTT) value.
US08989126B2
A user data resource determination unit determines any sub carriers in any downlink subframe as a first resource from which downlink user data is transmitted to a wireless terminal. A sounding resource determination unit determines a part of an uplink part in a closest switch subframe preceding the determined downlink subframe as a second resource from which a wireless terminal transmits a sounding reference signal, and notifies the wireless terminal of the determined second resource. A transmission path state estimation unit estimates a state of a transmission path to the wireless terminal based on the sounding reference signal from the wireless terminal. A transmission unit forms directivity of a plurality of antennas based on the estimated state of the transmission path and transmits downlink user data.
US08989119B2
A method and apparatus for simultaneously transmitting K data streams allocated respectively to K different users. The method is implemented by a transmitter for a multi-user MIMO system having NT transmit antennas and N R = ∑ k = 1 K N R k receive antennas associated with K receivers, each associated with a respective user. The method includes, per data stream, at least: jointly calculating a linear pre-coder and a receiver adapted for a multi-user MIMO system using two different iterative algorithms in succession, wherein the second iterative algorithm is initialized with the output value from the first iterative algorithm.
US08989114B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas are disclosed. The method includes transmitting, at a base station, information of one or more CSI-RS configurations to a mobile station, wherein the one or more CSI-RS configurations include one CSI-RS configuration for which the mobile station assumes non-zero transmission power for CSI-RS, transmitting, at the base station, information indicating a CSI-RS configuration for which the mobile station assumes zero transmission power for the CSI-RS among the one or more CSI-RS configurations to the mobile station, mapping, at the base station, CSI-RSs to resource elements of a downlink subframe based on the one or more CSI-RS configurations, and transmitting, at the base station, the downlink subframe mapped with the CSI-RSs to the mobile station.
US08989112B2
A first BS transmits a first set of aggregated carriers including a PCC having a first carrier frequency and an SCC having a second carrier frequency. Contemporaneously, a second BS transmits a second set of aggregated carriers including a PCC having the second carrier frequency and an SCC having the first carrier frequency. In one aspect, the first BS transmits on the SCC a subframe having a number of selected symbols of the subframe at a lower power than other symbols of the subframe, the selected symbols aligning at least in part with a number of symbols of a control region of a subframe transmitted by the second BS on the PCC having the second carrier frequency. In another aspect, a UE attached to the second BS receives at least control information on the PCC of the first BS and receives data on the PCC of the second BS.
US08989108B2
In retransmission processing due to a failure of transmission of data packets, a plurality of data packets are simultaneously transmitted between two STAs by utilizing multiple wireless channels and MIMO, and the number of idle channels and the number of retransmission packets are compared. Then, when both of the numbers are different or only when the number of idle channels is larger than the number of retransmission packets, the retransmission packets are reconstructed according to the number of idle channels, and the reconstructed retransmission packets are simultaneously transmitted by using the idle channels.
US08989102B2
Embodiments may comprise an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system operating in the 1 GHz and lower frequency bands. In many embodiments, physical layer logic may implement a new preamble structure with a new signal field. Embodiments may store the preamble structure and/or a preamble based upon the new preamble structure on a machine-accessible medium. Some embodiments may generate and transmit a communication with the new preamble structure. Further embodiments may receive and detect communications with the new preamble structure.
US08989101B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for identifying MAC addresses of a wireless access point (AP) are provided. Two MAC addresses within a spatial proximity are selected from a spatial index of MAC addresses and locations and analyzed based on a signal strength score and a similarity score. If the signal strength score is above a signal strength score threshold, a similarity score between the two MAC addresses is determined. The similarity score is based on the location and relative distance between the selected two MAC addresses, the previously determined signal strength score, and a MAC address similarity metric that determines the heterogeneity between the two MAC addresses. If the similarity score is above a similarity score threshold, the selected two MAC addresses are considered to belong to the same physical AP.
US08989098B2
A method for gracefully extending the range and/or capacity of voice communication systems is disclosed. The method involves the persistent storage of voice media on a communication device. When the usable bit rate on the network is poor and below that necessary for conducting a live conversation, voice media is transmitted and received by the communication device at the available usable bit rate on the network. Although latency may be introduced, the persistent storage of both transmitted and received media of a conversation provides the ability to extend the useful range of wireless networks beyond what is required for live conversations. In addition, the capacity and robustness in not being affected by external interferences for both wired and wireless communications is improved.
US08989096B2
In order to facilitate reduced power consumption of an electronic device (such as a smartphone) when communicating with another electronic device (such as an access point) in a wireless network, the electronic device may change a wake policy based on the applications executing on the electronic device. In particular, the electronic device may monitor a subset of the applications currently executed by a processor in the electronic device, where the subset can include zero or more of the applications. Based on the subset, the wake policy of an interface circuit in the electronic device may be changed. This wake policy may specify a frequency of wake ups to receive information from the other electronic device and/or monitoring of unicast or multicast bits in a Traffic Indication Map element. In this way, the time that the electronic device is in the active mode can be reduced, thereby reducing power consumption.
US08989094B2
Systems and methods for generating and displaying application information on a wireless station. A wireless station is configured to select icons for display on a wireless station based on a network information string received by the wireless station.
US08989082B2
In one non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, a method includes: receiving at least one parameter from a broadcast channel (51); determining, using the received at least one parameter, information including at least one of an initial bit rate to use when transmitting on a random access channel (RACH) and an automatic repeat request (ARQ) profile to use when transmitting on the RACH (52); and transmitting a message on the RACH in accordance with the determined information (53).
US08989079B2
Disclosed are an apparatus for transmitting and receiving an uplink backhaul signal in a wireless communication system and a method thereof. The method for receiving the uplink backhaul signal from a relay station in a base station, comprises the step of receiving a signal transmitted through an uplink backhaul sub-frame of an index N in the relay station using an uplink sub-frame of an index N or an index N+1 in the base station. The base station receives the signal transmitted from the relay station in the uplink sub-frame of the index N or the index N+1 of the base station at the delayed timing corresponding to a propagation delay value of the signal according to the distance between the relay station and the base station from a transmitting time point.
US08989073B2
A method and an apparatus for performing carrier switching in a wireless communication system using multi-carriers are provided. According to the method, a Mobile Station (MS) transmits a message including information on a time slot occupying status to a Base Station (BS), if a message for instructing to report the information on the time slot occupying status, is received from the BS, receives, from the BS, first information on at least one time slot scheduled by using the information on the time slot occupying status, identifies at least one time slot using the first information, and performs the carrier switching in the identified at least one time slot.
US08989066B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for medium reservation in the case of multi-user (MU) communications. Multiple mechanisms are supported for protecting MU transmissions, wherein appropriate control messages can be exchanged between an access point and served user stations before transmitting downlink data packets.
US08989053B1
Methods and systems for association management within a wireless node network of nodes and a server are described. A method may identify a first node as a potential for associating with a second node based, for example, upon status information about the nodes. An association request is transmitted by the second node to the server. The server may determine the locations of the nodes, determine if associating the nodes is desired based on the locations, and record new association data if association should occur. Upon receiving a permissive response from the server, which may include one or more authorization credentials, the first node and second node may be associated. Then with authorization credentials, the first and second nodes may securely connect and share data. And once associated, responsibility for a task previously done by the first node may be shifted to the second node after the nodes are associated.
US08989041B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for adapting the power of an access probe transmission, in accordance with a reverse link underload indicator provided by the base station. In one example, the base station can transmit a one-bit reverse link underload indicator as an information element broadcasted within a general page message (GPM). Here, the reverse link underload indicator can indicate whether a measured rise-over-thermal (RoT) at the base station is less than a given threshold. The access terminal may accordingly reduce the initial transmit power of an access probe transmission in the case of a reverse link underload condition, as this condition would indicate that the base station could accommodate reduced power access probe transmissions without substantially decreasing the probability of a quick detection of the access attempt. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US08989031B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for securely transmitting a data stream by dividing a data stream into a plurality of sub-streams; associating each substream with a respective spectral fragment; encrypting at least some of the sub-streams; and modulating each sub-stream to provide a respective modulated signal adapted for transmission via a respective spectral fragment.
US08989027B2
An apparatus and method for matching the radio channel measurement timing of Minimization of Drive Test (MDT) cycle with timings of the Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle are provided. The radio channel measurement method of a terminal according to the present invention includes configuring a DRX cycle, receiving a Minimization of Drive Test (MDT) cycle, comparing the DRX cycle and the MDT cycle, measuring, when the MDT cycle is an integer multiple of the DRX cycle, the radio channel at DRX timings matching with MDT timings, and storing a result of the measurement.
US08989022B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for allowing a terminal to receive a PDCCH in a wireless communication system using multiple carriers and a device therefore, and the method comprises the steps of: receiving a plurality of search spaces through a control region on a subframe, wherein each search space includes a plurality of PDCCH candidate sets, and each search space corresponds to each carrier; and monitoring PDCCH candidates for the PDCCH, wherein the intervals between the respective search spaces within said control region are determined by considering the ratios between the number of scheduled carriers and the number of CCEs within the control region.
US08989020B2
A network device receives, via a forwarding path, a sequence of packets, where each of the packets includes a sequence number. The network device extracts the sequence numbers from the sequence of packets, records the extracted sequence numbers, and determines a first number of packets of the sequence of packets that have been dropped on the forwarding path based on the extracted sequence numbers. The network device determines a traffic dropping ratio for the forwarding path based on the first number of the packets of the sequence of packets that have been dropped on the forwarding path.
US08989018B2
A method and apparatus for providing a route recommendation are disclosed. For example, the method obtains network topology information, wherein the network topology information comprises a plurality of underlying subnetwork types for a network. The method creates a cost model for the network, and receives a request from a user for a connection to be supported by the network. The method provides the route recommendation for supporting the connection by applying the cost model.
US08989017B2
Methods, apparatus, and networks configured to manage network congestion using packet recirculation. The networks employ network elements (e.g., Rbridges in Layer 2 networks and switches/routers in Layer 3 networks) that are configured to support multi-path forwarding under which packets addressed to the same destination may be routed via multiple paths to the destination. In response to network congestion conditions, such as lack of availability of a non-congested port via which a shortest path to the destination may be accessed, a packet may be routed backward toward a source node or forwarded toward a destination along a non-shortest path. The network elements may employ loopback buffers for looping packets back toward a source via the same link the packet is received on.
US08989016B2
A method for use in selecting a cell or cells, from amongst a set of cells in a cellular wireless network, for coordinated use in multi-cell multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) transmission so as to reduce feedback overhead, each cell of the said set having at least one MIMO channel characteristic which may vary with time at a measurable rate, comprises a cell selection process comprising the steps of: identifying a cell or subset of cells of the said set for which the time variation rate/rates of the said MIMO channel characteristic is/are the slowest of those of the cells in the said set; and selecting a cell or cells for use in multi-cell MIMO transmission from only the cell or subset of cells identified in the identifying step.
US08989012B2
A mobile telecommunications network is configured to dynamically adapt transmitted content according to the channel quality of the network link connecting a destination mobile device to the mobile telecommunications network. Channel quality indicators (CQIs) for the mobile devices associated with the mobile telecommunications network are cached at one or more support nodes of a core network. Components of the core network therefore can request the CQI of a mobile device from a corresponding support node rather than repeating a process of determining anew the condition of the network linking to a mobile device each time content is to be communicated to or from a mobile device. A service provider receiving the CQI for a mobile device from the cache of a support node can adapt the content to be provided to the mobile device to the particular conditions of the network represented by the CQI.
US08989003B2
A code division multiple access (CDMA) communication device comprises a medium access controller (MAC) configured to receive data from a plurality of channels. Each channel is associated with a priority and an identifier. The MAC is further configured to multiplex the data of the plurality of channels for transmission over a CDMA channel based on the priority.
US08988999B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of Wireless-Local-Area-Network (WLAN) communication in conjunction with cellular communication. For example, an apparatus may include a wireless communication unit to receive WLAN load information indicating a load of at least one WLAN controlled by at least one access point (AP), and, based on the WLAN load information, to select between connecting to the AP and connecting to a cellular node.
US08988996B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of multicast/broadcast transmission of content data. A method embodiment for controlling transmission of a PTM service from a content source 102 to a plurality of recipients 120, 122, 124 in a service area, wherein the service area is arranged at a higher hierarchy level and comprises a plurality of local areas arranged at a lower hierarchy level, comprises receiving location information indicating a location in the service area; determining an input traffic load of the PTM service to be transmitted to the service area; selecting the service area or a subset of one or more of the local areas contained in the service area as a destination area for the PTM service, wherein the selection is based on the received location information and the input traffic load; and controlling transmission of the PTM service to the selected destination area.
US08988990B2
A method for restoring traffic in a network. The network includes plural distinct nodes interconnected by plural distinct spans, each span having working links and spare links. Each node has a digital cross-connect switch for making and breaking connections between adjacent spans forming span pairs at a node. Cross-connections between spare links in adjacent spans are made such that sets of successive nodes through which the adjacent spans form span paths form closed paths. A method of finding and construction closed paths is described in which statelets are broadcast through the network. In a preferred method of implementation of the method, the statelet broadcast occurs not in response to a network failure, but across the entire network before any particular span failure and may be carried out during normal network operations as a continual re-configuration of the network.
US08988987B2
Technology for network communication by a computer system using at least two communication protocols
A network adapter has a first and second virtual local area network (“VLAN”) device configured on each of first and second physical ports of the network adapter. The second VLAN devices are configured as a logically bonded, virtual device.
US08988982B2
A method of performing protection switching in a network including a first node and a plurality of second nodes that are connected to the first node is provided. The first node counts the number of obstacles that have occurred in a plurality of paths that are connected between the plurality of second nodes, and if the counted number is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the first node performs protection switching per leaf. Alternatively, if the counted number is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, the first node performs protection switching per tree.
US08988981B2
Rapid failure detection and recovery in wireless communication networks is needed in order to meet, among other things, carrier class Ethernet transport channel standards. Thus, resilient wireless packet communications is provided using a hardware-assisted rapid transport channel failure detection algorithm and a Gigabit Ethernet data access card with an engine configured accordingly. In networks with various topologies, this is provided in combination with their existing protocols, such as rapid spanning tree and link aggregation protocols, respectively.
US08988975B1
A thermally assisted magnetic head includes a main magnetic pole layer, a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part generating near-field light arranged within a medium-opposing surface, and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer. The near-field light generating layer has a laminated structure in which a first thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form along a direction intersecting the medium-opposing surface and a second thin-film metal layer formed in a thin film form and formed using a second metal larger in hardness than a first metal forming the first thin-film metal layer are alternately laminated. Further, in the second thin-film metal layer, a defect part is formed, the defect part is a part smaller in thickness than another part or is a hole part, and a flat layer part other than the defect part surrounds the defect part.
US08988970B2
The dereverberation of signals in reverberating environments is carried out via acquiring the representation (image) of spatial distribution of the signals in space of interest and automatic identification of reflections of the source signal in the reverberative space. The technique relies on identification of prominent features at the image, as well as corresponding directions of propagation of signals manifested by the prominent features at the image, and computation of similarity metric between signals corresponding to the prominent features in the image. The time delays between the correlated signals (i.e., source signal and related reflections) are found and the signals are added coherently. Multiple beamformers operate on the source signal and corresponding reflections, enabling one to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in multi-path environments.
US08988960B2
A static random-access memory (SRAM) module includes a column select (RSEL) driver coupled to an input/output (I/O) circuit by an RSEL line. The I/O circuit is configured to read bit line signals from a bit cell within the SRAM module. During a read operation, the RSEL driver pulls the RSEL line to zero in order to cause p-type metal-oxide-semiconductors (PMOSs) within the I/O circuit to sample the bit line signals output by the bit cell. In response, an aggressor driver drives the RSEL line to a negative voltage, thereby reducing the resistance of the PMOSs within the I/O circuit.
US08988953B2
Memories and methods for providing and receiving non-data signals at a signal node are disclosed. One such memory includes first and second signal nodes, and first and second signal buffer. The first signal buffer is configured to be operative responsive to a first data strobe signal and further configured to be operative responsive to a non-data signal. The second signal buffer is configured to be operative responsive to a second data strobe signal. An example first data strobe signal is a read data strobe signal provided by the memory. In another example, the first data strobe signal is a write data strobe signal received by the memory. Examples of non-data signals include a data mask signal, data valid signal, error correction signal, as well as other signals.
US08988946B1
A method includes, in a data storage device, receiving a read command to read a portion of a wordline of a memory. The method also includes determining a first and a last storage element of the wordline to identify a set of storage elements. The method includes determining a first set and a second set of sense amplifiers of multiple sense amplifiers coupled to the wordline. The first set of sense amplifiers is coupled to the set of storage elements and the second set of sense amplifiers is coupled to one or more storage elements of the wordline other than the first set of storage elements. The method includes reading data by applying a read voltage to the wordline and providing a sense enable signal to each sense amplifier of the first set of sense amplifiers while each sense amplifier of the second set of sense amplifiers is disabled.
US08988941B2
In a nonvolatile memory array in which a select transistor includes a charge storage element, the threshold voltage of the select transistor is monitored, and if the threshold voltage deviates from a desired threshold voltage range, charge is added to, or removed from the charge storage element to return the threshold voltage to the desired threshold voltage range.
US08988940B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a memory array of macro cells. Each macro cell comprises a storage element and a calibration element. The storage element and its corresponding calibration element are part of a common memory array within an integrated circuit, and therefore, are in close proximity to each other. The calibration element may store a parameter used to modify the threshold voltage of the storage element.
US08988925B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with an embodiment comprises a plurality of first, second lines, a plurality of memory cells, and a control circuit. The plurality of second lines extend so as to intersect the first lines. The plurality of memory cells are disposed at intersections of the first, second lines, and each includes a variable resistor. The control circuit is configured to control a voltage applied to the memory cells. The control circuit applies a first pulse voltage to the variable resistor during a forming operation. In addition, the control circuit applies a second pulse voltage to the variable resistor during a setting operation, the second pulse voltage having a polarity opposite to the first pulse voltage. Furthermore, the control circuit applies a third pulse voltage to the variable resistor during a resetting operation, the third pulse voltage having a polarity identical to the first pulse voltage.
US08988914B2
A power converter and a method of operation thereof is disclosed including an input, an output, a sensor unit, a switched power converter, and a processor module. The power converter may convert an input power into an output power. The power converter may sense real-time measurements of the input power and the output power to determine a real-time calculated efficiency. The power converter may chop the input power into sized and positioned portions of the input power based on a plurality of determined operating parameters. The power converter may determine the operating parameters based on the real-time calculated efficiency and on a plurality of other operating factors/conditions.
US08988906B2
A power conversion apparatus includes an inverter circuit, a system voltage measurement unit measuring a system voltage, a voltage drop detector detecting a voltage drop of a power system, based on the system voltage, a direct current power measurement unit measuring a direct current power to be input into the inverter circuit, an alternating current command value calculator calculating an alternating current command value to control an alternating current output from the inverter circuit, based on the direct current power and the system voltage, and a current limiter that decrease a current limit value to limit the alternating current command value, when the voltage drop is detected.
US08988904B2
The present invention relates to a power supply for controlling current that uses a flyback converter for electrical insulation between a load line unit and the power supply for controlling current. In a transformer (a flyback converter) having a flyback structure in the present invention, disclosed is a device which expects a current of the second coil by sensing a current of the first coil of the transformer, and controls the current flowing through the load line unit. A level detector is included, which updates a duty time or an on-time of the switch by transferring a reset signal to an integrator and a second sampler in accordance with a cycle of an input power. As a result, it is possible to reduce power loss by increasing a power factor through the adjustment of the phase of the current of the load line unit and an input voltage.
US08988897B2
An apparatus for distributing electromagnetic waves comprising a first plurality of plates coupled to a first rod. A second plurality of plates coupled to a second rod, wherein at least one of either the first or the second plurality of plates is capable of reflecting an electromagnetic wave. A portion of the second rod is situated inside the first rod. A first motor mechanically connected to the first rod, such that the first motor is capable of rotating the first rod. A second motor mechanically connected to the second rod, such that the second motor is capable of rotating the second rod, wherein rotational direction and speed of the second rod, when rotated by the second motor is independent of rotational direction and speed of the first rod, when rotated by the first motor.
US08988895B2
An interconnection element is disclosed that includes a plurality of drawn metal conductors, a dielectric layer, and opposed surfaces having a plurality of wettable contacts thereon. The conductors may include grains having lengths oriented in a direction between the first and second ends of the conductors. A dielectric layer for insulating the conductors may have first and second opposed surfaces and a thickness less than 1 millimeter between the first and second surface. One or more conductors may be configured to carry a signal to or from a microelectronic element. First and second wettable contacts may be used to bond the interconnection element to at least one of a microelectronic element and a circuit panel. The wettable contacts may match a spatial distribution of element contacts at a face of a microelectronic element or of circuit contacts exposed at a face of component other than the microelectronic element.
US08988894B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a metal housing, a first opening, a first metal line, a first grounding point and a first current zero point. The first opening passes through the metal housing. The first metal line is disposed inside the first opening, wherein a first end of the first metal line is electrically connected to a side of the first opening, and a second end of the first metal line has a first feeding point. The first grounding point and the first current zero point are located on the side of the first opening. The metal housing forms a first loop antenna to transmit or receive a first radio frequency signal by a first excitation path from the first feeding point to the first grounding point.
US08988882B2
A circuit element is arranged on an organic substrate and connected to a wiring pattern arranged on the organic substrate. An internal connection electrode is formed on a conductive support body by electroforming so as to obtain a unitary block of the internal connection electrode and the support body. Each end of each of the internal connection electrodes connected into a unitary block by the support body is connected to the wiring pattern. After the circuit element is sealed by resin, the support body is peeled off, so as to obtain individual internal connection electrodes separately and the other end of each of the internal connection electrodes is used as an external connection electrode on the front surface while the external connection electrode on the rear surface is connected to the wiring pattern.
US08988881B2
Systems and methods for a forced-convection heat exchanger are provided. In one embodiment, heat is transferred to or from a thermal load in thermal contact with a heat conducting structure, across a narrow air gap, to a rotating heat transfer structure immersed in a surrounding medium such as air.
US08988876B2
A magnetic attachment mechanism and method is described. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach at least two objects together in a preferred configuration without fasteners and without external intervention. The magnetic attachment mechanism can be used to releasably attach an accessory device to an electronic device. The accessory device can be used to augment the functionality of usefulness of the electronic device.
US08988865B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, an engagement portion, a module, and a member. The engagement portion is on an inner surface of the housing. The module is in the housing. The member is configured to slide substantially in parallel with the inner surface of the housing in order to engage the engagement portion and to support the module from a side opposite to the inner surface of the housing.
US08988862B2
A performance display device comprising a base receptacle and a display unit; wherein the display unit comprises a display screen and a processor, and is operable by a mode switch; the mode switch is operated by relative pivotal motion between the display unit and the base receptacle; characterized in that the display unit and the base receptacle are complementarily shaped to cooperatively form a hinge axis about which the mode changing pivotal motion takes place. A performance display device having a hinge axis formed by the complementarily shaped display unit and base receptacle provides a simple, robust, and reliable device.
US08988861B2
The power converter includes a power conversion section which configures a circuit for power conversion, a power bus bar extending from the power conversion section, a terminal block, and a current sensor measuring current flowing in the power bus bar. The terminal block includes a mounting surface to which a terminal portion of the power bus bar is mounted. The mounting surface faces a direction substantially perpendicular to an arrangement direction in which the power conversion section and the terminal block are arranged. The current sensor is located at a side of a bottom surface on the opposite side of the mounting surface in the terminal block. The power bus bar includes: a sensor-surrounded portion surrounded by the current sensor; and an outer surface faced portion located between the sensor-surrounded portion and the terminal portion along an outer surface on the opposite side of the power conversion section.
US08988859B2
This document discusses capacitive elements including a first, second and third electrode arranged in a stack. The third electrode is positioned between the first and second electrode. An interconnect includes a unitary substrate shared with the first and second electrodes. The interconnect is adapted to deform to accommodate the stacked nature of the first and second electrodes. The unitary substrate includes a sintered material disposed thereon.
US08988851B1
A capacitor includes first and second grounding terminal electrodes each including first and second electrode layers. The first electrode layers are provided on third and fourth side surfaces. The second electrode layers are provided on the first electrode layers. The first and the second electrode layers each include Si and a conductive material. A ratio by weight of Si in the first electrode layer is higher than a ratio by weight of Si in the second electrode layer.
US08988849B2
A varactor includes a first PTC region, which comprises a ceramic material with a positive temperature coefficient with respect to the resistance. The varactor also includes a capacitor region that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a first dielectric layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first PTC region and the capacitor region are connected thermally conductively to one another. The capacitance of the capacitor region can be changed by applying a bias to the first PTC region, the capacitor region or to the first PTC region and the capacitor region.
US08988848B2
Apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate may include a substrate support comprising a first electrode disposed within the substrate support and having a peripheral edge and a first surface; a substrate support surface disposed above the first surface of the first electrode; and a second electrode disposed within the substrate support and extending radially beyond the peripheral edge of the first electrode, wherein the second electrode has a second surface disposed about and above the first surface of the first electrode.
US08988829B1
Disk drive embodiments with common lead connections in the slider, suspension, and preamplifier are described. The arm electronics IC includes a preamplifier with single-ended input from the set of signal traces that include a common signal return lead for the plurality of read transducers (readers) in the slider. Two embodiments of the preamps are described that include a single-ended design and a pseudo-single-ended design. Each embodiment supplies the required bias to each read transducer using an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) that drives a variable current source connected to the transducer. The positive input to the OTA is a DC voltage with the AC signal from the transducer imposed on it. The negative input is a DC reference voltage. Various embodiments of the signal trace configuration on the suspension are described including a single and double layer embodiments.
US08988828B2
A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a magnetic layer including an alloy having an L10 type crystal structure, and a plurality of underlayers arranged between the substrate and the magnetic layer. At least one of the plurality of underlayers is a soft magnetic underlayer formed by an alloy having a hexagonal close packed (hcp) structure and including Co metal or Co as its main component, with a (11•0) plane oriented parallel to a surface of the substrate.
US08988826B2
A microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) head according to one embodiment includes a main pole; a trailing shield positioned downstream from the main pole; an oscillation device adapted to generate a high-frequency magnetic field, the oscillation device being positioned between the main pole and the trailing shield; a circuit adapted to flow an electric current therethrough to the main pole, the oscillation device, and the trailing shield; an electrically conductive non-magnetic body positioned on one or more sides of the main pole in a cross-track direction and/or a leading direction; and an insulating non-magnetic body positioned on one or more sides of the electrically conductive non-magnetic body in the cross-track direction and/or the leading direction, wherein one or more edge portions of one side of the oscillation device and one or more edge portions of one side of the main pole are in direct contact with the electrically conductive non-magnetic body.
US08988824B1
A method for manufacturing a magnetic write head that has improved write poled uniformity and bevel angle control. The method uses a damascene process to form the write pole, wherein a trench is formed in a RIEable fill layer, and an adhesion layer is located only in areas outside of the trench. A seed layer is deposited into the trench, followed by a non-magnetic gap layer followed by electroplating of a magnetic material. A chemical mechanical polishing process is then performed, thereby forming a magnetic write pole within the trench. The adhesion layer located outside of the trench prevents de-lamination during the chemical mechanical polishing. However, not having any adhesion layer in the trench prevent oxidation related waviness or other deformation of the sides of the write pole.
US08988822B2
A spin transfer oscillator with a seed/SIL/spacer/FGL/capping configuration is disclosed with a composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (A1/A2)X laminated spin injection layer (SIL). Field generation layer (FGL) is made of a high Bs material such FeCo. Alternatively, the STO has a seed/FGL/spacer/SIL/capping configuration. The SIL may include a FeCo layer that is exchanged coupled with the (A1/A2)X laminate (x is 5 to 50) to improve robustness. The FGL may include an (A1/A2)Y laminate (y=5 to 30) exchange coupled with the high Bs layer to enable easier oscillations. A1 may be one of Co, CoFe, or CoFeR where R is a metal, and A2 is one of Ni, NiCo, or NiFe. The STO may be formed between a main pole and trailing shield in a write head.
US08988817B1
A tape storage medium comprises at least one data band and the data band comprises a set of data sub-bands adjacent to each other. Each data sub-band contains a set of data tracks along a longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium and adjacent to each other. Each data sub-band of the set comprises a pair of servo tracks for supporting to determine positional information. The set of data tracks of each data sub-band is arranged between the servo tracks of the pair. The servo tracks of the pair contain the same servo pattern.
US08988807B1
A hard disk drive has disks with data sector preambles that allow for inter-track interference. The same data sector preamble is used for all data sectors in a track but the preamble in each track is different from the preamble in radially adjacent tracks. In a first embodiment each preamble includes a synchronization field (SF) and synchronization mark (SM) that are the same in each track but different from the SF and SM in radially adjacent tracks. Only two unique SFs and two unique SMs are required, with the two SFs and two SMs alternating in radially adjacent tracks. In a second embodiment the preambles are “integrated”, meaning that the preamble is a sequence of bits that does not include separate dedicated fields, like SF and SM. The preamble bit sequences are decoded using matched filters to provide bit synchronization and start-of-data information.
US08988806B2
Records or filemarks read from data segments are aggregated into at least one single data segment. The records and the filemarks are reorganized and restructured in the single data segment such that buffer utilization is improved.
US08988804B2
The embodiments disclose an orientation control bias point coupled to a magnetic index mark and having a bias point offset set at predetermined coordinates configured to substantially prevent concentricity run-out.
US08988795B2
An imaging lens includes plastic-made first, second, third, and fourth lens elements arranged in the given order from an object side to an imaging side. The first lens element has a positive focusing power and is biconvex. The second lens element has a negative focusing power, is biconcave, and has an abbe number not greater than 30. The third lens element has a positive focusing power and has a convex imaging-side surface facing toward the imaging side. The fourth lens element has an imaging-side surface formed with a concave area in a vicinity of an optical axis of the fourth lens element. The imaging lens further includes an aperture stop disposed between the first and second lens elements.
US08988794B2
An image pickup optical system includes in order from an object side, a first lens having a positive refractive power, a second lens having a negative refractive power, a third lens having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens having a negative refractive power. The first lens has a biconvex shape. An image-side surface of the second lens has a shape such that, a concave surface is directed toward an image side. At least an image-side surface of the third lens has a shape such that, a convex surface is directed toward the image side. An aperture is disposed nearest to the object side, and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied: 0.9
US08988792B2
A telephoto lens TL having, in order from an object, a plurality of lenses L1, L2, . . . and a diffractive optical element DOE which has a diffraction grating having a rotationally symmetric shape with respect to the optical axis, wherein the diffractive optical element DOE is disposed on any one of lens surfaces of the plurality of lenses L1, L2, . . . , and conditional expression 0.50
US08988791B2
A light collector includes a light guide having a refractive index larger than a refractive index of air and a reflecting surface configured to reflect light output from a conic surface of the light guide back to the light guide. The light guide is made of transparent material through which light passes. The light guide has an entering portion from which light enters and an exiting portion from which the light exits. The light guide has a circular cone shape and has a cross-sectional area that decreases in a direction from the entering portion to the exiting portion.
US08988783B2
A zoom lens comprising, in order from the object side to the image side a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a fifth lens unit having a positive refractive power, wherein the first lens unit is located closest to the object side, the fifth lens unit is located closest to the image side, during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the first lens unit, the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and the fourth lens unit move, the fifth lens unit is stationary, and the distances between the lens units vary, the third lens includes a positive lens, and the zoom lens satisfies the following condition (1): 72<ν3p<110 (1).
US08988775B2
A polarizing element comprising an alignment layer and a polarizing layer formed by aligning a dichroic coloring agent by deposition which are successively disposed on a substrate, wherein the alignment layer is a sol-gel film formed by using a material comprising at least (A) a sol of an inorganic oxide and (B) an alkoxysilane and/or a hexaalkoxydisiloxane, and the ratio of amounts by mole of Component (B) to solid components in Component (A) [(B)/(A)(solid components)] is 99.9/0.1 to 40/60; and a process for producing the polarizing element. The polarizing element can be produced in simple steps, the treatment of abrasion of the surface necessary for alignment of a dichroic coloring agent by deposition is facilitated, and haze due to formation of cracks is absent.
US08988767B2
An OPO is disclosed capable of rapid frequency tuning by non-mechanical means. The OPO includes a resonant cavity including one or more non-linear crystals in an optical path thereof. A pump laser pulse is transmitted into the resonant cavity simultaneously with a seed beam having a desired wavelength. The output beam from the resonant cavity has the same center wavelength as the seed beam. The wavelength of the seed beam may be modulated at a frequency larger than the pulse rate of the pump laser or larger than the inverse of the pulse duration. The OPO disclosed may be used to perform DIAL analysis wherein intra-pulse modulation of an output beam is used to obtain measurements of absorption at multiple frequencies for each pulse of a pump beam.
US08988764B2
A display medium driver includes a translucent display substrate, a rear substrate that is opposed to the display substrate with a gap interposed therebetween, a dispersion medium enclosed between the substrates, a first particle group dispersed in the dispersion medium so as to migrate by applying a first voltage across the substrates, and a second particle group dispersed in the dispersion medium so as to migrate by applying a second voltage across the substrates, the driver including a setting unit setting a voltage value and a voltage application time of the first voltage with which the first particle group does not migrate at the time of causing the second particle group to migrate depending on a display density of the second particle group and a voltage application unit first applying the first voltage across the substrates and then applying the second voltage across the substrates.
US08988763B2
A predictive electrophoretic display is described. An electrophoretic display may include charged particles, a portion of which are designated as electronic ink, disposed between a conductive display plate and a conductive back plate. Charges may be applied to the conductive plates to migrate the electronic ink to different states. For example, the electronic ink may be positioned in an undisplayed state or in a displayed state. Further, the electronic ink may migrate through multiple intermediate states. In at least some of the intermediate states, the electronic ink may not be visible on the electrophoretic display. However, the electronic ink is configured to migrate to the displayed state faster from the intermediate state than from the undisplayed state. Portions of the electronic ink may be prepared for display on the electrophoretic display by initiating migration of electronic ink that corresponds to predicted future input to the intermediate states.
US08988762B2
An electrophoretic display device includes a lower substrate having a plurality of pixel electrodes on the lower substrate, having a lower organic layer on the pixel electrodes and the lower substrate, and having partition walls formed on the lower organic layer to surround the pixel electrodes, the pixel electrodes and partition walls defining a plurality of sub-pixels; an upper substrate bonded with the lower substrate, the upper substrate having a common electrode formed thereon with an upper organic layer on the common electrode; and electrophoretic dispersion liquid comprising a plurality of charged particles colored to display colors, the electrophoretic dispersion liquid disposed in the plurality of the sub-pixels defined by the pixel electrodes and the partition walls.
US08988758B2
A thermochromic window doped with a dopant and a method of manufacturing the same. The thermochromic window includes a substrate and a thermochromic thin film formed on the substrate. The thermochromic thin film has a thermochromic material doped with a dopant, the concentration of the dopant gradually decreasing in a depth direction from one surface of the upper surface and the undersurface of the thermochromic thin film. The thermochromic window has a high level of visible light transmittance and high phase change efficiency while having a low phase transition temperature.
US08988754B2
An optical phased array formed of a large number of nanophotonic antenna elements can be used to project complex images into the far field. These nanophotonic phased arrays, including the nanophotonic antenna elements and waveguides, can be formed on a single chip of silicon using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Directional couplers evanescently couple light from the waveguides to the nanophotonic antenna elements, which emit the light as beams with phases and amplitudes selected so that the emitted beams interfere in the far field to produce the desired pattern. In some cases, each antenna in the phased array may be optically coupled to a corresponding variable delay line, such as a thermo-optically tuned waveguide or a liquid-filled cell, which can be used to vary the phase of the antenna's output (and the resulting far-field interference pattern).
US08988750B2
An optical scanner includes: a movable section which includes a light reflecting member with a light reflecting surface and which is rotatable around the central axis of rotation; four movable beams which extend from the movable section along the light reflecting surface and which are provided at angles of 90° along the circumferential direction of the movable section; a displacement section connected to each movable beam; two driving beams extending from the displacement section along the surface direction of the light reflecting surface so as to be perpendicular to the movable beams; a fixed section connected to each driving beam; an inner frame section formed in the displacement section; a permanent magnet fixed to the inner frame section; and a driving section which drives the displacement section. Each movable beam includes a bending section which deforms the moving beam by bending in a direction perpendicular to the light reflecting surface.
US08988749B2
Scanning technology related to editing a scan image. A request to edit a scan image that was acquired through an input apparatus is received and an editing user interface area that includes an editing version of the scan image and at least one functional icon is displayed. After selection of the editing version of the scan image, user input is received moving the editing version of the scan image to a predetermined area of the editing user interface area that corresponds to a functional icon. The editing version of the scan image is converted into text data, a function associated with the functional icon is determined, and the converted text data is used in the determined function associated with the functional icon.
US08988745B2
An image processing apparatus of the present invention acquires a photographed image of an object on which indicators have been arranged, detects the indicators from the photographed image with use of a comparison reference image for pattern matching prepared in advance, and instructs to perform predetermined processing based on the detected indicators. The indicators each have a pattern where influence of geometrical image distortion generated corresponding to a photographing distance or a photographing angle with respect to the object is restrained by a central portion of the photographed image, and the comparison reference image is a partial image corresponding to a central portion of the indicator. The indicators are detected from the photographed image by comparing the comparison reference image with the acquired photographed image.
US08988744B2
An image reader is provided, which includes a light guide unit forming an optical path to guide light emitted by a first light emitting portion of a first reading unit to a second light receiving portion of a second reading unit, which optical path passes across a feeding path in a detection position such that a document sheet passing through the detection position on the feeding path blocks the light on the optical path, and a controller determining that a leading end or a trailing end of the document sheet passes through the detection position in response to detecting a change in a light receiving state of the second light receiving portion when the document sheet passes through the detection position with the first light emitting portion emitting light and a second light emitting portion of the second reading unit not emitting light.
US08988742B2
An image sensor unit includes a frame in which a light source and an image sensor are housed, and a cover member that is bonded to the frame. The cover member is bonded by means of a double-sided tape that includes a film-shaped substrate and adhesive layers formed on both sides of the substrate. Slits that extend from one outer edge in a width direction to an intermediate portion in the width direction and slits that extend from the other outer edge in the width direction to an intermediate portion in the width direction are formed in the double-sided tape. The respective slits that are adjacent include an overlapping portion when viewed in a long-side direction.
US08988741B2
An image scanning device includes a scanning unit configured to scan, at a scanning position, an image of a document, a first discharge portion, a second discharge portion, a conveying unit configured to selectively convey the document along a first conveying path from the scanning position to the first discharge portion, and along a second conveying path from the scanning position to the second discharge portion, a driving unit configured to generate a driving force for driving the conveying unit, and a path switching unit configured to receive the driving force generated by the driving unit such that the path switching unit moves between a first position for guiding the document toward the first discharge portion, and a second position for guiding the document toward the second discharge portion.
US08988736B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a job receiving unit that receives a job for executing printing; an image-quality-adjustment execution unit that executes a normal image-quality adjustment at an image-quality adjustment time and a prior image-quality adjustment before the image-quality adjustment time; an image-quality-setting receiving unit that receives an image-quality setting; a reply request unit that, within a specific state before the image-quality adjustment time since the job is received by the job receiving unit, requests a reply indicating whether to execute a prior image-quality adjustment if a specific condition for the reception of the image-quality setting is satisfied; and a printing execution unit that, if the reply indicates that the prior image-quality adjustment is to be executed, prints an image on a recording medium by executing the job after the image-quality-adjustment execution unit executes the prior image-quality adjustment.
US08988728B2
A determination unit determines density correction characteristics to be applied to correct density characteristics based on a reading result obtained by a reading unit. A measuring unit measures a density value of the image pattern formed on the image carrier by the image forming unit at the first image forming speed by applying the density correction characteristics. A reference density value storage unit stores, as a reference density value, the density value of the image pattern measured by the measuring unit. A creation unit creates modification data to modify the density correction characteristics for a second image forming speed from a difference between a density value of an image pattern formed on the image carrier by the image forming unit at the second image forming speed by applying the density correction characteristics, and the reference density value stored in the reference density value storage unit.
US08988722B2
A cooperative processing system includes an operation terminal and a cooperative processing device connected to each other, and is connectable to a plurality of electronic devices. The cooperative processing system causes one of electric devices to function as an input device to cause electronic data to be input therefrom and one of the electric devices to function as an output device to output the electronic data. The cooperative processing system includes an obtaining unit to obtain input device information to specify the input device and output device information to specify the output device, an input control unit to cause the input device to input electronic data through a first interface according to the input device information, and an output control unit to cause the output device to output the electronic data through a second interface according to the output device information in an format appropriate for the output device.
US08988720B2
A display device includes a display position that includes a main region and a subregion, an operation portion that receives an input for producing a message and a movement operation for moving the message in the main region to the subregion, a storage portion that stores set data on the message and degree-of-importance data and a determination portion that determines, based on the degree-of-importance data, the degree of importance of the message. The display portion displays, in the subregion, the message on which the movement operation has been performed when the degree of importance is equal to or lower than a first criterion and continuously displays, in the main region, the message on which the movement operation has been performed when the degree of importance is higher than the first criterion.
US08988716B1
A print server may include an access rights manager configured to receive an access request for printer access rights. The print server may also include a customized printer identifier generator configured to generate a customized printer identifier, based on the access request, with the printer access rights associated therewith, and a print job router configured to provide printing in response to receipt of the customized printer identifier and in accordance with the printer access rights.
US08988709B2
This invention provides a mechanism which can attain at least one of an accurate measurement of a T0 timer and appropriate control of a CNG output timing in a FAX communication using AT commands. To accomplish this, in a modem control apparatus for controlling a modem using AT commands, the modem is set in a voice mode, an AT command including a dial number is sent to the modem set in the voice mode, the modem is set in a facsimile mode after completion of the dialing in the modem, and an AT command including no dial number is sent to the modem set in the facsimile mode so as to control the modem to begin to output a calling tone.
US08988707B2
A method of managing a plurality of print jobs, which includes the steps of: receiving a plurality of print jobs from one or more client devices, each of the plurality of print jobs having one or more print job attributes; creating a print job group list of the plurality of print jobs before the plurality of print jobs is processed by a printer controller; processing the plurality of print jobs on the printer controller for printing by an image forming apparatus; and printing one or more of the plurality of print jobs based on a printing sequence generated from the print job group list.
US08988705B2
An image processing apparatus for executing image processing on the basis of a command transmitted from a communication terminal is provided. The image processing apparatus includes: a communication unit that performs communication with the communication terminal; an execution unit that executes the image processing on the basis of the command transmitted from the communication terminal; a determination unit that determines whether or not to permit the execution unit to execute the image processing based on the command without passing through a communication terminal serving as a management terminal; and a control unit that prohibits the image processing based on the command without passing through the management terminal when the determination unit determines that the execution of the image processing is not permitted.
US08988704B2
An image forming apparatus and an input method thereof are provided. The input method of an image forming apparatus which includes at least one hard key and a touch screen, including displaying a screen with at least one input selection option on the touch screen, receiving a selection of the at least one hard key and a touch selection of at least one of the input selection options of the displayed screen, and performing an operation corresponding to the received hard key selection and the received touch selection. Thus, a shortcut key using a hard key and a touch screen together may be provided, thereby reducing inconvenience for a user to navigate to a menu and to input data.
US08988696B2
An image forming apparatus includes a top panel member that is arranged on an operator stand side of a main body of the image forming apparatus, that includes a recess having a bottom surface located below a level of a top surface of the top panel member, and that allows an authentication device configured to read information stored in an information recording medium to be mounted on the bottom surface of the recess; and a detachable cover that includes a protruding part, the protruding part protruding upward and defining, together with the recess, a space for housing the authentication device.
US08988695B2
A function setting device includes a first operator and a second operator. The first operator is operated for selecting one function item from among plural function items forming a first menu and for setting the selected function item and for then selecting one function value from among plural function values of the set function item forming a second menu and for setting the selected function value, the second menu being provided for each function item. One function item is assigned to the second operator. The second operator sets the selection of the assigned function item when the second operator is operated for the first time and selects one function value from among plural function values of the set function item forming the second menu every time the second operator is operated for a subsequent time.
US08988693B2
A disclosed information processing system includes an apparatus and an information processing apparatus including a service information memory unit storing service identification information identifying a service provided for the apparatus and program identification information for identifying a program required to be installed in the apparatus, a correspondence setup unit storing the apparatus identification information for identifying the apparatus and the service identification information upon a receipt of a usage request in which the apparatus identification information and the service identification information are designated, a communication unit requesting installation of a program related to the program identification information stored in the service information memory unit, and a program administrating unit returning the program related to the program identification information designated in the acquisition request, in response to the acquisition request for the program from the apparatus, wherein the program causes the apparatus to send information related to the apparatus.
US08988690B2
A method for determining information about changes along a degree of freedom of an encoder scale includes directing a first beam and a second beam along different paths and combining the first and second beams to form an output beam, where the first and second beams are derived from a common source, the first and second beams have different frequencies, where the first beam contacts the encoder scale at a non-Littrow angle and the first beam diffracts from the encoder scale at least once; detecting an interference signal based on the output beam, the interference signal including a heterodyne phase related to an optical path difference between the first beam and the second beam; and determining information about a degree of freedom of the encoder scale based on the heterodyne phase.
US08988687B2
Provided is a device and method for detecting the presence of a material in a gaseous medium, including a reaction assembly including at least one detection unit including a matrix adapted for exposure to the gaseous medium, such that at least part of the gaseous medium comes into contact with the matrix; the matrix being configured for capturing a gas-born particle of a material carried by the gaseous medium, and for permitting a liquid or solute reagent to come in contact with the matrix, thereby enabling said liquid reagent to react with said particle to yield an optically altered reaction product.
US08988684B1
The present disclosure provides a system and a method for measuring fluorescence of a sample. The sample may be a polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) array, a loop-mediated-isothermal amplification array, etc. LEDs are used to excite the sample, and a photodiode is used to collect the sample's fluorescence. An electronic offset signal is used to reduce the effects of background fluorescence and the noises from the measurement system. An integrator integrates the difference between the output of the photodiode and the electronic offset signal over a given period of time. The resulting integral is then converted into digital domain for further processing and storage.
US08988683B2
A food analysis device includes a variable wavelength interference filter adapted to disperse light reflected by the food into a plurality of lights with respective wavelengths, an imaging section adapted to image the lights with the respective wavelengths obtained by the dispersion to obtain spectral images corresponding respectively to the wavelengths, and a control section adapted to obtain spectrum of each of the pixels from the spectral images corresponding to the respective wavelengths, and then detect a pixel including the absorption spectrum of water, and then detect a plurality of components based on the spectrum of the pixel detected.
US08988682B2
This specification describes various embodiments that relate to methods for providing a wideband colorimeter that can include more accurate outputs. In one embodiment, a narrowband instrument, such as a spectrometer or spectrograph, can be used for calibration of a wideband colorimeter, so that more accurate outputs can be provided. In one embodiment, an optical test equipment, which consists of both a wideband colorimeter and a narrowband spectrograph, can be used for providing a more accurately calibrated wideband colorimeter. As an example, a spectra-camera, which is a hybrid system consisting of both a wideband colorimeter and a narrowband spectrograph, can be used for simultaneous testing by both the wideband colorimeter and the narrowband spectrograph. By doing simultaneous testing, accurate calibration of the wideband colorimeter can be achieved. This specification further describes a mathematical model to characterize a wideband three channel colorimeter with a narrowband multiple channel spectrometer.
US08988680B2
A high passband transmission ratio is obtained by splitting a light beam from an objective lens into two orthogonally-polarized components processed along distinct paths through two independently controllable liquid crystal tunable filters (LCTFs). The filtered portions may be combined at an imaging plane or may be separately processed without recombining. Using two LCTFs, the arrangements discussed herein may ideally achieve 100% transmission in a single passband when two orthogonal components of a single wavelength are tuned, or 50% transmission at two distinct passbands when two orthogonal components from two different wavelengths (one component from each wavelength) are tuned. The dual polarization configuration described herein may be used to improve contrast or detected signal intensity in various microscopy and spectroscopic/chemical imaging applications and to increase the speed of detection.
US08988670B2
The fiberscope for inspecting and cleaning a fiber connector simultaneously includes a housing with a front panel, a microscope system, a connector holder mounted at a distance from the front panel for receiving a connector ferrule of a fiber connector, and a translation stage for moving the microscope system transversely to align its optical axis with the connector ferrule. The fiberscope further includes a hand knob attached to a fine screw through the connector holder for adjusting the vertical position of the connector ferrule, a mirror pivotally mounted between the connector holder and the front panel, an LED lamp, air nozzles attached to the front panel, and a cleaning air tube for supplying compressed air to the air nozzles. The cleaning air from the air nozzles spray sideways onto the fiber endfaces so that the cleaning air bounces off sideways to avoid secondary contamination.
US08988660B2
A technique includes using an emitter of an optical detector to emit a first optical signal and a receiver to acquire measurement of a second optical signal generated due to interaction of the first optical signal with a target. The technique includes scaling the acquired measurement based on a measure of optical crosstalk communication between the emitter and the receiver.
US08988647B2
A method for cooling an electronic image assembly using ambient gas. Exemplary embodiments of the method include the steps of circulating a closed loop of circulating gas around the electronic image assembly, directing a flow of ambient air through a first manifold, allowing the flow of ambient air to cross the flow of circulating gas without allowing the two to mix, directing the flow of ambient air behind the electronic image assembly and directing the flow of ambient air through a second manifold. The circulating gas may be used to cool a front portion of the electronic image assembly. A cross through plate may be used to allow the ambient gas and circulating gas to cross paths without mixing. A heat exchanger may be included with some embodiments of the method.
US08988640B2
The embodiment relates to a display device having an improved aperture ratio and capacitance, and a fabrication method of the display device, in which the display device may include a thin film transistor, which includes: an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode electrically connected to the active layer, a drain electrode electrically connected to the active layer, and a gate insulating material formed between the active layer and the gate electrode, where the gate insulating material includes a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, where the second layer has a thickness between about 0.1 to about 1.5 times a thickness of the first layer, and where the third layer has a thickness between about 2 to about 12 times the thickness of the second layer.
US08988635B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a lighting system for a transparent LCD having opposing vertical edges, the system having a mullion lighting assembly positioned adjacent to each vertical edge of the transparent LCD, each mullion lighting assembly having sidewalls defining a center channel. A plurality of LEDs are positioned along the sidewall of each mullion assembly and on a side of the sidewall that opposes the center channel. The LEDs are preferably placed in conductive thermal communication with the sidewall. A fan is positioned to draw cooling air through the center channel. A lens may be positioned adjacent to the LEDs to collimate the light. Louvers may be used to direct the emitted light away from the LCD, so as to reflect off the goods within a display case or the cavity within the display case. Some embodiments may use a flange to direct the emitted light away from the LCD.
US08988631B2
The present invention discloses a frame for pressing an optical film of a LCD device. The frame includes a supporting component and a loading component bending along from the edge of the supporting component. A first rib and a second rib are arranged on the side of the loading component adjacent to the supporting component for pressing the optical film along with the edge of the loading component, and the thickness of the first ribs is greater than that of the second ribs. The present invention further discloses a LCD device. According to the ways mentioned above, the first ribs and the second ribs with different thicknesses on the loading component of the frame fits for the optical films with two thicknesses to save cost and to conduce mass production.
US08988621B2
An array substrate includes a gate line, a data line, a thin film transistor (TFT), a pixel electrode and a storage line. The pixel electrode includes a main pixel electrode and a sub pixel electrode partly surrounding at least a portion of the main pixel electrode. The storage line includes a main storage line that extends substantially parallel to the gate line and across the pixel electrode, a sub storage line that extends from the main storage line and substantially parallel to the data line to overlap the sub pixel electrode, and a protruding storage line that extends from the sub storage line and substantially parallel to the gate line to overlap the main pixel electrode.
US08988618B2
The present invention discloses a stereoscopic display, which includes a phase retarder a display panel, and board-like structures. The phase retarder has a plurality of first strip shapes and a plurality of second strip shapes. The first strip shapes and the second strip shapes are alternately arranged. The display panel has a plurality of pixels. The pixels are arranged into a plurality of pixel rows corresponding to the first strip shapes and the second strip shapes. The board-like structures are disposed in the liquid-crystal layer of the display panel. The pixel rows are respectively separated from each other by the board-like structures, thereby reducing a crosstalk phenomenon.
US08988617B2
A stereoscopic image display device comprises a liquid crystal panel alternately displaying a first image and a second image, the first and second images being changed at first transition durations every frame, a polarization control panel disposed on the liquid crystal panel and changing polarization states at second transition durations, polarization glasses enabling the displayed first and second images to be viewed via the polarization control panel, and a backlight unit providing light to the liquid crystal panel and having black durations where the light is not provided to the liquid crystal panel.
US08988616B2
Mounting systems can attach a digital media player to a backside surface of a television. Mounting systems can include a tray base and sidewalls that protrude away from the backside surface of the television while the digital media player is located between the sidewalls. Mounting systems can be attached inside of a periphery of the backside surface of the television.
US08988612B2
Disclosed herein is a receiver for receiving transmitted AV content, the receiver including an extraction section adapted to extract trigger information, transmitted together with the AV content, about control over an application program to be executed in response to the AV content, and a control section adapted to control the acquisition, registration or activation of the application program, the firing of an event in the active application program, or the suspension or termination of the active application program according to one of the following commands indicated by the extracted trigger information, namely, Pre-cache, Register, Execute, Inject_event, Suspend or Terminate.
US08988610B2
Electronic equipment and methods for permitting quick control of the operating state of a source equipment side from sink equipment. A television receiver (sink equipment) 100 and an amplifier (repeater equipment) 200 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 610, and the amplifier 200 and a DVD recorder (source equipment) 300 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 620. Each of the pieces of equipment includes, in addition to an HDMI receiving unit and an HDMI transmitting unit, a high-speed data line I/F included in a bidirectional communication unit that uses predetermined lines of the HDMI cable. The bidirectional communication unit is used to transmit channel selection information, a remote control code instructing recording, “theater mode” designating information, a remote control code, or the like from the television receiver 100 to the audio amplifier 200 or DVD recorder 300.
US08988599B2
A controllable lighting system may include a plurality of light source groups, a group controller for each light source group, a master controller, and a network communication system. Each group controller may be configured to control the light sources in its light source group based on a group control command. The master controller may be configured to receive a master control command relating to the light sources and to issue a group control command to each of the group controllers that collectively effectuate compliance with the master control command. The network communication system may be configured to communicate the group control commands from the master controller to the group controllers.
US08988592B2
An image processing apparatus that acquires a focusing distance from a plurality of images each having different degrees of blur, includes: a misalignment detection unit that detects misalignment among the plurality of images; a distance information acquisition unit that acquires, based on the plurality of images, distance information, which is information to indicate a focusing distance in an area of the images; and a reliability information acquisition unit that creates, based on the detected misalignment, reliability information, which is information to indicate reliability of the focusing distance acquired for each area, wherein the distance information acquisition unit changes the acquired distance information based on the reliability information.
US08988590B2
An imaging system having a solid-state auto focusing system advantageously images broadband light reflected from an object to be imaged using a lens objective having chromatic aberration, which focuses different colors of light at different focal planes. Using the color information in the focal planes in conjunction with an object distance determined by a range finder, a luminance plane is constructed that has a focused image of the object. The system provides the focused image of the object without the use of any moving parts.
US08988586B2
A MEMS actuator for a compact camera couples with an alignment compensation component for generating alignment compensation signals to position and align one or more movable lenses to account for a specific focus distance and for a camera module orientation and nonlinear displacement property of the one or more movable lenses.
US08988579B2
The present invention provides an imaging apparatus configured such that it is possible to check a long exposure subject image through a finder eye piece before actual imaging of long exposure imaging so as to recognize a subtle change in the tilt of the imaging apparatus caused when the apparatus gradually tilts over a long time period. In the imaging apparatus of the present invention, exposure control unit 60 controls an exposure time of a live view image, which is acquired by the imaging device 20, such that the exposure time is the same as that in the actual imaging, whereby it is possible to check the live view image from an eyepiece lens 52 of a finder.
US08988577B2
A digital image processing apparatus, which displays a setting item designated by a user together with a setting status of a setting value for the setting item to allow the user to efficiently set items necessary for photographing and/or other operations, and a control method for the apparatus. The apparatus includes: a body; and a display unit on the body where setting information is displayed, wherein a display screen displayed on the display unit includes: a selection region where at least one setting item is displayed; and an adjustment region where a currently set current setting value is displayed together with candidate setting values that can be set for at least one of the at least one setting item.
US08988557B2
A system and method for automatically determine whether an image captured by a digital camera should be stored in a raw format or a compressed format. After an image is captured by the digital camera, the digital camera checks certain sets of characteristics of the captured image to check the image quality. If the image quality falls within an acceptable range, then the digital camera saves the image in a compressed format. If the captured image does not fall within predetermined quality levels, then the captured image is save in raw format for later processing.
US08988552B2
Image data may be color graded, distributed and viewed on target displays. Mappings that preserve mid-range points and mid-range contrast may be applied to view the image data for color grading and to prepare the image data for display on a target display. The image data may be expanded to exploit the dynamic range of the target display without affecting mid-tone values.
US08988550B2
An image-pickup apparatus includes an image-pickup element including a plurality of image-pickup pixels configured to photoelectrically convert light from an image-pickup lens and to generate an image of an object, and a plurality of focus detection pixels each configured to receive light which has passed through an area of a part of an exit pupil of the image-pickup lens, a flicker correction value generator configured to generate a flicker correction value for correcting a flicker in an image signal output from the image-pickup pixels, and a flicker corrector configured to correct a flicker in a focus detection signal output from the focus detection pixels based on the flicker correction value.
US08988548B2
An image composition apparatus 1 is provided with an information acquisition section 53, an image adjustment section 54 and a synthesis section 56. The information acquisition section 53 acquires numerical values relating to brightness of image regions with a particular hue in corrected exposure image data among plural sets of image data that are sequentially captured with the exposure duration being varied. The synthesis section 56 performs pixel addition of the plural sets of image data by changing a degree of addition of the plural sets of image data, based on the numerical values thus acquired, and generates composite image data with a widened dynamic range.
US08988547B2
An image signal correcting device (15) has at least a color mixing corrector (151) that receives an image signal arising from photoelectric conversion by a color imaging element (12), and corrects a color mixing component included in this image signal, and a storage unit (153) that stores a color mixing correction coefficient set in advance for each of a plurality of areas segmented in matching with the imaging plane of the imaging element (12). The color mixing corrector (151) approximates the color mixing correction coefficient read out from the storage unit (153) by interpolation to acquire a color mixing rate at the necessary pixel position in color mixing correction, and corrects the color mixing component by using the acquired color mixing rate.
US08988545B2
A digital photographing apparatus and a method of controlling the same are provided. The digital photographing apparatus obtains a first image from an input image according to a first shutter input signal, obtains a second image from the input image according to a second shutter input signal, and corrects the second image based on the first image.
US08988542B2
An imaging device includes an imaging section, an image segmenting section, and a blur enhancement section. The imaging section images a field to generate photographic image data. The image segmenting section partitions an image of the photographic image data into a first region that is a main subject region and a second region where the main subject is not included. The blur detecting section detects degree of blur of an image of the second region of the image of the photographic image data. The blur enhancement section performs blur enhancement processing on the image of the second region to enlarge the degree of blur of the image after image processing in proportion to the magnitude of the detected degree of blur of the image.
US08988540B2
A photographing apparatus comprises an imaging sensor, a power supply control unit, and a moving-picture generating unit. The imaging sensor continuously performs imaging operations in a predetermined interval. The power supply control unit controls a power-supply operation to the imaging sensor during a waiting period that is defined as a period from the end of one imaging operation of the imaging operations to the beginning of the next imaging operation of the imaging operations. The moving-picture generating unit generates a moving-picture file based on still pictures obtained by the imaging operations.
US08988534B2
Provided is an image stabilizing apparatus and method for correcting an image that is shaken due to a movement of a camera. The image stabilizing apparatus includes a characterizing point checking region setting unit including: a sample frame extract unit which extracts a plurality of image frames obtained for a certain period of time in image data obtained by photographing an object; and a frame analyzing unit which detects a plurality of characterizing points in the extracted plurality of image frames, and sets a characterizing point checking region which is used to check characterizing points in a currently input image frame.
US08988533B2
An image management apparatus may include an input image setting information acquiring unit configured to, when image analysis information on an input image is set, acquire setting information as input image setting information, an available setting information acquiring unit configured to acquire setting information as available setting information, an update necessity determining unit configured to determine whether or not an update of the image analysis information is necessary, on the basis of a difference between the input image setting information and the available setting information, and an image analysis information setting unit configured to, when it is determined that an update of the image analysis information is necessary, perform image analysis on the input image using the second image analysis processing unit so as to set new image analysis information.
US08988528B2
A video processing device includes a video obtaining unit configured to obtain video data by capturing video of a specific area, a video accumulating unit configured to accumulate the video data obtained by the video obtaining unit, a data input unit configured to input event occurrence data indicating an event that has occurred in a video image corresponding to the video data obtained by the video obtaining unit and object specifying data for specifying an object relating to the event, and an addition processing unit configured to add the event occurrence data and object specifying data input by the data input unit to the video data accumulated in the video accumulating unit using a predetermined format through provision of link data for linking the video data to the event occurrence data and the object specifying data.
US08988526B2
The invention relates to a device comprising a camera unit (10), which is used to record images of the outer area of a motor vehicle, comprising a camera (11), which is accommodated in a housing (12) of the camera unit (10) so as to be movable between a retracted position and an image recording position. According to the invention, at least one first slotted guide (15) is provided for guiding the motion of the camera (11) between the retracted position and the image recording position, wherein at least one sliding element (21) is arranged on the camera (11), which sliding element is guided in the slotted guide (15) to guide the motion of the camera (11) between the retracted position and the image recording position.
US08988525B2
A system for providing guidance information to a driver of a vehicle. In one implementation, the system includes an image capture device and an object sensor attached to the vehicle. The image capture device acquires an image of the vicinity of the vehicle. The object sensor is configured to detect an object near the vehicle. A processing unit processes the acquired image from the image capture device to produce an output image. The processing of the acquired image is based on information obtained from the object sensor. An image display unit is connected to the processing unit and displays the output image produced by the central processing unit.
US08988523B1
The single-camera multi-mirror imaging method and apparatus is an inspection system configured to examine a whole surface of a rotating object, preferably a spheroidal object such as a fruit or vegetable. The system includes a plurality of mirrors that direct an image of the inspected object into a digital line scan camera with an associated processor. The processor produces an image of the inspected object showing any detected surface defects and selected contamination on the outer surface of the object.
US08988522B2
A visual inspection device includes a body having a support portion and a grip portion extending from the support portion. The device also includes a flexible cable having a first end portion coupled to the body and a second end portion, and a camera assembly coupled to the second end portion of the flexible cable. The camera assembly includes an image sensor operable to transmit image data through the flexible cable. The device further includes a display supported by the support portion of the body. The display is electrically connected to the flexible cable to display image date from the image sensor. The device is powered by a rechargeable battery pack removably coupled to the body.
US08988521B2
In a method of measuring a critical dimension of a pattern, a pattern image is obtained from an object pattern. A design pattern of the object pattern and the pattern image are matched to determine a detection region on the pattern image. An optimum turning point of the pattern contour is determined in the detection region and a ROI (region of interest) is set within a predetermined range from the optimum turning point. A critical dimension of the pattern is measured in the ROI.
US08988497B2
There are provided a transmitter, a display, a shutter eyeglass device, a transmission/reception system, a display system and a transmission/reception method allowed to achieve highly reliable communication between a transmission side and a reception side. The transmitter includes: a transmission section holding plural kinds of commands each represented by a plurality of bits and repeatedly transmitting a command set, the command set being configured of one or more kinds of commands which are selected from the plural kinds of commands and combined in predetermined order, in which a bit pattern representing a whole of the command set is the same as a bit pattern held in a receiver.
US08988491B2
A communication terminal or system is provided with a processor that calculates a transmission data size that is suitable to a detected state of a network, and analyzes contents of image data for transmission to determine an image parameter that should be prioritized. The communication terminal or system encodes the image data for transmission into encoded image data, based on the calculated transmission data size and the image parameter that should be prioritized.
US08988489B2
A synchronization relationship determiner comprising an input visual information signal receiver configured to receive an input visual information signal, and a capture signal receiver configured to receive a capture signal generated by a capture device. The synchronization relationship determiner is configured to determine a synchronization relationship between the input visual information signal and the capture signal. The synchronization relationship determination is signal based.
US08988485B2
Systems, methods, and software for facilitating wireless conference environments are disclosed. In an implementation, a media system obtains environment information comprising a physical characteristic of a conference environment in which to host a least a portion of a video conference. The media system also obtains schedule information comprising a schedule for a portion of a surrounding environment associated with the conference environment. The media system identifies a configuration in accordance with which to wirelessly exchange video with another media system or system s engaged in the video conference. The configuration is based at least in part on the physical characteristic of the conference environment and the schedule for the portion of the surrounding environment.
US08988484B2
According to one embodiment, a video processing apparatus includes an input module configured to be able to perform input operation in order to register, to a server, information including a video of a face of a first person and information including a video of a face of a second person with whom the videoconferencing is conducted, in such a manner that the information including the video of the face of the first person and the information including the video of the face of the second person with whom the videoconferencing is conducted are registered in tandem.
US08988474B2
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for implementing a wide field-of-view virtual image projector. A wide field-of-view virtual image projector may include a spatial light modulator configured to inject light rays into an input wedge. The input wedge acts to output the light rays with an increased fan-out angle into an output light guide positioned proximate the input wedge. The spatial light modulator is controlled to inject light rays into the input wedge effective to diffract the light rays out of the output light guide to generate a virtual image.
US08988467B2
Various embodiments are described for systems and methods for providing visual feedback indicating a touch selection of an element on a touch-sensitive display. In one example, the method may include displaying the element in a first orientation on the display. A rotation scaling factor may be established that is based on a distance between an element, point of reference and a display point of reference. Based on the rotation scaling factor, a rotation amount of the element is determined. When a touch selection of the element is received, the method includes rotating the element by the rotation amount to a second orientation, and displaying the element in the second orientation on the display.
US08988462B2
In order to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and an ultrasonic image display method for appropriately displaying a three-dimensional elastic image, a three-dimensional blood flow image, and a three-dimensional tomographic image such that the images can be separately recognized, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes projected image creation units that create a plurality of projected images from the plurality of types of volume data and a projected image combination unit that creates a composite projected image by combining the plurality of projected images on the basis of a predetermined combination rate, and the display unit displays the composite projected image.
US08988461B1
Rendering 3D paintings can be done by compositing strokes embedded in space. Users input strokes and other image elements using an input device that specifies a 2D view of the element, and the system provides the 3D position of the element based on rules and processes, some of which allow for user input of high level parameters, thereby allowing for intuitive and quick entry of 3D elements, and a 3D scalar field. The artist can treat the full 3D space as a canvas. Strokes painted in a 2D viewport window are embedded in 3D space in a way that gives creative freedom to the artist while maintaining an acceptable level of controllability. The canvas need not be tied to any particular object already in a scene, but the canvas can be dependent on, or a function of, another object. An implicit canvas can be defined by the 3D scalar field.
US08988459B2
A method and apparatus that can display an additional display region in a display area on a display unit are provided. The method and apparatus are configured in such a way as to provide a display area and an additional display region. The display area is displayed on the display unit. The additional display region to be displayed on the display unit is virtually prepared. The additional display region is displayed on the display unit according to a detected signal output from the motion detector. The items displayed on the display area and the additional display region are associated with each other to perform a corresponding user function.
US08988456B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for generating digital media presentation layouts dynamically based on image features. Multiple digital images are received. Features are identified for one or more of the digital images based on metadata associated with and content included in the digital images. Significance measures are associated with the one or more digital images based on the features. A digital presentation of the one or more digital images is generated and the digital images are displayed according to the significance measures associated with the respective digital images.
US08988452B2
Systems, apparatus, articles, and methods are described including operations for color enhancement via gamut expansion.
US08988441B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a reconfigurable 3D graphics processor includes a pipeline configuration manager, a rasterizer, and a memory coupled to the triangle rasterizer. The pipeline configuration manager is capable of configuring the graphics processor to operate in a direct rasterizing mode or a tiling mode to process a sequence of drawing commands received from a processing unit.
US08988422B1
Techniques are disclosed for augmenting hand-drawn animation of human characters with three-dimensional (3D) physical effects to create secondary motion. Secondary motion, or the motion of objects in response to that of the primary character, is widely used to amplify the audience's response to the character's motion and to provide a connection to the environment. These 3D effects are largely passive and tend to be time consuming to animate by hand, yet most are very effectively simulated in current animation software. The techniques enable hand-drawn characters to interact with simulated objects such as cloth and clothing, balls and particles, and fluids. The driving points or volumes for the secondary motion are tracked in two dimensions, reconstructed into three dimensions, and used to drive and collide with the simulated objects.
US08988421B2
The rendering of avatars in a virtual universe is selectively controlled by the avatar owner. Avatar ranking by several criteria, operating either jointly or independently, is employed to control avatar rendering in ways intended to reduce computational loading while not significantly impacting the virtual universe experience.
US08988411B2
The occurrence of crosstalk in a display device which performs 3D display is suppressed. When 3D display is performed, part of a plurality of pixels perform desired color display and the other part of the plurality of pixels perform black display. Thus, as compared to the case where all of a plurality of pixels perform desired color display, the occurrence of crosstalk can be suppressed. A plurality of pixels which perform desired color display are changed depending on the display state. Therefore, as compared to the case where a plurality of pixels which perform desired color display are fixed when 3D display is performed, the display device can have a longer period until display change in a pixel becomes obvious (a longer lifetime) and variations in display among the plurality of pixels can be reduced.
US08988408B2
A responsive, low-power display panel power supply is provided. In one embodiment, such a display panel power supply may include a regulator whose responsiveness varies depending on the bias current it consumes, and a current source that provides a variable bias current. The regulator may provide the display panel a supply voltage and a supply current based on a reference voltage and a bias current. Various events taking place in the display panel, such as toggling at COM lines, source lines, and/or gate lines may cause parasitic capacitances within the display panel to draw more or less supply current. To ensure the regulator remains suitably responsive to such changes in supply current, while reducing the total power consumed by the power supply, the current source may provide a higher bias current to the regulator at least while the supply current is changing than at certain other times.
US08988407B2
A display apparatus including a gate driving circuit configured to include a plurality of stages connected to each other one after another. An i-th stage of the stages includes an output transistor and a control part. At least one control transistor included in the control part includes a first control electrode to which a switching control signal is applied, and a second control electrode disposed on a layer different from a layer on which the first control electrode is disposed, and to which a reference voltage is applied.
US08988406B2
A scan driver is coupled to a plurality of scan lines and includes a plurality of stages. Each of the stages is configured to sequentially receives clock signals that are phase delayed by two horizontal cycles or more from three of a plurality of clock lines, and output a scan signal having a pulse width of two horizontal cycles or more to a corresponding scan line. The scan signals are overlapped with each other by one horizontal cycle or more.
US08988403B2
A display device includes a display panel, a driving circuit, and a connection terminal. The display panel includes a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area and an electrode terminal disposed in the non-display area and extended in a direction. The driving circuit includes a signal terminal extended in the same direction as the electrode terminal and disposed adjacent to the electrode terminal. The connection terminal is disposed on the electrode terminal and the signal terminal to electrically connect the electrode terminal and the signal terminal.
US08988401B2
A display device is disclosed. According to some aspects, the display device includes a display panel for displaying an image, data drivers for supplying data signals to the display panel such that the display panel displays an image, and a timing controller for setting the data drivers and 3n (where n is a natural number) ports. The display device is configured to transmit an R transmission signal including R data bits, a G transmission signal including G data bits, and a B transmission signal including B data bits to the data drivers through the 3n ports. According to some aspects, a display device capable of securing a band width required for driving a three dimensional image without unnecessarily increasing ports and without increasing the transmission speed of the ports and a method of driving the same are disclosed.
US08988395B2
An architecture is described that can utilize photo-sensors embedded in a substantially transparent layer of a UI display for tracking objects that approach or hover over the UI display. The photo-sensors can be configured to detect light of certain wavelengths (e.g., visible light, infrared light) that are propagated toward the UI display, while ignoring light emanating from the UI display when displaying content. Accordingly, by examining various characteristics of the incoming light such as intensity, the architecture can identify a location of a shadow incident upon the display caused by an approaching or hovering selector object blocking portions of incoming light. Additionally or alternatively, the architecture can identify a location of higher intensity for light emanating from the selector object.
US08988394B2
Electronic devices may include touch-free user input components that include camera modules having overlapping fields-of-view. The overlapping fields-of-view may form a gesture tracking volume in which multi-dimensional user gestures can be tracked using images captured with the camera modules. A camera module may include an image sensor having an array of image pixels and a diffractive element that redirects light onto the array of image pixels. The diffractive element may re-orient the field-of-view of each camera module so that an outer edge of the field-of-view runs along an outer surface of a display for the device. The device may include processing circuitry that operates the device using user input data based on the user gestures in the gesture tracking volume. The processing circuitry may operate the display based on the user gestures by displaying regional markers having a size and a location that depend on the user gestures.
US08988392B2
An optical touch control system is disclosed. A reflector surrounds a monitor. At least one image detection module is adjacent to the monitor and includes an image sensor, a reflective mirror, and a light source. The image sensor is electrically connected to an image processor. The reflective mirror is disposed on the image sensor and inclines to the image sensor by a predetermined angle. The light source outputs light onto the monitor. The reflective mirror reflects the light reflected by the reflector to the image sensor, identifying a touch control operation.
US08988391B2
An imaging device may have an imaging surface and a sensor. The imaging surface may be illuminated by a first source and reflect at least some of the illumination to the sensor to detect an image. The imaging device may have a predetermined width and an optical path passing therethrough. The imaging device may be illuminated by a second source, and the illumination of the second source may be directed to one or more predetermined regions on or near the imaging surface to produce an optical effect associated with the imaging surface.
US08988389B2
The present invention relates to a touch panel and a manufacturing method thereof. The method comprises steps of providing a base having a substrate, a buffering layer and a transparent conductive layer, forming multiple first pad strings, multiple second pads and an isolated pad by etching the transparent conductive layer, forming a shading layer on the isolated pad and then sequentially forming insulating layers, wire bridges, signal wires and cover pieces to complete the touch panel. The method of the invention is simplified, such that the production capacity is increased. The step of forming the shading layer is after the step of forming the first pad strings and the second pads, such that the shading layer would not be charred in the step of forming first pad strings and the second pads.
US08988388B2
An electronic device and a method for scanning a touch panel of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a touch panel and a control circuitry. The touch panel includes a plurality of touch sensors. The control circuitry is coupled to the touch panel. The control circuitry charges each of the touch sensors according to a preset charge period of the touch sensor and detects the maximum difference in charge characteristics of the touch sensors. The control circuitry adjusts the preset charge periods of the touch sensors according to the charge characteristics of the touch sensors and a preset limit of the preset charge periods of the touch sensors when the maximum difference is higher than a preset threshold.
US08988380B2
A display apparatus includes a display unit configured to display a target item, a sensor unit configured to detect a commanding medium which is placed close to the display unit, and a proximity manipulation determination unit configured to judge a target item that corresponds to a closed figure formed by a movement locus of the commanding medium detected by the sensor unit, and determines whether a prescribed manipulation is performed for the target item.
US08988372B2
An apparatus and method for obtaining a physiological measurement associated with a user using a portable device is disclosed herein. Information displayed on a touch-sensitive display of the portable device specifies the contact area(s) on the portable device for a user to touch. One or more areas on the portable device and/or a detachable device connected to the portable device comprise conductive areas for measuring the resistance or impedance of the user's body between those conductive areas.
US08988369B1
A method, computer program product, and system are provided for defining a touch gesture on a touch sensing device. The method can include receiving a touch gesture at the touch sensing device, determining that the touch gesture is not associated with any operations, and providing an indication of one or more operations the touch sensing device can perform in response to the touch gesture. The method can also include receiving a selection of an operation, and associating the touch gesture with the selected operation.
US08988358B2
An input device, e.g., for a motor vehicle, includes a display for displaying variable information, and a touch screen, disposed above the display, for inputting instructions by touching the touch screen, and the input device including a control system for generating a selection marking displayable on the display, and for displacing the selection marking displayed by the display according to a touching motion across the touch screen.
US08988348B2
An information processing device includes an acquisition unit which acquires information of acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic intensity of an operation device, a coordinate conversion unit which converts the angular velocity acquired by the acquisition unit into global angular velocity in a global coordinate system using information of posture angles of the operation device, an initial posture angle calculation unit which calculates a posture angle of the operation device in the initial stage in the global coordinate system based on the information of the acceleration and the magnetic intensity, an updating unit which updates the posture angle of the operation device in the global coordinate system based on information of the global angular velocity, and a control unit which causes the coordinate conversion unit to convert the first angular velocity into the global angular velocity and to convert a second angular velocity into the global angular velocity.
US08988344B2
Embodiments that relate to navigating a hierarchy of visual elements are disclosed. In one embodiment a method includes presenting one or more visual elements from a two-dimensional plane via a display device. A home location within a viewable region of the display is established. A proportional size relationship between each element and each of the other elements is established. Using gaze tracking data, a gaze location at which a user is gazing within the viewable region is determined. The gaze location is mapped to a target location, and movement of the target location toward the home location is initiated. As the target location moves closer to the home location, each of the visual elements is progressively enlarged while the proportional size relationship between each of the visual elements and each of the other visual elements is also maintained.
US08988339B2
A stereoscopic image displaying system and method are disclosed. The system comprises a display panel for periodically displaying a left-eye image and a right-eye image; a backlight plate that is divided into a plurality of regional light sources from top to bottom; a backlight controller for providing control signals to turn on the regional light sources, wherein in one image frame displaying period, the time points for turning on the respective regional light sources are different from each other, and turn-on durations are different from each other as well; and a pair of shutter glasses comprising a left-piece eyeglass and a right-piece eyeglass that are periodically and alternatively turned on and of for respectively receiving the left-eye image and the right-eye image. The stereoscopic display system can improve brightness performance of a liquid crystal display panel during displaying stereoscopic images, also minimize the occurrence of ghost images and crosstalk.
US08988333B2
A look-up table unit converts input video signal data of N bits into (M+F+D) bit data by performing inverse gamma correction and linear interpolation. An error diffusion unit converts the (M+F+D) bit data into (M+F) bit data by error diffusion processing. A frame rate control unit converts the (M+F) bit data into M bit data by frame rate control. A sub-frame data conversion unit, by using a gradation driving table and the M bit data, generates sub-frame data in which all sub-frames include a step-bit pulse respectively, and in which the number of sub-frames to be in a drive state every time the drive gradation increases by one, is increased one by one.
US08988331B2
There is provided an optical recording display device having a display section. The display section includes: a plurality of pixels; a plurality of pixel electrodes each of which is formed for each of the plurality of pixels, and is connected to a transistor; a common electrode which is opposite to the plurality of pixel electrodes, and an electro-optical material layer having a memory property which is disposed between the plurality of pixel electrodes and the common electrode; a plurality of scanning lines which is respectively connected to a gate of the transistor and is connected to each other in a direct manner or through an electric circuit; and a plurality of data lines which is respectively connected to a source of the transistor and is connected to each other in a direct manner or through an electric circuit.
US08988324B2
A light emitting device that achieves long life, and which is capable of performing high duty drive, by suppressing initial light emitting element deterioration is provided. Reverse bias application to an EL element (109) is performed one row at a time by forming a reverse bias electric power source line (112) and a reverse bias TFT (108). Reverse bias application can therefore be performed in synchronous with operations for write-in of an image signal, light emission, erasure, and the like. Reverse bias application therefore becomes possible while maintaining a duty equivalent to that of a conventional driving method.
US08988315B2
There is provided a head mounted display including a glasses-type frame to be worn on a head of an observer; two optical modules including two image creation devices, and two light guides having two light guide plates coupled one-to-one with the two image creation devices and placed closer to a center of a face of the observer than the image creation devices are as a whole, that guide light beams output from the image creation devices and output the light beams toward pupils of the observer; and an optical plate supporting the two light guides, wherein the optical plate is attached to a center part of the frame.
US08988308B2
This disclosure relates to a network node comprising an antenna arrangement with an antenna column. The antenna column comprises a first and second set of subarrays with at least two subarrays each. Each subarray comprises at least one antenna element. The first and second set of subarrays comprise antenna elements having a first polarization and antenna elements having a second polarization, orthogonal to the first polarization, respectively. Each set of subarrays is connected to a corresponding filter device via a corresponding phase altering device. Each filter device is arranged to separate signals at a first frequency band and signals at the second frequency band between respective combined ports and respective filter ports such that first filter ports are arranged for transmission and reception of signals at one frequency band, and second filter ports are arranged for reception of signals at the other frequency band.
US08988300B2
In an example embodiment, an azimuth combiner comprises: a septum layer comprising a plurality of septum dividers; first and second housing layers attached to first and second sides of the septum layer; a linear array of ports on a first end of the combiner; wherein the first and second housing layers each comprise waveguide H-plane T-junctions; wherein the waveguide T-junctions can be configured to perform power dividing/combining; and wherein the septum layer evenly bisects each port of the linear array of ports. A stack of such azimuth combiners can form a two dimensional planar array of ports to which can be added a horn aperture layer, and a grid layer, to form a dual-polarized, dual-BFN, dual-band antenna array.
US08988298B1
An antenna structure is disclosed that includes a first antenna extending from a substrate, a second antenna formed on the substrate, and first and second parasitic elements formed on the substrate. The first antenna provides an omni-directional radiation pattern in the azimuth plane for vertically polarized signals, and the second antenna provides an omni-directional radiation pattern in the azimuth plane for horizontally polarized signals. The parasitic elements absorb and re-radiate electromagnetic waves radiated from the second antenna.
US08988294B2
In an example embodiment, an airborne radio frequency (RF) antenna device can comprise: a radiating portion; a waveguide portion connected to the radiating portion; a desiccant airflow channel; and an internal air volume located within the RF antenna device and associated with the desiccant airflow channel. The desiccant airflow channel can be integral with the RF antenna device. The internal air volume can be vented to the environment outside of the RF antenna device through the desiccant airflow channel.
US08988293B2
Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of multiband antenna assemblies, which generally include helical and linear radiating elements. In an exemplary embodiment, a multiband antenna assembly may generally include at least one helical radiator having a longitudinal axis. At least one linear radiator is aligned with and/or disposed at least partially along the longitudinal axis of the at least one helical radiator. The antenna assembly is resonant in at least three frequency bands.
US08988284B2
A system and method for monitoring and tracking the position of a subject comprises, in an exemplary embodiment, a transponder configured for being co-located with the subject and a means for enabling communication between the transponder and a remote GPS-enabled receiver, such as a cell phone or the like, for selectively triangulating the position of the transponder. In the exemplary embodiment, the means for enabling such communication is software that is installed in and executed by the receiver. The software allows the receiver to triangulate the geographic position of the transponder by fixing a first reference point based on the location of the GPS-enabled receiver, fixing a second reference point based on the location of a network broadcast site through which the receiver and transponder communicate, and calculating the location of the transponder based on the angular position of the transponder relative to the network broadcast site.
US08988281B2
A reversing radar Sensor Component presented by the invention includes a sensor, a damping rubber ring sleeved on a peripheral portion of the sensor, a base cover for receiving a front portion of the sensor and damping rubber ring therein, and a top cover capable of being mounted with the base cover and having an opening defined therein for exposing the front portion of the sensor therefrom. Both the base cover and top cover have several walls formed thereon. Several grooves are defined in the wall of the top cover. A buffer rubber ring is disposed between the wall of the top cover and wall of the base cover. The buffer rubber ring has plural protruding posts corresponding to the grooves. The buffer rubber ring and circular rubber sleeve and damping rubber ring form together double damping construction which increases the protection of the sensor from vibration.
US08988279B2
A method for reducing sidelobe interference in a radar or communication system. The method includes selecting a desired amplitude weight (WD) to be applied to radar or communication antenna elements and determining phase weights for the radar or communication system elements such that each pair of adjacent, phase weighted elements provides the desired amplitude weight when summed.
US08988278B2
A radar apparatus includes a receiver having a plurality of receiver channels, each including an antenna element, a phase shifter, and a switch. The antenna element provides a signal that passes through a phase shifter to a switch. The signal may then be passed to a summing element if the switch is closed. The summing element receives signals from the receive channels, and provides a sum signal to a mixer. In phased array mode, the switches are closed and antenna controller adjusts the phase angles of the phase shifters. In DBF mode, the phase shifters are maintained at a set value, and switches are operated sequentially to provide time-multiplexed signals from the receive channels to the summing element.
US08988270B2
Configuration information is exchanged between a home entertainment system server and various wireless components by pushing a button on the server and a random button on a remote control device as it is pointed at the devices sought to be authenticated.
US08988266B2
A method, comprising: receiving an analog input; determining an upper outer rail and a lower outer rail as polling values to be used by voltage comparators; blanking at least three comparators; determining which two of the at least three comparators are closest to the input analog voltage levels; defining the two comparators which are closest to the analog input signal to be the next comparators of the next sampling process; assigning a remaining comparator at a voltage level in between the new top and bottom voltage levels; enabling the outer rails, but blanking the inner rail; progressively narrowing down the voltage range spanned by the two outer comparators; and generating a 2-tuple value of an asynchronous voltage comparator crossing.
US08988263B2
A system such as a mechanically tuned radio can have a signal path to receive and process an incoming radio frequency (RF) signal and to provide the processed signal to a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to convert the processed signal to a digital signal and to digitally demodulate the digital signal to obtain an audio signal, where this first ADC is separate from an auxiliary ADC not part of the signal path.
US08988262B2
A delay circuit includes a first inverter in which a delay time of rising is larger than a delay time of falling, and a second inverter which is connected in series with the first inverter and in which a delay time of falling is larger than a delay time of rising. Transistors for each of the first and second inverters are connected in series between a power supply terminal and a ground terminal.
US08988260B2
A continuous-time delta-sigma digital-to-analog converter (DAC) includes a first delta-sigma modulator configured to quantize a most significant bit or bits of a digital input signal and produce a first quantization error signal, and a second multi-stage delta-sigma modulator configured to quantize less significant bits of the digital input signal. A first DAC is coupled to an output of the first delta-sigma modulator, and a second DAC is coupled to an output of the second noise-shaping filter. The second DAC has a greater resolution than the first DAC. A low pass output filter is coupled to a sum of an output of the first DAC and an output of the second DAC.
US08988254B2
An ultra-low power wakeup circuit device includes a keyboard, a key scan circuit, a storage unit, and a comparator unit. The key scan circuit sequentially outputs scanning signals from the first scan line to N-th scan line for acquiring N key scan data. The key scan circuit performs an XOR operation on the N key scan data to generate a current key scan data. The storage unit is connected to the key scan circuit for receiving the current key scan data and storing the current key scan data as a previous key scan data. The comparator unit is connected to the key scan circuit and the storage unit for comparing the current key scan data with the previous key scan data. When the current key scan data is different from the previous key scan data, the comparator unit generates a wakeup signal.
US08988245B2
For cable management, a bi-stable liquid crystal display is positioned on an exterior segment of a communications cable. A display module that connects to the bi-stable liquid crystal display, connects to the communications cable with one or more pins, and receives the signal associated with one or more messages about the communications cable. The display module further causes the one or more messages to be shown on the bi-stable liquid crystal display in response to the display module receiving the signal.
US08988242B2
A flat panel display device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The flat panel display device includes: a pixel unit including a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines intersecting with the plurality of scan lines, and a plurality of pixels connected to the plurality of the scan lines and the plurality of the data lines, the plurality of pixels comprising red, green, blue and white pixels, a data driver outputting a data signal to the data lines, and a scan driver outputting a scan signal to the scan lines, where a storage capacitor of the blue pixel is formed in a lower portion of the white pixel.
US08988241B2
Interaction between a portable apparatus and a personal exercise area is disclosed. A method comprises: transferring wirelessly information between a personal exercise area and a portable apparatus; detecting proximity of the portable apparatus to the personal exercise area by utilizing the transferred information; and configuring the portable apparatus in relation to an exercise performed within the personal exercise area by a user of the portable apparatus.
US08988231B2
A wetness notification system includes a detection unit, a clip unit and a receiver unit. The detection unit includes a sleeve body, a moisture detector, a casing, a processor, a wireless transmitter, and a battery. The processor configures the wireless transmitter to transmit a moisture signal outputted by the moisture detector when the moisture signal corresponds to a moist condition. The clip unit clips the detection unit onto the clothing article. The receiver unit includes a wireless receiver, a controller, and a notification module. When the controller receives the moisture signal via the wireless receiver, the controller drives the notification module to output a wetness notification signal.
US08988230B2
A bird deterrent system includes (i) measurement of bird habituation to activation of deterrent devices and (ii) reduction of habituation through increased selectivity in activating deterrents only for birds posing a threat to or threatened by a protected area, and in particular, those within threat altitudes. The bird deterrent system further provides (iii) analytical data in support of safety management systems, risk management, etc., and (iv) integrated, wide-area radar coverage with multiple virtual intrusion zones providing multiple lines of defense around and over very large protected areas.
US08988229B2
A system for spraying, according to various aspects of the present invention, includes a power switch, an arm switch, a trigger switch, and a communication switch. The system establishes a communication link in response to power being applied through the power switch. Before operation of the arm switch, the system establishes a communication link. After operation of the arm switch, the trigger switch activates release of spray. In further response to the trigger switch, the system transmits a notice via the communication link. Such a system when equipped with pepper spray aerosol is advantageous for self-defense.
US08988224B2
In one embodiment the present invention includes an RFID gaming token with a ferrite core. When the RFID gaming tokens are stacked, the ferrite cores steer the flux field from the excitation antenna through the center of the annular antennas in each token. The resulting flux field increases the efficiency of the energy transfer from the excitation antenna to the passive tags. This increased efficiency also improves the data transfer to and from the passive tags. This increased efficiency allows for reading RFID gaming tokens at a higher stack height (or at a better error rate for a given stack height) as compared to existing air core gaming tokens.
US08988219B2
Some embodiments of the application provides methods and systems for receiving image frames from a plurality of repositories, extracting a camera fingerprint for each of the image frames, storing the camera fingerprints in a directory, receiving a new image frame from one of the plurality of repositories and extracting a new camera fingerprint corresponding to the new image frame, comparing the new camera fingerprint to each of the stored camera fingerprint, and generating an alert if a match is determined between the new camera fingerprint and at least one of the stored camera fingerprints in the directory.
US08988213B2
A safety device for safeguarding a movable, guided movement element against undesired collisions with an object situated on a movement path of the movement element, said device comprising at least two sensors for detecting the object and the movement element and for outputting signals depending on the detection, and also having an evaluation unit for evaluating signals of the sensors and for generating a switch-off signal on the basis of the evaluation. For improved recognition of a risk of collision, the evaluation unit is designed to acquire from the at least two sensors a currently detected state vector from a set of state vectors which unambiguously comprise all possible combinations of the signals of the sensors, and to generate the switch-off signal in the case of predetermined state vectors.
US08988212B2
An electric vehicle pedestrian warning system includes an encapsulating container disposed in a location of an electric vehicle (EV) that is exterior to a cabin of the EV. The warning system also includes a speaker affixed to an interior portion of the container, an amplifier coupled to the speaker, a computer processor communicatively coupled to the amplifier, and logic executable by the computer processor. The logic is configured to transmit a sound file to the speaker through the amplifier over a vehicle network upon activation of the EV. The sound file includes a pedestrian warning sound. A first portion of the pedestrian warning sound is output by the speaker and amplified using acoustical properties of the encapsulating container. The first portion of the pedestrian warning sound is amplified in a low frequency range capable of being cancelled by an active noise cancellation system that is located in the interior cabin.
US08988199B1
A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system uses read difficulty factors (RDFs) to improve tag-parameter estimation. During inventory, a reader can obtain a tag's item identifier (II), determine a read metric such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), retrieve an RDF associated with the II, and adjust the RSSI using the RDF to more accurately estimate a tag parameter such as distance from the reader antenna. The system can then use the estimated distance to categorize the tag.
US08988188B2
The present invention provides a system and method for managing entrance and exit of a vehicle from a facility via a driver facial identification operation within a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention includes a vehicle configured to recognize driver's face within vehicle by performing a driver identification operation, and then configured to send driver information via a wireless communication to a vehicle access control center in response to a positive identification of the driver's face. The vehicle access control center in the present invention then performs a verification of the driver information upon receiving the driver information from the vehicle, and controls an opening and closing of a gate for vehicle access according to of the verification of the driver information.
US08988185B2
A security document is provided comprising a first RFID tag readable only within a first range, and a second RFID tag readable within a second range, the first RFID tag containing data pertaining to the owner of the security document and an identification code, and the second RFID tag containing the same or a related identification code, and wherein the second range is longer than the first range. Also provided is a method and system for controlling access to a region, each person seeking access carrying a detectable unique identifier. The method comprises: detecting, at a first location, a unique identifier relating to a person in the first location; using the detected unique identifier to retrieve information concerning the person from one or more external databases; supplying the retrieved information to a second location remote from the first location; and using, at the second location, the retrieved information to make a decision as to whether to allow the person carrying the unique identifier access to the controlled region.
US08988181B2
A common mode filter includes a first coil, a second coil, a first insulating layer separating the first coil from the second coil, a third coil serially connected with the first coil, a second insulating layer separating the second coil from the third coil, a fourth coil serially connected with the second coil, and a third insulating layer separating the third coil from the fourth coil. The second coil is between the first and third coils, and the third coil is between the second and fourth coils. At least one of the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer and the third insulating layer may include magnetic material.
US08988177B1
Magnetic cores are described that include a first magnetic material with a first magnetic permeability, forming at least part of a body of the magnetic core, and a second magnetic material that has a second magnetic permeability positioned in a corner region of the body of the magnetic core. The second magnetic material is disposed within the body such that a plurality of magnetic flux paths of different overall lengths traverses the corner region. The plurality of potential magnetic flux paths have a corresponding plurality of effective magnetic reluctances, with different paths of the plurality of magnetic flux paths having different associated first lengths of a first plurality of lengths and different associated second lengths of a second plurality of lengths such that the corresponding plurality of magnetic reluctances of the plurality of magnetic flux paths are substantially equivalent through the different overall lengths.
US08988171B2
A bandpass filter of the present invention includes: rectangular waveguides which are divided into two in a center of a broad plane; and a metal plate which has a substantially ladder shape, is disposed between the rectangular waveguides in parallel with a narrow plane of the rectangular waveguides, and has a pair of beams and plurality of fins that connect the pair of beams. At least one other waveguide is formed by dividing a waveguide path within the rectangular waveguides vertically with respect to a direction which is parallel with the broad plane. At least three resonators are formed within the rectangular waveguides by the metal plate, and each of the other waveguides couples resonators together which crosses at least one of the plurality of resonators so as to form a pole outside a pass band.
US08988169B2
Tunable radio frequency (RF) devices, such as phase shifters and filters, are formed by depositing thin film layers on a substrate and patterning the thin film layers by various lithography techniques. A thin film metal layer is patterned to form a plurality of capacitors and inductors, leaving at least two grounding regions that lie closely adjacent the capacitors and inductors. As patterned portions of the grounding regions are electrically isolated from each other. Performance of the devices are improved by electrically bridging the differential potential grounding regions.
US08988163B2
A radio-frequency transceiver device, used in a wireless communication system, includes a housing; a first printed circuit board, disposed on a first surface of the housing; a second printed circuit board, disposed on a second surface of the housing, for cooperating with the first printed circuit board to process a receive signal; and a waveguide, connected to the housing, having an orthomode transducer, having a common port, for conveying a transmit signal and the receive signal; a first low-pass filter, coupled to a co-polar port of the orthomode transducer; and a diplexer, coupled to a cross-polar port of the orthomode transducer, for cooperating with the first low-pass filter to separate the transmit signal and the receive signal; wherein connection of the housing and the waveguide substantially conforms to an L shape.
US08988160B2
A data transmission system is provided in which it is possible to perform both of suppressing the degrading of the slew rate and suppressing the ringing even if load capacitance of an input buffer is changed.The data transmission system transmitting data from an output buffer to the input buffer through a trace is provided with first RC parallel circuits connected in series to the trace on a first Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which the output buffer is mounted, and second RC parallel circuits connected in series to the trace on a second Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which the input buffer is mounted, and which can be connected and separated to and from the first Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
US08988159B2
There is provided an oscillator capable of lowering the power supply voltage without degrading the phase noise, while employing the conventional circuit configuration. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an oscillator comprising: an oscillation circuit; a bias generation circuit for generating a bias signal to drive the oscillation circuit; and a booster circuit for boosting a power supply voltage to generate a boosted voltage for driving the bias generation circuit. In addition, the oscillation circuit, the bias generation circuit, and the booster circuit are provided in a single IC chip, and the booster circuit may receive the power supply voltage VDD from the power supply arranged at the exterior of the IC chip.
US08988147B2
The present disclosure provides a multi-way Doherty amplifier that includes an amplifier input, an amplifier output, a main amplifier having an input connected to the amplifier input, and at least a first and a second peak amplifier. In the Doherty amplifier, an input of the first peak amplifier is connected to the amplifier input or an output of the main amplifier, and an input of the second peak amplifier is connected to the amplifier input, the output of the main amplifier or an output of the first peak amplifier. The Doherty amplifier further comprises a first impedance converter connected between the output of the main amplifier and the amplifier output, a second impedance converter connected between the output of the first peak amplifier and an output of the second peak amplifier, and a third impedance converter connected between the output of the second peak amplifier and the amplifier output.
US08988144B2
A demodulator including a delay line adapted for receiving an input signal at an input frequency, phase or frequency modulated by symbols with a duration equal to a period of the input signal or very close to that period. The delay line has Nd outputs producing Nd signals at the input frequency but with Nd different delays offset by ΔT relative to one another, Nd being an integer number greater than or equal to 1. The demodulator also includes a register of Nd latches each receiving a respective output of the delay line and a clock signal which is the input signal, in order to store the state of the outputs of the delay lines at the end of a period of the clock signal in the register. The content of the register represents a value of an input signal modulation symbol.
US08988131B2
The disclosed transistor switching methodology enables independent control of transistor turn-on delay and slew rate, including charging, during a pre-charge period, a transistor control input to a threshold voltage VT with a predetermined turn-on delay; and then charging, during a switch-on period, the transistor control input from VT to an operating point with a predetermined slew rate. This methodology is adaptable to load switching applications, for example, to control a high side/low side load switch such that, during the switch on period, the output voltage supplied to the load rises from zero volts to an operating load voltage with the predetermined slew rate. In one embodiment, I_delay and I_slew_rate currents are used to charge the transistor control input respectively during the pre-charge and switch-on periods. In another embodiment, the I-delay and I-slew rate currents are controlled by a replica switch with a control input coupled to the control input of a main switch, with the replica switch characterized by a threshold voltage substantially identical to the main switch threshold voltage VT.
US08988127B2
In one embodiment, a temperature compensating attenuator is disclosed having an attenuation circuit and a control circuit. The temperature compensating attenuator circuit may include a first series connected attenuation circuit segment and a shunt connected attenuation circuit segment, as well as additional attenuation circuit segments. Each attenuation circuit segment includes a stack of transistors that are coupled to provide the attenuation circuit segment with an impedance attenuation level having a continuous impedance range. The control circuit may be operably associated with the stack of transistors in each attenuation circuit segment to control the attenuation level of the attenuation circuit. The temperature compensating attenuator includes a temperature compensating circuit that compensates for variations in operation of the attenuation circuit due to a temperature change.
US08988125B1
A circuit for routing signals in an integrated circuit is disclosed. The circuit comprises a path having a plurality of registers coupled in series and including a source register, a destination register and at least one intermediate register; a clock generator generating a clock signal; and a delay element coupled to receive the clock signal and generate a delayed clock signal, wherein the delayed clock signal is coupled to a clock input of the at least one intermediate register. A method of routing signals in an integrated circuit is also disclosed.
US08988123B2
Small area low power data retention flop. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a circuit includes a master latch coupled to a data retention latch. The data retention latch is configured to operate as a slave latch to the master latch to implement a master-slave flip flop during normal operation. The data retention latch is configured to retain an output value of the master-slave flip flop during a low power data retention mode when the master latch is powered down. A single control input is configured to select between the normal operation and the low power data retention mode. The circuit may be independent of a third latch.
US08988118B1
Disclosed is a high-swing voltage-mode transmitter or line driver. The transmitter can operate over a wide range of supply voltages. Increasing the available output swing merely involves increasing the supply voltage; the circuit adapts to maintain the desired output impedance. This allows for a tradeoff between output amplitude and power consumption. Another advantage of the proposed architecture is that it compensates for process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) and mismatch variations so as to keep rise and fall times matched. This feature reduces common-mode noise and hence EMI in systems in which the transmitter is used.
US08988113B2
A comparator has a first terminal, a second terminal, and an output terminal. A selection circuit is coupled to the first terminal. A calibration circuit is coupled to the output terminal and the second terminal. The comparator is configured to operate in a first mode when the selection circuit provides a first input signal to the first terminal and the calibration circuit provides a second input signal to the second terminal. The comparator is configured to operate in a second mode when the selection circuit provides a first calibration signal to the first terminal and the calibration circuit provides a second calibration signal to the second terminal based on an output signal at the output terminal. The comparator generates the output signal based on the first calibration signal and the second calibration signal.
US08988112B2
An activity detector for a differential signal formed by two components may include a current source connected to a power supply line, and a first transistor has a drain being powered by the current source, and has a source that forms a first input terminal receiving a first component of the differential signal. A second transistor has a drain being powered by the current source, and has a source forms a second input terminal receiving the second component of the differential signal. A bias circuit applies a potential to the gates of the first and second transistors, establishing a balance condition where all the current from the current source is distributed between the two transistors when the first and second input terminal potential is equal to a threshold value. An activity indication terminal is taken from the drains of the first and second transistors.
US08988110B2
A noise removal circuit is provided having a first holding circuit (20) and a second holding circuit (22) which holds a value of an input signal (IN) at a plurality of different timings in synchronization with rising and falling of an internal clock signal (ICL) generated within a semiconductor device, and which removes noise of the input signal (IN) according to the held value.
US08988096B1
A method for testing a photovoltaic (PV) module having an integrated power converter includes: obtaining a reference output signature of a PV module design in response to a flash pattern; applying the flash pattern to a PV module under test; acquiring an observed output signature of the PV module under test in response to the flash pattern; and comparing the observed output signature of the PV module under test to the reference output signature. Second reference output and observed output signatures may be obtained in response to a second flash pattern. The output signatures may be combined using various techniques. One or more parameters of the integrated power converter may be preset to one or more predetermined states prior to applying a flash pattern.
US08988094B2
The invention relates to a test contact arrangement (15) for testing semiconductor components, comprising at least one test contact (10) which is arranged in a test contact frame (13) and is designed in the type of a cantilever arm and which has a fastening base (12) and a contact arm (30) which is provided with a contact tip (11) and which is connected to the fastening base, wherein the fastening base is inserted with a fastening projection (16) thereof into a frame opening (14) of the test contact frame in such a manner that a lower edge (17) of the fastening projection is essentially aligned flush with a lower side (18) of the test contact frame.
US08988092B2
A probing apparatus for semiconductor devices provides a primary circuit board and a signal-adapting board positioned on the primary circuit board. The primary circuit board includes an inner area having a plurality of first contacts and an outer area having a plurality of first terminals and second terminals, and the first contacts are electrically connected to the first terminals via first conductive members in the primary circuit board. The signal-adapting board includes a plurality of second contacts electrically connected to the first contacts via second conductive members in the signal-adapting board.
US08988087B2
Touchscreen testing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a conductor is placed proximal to a touchscreen device and the touchscreen device is tested by simulating a touch of a user by placing the conductor in a grounded state and lack of a touch by the user by placing the conductor in an ungrounded state.
US08988082B2
A bioreactor includes a plastic enclosure for containing a biological medium, the enclosure being integrally formed to have one or more elongate port extensions projecting outwardly from the enclosure and communicating from the exterior to the interior of the enclosure. A biomass impendence monitor probe is provided for use in conjunction with the bioreactor. The probe is pushed into one or more of the elongate ports in order to have an electrode arrangement positioned internally of the container. The probe has an elongate housing having an outer surface extending along and contiguous with the elongate inner surface of the port extension. The housing extends from the electrode end of the probe to a remote end. The housing is provided with an electrical connector connected to the electrode arrangement.
US08988080B2
A method for capacitive sensing comprises the steps of tagging a transmitting signal by modulating a sub-carrier on said signal using state of the art modulation techniques; demodulating said subcarrier out of useful/received signal to prove validity of said signal.
US08988058B2
A two-wire load control device (such as, a dimmer switch) for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load (such as, a high-efficiency lighting load) includes a thyristor coupled between the source and the load, a gate coupling circuit coupled between a first main load terminal and the gate of the thyristor, and a control circuit coupled to a control input of the gate coupling circuit. The control circuit generates a drive voltage for causing the gate coupling circuit to conduct a gate current to thus render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle of the AC power source, and to allow the gate coupling circuit to conduct the gate current at any time from the firing time through approximately the remainder of the half cycle, where the gate coupling circuit conducts approximately no net average current to render and maintain the thyristor conductive.
US08988053B2
A multiphase DC-to-DC converter is disclosed herein, which includes at least one DC-to-DC converting module. Each DC-to-DC converting module at least includes a first output inductor, a second output inductor and a current detector. The current detector is configured for detecting currents pass through the first output inductor and second output inductor. The current detector includes a first resistance, a second resistance, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third resistance. The third resistance is directly or indirectly coupled between the first capacitor and a load circuit, and directly or indirectly coupled between the second capacitor and the load circuit, such that when the first capacitor is charged, a portion of the current charging the first capacitor passes through the second capacitor.
US08988045B2
The method for charging or discharging a battery comprises measurement of the voltage at the terminals of the battery and comparison of the measured voltage with an end of charging or discharging voltage threshold. The method also comprises measurement of a temperature representative of the temperature of the battery and measurement of the current flowing in the battery to form a pair of measurements. The voltage threshold is then determined according to the pair of measurements. Charging or discharging of the battery is stopped when the voltage threshold is reached.
US08988034B2
A drive system for an electric motor includes a connection for a battery, and an inverter having an input side connected to an intermediate circuit and an output side having a connection for an electric motor. The intermediate circuit includes a first thyristor connected in parallel with an intermediate circuit capacitance. The drive system may also include a rectifier having an input side connected at the output side of the inverter in parallel with the electric motor, and a second thyristor connected an output side of the rectifier. The first/second thyristor are configured to be activated by a monitor incorporated in or assigned to the drive system. In the event of a malfunction, the input and/or output side of the inverter can be electrically isolated to allow a multiply redundant armature short circuit.
US08988025B2
A system for controlling a brushless motor includes drive circuitry in communication with the brushless motor and a primary control device in communication with the drive circuitry. The system also includes a secondary control device in communication with the drive circuitry and a multiplexer for selectively providing an output of the primary control device or an output of the secondary control device to the drive circuitry, wherein the output of the primary control device is provided to the drive circuitry when the primary control device is operating normally.
US08988020B1
A motor operator system for a power switch which allows electrical motor operation to the GROUND POSITION via TRAVEL SET electronics to ensure personnel safety by accomplishing travel setting without a person entering an underground vault but also allows operation to the ground position manually if so desired. The motor operator system of the present invention includes a position switch panel that allows a three position set travel with travel adjust function. The three positions are CLOSE, OPEN, GROUND, or, alternatively, CLOSE, OPEN, CLOSE.
US08988018B2
An arrangement is provided having an oscillating motor, a control circuit for controlling the motor, a sensor arrangement for determining an electric characteristic of the motor at a predetermined measuring time or in a predetermined measuring position during an oscillation process, and a processor for determining a movement variable of the motor by means of at least the electric characteristic and a constant inductivity value of the motor. The control circuit in the operating state controls the motor as a function of the movement variable, and the measuring time or the measuring position is predetermined such that the inductivity of the motor remains approximately constant at least in a given current interval, even with different currents through the motor.
US08988006B2
A projector includes: a discharge lamp; a discharge lamp driving unit that drives the discharge lamp by supplying a driving power to the discharge lamp through supply of a driving current thereto; and a control unit that controls the discharge lamp driving unit based on plural operating modes in which maximum values of the driving power are different from one another, wherein the control unit switches the operating mode through a transition period and controls the discharge lamp driving unit so that an average value of a frequency of the driving current in the former half of the transition period becomes larger than an average value of a frequency of the driving current in the latter half of the transition period.
US08987990B2
A plasma jet spark plug having increased capacitive discharge current, and thus improved plasma generation efficiency. The plasma jet spark plug includes an insulating body having an axial hole, a center electrode, a metal shell, and a cavity portion formed by the inner peripheral surface of the insulating body and the leading end face of the center electrode. A conductive layer formed from a conductive material is provided on at least one portion of at least one of: (a) a surface on the insulating body outer peripheral surface opposed to the inner peripheral surface of the metal shell, the conductive layer electrically connected to a ground electrode; and (b) a surface on the insulating body inner peripheral surface opposed to the outer peripheral surface of the center electrode, the conductive layer electrically connected to the center electrode.
US08987982B2
A thermionic emission assembly includes a Wehnelt cap that has a cap beam aperture and a cavity within which a cathode is supported. Electrical energy applied to the cathode causes it to reach a sufficiently high temperature to emit a beam of electrons that propagate through the cap beam aperture. An anode having an anode beam aperture is positioned in spatial alignment with the cap beam aperture to receive the electrons. The anode accelerates the electrons and directs them through the anode beam aperture for incidence on a target specimen. A ceramic base forms a combined interface that electrically and thermally separates the Wehnelt cap and the anode. The thermal isolation of the Wehnelt cap from the anode allows the Wehnelt cap to increase in heat to rapidly reach a stable temperature as the cathode emits the beam of electrons.
US08987980B1
A spark plug includes an insulator, a terminal electrode, a center electrode, a resistor, and a glass seal layer. The terminal electrode has: a recess part opened to the front end side and having a depth in a center axis direction of the terminal electrode; and a flat part neighboring the recess part at its outer circumference side. The relationship 0.52≦B/A≦0.91 is satisfied, wherein A (mm2) represents an area of a region surrounded by an outline of an outer circumference surface of the terminal electrode, and B (mm2) which represents an area of a region of the terminal electrode surrounded by an outline of an inner surface of the recess part, in a cross section orthogonal to the center axis and located 0.1 mm away from a front end along the center axis to the rear end side.
US08987969B2
The invention has an object to provide a stator including coils that protrude less in the radial direction of the stator and can be made smaller in the radial direction of the stator, and a method of manufacturing the same. In the stator, the conductor having a rectangular cross section is formed in a continuous meandering fashion, the conductor including: a plurality of in-slot portions arranged inside a slot of the stator such as to be overlapped with one another in a circumferential direction of the stator with long sides of the rectangle being oriented along a radial direction of the stator; a plurality of circumferential portions arranged at a coil end such as to be overlapped with one another in the radial direction of the stator with short sides of the rectangle oriented along the radial direction of the stator; a bent portion connecting the in-slot portion and the circumferential portion; and a twisted portion formed in the bent portion, the bent portion including a first bend formed on a side of the circumferential portion and a second bend formed on a side of the in-slot portion.
US08987968B2
This power generator is so formed that a number q of slots per pole per phase obtained by dividing the number of slots by the number of poles of permanent magnets and the number of phases of voltages is a fraction satisfying 1
US08987967B2
An AC claw-pole electric motor includes a casing, a stator connected with the casing, a rotor and two exciting parts. The rotor includes a rotor shaft (9), a center magnetic yoke (11), a first side magnetic yoke (8), a second side magnetic yoke (13), and claw poles (2, 3, 4, 5) provided on the center magnetic yoke (11), the first side magnetic yoke (8) and the second side magnetic yoke (13). The two exciting parts are respectively provided in spaces formed by the center magnetic yoke (11), the first side magnetic yoke (8), the second side magnetic yoke (13) and the claw poles (2, 3, 4, 5). The axial exciting magnetic fluxes of the two exciting parts are opposite in direction. Thus, the main magnetic flux and the magnetic energy product of the electric motor are increased, and the output and the operation efficiency of the electric motor at a low speed are improved.
US08987965B2
A rotor adapted for a large permanent magnet rotating machine having high output and demagnetization resistance and the permanent magnet rotating machine are provided. The permanent rotating machine includes the rotor and a stator disposed with a clearance from an outer peripheral face of the rotor and formed by winding a winding wire through a stator core having two or more slots. The rotor includes one or more permanent magnets in each of two or more insertion holes, the insertion holes being formed in a circumferential direction in a rotor core. There is also provided the permanent magnet rotating machine including this rotor and a stator disposed with a clearance from an outer peripheral face of the rotor and formed by winding a winding wire through a stator core having two or more slots.
US08987961B2
A motor assembly for a fan for a radiator of a motor vehicle, has an electric motor with a stator and an outer rotor driving an impeller. A support connected to the stator has a plurality of arms for fixing to a carrier structure. A casing includes a basin-like container and a heat dissipater forming a cover for the container. The casing contains a circuit board carrying components of a control circuit connected to the motor. The container has retention attachments engaged in a snap-fitting manner in snap seats provided in the arms of the support in order to bring about relative prepositioning of the container with respect to the support before the heat dissipater is fixed to the support.
US08987955B2
A stator, a rotor, bearings, and conductive brackets are provided. The stator has a stator iron core having a winding wound thereon. The rotor has a rotating body that holds a permanent magnet in the circumferential direction so that the permanent magnet faces the stator, and a shaft that has the rotating body fastened thereto so as to penetrate through the center of the rotating body. Both of the bearing on the output shaft side and the bearing opposite the output shaft side journal the shaft. One of the brackets fixes the bearing on the output shaft side, and the other of the brackets fixes the bracket opposite the output shaft side. The brackets are electrically connected to each other, and a dielectric layer is formed between the shaft and the outer periphery of the rotating body.
US08987946B2
In an air conditioner, an auxiliary circuit configured to prevent a current flow in a power supply wiring in an operation stop period and to determine whether to adapt an outdoor unit to a unit that is able to transition to a standby mode, is provided on the power supply wiring.
US08987944B2
The present embodiments include an arrangement for contactless transmission of electrical power between a fixed gantry section and a gantry section of a computed tomography system that is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The arrangement includes a first carrier ring in annular form arranged on the rotatable gantry section in an electrically conductive manner, and at least one first conductor element arranged in or on the first carrier ring, the at least one first conductor element being insulated from the first carrier ring and being for contactless receiving of the electrical power. The arrangement also includes at least one grounding slip ring arranged in or on the first carrier ring. The at least one grounding slip ring is connected to the first carrier ring in an electrically conductive manner.
US08987925B2
The present invention is a self-contained, EMP shielded underground power plant. The power plant includes a housing with a round aluminum cover, a round gravity dish bottom, a carbon steel, cylindrical side connecting the cover and the bottom, and eight turnbuckles for securing the cover to the side. A generator, a battery bank, and an inverter charger that charges the battery bank are disposed within the housing. The power plant also includes air inlet and outlet manifolds baffled and covered with copper screens. The air inlet manifold includes an air filter. Exhaust air and cooling air leaving the generator are forced out of the housing through the air outlet manifold.
US08987921B2
A method for producing a component with at least one micro-structured or nano-structured element includes applying at least one micro-structured or nano-structured element to a carrier. The element has at least one area configure to make contact and the element is applied to the carrier such that the at least one area adjoins the carrier. The element is enveloped in an enveloping compound and the element-enveloping compound composite is detached from the carrier. A first layer comprising electrically conductive areas is applied to the side of the element-enveloping compound composite that previously adjoined the carrier. At least one passage is introduced into the enveloping compound. A conductor layer is applied to the surface of the passage and at least to a section of the layer comprising the first electrically conductive areas to generate a through contact, which enables space-saving contacting. A component is formed from the method.
US08987909B2
According to one embodiment, a lower wiring layer is formed by using a sidewall transfer process for forming a sidewall film having a closed loop along a sidewall of a sacrificed or dummy pattern and, after removing the sacrificed pattern to leave the sidewall film, selectively removing the base material with the sidewall film as a mask. One or more upper wiring layers are formed in an upper layer of the lower wiring layer via another layer using the sidewall transfer process. Etching for cutting each of the lower wiring layer and the upper wiring layers is collectively performed, whereby closed-loop cut is applied to the lower wiring layer and the upper wiring layers.
US08987905B2
A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor device and a substrate, the semiconductor device including a straight line portion on an outer periphery and the substrate supporting the semiconductor device. A foil positioning pattern is formed on a front surface of the substrate, the positioning pattern touching the straight line portion of the semiconductor device to regulate a position of the semiconductor device.
US08987902B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first surface, a second surface, and a through hole that extends through the semiconductor substrate from the first surface to the second surface. An insulating layer covers the first surface and includes an opening at a location facing the through hole. An insulating film covers an inner wall of the through hole and an inner wall of the opening. A through electrode is formed in the through hole and the opening that are covered by the insulating film. A first connecting terminal is formed integrally with the through electrode to cover one end of the through electrode exposed from the insulating layer. The first connecting terminal has a larger size than the through electrode as viewed from above.
US08987900B2
The embedded package includes a semiconductor chip having contact portions disposed on a top surface thereof, a first dielectric layer substantially surrounding sidewalls of the semiconductor chip and including first fillers dispersed therein, a second dielectric layer substantially covering the top surface of the semiconductor chip and including second fillers dispersed therein, and first external interconnection portions disposed on the second dielectric layer and electrically connected to the contact portions, wherein an average size of the first fillers is different from that of the second fillers.
US08987895B2
A clad material 1A for insulating substrates is provided with a Ni layer 4 made of Ni or a Ni alloy, a Ti layer 6 made of Ti or a Ti alloy and arranged on one side of the Ni layer, and a first Al layer 7 made of Al or an Al alloy and arranged on one side of the Ti layer 6 that is opposite to a side of the Ti layer 6 on which the Ni layer 4 is arranged. The Ni layer 4 and the Ti layer 6 are joined by clad rolling. A Ni—Ti series superelastic alloy layer 5 formed by alloying at least Ni of constituent elements of the Ni layer 4 and at least Ti of constituent elements of the Ti layer 6 is interposed between the Ni layer 4 and the Ti layer 6. The Ti layer 6 and the first Al layer 7 are joined by clad rolling in an adjoining manner.
US08987888B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor package including: a semiconductor chip having a bonding pad; and a first substrate including a rerouting layer having short type rerouting patterns electrically connected with the bonding pad and formed to be seamlessly connected with each other and a plurality of open type rerouting patterns separately formed on the same layer as the short type rerouting patterns and connection terminals for signal connection each formed on the open type rerouting patterns.
US08987886B2
An electrical interconnect including a first circuitry layer with a first surface and a second surface. At least a first dielectric layer is printed on the first surface of the first circuitry layer to include a plurality of first recesses. A conductive material is deposited in a plurality of the first recesses to form a plurality of first conductive pillars electrically coupled to, and extending generally perpendicular to, the first circuitry layer. At least a second dielectric layer is printed on the first dielectric layer to include a plurality of second recesses generally aligned with a plurality of the first conductive pillars. A conductive material is deposited in a plurality of the second recesses to form a plurality of second conductive pillars electrically coupled to, and extending parallel the first conductive pillars.
US08987885B2
Microdevices and methods for packaging microdevices. One embodiment of a packaged microdevice includes a substrate having a mounting area, contacts in the mounting area, and external connectors electrically coupled to corresponding contacts. The microdevice also includes a die located across from the mounting area and spaced apart from the substrate by a gap. The die has an integrated circuit and pads electrically coupled to the integrated circuit. The microdevice further includes first and second conductive elements in the gap that form interconnects between the contacts of the substrate and corresponding pads of the die. The first conductive elements are electrically connected to contacts on the substrate, and the second conductive elements are electrically coupled to corresponding pads of the die. The first conductive elements are attached to the second conductive elements at corresponding interfaces such that the interconnects connect the contacts of the substrate directly to corresponding pads on the die within the gap.
US08987882B2
A semiconductor device is reduced in size. The semiconductor device includes a die pad, a plurality of leads arranged around the die pad, a memory chip and a power source IC chip mounted over the die pad, a logic chip mounted over the memory chip, a plurality of down bonding wires for connecting the semiconductor chip to the die pad, a plurality of lead wires for connecting the semiconductor chip to leads, and a plurality of inter-chip wires. Further, the logic chip is arranged at the central part of the die pad in a plan view, and the power source IC chip is arranged in a corner part region of the die pad in the plan view. This reduces the size of the QFN.
US08987881B2
A semiconductor device includes a first substrate having opposing first and second main surfaces, a first die disposed on the first main surface of the first substrate, a first bond wire coupled to the first die, a first packaging material encapsulating the first die and the first bond wire, and a lead frame disposed on the first main surface of the first substrate and in electrical communication with the first bond wire. At least a portion of the lead frame extends outside of the packaging material. A top package includes first and second main surfaces and an electrical contact on the second main surface. The electrical contact is electrically connected to the lead frame and connects the top package to either the first die and/or external circuitry.
US08987876B2
A power overlay (POL) structure includes a POL sub-module. The POL sub-module includes a dielectric layer and a semiconductor device having a top surface attached to the dielectric layer. The top surface of the semiconductor device has at least one contact pad formed thereon. The POL sub-module also includes a metal interconnect structure that extends through the dielectric layer and is electrically coupled to the at least one contact pad of the semiconductor device. A conducting shim is coupled to a bottom surface of the semiconductor device and a first side of a thermal interface is coupled to the conducting shim. A heat sink is coupled to a second side of the electrically insulating thermal interface.
US08987868B1
Method and apparatus for programmable heterogeneous integration of stacked semiconductor die are described. In some examples, a semiconductor device includes a first integrated circuit (IC) die including through-die vias (TDVs); a second IC die vertically stacked with the first IC die, the second IC die including inter-die contacts electrically coupled to the TDVs; the first IC die including heterogeneous power supplies and a mask-programmable interconnect, the mask-programmable interconnect mask-programmed to electrically couple a plurality of the heterogeneous power supplies to the TDVs; and the second IC die including active circuitry, coupled to the inter-die contacts, configured to operate using the plurality of heterogeneous power supplies provided by the TDVs.
US08987866B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor device having a radio frequency switch. Also disclosed are an antenna switch module and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a metal wiring insulating film bonded to a silicon substrate. In the semiconductor device, a crystal defect layer extends into the silicon substrate from a surface of the silicon substrate. Crystal defects are throughout the crystal defect layer. The semiconductor device and an integrated circuit are in the antenna switch module. The integrated circuit in the antenna switch module is mounted with the radio-frequency switch device and the silicon substrate. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes a step of forming crystal defects throughout a silicon substrate. Radiation or a diffusion is used to form the crystal defects. After the step of forming the crystal defects, the method includes a step of implanting ions into a surface of the silicon substrate to form a crystal defect layer.
US08987864B2
There is provided an array type chip resistor including: a chip body, four pairs of lower electrodes disposed on both sides of a lower surface of the chip body and formed so as to be extended to edges of the chip body, side electrodes formed so that the lower electrodes are extended to sides of the chip body, and a resistor interposed between the lower electrodes on the lower surface of the chip body and electrically connected to the lower electrode through a contact portion, wherein when a width of the side electrode is defined as d1, a distance between adjacent side electrodes is defined as d2, and a height of the side electrode is defined as h, in the case in which d1/d2 is 0.5 to 1.5, a value of h is 4,300/d1 μm or above and is 0.24d2+87.26 μm or less.
US08987860B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a plurality of active regions defined by a device isolation region, a plurality of conductive patterns on the plurality of active regions, each of the conductive patterns having side walls, a conductive line that faces the side walls of the conductive patterns with an air spacer therebetween on the active regions, the conductive line extending in a first direction, and a first insulating film covering the side walls of the conductive patterns between the air spacer and the conductive pattern. A lower portion of the first insulating film that is near the substrate protrudes toward the air spacer.
US08987859B2
Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the dielectric breakdown performance of integrated circuit (IC) interconnects. The disclosed techniques can be used to selectively etch the dielectric layer of an IC to form a recess, for example, between a given pair of adjacent/neighboring interconnects (e.g., metal lines). Thereafter, a layer of dielectric material of higher dielectric breakdown field (Ec) than the surrounding/underlying dielectric material (or other suitable insulator, as will be apparent in light of this disclosure) may be deposited/grown so as to substantially conform to the topology provided by the adjacent/neighboring interconnects and etched recess. In some cases, this dielectric layer may help to prevent or otherwise reduce: (1) dielectric breakdown between the adjacent/neighboring interconnects by locally increasing the dielectric breakdown voltage (VBD); and/or (2) diffusion of the interconnect fill metal into the surrounding/underlying dielectric material. In some instances, such a layer may serve as an etch stop.
US08987858B2
A transient voltage suppression (TVS) device and a method of forming the device are provided. The device includes a first layer of wide band gap semiconductor material formed of a first conductivity type material, a second layer of wide band gap semiconductor material formed of a second conductivity type material over at least a portion of the first layer and comprising an ion implanted material structure between 0.1 micrometers (μm) and 22.0 μm thick, the second layer operating using punch-through physics, and a third layer of wide band gap semiconductor material formed of the first conductivity type material over at least a portion of the second layer.
US08987855B2
An image sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside. A first dielectric layer is on the front side of the semiconductor substrate. A metal pad is in the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer and on the front side of the semiconductor substrate. An opening penetrates through the semiconductor substrate from the backside of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the opening includes a first portion extending to expose a portion of the metal pad and a second portion extending to expose a portion of the second dielectric layer. A metal layer is formed in the first portion and the second portion of the opening.
US08987853B2
A light emitting device includes a base body forming a recess defined by a bottom surface and a side wall thereof, a conductive member whose upper surface being exposed in the recess and whose lower surface forming an outer surface, a protruding portion disposed in the recess, a light emitting element mounted in the recess and electrically connected to the conductive member, and a sealing member disposed in the recess to cover the light emitting element. The base body has a bottom portion and a side wall portion integrally formed of a resin, an inner surface of the side wall portion is the side wall defining the recess and has a curved portion, and the protruding portion is disposed in close vicinity to the curved surface. With this arrangement, a thin and small-sized light emitting device excellent in light extraction efficiency and reliability can be obtained.
US08987850B2
Magnetic memory devices having a uniform perpendicular nonmagnetic rich antisotropy enhanced pattern
Provided are magnetic memory devices, electronic systems and memory cards including the same, methods of manufacturing the same, and methods of controlling a magnetization direction of a magnetic pattern. In a magnetic memory device, atomic-magnetic moments non-parallel to one surface of a free pattern increase in the free pattern. Therefore, critical current density of the magnetic memory device may be reduced, such that power consumption of the magnetic memory device is reduced or minimized and/or the magnetic memory device is improved or optimized for a higher degree of integration.
US08987848B2
A MTJ for a spintronic device that is a domain wall motion device is disclosed and includes a thin seed layer that enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying laminated layer with a (Co/X)n or (CoX)n composition where n is from 2 to 30, X is one of V, Rh, Ir, Os, Ru, Au, Cr, Mo, Cu, Ti, Re, Mg, or Si, and CoX is a disordered alloy. The seed layer is preferably NiCr, NiFeCr, Hf, or a composite thereof with a thickness from 10 to 100 Angstroms. Furthermore, a magnetic layer such as CoFeB may be formed between the laminated layer and a tunnel barrier layer to serve as a transitional layer between a (111) laminate and (100) MgO tunnel barrier. The laminated layer may be used as a reference layer, dipole layer, or free layer in a MTJ. Annealing between 300° C. and 400° C. may be used to further enhance PMA in the laminated layer.
US08987845B2
The present disclosure is directed to a device and its method of manufacture in which a protective region is formed below a suspended body. The protective region allows deep reactive ion etching of a bulk silicon body to form a MEMS device without encountering the various problems presented by damage to the silicon caused by backscattering of oxide during overetching periods of DRIE processes.
US08987844B2
A MEMS capacitive transducer with increased robustness and resilience to acoustic shock. The transducer structure includes a flexible membrane supported between a first volume and a second volume, and at least one variable vent structure in communication with at least one of the first and second volumes. The variable vent structure includes at least one moveable portion which is moveable in response to a pressure differential across the moveable portion so as to vary the size of a flow path through the vent structure. The variable vent may be formed through the membrane and the moveable portion may be a part of the membrane, defined by one or more channels, that is deflectable away from the surface of the membrane. The variable vent is preferably closed in the normal range of pressure differentials but opens at high pressure differentials to provide more rapid equalization of the air volumes above and below the membrane.
US08987839B2
Various embodiments provide ground shield structures, semiconductor devices, and methods for forming the same. An exemplary structure can include a substrate and a dielectric layer disposed on the substrate. The structure can further include multiple conductive rings disposed in the substrate, in the dielectric layer, and/or on the dielectric layer. Each conductive ring of the multiple conductive rings can have openings of about three or more, and the openings of the each conductive ring can divide the multiple conductive rings into a plurality of sub-conductive rings arranged spaced apart. The structure can further a ground ring electrically connected to each of the plurality of sub-conductive rings.
US08987831B2
Static random access memory (SRAM) cells and SRAM cell arrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, an SRAM cell includes a pull-up transistor. The pull-up transistor includes a Fin field effect transistor (FinFET) that has a fin of semiconductive material. An active region is disposed within the fin. A contact is disposed over the active region of the pull-up transistor. The contact is a slot contact that is disposed in a first direction. The active region of the pull-up transistor is disposed in a second direction. The second direction is non-perpendicular to the first direction.
US08987827B2
A method for fabricating enhanced-mobility pFET devices having channel lengths below 50 nm. Gates for pFETs may be patterned in dense arrays on a semiconductor substrate that includes shallow trench isolation (STI) structures. Partially-enclosed voids in the semiconductor substrate may be formed at source and drain regions for the gates, and subsequently filled with epitaxially-grown semiconductor that compressively stresses channel regions below the gates. Some of the gates (dummy gates) may extend over edges of the STI structures to prevent undesirable faceting of the epitaxial material in the source and drain regions.
US08987820B1
A LDMOS device includes a substrate having opposite first and second surfaces; a well region in a portion of the substrate; a gate structure over a portion of the substrate; a first doped region disposed in a portion of the well region from a first side; a second doped region disposed in the well region from a second side; a third doped region disposed in the first doped region; a fourth doped region disposed in the second doped region; a first trench in the third doped region, the first doped region, the well region, and the substrate adjacent to the first surface; a conductive contact in the first trench; a second trench in the substrate adjacent to the second surface; a first conductive layer in second trench; and a second conductive layer over the second surface of the substrate and the first conductive layer.
US08987816B2
A method for forming CA power rails using a three mask decomposition process and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a horizontal diffusion CA power rail in an active layer of a semiconductor substrate using a first color mask; forming a plurality of vertical CAs in the active layer using second and third color masks, the vertical CAs connecting the CA power rail to at least one diffusion region on the semiconductor substrate, spaced from the CA power rail, wherein each pair of CAs formed by one of the second and third color masks are separated by at least two pitches.
US08987815B2
An integrated circuit with a transistor advantageously embodied in a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor device having a gate located over a channel region recessed into a semiconductor substrate and a method of forming the same. In one embodiment, the transistor includes a source/drain including a lightly or heavily doped region adjacent the channel region, and an oppositely doped well extending under the channel region and a portion of the lightly or heavily doped region of the source/drain. The transistor also includes a channel extension, within the oppositely doped well, under the channel region and extending under a portion of the lightly or heavily doped region of the source/drain.
US08987804B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor region, a tunnel insulator provided above the semiconductor region, a charge storage insulator provided above the tunnel insulator, a block insulator provided above the charge storage insulator, a control gate electrode provided above the block insulator, and an interface region including a metal element, the interface region being provided at one interface selected from between the semiconductor region and the tunnel insulator, the tunnel insulator and the charge storage insulator, the charge storage insulator and the block insulator, and the block insulator and the control gate electrode.
US08987796B2
Disclosed herein is a device that includes: first to fourth conductive lines embedded in a semiconductor substrate; a first semiconductor pillar located between the first and second conductive lines; a second semiconductor pillar located between the second and third conductive lines; a third semiconductor pillar located between the third and fourth conductive lines; a first storage element connected to an upper portion of the first semiconductor pillar; a second storage element connected to an upper portion of the third semiconductor pillar; and a bit line embedded in the semiconductor substrate connected to lower portions of the first to third semiconductor pillars. At least one of the first and second conductive lines and at least one of the third and fourth conductive lines being supplied with a potential so as to form channels in the first and third semiconductor pillars.
US08987785B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a heterojunction bipolar transistor includes a base situated on a substrate. The heterojunction bipolar transistor can be an NPN silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor, for example. The heterojunction bipolar transistor further includes a cap layer situated on the base, where the cap layer includes a barrier region. The barrier region can comprises carbon and has a thickness, where the thickness of the barrier region determines a depth of an emitter-junction of the heterojunction bipolar transistor. An increase in the thickness of the barrier region can cause a decrease in the depth of the emitter-base junction. According to this exemplary embodiment, the heterojunction bipolar transistor further includes an emitter situated over the cap layer, where the emitter comprises an emitter dopant, which can be phosphorus. A diffusion retardant in the barrier region of the cap layer impedes diffusion of the emitter dopant.
US08987779B2
An ESD protection device including second P-type wells, first P+-type doped regions, first N+-type doped regions and a P-type substrate having a first P-type well, an N-type well and an N-type deep well is provided. The second P-type wells are disposed in the N-type deep well. The first P+-type doped regions and the first N+-type doped regions are respectively disposed in the first P-type well, the N-type well and the second P-type wells in alternation. The first P+-type doped region in the N-type well and the N-type deep well are electrically connected to the first connection terminal. The doped regions in the first P-type well and the P-type substrate are electrically connected to the second connection terminal. The second P-type wells and the first N+-type doped regions therein form a diode string connected in series between the first N+-type doped region of the N-type well and the second connection terminal.
US08987777B2
According to an exemplary embodiment, a stacked half-bridge power module includes a high side device having a high side power terminal coupled to a high side substrate and a low side device having a low side power terminal coupled to a low side substrate. The high side and low side devices are stacked on opposite sides of a common conductive interface. The common conductive interface electrically, mechanically, and thermally couples a high side output terminal of the high side device to a low side output terminal of the low side device. The high side device and the low side device can each include an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) in parallel with a diode.
US08987772B2
Disclosed herein is an LED chip including electrode pads. The LED chip includes a semiconductor stack including a first conductive type semiconductor layer, a second conductive type semiconductor layer on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, and an active layer interposed between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer; a first electrode pad located on the second conductive type semiconductor layer opposite to the first conductive type semiconductor layer; a first electrode extension extending from the first electrode pad and connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer; a second electrode pad electrically connected to the second conductive type semiconductor layer; and an insulation layer interposed between the first electrode pad and the second conductive type semiconductor layer. The LED chip includes the first electrode pad on the second conductive type semiconductor layer, thereby increasing a light emitting area.
US08987766B2
An LED chip includes a substrate and an epitaxy structure formed on the substrate. The epitaxy structure includes a first semiconductor layer, a light emitting layer and a second semiconductor layer. A plurality of grooves are defined through the first semiconductor layer, the light emitting layer and the second semiconductor layer. The light emitting layer is exposed from the grooves. A transparent insulative layer is filled in the grooves. An electrode is further formed on the transparent insulative layer.
US08987761B2
A structure of a light-emitting device includes the following components: a substrate; an epitaxial structure on the substrate, the epitaxial structure including at least a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting active layer, and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer; a first electrode on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; a transparent conductive layer between the first electrode and the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; and a three-dimensional distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) layer between the transparent conductive layer and the first conductivity type semiconductor layer.
US08987758B2
A barrier film composite includes a decoupling layer and a barrier layer. The barrier layer includes a first region and a second region that is thinner than the first region.
US08987757B2
Disclosed are a light emitting device and a lighting system having the same. The light emitting device includes a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an interfacial layer including at least two superlattice structures adjacent to the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer adjacent to the interfacial layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer adjacent to the active layer. The first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, interfacial layer, active layer, and second conductivity-type semiconductor layer are stacked in a same direction, the first and second semiconductor layer are of different conductivity types, an energy band gap of the superlattice structure adjacent to the active layer is smaller than an energy band gap of the superlattice structure adjacent to the first conductivity-type semiconductor layer.
US08987751B2
According to example embodiments, a photodiode system may include a substrate, and at least one photodiode in the substrate, and a wideband gap material layer on a first surface of the substrate. The at least one photodiode may be between an insulating material in a horizontal plane. According to example embodiments, a back-side-illumination (BSI) CMOS image sensor and/or a solar cell may include a photodiode device. The photodiode device may include a substrate, at least one photodiode in the substrate, a wide bandgap material layer on a first surface of the substrate, and an anti-reflective layer (ARL) on the wide bandgap material layer.
US08987747B2
A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes a semiconductor layer formed of a III-V group nitride semiconductor, a first silicon nitride film formed on the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode formed on the first silicon nitride film, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on the semiconductor layer such that the gate electrode is interposed between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a second silicon nitride film formed between the source electrode and the gate electrode and between the drain electrode and the gate electrode and having an oxygen atom density lower than that of the first silicon nitride film.
US08987740B2
A set of buried electrodes are embedded in a dielectric material layer, and a graphene layer having a doping of a first conductivity type are formed thereupon. A first upper electrode is formed over a center portion of each buried electrode. Second upper electrodes are formed in regions that do not overlie the buried electrodes. A bias voltage is applied to the set of buried electrodes to form a charged region including minority charge carriers over each of the buried electrodes, and to form a p-n junction around each portion of the graphene layer overlying a buried electrode. Charge carriers generated at the p-n junctions are collected by the first upper electrodes and the second upper electrodes, and are subsequently measured by a current measurement device or a voltage measurement device.
US08987739B2
A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The semiconductor device includes a gate, a channel layer, a gate insulation layer, a source, a drain and a silicon-aluminum-oxide layer. The gate is disposed on a substrate. The channel layer is disposed on the substrate. The channel layer overlaps the gate. The gate insulation layer is disposed between the gate and the channel layer. The source and the drain are disposed on two sides of the channel layer. The silicon-aluminum-oxide layer is disposed on the substrate and covers the source, the drain and the channel layer.
US08987736B2
Novel articles and methods to fabricate the same resulting in flexible, large-area, [100] or [110] textured, semiconductor-based, electronic devices are disclosed. Potential applications of resulting articles are in areas of photovoltaic devices, flat-panel displays, thermophotovoltaic devices, ferroelectric devices, light emitting diode devices, computer hard disc drive devices, magnetoresistance based devices, photoluminescence based devices, non-volatile memory devices, dielectric devices, thermoelectric devices and quantum dot laser devices.
US08987714B2
An organic light emitting diode display includes a p-doped layer that can obtain high efficiency at low-voltage driving and low current and prevent leakage current by differentially forming the p-doped layer for each pixel.
US08987708B2
An optoelectronic component comprises an organic layer sequence (1), which emits an electromagnetic radiation (15) having a first wavelength spectrum during operation, and also a dielectric layer sequence (2) and a wavelength conversion region (3) in the beam path of the electromagnetic radiation (15) emitted by the organic layer sequence (1). The wavelength conversion region (3) is configured to convert at least partially electromagnetic radiation having the first wavelength spectrum into an electromagnetic radiation (16) having a second wavelength spectrum. The dielectric layer sequence (2) is arranged in the beam path of the electromagnetic radiation (15) emitted by the organic layer sequence between the organic layer sequence (1) and the wavelength conversion region (3) and is at least partially opaque to an electromagnetic radiation having a third wavelength spectrum, which corresponds to at least one part of the second wavelength spectrum.
US08987701B2
In one embodiment there is set forth a method comprising providing a semiconductor structure having an electrode, wherein the providing includes providing a phase transition material region and wherein the method further includes imparting energy to the phase transition material region to induce a phase transition of the phase transition material region. By inducing a phase transition of the phase transition material region, a state of the semiconductor structure can be changed. There is further set forth an apparatus comprising a structure including an electrode and a phase transition material region, wherein the apparatus is operative for imparting energy to the phase transition material region to induce a phase transition of the phase transition material region without the phase transition of the phase transition material region being dependent on electron transport through the phase transition material region.
US08987695B2
A method for fabricating a variable resistance device includes: providing a first insulating layer having a first electrode; forming a first oxide layer including a variable resistance material over the first electrode and the first insulating layer; forming a sacrifice pattern over the first oxide layer; forming a second oxide layer by reacting the first oxide layer exposed by the sacrifice pattern with oxygen; removing the sacrifice pattern; and forming a second electrode over the second oxide layer and the first oxide layer so as to be coupled to the first oxide layer.
US08987687B2
The invention relates to compounds of the general formula I (Ba1-a-bSraEub)2+x(Lu1-c-dYcGdd)2−x(PO4)2+x(SiO4)1−x (I) where b stands for a value from the range 0
US08987683B2
A charged particle beam drawing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a load lock chamber provided for introducing a target object from the outside and capable of switching an atmosphere state and a vacuum state, a transfer chamber arranged so as to be able to communicate with the load lock chamber and transferring the target object, a soaking chamber arranged so as to be able to communicate with the transfer chamber and having a temperature adjustment container for housing the target object therein and controlling a temperature of the target object with radiation and a temperature adjustment part for controlling a temperature of the temperature adjustment container, and a drawing chamber arranged so as to be able to communicate with the transfer chamber and drawing on the target object at a constant temperature.
US08987665B2
An electron microscope including a vacuum chamber for containing a specimen to be analyzed, an optics column, including an electron source and a final probe forming lens, for focusing electrons emitted from the electron source, a specimen stage positioned in the vacuum chamber under the probe forming lens for holding the specimen, and an x-ray detector positioned within the vacuum chamber. The x-ray detector includes an x-ray sensitive solid-state sensor and a mechanical support system for supporting and positioning the detector, including the sensor, within the vacuum chamber. The entirety of the mechanical support system is contained within the vacuum chamber. Multiple detectors of different types may be supported within the vacuum chamber on the mechanical support system. The mechanical support system may also include at least one thermoelectric cooler element for thermo-electrically cooling the x-ray sensors.
US08987655B2
An optical module includes a light-receiving element configured to convert an incident optical signal to an electric signal. The light-receiving element includes a mesa part configured to laminate at least a first semiconductor layer, a light absorption semiconductor layer that absorbs an optical signal entering from a light reception surface, and a second semiconductor layer. The light-receiving element also includes an electrode part disposed on a top of the mesa part and a wiring part that covers a part of a side surface of the mesa part. The optical module includes a lens configured to condense an optical signal from an optical fiber onto the light reception surface. The wiring part is disposed at a position based on an intensity distribution of the optical signal on the light reception surface.
US08987652B2
An electronic device may be provided that has a display. The display may produce stray light when producing images for a user. The electronic device may have an ambient light sensor for measuring ambient light levels. Ambient light data may be used in adjusting display brightness. The display may be periodically disabled to prevent the stray light from interfering with the ambient light sensor. An integrating analog-to-digital converter may be used in gathering sensor data from the ambient light sensor. Control circuitry may be configured to remove background signals from ambient light sensor data. The background signals may be associated with leakage current that arises due to offset voltages in an operational amplifier in the integrating analog-to-digital converter. The operational amplifier may have an analog autozeroing capability or control circuitry may be used to subtract background data from ambient light sensor data.
US08987648B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a first substrate that includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a second substrate that includes at least a part of a readout circuit configured to read signals based on electric charges of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a peripheral circuit including a control circuit, and a wiring structure that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and includes a pad portion electrically connected to the peripheral circuit via a draw-out wiring and an insulating layer. The wiring structure has, at least at a part thereof, a seal ring disposed in such a way as to surround the photoelectric conversion units and the peripheral circuit.
US08987647B2
An imager has an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns, readout circuitry electrically coupled to the columns to receive signals from the pixels, the readout circuitry having at least one signal path with gain switching, and a threshold detector electrically coupled to the readout circuitry to set a gain to be applied by the readout circuitry.
US08987632B2
Surface energy of a substrate is changed without the need for any template, mask, or additional coating medium applied to the substrate. At least one beam of energy directly ablates a substrate surface to form a predefined topographical pattern at the surface. Each beam of energy has a width of approximately 25 micrometers and an energy of approximately 1-500 microJoules. Features in the topographical pattern have a width of approximately 1-500 micrometers and a height of approximately 1.4-100 micrometers.
US08987629B2
A process for closing an opening in a surface of a component, and components formed thereby. The process entails forming a channel in the component surface so that the channel at least partially surrounds an opening at the component surface. An alloy is then deposited in the channel to form a crack-free deposit in the channel. A step is then machined that intersects the opening and is at least partially formed in the deposit. The step defines a recess that is at least partially surrounded by a peripheral portion of the deposit and has a surface recessed into the component surface. A cap is placed in the recess and welded to the peripheral portion of the deposit to define a weld joint that completely closes the opening. The surface of the weld joint is then machined to form a machined surface that is substantially flush with the component surface.
US08987627B2
A method of continuously forming a dual seam welded tubular product includes the steps of providing two coils of sheet metal material, uncoiling the two coils and forming the material into opposing sections, bringing the two opposing sections together at a convergence angle of less than about 4°; and welding the two seams created between the two opposing sections. An apparatus is configured to bring the sections together at a convergence angle less than about 4° to produce the tubular product. The tubular product may have a diameter greater than 26 inches.
US08987625B2
A capacitive touch panel structure includes a transparent substrate, a conductive layer, a polymeric transparent substrate and an adhesive layer. The transparent substrate has a first side and a second side. The conductive layer is disposed on the second side. The polymeric transparent substrate has a third side and a fourth side. The adhesive layer is disposed between the transparent substrate and the polymeric transparent substrate. By means of the design of the capacitive touch panel structure, the number of the conductive layer is reduced to lower the manufacturing cost.
US08987612B2
Bushings include a tubular body that defines a through-bore for receiving a fastener for mounting a component to an object. The tubular body includes end regions and a plurality of spring elements spaced circumferentially around the tubular body and extending longitudinally along the tubular body between the end regions. Also disclosed are apparatus that include bushings, such as aircraft, and associated methods of utilizing bushings and of manufacturing bushings.
US08987608B2
A circuit structure includes an inner circuit layer, a first and a second dielectric layers, a first and a second conductive material layers, and a second and a third conductive layers. The first dielectric layer covers a first conductive layer of the inner circuit layer and has a first surface and first circuit grooves. The first conductive material layer is disposed inside the first circuit grooves. The second conductive layer is disposed on the first surface and includes a signal trace and at least two reference traces. The second dielectric layer covers the first surface and the second conductive layer and has a second surface and second circuit grooves. Widths of the first and the second circuit grooves are smaller than that of the reference traces. The second conductive material layer is disposed inside the second circuit grooves. The third conductive layer is disposed on the second surface.
US08987606B2
Provided herein are technologies generally relating to creating connections and/or associations. In some examples, the embodiments can relate to a circuit that includes a surface, a first electrical contact that is attached to the surface, a glass substrate, a second electrical contact that is attached to the glass substrate, and at least one elastomer layer. In some embodiments, the elastomer layer can provide or assist in creating a contact between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.
US08987605B2
A device includes a substrate, a metal pad over the substrate, and a passivation layer having a portion over the metal pad. A post-passivation interconnect (PPI) is electrically coupled to the metal pad, wherein the PPI includes a portion over the metal pad and the passivation layer. A polymer layer is over the PPI. A solder ball is over the PPI. A compound includes a portion adjoining the solder ball and the polymer layer, wherein the compound includes flux and a polymer.
US08987604B2
Provided are a ceramic wiring substrate having a side surface which realizes reliable chucking or hooking; a multi-piece wiring substrate array for providing a plurality of the wiring substrates; and a method for reliably producing the multi-piece wiring substrate array. The wiring substrate is formed of a ceramic material, has a square (rectangular) shape in plan view, and which has a front surface, a back surface, and side surfaces each being located between the front surface and the back surface, wherein each side surface has a belt-like uneven surface including a plurality of alternate and parallel convex portions and concave portions which are formed so as to extend along the front surface, and also has a fracture surface located on a side toward the back surface.
US08987599B2
A flat energy cable includes at least one push-pull strength member; a connecting system connected to the outer surface of a cable sheath; and a plurality of magnets connected to the connecting system.
US08987587B2
A photovoltaic device can include an intrinsic metal layer adjacent to a semiconductor absorber layer; and a doped metal contact layer adjacent to the intrinsic metal layer, where the doped metal contact layer includes a metal base material and a dopant.
US08987585B2
A solar cell according to an embodiment includes a pattern layer arranged on a substrate and including a uneven pattern; a back electrode arranged on the pattern layer; a light absorption layer arranged on the back electrode; a buffer layer on the light absorption layer; and a front layer arranged on the buffer layer.The method fabricating a solar cell according to an embodiment includes forming a pattern layer including a uneven pattern on a substrate; forming a back electrode on the pattern layer; forming a light absorption layer on the back electrode; forming a buffer layer on the light absorption layer; and forming a front electrode on the buffer layer.
US08987581B2
A photoelectric cell includes at least one photoelectric conversion module. The photoelectric module includes a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element. The first photoelectric conversion element is made of a first thermoelectric material having positive thermoelectric coefficient and comprises a first absorbing part and a first non-absorbing part. The second photoelectric conversion element is made of a second thermoelectric material having negative thermoelectric coefficient and comprises a second absorbing part and a second non-absorbing part. The first absorbing part is electrically connected with the second absorbing part.
US08987579B2
A power converter is provided and includes a heat collector surface, n- and p-legs formed of n- and p-type thermoelectric materials, respectively, which are each disposed in thermal communication with the heat collector surface, parallel electric busses electrically coupled to the n- and p-legs and a housing, which is electrically decoupled from the busses, to support the heat collector surface at a predefined distance from a heat pipe.
US08987572B2
A system and method for teaching a user to discriminate and match musical pitch is disclosed. A pitch module generates a first melodic sequence for a user. The pitch module generates at least two symbolically depicted sequences including a first symbolic sequence that represents a pitch frequency that, when played, matches the first melodic sequence. A tracking module receives a selection of the first symbolic sequence and advances to a next level in response to receiving the selection of the first symbolic sequence.
US08987570B2
A keyboard device includes plural white keys, plural black keys, and plural hammers respectively engaged with the plural white and black keys. Vertical length of a drive portion for a first key and a second key are set the same, the first and second keys both being white keys, or both being black keys. Longitudinal position of hammer support portion of a first hammer engaged with the first key and longitudinal position of a hammer support portion of a second hammer engaged with the second key are set the same. Vertical positions of hammer support portions of the first and second hammers are respectively set according to a distance from a front end of an operation portion of the first key and a key support portion and a distance from a front end of an operation portion of the second key and a key support portion.
US08987569B2
A tip-weighted drumstick with a cushioned sleeve that absorbs shock and protects a drummer's hands and other joints while playing. The cushioned sleeve covers a reduced-diameter portion of the drumstick and can be customized with various surface textures, shapes, and other features. The reduced-diameter portion may result in the center of gravity of the drumstick shifting towards the striking end of the drumstick to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the drumstick.
US08987568B1
The inventive device described in the application is a novel musical instrument. The Fuccion is designed to be primarily played as a bass and a guitar simultaneously. This will provide the user with the ability to play music within a band or performance both as bass and as guitar. The Fuccion goes beyond just combining two different instruments because the final result it is in fact a novel concept. The Fuccion is a 10 String Instrument having a 6 string guitar formation above a 4 string base formation designed to play both parts simultaneously. This is due to the innovative body design which situates the necks in this unique staggered position allowing the right hand to both strum the guitar with the thumb and hammer out the bass notes with four fingers. Both necks are reachable in a single hand span. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
US08987560B2
A new lettuce variety designated ‘Poloma’ is described. ‘Poloma’ is a grasse-type lettuce variety exhibiting stability and uniformity.
US08987548B2
This invention provides compositions including favorable alleles of marker loci associated with genetic elements contributing to superior agronomic performance. Also provided are markers for identifying favorable alleles of marker loci associated with genetic elements involved in superior agronomic performance, as well as methods employing the markers.
US08987540B2
The present invention relates to a process for removing oxygenate from an olefin stream comprising oxygenate, comprising providing to an oxygenate recovery zone the olefin stream comprising oxygenate and a solvent comprising propanol, treating the olefin stream comprising oxygenate with the solvent, and retrieving from the oxygenate recovery zone at least one oxygenate-depleted olefinic product stream comprising olefin and a spent solvent comprising at least part of the oxygenate.
US08987534B2
The invention also relates a process for the manufacture of trans 1-chloro3,3,3-trifluoropropene. The process comprises an isomerization step from cis 1233zd to trans 1233zd.
US08987523B2
The present invention relates to a process for obtaining ditrimethylolpropane and trimethylolpropane-enriched product streams from the high-boiling fractions and residues which are obtained in the distillative purification of trimethylolpropane, wherein an aqueous solution of these fractions and residues is catalytically hydrogenated in the presence of an acidic compound and, after removing solids, contacted both with basic and with acidic ion exchangers. A trimethylolpropane-enriched product stream can be distilled out of the aqueous eluate obtained, leaving ditrimethylolpropane as the distillation residue.
US08987520B2
This invention relates to fluoroalkyl and chlorofluoroalkyl benzenes with relatively high boiling points, having zero ozone depletion potential and low global warming potential. This invention also relates to the preparation of such fluoroalkyl and chlorofluoroalkyl benzenes. These materials can be used as reaction and heat transfer media, cleaning agents and as intermediates for biologically active materials.
US08987519B2
The present disclosure relates to a process for obtaining dialkyl disulphides from alkyl mercaptan and from sulphur, in which a reaction intermediate present in the final disulphide is decomposed at the end of synthesis. This operation makes it possible to avoid the degradation of said reaction intermediate over time, which is responsible for the decrease in purity of the dialkyl disulphide.
US08987515B2
Radical initiated reactions of phenylenediamines with alkylated aromatic amines produce an antioxidant mixture containing cross reaction products of the phenylenediamines and alkylated aromatic amines which are useful, for example, as antioxidants, stabilizers, and antiozonants for lubricants, electronic chemicals, rubbers, urethanes and other polymer resins, crop protection, pharmaceuticals, dyes and toners.
US08987511B2
A method for producing crystals of adipic acid is described. In particular, a method for recovering adipic acid in the form of crystals with low impurity content, obtained by crystallization steps in particular using reaction media for synthesizing adipic acid is described. A purification method including a step of crushing the crystals for easier removal or the migration of the impurities in the crystals is also described.
US08987509B2
A process for recovering a volatile carboxylic acid from an aqueous stream containing same comprising the steps of: (a) evaporating the aqueous stream to produce a vapour stream comprising the volatile carboxylic acid that has been vapourized and water vapour, which aqueous stream is produced by a conversion process using a lignocellulosic feedstock as a substrate; (b) contacting the vapour stream with an organic solvent so as to extract the volatile carboxylic acid present in the vapour stream, thereby producing a liquid stream comprising the organic solvent and the volatile carboxylic acid, and a water vapour stream, wherein the organic solvent has an atmospheric boiling point of at least about 150° C. and is insoluble in water; and (c) separating the volatile carboxylic acid from the organic solvent.
US08987495B2
Provided is an efficient technology for synthesizing diamino acids (diamino acid derivatives). Disclosed is a manufacturing method for diamino acid derivatives wherein the fluorenyl groups of the diamino acid derivative starting materials represented by General Formula [II] or [IV] are removed.
US08987490B2
A method for producing monohydroxy-functionalized dialkylphosphinic acids, esters, and salts, characterized in that a) a phosphinic acid source (I) is reacted with olefins (IV) in the presence of a catalyst A to obtain an alkylphosphonous acid, the salt or ester (II) thereof, b) the obtained alkylphosphonous acid, the salt or ester (II) thereof is reacted with alkylene oxides of formula (V) in the presence of a catalyst B to obtain a monofunctionalized dialkylphosphinic acid derivative (III), catalyst A represents transition metals and/or transition metal compounds and/or catalyst systems composed of a transition metal and/or a transition metal compound and at least one ligand, and catalyst B is a Lewis acid.
US08987487B2
The present invention relates to a method for removing phosphorus-containing compounds from triglyceride-containing compositions.
US08987473B2
The present invention relates to a compound that has URAT1 inhibitory action, and a URAT1 inhibitor, a blood uric acid level-reducing agent and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound. More specifically, the present invention relates to a compound represented by Formula (I) below. [in the formula, R1 is -Q1-A1 and the like; is a double bond or a single bond; when is a double bond, W1 is a nitrogen atom or a group represented by the general formula: ═C(Ra)—, and W2 is a nitrogen atom or a group represented by the general formula: ═C(Rb)—; when is a single bond, W1 is a group represented by the general formula: —C(Raa)(Rab)— or a group represented by the general formula: —(C═O)—, and W2 is a group represented by the general formula: —C(Rba)(Rbb)—, a group represented by the general formula: —(C═O)— or a group represented by the general formula: —N(Rbc)—; W3, W4 and W5 are each independently a nitrogen atom or a methine group and the like that may have a substituent; X is a single bond, an oxygen atom and the like; Y is a single bond or (CRYiRYi′)n; and Z is a hydroxyl group or COOR2 and the like.
US08987471B2
The present invention relates to substituted dihydropyrazoles, processes for preparing them, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use as pharmaceuticals as modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors.
US08987470B2
A process for the manufacture of pyrazole-4-carboxamides, in particular, of 3-difluoromethyl-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxamides which are useful as pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The carboxamides are prepared from the corresponding pyzole-4-carboxylic acid esters and appropriate amine in the presence of a base. The reaction is performed in a reaction medium which is essentially free of water; alternatively, the base is used in an amount equal to or greater than 0.25 equivalents per mole of amine.
US08987462B2
Provided are a compound of Formula 1 and an organic light-emitting device including the compound of Formula 1: The compounds of Formula 1 are particularly useful as fluorescent dopants in the emission layer of the organic light-emitting device.
US08987455B2
The present invention relates to a method of controlling plants or inhibiting plant growth which comprises applying to the plants or to the locus thereof a herbicidally effective amount of a compound of formula (I) wherein A1, A2, A3, A4, R3, R4 and R5 are as defined in claim 1; or a salt or N-oxide thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to processes for preparing compounds of formula (I), to intermediates used in the preparation of compounds of formula (I), to herbicidal compositions comprising compounds of formula (I) and to certain novel pyridopyridines, pyridodiazines and pyridotriazines.
US08987448B2
The present technology provides methods of making anhydrous crystalline Form II and monohydrate crystalline Form B of the lactic acid salt of 4-amino-5-fluoro-3-[6-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-1H-quinolin-2-one.
US08987442B2
This invention relates to novel compounds that are substituted xanthine derivatives and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. For example, this invention relates to novel substituted xanthine derivatives that are derivatives of pentoxifylline. This invention also provides compositions comprising one or more compounds of this invention and a carrier and the use of the disclosed compounds and compositions in methods of treating diseases and conditions for which pentoxifylline and related compounds are beneficial.
US08987441B2
The present invention provides a compound having antiviral effects, particularly having growth inhibitory activity on influenza viruses, a preferred example of the compound being a substituted 3-hydroxy-4-pyridone derivative prodrug having cap-dependent endonuclease inhibitory activity.
US08987440B2
A cyclic carbodiimide compound which is useful as an end-sealing agent for polymer compounds. The cyclic carbodiimide compound is represented by the following formula (i): In the above formula, X is a divalent group or a tetravalent group represented by the following formula (i-4). When X is divalent, q is 0 and when X is tetravalent, q is 1. Ar1 to Ar4 are each independently an aromatic group. They may be substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or phenyl group.
US08987425B2
The invention provides a fusion protein comprising (a) a first protein comprising a polypeptide which specifically binds to Annexin A1 and (b) a second protein comprising a polypeptide which induces a cytotoxic activity of a cytotoxic lymphocyte, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the fusion protein, and methods of treating or preventing cancer by administering the pharmaceutical compositions.
US08987420B2
The present invention provides antibodies that bind to angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and methods of using same. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the antibodies are fully human antibodies that bind to human Ang-2. The antibodies of the invention are useful, inter alia, for the treatment of diseases and disorders associated with one or more Ang-2 biological activities including angiogenesis.
US08987415B2
The present inventors have solved the crystal structure of an Escherichia coli bacterial lipocalin polypeptide, which depicts a monomeric protein. Previous crystal structures have been reported, but these appear to be inaccurate, as they predicted, e.g., a dimeric protein. The crystal structure of a bacterial lipocalin provided by the present invention leads to numerous uses. For example, the present invention provides for the design, construction and use of recombinant libraries of diversified bacterial lipocalins resulting from a bacterial lipocalin polypeptide “backbone”.
US08987414B2
Provided herein are peptidomimetic macrocycles and methods of using such macrocycles for the treatment of disease.
US08987402B2
A novel polycrystalline stoichiometric fine SiC fiber substantially free of impurities is produced using a novel pre-ceramic polymer. The pre-ceramic polymer is prepared by reacting a mixture of chlorodisilane, boron trichloride, and a vinyl chlorodisilane with an excess of hexamethyldisilazane to form the pre-ceramic polymer resin, which may then be melt-spun, cured, pyrolyzed and heat-treated to obtain the finished SiC fiber. The manufacturing process for the production of the fine SiC ceramic fiber allows for flexibility with respect to cross-linking, in that low-cost thermal treatments may replace more complex methods, while obtaining fibers with improved materials properties as compared to currently available SiC fibers.
US08987401B2
Methods of producing a composition comprising a crosslinkable silane-terminated polymer having at least one crosslinkable silyl group in each molecule are provided. The method may comprise providing a polymer having at least one unsaturated group and at least one alcohol hydroxyl group in each molecule and having a number average molecular weight between about 100 and about 5,000, adding to the polymer a compound having a hydrogen-silicon bond and a crosslinkable silyl group in each molecule and a hydrosilylation catalyst to thereby carry out a hydrosilylation reaction to form a composition comprising hydrosilylated polymers, wherein the hydrosilylation reaction has a hydrosilylation efficiency greater than 50% as determined by 1H-NMR, capping the hydrosilylated polymers by adding the hydrosilylated polymer to at least one isocyanate at an index of between about 100 and about 250, and reacting the isocyanate capped hydrosilylated polymer with a polyol having a nominal functionality of at least 2 to form the composition comprising a crosslinkable silane-terminated polymer.
US08987396B2
Polymer polyols having a solids content of greater than 40 wt. %, a total ethylene oxide content of up to 25 wt. %, and a viscosity at 25° C. of less than 15,000 centistokes are produced by reacting (1) a base polyol having active hydrogen atoms with an ethylene oxide content of from 15 to 40 wt. % that has been formed in the presence of a double metal cyanide (DMC) catalyst, (2) one or more unsaturated monomers, (3) at least one radical initiator, optionally (4) a preformed stabilizer and optionally (5) a chain transfer agent. These polymer polyols (PMPOs) are useful in the preparation of polyurethane foams and elastomers.
US08987395B2
A process for preparing a polydiene, the process comprising the step of polymerizing conjugated diene monomer with a nickel-based catalyst system, where said step of polymerizing takes place within a polymerization mixture that includes less than 20% by weight of organic solvent based on the total weight of the polymerization mixture, where the temperature of the polymerization mixture is maintained below 34° C. during said step of polymerizing, and where the conversion of the conjugated diene monomer is maintained below 30%.
US08987394B2
Catalyst compositions containing N,N-bis[2-hydroxidebenzyl]amine transition metal compounds are disclosed. Methods for making these transition metal compounds and for using such compounds in catalyst compositions for the polymerization of olefins also are provided.
US08987388B2
A curable resin formulation based on the modification of cyanate esters with silsesquioxane resins is provided for use in forming a cured composite structure or layer. More specifically, a resin formulation that generally comprises a silsesquioxane resin component having an equivalent weight of aromatic hydroxyl groups that is greater than 500 and less than 2,000 grams per mole of aromatic hydroxyl groups; a cyanate ester component; and optionally a catalyst is described. In this resin formulation, the silsesquioxane resin component is present in an amount greater than 10 wt. % of the total solids content of the resin formulation. The resin composite layer formed therefrom exhibits a glass transition temperature that is greater than or equal to 185° C., wherein this glass transition temperature decreases by less than or equal to 40% upon exposure to water at an elevated temperature for a predetermined amount of time.
US08987387B2
Disclosed is an interfacial polymer for a network used as a coupling agent in mixing of rubber-silica. More particularly, the interfacial polymer for a rubber-silica network is a block copolymer containing a copolymer of conjugated diene and vinyl aromatic monomers, in which when used as a coupling agent in the mixing of synthetic rubber and silica (an inorganic material), the polymer enhances silica dispersibility within the rubber, and improves compatibility and processability, resulting in considerable improvement in the dynamic property as well as the mechanical property of the rubber, and when used in a tire, etc., it enhances automobile braking performance and reduces rolling resistance.
US08987386B2
A method of producing a polymeric compound containing a structural unit that decomposes upon exposure to generate an acid, the method including: synthesizing a precursor polymer by polymerizing a water-soluble monomer having an anionic group, washing the precursor polymer with water, and subsequently subjecting the precursor polymer to a salt exchange with an organic cation. Also, a polymeric compound produced using the method of producing a polymeric compound, and a method of forming a resist pattern using the resist composition.
US08987379B2
A polycarbonate resin composition includes: (A) an aromatic polycarbonate in an amount of about 5 to about 95% by weight, (B) a siloxane-based polycarbonate in an amount of about 5 to about 90% by weight, and (C) a syndiotactic polystyrene in an amount of 0 to about 5% by weight. The polycarbonate resin composition can have excellent flowability, injection moldability, impact strength, chemical resistance, and transparency.In a preferred embodiment the siloxane-based polycarbonate comprises a compound represented by the following formula in the main chain thereof:
US08987377B2
The present invention provides poly(amide) polymers, polyconjugates, compositions and methods for the delivery of oligonucleotides for therapeutic purposes.
US08987369B2
This invention relates to compositions comprising blends of acrylic add polymers and/or ethylene acrylic add copolymers and colloidal silica modified with certain aromatic aminosilanes, aromatic aminoalkylsilanes, alkenyl aminoalkylsilanes, secondary or tertiary aliphatic aminosilanes. These compositions can provide improved properties such loss modulus, storage modulus, creep resistance, and wear resistance, without sacrificing optical clarity.
US08987364B2
This invention relates to a transparent film including a glass fiber substrate made of glass fibers and impregnated with a resin composition in which a high refractive resin (a transparent resin) having refractive index higher than the glass fiber is mixed with a low refractive resin (a second transparent resin) having a refractive index lower than the glass fiber to have a resultant refractive index approximate to that of the glass fiber when cured, wherein the high refractive resin has a 3 or more-functional epoxy resin expressed by the following formula: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or methyl group, R2 is a bivalent organic group, and R3 to R10 are respectively ones selected from a group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a substituent group, and a molecular chain containing epoxy group.
US08987362B2
In general the present invention provides a functionalized polymer prepared by a process comprising the steps of preparing a pseudo-living polymer by polymerizing conjugated monomer with a lanthanide-based catalyst, and reacting the pseudo-living polymer with a functionalizing agent defined by the formula (I) A-R1—Z (I) where R1 is a divalent bond or divalent organic group comprising from 0 to about 20 carbon atoms, A is a substituent that will undergo an addition reaction with a pseudo-living polymer, and Z is a substituent that will react or interact with silica or carbon black reinforcing fillers, with the proviso that A, R1, and Z are substituents that will not protonate a pseudo-living polymer.
US08987360B2
Multi-piece golf balls having a solid core of at least one layer and cover of at least one layer are provided. At least one of the layers is formed from a thermoplastic polyamide composition, comprising a blend of about 40 to about 99% by weight polyamide and about 1 to about 60% by weight fatty acid amide. Preferably, the ball has a dual core construction. A rubber composition is preferably used to form the inner core and the polyamide composition is preferably used to form the outer core layer.
US08987357B2
The present invention relates to a thermoplastic molding composition comprising the following components: A) 20 to 98.99% by weight of at least one polyamide, B) 0.01 to 40% by weight of at least one branched polyimide selected from condensates of either b1) at least one polyisocyanate having an average of more than two isocyanate groups per molecule or b2) at least one polyamine having an average of more than two amino groups per molecule and b3) at least one polycarboxylic acid having at least three COOH groups per molecule or its anhydride C) 1 to 59% by weight of at least one flame retardant selected from the group of c1) phosphorus-containing flame retardants c2) nitrogen-containing flame retardants and mixtures of these, D) 0 to 50% by weight of further additives, where the total of the proportions by weight is 100% by weight based on the molding composition.
US08987354B2
Biocompatible polymeric coating compositions having nanoscale surface roughness and methods of forming such coatings are described. A polymeric biocompatible coating may be produced using a powder coating method, where one or more thermosetting polymer resins and one or more biocompatible materials are mixed and extruded, ground into microscale particles, and mixed with nanoparticles to form a dry powder mixture that may be coated onto a substrate according to a powder coating method. Alternatively, the thermosetting polymeric resin can be first extruded and ground into microscale particles, and then mixed with the biocompatible materials in particular form of nanoscale to microscale in size, and then further mixed with nanoparticles to form a dry powder mixture for coating. Bioactive materials may also be selectively added into the polymeric coating in a similar way as the biocompatible materials, either before or after the extrusion, to form a bioactive polymeric coating.
US08987351B2
A method for treating filler material includes contacting the filler material with a silane which, upon hydrolysis, produces substantially no significant amount of volatile organic compound and/or the hydrolyzate of the silane to provide a treated filler which can then be incorporated into a matrix to provide a composite body.
US08987346B2
A high solids cross-linked ethylene propylene diene terpolymer latex consisting of 15 weight percent to 88 weight percent ethylene propylene diene terpolymer with a molecular weight from 1300000 Mw to 5000 Mw, 10 weight percent to 70 weight percent of a water, 1 weight percent to 15 weight percent of a surfactant, and 0.3 weight percent to 1.76 weight percent of a curative.
US08987345B2
The present disclosure provides a dental bonding agent which may comprise a composite resin containing an ingredient selected from acrylic resins, a primer comprising an amphiphile, and at least one phosphate ester, and a solvent. The dental bonding agent may be applied for resin restoration, prosthetic adhesion, enhancing adhesive strength between dentin and artificial post, and tooth coating. The present disclosure also provides a coating agent which may comprise a dental bonding agent as defined above, a pigment, and an inorganic filler.
US08987338B2
The invention relates to an area of the chemical-pharmaceutical industry and medicine, particularly to an agent for treatment of dementias, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as to a method of treatment and pharmaceutical composition, which is effective for both treatment of dementias, including AD or dementias of Alzheimer type, and during manifestations of the first symptoms of memory disorder.The given invention consists of the development of a new therapeutic substance with minimal side effects that currently is a topical issue for treatment of the corresponding diseases.Attached is the use of polyprenols of formula (1) where n=8-20 as an active ingredient for the production of the therapeutic agent for the treatment of patients with dementia syndrome, including those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is proposed to use a therapeutic agent for the treatment of patients with dementia syndrome, including those suffering from Alzheimer's disease, being polyprenols of formula (1).It was proposed that a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of patients suffering from dementia syndrome, including patients suffering from Alzheimer disease, being an effective amount of polyprenols of formula (1) and pharmaceutically acceptable additional substances, including carriers and/or solvents, additives and/or lubricants.It was proposed that a method for treatment of patients suffering from dementia syndrome, including patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, when effective amount of polyprenols of formula (1) is administered in the form of the substance or as a pharmaceutical composition that includes additional components.
US08987337B2
Small molecule xanthine oxidase inhibitors are provided, as well as methods for their use in treating gout or hyperuricemia.
US08987332B2
The present invention provides methods of treating a β-arrestin2 mediated and/or GPR120 mediated response in a subject. The β-arrestin2 mediated and/or GPR120 mediated response can be inflammation, including diabetes, inflammation associated with obesity and obesity. The methods can comprise administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound predicted to bind a β-arrestin2 molecule and/or GPR120, wherein the compound selectively activates a β-arrestin2-dependent signaling pathway of GPR120.
US08987331B2
The present disclosure is drawn to a disinfectant system which can be used to disinfect surfaces. The system includes a first chamber containing a first solution and a second chamber containing a second solution. The first solution can include an alcohol, an organic carboxylic acid, and from 0.01 ppm, to 1,000 ppm by weight of a transition metal or alloy thereof based on the first solution weight content. The second solution can include hydrogen peroxide. The system further includes a dispenser through which the system is configured to mix and dispense the first solution and the second solution immediately before being dispensed. A peracid composition is formed upon mixing of the first and second solutions.
US08987326B2
The disclosed subject matter provides N-substituted hydroxylamine derivative compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and kits comprising such compounds, and methods of using such compounds or pharmaceutical compositions. In particular, the disclosed subject matter provides methods of using such compounds or pharmaceutical compositions for treating heart failure.
US08987325B2
The invention relates to a novel class of inhibitors of arachidonic acid formation that can be useful for treating inflammatory conditions. Specifically, the invention relates to derivatives of sesamol that confer lower toxicity and increased circulatory lifetimes than pure sesamol.
US08987320B2
The present invention relates to solid salt forms of the 3-pyrrole substituted 2-indolinone compound 5-[5-fluoro-2-oxo-1, 2-dihydro-indol-(3Z)-ylidenemethyl]-2,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxylic acid (2-pirrolidin-1-yl-ethyl)-amide. It also relates to polymorphs of the phosphate salt of the amide. The invention further relates to the use of the salts and polymorphs in the treatment of protein kinase related disorders.
US08987313B2
The present application provides for a compound of formula I, or a salt thereof, compositions containing such compounds, therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds, and therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds with at least one additional therapeutic agent.
US08987311B2
Compounds having the following formula: (I) wherein: A is an optionally substituted triazole, or a stereoisomer or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, are useful as kinase modulators, including IRAK-4 modulation.
US08987298B2
Indazole compounds for treating various diseases and pathologies are disclosed. More particularly, the present invention concerns the use of an indazole compound or analogs thereof, in the treatment of disorders characterized by the activation of Wnt pathway signaling (e.g., cancer, abnormal cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, Alzheimer's disease, lung disease and osteoarthritis), the modulation of cellular events mediated by Wnt pathway signaling, as well as genetic diseases and neurological conditions/disorders/diseases due to mutations or dysregulation of the Wnt pathway and/or of one or more of Wnt signaling components. Also provided are methods for treating Wnt-related disease states.
US08987292B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating rectal disorders.
US08987284B2
Disclosed are novel quinazoline derivatives containing phosphorus substitutions and methods for the treatment of hyperproliferative diseases (e.g. cancer) using the compounds. These compounds are type I receptor protein kinase inhibitors useful in treating disorders related to abnormal protein kinase activities such as cancer and inflammation in mammals. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds, methods for the preparation of the compounds and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts.
US08987282B2
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising a combination of a therapeutically-effective amount of the antiviral compound acyclovir and a therapeutically-effective amount of the COX-2 inhibitor meloxicam. The invention is further related to methods of treating functional somatic syndromes by administering a therapeutically-effective combination of acyclovir and meloxicam.
US08987274B2
The present invention provides a compound of Formula (1): as described herein or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof. The compounds are useful as inhibitors of the HDM2 protein. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the above compounds and potential methods of treating cancer using the same.
US08987265B2
Compounds of Formula I, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, as well as compositions containing these compounds, have activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may be useful in treating those infected with HCV:
US08987261B2
The present application relates to novel substituted dihydropyrazolone derivatives, processes for their preparation, their use for treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases and their use for the preparation of medicaments for treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, in particular cardiovascular and hematological diseases and kidney diseases, and for promoting wound healing.
US08987258B2
The present invention relates to novel chromenone analog sirtuin modulator compounds of Formula (I): or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, corresponding pharmaceutical compositions and treatment methods and combination therapies thereof for use in increasing the lifespan of a cell, and treating and/or preventing a wide variety of diseases and disorders including, for example, diseases or disorders related to aging or stress, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, blood clotting disorders, inflammation, cancer, and/or flushing as well as diseases or disorders that would benefit from increased mitochondrial activity.
US08987257B2
The invention relates to novel heterocyclic compounds of the formula in which all of the variables are as defined in the specification, to their preparation, to their medical use, in particular to their use in the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, and to medicaments comprising them.
US08987251B2
Provided herein is a method of treating a PIM-1 and/or PIM-2 and/or PIM-3 kinase-mediated condition in a mammal, which comprises administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of Formula I: in which A, B, R1, R1a, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, and R7 have the meanings given in the specification.
US08987240B2
The present invention relates to a method of treating or preventing estrogen-suppressed tumors in a mammal, said method comprising the administration of a therapeutically effective amount of an estrogenic component to said mammal, wherein the estrogenic component is selected from the group consisting of: substances represented by the following formula (I) in which formula R1, R2, R3, R4, independently are a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or an alkoxy group with 1-5 carbon atoms; precursors capable of liberating a substance according to the aforementioned formula when used in the present method; and mixtures of one or more of the aforementioned substances and/or precursors. The estrogenic component according to the invention is particularly useful in the treatment or prevention of colorectal and prostate cancer and, unlike commonly used estrogens, does not simultaneously enhance the risk of estrogen-stimulated cancers such as breast cancer.
US08987222B2
The present invention relates to the discovery of (SNPs) significantly associated with Huntington's disease (HD). The present invention utilizes RNA silencing technology (e.g. RNAi) against such SNPs optimally combined with select additional SNP targeting silencing agents, thereby resulting in an effective treatment of significantly-sized patient populations. Silencing agents having enhanced discriminatory properties are also featured.
US08987212B2
The present invention relates to a composition containing peptide of SEQ ID NO: 1 linked to oleanolic acid and a method of treating skin aging. The composition effectively reduces signs of ageing due to oxidation, collagen insufficiency and excess activity of serine proteases like elastase and collagenase that result in wrinkling of skin, fine expression lines, reduced skin thickness, hyperpigmentation, under eye dark circles, and premature ageing.
US08987205B2
Recombinant lubricin molecules and uses thereof. Novel recombinant lubricin molecules and their uses as lubricants, anti-adhesive agents and/or intra-articular supplements for, e.g., synovial joints, meniscus, tendon, peritoneum, pericardium and pleura, are provided.
US08987204B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bone regeneration agent and a bone supplementation formulation, in which a supplementation material itself is capable of promoting bone regeneration. The present invention provides a bone regeneration agent which comprises a gelatin having an amino acid sequence derived from a partial amino acid sequence of collagen.
US08987199B2
In one embodiment of the invention, a pharmaceutical composition for intranasal administration comprises insulin, dimethyl sulfoxide and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. In another embodiment of the invention, a pharmaceutical composition for intranasal administration comprises clioquinol, dimethyl sulfoxide and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a pharmaceutical composition for intranasal administration comprises insulin, clioquinol, dimethyl sulfoxide and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient. The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may be used to treat or prevent a neurodegenerative disorder such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and/or traumatic brain injuries and the like, in addition to other systemic and local diseases.
US08987197B2
Novel PEGylated insulin analogs exhibiting resistance towards proteases can, effectively, be administered pulmonary or orally. The insulin analogs contain B25H and A14E or A14H. The PEGylation is at B29K.
US08987194B2
A Nisin derivative or variant, comprising an amino acid substitution at amino acid position 29 in the amino acid sequence. The Nisin derivative exhibits enhanced antimicrobial activity when compared to wild type Nisin. The Nisin derivative has an application as a natural food additive and as a therapeutic agent.
US08987191B2
Disclosed are peptide ligands for G-protein coupled receptors that are useful for treating disorders associated with G-protein coupled receptor activation.
US08987189B2
Methods and compositions are provided to inhibit release of HCV from an HCV-infected cell by contacting the cell with a VLDL assembly inhibitor, and detecting a resultant inhibition of HCV release from the cell. The methods can be used to decrease serum viremia of an HCV-infected person.
US08987187B2
The present application relates to perfume raw materials, perfume delivery systems and consumer products comprising such perfume raw materials and/or such perfume delivery systems, as well as processes for making and using such perfume raw materials, perfume delivery systems and consumer products. Such perfume raw materials and compositions, including the delivery systems, disclosed herein expand the perfume communities' options as such perfume raw materials can provide variations on character and such compositions can provide desired odor profiles.
US08987186B2
Dryer products for imparting desired properties onto fabric during multiple drying cycles in laundry dryers and methods for fabricating dryer products are provided herein. In one embodiment, a dryer product is provided for use during multiple drying cycles in a laundry dryer and includes a solid body comprising a polymeric material. The dryer product further includes an active compound in and/or on the solid body. The dryer product is configured to release the active compound during a selected number of drying cycles at a temperature of from about 40° C. to about 100° C. The solid body is configured to fray after the selected number of drying cycles to indicate end-of-life.
US08987180B2
Personal care compositions and cleansing products including a silicone reactive amino containing dimethicone copolyol are disclosed herein. The compositions and products provide an enhanced wiping experience including improved softness and smooth afterfeel. Further, wipe products including the silicone reactive amino containing dimethicone copolyol provide improved drape of the basesheet, as well as provide a smooth wiping experience with the right amount of glide and a non-tacky afterfeel.
US08987179B2
The invention relates to compositions containing a) 45 to 65 wt. % of one or more secondary paraffin sulfonates with 8 to 22 carbon atoms, b) 1 to 10 wt. % of one or more alcohol alkoxylates which are produced from the reaction of alcohols R—OH, wherein R is an alkyl group with 4 to 8 carbon atoms, with alkoxylating agents selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, or mixtures thereof and which contain on average 1 to 10 mol of structural units derived from the alkoxylating agents per 1 mol of structural units derived from the alcohols, and c) 25 to 52 wt. % water, in relation to the total weight of the composition in each case. The compositions can be used in an advantageous manner for producing washing and cleaning agents.
