US07690041B2
The Present invention relates generally to processing audio or video content. In one embodiment, a method is provided including receiving audio or video content, the audio or video content includes a first watermark associated therewith, the first watermark has first data indicating that the audio or video content is rights protected; and associated a second watermark with the audio or video content, the second watermark including second data indicating permissible uses or restrictions associated with the audio or video content, wherein the second watermark is associated with the audio or video content later in time relative to the first watermark. Other embodiments are described and claimed as well.
US07690038B1
In one embodiment, an antivirus system logs in-transit e-mails in a computer network. Upon receipt of an updated pattern file for an antivirus scan engine, the log may be checked to determine if the computer network has been exposed to a computer virus identified in the updated pattern file. If so, antivirus actions, such as antivirus scanning of a client computer that has been infected by the virus, may be remotely initiated.
US07690036B2
A method of generating a computer user activity log for a user belonging to a specially monitored group includes allowing a user to logon to a local computer. The local computer verifying the user account credentials and creating a user logon session. A token is created by the local computer for identification of any group membership with which the user associated and also having the user access privileges. The group information in the token is compared with a specially monitored group list. The specially monitored group list may be obtained from a domain server or may be configured locally. If the user has membership in the specially monitored group, then a special logon session is created and activities of the user are recorded.
US07690029B2
A method for remote administration of at least one smart card via a communication network is described. The method includes the steps of associating the at least one smart card with a remote administrator by storing administrator identification information of the remote administrator in the at least one smart card, inserting the at least one smart card in at least one user unit, employing the administrator identification information stored in the at least one smart card to identify the remote administrator associated with the at least one smart card, and establishing communication between the at least one smart card and the remote administrator via the communication network in accordance with the administrator identification information.Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US07690028B2
An image communication apparatus includes a central processing unit for verifying at least a password, entered by an operator, against authentication information stored in an external storage to authenticate the operator. When the operator is authenticated, sender information corresponding to the operator is read from the external storage. When the sender information is inappropriate, the image communication apparatus prevents the operator from transmitting image data.
US07690027B2
The present invention discloses a method of registering and activation of PKI functionalities in SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards by preprinting a number of sealed envelopes each containing an activation code hidden when unopened and a reference number or code visibly printed on the envelope. The reference number or code and the associated activation code of each envelope are stored in a table in a security server being integrated in or connected to the PKI. The user is provided one of the sealed envelopes together with an application form. The user is requested to fill in the reference code or number on the application form together with personal data, and this is transferred to the PKI and the security server. When the registration is approved by the PKI, approval information is transmitted to the user, requesting him to enter the activation code in his terminal. Simultaneously, the activation code associated with the reference code or number in the table and a Smart Card identity corresponding to the Smart Card of the user, are provided to an Activation Module in the PKI. Upon entering of the activation code in the terminal, the activation code together with the Smart Card identity is transmitted from the terminal to the Activation Module. Upon receipt of the activation code and the Smart Card identity, the Activation Module determines if the received activation code and Smart Card identity match those previously provided by the security server, and if so, the Activation Module executes the necessary procedure for enabling the PKI part of the Smart Card.
US07690026B2
The described implementations relate to establishing authenticated communication between a client computing device and a service provider. In one implementation, once a registration procedure is complete, multiple authentication servers are used by a client computing device and a service provider to facilitate the establishment of an authenticated communication session. However, the authentication servers are not necessarily trusted authorities. That is, secrets of the various described devices are not revealed to each other.
US07690021B2
An apparatus and method for combining multiple simultaneous sources to multiple exhibitor receivers in a secure manner is disclosed. An exemplary system includes a plurality of live event sites each producing and transmitting a live video source. A live event director system is used for receiving and combining each transmitted live video source in an overall transmission and transmitting the overall transmission for exhibition. A network operation center coordinates encryption of the overall transmission at the live event director system and decryption of the overall transmission by at least one authorized exhibitor site. In further embodiments, the live event sites selectively transmit high bandwidth signals to reduce bandwidth usage.
US07690019B2
In order to make it possible to easily judge a time until a program can be actually audio visually enjoyed after the program is selected, a receiving apparatus includes a controller which receives plural contents such as plural streaming broadcasts via a network, outputs video data of the contents to a display apparatus, estimates a time until each of the plural broadcast contents becomes audio visually enjoyable, and displays information on the estimated time on the display apparatus in association with program names of the plural contents data.
US07690001B2
An architecture for managing representations of objects. Each representation of an object corresponds to a regular object that is to be managed (i.e., an EJB). A model event system is utilized to receive and process external events and provide instructions on how these object representations. In one embodiment, the architecture adopts the JSR-77 specification for greater standardization and interoperability with existing systems and techniques.
US07689996B2
A distributed Java virtual machine method and system for managing distributed heterogeneous network nodes to timely and efficiently meet demand for service requests. Upon receipt of a request for service, Java workload manager (JWLM) of the present invention classifies the request into a particular type of service, places the work on a logical queue to be executed. Routing queues place the work on one of many available nodes. The work is distributed to the nodes based on accounting, availability and past performance of all nodes considered. Changes are made periodically to the system to meet demands for service and/or conserve resources. JWLM of the present invention learns the needs of programs over time and does not require the intervention of a system administrator. The system does not rely on system specific metrics. JWLM may use performance metrics. Additionally, the present invention allows objects to be distributed and run on distributed workstations by distributing work through the cluster of workstations, while behaving as if it were initiated locally on the machine on which it runs. The similar type of work sent to different workstations may have the same class names, and the classpath may hold different implementations of that object at a particular workstation. Thus, at dynamic compilation time, if a platform has a more efficient feature than others, a work unit is dynamically compiled with the more efficient feature.
US07689990B2
Disclosed herein are a data processing system implemented method, a data processing system and an article of manufacture for managing a plurality of data processing system executable tasks each having a script associated therewith. The data processing system includes a task selector for selecting, from the plurality of computer executable tasks, a selection of tasks, a script selector for selecting scripts, the selected scripts associated with the selected selection of tasks, and a script editor for editing the selected scripts, the edited selected scripts being executable by the data processing system.
US07689989B2
A system and method to monitor worker threads within a Java virtual machine. At least one program is executed on the Java virtual machine to perform a task. A worker thread of the Java virtual machine is assigned to perform the task. Status information for the worker thread is generated and reported into memory external to the Java virtual machine to enable monitoring of the worker thread from external to the Java virtual machine.
US07689984B2
A system may scan various reporting services and application manufacturers' websites for recent security upgrades, hot fixes, and service packs. The system may then retrieve these patches and automatically apply these patches on every computer within the corporate network. A server and/or a client may each run a web module, a main module, and a patch module. The modules may interact with each other, and with a user interface and/or database through a listen-process-respond procedure. This ensures effective communication between users requesting patch updates and servers providing the patches themselves.
US07689968B2
A pattern correction apparatus for performing both of optical proximity effect correction and process proximity effect correction with regard to a design pattern includes: a correction calculation means configured to perform correction calculation by two-dimensional model-based optical proximity effect correction for each of sampling points set on pattern edges which form the design pattern; the correction calculation means performing the correction calculation which involves weighting with a two-dimensional distribution of the pattern edges around the sampling point taken into consideration; the weighting being performed such that a high weight is applied to a region in which reaction products which can have an influence on the sampling point are produced but a low weight is applied to any other region.
US07689958B1
A method involves building an intermediate form data flow graph (IFgraph) from an intermediate form data flow tree (IFtree) associated with the logic design, partitioning the IFgraph across at least three levels of granularity to obtain a partitioned IFgraph, wherein partitioning the IFgraph involves balancing a set of nodes of the IFgraph into a first subset and a second subset, wherein each of the first subset and second subset are within a predefined constraint of the cycle-based system, and wherein the balancing is performed on at least one of the levels of granularity, and rewriting the IFtree based on the partitioned IFgraph.
US07689949B1
A method of modeling an integrated circuit includes: specifying a layout for the integrated circuit, wherein the layout includes a plurality of devices arranged in a plurality of layers and a plurality of connections between the layers; specifying locations for a source point and an observation point for the integrated circuit; determining a plurality of static images for the source point and the observation point; determining a plurality of discrete complex images for the source point and the observation point; determining a Green's-function value for the source point and the observation point by combining the static images and the discrete complex images; and saving at least some values based on the Green's-function value.
US07689945B2
In one embodiment, a first set of inputs which describe aspects of a device may be received. A second set of inputs may be automatically provided for a group of assessments, included in an analysis, based on the first set of inputs and information in at least one database. An analysis may be performed based on the second set of inputs to assess the reliability of the device. A report may be generated based on the performed analysis.
US07689944B2
A method for designing a semiconductor apparatus comprising a semiconductor package in consideration of power integrity for a semiconductor chip included in the semiconductor package is disclosed. A target variable for an adjustment target is calculated on the basis of target information about the adjustment target, wherein the target variable is represented in frequency domain, and the adjustment target includes a part of the semiconductor package. The target variable is compared with a predetermined constraint, which is represented in frequency domain, to identify a problematic section, wherein the problematic section corresponds to a frequency region at which the target variable exceeds the predetermined constraint. Design guidelines are decided to solve the identified problematic section.
US07689941B1
Systems and methods are provided for computing write margins for dual-port memory. A design for a dual-port memory array cell is generated using a circuit design tool. A user modifies the design of the dual-port memory array cell to incorporate two voltage sources. The voltage sources are used to represent differential noise on the memory cell. A write margin calculation tool uses a circuit simulation tool to perform transient simulations of write-during-read operations on the modified dual-port memory array cell. During the transient simulations, the voltage level on the voltages sources is systematically varied. The write margin for the dual-port memory is determined by analyzing the results of the transient simulations for each of the voltage levels used for the voltage sources.
US07689940B2
A method and apparatus to produce high-level synthesis Register Transfer Level designs utilises a trade-off between power dissipation and area usage in data path allocation. Power dissipation and area constraints and a priority between them are input. An algorithm automatically decides the number of registers that are to be used, according to the specified priority and constraints specified. Power management formulations can be used to gear the allocation process to trade lower power management costs for equivalent savings in register areas. Multi-criteria optimisation Integer Linear Programming is utilised with heuristically determined power and area weightings to suit different predefined requirements of the chip design. Bipartite weighted Assignment is used to determine the number of registers to be used at every stage, through cost formulations and the Hungarian Algorithm.
US07689939B1
The present invention is directed to a personal computer that includes: a display device 316 for displaying image information and a processor 312 operable when the display device 316 is in a screen saver mode to (a) receive, from an application, at least part of which is executing on the personal computer 216, notification of the occurrence of an event; (b) determine if the event is a member of a defined set of events; and (c) when the event is a member of the defined set of events, display on the display image information associated with the event, wherein the displaying function occurs while the display is in the screen saver mode.
US07689932B2
A device and method provide for maintenance of a shortcut key to an application accessible at the device. The method includes assigning a first application to a shortcut key at a device, wherein the shortcut key at the device is a button on the device; storing an identifier of the first application to a first file at the device; determining if the first application at the device assigned to the shortcut key remains executable at the device; if the first application is determined to be unexecutable at the device, assigning a second application to the shortcut key at the device, wherein an identifier of the second application is stored in a second file at the device, and further wherein the second application is executable at the device.
US07689927B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media that include computer-executable instructions stored thereon for displaying electronic documents keep track of portions of an electronic document that have appeared in a user interface window at some point in time (i.e., the portions that have been actually viewed by the user). These portions of the electronic document that have actually been viewed are designated the “viewable document section” of the electronic document. In some examples, scrolls bars and/or other electronic document view shifting elements become available to the user only if the electronic document includes a viewable document section that does not appear in the user interface window, and these scroll bars and/or other view shifting elements may be limited based on the content of the viewable document section (not the entire electronic document). If the user changes the user interface window to include portions of the electronic document that previously had not been in view, the viewable document section then changes to include this new, previously unseen portion. Accordingly, as the user inputs electronic ink or other information into the document, scroll bars or the like will not appear until the user takes steps to bring previously unseen ink or other information into view in the user interface window.
US07689921B2
A method and system for displaying information related to a plurality of resources in a network environment. The system uses web technology to receive and store information related to back-end resources and to provide a framework by which client computer systems can manage the plurality of back-end resources in a uniform manner. In accordance with one method, a request is received to display object information from different network resources. In response, attribute and task information is retrieved from the appropriate different network resources and this information is displayed. A graphical user interface (GUI) displays information related to network resource objects. The GUI includes a console displaying a tool zone and a work zone. A module is displayed in the work zone having an object zone displaying a list of objects and a task zone displaying a list of tasks.
US07689920B2
Improved graphical user interfaces suitable for restricting the availability of media items and/or podcasts are also disclosed. The graphical user interfaces are particularly useful for a system that provides purchase and distribution of media in a client-server environment.
US07689918B2
A method is disclosed for displaying a multiplexed property indicator on a network topology map. A coloration designation specification that specifies property-color designations is obtained. A network topology map that includes devices and links having properties that are specified in the coloration designation specification is displayed. A link or device in the map is wrapped with a multiplexed graphical sleeve that includes a color for each property in the coloration designation specification that the link or device has.
US07689915B2
An information management apparatus includes a determination unit which determines the type of information designated by an input unit, and a display control unit which controls, in accordance with the type of information determined by the determination unit, the display form of an information presentation portion presenting explanatory information on the designated information. When the information designated by the input unit is an image in a folder, the explanatory information contains explanatory information on the image, and when the input unit designates an object other than an image in a folder, contains explanatory information on the folder.
US07689913B2
A process of managing Internet pornography based on detection of the phrase “18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement” or a discernable variation. The top level domain “xxx” may instead or in addition be examined.
US07689912B2
A method for storing electronic documents can include associating a digital seal with at least one electronic document. An image within a user interface can be displayed, wherein the image is a user selectable representation for the digital seal. At least one metadata attribute can be stored as a characteristic related to the digital seal. A storage characteristic of at least one electronic document can be modified based on one or more of the metadata attributes.
US07689906B2
The present invention discloses a technique for extracting data from a file. In accordance with the present invention, a request to extract one or more data records from the file is received. The data records within the file are identified, without using prior knowledge of a structure of the file. The data records are then extracted.
US07689896B2
Minimal hardware implementation of non-parity and parity trellis. More than one type of trellis can be represented using a minimal amount of hardware. In magnetic recording systems and other communication systems types, there is oftentimes a need to switch between trellises which support parity and ones which do not. Rules are presented herein which will ensure joint representation of more than one trellis while requiring minimal additional hardware when compared to representing only one trellis. To represent the non-parity trellis, emanating states, resultant states, and one or more expansion states (if needed) are all that is required. Any expansion states may also need to have its path metric and path memory corresponded to one of the resultant states to ensure proper detection according to the non-parity trellis.
US07689894B2
A decoding apparatus adapted for an optical access system comprises an interface, a detection element, and an error correction element. The interface receives a data from an optical storage medium. The detection element executes an error detection on the data received from the interface before the data is buffered to a first memory and generates a defect result in response to the error detection. The error correction element decodes the data in response to the defect result. A decoding method for an optical access system comprising the steps of: receiving a data from an optical storage medium via an interface of the optical access system; executing an error detection on the data received from the interface before the data is buffered to a first memory; generating a defect result in response to the error detection; and decoding the data in response to the defect result.
US07689890B2
An architecture and method for executing write commands in a storage array is disclosed. The data strips of the data stripes of the storage array each include a parity check bit. The parity strip of each stripe includes a plurality of parity check bits, each of which is uniquely associated with one of the data strips of the stripes. The inclusion within each data stripe of parity bits associated with each data strip and the party strip provides a method for identifying a corrupted or degraded data condition that occurs as a result of a server failing fails during a write command.
US07689869B2
When data are transferred to a cache from disk drives, through a back end I/F unit, a redundant code verifier of a data path controller compares write-history information (a Destaging Counter (DC) value) embedded in a redundant code of the data with a DC value embedded in a redundant code of a corresponding parity, thereby verifying whether the data are imprecise. In addition, in a case where the data are updated, the redundant code verifier makes a similar verification when old data to be used for creating a parity are read. When the data are not imprecise, a redundant code generator of the data path controller adds to new data and the parity a redundant code into which a new DC value has been embedded. When the data are imprecise, a controller informs a host of an occurrence of a problem through a front end I/F unit.
US07689868B2
A method for debugging includes interacting with a memory management component to force an interrupt upon access to one or more memory locations during software execution, and in response to the forced interrupt, saving information regarding the execution of the software, and interacting with the memory management component to disable the interrupt upon access to the one or more memory locations during software execution.
US07689867B2
Techniques that may be utilized in a multiprocessor system are described. In one embodiment, one or more signals are generated to indicate that a breakpoint instruction is executed by one of the plurality of processors in the multiprocessor system. For example, a signal may be generated to indicate whether a processor is to be halted once it receives the a signal that indicates the breakpoint instruction. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US07689864B2
The systems and methods disclosed relate to a processor comprising a processing unit and a debugging that which can be connected to an external emulator for debugging a program executed by the processor, the debugging interface including internal resources at least partially accessible to the external emulator. According to one embodiment, the debugging interface includes a selecting circuit for selecting an internal resource of the debugging interface, according to a reference supplied by the processing unit, and an access circuit that transfers a datum between the resource selected and a data field accessible by the processing unit.
US07689857B2
A method and apparatus for managing data, voice, application, and video services allows anticipation of poor quality of service from a remote management station, in order to allow correction of the cause before the end user perceives service quality degradation. Specific system phenomena are identified that coincide with user-perceived service degradation in a particular network. The network is then monitored for the occurrence of those phenomena. Incipient or existing user-perceived quality of service degradation is inferred from the occurrence of one or more of those phenomena and action is taken to avoid and/or correct the degraded service quality condition. In a preferred embodiment, as many of the steps as possible are performed automatically by a network management system. In one embodiment, a close correlation is assumed between application data buffer over-extension and poor quality of service from a user's point of view. In this embodiment, a monitor is placed on the application data buffer that raises an alarm for a network management system whenever the buffer is close to over-extension or an algorithm identifies a trend towards over-extension.
US07689853B2
Commands are passed between first and second asynchronous clock domains. Unique coded command signals are inserted into a data stream transmitted from the first asynchronous clock domain to the second asynchronous clock domain. They are passed without change from the first asynchronous clock domain to the second asynchronous clock domain through an elastic buffer. The unique coded command signals are then decoded in receiver circuitry in the second asynchronous clock domain. Process circuitry in the second asynchronous clock domain is controlled according to the decoded command signals.
US07689851B2
One embodiment is a computer device that uses a timer to limit a quantity of changes to different power states that are performed on a processor in the computer device during a predetermined time period. The power states changes each have different operating frequencies for the processor.
US07689850B2
Information handling system power management in standby and hibernate states is adapted to reduce transition times for end user requests to resume to an operational state. During fast resume time periods, transitions to the hibernate state are limited so that recovery to an operational states has the reduced resume time associated with the standby state. The fast resume time periods are set by user preference or automatically set by monitoring end user interactions with the information handling system to predict fast resume times appropriate for the end user. In one embodiment, a power manager automatically transitions the information handling system from the hibernate state to a standby state a predetermined time period before a fast resume period begins.
US07689847B2
A method for dynamically increasing the data processing capability of a computer system is provided. The computer system comprises a processor, a memory and a chipset. The data processing capability of the computer system is classified into a predetermined number of performance enhancing modes. At least one performance enhancing mode transition condition is checked to determine whether to automatically raise the performance enhancing mode of the computer system. The processor is suspended from using the processor bus during the transition of the performance enhancing mode of the computer system. The performance enhancing mode of the computer system is raised by increasing a first working frequency of the processor, a second working frequency of the processor bus and a third working frequency of the memory. The data processing rate of the computer system is further increased when the performance enhancing mode of the computer system is further raised.
US07689844B2
A technique to control power consumption within a microprocessor. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a technique to control power and performance within one or more microprocessors by enforcing a credit-based instruction execution rate algorithm.
US07689839B2
A system for dynamic power management in a distributed architecture system on chip, comprising a means for dynamically defining the feasibility of entering a low power mode of operation based on the status of components of the system, a means for entering or exiting safely from a low power state based on said feasibility, a means for decreasing the power centric communication between various processors and a means for increasing the low power mode time. Thus a framework is proposed in the instant invention wherein all the device drivers dynamically maintain the information on the feasibility of a low power transition at any point of time. Thus whenever an opportunity to enter a low power mode comes up one has to just check this feasibility variable to determine whether the low power mode entry is viable or not. For ensuring the safe transition to a low power mode, a stalling machine is proposed in case of DSPs. For further saving power, a power centric communication channel is established between various processors and to reduce the load on this communication channel techniques like quad-ring buffer and DSP feedback are proposed.
US07689826B2
Methods and systems for flexibly loading an application, e.g., a software application, and associated data from an application provider (101) onto a tamper resistant module (TRM) (103) having an I/O buffer (115) and a memory (119). A method embodiment of the invention comprises determining (501) the size of the TRM's I/O buffer (115), segmenting (503) the application to be loaded and its associated data into a plurality of segments, with each segment adapted to be stored in the I/O buffer (115) and the size of each segment being a function of the determined size of the I/O buffer (115), separately transmitting (505) each segment to the tamper resistant module (103), and storing (603) each separately transmitted segment in a selected one of one or more available spaces of the TRM's memory (119), said spaces selected depending upon the size of each segment and upon which of said available spaces has the smallest available area in the TRM's memory (119) in which the segment can be stored.
US07689825B2
A client device is registered with a network server by having the network server generate a key number and emit an optical representation of the key number for optical reception by the client device. The client device determines the key number from the received optical representation, and encrypts or decrypts a communication using the key number, or a value based on the key number. In one embodiment, the optical representation may be either an infrared signal or visible light signal.
US07689816B2
A global history vector (GHV) mechanism maintains a folded (XORed) GHV with higher order entries and an unfolded (no XORed) GHV with lower order entries. When a new entry arrives at the GHV, the GHV mechanism performs an XOR of the oldest unfolded entry in the unfolded GHV with the new entry. The XOR result is then shifted into the folded GHV as the newest folded entry. The oldest folded entry is discarded during the shift in of the newest folded entry. The GHV mechanism thus provides a resulting folded GHV that is current and can be utilized for XORing with an IFAR by performing an XOR operation. Only a single XOR logic is required to perform a single bit XOR operation between the oldest entry and the youngest entry, resulting in reducing the cycle time required to complete the folding (XORing) operation on a GHV.
US07689815B2
A method includes providing a debug instruction and providing a debug control register field, where if the debug control register field has a first value, the debug instruction executes a debug operation and where if the debug control register field has a second value, the debug instruction is to be executed as a no-operation (NOP) instruction. A data processing system includes instruction fetch circuitry for receiving a debug instruction, a debug control register field, and debug execution control circuitry for controlling execution of the debug instruction in a first manner if the debug control register field has a first value and in a second manner if the debug control register field has a second value, where in the first manner a debug operation is performed and in the second manner no debug operation is performed.
US07689804B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for protecting a value to be stored in a register of a register file with a first level of protection if the value is predicted to be used for a first time period, and protecting the value with a second level of protection if the value is predicted to be used for a second time period. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07689801B2
A method of reallocating memory to a hypervisor in a virtualized computing system, includes: assigning priorities to a plurality of logical partitions configured within the virtualized computing system; determining a memory requirement for the hypervisor, the hypervisor configured to manage the plurality of logical partitions; determining minimum levels of memory required for each of the plurality of logical partitions; determining the amount of available memory in the virtualized computing system; and in the event that the amount of available memory is less than the determined memory requirement of the hypervisor, removing portions of memory from one or more of the plurality of logical partitions based on the assigned priorities until the determined memory requirement for the hypervisor is obtained.
US07689797B2
A method for automatically configuring a newly added component to a storage subsystem is disclosed. In response to a new component being connected to a storage subsystem, a determination is made whether or not the new component is a host computer or a disk drive. If the new component is a host computer, the new component is added to the storage subsystem as a host computer when the number of computer systems that can be supported by the storage subsystem has not yet been exceeded. If the new component is a disk drive, the new component is allocated to a pool of storage devices within the storage subsystem, wherein some of the pool of storage devices are held in reserve while some of the pool of storage devices are allocated to a host computer based on policy rules.
US07689796B2
Provided is a storage system capable of saving actually used physical storage areas and of achieving a high speed in write processing. There is disclosed a computer system including a server and a storage system, in which physical storage areas of a disk drive are managed for each one or more physical blocks of predetermined sizes, and allocation of one or more physical blocks to a plurality of logical blocks of predetermined sizes is managed, and the storage system stores data written in a first logical block in a first physical block allocated to the first logical block and allocates the first physical block to a second logical block where the same data as the data stored in the first physical block is to be written.
US07689790B2
A copy source storage controller received write data added with a time and issued from a host computer transfers the write data with the time to a copy destination storage controller. If there are a plurality of copy destination storage controllers, a representative copy destination storage controller compares times of write data copied to the plurality of copy destination storage controllers, and writes the write data in copy destination logical volumes in the sequential order of time. The representative copy destination storage controller judges that integrity of the write data is established, if a communication procedure is established with the copy destination storage controller and if the statuses of the copy source/destination logical volumes are coincident. In remote copy which guarantees integrity of write data and traverses a plurality of storage controllers, it is possible to judge at an optional time point whether integrity of write data can be guaranteed.
US07689787B2
In a control device of a computer system in which a plurality of host computers are capable of sharing a same host interface of a storage system are provided: a VOL status monitoring portion that monitors a VOL status of each VOL mapped to the VVOL and determines whether or not the VOL status is changed, and a path number control portion that updates the number of paths connecting to a VVOL in which the VOL status has changed.
US07689783B2
A system for sharing memory by heterogeneous processors, each of which is adapted to process its own instruction set, is presented. A common bus is used to couple the common memory to the various processors. In one embodiment, a cache for more than one of the processors is stored in the shared memory. In another embodiment, some of the processors include a local memory area that is mapped to the shared memory pool. In yet another embodiment, local memory included on one or more of the processors is partially shared so that some of the local memory is mapped to the shared memory area, while remaining memory in the local memory is private to the particular processor.
US07689781B2
The invention relates to a functional system comprising a set of functions (F, F′) which are to access a collective resource (RSRC), the system including an interface (INT) arranged to implement an access scheme (AS) including at least one state (I) defined by an order of priority for an arbitration according to which the functions (F, F′) can access the collective resource (RSRC), the state (I) being characterized in that, for at least one set of at least two functions (F), the access possibilities in read mode (F_R) and the access possibilities in write mode (F_W) have different priority levels, the access possibilities in read mode having consecutive priority levels higher than the priority levels of the access possibilities in write mode.
US07689761B2
A data storage system and a data storing method for the data storage system are provided. The data storage system includes a host unit, a storage unit, and a first input/output bus functioning as an interface between the host unit and the storage unit. The storage unit includes a non-volatile memory buffer unit and a flash memory unit. The non-volatile memory buffer unit includes a plurality of buffers arranged in parallel. The flash memory unit includes a plurality of data storage devices arranged in parallel to input and output data using a parallel method. In the method, a writing request is first classified into one of a plurality of grades according to a writing request frequency when there is a writing request and the writing requested data is stored in one of the non-volatile memory buffer unit and the flash memory unit according to the writing request frequency.
US07689757B2
Application Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”) devices, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (“FPGAs”), may be interconnected using serial I/O connections, such as high speed multi-gigabit serial transceiver (“MGT”) connections. For example, serial I/O connections may be employed to interconnect a pair of ASICs to create a high bandwidth, low signal count connection, and in a manner so that any given pair of multiple ASIC devices on a single circuit card may communicate with each other through no more than one serial data communication link connection step. A reconfigurable hardware architecture (“RHA”) may be configured to include a communications infrastructure that uses a high-bandwidth packet router to establish standard communications protocols between multiple interfaces and/or multiple devices that may be present on a single circuit card. Additionally, a communications infrastructure may be established across multiple circuit cards.
US07689755B2
A method and apparatus for sharing peripheral devices between multiple execution domains of a hardware platform are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the configuration end-point devices, bridges and interconnects of a hardware platform including at least two execution domains. When a configuration requests is issued from an execution domain, the configuration requests may be intercepted. Hence, the received configuration request is not used to configure the peripheral end-points, bridges or interconnects of the hardware platform. Configuration information decoded from intercepted configuration request may be stored as virtual configuration information. In one embodiment, configuration information is read from a target of the configuration request to identify actual configuration information. This actual configuration information may be stored within a translation table and mapped to the virtual configuration information to enable translation of domain specific addresses to real (actual) addresses. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07689751B2
A method and system to facilitate Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe). The PCIe may be facilitated in such as way as to limit pins consumed by a Root Complex, switch, or other chipset included on the same die a central processing unit (CPU). A slot interface card (SIC) or other devices having less expensive pins may be used to connect to and communicate with the slot.
US07689745B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus to synchronize multiple controllers is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a plurality of controllers, and logic coupled to the plurality of controllers to control one or more controllers of the plurality of controllers to perform fetches simultaneously with one or more other controllers of the plurality of controllers. Other embodiments are also described.
US07689743B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for copying data. The present invention includes a data storage subsystem that supports fast replication and a host system that communicates a fast replication request to the data storage subsystem, estimates an expected wait time for a pending fast replication operation if the fast replication request is not granted, awaits the expiration of the wait time, communicates an additional fast replication request to the data storage subsystem, and records the data as moved if the additional fast replication is granted. In certain embodiments, the host system moves the data via conventional I/O operations if the expected wait time exceeds an expected duration for the conventional I/O operations.
US07689741B2
A dual buffer memory system capable of improving system performance by reducing a data transmission time and a control method thereof are provided. The dual buffer memory system includes a flash memory block and a plurality of buffers. The dual buffer memory system uses a dual buffering scheme in which one buffer among the plurality of buffers interacts with the flash memory block and simultaneously a different buffer among the plurality of buffers interacts with a host. Therefore, it is possible to reduce a data transmission time between the flash memory and the host, thereby improving system performance.
US07689740B2
The invention provides a method for Serial-Peripheral-Interface (SPI) data transmission. First, data stored in a first buffer of an SPI controller is transmitted to a second buffer of an SPI slave. A clock signal according to which the SPI slave operates is halted after data stored in the first buffer is completely transmitted. The first buffer is then refreshed with data newly received by the SPI controller while the clock signal is halted. The clock signal is then restarted to operate the SPI slave after the first buffer is refreshed. Refreshed data stored in the first buffer is then transmitted to the second buffer while the clock signal is oscillating. Halting of the clock signal, refreshing of the first buffer, restarting of the clock signal, and transmitting of refreshed data are repeated until the second buffer is full. The buffer size of the second buffer greatly exceeds that of the first buffer.
US07689736B2
Methods and systems for automatically and dynamically identifying capabilities of devices connected to a storage system controller port and setting operating parameters of that port are described. In particular, a storage system controller administers scanning and probing functions to determine capabilities of devices connected to a given port. Based on the determined capabilities of all or a subset of the devices connected to that port, an operating parameter is assigned to that port.
US07689734B2
Disclosed are a method, a system and a computer program product for managing direct memory access (DMA) operations in a double buffering system. During direct memory access operations in a computer system, data is transferred from a source memory location to a destination memory location with minimal use of the computer's processing unit. Double buffering utilizes two separate memory buffers to perform simultaneous DMA operations. Prior to processing a DMA request each buffer in a double buffering system is assigned a channel identification (ID), or tag. When reading, writing, or polling status of data in a buffer, the tag identifies the buffer. A toggle factor is utilized to conveniently switch between each buffer in the double buffering system. Utilizing a toggle factor decreases latencies in DMA operations.
US07689733B2
A computer that operates in a metered mode for normal use and a restricted mode uses an input/output memory management unit (I/O MMU) in conjunction with a security policy to determine which peripheral devices are allowed direct memory access during the restricted mode of operation. During restricted mode operation, non-authorized peripheral devices are removed from virtual address page tables or given vectors to non-functioning memory areas.
US07689731B2
Supply state information associated with a peripheral device that is shared over a network while coupled to a local network resource is obtained and a representation of the supply state information is stored in a data repository that is accessible by remote network resources.
US07689730B2
The invention relates to a data output method and to a data output system comprising: a printing device; a database device in which corresponding reference data and/or control data are stored for a plurality of data output system users; a data output control device providing or compiling corresponding output data sets and delivering same to the printing device; and a device for monitoring the providing or compiling and/or the delivering of the output data sets to the printing device.
US07689728B2
There is provided a method for describing an ACPI machine language table used in a computer system having a multibridge PCI structure, which enables an OS to support hot plugs for PCI devices subordinate to a PCI multibridge. Upon receiving a call requesting a resource information method for a PCI device from an ACPI driver on an OS, a PCI configuration access is made to a subordinate bridge in a PCI device side, so that the ACPI machine language table supplied from a BIOS returns resource information of the PCI device. A PCI configuration access is made to a superordinate bridge in a PCI system bus side, to obtain resource information of the subordinate bridge. The resource information of the subordinate bridge is obtained from the superordinate bridge, and secondary resource information is obtained from a PCI configuration space of the subordinate bridge.
US07689720B2
A shared concept of time, called “graph time,” is agreed upon by all nodes within a graph. Each node maintains its own local delta representative of a difference in the node's system clock and graph time. Upon connecting to a neighbor node in a graph, a node is sent graph time as perceived by the neighbor node. In accordance with an embodiment, the node assumes that the lag time in receiving the graph time from the neighbor node is one-half of the lag time between the request for the connection and the receipt of the graph time. Graph time as sent by the neighbor node is added to one-half of the total delay and the sum is subtracted from the node's system time to calculate the delta for the node requesting connection.
US07689700B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for configuring computing devices to join a peer group. A peer group may be created on a subnetwork by a computing device. When a new computing device enters the subnetwork, it may join the peer group and be given access to the shared resources on the peer group and associated computing devices, using a communications layer and an authorization layer. Allowing a new computing device to join a peer group includes inviting the new device to join and then challenging the device for a passkey of the peer group. After joining the peer group, the computing device will be able to access and share resources with the peer group and other computing devices associated with the peer group.
US07689694B2
When performing distributed processing in processing devices connected to a network and a processing managing device for managing the processing devices, it is possible to eliminate the overhead of the processing management device. When the processing management device (PU) (203) managing processing devices (SPU) (207) under its control receives a task request from one of the SPU, the processing managing device (203) specifies a cluster matched with the size or type of the task in a cluster list listed up in a predetermined memory, allocates the task to the specified cluster, and transmits to at least one of the cluster and the task request source SPU, communication setting information (such as a communication address) of the other, thereby enabling direct execution result transmission/reception by the network communication between the cluster and the request source SPU.
US07689682B1
A method of obtaining lists of nodes of a multi-dimensional personal information network includes accessing personal information aggregators from a first set of personal information aggregators that correspond to nodes of the multi-dimensional personal information network that have a degree of separation of one from a first node. One or more lists of additional personal information aggregators that correspond to nodes that have a degree of separation of one with at least one node corresponding to a personal information aggregator in the first set of personal information aggregators are requested. One or more of the requested lists are received and stored.
US07689677B2
In a virtualized desktop system, a digital user station communicates with an interfacing module coupled to a target device via a network. The digital user station controls the power of the target device and the interfacing module by determining the power status of the interfacing module and sending a power control packet to the target device the interfacing module is coupled to.
US07689669B2
A method for accessing an appliance, especially an automation appliance with a standardized interface, by means of a first processing device via a data network. A call is sent from the first data processing device to the second data processing device via the data network, and an address for identifying the appliance is extracted in the second data processing device from the call of the first data processing device to the second data processing device and used to identify the appliance. Information pertaining to the appliance can be accessed via the standardized interface of the appliance by means of the address extracted in the second data processing device.
US07689668B2
A method is disclosed for transparent, dynamic provision of Web services, wherein a request, for example, a SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) message of a Web service can be rerouted transparently to a local instance. If a local instance is not yet available, a dynamic provision of the Web service, downloading and local initiation of the Web service are made possible.
US07689665B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for dynamically loading scripts. Web pages can include references to script loaders that control the loading of other scripts at a Web browser. A script loader can load scripts in accordance with script loading rules that override the default script loading behavior of the Web browser. Script loading rules can cause scripts to load in a different order than encountered in a Web pager, load in parallel, load in a manner that limits cross-domain requests, etc. Script loading rules are configurable such at that a developer can create customized script loading behavior.
US07689660B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a system and method for an application server architecture having a common connection manager for at least two heterogeneous application server software suites. One of the software suites is a standards-based application server software suite having a plurality of worker nodes. In one embodiment, the plurality of worker nodes share code and data that is stored in a shared memory.
US07689658B2
Publishing messages over a network includes receiving a message from a sender in a first format, identifying the sender of the message as an authorized sender based on information associated with the message in comparison to data in a sender account using software executing in a central processor, wherein the identifying step is dependent on the first format of the message, receiving a request for at least the portion of the message from a requester, and publishing at least the portion of the message to the requestor over the network only if the software has identified the sender as an authorized sender. The requester can subscribe to receive new messages from one or more senders including the identified sender, and a copy of any new messages from the identified sender can be sent to one or more notification devices associated with the subscribed requestor.
US07689651B2
An enterprise system includes a plurality of artifacts (e.g., persons, objects, databases, autonomous elements, intelligent agents, information systems, etc), and a smart distance (e.g., a distance which may optimize the performance of the enterprise system) between the plurality of artifacts.
US07689647B2
The present invention is directed toward efficiently locating desired information and, more specifically, to providing a system and method for removing unnecessary multiple references to a common resource such as redundant listed Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that reference the same display URLs (and thus the same Web page) as another listed URL. Consequently, in circumstances where only a smaller, finite number of listed results are immediately used (such as displaying only the twenty most relevant results on the first page presented to a search engine end-user), the finite number of listed results may corresponds to a greater number of unique display URLs than would otherwise occur absent this form of filtering.
US07689639B2
The present invention describes a method and apparatus for performing logarithmic arithmetic with real and/or complex numbers represented in a logarithmic format. In one exemplary embodiment, an ALU implements logarithmic arithmetic on complex numbers represented in a logpolar format. According to this embodiment, memory in the ALU stores a look-up table used to determine logarithms of complex numbers, while a processor in the ALU generates an output logarithm based on complex input operands represented in logpolar format using the stored look-up table. In another exemplary embodiment, the ALU performs logarithmic arithmetic on real and complex numbers represented in logarithmic format. In this embodiment, the memory stores two look-up tables, one for determining logarithms of real numbers and one for determining logarithms of complex numbers, while the processor generates an output logarithm based on real or complex input operands represented in logarithmic format using the real or complex look-up tables, respectively.
US07689638B2
The present invention discloses a method and device for determining and outputting a similarity measure between two data strings each data string comprising data entities, comprising: receiving a first data string, receiving a second data string, which is characterized by determining consecutively following data entities in the first data string, determining the relative positions of the consecutively following data entities in the first data string, determining similar data entities with the same order in the second data string, determining the relative positions of the determined data entities in the second data string, determining a matching measure by determining how far the relative positions of data entities in the second data string match with the relative positions of consecutively following data entities in the first data string, and outputting a similarity measure which corresponds to the matching measure of at least one comparison result.
US07689637B1
An input signal is filtered for creating an output signal using an adaptive filter. An error signal is derived from the output signal. The adaptive filter has coefficient whose value can be modified. A value of a coefficient is modified using a derived updating amount. The updating amount is obtained from the product of a value of the input signal, a value of the polarity of the error signal, and a step gain. The step gain has the form 2K with K being an integer and being dependent on a magnitude of the value of the error signal and on a step gain parameter. The updating amount is dependent on both the magnitude and the polarity of the error signal, therefore allowing a precise update of the coefficient. The specific form of the step gain allows a fast derivation of the product.
US07689632B2
A system, method and computer program product for storing configuration data for use in configuring a device while a program utilizing the configuration data is undergoing a revision at the device. The method includes a first step of providing a data structure indicating a manner in which configuration data is to be stored, and storing the data structure and current configuration data according to the data structure. Then, a revised software program in the device may identify the data structure and access a particular configuration data, along with its format; and, apply a conversion function that translates the stored current configuration data to a format compatible for use by the revised software. This is accomplished in a manner such that no configuration data is corrupted. The data structure includes data self describing the stored current configuration data, such that a conversion function can easily access the self describing information and render the stored configuration data platform independent.
US07689628B2
A monitoring system provided according to an aspect of the present invention enables a user to specify multiple resource elements as a resource pool, and view various aggregate information (e.g., sum, average) for attributes of interest for all the resource elements together. Such a feature is particularly useful in distributed environments where multiple independent resource elements need to be viewed as a single resource pool. The user is provided the flexibility to select the specific resource elements to be included in the resource pool.
US07689625B2
A computer-readable storage medium having a data structure for representing a plurality of objects. The data structure includes a first data field storing data associated with a taxonomy type. The data structure also includes a second data field storing data associated with a reference to a model instance of an object classified by the taxonomy type. The model instance identifies an entity represented by the classified object. A third data field stores a first data set having data stored in the second data field. The first data set identifies a set of one or more objects related to the classified object positioned higher in a hierarchical structure than the classified object. A fourth data field stores a second data set having data stored in the second data field. The second data set identifies a set of one or more objects related to the classified object positioned lower than classified object.
US07689624B2
A search system and method is provided. The method includes constructing a graph-based query that is indicative of a user's preference-levels for different features of a search item (a product, for example). The constructed graph-based query is executed by comparing the user's preference-levels for the different features of the product, which are graphically represented in the query, with information related to sentiments expressed by other users regarding the product. Information related to the sentiments expressed by other users regarding the product can include system-generated product performance graphs constructed from comments regarding the product obtained from the World Wide Web (or other network). Results returned and output upon execution of the graph-based query include system-generated product performance graphs that are similar to the user-submitted query.
US07689620B2
One embodiment of a non-word-based information retrieval system includes searching stock or image documents in a huge data source. A non-word-based document is first divided into a series of elements or an array of cells. Each element or cell is matched against a series of predefined token patterns, so that a match will generate a token having a name. The collection of the generated named tokens is a word-based representation of the non-word-based document. After tokens from all documents are collected in a master collection of tokens, the non-word-based documents can be efficiently and systematically searched in a manner analogous to a document search in a word-based search system.
US07689618B2
A PC server, connected with a client PC, extracts from a database content satisfying a condition designated from the client PC, and content that does not directly satisfy the designated condition. A pamphlet including the extracted content is output.
US07689615B2
A unique system and method that facilitates improving the ranking of items is provided. The system and method involve re-ranking decreasing subsets of high ranked items in separate stages. In particular, a basic ranking component can rank a set of items. A subset of the top or high ranking items can be taken and used as a new training set to train a component for improving the ranking among these high ranked documents. This process can be repeated on an arbitrary number of successive high ranked subsets. Thus, high ranked items can be reordered in separate stages by focusing on the higher ranked items to facilitate placing the most relevant items at the top of a search results list.
US07689614B2
A document accessible over a network can be registered. A registered document, and the content contained therein, is not transmitted undetected over and off of the network. In one embodiment, the invention includes a manager agent to maintain signatures of registered documents and a match agent to detect the unauthorized transmission of the content of registered documents.
US07689609B2
An architecture, including a file-level protocol, for supporting sparse volumes on a storage system is provided. The file-level protocol provides coherency checking for use in retrieving data stored on a backing store remote from a storage system.
US07689605B2
The present invention leverages MOLAP performance for ROLAP objects (dimensions, partitions and aggregations) by building, in a background process, a MOLAP equivalent of that object. When the background processing completes, queries are switched from ROLAP queries to MOLAP queries. When changes occur to relevant relational objects (such as tables that define content of OLAP objects), an OLAP object is switched back to a ROLAP mode, and all relevant caches are dropped while, as a background process, a new MOLAP equivalent is created.
US07689600B2
A system and method for file system synchronization is described. A method described includes saving content of a cluster file system (CFS) archive to a CFS database, detecting a change made in the CFS database with respect to the CFS archive, comparing an index of the CFS database with an index of the file system, and updating the file system to reflect the change in the CFS database.
US07689596B2
According to the present invention, a data transmission device that can transmit data to a destination contained in pre-stored destination information, the data transmission device comprises a determining section that, when the device is instructed to transmit data, determines whether or not destination information contained in the transmission instruction was updated after the last data transmission carried out with reference to the destination information; and a notifying section that, if the determining section determines that the destination information was updated after the last data transmission to the destination, notifies a user having given the transmission instruction that the destination information has been updated.
US07689594B2
A vehicle management and mission management computer architecture and packaging may include a first line replaceable unit and a second line replaceable unit. The first line replaceable unit may include a vehicle management system computer channel coupleable to a group including at least one mission related system and at least one vehicle system. The first line replaceable unit may also include a mission management system computer channel coupleable to the group including the at least one mission related system and the at least one vehicle system. The second line replaceable unit may include another vehicle management system computer channel coupleable to the group including the at least one mission related system and the at least one vehicle system. The second line replaceable unit may also include another mission management system computer channel coupleable to the group including the at least one mission related system and the at least one vehicle system.
US07689591B2
Disclosed is a recording apparatus for editing data and recording a file which is an editing result. The apparatus is configured by a file generating section for generating a file and a recording section for recording the file which is generated by the file generating section, in a recording medium. The file is composed of a management information block and a data block. The management information block has at least an image management track for storing management information necessary for reproducing image data with respect to each predetermined unit reproducing time, an identifier of the image management track, and a display control track for storing management information of display control data which is composed of a display position of an image which corresponds to the image data. The data block is capable of storing data which is managed by the management information block.
US07689589B2
A content retrieval system is provided. The system includes a communications signal analyzing system for receiving a communications signal and decoding the signal to generate key search terms associated with the communications signal. A search engine system performs a content based search using the key search terms. A display system displays search results from the search engine system concurrently with displaying an output corresponding to the communications signal.
US07689587B1
Generating a repository template of a repository of data for a storage area network (SAN) management tool is disclosed. The repository will hold data describing SAN elements and configurations, and will be stored on a host. A configuration file is updated to include current configuration data for the repository, and includes specifications for a set of new schemas that define structures within the repository. A set of new schemas is created from those specifications. Seed data that defines initial information for the repository is copied to the host. New schemas are initialized with the seed data. A repository template is generated from the created set of new schemas and the seed data, from which one or more repositories may be created to hold SAN data.
US07689586B2
A system and method for remotely monitoring and controlling a data storage system comprising a web server that has an ability to send and receive communications with one or more data storage systems through the storage system's main data communication path or through an alternate path. The web server may include a routine which continuously monitors the status of the storage system as well as a routine which pushes changed data to a client device operating a browser. The system and method may consolidate the status and provide control of many different independent data storage systems simultaneously.
US07689584B2
A method and apparatus for managing groups in a directory server is described. In one embodiment, in response to a request for accessing a static group, an action represented by an attribute of an entry of the directory server is dynamically performed. A result of the action is returned as part of a response of the static group.
US07689583B2
Architecture that defines a document or portions thereof as data elements that are related and categorized. A data catalog is created that uses a schema for the data elements and a set of relationships, attributes and values that further define the data elements, all stored as metadata about the data elements. The metadata is employed to enable the application, display surface, and user to see only data relevant to the task at hand. The positioning and grouping of controls, control characteristics, and control behavior at the display surface is facilitated by forms which are dynamically populated for presentation and which are driven directly by the data catalog. The catalog can be made aware of device parameters, for example, the display size and resolution thereby enabling data to be displayed differently based upon the device parameters.
US07689578B2
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for maintaining annotations for changing source documents are provided. For some embodiments, an annotation system may support multiple policies, with each policy dictating how (or if) an annotation created for a version of a source document should be applied to subsequent versions of the source document. For some embodiments, a user creating an annotation may select from a group of available policies to be applied to the annotation.
US07689574B2
A method, system and program storage device are provided for extending an inverted index, which comprises first and second inverted index subfiles to increase the speed of establishing and updating inverted index files. The method includes performing ordered keyword indexing operations of generating an inverted index from data sources, in which a frequency of occurrence of keywords in each of the data sources is calculated, and writing each keyword, the data sources, and the frequency of occurrence of each keyword in the corresponding data sources to the inverted index. If a number of data sources involved in the indexing operations reaches a first threshold, then writing contents of the inverted index as a smallest grid into the first inverted index subfile. If a number of smallest grids in the first inverted index subfile reaches a second threshold, then merging the smallest grids into a merged grid and writing the merged grid into the second inverted index subfile. If the number of merged grids in the second inverted index subfile reaches a third threshold, then further merging the merged grids into a larger merged grid, and writing the larger merged grid back into the first inverted index subfile.
US07689569B2
A data management system includes a plurality of data environments. Each data environment includes data relating to items. In the system, a method of managing the data includes identifying a plurality of rules. Each rule represents a unique combination of the possible values of the variable in each of the plurality of data environments. The method also includes creating a record for each item. The record for each item includes an item field that identifies the item and a rule field that associates the item with one of the plurality of rules. The method also includes storing the records and receiving a request at the data management system to display the particular value of an item in one of the data environments.
US07689558B2
A system and method for application monitoring using profile points. An embodiment of a method includes installing an agent in a computer application. The agent will generate an event when there is an entry into a method or when there is an exit from a method. The method further includes running the computer application is run, and monitoring for events that are generated by the agent during the running of the computer application.
US07689554B2
The present invention relates to systems and methods for identifying one or more queries related to a given query. The method of the present invention comprises receiving a query written according to one or more writing systems of a language with multiple writing systems. A candidate set of queries written according to one or more writing systems of the language with multiple writing systems is identified. A score is calculated for the one or more queries in the candidate set indicating the similarity of the one or more queries with respect to the query received.
US07689537B2
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for enhancing collaboration using a corporate social network to infer contacts. A method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: providing a social network for an organization, the social network including a plurality of nodes and links, wherein each node represents a member of the organization, and wherein each link represents a relationship between a pair of the nodes; receiving a request by a requesting member of the organization for a required type of contact; and inferring a contact to the requesting member by searching the social network along a plurality of dimensions from the node representing the requesting member.
US07689536B1
Systems and methods that detect information and extract information are described. In one aspect, target rules are defined for detection of target hits in an article, including defining a target article region, extraction rules are defined based on the target rules for the extraction of extracts from the article, including an extraction article region, target rules are applied to each target article region of the article to determine target hits, and extraction rules are applied to detect at least one extract from the article based on the determined target hit.
US07689535B2
Techniques for providing a unified view of a domain model to a user are described herein. In one embodiment, in response to a first search query received from a client via a first search mechanism (e.g., outside of the relational DB) for a list of persistent objects representing data entries of a relational database, it is determined whether the persistent objects have been accessed via a second search query via a second search mechanism based on an object identifier of the persistent object. If the requested persistent object has been accessed via a second search query, an identical instance of the persistent object is returned to the client as a result of the first search query. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07689528B2
An iterative approach to solving the optimization problem is provided. The invention provides an iteration of four basic operations; determining the segments, balancing the segments, expanding a segment, and solving the segment optimization. The method and apparatus can use any off-the-shelf linear programming (LP) solver, such as Dash Optimization Xpress, by Dash Optimization, during the solve operation. The size of the problem fed into the LP solver remains bounded and relatively small compared to the entire problem size. Thus, the algorithm can solve problems of several orders of magnitude larger. In one embodiment of the invention, the sampling and segmentation techniques are removed to where the problem is solved at the account-level. In the above cases, the solution is produced in a more cost-effective manner and the best possible return is achieved because the doubt of achieving a true global solution is removed.
US07689525B2
The present invention provides a unique method and user interface that facilitates accessing and browsing objects in which a user begins with a center object (e.g., one or a few focal objects) displayed on a screen and related objects are populated on the screen as well. The related objects can be further organized into clusters whereby each cluster or grouping of objects expands on a particular attribute of the center object. The attributes correspond to metadata. Thus, the objects are populated based upon the metadata of the center object. According to one aspect, the user can access one or more specific objects having a plurality of attributes and then relax at least one of the attributes to see what other objects share at least one attribute with the center object. According to another aspect, the object having the closest match to a search request can be centrally displayed with other close matches arranged by their respective metadata.
US07689523B2
In a system according to the present invention, when there occurs a failure or problem phenomenon in a new case example of designing, assembling components (parts, assembling operations and attributes thereof) are input. Failure influence indices are calculated for the assembling components respectively based on assembling operation/attribute coefficients. Assembling components to be improved are extracted, and specific solutions built for the assembling components respectively are displayed on a display so that a specific solution can be selected therefrom. Specific risks expected for the selected solutions respectively are built. The specific solutions and the specific risks are displayed on the display so as to be associated with each other.
US07689521B2
The present invention relates to a system and methodology to facilitate collaboration and communications between entities such as between automated applications, parties to a communication and/or combinations thereof. The systems and methods of the present invention include a service that supports collaboration and communication by learning predictive continuous time Bayesian models that provide forecasts of one or more aspects of a users' presence and availability. Presence forecasts include a user's current or future locations at different levels of location precision and usage of different devices or applications. Availability assessments include inferences about the cost of interrupting a user in different ways and a user's current or future access to one or more communication channels. The predictive models are constructed from data collected by considering user activity and proximity from multiple devices, in addition to analysis of the content of users' calendars, the time of day, and day of week, for example. Various applications are provided that employ the presence and availability information supplied by the models in order to facilitate collaboration and communications between entities.
US07689515B2
A method of evaluating a power plant having a design life based on operating the plant within an allowable chemical exposure range includes accumulating a history of a chemical exposure of a steam generating portion of the power plant. The method also includes determining a remaining life of the plant based on the history of the chemical exposure and assuming continued operation of the plant within the allowable chemical exposure range. The method may also include evaluating an economic value of operating the plant based on the remaining life of the plant.
US07689503B2
A predatory lending detection system and method are described. The system is adapted to receive information pertaining to loans, store general loan information, as well as predatory lending laws, and process the loan information to detect violations of applicable predatory lending laws. In particular, the system compares the loan information to the general loan information and to the applicable predatory lending laws, detects variances therebetween, and scores such detected variances to determine a risk category for the loan.
US07689498B2
A system and method of trading option contracts, such as foreign currency option contracts, is described. In one embodiment, a system and method for web-based or network-based interactive trading of currency options is described. Users of the system provide volatility runs of currency options, deal on existing offers to sell or bids to buy, or may improve on existing offers to sell or bids to buy. The system and method provide automatic price quotations for a requested option contract by polling internal volatility surfaces of users for prices on the requested contract, and. ensure a more orderly pattern of trades by categorizing the users into discrete tiers which determine a user's obligations to provide offers and bids to the system and which determine a user's opportunities and rights to trade on the system.
US07689493B1
The disclosure details the implementation of apparatuses, methods, and systems for asset index tracking. The disclosure details how an asset index tracker aligns investor asset portfolios to a selected asset index. The asset index tracker enables investors to automatically match their portfolio to a predefined index. The asset index tracker compares the investor's portfolio to the selected index and provides recommendations to rebalance the portfolio at specified intervals. This is achieved by comparing the investor's portfolio to the index to determine the trades necessary to align the portfolio to the index. A correlation and estimated tracking error of the portfolio to the index may be calculated to validate how the portfolio matches the index. The resulting trade recommendations may be executed upon the investor's approval or automatically. The execution of the trades achieves the rebalancing of the investor's portfolio to more closely track a selected target index.
US07689489B2
Methods and systems are provided for assisting financial services firms and their representatives in efficiently managing their businesses, and in developing and maintaining strong customer service and loyalty. An integrated, preferably web based browser operated system is provided that uses one or more central databases to store customer, account, accounting, compliance, and other relevant information. Interfaces and tools are also provided for accessing the one or more central databases in a manner that is consistent with and supports how a representative actually works.
US07689483B2
A system for facilitating payment of accounts payables from a foreign financial institution for a customer of a domestic financial institution, software, and methods are provided. The system includes a first financial institution computer positioned at a domestic financial institution site to define a domestic financial institution server, having memory associated therewith, and foreign exchange analyzing software stored in the memory of the domestic financial institution server to analyze a foreign exchange transaction. The system also includes an area network in communication with the server, and a second customer computer in communication with the area network, positioned remote from the server at a customer site, and positioned to transmit an accounts payable batch data file having a plurality of accounts payable to the foreign exchange analyzing software stored on the server.
US07689468B2
Purchasing, redemption and settlement systems and methods are provided wherein a buyer takes possession of a product at a retailer. A purchasing system may communicate with a buyer through a communication network to establish a first price for a product between the buyer and a seller. The purchasing system may also arrange for the buyer to take possession of the product at a retailer, different from the seller, that offers the product for sale at a second price. Verification information, which enables the retailer to authorize the buyer to take possession of the product, is transmitted to the retailer. The buyer provides a payment, based on the first price, to the purchasing system in exchange for the right to take possession of the product at the retailer. In one embodiment, the purchasing system receives a buyer offer, including an offer price, related to the product. In another embodiment, the purchasing system transmits redemption information, including a redemption code, to the buyer. The redemption information may also include information that enables the creation of a voucher to be used when taking possession of the product. The purchasing system may also receive information related to an attempt by the buyer to take possession of the product, including the redemption code, from the retailer.
US07689465B1
One or more images of items for an order being processed at processing station of an order fulfillment center may be captured and associated with the order. Alternatively, a short video clip may be captured of the order being packaged. An electronic notification that the order has been processed may be sent to a customer associated with the order. The electronic notification may include a reference to one or more of the captured images or video clips. The customer may use a reference included in the notification to view the captured images. The customer may view captured images to verify that the order has been correctly processed. The captured images may include images of the items being packaged for shipment and may show the shipping address on the package allowing the customer to verify that indeed it is his package in the images.
US07689464B2
An electronic accounting-document system, an electronic accounting-document processing method, an accounting-document creation unit and an accounting-document processing unit are provided in which the time that is taken to transmit and process accounting-document data can be shortened. An accounting-document creation section creates accounting-document data on an accounting document; an accounting-document data division section divides the accounting-document data into accounting-document present data and accounting-document absent data; a data transmission section transmits the accounting-document present data and the accounting-document absent data which is received by a data receiving section; an accounting-document data monitoring section identifies the accounting-document present data and the accounting-document absent data; a distribution accounting-document data creation section processes and stores, as accounting-document data for distribution, the accounting-document present data so that it can be output to a CD-R; and a distribution accounting-document data updating section updates the distribution accounting-document data, based on the accounting-document absent data.
US07689463B1
A system and method for conducting electronic business between buyers and sellers is provided. The system and method disclose a means for at least one buyer to request and receive online bids from one or more sellers of a particular product according to a price curve or price schedule. A price schedule or curve for a product defining a product's unit price as a function of the volume of product ordered. Upon receipt of a plurality of bids from sellers, a buyer can then select a seller-supplier based at least in part on the price schedule.
US07689456B2
A method and system for predicting the profit attributable to a proposed sales promotion of a product, wherein the product has a wholesale price and a manufacturing cost per unit sales, including establishing a base volume for sales of the product in the absence of promotions; determining a sales lift for the plurality of single promotions; and correlating the sales lift with promotion information to provide a sales lift model. The method and system also include proposing a promotion having a cost per unit sales for a promotion time period and having a planned sale price for the product; applying the sales lift model to the proposed promotion to predict sales of the product for the promotion time period; and calculating manufacturer profit based upon the product's predicted sales, cost per unit sales for promotion, wholesale price, and manufacturing cost per unit sales during the promotion time period.
US07689451B2
Systems and methods are provided for offering a financial product or service to a group of consumers. A first marketing pack for marketing a financial product or service to a group of consumers, where the first marketing pack has a first value for at least one marketing pack attribute, is selected. A second marketing pack having a second value for the at least one marketing pack attribute is then selected, such that the difference between the first value and the second value satisfies a predetermined marketing distance criteria. Thereafter, the financial product or service is offered to the group of consumers using the first marketing pack and the second marketing pack.
US07689436B2
A printer driver application is executed to form print data to be output at a peripheral device. User-specific data and the print data are addressed to an address of a queue to be output at the peripheral device. The user data can be an identification of a user requesting the output at the peripheral device, accounting information corresponding to the user, billing information corresponding to the user, a quantity corresponding to the print data, or a cost corresponding to the print data to be output at the peripheral device.
US07689428B2
An acoustic signal encoding device for down-mixing at different ratios to encode a multichannel signal with a small number of channels, and an acoustic signal decoding device for decoding the signal encoded by the acoustic signal encoding device. In these devices, weighting means (103) in the acoustic signal encoding device (100) weights input signals of two channels individually according to a down-mixing coefficient thereby to calculate the level difference of the signals of two channels weighted by a level difference calculation unit (104). A separating unit (202) in the acoustic signal decoding device (200) separates the down-mixed signals into signals of two channels with the level difference information weighted.
US07689426B2
A distributed interactive voice processing system is disclosed that distributes IVR capabilities to one or more agent terminals associated with a call center. One or more agent terminals support the traditional functions of a live agent, as well as additional IVR capabilities to support the functions of a virtual or automated agent A call management system manages the distributed IVR resources by monitoring the availability status of the live and automated IVR agents in the distributed interactive voice processing system and distributing telephone calls and other types of communications to the appropriate agents. The availability status of the automated IVR agents is based on estimated available CPU cycles on the agent terminal A received call is routed to the extension on the agent terminal associated with the selected IVR channel. A VXML process associated with the selected IVR channel obtains the appropriate application software from a central voiceXML application server and executes the VXML page(s) to play the appropriate prompts from the IVR script to the caller and to collect DTMF or speech recognized inputs from the caller The distributed design allows centralized application management while using distributed resources to provide improved IVR availability.
US07689423B2
A method of repeating a computer recognized string in a telematics unit in a vehicle, including receiving a user utterance at the telematics unit from a user, the user utterance including a plurality of words and a plurality of user pauses between the words, parsing the user utterance into a plurality of phonemes, forming a data string in which each user pause is associated with a phoneme adjacent to the user pause, and playing back the data string.
US07689422B2
A method of processing an audio signal comprises receiving an audio signal, extracting features from the audio signal, and translating the extracted features into metadata. The metadata comprises an instruction set of a markup language. A system for processing the audio signal is also disclosed, which comprises an input device for receiving the audio signal and a processor for extracting the features from the audio signal and for translating the extracted features into the metadata.
US07689414B2
In a speech recognition device (1) for recognizing text information (TI) corresponding to speech information (SI), wherein speech information (SI) can be characterized in respect of language properties, there are firstly provided at least two language-property recognition means (20, 21, 22, 23), each of the language-property recognition means (20, 21, 22, 23) being arranged, by using the speech information (SI), to recognize a language property assigned to said means and to generate property information (ASI, LI, SGI, CI) representing the language property that is recognized, and secondly there are provided speech recognition means (24) that, while continuously taking into account the at least two items of property information (ASI, LI, SGI, CI), are arranged to recognize the text information (TI) corresponding to the speech information (SI).
US07689408B2
The language of origin of a word or named entity is predicted using estimates of frequency of occurrence of the word or named entity in different languages. In one embodiment, the normalized frequency of occurrence of the word or named entity in a variety of different languages is estimated and the values are used as features in a feature vector which is scored and used to identify language of origin.
US07689403B2
Two unique instructions for the instruction set of a target 36-bit machine which is emulated on a host 64-bit machine are provided in order to achieve visibility, to an emulated application program, of a “containing” word stored in the memory of the host machine. A “LOAD64” instruction loads the emulator memory location representing an emulated “Q” (supplementary accumulator) register with the “normal” 36-bits of the containing word. At the same time, the “upper” 28 bits of the 64-bit containing word is copied into the emulator memory location representing an emulated “A” (accumulator) register. Thus, the emulated 36-bit machine “sees” and can examine the 64-bit word in its entirety. A “Store64” instruction stores the emulated “Q” register contents into the lower 36-bits of the 64-bit containing word, and at the same time stores the lower 28 bits of the emulated “A” register contents into the upper 28 bits of the 64-bit containing word.
US07689400B2
Systems, method, and media for reconstructing data from simulation models are disclosed. Embodiments may include a method for accessing an alias from an alias file. The method may generally include searching for a net name and, if the net name is not found, searching an alias index file for an alias index entry associated with the net name, the alias index entry having a net name and an associated position. The method may also generally include, if the net name entry is found, accessing from an alias file an alias associated with the net name. A further embodiment may generally include receiving a net name and a position of an alias in the alias file, creating an alias index entry for the alias having a net name and the position of the alias, and storing the created alias index entry in the alias index file.
US07689398B2
In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, system and method for modeling and application of interproximal reduction (IPR) of teeth to facilitate orthodontic treatment is provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a system and method for modeling and application of IPR are configured within a treatment methodology that initially determines whether stripping is needed for two neighboring teeth. If stripping is necessary, the exemplary method for modeling and application of IPR is conducted. In an exemplary embodiment, a stripping plane or other surface is constructed to determine the amount and region of stripping for two neighboring teeth, in other words, the volume to be removed between two neighboring teeth. After stripping of the tooth, the tooth geometry can be reconstructed to enable application of the IPR tooth model, such as enabling the clinician to utilize the IPR tooth model for teeth movement planning.
US07689395B2
A 6-axis road simulator test system is disclosed which allows for dynamic simulation of vehicles on road surfaces in a controlled environment for development or production testing conditions. The system turns the vehicle wheels, or provides resistance to turning of the wheels while subjecting each of the vehicle's wheel in up to 6-axis of displacement, based on road profile simulation.
US07689391B2
A method that comprises generating a first data structure relating a physical interface to a corresponding position in a support structure, generating a second data structure relating the physical interface to an address of a device in the support structure and, using the first and second data structures, generating a third data structure relating a physical characteristic of the device to the position of the device in the support structure.
US07689379B2
A dimensional measurement probe (10) is mounted in a machine tool (48), which reorientates the probe about at least one axis A. Strain gauges (34) sense when a stylus (20) of the probe contacts a workpiece (50), to produce a trigger signal. False trigger signals may be produced when the probe is reorientated. To overcome this, the reorientation is detected by monitoring changes in the fluctuations of the strain gauge outputs, caused by vibrations of the stylus.
US07689376B2
A method for calibrating an actuator system for a turbocharger variable nozzle, the actuator system comprising an electronically controllable actuator coupled with a variable-geometry member of the nozzle and operable for causing movement thereof, and an electronic controller operable for controlling the actuator, the electronic controller having a memory for storing data. The method comprises (a) supplying a flow of fluid through the nozzle, (b) causing a continuous or stepwise movement of the actuator so as to move the variable-geometry member to cause a continuous or stepwise change in flow rate of the fluid through the nozzle, monitoring the changing flow rate, and recording at least two different points representing two different actuator positions and corresponding flow rates, and (c) storing in the memory of the electronic controller a multi-point calibration representing actuator position as a function of an input parameter designed to achieve a desired flow rate.
US07689352B2
When a user turns on an ignition switch at a parking lot so as to restart travel to a destination, a navigation system computes a distance from the parking lot to an intermediate position included in a guide route currently designated. When the computed distance is within a predetermined distance, whether the user has visited the intermediate position or not is inquired of the user. When the user inputs that the intermediate position has been visited, the navigation system re-designates a new guide route to the destination without need to pass by the intermediate position.
US07689348B2
An automated traffic control system provides real time alternative traffic flow solutions to address traffic congestion on a roadway. A process will pick routes to scan for real-time statistics on the traffic conditions and calculate an average vehicle speed (AVS) for that route, road, highway, etc. If the AVS drops below a historical threshold, a decision matrix is created, whereby all the real-time data is compared with historical data and provides an ideal or best alternative route for “route X”. The operator is provided this information within seconds and is allowed to make a decision to “accept or decline” the proposed changes in routes. If the proposed changes are accepted, the changes begin to occur automatically such as but not limited to updating electronic signage, changing traffic control signals (all green to keep traffic moving), moving electronic barriers, etc.
US07689346B2
A fuel injection device of a diesel engine capable of smoothly starting the diesel engine to match an environment around the engine by saving fuel, reducing the exhaustion of carbon dioxide, and suppressing black smoke in starting the diesel engine. A rack is operated by an actuator from a lowest rack position to a starting increased fuel amount position at a lower speed than that at which the rack is operated by the actuator from the lowest rack position to the starting increased fuel amount position at the maximum operating speed. The operating speed of the rack is set in two stages, and the later operating speed of the rack is reduced less than the operating speed of the rack up to a set intermediate rack target value P2. Then, the operating amount of the rack per hour is reduced after the ignition of the engine is recognized. Also, the operating speed of the rack is controlled according to an atmospheric temperature in starting the engine.
US07689339B2
When a speed ratio, which is the ratio of the turbine speed to the engine speed, is equal to or less than 1, a driving torque converter dynamic characteristic model is used which is set based on a driving torque converter static characteristic in which the torque ratio decreases to 1 with an increase of the speed ratio. When the speed ratio is greater than 1, a driven torque converter dynamic characteristic model is used which is set based on a driven torque converter static characteristic in which the torque ratio is 1 regardless of the speed ratio.
US07689327B2
A modular adapter is attachable to an avionics box of an aircraft to enable network communication between the avionics box and other avionics boxes or controllers on the aircraft, local computing devices, and/or remote computing devices or remote servers in an external network, such as an Internet. The adapter includes a microserver module having a web-based server, a computer processor and memory, a data-over-power module configured to connect to a power connector that delivers power to the avionics box and transmits data to the microserver module, a connector module configured to plug into a power port of the avionics box such that power delivered by the power connector passes through the adapter to the avionics box, and a test port connector configured to plug into a test port of the avionics box. The test port connector enables the microserver module to access data from and send data to the avionics box.
US07689326B2
A method of providing heading awareness on a flight display is provided. The method comprises displaying a heading awareness symbology to indicate heading relative to track, and varying the prominence of the heading awareness symbology on a display element based on at least one sensed condition.
US07689322B2
The present invention provides a robot apparatus is capable of moving autonomously, flexibly responding to a motion of conforming to an external moving subject that may typically be the user of the robot apparatus and conforming to the motion of the moving subject, and also capable of modifying the conforming relationship with the moving subject. The robot apparatus is capable of moving autonomously, and comprises an input section that inputs an image or sound of an external moving subject, a plurality of motion generating sections that generate a plurality different motions in response to the image or sound input by way of the input section, conforming to the motion of the external moving subject, a motion expressing section that integrally expresses one or more than one motions out of the plurality of motions generated by the plurality of motion generating sections, and a control section that controls the number of motions integrated by the motion expressing section and the ratio of the motions to be integrated.
US07689314B2
The invention provides for a volume element (voxel) printing system for printing a three-dimensional object. The system includes a first printhead group having a plurality of first printheads configured to print a first voxel layer on a substrate, and at least one second printhead group having a plurality of second printheads downstream from the first group. The second group is configured to print a subsequent voxel layer on at least part of the first layer. The system also includes an object insertion device configured to insert objects into voids in the voxel layers, and a conveyor to operatively convey the substrate past the printhead groups. Also included is a control system to control and monitor the printhead groups, the object insertion device and the conveyor.
US07689301B2
A safety control device for ensuring safety of an object to be controlled, including: communication unit which is used for communication with another safety control device and uses a frame including a test bit string T having correlation with a base bit string B; and detection unit which compares with the base bit string B the test bit string T included in a frame having been received from another safety control device, thereby determining the number of bit errors in the frame.
US07689294B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and apparatus for providing continuous power and utilities to a fixture in a manufacturing process. In one embodiment of the invention, a system with robot, such as a robotic arm, and a workstation can be deployed in a manufacturing process. A fixture associated with the manufacturing process can include a mount operable for receiving power from the robot or robot arm, and another mount operable for receiving power from the workstation. An associated control device, such as a programmable logic circuit, can selectively provide power via either mount depending on whether the fixture is mounted to the robot or robotic arm, or to the workstation.
US07689293B2
An active oxygen management, fire encirclement, and operational verification system. The system includes multiple doors and enclosing interior spaces, a programmable door controller, and at least one sensor associated with each of the doors. The sensors monitor predetermined conditions associated with the associated door. Each door controller is interconnected with each other door controller and contains instructions for communicating messages and commands to other specific door controllers if one or more of the predetermined conditions is determined to be an abnormal condition. If the abnormal condition is sensed by a sensor associated with one door, the programmable door controller associated with that door executes a predetermined set of instructions issuing a command to the programmable door controller associated with at least a second door. This command from the first door controller causes the second programmable door controller to execute a predetermined instruction set affecting the second door.
US07689286B2
Various system embodiments comprise a neural stimulator, a pulse generator, and a controller. The neural stimulator is adapted to generate a neural stimulation signal. The pulse generator is adapted to generate a pacing signal to provide myocardium pacing. The controller is adapted to control the neural stimulator and the pulse generator to provide a cardioprotective conditioning therapy. The conditioning therapy includes neural stimulation to elicit a parasympathetic response and myocardium pacing. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US07689283B1
Systems and methods are provided for adjusting atrioventricular timing of a cardiac resynchronization therapy device, based upon multi-modal sensory data. In one particular embodiment, one or more acoustic signals are processed and categorized into certain cardiac-related mechanical events. Impedance waveforms are obtained from implanted electrodes and analyzed to identify certain valvular events. The acoustic and impedance data is analyzed to optimize AV timing and improve cardiac performance.
US07689281B2
An implantable medical device operates according to a ventricular pacing protocol (VPP) that precludes ventricular pacing in any cardiac cycle where a sensed ventricular event has occurred in the preceding cycle. Improved ventricular sensing, detection and classification is provided.
US07689278B2
An automatic external defibrillator electrode package includes a coded conductive label that uniquely identifies the type of automatic electrode contained therein. Pins on the defibrillator body make electrical contact with the conductive label when the package is attached to the defibrillator. These pins sense the shape of the conductive label to ascertain the electrode type, thereby enabling the AED to automatically set the proper operating mode.
US07689276B2
A method for the treatment of obesity or other disorders by electrical activation or inhibition of nerves is disclosed. This activation or inhibition can be accomplished by stimulating a nerve using an electrode. Dynamic stimulation through ramped cycling of electrical stimulation, stimulation frequency alteration, and/or duty cycle variance can produce therapeutic benefits.
US07689275B2
A method and apparatus for filtering an electromyogram (EMG) signal from a raw signal which includes a contribution from an electrocardiogram (EKG) signal is disclosed. The method includes the steps of estimating an attribute (such as a Fourier transform) of both the EMG contribution to the raw signal and the EKG contribution to the raw signal and, dependent on both frequency spectrums, determining an EMG window in a frequency range and obtaining the EMG signal by passing it through a filter defined by the frequency range. The method is particularly used when monitoring a multi-channel electrical recording from a plurality of electrodes attached to a patient's diaphragm.
US07689270B2
The invention relates to a physiological sensor system for recording electric measuring signals in a magnetic resonance device, comprising at least one measuring electrode, a signal amplifier unit in a shielded housing that is placed in close proximity to a patient and a signal processing unit for preparing the measuring signals. According to the invention, the measuring electrode is connected to the signal amplifier unit via a cable connection. The invention is characterized in that the cable connection comprises a low-ohm conductor, which is connected to the measuring electrode by means of a first electric resistor on a first end and to the signal amplifier unit by means of a resistance between the skin and the measuring electrode. The development of heat caused by an induced current is concentrated on the resistors, so that there is no risk of burning to the patient.
US07689265B2
A method for jointly evaluating multi-phase magnetic resonance bone marrow images includes receiving a plurality of magnetic resonance (MR) image sequences of bones acquired using different protocols, each sequence comprising a plurality of images, each image comprising a plurality of intensities corresponding to a domain of points on a 2-dimensional grid, analyzing an image sequence to determine the MR protocol of said sequence, segmenting the bone marrow region in each image of said plurality of MR image sequences, and registering each MR image sequence to every other image sequence in said plurality of sequences wherein each point in each image of each of said plurality of image sequences is registered, wherein said registered image sequences are adapted to being analyzed synchronously.
US07689264B2
A method for generating MR (magnetic resonance) images of a moving object with a repeating motion pattern at comparable motion states, wherein for at least one motion state, a set of MR data which is completely encoded for producing an MR image is provided from a plurality of successive individual MR measurements. The method is characterized in that at least one contiguous region of successive data points is used as indicator within the individual MR measurement, wherein this contiguous region is identically repeated for all individual MR measurements within the respective MR measuring sequence relative to irradiated RF (radio frequency) pulses and switched gradients. This provides reliable allocation of the recorded MR data with the associated motion states, wherein completely encoded sets of MR data can be determined within an optimum time.
US07689260B2
There is provided a slowly implantable electrode. A coating for an electrode, the coating includes a shape-memory polymer. A method for inserting an electrode into brain tissue by inserting an implantable electrode having a shape-memory polymer coated electrode into brain tissue.
US07689259B2
A memory in a sensor is used to store multiple coefficients for a physiological parameter. In one embodiment, not only are the sensor's specific calibration coefficients stored in a memory in the sensor for the formula to determine oxygen saturation, but multiple sets of coefficients are stored. The multiple sets apply to different ranges of saturation values to provide a better fit to occur by breaking the R to SpO2 relationship up into different pieces, each described by a different function. The different functions can also be according to different formulas for determining oxygen saturation.
US07689258B1
An appliance (1) for examining biological tissue comprises a light injection means (102) for injecting visible and/or close infrared light into the biological tissue, a detector (104) for converting light signals that exit the biological tissue into detection signals, an output device (130) allocated to the detector (104) for outputting information that depends on the detection signals and a shield (20; 106) allocated to the director (104) for shielding the detector (104) against extraneous light at least in the injected wave range. The appliance is also provided with a control device for controlling whether the arrangement of light injection means (102) and/or a detector and/or a shield (20; 106) is correct in relation to a substrate. The appliance can be used for examining biological tissue and supports the user for forcing the user to arrange the essential components of the examination device in the prescribed order before measuring.
US07689257B2
Disclosed herein are structures for supporting a clamshell- or slider-type portable electronic device such as a notebook computer; personal digital assistant; or wireless telephone. The clamshell- and slider-type portable electronic devices typically have at least two assemblies—a first housing assembly, and a second housing assembly containing at least a keyboard. In a clamshell-type electronic device, the first housing assembly and second housing assembly are connected by a hinge and pivot between at least an open position and a closed position. In a slider-type electronic device, the first housing assembly and second housing assembly are connected by a slide connection and slide between at least an open position and a closed position. In portable electronic devices made in accordance with the invention, the keyboard is comprised of a first set of keys and a second set of keys. The keys comprising the first and second sets have touch surfaces configured to receive keystrokes. The touch surfaces of the first set of keys extend above the touch surfaces of the second set of keys. When a portable electronic device having either the clamshell- or slider-type configuration is in a closed position, the combination of the varying heights of the touch surfaces of the keys and cooperating structures in the first and second housings hinders relative movement between the first and second housing assemblies when an external force (for example, due to an accidental drop) is applied to the portable electronic device. The hindering of relative movement helps to protect the portable electronic device from damage.
US07689235B2
A method for performing initial cell search in wireless communication system wherein unsuitable cells includes searching stored frequencies exhaustively and initial frequencies non-exhaustively. Initial frequencies may be searched exhaustively in certain circumstances. When performing exhaustive initial cell searches, primary synchronization codes that lead to unsuitable cells are excluded from subsequent initial cell searches performed on the same frequency.
US07689221B1
A mobile station for receiving delay-sensitive data from a wireless communications network is provided with a data buffer and cell reselection controller. The data buffer receives data from the network and stores the data for communication to a delay-sensitive data application. The cell reselection controller selectively inhibits cell reselection in order to meet requirements of the delay-sensitive data application. By intelligently controlling cell reselection, delay sensitive data may be received in a more reliable fashion, thereby increasing performance of the data application.
US07689207B2
A software-defined radio includes a pair of radio subsystems such as a red (command) and black (data) radio subsystem having an operating environment conforming to the Software Communications Architecture (SCA) specification, for example, as used for Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). A clock is read by at least one of the radio subsystems for determining time of day. A processor of the radio subsystem is operative for distributing the time of day to the radio subsystems using a global hardware timing pulse. Each processor can include a free-running timer to which any time sources within the pair of radio subsystems are set.
US07689204B2
In a method of unlocking mobile telephones, in particular one using the “SIM-LOCK” method, the user of the telephone submits an unlocking request directly to the manufacturer of the telephone and the manufacturer sends unlocking information to the telephone after verifying with the operator that the user is entitled to unlocking. This simplifies the administration of unlocking requests and makes it more reliable.
US07689198B2
An on-vehicle audio/video system is provided which comprises a controller, a data source and a playing device, wherein the controller comprises at least a first transmitter, and the data source comprises at least a first receiver, a first micro-controller and a second transmitter. The controller comprises at least a first RF transmitter. The data source comprises at least a first RF receiver, a first micro-controller and a second RF transmitter. The playing device comprises at least a second RF receiver. The controller sends an RF control signal to the data source and/or playing device. The first RF receiver in the data source receives the RF control signal and sends the signal to the first micro-controller for processing. The second transmitter transmits data signal and/or control signal to the playing device under the control of the first micro-controller.
US07689195B2
A transceiver for a RFID reader and a transceiver for a RFID transponder (tag) allow communication between the two devices. The RFID reader utilizes an analog front end and a digital backend. In the receiver portion of the transceiver, the front end of the RFID reader uses a pair of down-conversion mixers to demodulate a received signal into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components and analog-to-digital converters (ADC) digitize the signal. A digital signal processor (DSP) in the back end processes the digital signal and uses a matched filter for data detection. The RFID tag receives an inductively coupled signal from the reader and the receiver portion of the tag uses a pulse/level detector that employs an analog comparator and a sample and hold circuit to detect the received signal. A digital decoder/controller is used to decode the incoming data and to establish a sampling clock for the pulse/level detector. An automatic gain control (AGC) circuit adjusts a receiver gain according to the received signal strength and controls tuning of magnetic coupling circuitry.
US07689194B2
The present invention relates to a balanced circuit arrangement and methods for linearizing and calibrating such a circuit arrangement, wherein linearization is obtained by introducing a load imbalance between the output branches of the balanced circuit arrangement. Thus, a controllable extraneous imbalance is created between the output loads of the balanced circuit arrangement to thereby obtain a linearization by means of even-order non-linearity.
US07689192B2
A noise canceler comprising: a first low-pass filter that a demodulated signal is to be input to; an interpolation processing unit that the demodulated signal after passing through the first low-pass filter and a pulse noise detection signal indicating presence of a pulse noise, are to be input to, the interpolation processing unit configured to perform interpolation processing on a demodulated signal present during a period determined by the pulse noise detection signal, out of the input demodulated signal, based on the input demodulated signal; a replacing processing unit that the demodulated signal subjected to the interpolation processing, the pulse noise detection signal, and the demodulated signal before passing through the first low-pass filter, are to be input to, the replacing processing unit configured to output a signal obtained by replacing a demodulated signal present during the period, out of the demodulated signal before passing through the first low-pass filter, with the demodulated signal subjected to the interpolation processing, wherein the demodulated signal is present during the period; and a second low-pass filter that the signal output from the replacing processing unit is to be input to, the second low-pass filter including a cut-off frequency higher than that of the first low-pass filter.
US07689188B2
Methods and systems for dynamically tuning and calibrating an antenna using antenna hopping are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include dynamically tuning a mobile terminal antenna, to antenna hop to a plurality of different center frequencies to receive RF signals. The antenna hopping may be slow antenna hopping (SAH) or fast antenna hopping (FAH). In FAH, received signals for a channel at each of the center frequencies may be aggregated. A hopping rate in FAH may be greater than twice a highest baseband signal frequency of a desired channel. In SAH, the mobile terminal antenna may hop to determined center frequencies with adequate signals for the desired channel. Signal adequacy of the desired channel at a center frequency may be made by, for example, measuring received signal strength for the desired channel and/or a bit error rate for the desired channel.
US07689170B2
A radio frequency (RF) receiver and receiving method are provided which can remove a leakage component from a received signal by using a local signal. In the RF receiver, a noise removing unit controls a gain and a phase of a local signal LOI according to a phase THETA and a gain AMPTD detected in a MODEM, estimates a signal Vcal corresponding to a noise component introduced into a received RF signal RXIN, and removes the estimated signal Vcal from the received RF signal RXIN. In this manner, a clean RF signal RXO, which does not include a noise component, is frequency-down converted in a receiving unit.
US07689169B2
Disclosed herein are a Bluetooth device and method for providing a service determined according to Bluetooth PIN. The Bluetooth device includes a storage unit, a reception unit, a control unit, a key generation unit and a transmission unit. The storage unit stores the types of services and security policies according to Bluetooth PIN. The reception unit receives a link key. The control unit searches for a Bluetooth PIN corresponding to the received link key. The key generation unit creates a security key in accordance with the search results and stored security policies. The transmission unit transmits data associated with a service using the created security key.
US07689164B2
The present invention relates to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication system. Upon a timer unit 108 clocking a predetermined time T after an access point 100 has transmitted a beacon signal 200, a transmission frame control unit 105 generates a CTS frame 301, and transmits an error frame 401 via a transmission frame generation unit 106, a wireless transmission unit 107 and an antenna 109. Accordingly, upon receiving the CTS frame 301, a communication terminal 20 ceases transmitting data for a NAV (Network Allocation Vector, transmission prohibition interval) period in accordance with IEEE 802.11 standard.
US07689160B2
An image forming system including an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet and for ejecting the sheet, a plurality of post-processing apparatuses for receiving the ejected sheet on which an image has been formed and for applying post-processing to the sheet, and a transfer device for transferring the plurality of post-processing apparatuses relative to the image forming apparatus and for connecting one of the plurality of post-processing apparatuses to the image forming apparatus.
US07689156B2
A tandem type image forming apparatus drives an agitation paddle when the waste toner defecated from a plurality of image forming units and flowed and collected in a single waste toner containing member by way of the first collection port thereof gets to a predetermined level in order to level the height of the waste toner in the waste toner containing member. The quantity of waste toner flowed by way of the first collection port is estimated from the quantity of the toners supplied from the toner cartridges of the development apparatus.
US07689153B2
An image formation system is configured by connecting two or more image formation devices. The system includes a fixing device fixing an unfixed development image to a record medium and a charge elimination device eliminating a charge of the record medium in an inlet of the fixing device of the second or later image formation device.
US07689149B2
A toner cartridge is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus and supplies toner to the image forming apparatus. The locking mechanism is positioned either at a locking position or at a non-locking position. Shortly after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the locking mechanism is at a non-locking position. When a user operates a driving member of the toner cartridge after the toner cartridge has been attached to the image forming apparatus, the operating lever engages the locking mechanism to cause the locking mechanism to move to a locking position. When the locking mechanism is at the locking position, the locking mechanism limits the driving member to move relative to the engagement portion, so that the toner cartridge is not allowed to be detached from the image forming apparatus.
US07689138B2
A printing control apparatus that succeeds in providing enhanced usability by giving a paper placement opportunity to users so that an operational burden can be reduced is provided. A printer control section controls a printing section to effect print standby with respect to one of a plurality of image-data pages that has been subjected to print-standby specification first by a standby specification command. After a sensor of a manual feeding tray in the printing section detects placement of a new sheet, the printing section is so controlled as not to effect print standby with respect to the remainder of the pages even if standby is specified by a standby specification command.
US07689137B2
A liquid volume detector for detecting the volume of a liquid in a container is provided with a liquid level detecting member which is arranged at a specified height position in the container and on which a load acts by the liquid when the liquid level in the container is located at the specified height position, and a first drive source connected to the liquid level detecting member for moving the liquid level detecting member.
US07689136B2
The present invention aims to reduce the time period of the start up operation of an image forming apparatus corresponding to an image forming apparatus operating environment. The present invention provides an image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a toner image forming unit for forming a toner image on the image bearing member; an image condition detection member for detecting an image condition of the image bearing member; a setting unit for setting a plurality of toner image forming conditions determined based on the output of the image condition detection member; an environment detection member for detecting an environment condition of outside air of the image forming apparatus; and a selection unit for selecting the toner image forming conditions set by the setting unit based on the output of the environment detection device from when the power is turned on to when transitioned to an image formable state.
US07689128B2
A Cable Television (CATV) digital return link system that provides dedicated, high-speed, full-duplex and point-to-point connections between users and the head end system is disclosed. The CATV digital return link system includes return path transmitters, intermediate hubs and a head end hub coupled to each other via a network of fiber optic cables. The return path transmitters are each coupled to a relatively large number of users via a local CATV-subtree. Signals from cable modems are transmitted via the local CATV-subtree to the return path transmitters for transmission to the head end. The return path transmitters include circuitry for digitally processing the RF data from the subtree prior to transmitting the RF data to the head end.
US07689124B2
Disclosed herein are a CDMA optical system and encoder and decoder included therein. Time domain encoding means creates a time domain code having a sequence according to inputted data bits or a complementary code which is complementary to the time domain code. An optical modulation means selectively outputs lights, in which the lights are incident upon the optical modulation means from the outside, to two output leads, respectively, according to chip bits of the time domain code or the complementary code. A wavelength domain encoding means encodes the light outputted from a first output lead of the optical modulation means to a wavelength domain sequence (two dimensional code), transmits the wavelength code to the base station, encodes the light outputted from a second output lead to a complementary sequence of the wavelength domain sequence, and transmits the complementary code of the two dimensional code to the base station.
US07689117B2
A photography system includes: camera modules, which output, for individual pixels, picture data in synchronization with pixel clocks and which are arranged so that the light receiving directions of light receiving devices match; a camera control apparatus, which supplies an operating clock to the camera modules with a phase difference of half a cycle, and which generates a phase difference of half a cycle in picture data output by the camera modules; an output synthesizing apparatus, which synthesizes, in a time division manner, picture data output by the camera modules; and an image processing apparatus, which employs information about a distance between the camera modules for the reconstruction of a single picture, using the picture data synthesized by the output synthesizing apparatus.
US07689111B2
An optical apparatus is disclosed which can reliably form AF images and split the AF images to provide excellent focus detection performance in the phase difference detection method. The optical apparatus comprises a light deflection unit including a deflection optical member. The deflection optical member deflects at least one of a first luminous flux and a second luminous flux relative to the other, the first and second luminous fluxes passing through a first area and a second area in the exit pupil of an optical system, respectively, and forming images on a photoelectrical conversion element. The light deflection unit comprises a light-limiting member which limits an image-forming area where at least one of the first and second luminous fluxes emerging from the light deflection unit forms the image on the photoelectrical conversion element.
US07689104B2
A recording/playback device includes an information conversion unit converting video or audio information, received from an external source, to video or audio data for recording on a rewritable optical disk, a recording unit recording the video or audio data on said optical disk, and a playback unit playing back the video or audio data recorded on said optical disk, in which the optical disk has at least two recording layers and, when the video or audio data is recorded in two or more layers of the optical disk and then a part of the video data or audio data recorded in each layer is erased, a part of the video or audio data left unerased is moved so that a number of layers, in which the video or audio data left unerased is recorded, is reduced.
US07689102B2
In recording contents of received broadcast programs on an HDD, the starting of a new program is detected depending on whether or not there is a change of audience restriction information which is received together with the broadcast programs. Each time a change of the audience restriction information is detected, recording of information about a new program is started. In recording, the received audience restriction information and the title of the program created by a title creating function are recorded by associating them with the recorded content of the program. Accordingly, the operation by the user for creating and allocating respective titles of programs recorded on the HDD that is required after the recording is eliminated. In a displayed list of titles for programs recorded on the HDD, the title of any program under restriction, which is determined based on the audience restriction information recorded by being associated with the title, is not displayed.
US07689100B2
A digital signal recording apparatus is disclosed, which is capable of protecting the copyright of the analog input information encoded into a first digital signal in a recording medium. A second digital signal encrypted based on the key information and the input analog signal encrypted based on the key information are converted into a second digital signal and encrypted, and the resulting signal is selectively recorded in a recording medium. The digital signal recording apparatus further comprises a circuit for encrypting the digital signal converted from the input analog signal with a key obtained by a predetermined calculation of the key information according to a scheme similar to the second digital signal protection scheme through a digital interface, and a signal recording circuit for recording the key information and the encrypted digital signal in a recording medium.
US07689099B2
A program information player automatically skips over any intermediate channel changes as a result of interrupting a prior recording of a selected program. The program information player includes a program sequence playback information generator. The program sequence playback information generator analyzes selected program identifier information and recorded program history log information and, in response, generates program sequence playback information without user intervention. The program sequence playback information includes a sequence of time stamp information associated with the selected program identifier information. According to one embodiment, the program sequence playback information directs memory to play back the selected program corresponding to the selected program identifier information by, for example, skipping over any intermediate channel changes. For example, the program sequence playback information may represent a read pointer in memory during playback.
US07689094B2
A data processing method is disclosed which involves storing on an optical disk main line data as video data and low-resolution data, the latter data corresponding to the main line data but having a lower resolution and a smaller data amount than the main line data. The main line data and low-resolution data are read and decoded individually. The decoded result of the low-resolution data is selectively output until preparations for outputting the main line data are found completed. Once the preparations for outputting the main line data are complete, the decoded result of the main line data is output selectively.
US07689084B2
According to one example of the invention an optical fiber comprises: (i) a silica based core, said core having a core diameter greater than 80 μm and a numerical aperture NA≧0.24; and (ii) a silica based cladding in contact with and surrounding the core and having a second index of refraction n2, such that n1>n2; wherein the cladding includes B and F. Preferably the numerical aperture NA is at least 0.3.
US07689081B2
An all-optical logic gates comprises a nonlinear element such as an optical resonator configured to receive optical input signals, at least one of which is amplitude-modulated to include data. The nonlinear element is configured in relation to the carrier frequency of the optical input signals to perform a logic operation based on the resonant frequency of the nonlinear element in relation to the carrier frequency. Based on the optical input signals, the nonlinear element generates an optical output signal having a binary logic level. A combining medium can be used to combine the optical input signals for discrimination by the nonlinear element to generate the optical output signal. Various embodiments include all-optical AND, NOT, NAND, NOR, OR, XOR, and XNOR gates and memory latch.
US07689080B2
An optical fiber ribbon includes a plurality of optical fibers, each includes a glass optical fiber coated with a fiber coating, that are arranged in parallel, and a ribbon coating that coats the optical fibers arranged in parallel. The optical fiber ribbon has a thickness equal to 300 μm or less. The fiber coating is made of a non-flame-resistant ultraviolet curable resin. The ribbon coating has a thickness equal to 40 μm or more and is made of a flame resistant resin.
US07689078B2
An optical device including (a) a substrate having an electro-optic effect; (b) a modulating optical waveguide formed on a surface layer portion of said substrate and forming an interference optical modulator for modulating input light; (c) an output optical waveguide formed on said surface layer portion of said substrate and connected to a downstream side portion of said modulating optical waveguide; and (d) a branching monitoring section for monitoring branched light of light propagated along said output optical waveguide and emitted from an outgoing end face of said substrate. The output waveguide has a reduced width region in which the waveguide width is reduced.
US07689070B2
A high frequency electrical signal control device comprises a transmitter for generating a high frequency electrical signal, a receiver, a transmission line for propagating the electrical signal, and a structure for radiating the electrical signal propagated through the transmission line to the space or receiving a signal from the space. The degree of coupling of the electrical signal between the space and the transmission line provided by the structure can be variably controlled.
US07689063B2
According to one embodiment, there is provided an information processing apparatus capable of processing image data involving a plurality of blocks. The apparatus includes a difference value detection unit which detects a difference value between pixel values of two adjacent pixels that are arranged via a block boundary contained in the image data in a direction perpendicular to the block boundary, and a correction unit which corrects pixel values of a plurality of pixels that are arranged via the block boundary in the direction perpendicular to the block boundary by distributing the difference value detected by the difference value detection unit to the plurality of pixels.
US07689050B2
An image processing apparatus extracts DC components of an image, generates a histogram of the extracted DC components, and detects a background level of the image based on the histogram.
US07689048B2
Image data is efficiently encoded using a predict coding unit and a run-length coding unit. The predict coding unit encodes a target pixel X on the basis of difference between the value of the target pixel and a predict value calculated from pixels neighboring the target pixel. The run-length coding unit starts the measuring the run when the number of colors contained in four pixels “a”, “b”, “c”, and “d” near the target pixel X is 1, and outputs encoded data of the run when the target pixel is different from an immediately preceding pixel “a”. Then, the predict coding unit starts the encoding. At this time, since the target pixel is different from the preceding pixel, the preceding pixel is excluded from references for generating the predict value. Instead of the preceding pixel, an pixel, which has been encoded, satisfying a specific condition is referred to.
US07689044B2
A method of representing a group of images comprises determining the values of one or more dominant colors for the group of images and deriving a dominant color representation expressing the group of images in terms of one or more of said dominant color values.
US07689042B2
The invention relates to a method, which assists the doctor in orientation in 2D fluoroscopy images. The invention relates to a method for contour visualization of regions of interest in fluoroscopy images by: firstly generating a 3D raw data set comprising at least one region of interest in which the contour of the at least one region of interest is visible, secondly generating a segmented 3D data set from the 3D raw data set in which the contour in at least one region of interest is clearly delimited, thirdly generating a 2D fluoroscopy image which contains the at least one region of interest, fourthly generating a 2D projection from the segmented 3D data set which is congruent with the 2D fluoroscopy image, fifthly determining the optionally approximated contour of the at least one region of interest in the 2D projection, and finally overlaying the contour with the 2D fluoroscopy image.
US07689039B2
A design for the high speed identification of a pedestrian at an image is provided, having an input feature vector generation unit 23b for generating, based on an image of an object, an input feature vector u that includes as elements the object's size, the object's upper portion shape, and the object's side portion shape; a kernel discriminant analysis operations unit 23c for generating a vector y mapped to the discriminant space, through performing operations for kernel discriminant analysis based on the input feature vector, and an object determination unit 23d for determining whether the object is a pedestrian or not, depending on whether or not this vector y is within a fixed area at the discriminant space.
US07689030B2
A method for inspecting a component having a surface profile that includes a local minima and a local maxima. The method includes generating a raw image of a component under test utilizing an eddy current inspection system, decomposing the raw image into a plurality of images wherein each image includes a different frequency component, and reconstructing at least one final image of the component that includes frequency components that are relevant to an eddy current flaw signal.
US07689028B2
A method for predicting a processing result includes a process of performing a principal component analysis on a plurality of detected data obtained during a first standard processing, to construct a principal component analysis model; a process of obtaining residuals of the principal component analysis model as first residuals; a process of performing a second standard processing; and a process of obtaining a plurality of detected data from a plurality of detectors during the second standard processing. And, the detected data obtained during the second standard processing are applied to the principal component analysis model, to obtain second residuals. The method further includes a process of weighting the second residuals based on weighting references, and constructing a new multivariate analysis model with use of the weighted second residuals; and a process of predicting a processing result of the second standard processing with use of the multivariate analysis model.
US07689025B2
An optical reading apparatus and optical character recognition processing apparatus operating in conjunction with a magnetic ink character reading apparatus reduce the time in reading a string of characters formed in a line on a processed medium. This is done in the optical reading and recognition operations by selectively using a broad recognition area that allows for variation in character positions and a narrower recognition area where the probability of the desired character string being present is high depending on past results. An extracted image containing the character string is acquired from scanned image data and the recognition process is run. If recognition succeeds, the next matching area is set to a relatively narrow predicted range and the recognition process is applied to the predicted range. If character recognition succeeds within a specified distance, the next matching area is set to a relatively narrow predicted range. If character recognition does not succeed within the specified distance, the next matching area is set to the full width of the extracted image.
US07689021B2
Techniques for segmenting data include receiving reference segmentation data and target data. The reference segmentation data defines a mesh indicating a boundary of a physical component in a reference body. The target data includes measured values at coordinates within a target body. Coordinates for vertices of the mesh are moved toward nearby edges in values of the target data. The adjustment also may be based on deviations from adjacent vertices or from a three dimensional generalized gradient vector field. The mesh may be initially transformed by a particular transformation that automatically maximizes a similarity measure between the target data and reference data. The reference data includes measured values within the reference body. The reference segmentation also may define a second mesh that indicates a second boundary in the reference body, and the adjustment is also based on an adjusted distance between the mesh and the second mesh.
US07689016B2
Improved methods for computer-aided analysis of identifying features of skin lesions from digital images of the lesions are provided. Improved preprocessing of the image that 1) eliminates artifacts that occlude or distort skin lesion features and 2) identifies groups of pixels within the skin lesion that represent features and/or facilitate the quantification of features are provided including improved digital hair removal algorithms. Improved methods for analyzing lesion features are also provided.
US07689013B2
In an identifying device for performing personal identification using biometrics information such as an iris, face, blood vessel pattern, auricle, fingerprint, palm print, hand print or the like, in order to surely discriminate a living body from a non-living body and to surely preclude illegal use by impersonation using a forged fingerprint or the like, a biometrics information input section samples/inputs biometrics information for verification as image information from a living body portion relatively moving with respect to this biometrics information input section, and living-body detection surfaces in a living-body detecting means is arranged in contact with or in the proximity to the living body portion being moved with respect to the biometrics information input section so as to input the biometrics information for verification.
US07689005B2
A method and system for constructing a database management system for managing biometric data is disclosed. The disclosed system receives data from another database or from and enrollment process, encodes the data with an encoding plug-in, and stores the encoded data in a biometric data storage. The data may be enhanced before being stored. Incoming target data likewise is encoded using an encoding plug-in and may be pre-processed, and is sent to a matching algorithm that is either built-in or a plug-in algorithm. Further processing may occur after application of the matching algorithm. The disclosed database management system can be used not only for biometric database, but also for other similar types of data management.
US07689003B2
An inspection apparatus (10) applying two dimensional nondestructive examination images onto a three dimensional solid model of a component (12) to display a virtual component (73) that may be manipulated to perform a nondestructive inspection. The two dimensional nondestructive examination images may be acquired from a plurality of views of the component in order to provide full coverage of the surface to be inspected, with appropriate stitching of images in regions of overlap between adjacent views. The two dimensional images (62) may be color or black and white photographs or ultraviolet or infrared images, for example. Multiple types of nondestructive examination images, results of inspection data evaluations, and design, operational and/or maintenance information may be displayed separately or jointly on the three dimensional solid model. Surface features of interest that are mapped as defined areas (76) on the three dimensional solid model may be displayed simultaneously in different views on 2D and 3D images of the virtual component.
US07688986B2
A hands-free loudspeaker system which is capable of achieving high-quality voice amplification without requiring a human speaker to move to a microphone or a microphone to be moved to a human speaker. A microphone whose input level has continued to be above a threshold value for not shorter than a predetermined time period is detected, based on input signals from dispersedly arranged microphones. An input signal from the microphone is selected and outputted to each loudspeaker at an output level or with a delay time, according to a location of the loudspeaker. A preset lowest threshold level is initially set to the threshold value, and an input level of the microphone higher than the threshold value is newly set to the same, while when the input level is lower than the threshold value, a lower value is set to the same in a step-by-step manner.
US07688985B2
Signals dependent on the electrical output signals of two acoustical to electrical converters are computed to result in a result signal. A transfer characteristic between an acoustical signal impinging on the converters and the result signal is dependent on the arrival direction of the acoustical signals at the converters. The converters are matched for acoustical signals within a range of impinging arrival direction. The range of arrival directions is determined before matching.
US07688983B2
A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests.
US07688981B2
In an example embodiment, a system for providing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) by use of encryption states or encryption keys for identifying a VLAN. A table of data including a VLAN and an associated encryption state or key is provided for assignment of encryption states or keys, for devices in a wireless local area network.
US07688976B2
A random wave envelope is created from a set of bounded random numbers by additively combining a triangle, a square and a sine wave. The random wave envelope is then used to create a sequence of wave random numbers from the wave envelope, which are used to generate random-variant keys for encryption in place of the pre-placed encryption key. An ambiguity envelope is thus created over the transmission of data packets as random-variant-keys are used that are distinct and separate for each packet and may also be distinct and separate for each incoming and outgoing packet. The random-variant keys are only created at the time of the actual use for encrypting or decrypting a data packet and not before and then discarded after one time use. The random-variant keys may be used in wireless network using wireless access points, cellular phone and data networks and ad hoc mobile wireless networks.
US07688975B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically generating data encryption keys for encrypting data files and for decrypting encrypted data files via a key exchange method is provided. A dynamically generated an encryption key is generated for each encryption event, so that the key cannot be produced or reproduced. A key exchange component of the invention ensures that only an intended recipient has the means to decrypt a file encrypted with the dynamically generated symmetric encryption keys.
US07688970B2
An interconnect assembly for a clam style portable communication device (100) provides for a hermetically sealed device that prevents water intrusion. A flex (106) electrically interconnects a flip compartment (102) to a main radio compartment (104). First and second seals (112, 114) coupled to the ends (108, 110) of the flex (106) provide independent sealing of the flip compartment (102) from the main radio compartment (104). Thus, the flex (106) provides both electrical interconnect and independent mechanical sealing of the two compartments (102, 104).
US07688965B2
A call center includes a plurality of agent workstations, each agent workstation comprising means for entering information obtained from a telephone respondent in response to questions prompted by a script displayed on the display of the workstation, and means for producing status signals indicative of the progression of the agent through the script. A predictive dialling system receives status signals from each agent station and predicts from the status signals and statistical information regarding the number of calls previously made, how many new calls should be dialled to enable agents who have finished their previous call by the time the calls are answered to take the new calls.
US07688961B2
A conference engine operates in a multiplex processing scheme and requires a signal hardware summer to process all of the programmed conferences, all of the outputs and all of the input channels. The conference engine is only limited by the number of available input channels, the number of desired conference registers, the speed of the implementation, and the amount of memory available on the target system. The conference engine allows the number of available conference channels, the number of conferences per bridge and the number of bridges to be scaled. Each bridge contains a unique set of conference registers and has full access to the input channel data. Additional conference bridges are added by increasing the operating clock/memory to meet the processing requirements of the additional bridge. Conference registers in each conference bridge can be added/removed depending on the system requirements and are independent of the number of input channels.
US07688951B1
Problems are proactively analyzed and responded to as they are detected in a virtual private network (VPN) access path rather than waiting for a user to manually report the problem. When a problem is automatically detected, such as a failure causing degraded performance, an alarm may be generated. The alarm proactively triggers rules-based analysis procedures and isolation testing to diagnose problem in a VPN access path. Based on the testing and analysis, a comprehensive trouble ticket may be generated that is customized with specific alarm information allowing for increased efficiency in problem isolation and saving significant time and resources in resolving the problem.
US07688948B2
A method and an apparatus generate radiation in the wavelength range from about 1 nm to about 30 nm by an electrically operated discharge, which can be used in lithography or in metrology. A working gas is provided between two electrodes. Plasma is ignited in the working gas to generate radiation which is forwarded via an opening for further use. Debris particles are produced in at least one region of at least one of the electrodes. To retain the debris particles, the region is arranged with respect to the opening in such a way that movement paths of the debris particles run at least predominantly outside an area delimited by the opening.
US07688942B2
Described is an element analysis device, which can be used to obtain precise measurements even under unfavorable environmental conditions. For this, the device is provided with a transporting means with a measuring region (14) for transporting the substance (S) to be measured, an excitation source with an exit window located in a first case (22) and an X-ray fluorescence detector (30) that is directed toward the measuring region (14), as well as an entrance window (34) that is located in a second case (32). To minimize the air absorption and prevent dust and dirt from being deposited, a tube (40, 50) extends from the entrance window (34) and/or the exit window (24) in the direction of the measuring region, which tube is essentially tightly connected to the respective case (22, 32) and is open at the end facing the measuring region and is provided with a connection (44, 54) for feeding a flushing gas into the tube (FIG. 1).
US07688937B2
An electron beam computed tomography system is provided that uses a cone beam geometry to generate truly three-dimensional images. The required cone beam projections can be obtained using a single sweep of the electron beam along the target ring (20). The target ring (20) is non-planar and shaped roughly like a ⅝th segment of the boundary curve of a saddle. The resulting source trajectory satisfies Tuy's completeness condition with respect to a sizeable volume of interest around the isocenter of the system. The detector (28) has a large area and is built from a plurality of small, brick-shaped detector modules (32), which are placed side by side along a detector trajectory that is a mirror image, through the isocenter, of the source trajectory. Owing to the special shapes of the target ring and the detector strip, a cone-beam of x-rays starting from the target ring and heading towards the opposite segment of the detector strip is not blocked by other portions of the detector.
US07688933B2
A shift register circuit includes plural stages of signal holding circuits which are cascade-connected to hold a signal based on a supplied input signal, to output an output signal based on the held signal, and to supply the output signal as an input signal to a subsequent stage. Each of the plural stages of signal holding circuits includes an output circuit which is supplied with two types of clock signals consisting of a first clock signal and a second clock signal. A timing of the second clock signal is delayed by a predetermined delay time with respect to a timing of applying the input signal, which is supplied with a signal at a timing delayed by the delay time of the second clock signal from the timing of applying the input signal, and which outputs the output signal at a timing responsive to the first clock signal.
US07688930B2
A mechanism for using electrical fuses (eFuses) to store phase-locked loop (PLL) configuration data are provided. With the mechanism, a portion of the eFuses present in the integrated circuit are reserved for the PLL configuration data. Upon power up, a power up controller and eFuse controller direct the sensing and serial transfer of the data in the portion of eFuses to the PLL under the reference clock. When the transfer is complete, the power up controller directs the PLL logic to load the configuration data and start. The mechanism of the present invention allows manufacturing to tailor the PLL configuration on a given device based on the characteristics of that device and its intended usage. Thus, the same PLL may be used in the same or different architectures to perform different operations based on the configuration data passed into the PLL from the eFuses.
US07688920B2
A wrap-around event in an automatic frequency control (AFC) in a receiver in a communication system can be detected by performing AFC-like operations on one or more additional channel estimates of the strongest communication path. Once a wrap-around event is detected, a correct frequency reference can be restored by forcing the AFC into a high-speed mode of operation, which gives the AFC a chance to restore the correct frequency reference, or by applying a momentary frequency reference change.
US07688918B2
In one embodiment, a receiver of the invention has a detector coupled to a digital processor. The detector is adapted to mix the received PSK signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal having a time-varying phase offset with respect to the carrier frequency of the PSK signal to produce a digital measure of the PSK signal. The digital processor is adapted to: (i) estimate a frequency offset between the carrier frequency of the PSK signal and the LO signal; (ii) remove from an angular component of the digital measure a component corresponding to the frequency offset to generate a frequency-offset-adjusted signal; (iii) for each time slot of the PSK signal, estimate the phase of a respective PSK constellation symbol based on an angular component of the frequency-offset-adjusted signal and an angular component of a recursive function; (iv) estimate a phase differential for a PSK-symbol transition based on two consecutive phase estimates; (v) map each estimated phase differential onto a phase increment corresponding to a symbol transition in the PSK constellation; and (vi) recover a data sequence encoded in the PSK signal based on the mapping results.
US07688911B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems for alternating quadratures differential binary phase shift keying (AQDBPSK) modulation and demodulation radically increase overall energy efficiency of a communication system due to the combined effect of efficient utilization of transmitter power, high noise immunity of modulation and demodulation, fast synchronization, and simple implementation. Efficient utilization of transmitter power is achieved because radical reduction of side lobe regeneration provided by AQDBPSK allows operation of all amplifiers of the transmitter analog signal path, including power amplifiers, in energy efficient nonlinear mode (for example, they can operate as class C amplifiers) without causing interchannel interference. AQDBPSK radically reduces side lobe regeneration by limiting phase transitions between adjacent in time modulator output symbols to .+−.90.degree and smoothly executing the transitions.
US07688903B2
A bit-power distribution ratio calculation unit measures several times an SNR of periodic noise occurring on a communication line to calculate several times, according to the measurement results of the SNR thus measured, a bit distribution ratio to be assigned to each carrier for data transmission for each measurement result. The calculation unit compares the calculated bit distribution ratios with each other to detect a minimum bit value of each carrier to calculate, according to the detected minimum bit values of the respective carriers, a minimum bit distribution ratio including the minimum bit value of each carrier. The calculation unit delivers the minimum bit distribution ratio to a demapping unit and a mapping unit, which conduct data transmission using the minimum bit distribution ratio. Therefore, a multicarrier transmission device can efficiently conduct multicarrier transmission even at occurrence of non-periodic noise.
US07688902B1
A space-time block decoder for a wireless communications system includes a demodulator that generates a demodulated symbol sequence by derotating a signal constellation of a received symbol sequence. A dimension demultiplexer communicates with the demodulator and generates in-phase and quadrature components of the demodulated symbol sequence. A branch metric computation module communicates with the dimension demultiplexer and generates branch metrics based on the in-phase and quadrature components. A Viterbi decoder communicates with the branch metric computation module and generates a user data sequence based on the branch metrics. The in-phase and quadrature components comprise Gray coded data that is bit-interleaved. The branch metric computation module implements bit-by-bit piecewise linear approximation to generate the branch metrics. A deinterleaver that communicates with the branch metric computation module generates deinterleaved metrics based on the branch metrics.
US07688901B2
A transmission method for transmitting modulation signals of a plurality of channels to the same frequency band from a plurality of antennas. At the time when a symbol used for demodulation is inserted in a channel, in another channel symbol, the same phase and quadrature signals in the in-phase-quadrature plane are made to be zero signals. Thus, a plurality of modulation signals are multiplexed and transmitted and the transmitted multiplexed modulation signals are demultiplexed and demodulated at a reception apparatus, thereby improving the data transmission rate.
US07688896B2
A method and an apparatus for decoding video image data including a plurality of frames are provided. Each of the frames includes a reserved portion and a non-reserved portion. The method comprises decoding only the non-reserved portion of one of the frames and displaying the decoded non-reserved portion of the frame and the reserved portion of a previously decoded frame. The apparatus comprises a decoding device to decode the non-reserved portion of one of the frames and a displaying device to display the reserved portion of a previously decoded frame and the decoded non-reserved portion of the frame.
US07688894B2
Tools and techniques for applying scan patterns during encoding and decoding of interlaced video are described. For example, a video decoder scans transform coefficients from a one-dimensional array to a two-dimensional block according to a scan pattern. The block is 4×4, and the scan pattern biases the vertical direction by starting with the DC coefficient and three AC coefficients of the lowest horizontal frequency. Or, the block is 8×4, and the scan pattern biases the vertical direction by starting with the DC coefficient and three AC coefficients of the lowest horizontal frequency. Or, the block is 4×8, and the scan pattern biases the horizontal direction for the lowest frequency AC coefficients in the horizontal and vertical directions but biases the vertical direction for at least some other AC coefficients. A corresponding video encoder applies the scan patterns to scan transform coefficients from two-dimensional blocks to one-dimensional arrays.
US07688887B2
In accordance with the teachings described herein, systems and methods are provided for a precision adaptive equalizer. A variable gain equalizer may be used to apply a variable gain to an input signal to generate an equalized output signal. A phase and pattern detector circuit may be coupled in a feedback loop with the variable gain equalizer. The phase and pattern detector circuit may be used to identify a high frequency data pattern in the equalized output signal and compare the high frequency data pattern with a clock signal to detect a high frequency phase error. The phase and pattern detector circuit may be further operable to generate an automatic gain control signal as a function of the high frequency phase error, the automatic gain control signal being fed back to the variable gain equalizer to control the variable gain applied to the input signal.
US07688886B2
The power consumption of a receiving apparatus is reduced. A first equalization unit receives the input of digital signals and then performs equalization processing on them so as to output first equalizer output signals. A first selector selects either the digital signals or the first equalizer output signals, and outputs the selected signals to an despread unit or a second equalization unit. The despread unit carries out an despread, and an PSK demodulation unit demodulates the despread signal by PSK. The second equalization unit performs equalization processing, and a CCK demodulation unit performs CCK demodulation. A second selector operates in response to the second selector. A modulation scheme determining unit extracts information on a modulation scheme in use, from the signal demodulated by the PSK demodulation unit so as to decide on the modulation scheme. Based on the modulation scheme determined, a decision unit specifies the selection of signals at the first selector and the second selector.
US07688862B2
A node of a real-time scheduled packet network synchronizes an internal frequency reference to a master node by receiving first heartbeat packets that are transmitted by the master node at a predetermined frequency. The node calculates a link phase of a link over which the first heartbeat packets are received by subtracting a time at which the node transmitted a second heartbeat packet to another node from a time at which the node received a first heartbeat packet.
US07688861B2
The present invention discloses methods and systems for switching between media channels. Pursuant to these methods and systems, a broadcast source may provide multicast streams to client devices for presentation of media channels to a user. When a client device requests to switch channels, a client device that is receiving the requested channel initially transmits a unicast stream for the requested channel to the client device switching channels. The requesting client device upon receipt of this unicast stream may then provide the corresponding channel to the user.
US07688858B2
A method and system for pre-fetching network data using a pre-fetching control protocol is described. The method includes dividing a data transmission into a first data set and a second data set at a source, transmitting the first data set to a destination and the second data set to an intermediate location, and transmitting the second data set to the destination from the intermediate location.
US07688856B2
In the data transmission method, a MAC layer receives data from an upper layer, classifies the data according to destination addresses and traffic identifiers, aggregates the data by destination address and traffic identifier as a first transmission unit, aggregates the first transmission units having the identical destination address as a second transmission unit, and transmits the second transmission units having different destination addresses in a single frame. The data transmission method allows packets transferred from the upper layer to be hierarchically aggregated by DAs and TIDs and then packaged into a data unit for each destination such that it is possible to transmit the data at an optimal data rate for each destination terminal.
US07688851B2
A method and system for accessing a remote real communication port (“COM port”) from a server blade in a server blade chassis by creating a virtual COM port in the server blade. A basic input/output system (BIOS) controller monitors an internal COM port in the server blade for communication traffic. Upon detecting the communication traffic, the BIOS controller reroutes the traffic to a virtual USB COM port created by the BIOS controller chipset. The virtual USB COM port directs the communication traffic to an internal universal serial bus (USB) device in the server blade. The USB device then forwards the traffic to an Ethernet media access controller (MAC) input/output (I/O) on a sideband channel to a remote system, which passes the communication traffic to a real COM port in the remote system.
US07688850B2
A method is disclosed that enables a user to set their “away” or auto-reply messages for two or more communications services (e.g., e-mail, voice mail, etc.) in one action. Separate actions are required in the prior art to change each outgoing message for every distinct communication service. The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a method that enables a user to change the auto-reply message for multiple communication services with less effort than was required for multiple services in the prior art. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, a text auto-reply message intended for e-mail is automatically converted into an abbreviated form for instant messaging and wireless text services and into audio for services like telephony. Furthermore, the illustrative embodiment enables the automatic translation of messages into different natural languages, and can apply rules so that the resulting messages are used appropriately.
US07688847B2
Expected channel occupancy time is a wireless link metric determined based on a transmission protocol to be used for transmitting data in a wireless network. The wireless link metric may be used for routing or other network management functions. For determining the wireless link metric, an overhead is determined for one or more of accessing and releasing a channel to transmit a burst, including at least one frame, in the wireless network using the transmission protocol. An expected burst transmission time is calculated based at least on the overhead. The expected channel occupancy time is determined from the expected burst transmission time and an estimation of a number of frames to be successfully delivered during the burst.
US07688839B2
A buffering structure including at least a first FIFO storage structure to stage at least a selected one of undiverted egress packets and undiverted ingress packets is provided. The buffering structure further includes at least first associated packet drop logic to selectively effectuate head or tail flushes of the first FIFO storage structure. In various embodiments, one or more additional FIFO storage structures are also provided to stage one or more diverted and/or insertion of egress/ingress packets. Those use for staging diverted egress/ingress packets are likewise provided with associated packet drop logic to perform tail flushes of these additional FIFO structures. In one application, the buffering structure is employed by a multi-protocol network processor, which in turn is employed by an optical networking module.
US07688834B2
A method for providing support for multiple control channels includes establishing an indirect data connection with a first network entity in an optical network. The method also includes establishing a first control channel with the first network entity. The first control channel has at least one unique source IP address. The method additionally includes transmitting a first control message to the first network entity via the first control channel. The first control message comprises a first unique source IP address.
US07688831B2
A system is provided for efficiently allocating a transmission period in a WLAN system. An access point (AP) transmits a PSMP message providing a downlink period and an uplink period provided to each station (STA), and at least one sub PSMP frame indicating a period of at least one of a downlink and an uplink for an STA requiring additional resource allocation. After exchanging data with the AP in the downlink and uplink periods provided by the PSMP frame, if there is a need for additional resource allocation, the STA receives the at least one sub PSMP frame and exchanges data with the AP in the period provided by the each sub PSMP frame.
US07688829B2
A routing mechanism provides network segmentation preservation by route distribution with segment identification, policy distribution for a given VPN segment, and encapsulation/decapsulation for each segment using an Ethernet VLAN_ID, indicative of the VPN segment (subnetwork). Encapsulated segmentation information in a message packet identifies which routing and forwarding table is employed for the next hop. A common routing instance receives the message packets from the common interface, and indexes a corresponding VRF table from the VLAN ID, or segment identifier, indicative of the subnetwork (e.g. segment). In this manner, the routing instance receives the incoming message packet, decapsulates the VLAN ID in the incoming message packet, and indexes the corresponding VRF and policy ID from the VLAN ID, therefore employing a common routing instance over a common subinterface for a plurality of segments (subnetworks) coupled to a particular forwarding device (e.g. VPN router).
US07688825B2
A switch includes multiple ports for transmitting and receiving frames and a switching core for switching frames between the ports. One or more of the ports locally store filtering information, allowing the ports to filter frames without accessing central elements of the switch. For example, a port's filtering information may indicate drop conditions, and upon receiving a frame that corresponds to a drop condition in the filtering information, the port can locally drop the frame without impacting other elements of the switch.
US07688821B2
A data packets distributor for transferring a data packet from a source address to a destination address is provided. The data packet distributor has a plurality of predefined addresses and a data packet distributing unit. Each of the plurality of addresses indicates a network processing unit coupled to the data packet distributing unit. The data packet distributing unit is capable of forwarding a data packet to at least one of the plurality of predefined addresses for processing by using a first Network Address Translation (NAT) operation and further capable of forwarding the data packet to the destination address by using a second Network Address Translation (NAT) operation.
US07688819B2
Devices executing routing protocols can mark routing protocol messages as urgent so that peer devices are signaled to consume the messages on an expedited basis. Performance of routing protocols improves as a result; for example, Border Gateway Protocol convergence time is reduced. An example router comprises a network interface, a processor, a transport layer protocol module that implements a transport layer network protocol, a routing protocol module that implements a network packet routing protocol and sends peering session messages over transport layer connections, and instructions to perform providing a first routing protocol message to the transport layer protocol module that comprises urgent data at least in part; requesting the transport layer protocol module to mark, as urgent, one or more data segments that carry the first routing protocol message; marking, as urgent, one or more segments that carry the first routing protocol message; and sending the segments to peer devices over the connections.
US07688818B2
A method includes receiving traffic through a first interface in a first group of interfaces at a switch. The first group of interfaces is associated with a first virtual network. The method also includes determining that the traffic is destined for a destination associated with a second virtual network and forwarding the traffic to a second interface in a second group of interfaces at the switch. The second group of interfaces is associated with the second virtual network. The method further includes filtering the traffic that is received at the second interface in the second group of interfaces and communicating the filtered traffic towards the destination. The first and second virtual networks could represent Virtual Local Area Networks associated with different network levels of a process control system.
US07688809B2
Systems and techniques to determine that a VoIP call is an inactive media call. One or more counters may be used to determine information indicative of an elapsed time since the last valid media packet sent/received. When the elapsed time exceeds a threshold time, the call is determined to be an inactive media call. The call may be designated as inactive, may be terminated, or other action may be taken based on the determination that the call is an inactive media call.
US07688808B2
An apparatus and method of a mobile access node selecting a routing path through a mesh network is disclosed. The method includes receiving routing packets from at least one upstream access node, the routing packets including information of at least one upstream access node along a path to a gateway access node. A weight is assigned to each received routing packet, wherein the weight is dependent on how recently the routing packet is received. A packet success rate is calculated for each upstream access node by summing routing packets weights over a period of time for each upstream access node. The mobile node selecting the routing path through one of the at least one upstream access node based upon the packet success rate of routing packets received from each upstream access node.
US07688807B2
A system for providing and managing IP telephone calls establishes separate and distinct call legs between IP-capable appliances and routers and between routers, and creates calls, changes calls, and manages telephony functions by joining and disjoining calls legs. In some instances one or more call legs disjoined from an active call are maintained as established to be joined later to other call legs to create other active calls. By managing IP calls as separate and distinct legs functions of intelligent, connection-oriented telephony networks may be simulated in IP telephony systems. The management is provided by software running on processors coupled to routers in the IP network.
US07688803B1
A system comprising: an IP telephony interface communicatively coupled to an IP telephony service; a secondary telephony interface communicatively coupled to a secondary telephony service; and a telephone connection module to select between the IP telephony service and the secondary telephone service based on one or more specified telephony connection conditions.
US07688798B2
The invention relates to a method for transmitting data between a transmitter and a receiver via a wireless data channel of a communication network (CN). The transmitter transmits data to the receiver, where the transmission includes at least one transmission parameter which is selected based on a first channel quality that is known to the transmitter. The receiver receives the data, and the receiver determines the first channel quality known to the transmitter from said data via the at least one used transmission parameter as well as a second, current channel quality via the quality of the received data; and the receiver compares the first channel quality with the second channel quality.
US07688796B2
A wireless communication method and apparatus for decoding enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) absolute grant channel (E-AGCH) transmissions are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) receives E-AGCH data which includes a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) part and a data part. The CRC part is masked with a WTRU identity (ID) at a Node-B. The CRC part and the data part are demultiplexed and the CRC part is demasked with the WTRU ID. A CRC is then performed with the demasked CRC part. If the CRC passes the data part is sent to an enhanced uplink medium access control (MAC-e) entity. The WTRU ID may be a primary E-DCH radio network temporary identity (E-RNTI) or a secondary E-RNTI. When the E-AGCH data is transmitted over a 10 ms frame, if the CRC fails, E-AGCH data via subsequent subframe may be soft combined with the previous E-AGCH data.
US07688790B1
A communications system extends over a cellular region formed of a plurality of wireless cells where each cell covers a portion of the cellular region. Each cell has a station which is responsible for communication with the cellular subscriber. In order to for the call to be properly managed in the public cellular domain, responsibility for call handling and processing must first be managed by the public MSC. Call handling with the public MSC for a private cellular subscriber first requires the exchange of information between the two systems. This is facilitated through the exchange of MAP and A interface signaling between the private and public cellular systems. Since this information on the private network is normally transmitted via IP, this information must be converted to standard SS7 based MAP and A protocol signaling in order for the public MSC to process.
US07688789B2
A MIMO communication system capable of adaptive user scheduling. The MIMO communication system comprises a transmitting terminal, which sends data frames containing at least channel estimation signal and user data, and at least one receiving terminal, which recovers the user data and generates corresponding feedback information. The feedback information comprises an optimal transmitting antenna set dedicated to the receiving terminal, the achievable channel capacity by each antenna within the antenna set, and the degradation factors caused by each of other unselected antennas to each of the selected antennas. Depending on the feedback information, the transmitting terminal generates scheduling information based on which the adaptive user scheduling is conducted. The scheduling information comprises the scheduled users, number of data streams supported by each scheduled user, and the corresponding transmitting antenna for each of the data streams. The MIMO system can achieve the optimal channel capacity through adaptive user scheduling.
US07688788B2
A method and system for determining the bit-rate between a wireless station and one or more access points that takes into account the usage (congestion) of the access points. Each wireless station includes software and/or hardware for estimating the bit-rate between the wireless station and any available access points and provides automatic load balancing for the wireless network. Dual estimator and backpressure algorithms are utilized to better estimate the achievable bit-rate available to a wireless station associated with an access point and to provide congestion sensitive access point selection. Bandwidth estimation is provided while taking into account congestion information for building up associations to access points while automatically achieving load balancing of the traffic among available access points.
US07688784B2
A method for communication includes establishing a first connection between a wireless terminal and a base station of a long-range wireless data network, which operates in accordance with a first protocol that defines a sequence of time frames for transmission of data between the wireless terminal and the base station. A signal is sent from the wireless terminal to the base station identifying an interval including one or more of the time frames during which the wireless terminal will not receive data from the base station. During the interval, a second connection is established between the wireless terminal and an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) in accordance with a second protocol, different from the first protocol.
US07688782B2
Described is a system and method for managing multi-channel communication. The system includes a plurality of wireless devices communicating by utilizing at least one wireless communications channels. A network management arrangement controls allocation of the wireless communications channels and divides the wireless channels into a first channel pool and a second channel pool. The second pool including at least one channel. The arrangement utilizes the second pool only upon detection of a predetermined condition.
US07688780B2
Interference between collocated wireless devices sharing the same RF channel is avoided or minimized by a new header format provided for the first data packet in an RF transmission. By inclusion of an invalid pulse in the header of each isolated data packet, an FM receiver that “captures” a desired signal from a closest device, midstream of processing an undesired signal (pertubation) from a more distant collocated device, is caused to abort the invalid packet and reinitialize. The receiver is then able to properly process the first packet in the desired transmission (from the closest device).
US07688776B2
Disclosed embodiments reveal techniques for efficiently allocating time slots in a time-division multiplex (TDM) cycle among multiple channels of varying size, particularly when the channels do not all desire an integer number of time slots. TDM cycles can only allocate an integer number of time slots to each channel. So when at least one channel does not desire an integer number of time slots, then the disclosed embodiments allocate a number of time slots equal to the integer portion to each channel, rolling any fractional remainder over to the next cycle. This cumulative cyclical fractional summing process efficiently allocates time slots among the channels, allowing the average allocation per cycle to approach the true non-integer desired amount over time.
US07688775B2
Embodiments of guaranteed timeslot usage management in wireless networks are described.
US07688767B2
An apparatus and method is provided for efficiently allocating a transmission period in a WLAN system. An access point (AP) transmits a PSMP message providing a downlink period and an uplink period provided to each station (STA), and at least one sub PSMP frame indicating a period of at least one of a downlink and an uplink for an STA requiring additional resource allocation. After exchanging data with the AP in the downlink and uplink periods provided by the PSMP frame, if there is a need for additional resource allocation, the STA receives the at least one sub PSMP frame and exchanges data with the AP in the period provided by the each sub PSMP frame.
US07688765B2
A Time Division Duplex (TDD) wireless communication system includes a switch connected to an output port of a transmitter, a first transmission line for transmitting a transmission signal and for isolating a transmission path according to a mode, a first transmission line stub connected between the isolator and the first transmission line for reflecting a transmission signal transmitted from the isolator, a second transmission line connected between an output port of the first transmission line and an input port of a receiver for isolating a reception path in the transmission mode and for providing a reception signal received from the antenna feed line to the receiver, and a second transmission line stub connected in a stub form between the second transmission line and the input port of the receiver, for controlling the second transmission line to isolate the reception path.
US07688742B2
A system and method for monitoring end nodes using Ethernet Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) in an access network. In one embodiment, a broadband access server (BRAS) is operable to generate an Ethernet CFM frame that includes a query message with respect to a particular end node. An interworking function (IWF) entity associated with an access node that services the particular end node is operable to interpret the Ethernet CFM frame and construct a corresponding query message in a native protocol compatible with the particular end node. Upon receiving a reply message from the particular end node, the IWF entity constructs a suitable reply Ethernet CFM frame for transmission to the BRAS, wherein the reply Ethernet CFM frame includes a response corresponding to the reply message from the end node.
US07688728B2
A method of controlling a data flow, a transmitter and a data transmission system are described. For example, in a method of controlling a data flow of a transmitter, first data is received at a first interface. The first data is buffered in a buffer. The first data is output via a second interface. Information is determined regarding an estimated amount of second data comprising payload data output via the first interface until a filling level of the buffer will reach a predetermined threshold. An amount of the payload data output via the first interface is adjusted based on the information. The payload data is then output via the first interface. Similarly, a transmitter includes an interface to output payload data and a control signal, and a buffer to buffer further data received via the interface wherein the control signal controls a flow of said further data.
US07688725B2
A content-aware congestion control scheme for software MPLS routers enables the MPLS routers to discard packets with less important content when there is congestion in the network. By employing such content-aware congestion control, the overall quality of multimedia content is not significantly affected, enabling graceful degradation of quality using a Wavelet based compression technique. The MPLS router marks wavelet-based compressed multimedia packets as those containing important or less important contents of compressed and encoded frames. Such markings enable the MPLS router to make decisions according to the packet's priority. At times of congestion, this router restricts the rate of outgoing low priority traffic to allow high priority streams to maintain a gracefully degraded QoS for compressed multimedia content.
US07688720B2
A method of selecting a restoration path in a mesh telecommunication network is disclosed that advantageously is practical and flexible and may be pre-computed along with a service connection path during the setup of the connection. The information used to select the restoration path can be advantageously distributed among nodes in the network.
US07688716B2
One embodiment in accordance with the invention is a method that includes detecting a failure in a ring network and transmitting a multicast message across the ring network that includes information regarding the failure. Additionally, a new ring master of the ring network is designated. Furthermore, a ring port coupled to the failure is blocked.
US07688711B2
A known time domain to frequency domain or frequency domain to time domain transform used in audio codecs is MDCT, which has the disadvantage of being costly in terms of required computational power due to high-precision multiplications, but which facilitates overlapping transform and subsampling. The invention uses a transform or inverse transform which does not involve multiplications because the transform and inverse transform matrices include ‘+1’ and ‘−1’ values only, but whereby the advantages of overlapping and subsampling are kept.
US07688707B2
An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3≧0.1, T4≧0.1 and 1.5≧T3/T4≧0.5.
US07688706B2
A method relative to an optical information storage medium including a lead-in area, a lead-out area, and a user data area between the lead-in and lead-out areas and in which user data is recorded. Pits are formed in the lead-in area, the user data area, and the lead-out area, and a track pitch in all or a portion of the lead-in area is different from a track pitch in the remaining area of the optical information storage medium.
US07688704B2
A multi-layer record carrier is for recording information by writing marks in a track. The record carrier has a first recording layer (40) and a second recording layer (41), and each recording layer has a pregroove (14) indicating the position of the track according to an opposite track path. The pregroove exhibits a modulated wobble for representing control information. A lead-in part of the pregroove has first control information for the first recording layer, and the lead-out part on the second recording layer has second control information including recording parameters for the second recording layer. The device the device has a head (22) for providing the beam and wobble detection means (32) for retrieving control information from each layer.
US07688703B2
A transparent stamper made of a resin has a defect of being not able to be used repeatedly because of stress at the time of peeling off, and hence, improvement is requested. Then, the present invention provides an optical recording medium including a supporting base member, a plurality of recording layers formed on the supporting base member, an interlayer formed between the plurality of recording layers, and a cover layer formed on the recording layer, wherein, in the supporting base member, a concave portion is formed in an inner periphery region thereof than the recording layer, and an inclined portion is formed in an outer periphery region thereof than the recording layer, and wherein the interlayer contacts with the concave portion and the inclined portion of the supporting base member.
US07688700B2
A phase correction element comprising a first phase correction layer formed in a region of numerical aperture NA2, and a first phase plate; the first phase correction layer comprising a concavo-convex portion having a rotational symmetry with respect to the optical axis of incident light and having a cross-sectional shape of a saw-tooth-form or a saw-tooth-form whose convex portions are each approximated by a step form; the first phase plate generating a birefringent phase difference of about an odd number times of π/2 for linearly polarized light of λ1; and the phase correction element that does change a transmitted wavefront of λ1 and changing a transmitted wavefront of the λ2 or transmitted wavefront of both wavelengths of λ2 and λ3 when three types of incident light at λ1=410 nm, λ2=650 nm and λ3=780 nm respectively, are incident.
US07688695B2
A method of writing multi-level data to a recording medium is disclosed. The multi-level data is written by the emission of light beam. The method is characterized in that a write waveform that controls the emission of the light beam includes a first top pulse, an off pulse, and an erase pulse. The method is further characterized in that, if the value of the multi-level data falls in a predetermined range, a second top pulse is inserted between the first top pulse and the erase pulse of the write waveform that controls the emission of the light beam to write the value.
US07688693B2
A method of reproducing data from an optical storage medium includes reproducing write protection information from the optical storage medium. The optical information storage medium includes a lead-in area, a user data zone in which user data is recorded, and a lead-out area. The write protection information is recorded in at least one of the lead-in area and the lead-out area, together with defect management information. The data is recorded and/or reproduced according to the defect management information and the write protection information. The write protection information indicates a size of a write protected area differentiated from a plurality of sizes of write protected areas of the optical information storage medium.
US07688688B2
An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3≧0.1, T4≧0.1 and 1.5≧T3/T4≧0.5.
US07688686B2
A method for identifying the contents of a compact disc manipulating a received table of contents (TOC) identifier associated with the compact disc. The method parses portions of the TOC comprising a series of numbers corresponding to track offsets for each track of the compact disc. The method further determines the first number from the series of numbers, subtracts the first number from each number in the series of numbers to form an altered series of numbers, and concatenates the altered series of numbers to form an altered string that comprises the altered TOC identifier. The altered TOC identifier may then be compared to a plurality of canonical TOC identifiers to identify the contents of the compact disc. Another method generates a generic TOC identifier for a plurality of compact discs known to contain the same data.
US07688682B2
The invention relates to an electronic watch, notably for a space mission. It enables the setting, at any point in time, of a first date, start of the mission (t0) with relation to a local time scale (T1) or the Universal Time (GMT), and the determination of a first corresponding time scale (MET). It enables the setting, at any point in time, of a second date, start (t′0) of one of the mission's phases with relation to the first time scale (MET) or to the Universal Time (GMT), and the determination of a second corresponding time scale (PET). It comprises means of setting, recording, calculating and analogue and digital viewing. The digital viewing means displays a negative time value (−) when the start date is located in the future and a positive time value (+) when this date has elapsed. It comprises five audio alarms, a chronometer and a “Timer”.
US07688680B1
Systems and methods for visual light communication in an underwater environment are provided. The system can include a master control station that determines an amount of impairment of a water medium and selects one of a wired and wireless communication transceiver for exchanging communications with communication device located in the water. The system can also include a first gateway that exchanges radio frequency signals with the master control station and provides visual light communication signals to devices located in the water. The system can also include a second gateway that can exchange both visual light communication signals and acoustic communication signals with other devices located in the water.
US07688671B2
A semiconductor memory chip with an On-Die Termination (ODT) function is disclosed, which comprises a delay locked loop (DLL) circuit, a synchronous circuit, an asynchronous circuit, a select signal generator, and a selector. The DLL circuit is configured to produce a local clock signal in response to a clock signal when a clock enable (CKE) signal is asserted. The DLL circuit has a predetermined boost time. The select signal generator is configured to assert a select signal in consideration of the predetermined boost time. The selector is configured to select an output of the asynchronous circuit until the select signal is asserted but to select another output of the synchronous circuit after the select signal is asserted.
US07688667B2
A voltage conversion circuit includes a reference voltage generation unit for generating a reference voltage having a uniform level regardless of a level of an input voltage varying according to an operation mode; and a driver unit for generating and outputting an active voltage or a standby voltage using the reference voltage output by the reference voltage generation unit according to a control signal.
US07688665B2
Embodiments of the invention generally provide an apparatus and technique for sharing an internally generated voltage between devices of a multi-chip package (MCP). The internally generated voltage may be shared via a conductive structure that electrically couples the devices and carries the internally generated voltage.
US07688659B2
Each program circuit outputs an operating specification signal indicating a first or second operating specification according to a program state. Each specification changing circuit is set by a corresponding block selection signal and outputs an operating specification signal indicating a second operating specification. Each timing control circuit changes an output timing of a precharge control signal for a bit line according to the operating specification signal. By the operating specification signal from the specification changing circuit, a failure can be detected in each memory block before programming a program circuit. Thereafter, the failure can be relieved by the program circuit. The output timing of the precharge control signal can be set for each memory block by a block selection signal without wiring a dedicated signal line for setting each specification changing circuit. Accordingly, increase in chip size can be minimized.
US07688656B2
A method for dynamically controlling sense amplifier differential margin of a memory during operation, in an integrated circuit, including a plurality of addressable units, is provided. The method includes setting the sense amplifier differential margin corresponding to the plurality of addressable units to a first value. The method further includes if a read data error occurs when data is read from a set of the plurality of addressable units, then setting the sense amplifier differential margin corresponding to the plurality of addressable units to a second value, wherein the second value is greater than the first value.
US07688651B2
A method of regulating timing of control signals in an integrated circuit memory device includes generating a pulse signal having a pulse width representing a time period between a rising edge of a first control signal and a rising edge of a second control signal that is activated after the first control signal. Based on the pulse width of the pulse signal, it is determined whether a timing margin between activation of the first control signal and activation of the second control signal is within a predetermined range, and the timing margin is adjusted responsive to the determination. For example, the pulse signal may be a timing measurement signal including a first pulse signal representing a first timing margin between a word line enable signal and a bit line sensing enable signal, a second pulse signal representing a second timing margin between a column select line enable signal and a first read pulse signal, and a third pulse signal representing a third timing margin between a word line disable signal and a bit line equalizing signal. Related devices are also discussed.
US07688647B2
A semiconductor memory device which prevents a drop of the level of an external voltage due to generation of high voltage, thereby ensuring an effective data window. The semiconductor memory device includes a level detecting unit and a voltage generating unit. The level detecting unit is configured to detect a level of an internal voltage based on a reference voltage to output a level detection signal. The voltage generating unit is configured to generate the internal voltage by selectively pumping an external voltage according to the level detection signal and a refresh signal.
US07688644B2
A semiconductor memory device includes an address latch unit, a decoding circuit, and a precharge control unit. The address latch unit provides a latched address during an active operation interval and a precharge operation interval. The decoding circuit decodes an output of the address latch unit to provide a decoded signal to activate a word line arranged in a data storage area. The precharge control unit controls the decoded signal to be disabled during the precharge operation interval.
US07688637B2
In a semiconductor device, a self-test circuit includes a write part for writing data in a given address of a special region of a nonvolatile memory; a read part for reading the written data from the given address; a verify part for determining whether or not the written data accords with the read data; and a decision part for determining soundness of the nonvolatile memory on the basis of a result of determination made by the verify part. In the case where the written data accords with the read data, the decision part determines that the nonvolatile memory is sound, and in the case where the data do not accord with each other, it determines that the nonvolatile memory is unsound.
US07688630B2
A target memory cell of a memory device is programmed by applying a programming voltage to a word line that includes the target memory cell, determining whether the target memory cell is programmed, and increasing the programming voltage by a step voltage if it is determined that the target memory cell is not programmed. An initial programming voltage and the step voltage are each selectable after fabrication of the memory device.
US07688621B2
An apparatus, a nonvolatile memory device and a nonvolatile memory system include an array of nonvolatile variable resistive memory (VRM) cells and a writing driver circuit having a pulse selection circuit, a current control circuit, and a current drive circuit. The current control circuit receives a bias voltage, outputs a control signal at a second level during an enable duration of the reset pulse when the data is at a first level, and outputs a control signal at a first level during an enable duration of the set pulse when the data is at a second level. The current drive circuit outputs writing current to the phase-change memory array during the enable duration of the reset pulse or the set pulse. The writing driver circuit can select the reset pulse or the set pulse according to the logic level of the data, and control the level of current applied to the phase-change memory array according to the reset pulse or the set pulse.
US07688617B2
An operation method of an MRAM of the present invention is an operation method of the MRAM in which a data write operation is carried out in a toggle write. The operation method of the present invention includes: (A) reading a data from a data cell by using a reference signal which is generated by using a reference cell; (B) performing an error detection on the read data; (C) correcting the data stored in the data cell, when an error is detected in the read data; (D) reading the data from the data cell as a first re-read data after the (C), when the error is detected in the read data, (E) performing the error detection on the first re-read data; (F) correcting the data stored in the reference cell, when an error is detected in the first re-read data; (G) reading the data from the data cell as a second re-read data after the (F), when the error is detected in the first re-read data; (H) performing the error detection on the second re-read data; and (I) correcting the data stored in the data cell again, when the error is detected in the second re-read data.
US07688615B2
A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and a manufacturing method and a programming method thereof are provided. The magnetic random access memory comprises a first magnetic tunnel junction structure and a second magnetic tunnel junction structure. The second magnetic tunnel junction structure is electrically connected with the first magnetic tunnel junction structure, and the volume of the second magnetic tunnel junction structure is smaller than that of the first magnetic tunnel junction structure.
US07688614B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device can prevent memory characteristics from deteriorating due to IR drop on word or bit lines in a cross-point type memory cell array. The device comprises a word line selection circuit selecting a selected word line from word lines and applying selected and unselected word line voltages to the selected and unselected word lines, respectively, a bit line selection circuit selecting a selected bit line from bit lines and applying selected and unselected bit line voltages to the selected and unselected bit lines, respectively, and voltage control circuits preventing voltage fluctuation of at least either one of the word and bit lines, wherein at least either one of the word and bit lines are connected to the voltage control circuits at a voltage control point positioned at a farthest point from a drive point connected to the word line selection circuit or bit line selection circuit.
US07688612B2
A nonvolatile memory array includes a plurality of dual-sided charge-trapping dual-sided charge-trapping nonvolatile memory cells arranged in rows and columns. The dual-sided charge-trapping dual-sided charge-trapping nonvolatile memory cells on each column form at least one grouping that is arranged in a NAND series string of dual-sided charge-trapping dual-sided charge-trapping nonvolatile memory cells. Each NAND series string has a top select transistor and a bottom select transistor. Pairs of braided bit lines are connected in a braided columnar bit line structure such that each column of the dual-sided charge-trapping dual-sided charge-trapping nonvolatile memory cells is connected to an associated pair of braided bit lines.
US07688605B2
Systems and methods are provided for operating a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit in a direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) power inverter to reduce the magnitude of harmonics. The PWM circuit operates using a reference signal having an irregular period. In one implementation the irregular periodicity includes a sequence of periods uniformly distributed about a target period.
US07688603B2
An arrangement and method for monitoring a frequency converter, the frequency converter being a voltage-controlled PWM frequency converter provided with a control unit and having an uncontrolled or a main-frequency controlled main bridge connectable to an alternating-current source (UL1, UL2, UL3), a direct-voltage intermediate circuit and a controlled load bridge for producing a variable-frequency multi-phase output voltage (UU, UV, UW), which direct-voltage intermediate circuit of the frequency converter is provided with a small-capacitance direct-voltage capacitor, the main bridge being connected to the load bridge directly without a large-capacitance direct-voltage capacitor functioning as an intermediate energy storage, and the arrangement includes a measuring unit for measuring the direct voltage of the intermediate voltage circuit. In the arrangement, the measuring unit measures at least one quantity of the intermediate-circuit direct voltage, and the control unit determines on the basis of the aforesaid quantity at least one input voltage value and/or a failure situation of the frequency converter or its load circuit.
US07688596B1
A protective housing for a circuit board mounted on an end of a cell is described. The protective housing includes a cut-out in its sidewall and a retaining wall centered in the cut-out. This provides a pair of gaps, one on each side of the retaining wall between the cut-out. These gaps are size so that lead wires extending from the circuit board are captured therein in a tight-fitting relationship. Consequently, the lengths of the leads extending from the protective housing of the cell to a quick disconnect at the distal end of the leads is precisely controlled. If desired, there can be more than one retaining wall providing a plurality of gaps for capturing a plurality of lead wires therein.
US07688587B2
A cooling device comprises a heat radiating portion, heat-transferring component, such as a heat pipe, a fan and a support member. The heat radiating portion radiates the heat generated by the heat-generating component. The heat-transferring component transfers the heat generated by the heat-generating component, from the heat receiving portion to the heat radiating portion. The fan applies cooling air to the heat radiating portion. The fan is coupled to the heat radiating portion. The support member includes a first part to hold the heat radiating portion, and a second part to hold the fan.
US07688586B2
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a case, a heat generation body mounted in the case, a cooling member mounted in the case, and a heat conduction member. The heat conduction member includes a heat receiving section opposed to the heat generation body and thermally connected to the heat generation body, a heat radiation section opposed to the cooling member, and a section provided between the heat receiving section and the heat radiation section. The heat conduction member is formed by laminating a plurality of sheet members each having thermal conductivity. The plurality of sheet members are joined together in a portion of the heat conduction member.
US07688580B2
A protective enclosure for an electronic device that has a protective shell that is capable of enclosing and substantially surrounding the touch screen device in a substantially watertight, substantially rigid and substantially crush-resistant manner. Modular units can be releasably connected in a rigid manner to the protective enclosure to form an integrated unitary device that is substantially crush-resistant and watertight unit. The modular units can be interchangeable and connect to the protective case using the same format.
US07688579B2
A portable electronic device includes a casing, an electronic component disposed in the casing, and a thermal module for dissipating heat of the electronic component. The thermal module includes a heat pipe, a fin unit, and a transverse fan. The heat pipe includes an evaporating section thermally attached to the electronic component, and a condensing section thermally attached to the fin unit. The transverse fan is arranged in the casing for generating an airflow through the electronic component and the fin unit. The transverse fan includes a rotor, and a sidewall on a floor of the casing and surrounding the rotor. The sidewall defines an air inlet and an air outlet therein. The air outlet faces to the fin unit. The air inlet faces to the electronic component.
US07688577B2
An external box with a shockproofing mechanism is disclosed. The external box accommodates a hard disk that has a plurality of opening holes formed on a bottom side thereof. The external box comprises: a box body, a plurality of positioning posts, a plurality of elastic elements, and a cover body. The box body has a bottom seat. The positioning posts are disposed on the bottoms seat. The elastic elements are disposed around the positioning posts, respectively. The cover body covers the box body. The opening holes correspond to the positioning posts, and the positioning posts are respectively accommodated in the opening holes for contacting the hard disk with the elastic elements to achieve a shockproof effect.
US07688564B2
A power distribution system (300) is disclosed having a power source (302) with at least one circuit associated with a power line (310). The power line (310) is connected to an incoming power cable (312), which is further connected to a cable or conduit assembly (316) having at least one junction block. A surge protector (324) is pluggable into the junction block of the cable or conduit assembly (316). The surge protector (324) includes at least one male connector set (326) and an LED indicator (338).
US07688562B2
Low current electrical devices can be protected by a status relay having an active current sensing circuit that includes a current switch.
US07688560B2
This invention relates to overload protection for a circuit driving a direct current (DC) load. The invention provides a method of generating an overload condition for an output module driving a load having a load current and a load voltage comprising the steps of: monitoring the load current at sample intervals; comparing the monitored load current to a predetermined load current threshold; starting an overload timer in the event that the timer is not running and the monitored load current is greater than said load current threshold; monitoring the load voltage at said sample intervals; generating a ramped load voltage waveform for reference purposes in dependence upon an initial load voltage and a predetermined step size load voltage in the event that the overload timer is running; generating an overload condition in the event that the monitored load voltage is less than said ramped load voltage reference waveform, the ramped load voltage is less than a predetermined positive ramp limit and the overload timer is running.
US07688557B2
A motorcycle has a transmission including a transmission mechanism and an electronic control unit (ECU). The transmission mechanism includes a crankshaft as an input shaft, a driven shaft as an output shaft and an electric motor. The electric motor changes continuously the transmission ratio between the crankshaft and the driven shaft. The ECU estimates the heat value of the motor from a rate of change in the transmission ratio. When the estimate heat value reaches or exceeds a specified value the electric motor is restricted or stopped.
US07688552B2
A HGA includes a slider and a suspension for supporting the slider. The suspension includes a load beam, a base plate, and a flexure, which are assembled together. The flexure has a suspension tongue with a suspension through hole defined therein at a position corresponding to a center of the slider mounted on the suspension tongue. A dimple is provided to connect the suspension tongue and the load beam. The dimple has a first bump, a second bump and a shaft connecting the first and the second bumps. The shaft of the dimple extends through the suspension through hole to limit the suspension tongue between the first and the second bumps. Meanwhile, a manufacturing method of the HGA and a disk drive unit with the HGA are disclosed.
US07688547B2
A head cleaning mechanism for a read/write device includes an arm with serially connected arm members that supports a cleaning component. The arm members fold as the arm is wound about a shaft formed on a guide plate which guides a stud attached to the arm as it is wound in a dead space of a corner of the device.
US07688543B2
A disk drive that regenerates a desiccant within the drive. The drive includes a housing that encloses a head and a disk. A first desiccant is located adjacent to a hole of the housing. A second desiccant is coupled to the first desiccant. The second desiccant is also coupled to a source of heat. Heat is transferred through the second desiccant to the first desiccant. The heat evaporates fluid within the first desiccant. The evaporated fluid flows into and through the second desiccant. The evaporation of fluid regenerates the first desiccant so that is can continuously absorb humidity within the drive.
US07688542B2
A method for writing servo onto a disk of a hard disk drive with a servo writer. The method includes writing a plurality of spiral servo signals onto a disk. The spiral servo signals include a plurality of short spirals separated by unequal distances. The short spirals are detected by determining the unequal distances and used to write a plurality of servo patterns. The unequal distances provide information of the short spirals at different quadrants of the disk. The distances between a bank of odd short spirals is different than a bank of even short spirals which allows the servo writer to determine whether the bank is odd or even without switching banks. Either the even or odd bank of short spirals can be used to locate a starting reference point from which the servo writer can count spirals and write A, B, C and D servo bursts.
US07688541B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for the cancellation of repeatable runout signals. A signal processing module receives a position error signal and outputs a position compensated signal. A feed forward module receives the position error signal and outputs one or more cancellation signals to cancel one or more repeatable runout components from the position error signal when combined with the position compensated signal. A combining module combines the position compensated signal and the cancellation signals into a position command signal. A feedback module receives the position command signal and outputs the position error signal.
US07688539B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, and a head actuated over the disk. The head is positioned at a radial location over the disk, and a servo burst is written at the current radial location. The servo burst is read to generate a read signal, and the read signal is processed to generate a position error signal (PES). The head is moved radially in response to the PES, and the process is repeated multiple times to form a spiral track spanning at least one revolution of the disk.
US07688536B2
A storage system (e.g., a magnetic disk system or a magnetic tape system) employing a write head, a write controller and a write driver circuit. In operation, the write head records data on a magnetic media (e.g., a magnetic tape or a magnetic disk) based on a flow of a write current through the write head, and the write driver circuit includes a variable power supply network and a variable power return network driving the write current through the write head based on a selection by the write controller of an operating power mode among a plurality of selectable power modes of the variable power supply network and the variable power return network. Each power mode of the variable power supply network and the variable power return network drives the write current with a different magnitude from the variable power supply network through the write head to the variable power return network.
US07688534B1
A method of writing servo data onto a disk is disclosed. A spindle motor spins the disk, and a back electromotive force (BEMF) signal is measured from the spindle motor. A repeatable phase error (RPE) is extracted from the BEMF signal to generate an adjusted BEMF signal. A servo write clock is synchronized in response to the adjusted BEMF signal, and the servo data is written to the disk using the servo write clock. In one embodiment, the servo data comprises spiral seed patterns that are processed to write concentric servo sectors to the disk.
US07688531B1
A miniature image capture lens is disclosed comprising an aperture diaphragm having an aperture through which an image is captured and a wafer-level lens system, including a first surface disposed on a first substrate, a second substrate with a first side bonded to the first substrate, a second surface disposed on a second side of the second substrate, and a third surface disposed on a third substrate, wherein the first surface, the second surface and the third surface are aspherical and the following conditions are satisfied: L/fe i.7,f1˜/fe=0.5−1.5,f2/fe=−1−−1.5; and −2
US07688529B2
A lens unit and an image reading apparatus configured to hold an anamorphic lens precisely with a simple structure, without a lens spacing error or eccentric error: the lens unit including a barrel member configured to hold at least one rotationally symmetric lens having a rotationally symmetric shape with respect to an optical axis; an anamorphic lens having at least one anamorphic surface circumscribing an end portion of the barrel member; a coaxiality maintaining device configured to engage the anamorphic lens and the barrel member with each other to align central axes of the anamorphic lens and the barrel member with each other, and arranged relatively rotate the anamorphic lens and the barrel member relative to each other with reference to the aligned central axes of them; and an elastic member configured to push the anamorphic lens against the barrel member.
US07688528B2
A mount for an optical component is disclosed that provides the flexibility of independently adjusting the position and orientation of the optical component along and about one or more axes. In an exemplary embodiment, the mount includes a support element for supporting the optical component; one or more rotational adjustment elements for rotating said support element independently about one or more axes, respectively; and one or more linear adjustment elements for moving said support element independently along one or more axes. The adjustment elements may be manually adjustable and/or may be adjustable by an actuator. In the latter case, the actuator may be electronically controlled by a controller. The optical component may be a reflective, transmissive, or reflective/transmissive optical device, such as diffraction gratings, mirrors, beam splitters, and others.
US07688511B2
Provided are an easy-to-handle thin diffraction type light-condensing film exhibiting high light transmissivity and condensation ability, and a planar light source device using the film. A hologram optical element using diffraction/interference phenomena based on wave properties of light is used instead of a conventional prism sheet using refraction. As a result, the diffraction type light-condensing film and the planar light source device have high light transmissivity and are thin. In the diffraction type light-condensing film, dependence of bending angle on wave length is low and light entering from an oblique direction is bent in the vertical direction and emitted with spectral separation of white light suppressed. High light-condensation impossible in a conventional optical element is realized by suppressing angular variation in emission light for angular variation in incident light.
US07688509B2
An autostereoscopic display device includes a device configured to provide collimated light and a dynamic beam deflector which is configured to scan a beam. The exit angle of the light emitted by pixels of the display array transmitted through a splitting screen is controlled and scanned by the dynamic beam deflector.
US07688508B2
In a diffusion sheet, a plurality of approximately trapezoidal columnar unit lens portions are disposed such that the long-axis directions thereof are in parallel with each other, and all the surfaces of the unit lens portions, which correspond to the long bottom segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections of the unit lens portions are disposed on a light-incident-side flat surface. Further, light absorbing portions are disposed in the grooves between adjacent unit lens portions to absorb and/or shield external light incident from a light outgoing side. In the diffusion sheet arranged as described above, light incident on the unit lens portions from a light incident side is totally reflected on the surfaces corresponding to the side segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections vertical to the long-axis direction of the unit lens portions and outgoes from the light outgoing side.
US07688507B2
In a diffusion sheet, a plurality of approximately trapezoidal columnar unit lens portions are disposed such that the long-axis directions thereof are in parallel with each other, and all the surfaces of the unit lens portions, which correspond to the long bottom segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections of the unit lens portions are disposed on a light-incident-side flat surface. Further, light absorbing portions are disposed in the grooves between adjacent unit lens portions to absorb and/or shield external light incident from a light outgoing side. In the diffusion sheet arranged as described above, light incident on the unit lens portions from a light incident side is totally reflected on the surfaces corresponding to the side segments of the approximately trapezoidal sections vertical to the long-axis direction of the unit lens portions and outgoes from the light outgoing side.
US07688501B2
At an optical transmission system that uses plural light sources for Raman amplification, even when a failure occurred in a pumping light source in one of the light sources for Raman amplification, the signal light output level and its wavelength characteristic are not deteriorated at the final stage, and the number of components in the system is not made to be large and the cost of the system is not made to be high. This optical transmission system is provided. At an optical transmission system using “n” light sources for Raman amplification, a first to “n−1”th light sources for Raman amplification do not provide spare pumping light sources, and an “n”th light source for Raman amplification provides the spare pumping light sources. When a pumping light source in one of the “n” light sources for Raman amplification had a failure, the spare pumping light source in the “n”th light source for Raman amplification corresponding to the failure occurred pumping light source is worked. With this, the signal light output level and its wavelength characteristic are recovered to a normal state before the failure occurred.
US07688489B2
The color of magenta using newly developed magenta ink has characteristics L*≈41, a*≈82, and b*≈24, and has differences ΔL*≈4, Δa*≈0, and Δb*≈26 from the conventional magenta ink, i.e., the lightness value is low, and the color difference b* assumes a very small value. When the color of red is reproduced using such new magenta ink, its lightness and saturation values are low, and subdued red is reproduced, i.e., a visually favorable color cannot be obtained. Hence, when a color included in a first color gamut is input, and the input color is converted into the color of a second color gamut narrower than the first color gamut, color conversion is made using a three-dimensional lookup table having red defined by L*≈45 to 50, a*≈67 to 70, and b*≈50 to 55.
US07688488B2
An image reading device including a plurality of image sensors configured to read image data of an original document, each of which having a reading range overlapping in a main scanning direction with an adjacent image sensor among the plurality of image sensors, and a gamma correction mechanism configured to conduct gamma correction to correct linearity of respective output characteristics of the plurality of image sensors, based on gamma correction data produced according to an output characteristic of a reference image sensor selected from the plurality of image sensors. The reference image sensor and the adjacent image sensor read identical input data, and the gamma correction mechanism compares the results, obtains a difference between the results, and adjusts the output characteristic of the adjacent image sensor to the output characteristic of the reference image sensor.
US07688476B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving image data and control characters across an interface that is subject to noise for output to a printer. The image data and the control characters are transmitted across the interface to a receiver device. A determination is made as to whether or not a line of image data has been sufficiently transferred to the receiver device and, if the current line of image data has not been sufficiently transferred, there is provided for output to the printer a prior sufficiently received line of image data in replacement of the current line of image data so that the prior line of image data is printed at least twice in succession.
US07688471B2
A picture coding method according to the present invention includes: a coding step (S102, S103) of coding, picture parameter sets (PPS) to be used for decoding all the pictures (pic) included in a random access unit (RAU) made up of plural pictures and a sequence parameter set (SPS); and a parameter set placement step (S104) of placing, in the random access unit (RAU), the parameter set (PPS, SPS) coded in the coding step (S102, S103).
US07688460B2
An information processor and method enable a user to perform printing by using a printing instruction button in a simple easily-understandable process in a case where a link to printing contents is included in service contents.
US07688458B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for processing a print job through a copy of a workflow, modifying the copied workflow and reprocessing the print job only through the modified portion of the copied workflow. In addition, methods and apparatus in accordance with this invention are provided for modifying or inserting additional print files into a print job that has already been processed through a workflow, and processing only the modified or inserted print files through the workflow.
US07688450B2
A thin, deformable member may be fixed at one end, while another portion of the member rests on a hydrogel substance whose thickness changes depending on a characteristic of a liquid that permeates the hydrogel. When the hydrogel changes thickness and causes part of the member to tilt, a reflective surface on the member may reflect light in a different direction. Appropriate sensors may detect the change in the direction of the reflected light, allowing determination of the change in thickness, which in turn permits determination of the relevant characteristic of the liquid.
US07688444B2
The method determines laser stability of an optical material, which is suitable for making an optical element through which high-energy light passes. The method includes pre-irradiation to produce radiation damage and measurement of the resulting induced non-intrinsic fluorescence. The method is distinguished by excitation of induced fluorescence immediately after pre-irradiation and after at least ten minutes after pre-irradiation with light of a wavelength between 350 and 810 nm, and measurement and quantitative evaluation of fluorescence intensities at wavelengths between 550 nm and 810 nm. Especially laser-stable optical materials, particularly CaF2 crystals, have a normalized difference (Z) of the fluorescence intensities measured at a first time immediately after pre-irradiation and at a second time at least ten minutes after the pre-irradiation, as calculated by the following equation (1): Z=(I2,λ1,λ2−I1,λ1,λ2)I2,λ1,λ2 (1), which is less than 0.3.
US07688443B2
A sample analysis system comprises a laser unit and a spectrometer unit. The laser unit emits a first laser pulse and a second laser pulse towards the sample with a pulse separation time of between about 1 microsecond to 20 microseconds. The laser unit includes an oscillator unit which is configured to generate the first laser pulse and the second laser pulse. A pre-amplifier unit is configured to receive the first laser pulse and the second laser pulse and increase the energy levels of each pulse prior to the pulses being emitted from the laser unit. The spectrometer unit captures emissions generated by the sample after the sample is stuck by the first and second laser pulses and identifies the elemental constituents of the sample using the emissions.
US07688442B2
A method using fluorescence microscopy for image evaluation using a laser scanning microscope in which an at least partially spectrally resolved detection of the fluorescence spectrum occurs. Reference spectra are used for spectral demixing. Temporally and/or spectrally variable dyes and/or dye combinations are employed for recording of the reference spectra. Finally, the recorded reference spectra are inspected for image evaluation.
US07688433B2
Apparatus and methods for detecting inclination employ a point source of light from which light is emitted through a lens toward a reflective surface of a liquid contained in a vessel. Light reflected from the surface passes through the lens to form a defocused image of the point source on a two-dimensional array of detector elements. Data acquired from the array represents intensity of the light incident on each of the detector elements. A center of gravity representing inclination of the vessel is determined from the data.
US07688429B2
A device (1) having integrated beam switching systems is provided which uses corresponding devices (7 and 9) and fiber optic light guides (10 and 11) for guiding the light (3) used for analysis of a liquid medium (2), for example in a spectrophotometer, a spectrofluorimeter or a similar measuring device, to a measuring point located on the device (1) and embodied as a receiving surface (4) for the medium, and back therefrom to the detector for the spectrophotometer, a spectrofluorimeter or the like. The receiving surface (4) forms a flat measuring point on the upper side of the device (1) and is closed by a cover-type detachable reflector (8) in the position of use. The reflector is in close contact with the sample of the medium (2) and can be removed before the application of the sample and for cleaning the measuring point.
US07688418B2
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel where a image display cell region and a plurality of dummy cell regions are provided on a glass substrate. The dummy cells are formed to monitor the internal pressure of liquid crystal sealed in the image display cell region. Liquid crystal is dropped on the image display cell region and the dummy cell regions and the glass substrate and a second substrate are bonded together. The image display cell and the dummy cells, which have the liquid crystal sealed therein, are formed in the image display cell region and the dummy cell regions, respectively. Based on the results of monitoring states of the dummy cells thus formed, a state of the image display cell is estimated.
US07688417B2
A method for manufacturing a TFT array panel including forming a gate line having a gate electrode on a insulating layer, a gate insulating layer on the gate line, a semiconductor on the gate insulating layer, an ohmic contact on the semiconductor, a data line having a source electrode and a drain electrode apart form the source electrode on the ohmic contact, a passivation layer having a contact hole to expose the drain electrode, and a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the contact hole. The drain electrode and the source electrode are formed by a photolithography using a negative photoresist pattern. The negative photoresist pattern includes a first portion having a first thickness corresponding to a channel area, a second portion having a second thickness corresponding to a data line area, and a third portion having a third thickness corresponding to another area.
US07688415B2
Disclosed are a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method for manufacturing the same, in which connection stability is improved when connecting a COG, A COF, or an FPC to a driving circuit. A substrate of the LCD has a display region and a non-display region at a peripheral area thereof. Terminals are provided to electrically connect an external circuit and a circuit of the display region and the non-display region. A flat protective layer is formed on the terminals. A plurality of pads are respectively formed of a first contact region and a flat second contact region, and each of the pads contacts a corresponding terminal, which is formed through a pad contact hold formed on the protective layer, at the first contact region, and each of the pads is electrically connected through an anisotropic conductive resin to a terminal of the external circuit by a pressing process at the flat second contact region.
US07688411B2
Provided is a multi-domain liquid crystal display device capable of improving a viewing angle by decreasing a color shift. The multi-domain LCD device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of gate lines provided in one direction on the first substrate, a plurality of data lines provided substantially perpendicular to the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of pixel regions including a first area and a second area, a common electrode and a pixel electrode which generate a parallel electric field within the first area to improve luminance, a common electrode and a pixel electrode which generate a parallel electric field within the second area to decrease color shift, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first substrate and the second substrate.
US07688402B2
A backlight module includes a light box and multiple real light sources. The light box has an opening and a plurality of substantially parallel grooves recessed from a bottom surface thereof. Each of the slots has a reflection curved surface. A light source allocation line is defined between every two adjacent grooves. The light source allocation lines are parallel to the grooves. The sum of shortest distances between any point of the reflection curved surface and the two adjacent light source allocation lines is substantially the same. In addition, the real light sources are alternately allocated in the light source allocation lines. A part of light emitted from each light source is reflected from the reflection curved surface to the light source allocation line in which no light source is allocated. Thereby, a virtual light source is formed on the light source allocation line that does not contain a real light source.
US07688395B2
An optical film for use in backlight module is provided. The optical provides quality luminance of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus. The optical film assembly comprises a substrate with a polarization direction, in which the substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposing thereto. A first prismatic structure is formed on the first surface. The polarization direction of the substrate defines the first angle θ1 with respect to the configured direction of the first prismatic structure, in which 0°<θ1<180°.
US07688393B2
The invention relates to a substrate for a liquid crystal display, a liquid crystal display having the substrate, and a method of driving the display and provides a substrate for a liquid crystal display which allow high display characteristics to be achieved, a liquid crystal display having the substrate, and a method of driving the display.The substrate includes two TFTs having gate electrodes connected to a gate bus line and drain electrodes connected to a drain bus line, a pixel electrode connected to a source electrode, a pixel electrode connected to another source electrode and separated from the pixel electrode, another TFT having a gate electrode connected to another gate bus line and a source electrode connected to the pixel electrode, and a buffer capacitor portion having a buffer capacitor electrode connected to another drain electrode and another buffer capacitor electrode connected to a storage capacitor bus line.
US07688387B2
Separation of luma and chroma in a video. In an embodiment, values on a current line of the sampled video signal, at ¼-period intervals, are compared with values on a previous line of the sampled video signal, at ¼-period intervals. Values on the current line of the sampled video signal are compared to values on a subsequent line of the sampled video signal. This gives information about the vertical frequency content. Values on the current line are compared with values having the same chroma phase on the same line to provide information about horizontal frequency content. The data of vertical and horizontal frequency logic are used by the decision logic to determine the appropriateness of combing based on these comparisons. If combing is not appropriate, the signal is bandpass filtered instead of combed. The low-pass and combing filters are applied to the original signal, not an interpolated or resampled signal.
US07688384B2
Personal multimedia devices can detect when an incoming video format is different from a native format and make a local decision to convert incoming video formats to a format native to the personal multimedia device. The personal multimedia device may include a media processor that comprises an MPEG decoder/encoder, graphics processors, and a video decoder/encoder. These components increase a frame rate of a received video signal when the frame rate of the received video signal is less than a frame rate of the native video format of the personal multimedia device and decrease the frame rate of the received video signal when the frame rate of the received video signal is greater than the native frame rate of the set-top box. The graphics processor scales a frame resolution of the frames in the received video signal to correspond to the native video format.
US07688379B2
A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for selecting quality images from multiple captured images. One embodiment is an image capturing system. The system includes hardware for capturing a plurality of consecutive images and a processor for determining a quality indication for the consecutive images and for selecting one of the consecutive images based on the quality indication.
US07688369B2
A method of image processing an image in a camera module, said method comprising the steps of capturing an image as a Color Filter Array image having non-linear RGB pixel data from an image sensor of said camera module; linearizing said image from said image sensor to generate a linearized image by using at least three lookup tables, one lookup table for each of three RGB colors, said linearizing step performed by using an address for current RGB pixel data being read to index the at least three lookup tables and incrementing the addresses for the RGB pixel data; generating at least three histograms of said linearized image data, one histogram for each of at least three RGB image color planes, and storing at least a high and a low threshold for each histogram; planarizing said linearized image by using at least the high and the low threshold to generate a planarized linear RGB image; and transforming said image from planarized linear RGB form to L*a*b* form. The step of transforming said image from planarized linear RGB form to L*a*b* form includes a step of referring to each of the histograms and applying a thresholding algorithm thereto.
US07688364B2
A camera system and a method for zooming the camera system is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating an electronic image by sensing an optical image received by the camera, the sensing including electronic cropping to a window size to establish an initial resolution for the electronic image, (B) generating a final image by decimating the electronic image by a decimation factor to a final resolution smaller than the initial resolution and (C) changing a zoom factor for the final image by adjusting both of the decimation factor and the window size.
US07688356B2
A clamp level adjusting apparatus of the invention includes: an image pickup device which has an effective pixel area for producing an image signal and a lightproof area formed around the effective pixel area to produce a black level standard signal; a clamp level calculating section for extracting the black level standard signal from an extracting range of a plurality of horizontal rows in the lightproof area and for producing a clamp level value corresponding to each horizontal row in the effective pixel area based on a vertical moving average value of black level standard signals in the extracting range; and a clamp section for correcting a black level of the image signal based on the clamp level value.
US07688352B2
A filming device includes a filming unit which imports a plurality of frames configuring a moving image at a prescribed sampling rate, a shake amount detection unit which detects a shake amount of each of the frames, a frame position calculation unit which calculates a frame position of each frame based on the shake amount, a reference frame position determination unit which determines a reference frame position to be a reference of a display subject frame, and a frame selection and transmission unit which selects and sequentially transmits frames positioned within a prescribed range centered on the reference frame position.
US07688350B2
A digital camera apparatus and a printing method for printing still and motion image stored in the digital camera. A frame to be printed in motion image data stored in a removable memory is designated. The position information of the designated frame to be printed is held in a memory. Upon printing, the motion image data is read out of the removable memory according to the stored position information and then still image data is formed from the motion image data of the frame specified by the frame position information in the motion image data. The formed still image data is sent to a printer through an interface. Since a still image of the image of the print frame is formed from the motion image and sent to the printer, the printer can print by a process similar to a printing process for the still image and execute the printing without being aware of a motion image format.
US07688345B2
A conference call may involve participants with video conferencing systems and participants with speakerphone systems. In some embodiments, sound from speakerphone participants may be sent through a speakerphone sound system while sound from video participants may be sent through the video sound system (e.g., near a video monitor). Sound may be localized through a combination of both the video sound system and the speakerphone sound system to produce a spatially correct sound field for in room participants.
US07688339B2
A device is for scribing a visible label on the medium. The medium (11), for example an optical disc, has a label side provided with a radiation sensitive layer for creating the visible label via a beam of radiation. The device has a head (22) and a positioning unit (25) for radially positioning a scribing spot, which unit has a course positioning system by movements of the head and a fine positioning system. The device has a generator unit (32) for, during at least one boundary trace of the substantially parallel traces which precedes or succeeds a head movement, temporarily applying a broadening signal (35) to the fine positioning system for broadening the boundary trace in the transverse direction. This has the advantage that unwritten annular areas called white bands, which may occur due to mismatch of the head movement and the fine positioning system, are reduced or prevented.
US07688326B2
An apparatus, medium, and method for correcting color of an image. The apparatus may includes a user interface which displays each of N reference patches, removes non-gray components from the displayed N reference patches, according to the characteristics of a user's visual system, and outputs the reference patches from which the non-gray components have been removed as adjusted reference patches, a table generator which generates at least one lookup table that has, as addresses, color component values for a current image and stores color component values of the adjusted reference patches as data, and a color corrector which addresses the at least one lookup table using the color component values of the image to read data corresponding to correction information for the color component values of the image and outputs the read data as the result of the correcting of color of the image.
US07688319B2
A system that renders a three-dimensional model which contains semi-transparent surfaces. During operation, the system renders the semi-transparent surfaces in the three-dimensional model by performing the following operations iteratively for each semi-transparent surface in draw-order instead of depth-order: (1) rendering the semi-transparent surface to a Z buffer, (2) calculating a cumulative transparency value for each pixel of the semi transparent surface as a function of the transparency value for each opaque and semi-transparent surface that intersects the pixel and is in front of the Z-value for the pixel in the Z-buffer, (3) attenuating a surface color value for each pixel in the semi-transparent surface by the cumulative transparency value for the pixel, and (4) adding the attenuated surface color value to a corresponding pixel value in the image buffer.
US07688317B2
Three-dimensional text is displayed without losing its related two-dimensional text properties. The two-dimensional text properties are captured and mapped to the three-dimensional text. Capturing the properties helps preserve the look of the two-dimensional text when it is converted and displayed as three-dimensional text. A texture map is used to capture the two-dimensional properties that are associated with the text. The texture map capturing the two-dimensional text properties is applied to the three-dimensional text and then displayed.
US07688313B2
A touch-sense apparatus available for one-dimensional and two-dimensional modes comprises a sensor having a plurality of traces in two directions to sense the position touched by an object to produce a first signal, a two-dimensional coordinate processor to produce a two-dimensional coordinate based on the first signal in the two-dimensional mode, and a coordinate transformer to produce a second signal from the first signal or the two-dimensional coordinate in the one-dimensional mode for a one-dimensional coordinate processor to produce a one-dimensional coordinate in response to the second signal.
US07688289B2
To provide an organic EL drive circuit including D/A converter circuits capable of reducing the number of elements, which are proof against relatively high voltage, restricting an increase of circuit size and restricting variation of luminance of a display screen and an organic EL display device using the organic EL drive circuit.An organic EL drive circuit for generating, in response to a predetermined current inputted to an input terminal of a D/A converter circuit constructed with a current mirror circuit, drive currents to be outputted to terminal pins of the organic EL display panel or a current, on which the drive currents are generated, by converting digital display data into analog signal by the D/A converter circuit, comprises a first transistor provided between an input side transistor of the current mirror circuit and the input terminal, a second transistor provided between an output side transistor of the current mirror circuit and an output terminal and a third transistor provided between the output terminal and a power source line, wherein proof voltages of the input side transistor, the output side transistor and the third transistor are lower than proof voltage of the first and second transistors.
US07688288B2
Disclosed is a method for driving a plasma display panel that can prevent flicker and double false contour in a 50 Hz driving. The method includes: providing a plurality of 50 Hz frames which are inputted using subfield weights for constructing a 60 Hz frame; and rearranging the plurality of 50 Hz frames into a plurality of 60 Hz frames.
US07688284B2
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a method of driving a plasma display panel. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of driving a plasma display panel in which one frame comprises a plurality of sub-fields and which represent a gray level by making the sub-fields emitting light according to brightness weights allocated to the sub-fields, includes a step of implementing a specific gray level using a previous or next luminous pattern of the specific gray level in representing the specific gray level where none of the sub-fields of a one-step lower gray level are luminous. The method of driving a plasma display panel according to the present invention enables to prevent electric discharge failure and to stably display images on the PDP of high-density Xe.
US07688263B1
Disclosed is an Radio Frequency (RF) receiving system methodology, utilizing an Luneberg Lens having a spherically shaped outer surface and a semi-spherical shaped focal surface composed of near-equally spaced frequency-independent antenna elements disposed uniformly to cover the semi-spherical focal surface of the Luneberg Lens; and radio frequency (RF) power splitters and combiners for combining the RF energy received by the antenna elements; forming rows and columns; thereby reducing the number of required RF receiver channels for subsequent processing, where the maximum row/column and differential amplitude comparison is used for deriving volumetric direction finding (DF) of intercepted signals; as part of a robust signal detection and direction-finding (DF) system; for detecting and processing a plurality of signals emanating from surface and airborne platforms within the hemisphere, where each surface and airborne platform include transmitters for transmitting navigation, communication and radar signals.
US07688255B2
An electronic scanning radar apparatus has a cutting portion for cutting receiving data which is comprised of N numbers of data for each channel into two more short time data having M (
US07688253B2
Method and processor for reduced ambiguity resolution matrix for interferometric angle determination
A method and processor for resolving a processing radar return data to determine a mechanical angle to a target relative to a radar array having a right antenna, an ambiguous antenna, and a left antenna. An LA linear relationship determining, based upon a characteristic number of LA wraps relative to the mechanical angle. Likewise, determining a RA linear relationship determines a characteristic number of RA wraps and a RL linear relationship determines a characteristic number of RL wraps relative to the mechanical angle. All permutations of LA wraps, RA wraps, and RL wraps are listed, and for each permutation, a truth relationship is determined. A look up table is populated with permutations where the truth relationship is true.
US07688252B2
In a radar system, harmonic excitation of an antenna is carried out in different frequency ranges. The antenna characteristic which varies as a function thereof is used to analyze different solid angle ranges around an object.
US07688251B2
Systems and methods are described for monitoring the surface flow velocity and volume discharge of rivers and channels using a VHF/UHF radar located in operative relationship with a riverbank. This frequency region allows precise estimation and removal of the Bragg wave velocity; it also is matched to the short wind-wave roughness periods existing on river surfaces so that operation is possible nearly all the time. Methods of bearing determination are also disclosed. Up/downriver surface velocity profiles vs. distance across the river may be constructed from maps of the radial velocity component from a single radar at thousands of points within the radar's coverage. Methods to compensate for Doppler aliasing under high flow conditions are also shown.
US07688248B2
A 3D rendered image of a radar-scanned terrain surface is provided from a radar return signal from the surface, wherein the return signal includes data indicative of azimuth, elevation, and range of a radar-illuminated area of the surface. The data are processed for transformation into X, Y, and Z coordinates. The X and Y coordinates corresponding to each illuminated area are triangulated so as to create a mesh of triangles representing the terrain surface, each of the triangles in the mesh being defined by a vertex triplet. 3D imaging information (grey scale shading and/or coloring information) is added to each triangle in the mesh, based on the amplitude of the radar return signal from the coordinates represented by each vertex in the triplet and the value of the Z coordinate at each vertex, so as to form the 3D rendered image.
US07688244B2
Remote controller code format(s), transmitting/receiving apparatus thereof, and transmitting/receiving method(s) thereof are provided by which data can be transmitted/received using an intrinsic remote controller code format to prevent reciprocal compatibility with another remote controller of a different manufacturer. The remote controller code format(s) may include a header code, a custom code, a data code, an inverse data code, and an inverse custom code. One frame of the remote controller code format may be arranged in a sequence of the header code, the custom code, the data code, the inverse data code, the inverse custom code, and an end code. One frame of the remote controller code format may be arranged in a sequence of the header code, the custom code, the inverse custom code, the data code, the inverse data code, a check sum code, and an end code. Also, one frame of the remote controller code format may be arranged in a sequence of the header code, the custom code, the inverse custom code, the data code, the inverse data code, and an end code. A high pulse may have the same length as a low pulse in the header code.
US07688232B2
A method of compressing instructions in a program may include extracting unique bit patterns from the instructions in the program and constructing a linear programming formulation or an integer programming formulation from the unique bit patterns, the instructions, and/or the size of a memory storage. The linear programming formulation or the integer programming formulation may be solved to produce a solution. The method may include compressing at least some of the instructions based on the solution by storing at least some of the unique bit patterns in a memory and placing corresponding indices to the memory in new compressed instructions.
US07688231B2
A method and apparatus is presented for reducing or eliminating pathological data patterns from signals for transmission over optical communications systems. One embodiment includes a decoder/deserializer configured to receive an encoded serial digital signal, a ditherer configured to dither a least significant bit of each digital data word, and a reserializer/encoder configured to serialize digital data and encode it, for example according to an applicable communication standard such as SMPTE 259M. The improvements may be provided in a single removable unit, such as a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) module compatible with existing optical communications equipment.
US07688226B2
An electronic device configured to be carried on a user's person is provided for directing the user to a parked vehicle. The electronic device utilizes node location data provided by at least one local wireless node and vehicle location information provided by the vehicle. The electronic device includes a network receiver and a controller coupled thereto. The network receiver is configured to receive the node location data from the at least one local wireless node. The controller is configured to store the vehicle location information, to estimate the location of the electronic device from the received node location data, and to determine the position of the vehicle relative to the electronic device.
US07688221B2
A driving support apparatus includes: an image sensing device that photographs side region of a vehicle and rearward region of a vehicle while altering an angle of view; a display unit that displays video images photographed by the image sensing device so as to be visible to a driver of the vehicle; a display determination device that determines a running state of the vehicle, and determines whether or not an alteration of the display angle of view is required; and an angle of view adjustment device that switches the angle of view of the image sensing device, in accordance with a display method decided by the display determination device, between either one of a wide angle that enables the side region and the rearward region to be photographed, and a narrow angle that only allows the rearward region to be photographed.
US07688220B2
A satellite communications device for processing meter data includes an interface adapted to receive data from a plurality of remotely located utility meters of a selected meter type. The interface is configurable to receive data from at least a first meter type and a second meter type. A satellite modem is coupled to the interface and is operable to send the data received from the utility meters using a satellite link. The device includes a plurality of software modules for execution in the satellite modem. A first software module is adapted to process data from utility meters of the first meter type and a second software module is adapted to process data from utility meters of the second meter type.
US07688215B2
Moisture detection sensor tape and probes to determine surface moisture and material moisture levels
A moisture detection sensor is used in a building structure to detect moisture penetration. The sensor is a flat adhesive tape of a substrate of dielectric, hydrophobic material. Three or four elongate, parallel, conductors are secured to the top surface and a protective layer of non-hygroscopic, water pervious material is secured over two of the conductors so that they are exposed to surface moisture. One or two of the conductors are covered by an insulating layer to prevent moisture access. Pairs of moisture probes along the length of the tape penetrate the insulating layer, the respective conductors and the substrate and to extend into a building component to which the substrate has been adhered. A diode guide arrangement allows a monitoring unit to monitor the exposed conductors for surface moisture and the penetrated conductors for moisture in the component by reversing polarity of the voltage across the conductors.
US07688211B2
A wearable electronic tag for displaying graphics and text images and for communicating with other similar tags. Each tag includes a visible, graphical display adapted to be worn by a user. The tag also includes a short range, substantially unidirectional electronic communication channel, such as an infrared transmitter-receiver, located on the display unit so that, when the display unit is worn, the interface faces in a direction of the desired communication with another person who also is wearing a similar tag. This arrangement makes possible automatic data exchange and comparison of the interchanged data and display of the results of the comparison on the tags worn by the two wearers. The tags also have a longer range wireless communication system to receive and transmit data.
US07688206B2
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for an item having a conductive layer included or attached
An RFID device. The device comprises a conductive layer formed on a first substrate. An opening line (or two or more opening lines) is formed in the conductive layer to make the conductive layer a part of an antenna structure. An integrated circuit chip is placed over at least a portion the opening line and coupled to the conductive layer. The integrated circuit chip is electrically connected to the conductive layer.
US07688205B2
The invention relates to methods and devices for securing a product against theft. The security device comprises a connection mode (110) and an on position mode (100). A receiver (6) of the security device is activated when in the on position (100) and the security device switches from the on position (100) to the connection mode (110) when the receiver (6) is impinged upon by a transmitter (5). The receiver (6) is deactivated in the connection mode (110). The energy consumption of the security device is reduced by deactivating (111) the receiver (6). The security device can be prevented from being unintentionally impinged upon by selection signals from the transmitter because of said deactivation (111).
US07688204B2
A double-electrode capacitive sensor for detecting a detection object includes: an electrode assembly having first and second electrodes and an insulation substrate; and a detection circuit. The first and second electrodes are disposed on first and second surfaces of the substrate, respectively. The detection circuit applies an alternating voltage between a ground and the first electrode, and detects an electric potential of the second electrode, or controls the electric potential of the second electrode to follow the alternating voltage. The detection circuit detects a capacitance change between the first electrode and the ground when the detection object approaches the first electrode for determining whether the detection object approaches the first electrode. A periphery of the second electrode is substantially opposite to a periphery of the first electrode.
US07688200B2
A container with functions of level, crud and temperature detections, comprises: a hollow casing having a receiving space at an upper side thereof; the casing being formed with a hollow space; a vent hole being formed at a bottom side of the casing for communicating the hollow space and exterior of the casing, an electric heating source installed in the hollow space of the casing and being tightly adhered to a wall of the hollow space below the receiving space; and a sensing and control circuit installed at a lower outer side of the casing; the sensing and control circuit including a microcontroller, an analog/digital converter, a gain amplifier, and a trigger circuit; and the wall of the casing being installed with at least one over level detection point, at least one level alarm detection point, at least one safety level detection point, at least one liquid temperature detection point, and at least one crud detection point.
US07688197B2
The invention relates to a system of identifying an unauthorized use of a telematic device or a vehicle equipped with a telematic device. The telematic device includes an identification code, which is transmitted to a service provider. The identification codes of those telematic devices, which have been reported as being used in unauthorized, are stored at the service provider. The identification codes received at the service provider is compared for a match with the stored identification codes.
US07688178B2
A remote start controller is mounted on a vehicle, which includes a keyless entry device for controlling a locking action of doors of the vehicle in response to a user's operation with respect to a lock button of a transmitter. The remote start controller includes a CPU. Upon detecting that the lock button of the transmitter is operated in a first predetermined way, the CPU causes an engine of the vehicle to start.
US07688173B2
A common mode choke coil includes a core, external electrodes, a pair of windings, and a top plate. The core includes a winding core portion and a pair of flanges disposed at respective ends thereof. The external electrodes are provided at lower portions of the flanges. The pair of the windings is wound around the winding core portion of the core, and ends thereof are connected to the external electrodes, respectively. A lower surface and a side surface of the top plate are covered with a metal film and are adhered to upper surfaces of the flanges with an adhesive. Preferably, magnetic powder is mixed in the adhesive.
US07688171B2
A transformer includes a primary winding coil, a winding frame member, multiple first three-dimensional conductive pieces, a second three-dimensional conductive piece, a magnetic core assembly and a fixing plate. The winding frame member includes a first winding frame and a second winding frame for winding the primary winding coil thereon. The first three-dimensional conductive pieces are respectively sheathed around the first winding frame and the second winding frame of the winding frame member. The second three-dimensional conductive piece is arranged between the first three-dimensional conductive pieces. The magnetic core assembly is partially embedded into the first three-dimensional conductive pieces, the first winding frame, the second winding frame and the second three-dimensional conductive piece. The fixing plate is connected with the first three-dimensional conductive pieces and the second three-dimensional conductive piece so as to fix the first three-dimensional conductive pieces and the second three-dimensional conductive piece.
US07688170B2
A transformer coil assembly includes a first layer having a plurality of fibers interconnected to form a fabric and a plurality of spacers. Each spacer is affixed on a first side of the spacer to the fabric and protruding from a first surface of the fabric. A second layer has a conductor in contact with at least one of the plurality of spacers on a second side of each spacer that opposes the first side. The first and second layers are covered by resin.
US07688163B2
A pillbox vacuum window of the present invention has a first metal part and a second metal part. The first metal part includes a ceramic disk formed with a metallization layer in a peripheral area thereof, a larger diameter cylindrical portion, and a smaller diameter cylindrical portion having an inner diameter smaller than that of the larger diameter cylindrical portion, and coupled to the larger diameter cylindrical portion to form a step section at a joint, where the ceramic disk is fitted into the step section. The second metal part includes a cylindrical portion, where the cylindrical portion is inserted into the step section of the first metal part while the ceramic disk is placed in the step section of the first metal part.
US07688155B2
Provided is an apparatus having a variable capacitor circuit which is capable of obtaining a constant gain with respect to a whole control voltage by using a linear variable frequency characteristic for a variation of the control voltages, to thereby attain a wide variable frequency range. For this, a variable capacitor circuit includes a plurality of variable capacitors being connected in parallel with each other and having different capacitances with respect to an input control voltage, wherein the sum of the variable capacitances of the plurality of variable capacitors at a same voltage level of the control voltage varied within the whole control voltage range has linearity.
US07688154B1
To maintain the amplitude of an oscillating signal within a defined range, the detected peak level of the oscillating signal is compared to a reference voltage. If the detected peak level is determined as being greater than the reference voltage, the common source/drain voltage of a differential amplifier driving the crystal oscillator across its input terminals is reduced so as to lower the amplitude of the oscillation signal. If the detected peak level is determined as being smaller than the reference voltage, the common source/drain voltage of the differential amplifier driving the crystal oscillator is increase so as to raise the amplitude of the oscillation signal.
US07688153B2
The present invention relates to an oscillating circuit arrangement having a resonating arrangement with a first resonance frequency (coo) comprising a voltage controlled oscillator arrangement. It further comprises a tunable filter arrangement connected to the source node of said voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) arrangement. Said filter arrangement particularly comprises an equivalent current source resonating at a second resonance frequency cθf, the second resonance frequency being a multiple n, n=1 or 2 of said first resonance frequency (α>o), n being equal to the minimum number of switch transistors required for oscillation of said VCO arrangement. The filter arrangement particularly comprises an inductor connected in parallel with a capacitor, said capacitor being adapted to be tunable such that the phase noise of the resonating arrangement can be minimized through tuning of the filter arrangement.
US07688149B2
A Phase Locked Loop (PLL) is provided for improving acquisition performance in an acquisition state, while preventing performance degradation in a steady state under a low SNR environment, during phase detection, a phase detecting method for the PLL, and a receiver using the same. The PLL determines a period to which an input signal belongs according to the input signal and a feedback signal, outputs an error signal corresponding to the input signal by using a formula (or algorithm) set for the determined period, oscillates a predetermined frequency signal according to the error signal, and feeds back the oscillated signal.
US07688146B2
A single-ended input to differential-ended output amplifier circuit comprises an amplifier for amplifying an input signal into an amplified signal comprises an input for receiving the input signal; and a first input and a single-ended input to differential-ended output conversion circuit to convert the amplified signal to a differential signal pair, comprising a first transistor for receiving the amplified signal having a first gate coupled to the first output, a first first terminal coupled to a second output, and a first second terminal coupled to a first node; a second transistor having a second gate, a second first terminal coupled to a third input, and a second second terminal coupled to the first node; a second capacitor coupled between the second output and the second gate; a first and a second resistors and the voltage source; and a current source coupled between the first node and a ground.
US07688137B2
A low power consuming mixed mode power amplifier which includes: a low output amplifier circuit generating a power amplified result having high efficiency in a low output mode that is most frequently used; a high output amplifier circuit generating an amplified result having high linearity in a high output mode of a region consuming the most power; and an amplifier controller selectively activating the low and high output amplifier circuits according to a power level of an input signal. The high and low output amplifier circuits have a predetermined gain difference.
US07688133B2
A power amplifier includes: an amplifying transistor; a bias circuit; a first diode; a second diode; a matching attenuating circuit; a first current mirror circuit; a serial resonant circuit, and a switch. In an amplification mode, the bias circuit supplies a bias current to the amplifying transistor, and the first current mirror circuit turns off the first and second diodes, and the switch. In an attenuation mode, the bias circuit supplies no bias current to the amplifying transistor, and the first current mirror circuit turns on the first and second diodes and the switch.
US07688124B2
A semiconductor memory device has a DLL circuit capable of suppressing EMI without distorting a DLL clock required in high-speed operation. The semiconductor memory device includes a delay locked loop (DLL) circuit configured to be responsive to a system clock to output a DLL clock having a phase that is changed when electromagnetic interference (EMI) is detected, for the DLL clock to have frequencies within a delay locking range, and a data output circuit configured to output data in synchronization with the DLL clock.
US07688119B2
One embodiment of an apparatus for switching a transistor includes a first current mirror providing iB=K1i1, as a transistor base current, wherein the first current mirror is selectively driven by a current source i B MAX K 1 . A second current mirror providing a feedback signal i2=K2iD to the first current mirror such that i 1 + i 2 = i B MAX K 1 , wherein iD contributes to the transistor collector current, wherein iB=iBMAX−K1K2iD.
US07688117B1
A circuit topography is presented which is used to create usable digital logic gates using N (negatively doped) channel Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFETs) and load resistors, level shifting resistors, and supply rails whose values are based on the direct current (DC) parametric distributions of those JFETs. This method has direct application to the current state of the art in high temperature, for example 300° C. to 500° C. and higher, silicon carbide (SiC) device production. The ability to produce inverting and combinatorial logic enables the production of pulse and edge triggered latches. This scale of logic synthesis would bring digital logic and state machine capabilities to devices operating in extremely hot environments, such as the surface of Venus, near hydrothermal vents, within nuclear reactors (SiC is inherently radiation hardened), and within internal combustion engines. The basic logic gate can be configured as a driver for oscillator circuits allowing for time bases and simple digitizers for resistive or reactive sensors. The basic structure of this innovation, the inverter, can be reconfigured into various analog circuit topographies through the use of feedback structures.
US07688116B1
Circuitry and methods are disclosed for capturing data from a double-data rate signal received from a source circuit, converting the double-data rate signal to single and/or half rate data signals, and re-synchronizing the data to the destination circuit's clock signal. In one embodiment, a first set of registers converts a double-data rate signal synchronized to a full-rate clock signal to two single-data rate signals. A second set of registers converts the single-data rate signals to four half-data rate signals. A third set of registers synchronizes the half-rate data signals to a half-rate clock signal. In another embodiment, methods and circuitry are provided for determining the position of a data valid window of the half-data rate intermediate signals relative to the rising and falling edges of the half-rate clock signal and using that determination to select half-data rate intermediate signals captured on either a rising or falling edge of the half-rate clock signal, depending on which will provide greater accuracy.
US07688105B2
An impedance matching logic generates code values that define pull-up and pull-down transistors to be enabled with output buffers. The output buffers store the code values using a two-stage latch configuration, such that updated code values are always stored within the output buffer, even if the output buffer is driving an output signal when the updated code values are received. The impedance matching logic uses previously determined code values to shorten the time required to calculate updated code values. The impedance matching logic may be operated in response to a clock signal having a frequency lower than the frequency of the output clock signal used to control the output buffers. The impedance matching logic may adjust the code values by certain percentages using a multiplication function, thereby allowing for design fine tuning (e.g., due to layout mismatch).
US07688102B2
A majority voter circuit is configured to generate a selecting signal based on first input data and inverted first input data. The first input data and the inverted first input data each include an odd-number of bits, and the odd-number of bits include bits of a first type and bits of a second type. The generated selecting signal is indicative of which of the first type and the second type of bits in the first input data are in the majority.
US07688092B2
A performance board able to secure low loss, low reflection, stable transmission characteristics even when using a high frequency signal to test an electronic device and able to suppress signal leakage to the outside and entry of noise, provided with a base board having a signal pattern electrically connected with a socket formed on its front surface, a coaxial connector to which a coaxial cable electrically connecting the performance board and test apparatus is connected, passing through the base board from the back surface toward the front surface, and having a front exposed part of the center contact bent and electrically connected to the signal pattern, and a cover member covering the front exposed part of the center contact and correcting the impedance of the front exposed part.
US07688086B2
To provide a technique of firmly bringing a stylus and a test pad into contact with each other in carrying out a probe testing summarizingly for plural chips by using a prober having the stylus formed by a technique of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device, plane patterns of respective wirings are formed such that a wiring and a wiring electrically connected to the wiring or a wiring which is not electrically connected to the wiring overlap each other, and a plane pattern arranged with both of the wiring and the wiring is constituted at upper portions of probes. Further, patterns of the wirings are formed such that an interval of arranging the wirings and a density of arranging the wirings become uniform at respective wiring layers in a thin film sheet.
US07688081B2
An apparatus for determining a clearance between rotor blade tips of rotor blades mounted on a rotor and a stator lining mounted on a stator casing. The stator lining is movable radially relative to the stator casing. The stator lining comprises an abradable material. At least one probe is arranged to measure the clearance between blade tips and stator lining. A first portion of the at least one probe is arranged within the stator lining and a tip of the first portion of the at least one probe is arranged flush with the surface of the abradable material. The tip of the first portion of the at least one probe comprises an abradable material. A second portion of the at least one probe is secured to the stator casing. A wire-less and connector-less coupling transmits a measurement signal from the first portion to the second portion of the at least one probe to allow radial movement of the stator lining relative to the stator casing.
US07688079B2
A detecting apparatus for detecting information of at least a portion of a stack of sheet media includes an illuminating unit and a detecting unit. The illuminating unit illuminates a side of the stack of sheet media, or a portion thereof with electromagnetic waves. The detecting unit detects electromagnetic waves transmitted through or reflected by the stack of sheet media, or a portion thereof. The detecting apparatus is adapted to compare information of the electromagnetic waves detected by the detecting unit with information about attenuation of electromagnetic waves due to moisture contained in the sheet medium, and detect information of the moisture content of at least a portion of the stack of sheet media.
US07688072B1
A portable magnetic anomaly sensing system includes a non-magnetic support structure defined by a rigid beam and a rigid frame coupled thereto. Triaxial magnetometer (TM) sensors are rigidly coupled to the frame with one TM sensor being positioned at each vertex of a cubic space. Each TM sensor is positioned such that all respective X,Y,Z magnetic sensing axes are mutually parallel to one another. A data acquisition system is mechanically coupled to the beam such that any magnetic elements of the data acquisition system do not adversely affect accuracy of the TM sensors. The data acquisition system samples the sensed magnetic field data from all TM sensors synchronously with a timing signal. A processor is mechanically coupled to the beam such that any magnetic elements of the processor do not adversely affect accuracy of the TM sensors. The processor applies a magnetic scalar triangulation and ranging (STAR) processing scheme to the digitized magnetic field data in order to determine a position vector and a magnetic moment vector. One or more output generation devices are used to generate a human-discernable output to the position vector and the magnetic moment vector.
US07688071B2
A method for determining a wax appearance temperature of a fluid includes obtaining nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of the fluid at a plurality of temperatures; deriving a NMR parameter from each of the NMR measurements; and determining the wax appearance temperature by analyzing the NMR parameter as a function of temperature. An apparatus for detecting wax appearance in a fluid includes a sample cell for holding a fluid for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements at a plurality of temperatures; a temperature measuring device disposed proximate the sample cell; a magnet for polarizing molecules in the fluid in the sample cell; at least one radiofrequency (RF) coil for generating pulses of magnetic field and for detecting NMR signals; and circuitry for controlling and measuring the temperature of the fluid in the sample cell and for obtaining NMR measurements.
US07688067B2
Probe for electrical measurement methods and use of a flexible probe for production of a rigid probe
The invention relates to a probe for electrical measurements and use of a flexible probe to produce an inflexible probe. Conventional probes comprise a substrate which is mechanically rigid. As a result only planar surfaces may be examined with the probe. According to the invention, a probe is flexibly embodied by means of a flexible substrate such that the probe may be adjusted to match various curvature radii of test bodies.
US07688064B2
Apparatus for assessing field distortion includes a probe and a processor. The probe includes a mechanical fixture for placement at a location to be tested, and one or more field generators, which are attached to the mechanical fixture and are arranged to generate respective magnetic fields. The probe further includes one or more field sensors, which are attached to the mechanical fixture at known positions with respect to the one or more field sensors and are arranged to sense the magnetic fields generated by the one or more field generators and to output signals responsively to the sensed magnetic fields. The processor is arranged to process the signals so as to assess a distortion of the magnetic fields sensed by the field sensors at the tested location.
US07688055B2
A reference voltage generator generates a reference voltage that is less dependent on temperature and can adjust the dependence of the reference voltage on temperature and the reference voltage at the same time independently of each other. The reference voltage generator including a preliminary reference voltage generation unit which generates a preliminary reference voltage which is inversely proportional to temperature and a reference voltage generation unit which generates a reference voltage by dividing the preliminary reference voltage. The reference voltage generation unit includes: at least one resistor which is connected between the preliminary reference voltage and the reference voltage; at least one transistor which is connected between the reference voltage and an internal node; and at least one second resistor which is connected between the internal node and a ground. The preliminary reference voltage or a power supply voltage is applied to at least one gate of the transistor. At least one transistor is an NMOS transistor.
US07688041B2
A power factor correction method and apparatus which use Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) to control an AC/DC converter is disclosed. The average current drawn by the AC/DC converter is compared with a reference sinusoidal signal and the error is used to determine the switching frequency. The switching frequency varies with the sinusoidal reference signal such that the converter emulates a resistive load. By using PFM control, EMI is spread over a range rather than concentrated at a few frequencies. Since the switching frequency decreases with the loading of the converter, the switching loss decreases with the loading as well. Thus, the need of meeting efficiency standards, e.g. the 80 PLUS and Energy Star, can be fulfill without extra circuitry.
US07688039B2
A control device measures a voltage drop across a conductor in a generator to determine and control the total generator output current. A temperature of the conductor is also measured to improve the accuracy. The control device may further improve on the accuracy by compensating for the electrical current through a field coil that may power the generator. The control device may be used in combination with a generator in a vehicle electrical system. Other system parameters may be monitored to improve on the system monitoring, diagnostics, and control. The generator may include a conductor comprising a process-controlled geometric shape.
US07688031B2
Provided is a power supply interrupting apparatus. The apparatus includes a switch, for switching between a first connection connecting a primary terminal and an output terminal and a second connection connecting a secondary terminal and the output terminal; a motor, which is driven by a current outputted from the output terminal; an interlock switch, which is driven to rotate by the motor so as to choose to feed or not to feed to the secondary terminal in accordance with a resultant rotational angle; and a contact unit, which is driven to rotate by the motor so as to switch the state of a current supplied from the battery to an interrupted or non-interrupted state.
US07688030B2
A charger unit for an electronic device that includes a housing, a plurality of charging contacts provided on the housing, and a recess provided in the housing, preferably on a rear face thereof. A plug having a plurality of prongs may be selectively attached to and detached from the housing for electrically connecting the charger unit to a source of charging current. When attached to the housing, one or more of the prongs of the plug are electrically connected to a respective one of the charging contacts. In addition, a plurality of storage sockets are provided in the housing within the recess. Each of the storage sockets are adapted to receive and hold therein a respective one of the prongs of the plug to enable the plug to be safely and securely stored when not in use.
US07688026B2
An energy storage mobile charging adapter is disclosed, in which the output terminal of an AC/DC isolated converter circuit board are connected with input terminals of a charging adapter circuit board, a commercial power plug is connected with the input terminals of the AC/DC isolated converter circuit board, characterized in that, a lithium chargeable battery is electrically connected with the output terminal of the AC/DC isolated converter circuit board and the input terminals of a charging adapter circuit board through a lithium battery protection circuit board, the charging adapter plug is electrically connected to the output terminals of the charging adapter circuit board, and all of the above components are sealed in a plastic housing.
US07688024B2
A resistor is connected to first and second terminals included in a vehicle inlet. To the first terminal, a control pilot line used for transmitting a pilot signal is connected. In the case where the vehicle inlet is not connected to a connector, a switch is turned off. A voltage generation circuit sets the potential of the second terminal to a potential higher than a vehicle earth potential. In the case where the vehicle inlet is not connected to the connector and the control pilot line is broken, the potential generated on the control pilot line is substantially equal to the earth potential level. Based on the potential of the control pilot line, a control unit detects a break.
US07688021B2
In at least some embodiments, a system comprises a load and a fuel cell coupled to said load, the fuel cell being configured to provide a constant power level to said load. The system further comprises a battery coupled to said load and configured to provide power in excess of said constant power level to said load, if needed by said load.
US07688007B2
An apparatus, system, and method for increasing life of a high intensity lighting fixture light source. In one aspect, the method involves installing a new HID lamp in the fixture in combination with retrofitting a circuit that operates the lamp at a reduced wattage over a substantial period of operation time to save energy. In another aspect, the circuit comprises switchable capacitants adopted to operate the lamp at a reduced wattage over a substantial period of operation time. In another aspect of the invention, instead of retrofitting, the entire lighting fixture could be replaced at the end of a predetermined operating period and replaced with a balasting system that includes switchable levels of capacitants to reduce operating wattage to the lamp for at least the first substantial operating period.
US07688006B2
A fluorescent lamp adapted for effecting stepless dimming with a regular SCR dimmer, comprising a filter and rectifier circuit (1), a DC high voltage stabilizing circuit (2), a voltage signal detection and frequency control circuit (6), a lamp load (4), a lamp current feedback circuit (5) and a voltage signal sampling circuit (3) thereby changing the power factor and luminous intensity of the lamp in accordance with the variation of the conduction phase angle of the silicon controlled rectifier dimmer. The present invention solves the discontinuity and instability issues in course of dimming operation and is particularly adapted for use in an integrated compact fluorescent lamp.
US07688003B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting method and the like that can prevent a lamp temperature of each individual high-pressure mercury lamp from being beyond a proper temperature range of a halogen cycle. The lighting method maintains a discharge of the high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of the halogen cycle. The control is performed as follows. From when the high-pressure mercury lamp is lighted up to when a lamp voltage Vla reaches a first voltage value V1, a constant current control is performed. When the lamp voltage Vla reaches the first voltage value V1, the constant current control is switched to a constant power control which is performed at a first power value W1. While the discharge of the lamp is maintained, when the lamp voltage Vla reaches a voltage value (second voltage value V2) at which a state of the halogen cycle deviates from a proper state, the constant power control is performed by reducing the first power value W1 to a second power value W2.
US07688002B2
A light-emitting element control system is described comprising a series connection of one or more LEE units, each comprising one or more LEEs and a unit activation module. The unit activation module associated with a LEE unit is configured to controllably activate, in response to a unit activation control signal, the one or more LEEs in that unit. A control module is operatively coupled to each of the unit activation modules and configured to provide the unit activation control signals thereto. A converting module is operatively coupled to the series connection of LEE units, adapted for connection to a source of power and configured to provide a drive current to the LEE units.
US07688000B2
A gas discharge lamp (2) is operated with an alternating current. A positive lamp current (Ip) is generated with a positive current intensity (Ip) for a positive duration (τp). A negative lamp current (IN) is generated with a negative current intensity (IN) for a negative duration (τN). A duty cycle (D=τp/(τp+τN)) differs from 50%. A current ratio (R=Ip/IN) differs from 1.
US07687999B2
A safety light for vehicles, particularly small recreational vehicles such as all terrain vehicles, which is one or more light strips entwining the whip which supports the vehicle's pennant or flag. This invention can normally show light in a color which matches the color of the recreational vehicle. When the vehicle operator applies the brakes, the light entwining the whip changes to red to warn that the vehicle is braking. When the vehicle is overturned, or at the operator's command in the event of another emergency, the lights entwining the whip can be made to oscillate rapidly back and forth between the red and the other color that is normally shown. In this way the vehicle displays a clear emergency signal.
US07687991B2
The present invention provides an organic EL device including: a substrate; a stacked structure having at least a first electrode, a light-emitting layer and a second electrode; a sealing member for sealing the substrate and the stacked structure; and a filling layer which enables easy optical adjustment and has optical properties equal to the optical properties of surrounding materials while preventing moisture from entering in the EL device, wherein a layer containing a water-polymerizable monomer is provided between the stacked structure and the sealing member.
US07687986B2
A top-emission-type organic EL device comprising a substrate and at least a light-reflective anode, a hole-injection layer comprising first and second hole-injection layers, a hole-transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron-transport layer, and a light-transmitting cathode, which are sequentially laminated on the substrate, wherein the light-reflective anode side of hole-injection layer (the first hole-injection layer) is doped with a metallic oxide.
US07687982B2
An electron emission device that is driven at a low voltage has lower power consumption, and can be mass-produced. An electron emission display device includes the electron emission device, The electron emission device includes: a base substrate; a cathode electrode disposed on the base substrate; an electron emission source disposed on the cathode electrode; a data electrode disposed above the electron emission source; a scan electrode disposed above the data electrode; and insulating layers insulating each electrode from the other electrodes. A method of driving the electron emission device includes maintaining a voltage at the cathode electrode of below 0 V or a ground level, maintaining a positive voltage at the scan electrode, and maintaining a voltage at the data electrode of below 0 V; and intermittently providing a positive voltage at the data electrode for a predetermined period of time such that electrons can travel toward the scan electrode for the predetermined period of time.
US07687979B2
The invention provides a new PAR 38 lamp/reflector unit comprising a halogen lamp of suitable power, i.e. 100 watts/120 volts, coated with infrared film to reflect infrared energy produced by the halogen lamp back to the filament, making it more efficient; that meets and preferably exceeds the minimum EPACT efficacy standards, that exhibits a median life of at least about 3000 hours, while giving light output greater than 90% from the original value at about 1750 hours. Unit comprises a double-ended electric lamp (10) arranged in a reflector body (1) in a manner that first end portion (21) is at least partly situated in the neck-shaped portion (5), cavity (13) is situated within reflecting portion (2), the electric light source (16) is predominantly situated on the optical axis (4), a ceramic insert (42), beneath mounting ring (40) through which the seal of first end portion (21) is passed, is effective to dissipate heat from first end portion (21) during operation of the lamp.
US07687977B2
A micro-sized power source. A piezoelectric power generator, capable of harvesting energy from environmental vibration with lower level frequency, including a dielectric frame loosely containing a piezoelectric panel. The piezoelectric panel includes an electrode and a piezoelectric layer formed over an electrode and dielectric layer and an end mass formed on the piezoelectric layer. The end mass provides weight to cause the piezoelectric panel to move (vibrate) within the frame and causes the generation of electrical power.
US07687975B2
A vibration assisted machining (VAM) system, including: a frame; a vibration element mechanically coupled to the frame; a cutting tool holder connected to the vibration element; and a workpiece holder coupled to the frame. The vibration element includes a first piezoelectric (PZT) actuator and a second PZT actuator, which are adapted to generate a substantially elliptical tool path in a vibration plane of the VAM system. The VAM system also includes a third PZT actuator coupled between the frame and either the vibration element or the workpiece holder. This third PZT actuator is coupled to the frame such that its polarization axis is substantially in the vibration plane and substantially perpendicular to the feed direction of the VAM system.
US07687966B2
A stator assembly detachably mounted with a fan housing. The stator assembly includes a stator including one or more first mounting feet and one or more second mounting feet disposed apart from each other. Additionally, the stator assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more first openings and a fan housing having a base member fixed to a bearing liner. The base member includes one or more second openings disposed about the bearing liner. The stator is coupled to the PCB into a stator-PCB assembly with each of the one or more first mounting feet being locked with one of the one or more first openings. The stator-PCB assembly is center-aligned with respect to the bearing liner and coupled to the fan housing with each of the one or more second mounting feet locked with one of the one or more second openings.
US07687945B2
A method and system of cooling an enclosure or motor is disclosed. An exemplary permanent magnet electric motor is formed with an external stator and an internal rotor. The motor controller is in thermal proximity to the motor but is thermally isolated from the motor by an air chamber. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more heat sinks are provided to create efficient heat removal paths. In another exemplary embodiment, one of more heat pipes are located in the system.
US07687938B2
An integrated circuit for quantum computing may include a superconducting shield to limit magnetic field interactions.
US07687933B2
A power distribution module for conveying power to one or more accessories is disclosed. The power distribution module includes a constant-hot power bus; an ignition-hot power bus; and at least one output terminal for conveying power to said one or more accessories, wherein the at least one output terminal is selectively capable of providing one of ignition-hot power to said one or more accessories from the ignition-hot power bus, and constant-hot power to said one or more accessories from the constant-hot power bus.
US07687927B2
An electrical architecture for an aircraft is provided. The electrical architecture is particularly suitable for relatively small, compact, and lightweight aircraft. In one embodiment, the electrical architecture includes an electrical generator component coupled to the aircraft engine, and an air compression system coupled to the electrical generator component. The electrical generator component is configured to receive mechanical power from the engine and to generate a constant frequency AC electrical power from the engine mechanical power, and the air compression system is configured to receive the constant frequency AC power as an input and, in response thereto, produce a pressurized air output having variable characteristics (for example, a variable flow rate or a variable air pressure).
US07687921B2
An electronic device includes multiple IC dies stacked in an offset stacking arrangement on a substrate. Each IC die includes electrically isolated step pads that facilitates transmitting a dedicated signal between a (beginning) substrate bonding pad and a selected (terminal) contact pad of any die by way of short bonding wires that extend up the stack between the electrically isolated step pads. A memory devices includes stacked memory IC die, wherein “shared” signal transmission paths are formed by associated bonding wires that link corresponding contact pads of each memory die, and dedicated select/control signals are transmitted to each memory die by separate transmission paths formed in part by associated electrically isolated step pads. Substrate space overhung by the stack is used for passive components and IC dies. Memory controller die may be mounted on the stack and connected by dedicated transmission paths utilizing the electrically isolated step pads.
US07687920B2
An integrated circuit package-on-package system includes: providing a base substrate having a central opening; attaching a bottom die below the base substrate partially covering the central opening, the bottom die connected through the central opening to a top surface of the base substrate; attaching a top die above the base substrate partially covering the central opening; attaching external conductive interconnections to a base bottom surface of the base substrate; and molding an encapsulant leaving the external conductive interconnections partially exposed.
US07687918B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising a metal interconnect having considerably improved electromigration resistance and/or stress migration resistance. The copper interconnect 107 comprises a silicon-lower concentration region 104 and a silicon solid solution layer 106 disposed thereon. The silicon solid solution layer 106 has a structure, in which silicon atoms are introduced within the crystal lattice structure that constitutes the copper interconnect 107 to be disposed within the lattice as inter-lattice point atoms or substituted atoms. The silicon solid solution layer 106 has the structure, in which the crystal lattice structure of copper (face centered cubic lattice; lattice constant is 3.6 angstrom) remains, while silicon atoms are introduced as inter-lattice point atoms or substituted atoms.
US07687914B2
There is provided a technique for improving the flatness at the surface of members embedded in a plurality of recesses without resulting in an increase in the time required for the manufacturing processes. According to this technique, the dummy patterns can be placed up to the area near the boundary BL between the element forming region DA and dummy region FA by placing the first dummy pattern DP1 of relatively wider area and the second dummy pattern DP2 of relatively small area in the dummy region FA. Thereby, the flatness of the surface of the silicon oxide film embedded within the isolation groove can be improved over the entire part of the dummy region FA. Moreover, an increase of the mask data can be controlled when the first dummy patterns DP1 occupy a relatively wide region among the dummy region FA.
US07687912B2
A semiconductor component comprises a semiconductor body including a front side and a number of cell strips. Each of the cell strips includes a terminal zone of a first type arranged on the front side of the semiconductor body and a terminal zone of a second type arranged on the front side of the semiconductor body. A patterned first metallization layer, a patterned second metallization layer, and a patterned third metallization layer are arranged successively on the front side. A first plurality of conductive lines are formed in the first metallization layer and a second plurality of conductive lines are formed in the second metallization layer. The second plurality of conductive lines cross the first plurality of conductive lines at crossover locations. The second plurality of conductive lines are electrically conductively connected to the first plurality of conductive lines at predetermined crossover locations.
US07687908B2
A thin film electrode for ohmic contact of a p-type GaN semiconductor includes first and second electrode layers sequentially stacked on a p-type GaN layer. The first electrode layer may include an Ni-based alloy, a Cu-based alloy, a Co-based alloy, or a solid solution capable of forming a p-type thermo-electronic oxide or may include a Ni-oxide doped with at least one selected from Al, Ga, and In. The second electrode layer may include at least one selected from the group consisting of Au, Pd, Pt, Ru, Re, Sc, Mg, Zn, V, Hf, Ta, Rh, Ir, W, Ti, Ag, Cr, Mo, Nb, Ca, Na, Sb, Li, In, Sn, Al, Ni, Cu, and Co. Furthermore, a method of fabricating the thin film electrode is provided.
US07687902B2
In a non-insulated DC-DC converter having a circuit in which a power MOS•FET high-side switch and a power MOS•FET low-side switch are connected in series, the power MOS•FET low-side switch and a Schottky barrier diode to be connected in parallel with the power MOS•FET low-side switch are formed within one semiconductor chip. The formation region SDR of the Schottky barrier diode is disposed in the center in the shorter direction of the semiconductor chip, and on both sides thereof, the formation regions of the power MOS•FET low-side switch are disposed. From the gate finger in the vicinity of both long sides on the main surface of the semiconductor chip toward the formation region SDR of the Schottky barrier diode, a plurality of gate fingers are disposed so as to interpose the formation region SDR between them.
US07687898B2
A stacked semiconductor package, includes a carrier, a first semiconductor device, a second semiconductor device, a plurality of first wires and a plurality of second wires. The carrier has a plurality of electrically connecting portions. The first semiconductor device has a plurality of first pads. The second semiconductor device has a plurality of second pads. The second semiconductor device is disposed on the first semiconductor device. The first wires electrically connect the first pads of the first semiconductor device and the electrically connecting portions of the carrier, and the second wires electrically connect the second pads of the second semiconductor device and the electrically connecting portions of the carrier. The diameters of the second wires are larger than those of the first wires. Thus, the material of the wires is reduced, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.
US07687896B2
A semiconductor device formed by mutually connecting a first semiconductor chip with second and third semiconductor chips arranged side by side, with the active surface of the first chip faced to those of the second and third chip. Both the second and third semiconductor chips have functional elements on their active surface. The first semiconductor chip has, in its active surface, a wiring for connecting the second semiconductor chip and the third semiconductor chip, and a terminal for external connection on its surface opposite to its active surface.
US07687894B2
An IC chip package and related method are disclosed. The IC chip package may include a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to a chip module by a land grid array (LGA) connector, a metal stiffener including a fluid-based pressure compensator contacting an underside of the PCB, and at least two couplers for coupling the metal stiffener to the chip module, with the PCB and the LGA connector therebetween. The fluid-based pressure compensator automatically compensates for natural and non-systematic out-of flatness tolerances of the PCB and the chip module, and non-uniform thickness of the PCB while creating a substantially uniform contact force on the LGA.
US07687892B2
A semiconductor package includes a leadframe having first and second level downset lead extensions, a quad flat nonleaded package (QFN) attached to the first level downset lead extension, and a flip chip die attached to the second level downset lead extension. Another embodiment of a semiconductor package includes a leadframe having a lead, a first quad flat nonleaded package (QFN) connected to the lead, and a second quad flat nonleaded package invertly connected to a top surface of the first quad flat nonleaded package, wherein the second quad flat nonleaded package is wirebonded to the lead. A third embodiment of a semiconductor package includes a leadframe having a lead with a first level downset lead extension, a quad flat nonleaded package (QFN) connected to the first level downset lead extension, and a first wirebondable die attached to a top or bottom surface of the quad flat nonleaded package.
US07687886B2
A heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) is provided with an improved on-state breakdown voltage VCE. The improvement of the on-state breakdown voltage for the HBT improves the output power characteristics of the HBT and the ability of the HBT to withstand large impedance mismatch (large VSWR). The improvement in the on-state breakdown voltage is related to the suppression of high electric fields adjacent a junction of a collector layer and a sub-collector layer forming a collector region of the HBT.
US07687883B2
An antifuse device (120) that includes a bias element (124) and an programmable antifuse element (128) arranged in series with one another so as to form a voltage divider having an output node (F) located between the bias and antifuse elements. When the antifuse device is in its unprogrammed state, each of the bias element and antifuse element is non-conductive. When the antifuse device is in its programmed state, the bias element remains non-conductive, but the antifuse element is conductive. The difference in the resistance of the antifuse element between its unprogrammed state and programmed state causes the difference in voltages seen at the output node to be on the order of hundreds of mili-volts when a voltage of 1 V is applied across the antifuse device. This voltage difference is so high that it can be readily sensed using a simple sensing circuit (228).
US07687879B2
The present invention relates to a method of forming a metal feature on an intermediate structure of a semiconductor device that comprises a first exposed metal structure and a second exposed metal structure. The metal feature is selectively formed on the first exposed metal structure without forming on the second exposed metal structure. By adjusting a concentration of stabilizer in an electroless plating solution, the metal feature is electrolessly plated on the first exposed metal structure without plating metal on the second exposed metal structure.
US07687878B2
A MOSFET device includes a semiconductor substrate having an active region including storage node contact forming areas and a device isolation region and having a device isolation structure which is formed in the device isolation region to delimit the active region; screening layers formed in portions of the device isolation structure on both sides of the storage node contact forming areas of the active region; a gate line including a main gate which is located in the active region and a passing gate which is located on the device isolation structure; and junction areas formed in a surface of the active region on both sides of the main gate.
US07687870B2
A laterally configured electrooptical device including: a substrate having a surface; a first semiconductor layer of a first type semiconductor material; a second semiconductor layer formed of a second type semiconductor material different from the first type semiconductor material; a first electrode; and a second electrode. The lower surface of the first semiconductor layer is coupled to a section of the surface of the substrate. The lower surface of the second semiconductor layer is coupled to the upper surface of the first semiconductor layer to form a junction. The first electrode is directly electrically coupled to one side of the first semiconductor layer and the second electrode is directly electrically coupled to an opposite side of the second semiconductor layer. These electrodes are configured such that the lower surface of the first semiconductor layer and/or the upper surface of the second semiconductor layer are substantially unoccluded by them.
US07687865B2
A method (and system) of reducing contact resistance on a silicon-on-insulator device, including controlling a silicide depth in a source-drain region of the device.
US07687863B2
A device and method for selective placement of charge into a gate stack includes forming gate stacks including a gate dielectric adjacent to a transistor channel and a gate conductor and forming doped regions for transistor operation. A layer rich in a passivating element is deposited over the doped regions and the gate stack, and the layer rich the passivating element is removed from selected transistors. The layer rich in the passivating element is than annealed to drive-in the passivating element to increase a concentration of charge at or near transistor channels on transistors where the layer rich in the passivating element is present. The layer rich in the passivating element is removed.
US07687862B2
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first transistor having a first active area, and a second transistor having a second active area. A top surface of the first active area is elevated or recessed with respect to a top surface of the second active area, or a top surface of the first active area is elevated or recessed with respect to a top surface of at least portions of an isolation region proximate the first transistor.
US07687835B2
An LCD panel includes a plurality of gate lines and gate electrodes formed on a substrate and a gate insulating film formed on the substrate including the gate lines and the gate electrodes. A semiconductor film is formed in a region on the gate insulating film and an ohmic contact film formed on the semiconductor film. A plurality of data lines cross the gate lines; a source electrode is formed on the ohmic contact film; and a pixel electrode is formed in a pixel region defined by the gate and data lines. A drain electrode is formed on the ohmic contact film, and has an uneven width. Since a portion of drain electrode that overlaps with the gate electrode has a smaller width than a width of other portions of the drain electrode, variation in an area of the drain electrode overlapped with the gate electrode is small, so that variation of the parasitic capacitance can be reduced, thereby improving picture quality.
US07687832B2
A method of fabricating a pixel cell having a shutter gate structure. First and second charge barriers are respectively created between a photodiode and a first charge storage region and between the first storage region and a floating diffusion region. A global shutter gate is formed to control the charge barrier and transfer charges from the photodiode to the first charge storage region by effectively lowering the first charge barrier. A transfer transistor acts to transfer charges from the first storage region to the floating diffusion region by reducing the second charge barrier.
US07687820B2
A light emitting device includes an n-type cladding layer. a p-type cladding layer. an active layer interposed between the n-type cladding layer and the p-type cladding layer and an ohmic contact layer contacting the p-type cladding layer or the n-type cladding layer. The ohmic contact layer includes a first film that includes a transparent conductive zinc oxide doped with a rare earth metal and including a one-dimensional nano structure. The one-dimensional nano structure is one of a nano-column, a nano rod and a nano wire.
US07687818B2
There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device having excellent light extraction efficiency to efficiently reflect light moving into the device by increasing the total reflectivity of a reflective layer. A semiconductor light emitting device according to an aspect of the invention includes: a substrate, a reflective electrode, a first conductivity semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer that are sequentially stacked. Here, the reflective electrode includes; a first reflective layer provided on the substrate and including a conductive reflective material reflecting light generated from the active layer; and a second reflective layer provided on the first reflective layer, including one or more dielectric portions reflecting light generated from the active layer, and one or more contact holes filled with a conductive filler to electrically connect the first conductivity type semiconductor layer and the first reflective layer, and having a greater thickness than a wavelength of the generated light.
US07687816B2
A light emitting diode and a method of producing white light from the light emitting diode with an active region producing an emission falling in a primary wavelength range. A first part of the active region covered with a first conversion element for converting the emission falling in the primary wavelength range to an emission falling in a second wavelength range. A remaining second part of the active region covered with a second conversion element for converting the emission falling in the primary wavelength rage to an emission falling in a third wavelength range. The light emitting diode is configured to control the intensity of the emission falling in the primary wavelength range to control the color point of the white light generated by mixing the emissions falling the second wavelength range and the third wavelength range. The LED 100 can be advantageously used to be assembled into a backlight unit for lighting up display devices, such as liquid crystal display device, provides illumination to the display panel where an adjustable color temperature and high contrast can be provided to improve readability and viewing on the display depending on the application in use.
US07687810B2
An etching step is performed on an LED/substrate wafer to etch through the LED epitaxial layers entirely around each LED on the substrate wafer to form a gap between each LED on the wafer. The substrate is not etched. When the LEDs/substrates are singulated, edges of each substrate extend beyond edges of the LED die. The LEDs are flip-chips and are mounted on a submount with the LED die between the submount and the substrate. An insulating underfill material is injected under the LED die and also covers the sides of the LED die and “enlarged” substrate. The substrate is then removed by laser lift-off. The raised walls of the underfill that were along the edges of the enlarged substrate are laterally spaced from the edges of the LED die so that a phosphor plate can be easily positioned on top to the LED die with a relaxed positioning tolerance.
US07687808B2
By applying an AC pulse to a gate of a transistor which easily deteriorates, a shift in threshold voltage of the transistor is suppressed. However, in a case where amorphous silicon is used for a semiconductor layer of a transistor, the occurrence of a shift in threshold voltage naturally becomes a problem for a transistor which constitutes a part of circuit that generates an AC pulse. A shift in threshold voltage of a transistor which easily deteriorates and a shift in threshold voltage of a turned-on transistor are suppressed by signal input to a gate electrode of the transistor which easily deteriorates through the turned-on transistor. In other words, a structure for applying an AC pulse to a gate electrode of a transistor which easily deteriorates through a transistor to a gate electrode of which a high potential (VDD) is applied, is included.
US07687804B2
Methods of fabricating a semiconductor structure with a non-epitaxial thin film disposed on a surface of a substrate of the semiconductor structure; and semiconductor structures formed thereof are disclosed. The methods provide selective non-epitaxial growth (SNEG) or deposition of amorphous and/or polycrystalline materials to form a thin film on the surface thereof. The surface may be a non-crystalline dielectric material or a crystalline material. The SNEG on non-crystalline dielectric further provides selective growth of amorphous/polycrystalline materials on nitride over oxide through careful selection of precursors-carrier-etchant ratio. The non-epitaxial thin film forms resultant and/or intermediate semiconductor structures that may be incorporated into any front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) fabrication process. Such resultant/intermediate structures may be used, for example, but are not limited to: source-drain fabrication; hardmask strengthening; spacer widening; high-aspect-ratio (HAR) vias filling; micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) fabrication; FEOL resistor fabrication; lining of shallow trench isolations (STI) and deep trenches; critical dimension (CD) tailoring and claddings.
US07687798B2
The present invention relates a method for epitaxial growth of a second group III-V crystal having a second lattice constant over a first group III-V crystal having a first lattice constant, wherein strain relaxation associated with lattice-mismatched epitaxy is suppressed and thus dislocation defects do not form. In the first step, the surface of the first group III-V crystal (substrate) is cleansed by desorption of surface oxides. In the second step, a layer of condensed group-V species is condensed on the surface of the first group III-V crystal. In the third step, a mono-layer of constituent group-III atoms is deposited over the layer of condensed group-V species in order for the layer of constituent group-III atoms to retain the condensed group-V layer. Subsequently, the mono-layer of group-III atoms is annealed at a higher temperature. In the fourth step, bulk of the second group III-V crystal is grown with the condensed group-V layer accommodating the strain build-up which occurs during the bulk growth.
US07687797B1
A MOS transistor is used as a programmable three-terminal non-volatile memory element. The gate dielectric layer of the MOS transistor has a first portion with a relatively higher dielectric breakdown strength than a second portion. The location of the second portion is chosen so as to avoid having the gate dielectric layer break down near the edge of the active area or isolation area during programming. In a particular embodiment, the gate dielectric layer is silicon oxide, and the first portion is thicker than the second portion.
US07687791B2
Data signal isolation apparatus comprising a first media converter adapted to convert outgoing electrical data signals into outgoing optical data signals, an optical data signal transmission means adapted to transmit said outgoing optical data signals, a second media converter adapted to convert said outgoing optical data signals back into outgoing electrical data signals, and an intrinsically safe power supply, in which the optical data signal transmission means comprises an electrical isolation gap, and in which the second media converter is powered by the intrinsically safe power supply.
US07687788B2
A debris prevention system is constructed and arranged to prevent debris that emanates from a radiation source from propagating with radiation from the radiation source into or within a lithographic apparatus. The debris prevention system includes an aperture that defines a maximum emission angle of the radiation coming from the radiation source, and a first debris barrier having a radiation transmittance. The first debris barrier includes a rotatable foil trap. The debris prevention system also includes a second debris barrier that has a radiation transmittance. The first debris barrier is configured to cover a part of the emission angle and the second debris barrier is configured to cover another part of the emission angle.
US07687785B2
A UV sterilizer with a double-chamber structure comprises an inner tube and an outer tube with different size, the inner tube being partly surrounded by the outer tube thereby forming an inner chamber and an outer chamber, the inner chamber is the space encircled by the inner tube and the outer chamber is the annular space encircled by the overlapped portions of the inner tube and the outer tube; a first end portion of the inner tube is located outside the outer chamber and provided with a first water port, a second end portion of the inner tube is located inside the outer chamber and provided with a second water port communicating with the outer chamber; a first end portion of the outer tube is sealingly connected with the outer wall of the inner tube, while a second end portion of the outer tube is sealed; sleeved UV lamps are arranged in the outer chamber or in both the inner chamber and the outer chamber.
US07687781B2
Disclosed is an external light shielding film. The external light shielding film comprises a transparent substrate; and an external light shielding pattern formed on a surface of the transparent substrate and including a plurality of external light shielding parts. Each of the plurality of external light shielding parts has a polymer resin and at least one color-changeable colorant. The color of the plurality of external light shielding parts may vary according to an external heat source or vary depending on an intensity of an external light source, thereby improving a contrast ratio in a bright room, and a specific color may be visible even when the power of the display apparatus is OFF, thereby achieving an interior decorative effect.
US07687779B2
Provided is an electro-medical imaging apparatus manufactured using a thin film transistor (TFT) array including chalcogen-based semiconductor elements that can generate and store an electric signal from an X-ray signal so as to be able to replace a traditional film type X-ray reader. The electro-medical imaging apparatus includes: a signal generating unit where electron-hole pairs are formed by absorbing an optical energy irradiated from outside; a power source connected to a surface of the signal generating unit and applies an electric signal so as to separate the electron-hole pairs to be accumulated each in opposite sides of the signal generating unit according to their polarities; a signal storage unit that is in contact with the signal generating unit and receives and stores one of the separated charges; and a signal converter that is in contact with the signal storage unit and applies a control signal to the signal storage unit in order to convert an electric signal, which generated by the charges stored in the signal storage unit, into an image signal. The signal generating unit may use amorphous selenium (a-Se), which is one of chalcogen materials, or CdTe or CdZnTe which is a compound material using chalcogen. Also, the signal storage unit may include a TFT array including Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) or a TFT array including CuInSe2 (CIS).
US07687775B2
An apparatus and method are provided for sensing infrared radiation. The apparatus includes a sensor element that is positioned in a magnetic field during operation to ensure a λ shaped relationship between specific heat and temperature adjacent the Curie temperature of the ferroelectric material comprising the sensor element. The apparatus is operated by inducing a magnetic field on the ferroelectric material to reduce surface charge on the element during its operation.
US07687773B2
The present invention relates to sub-millimeter wave frequency heterodyne imaging systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sub-millimeter wave frequency heterodyne detector system for imaging the magnitude and phase of transmitted power through or reflected power off of mechanically scanned samples at sub-millimeter wave frequencies.
US07687772B2
A mass spectrometric imaging method includes the steps of: forcing sequentially generated charge-laden liquid drops to move towards a receiving unit of a mass spectrometer along a traveling path; scanning a sample with a laser beam which has an irradiation energy sufficient to cause analytes contained in the sample to be desorbed to fly along a plurality of flying paths respectively; and positioning the sample relative to the laser beam to render the plurality of flying paths intersecting the traveling path so as to permit a plurality of the analytes respectively along the plurality of flying paths to be occluded in a plurality of the charge-laden liquid drops respectively to thereby form a plurality of corresponding ionized analytes.
US07687771B2
An interface for mass spectrometers. The interface uses non coaxial sampling pathways of the analyte ion beam prior to entering the entrance of a mass spectrometer for decreasing chemical background, and can be done in such a way as to permit multiple sprayers, increasing sample throughput and sensitivity for LC/MS (liquid chromatography/MS). The interface includes an ion source having an exit from which a beam of analyte ions are emitted, a curtain plate and an aperture in the curtain plate member, an orifice plate having an orifice therein. The orifice plate is being spaced from the curtain plate member defining a flow passageway therebetween, and the aperture in the orifice plate is aligned with a sample entrance to a first vacuum stage of a mass spectrometer maintained substantially lower than atmospheric pressure. The aperture in the curtain plate member is non coaxially aligned with the orifice in the orifice plate and the interface includes a gas flow mechanism for directing a counter flow gas into the flow passageway.
US07687767B2
A fast translation stage for a scanning probe microscope is provided. The stage includes at least one axis of translation driven at the natural resonant frequency of the translation stage such that distortion associated with rapid changes in scan direction is avoided. In one embodiment, the stage includes a sample plate or support that is driven, preferably by one or more piezoelectric actuator elements, so that the plate translates along the fast scan frequency at its resonant frequency.
US07687766B2
Device for detection of out-of-round on an angle sensor including a disc supporting angle coding means rigidly attached to a rotating shaft and at least one fixed optical system including a coherent light source emitting a beam interfering with the angle coding means of the support disc in order to code its angular position, means for collimation of the said beam before interference and a photodetector of the modulated beam after interference. In accordance with one possibility, it includes two optical systems arranged 90° from each other.Alternatively, there is only one optical system and the disc includes a circular track radially centered in at least one of its angular positions relative to the incident collimated light beam, and a radially orientated photodetector.
US07687765B2
The present invention relates to an encoder capable of detecting an absolute value of an angle of rotation or the like of a target to be measured by a simple configuration with high accuracy. In the encoder, a photodetecting region of a photodetecting device and regions to be detected arranged on a scale plate satisfy a relational expression of W/2
US07687761B2
An organic photoelectric conversion device is provided and includes: an organic photoelectric conversion layer that performs photoelectric conversion of incident light and generates a signal charge; a first electrode provided on one side of the organic photoelectric conversion layer and a plurality of second electrodes arranged on the other side of the organic photoelectric conversion layer. A gap between adjacent pair of the second electrodes is 3 μm or below.
US07687750B2
A system under international control is in possession of the firing codes required to launch missiles owned by the parties to the system. Upon a request to the international authority for the release of its firing codes so that it may launch a first strike, the target party is advised of the request and given the opportunity to launch its own missiles first. The system deters first strikes.
US07687741B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate inducing one or more actions, such as generation of a shift report data related to construction device(s), via detection of specified triggering events. The system comprises a triggering component that determines whether a triggering event has occurred a control component that initiates an action in response to the triggering event. Triggering events can comprise specific times of day as determined by a real-time clock that can be associated with a construction/fabrication device, such as a welder. Additionally, actions responsive to triggering events can be tagged for human approval prior to initiation in order to provide system flexibility.
US07687739B2
A seal structure channels drainage of machining fluid from the periphery of an opening for a lower arm of a wire-cut electric discharge machine. The seal structure restricts flowage to the outside of machining fluid through the opening (slot) in a side of a machining tank and has a first seal and a second seal (a seal plate) affixed to the first seal so as to cover the opening. An unevenly shaped part including ridges and grooves extending in the long direction of the first seal is formed on the first seal, and passages are provided that communicate with the groove and the outside to channel the machining fluid drainage path. The first seal may be composed of a plurality of members. A suction device sucks up machining fluid draining from the passages.
US07687723B2
To provide a mounting substrate that requires a reduced amount of solder and reduces a thermal effect of solder on the interior of an electronic component, and a microphone to be mounted on the substrate. A mounting substrate according to the present invention includes: a solder part formed on a part of an electrode formed on the mounting substrate; a resist film formed to prevent the solder of the solder part from flowing out of a predetermined range; and a gas-escape groove that is constituted by the absence of the electrode and the resist film and allows gas produced during soldering to escape.
US07687721B2
Motor vehicle battery cable having a power conductor which is in the form of a flat strip conductor and is surrounded by an insulating layer. To reduce the number of cable harnesses in motor vehicles, it is proposed that at least two further conductors be run in the insulating layer.
US07687717B2
A coaxial cable may include an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and a dielectric material layer therebetween. The inner conductor may include a tubular bimetallic layer having a pair of opposing longitudinal edges at a longitudinal seam. The tubular bimetallic layer may include an inner metal layer and an outer metal layer bonded thereto with the inner metal layer having a lower melting point than the outer layer. At least one of the opposing longitudinal edges of the tubular bimetallic layer may be at least partially bevelled. In addition, the longitudinal seam may include a welded joint between at least portions of the opposing longitudinal edges.
US07687716B2
A cable management system for an electrical component having a connectivity interface configured to connect with cables includes a cable support bracket having a cable support plate configured to support the cables connected to the connectivity interface, and an arm having first and second arm portions. The first arm portion being coupled to the cable support plate and the second arm portion configured to be coupled to the electrical component. The first and second arm portions are selectively positionable with respect to one another such that the position of the cable support plate may be changed with respect to the connectivity interface.
US07687714B2
A shielded and sealed electric harness having conductors housed in a tubular structure providing protection and shielding, the structure being constituted by a tubular inner textile braid, an intermediate metal tubular braid for electromagnetic shielding, and a corrugated outer sheath having its end adhesively bonded to a heat-shrink endpiece for fastening onto a portion of a connector of a branch joint.
US07687699B2
The present invention relates to a holder for drum sticks, drum brushes, mallets and other such percussion implements for playing percussion instruments. The drum stick holder (1), comprising a plurality of substantially parallel tubular sleeves (2), each sleeve being joined to at least one adjacent sleeve and having an entrance (7, 9) with dimensions suitable for receiving just one drum stick, wherein each sleeve (2) is formed from an elastomeric material so that each sleeve may grip a drum stick inserted into the sleeve (2).
US07687690B2
A rice mutant allele designated phd is disclosed. The invention relates to rice seeds containing mutant allele phd, to rice plants containing allele phd and to methods for producing a rice plant containing the mutant allele phd produced by crossing a rice plant containing allele phd with itself or another rice variety. The invention further relates to hybrid rice seeds and hybrid rice plants containing mutant allele phd.
US07687677B1
A processing scheme and arrangement for enhanced olefin production involves recovering thermal energy from a reactor effluent stream resulting from the dehydrogenation of a dehydrogenatable hydrocarbon. The process involves contacting the reactor effluent stream with a circulating fluid stream in a first contact cooling zone to produce a product stream and to form a heated circulating fluid stream. Thermal energy is recovered from the heated circulating fluid stream via indirect heat exchange with a first process stream in a first heat exchange zone to form a cooled circulating fluid stream. The cooled circulating fluid stream can be subsequently cooled and at least a first portion thereof returned to the first contact cooling zone.
US07687658B2
The present invention provides an improved and commercially viable process for the preparation of oseltamivir phosphate. Thus, for example, ethyl (3R,4R,5S)-4-amino-5-azido-3-(1-ethylpropoxy)-1-cyclohexene-1-carboxylate is acetylated with acetic anhydride in methylene chloride in the presence of triethyl amine in the absence of water to give ethyl (3R,4R,5S)-4-(acetylamino)-5-azido-3-(1-ethylpropoxy)-1-cyclohexene-1-carboxylate.
US07687647B2
A process for making propylene oxide from propylene is disclosed. The process comprises reacting propylene, oxygen, and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, a solvent, and a buffer to produce a reaction mixture comprising propylene oxide. Separation of light components from the reaction mixture gives a heavy residue comprising the buffer. The buffer is precipitated from the heavy residue by a precipitating agent.
US07687633B2
The present invention provides a filter for electronic display devices, comprising a squarylium compound represented by General Formula (I): [wherein X represents a group represented by following Formula (A): (wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 may be the same or different and each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom and the like; and R5 and R6 may be the same or different and each represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group optionally having substituent(s) and the like) and the like; and Y represents a group represented by following Formula (C): (wherein R9 represents a halogen atom, an alkyl group optionally having substituent(s) and the like; and R10 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group optionally having substituent(s) and the like) and the like, and “n” represents an integer of 0 to 5].
US07687623B2
The invention provides compounds of formula or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R, R1, R2, R3, and B are as defined in the accompanying specification. Methods of making such compounds are also provided.
US07687619B2
Room temperature stable, non-gelling polysaccharide solutions such as agaroses, dextrans and cyclodextrans are made by the present invention. It has been found that by incorporating certain gel-inhibiting additives into an aqueous polysaccharide solution, the gel point is reduced or eliminated and the solution remains liquid at room temperature indefinitely. Additives that have been found to work include salts, such as lithium chloride and zinc chloride and bases, such as sodium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide. Mixtures of said salts and said bases can also be used with the same desired results. The composition of these solutions of the present idea can be further modified to include other additives, such as organic co-solvents or non-solvents, pH modifiers, surfactants or other polymers to customize the properties of the solution to improve the processability for the desired application and to form structures such as films, beads and coated porous substrates.
US07687618B2
The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of labeled oligonucleotide conjugates comprising the reaction of (a) an oligonucleotide having a labile protecting group bound to a terminal hydroxy group, and (b) a labeling compound, wherein said labile protecting group is partially or completely substituted by said labeling compound in a nucleophilic substitution reaction.
US07687616B1
The present invention describes a novel approach whereby small molecules may be used to modulate activity of microRNA and GAM oligonucleotides. This mode of therapy allows inter alia up regulation of a disease-related target gene of novel GAM oligonucleotides of the present invention, by countering the activity of a GAM oligonucleotides which naturally inhibits expression of that target gene. Nucleic acid molecules are provided respectively encoding 122,764 GAM oligonucleotides and their respective precursors, and 18602 GR polynucleotides, as are vectors and probes both comprising the nucleic acid molecules, and methods and systems for detecting GAM oligonucleotides and GR polynucleotides and specific functions and utilities thereof, for detecting expression of GAM oligonucleotides and GR polynucleotides, and for selectively enhancing and selectively inhibiting translation of the respective target genes thereof.
US07687611B2
The present invention relates to novel methods for separating hemagglutinin (HA) antigens, comprising the steps of applying a reduced and derivatized antigen preparation comprising solubilized HA antigens and a detergent in a pH controlled solution, on a Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography column; and eluting the HA antigens from the column with an ion pairing agent in an organic mobile phase. The invention further relates to quantifying methods using the methods for separating the antigens with the further step of measuring the peak area of the eluted antigen in a chromatogram resulting from the elution step.
US07687607B2
The invention provides new monoclonal antibodies and binding fragments thereof which recognize and immunoreact with cell surface antigens found on small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. The antibodies have tumor specificity and are useful for therapy, diagnosis, monitoring, detecting and imaging of SCLC disease and of patients having SCLC disease. The antibody-recognized SCLC-specific surface antigens can serve as targets for detecting, diagnosing, inhibiting or killing SCLC cells.
US07687604B2
Methods are provided for purifying marine collagen and for processing the collagen into porous sponges. Products produced with these methods and the use of the products are also provided.
