US07823448B2
A gravity gradiometer is disclosed which has a sensor in the form of bars (41 and 42) which are supported on a mounting (5) which has a first mount section (10) and a second mount section (20). A first flexure web (33) pivotally couples the first and second mount sections about a first axis. The second mount has a first part (25), a second part (26) and a third part (27). The parts (25 and 26) are connected by a second flexure web (37) and the parts (26 and 27) are connected by a third flexure web (35). The bars (41 and 42) are located in housings (45 and 47) and form a monolithic structure with the housings (45 and 47) respectively. The housings (45 and 47) are connected to opposite sides of the second mount section 20. The bars (41 and 42) are connected to their respective housings by flexure webs (59). Transducers (71) are located in proximity to the bars for detecting movement of the bars to in turn enable the gravitational gradient tensor to be measured. An actuator is provided for moving the mount to stabilize the mount. The actuator comprises a hollow disc housing (310) which defines a chamber (312). A coil plate (313) is located in the chamber (312) and supports windings (W1 and W2). A tube (330) supports a hollow rod (328) to minimize flux leakage from the windings (W1 and W2). Lead wires for the windings pass through the rod (328) to the windings (W1 and W2) mounted on the support plate (313).
US07823438B2
A device is disclosed for sensing a fluid, such as in a ventilation duct. In at least one embodiment, the device includes a sensing element, a housing accommodating the sensing element, and a supply duct and a discharge duct, which ducts at one end commucicate with the housing and which ducts at the other end communicate with an object that is to be sensed. In at least one embodiment, the housing is formed with a first passage portion for the fluid that is to be sensed; that the sensing element is positioned in the first passage portion; and that the supply duct opens into said first passage portion and that the discharge duct is connected to a discharge opening formed in the first passage portion and positioned at a considerable peripheral distance from the mouth of said supply duct in the first passage portion, so that the fluid that is to be sensed is actively made to pass the sensing element.
US07823432B2
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to clear up an eccentric load onto a pin and a problem of deformation and cavity due to flowing material during extrusion when spring washer blind-holes in a piston for an automobile transmission are formed by extrusion with a pin. After an annular region along the peripheral edge portion on the back of an end plate of a secondary workpiece is flattened, the secondary workpiece is set on a lower die. Further, while the lower die is pressed with upper dies and cushion pressure is applied on the lower die, pins, for piercing the spring washer blind-holes are made to perform an extrusion operation onto the end plate of the secondary workpiece from the backside of the end plate. The extruded material is made to flow into recess holes of the upper die, and thus spring washer blind-holes are formed. Then, projections which have flowed and protrude on the front side are removed by turning with a lathe.
US07823420B2
The invention relates to a textile protection element (30) for a plastic support (33) of knitted embodiment, comprising at least one section (31, 32) with a thermosealing textile thread (2). The above is particularly of use for protection of a plastic hose.
US07823392B2
An arrangement for a turbomachine combustion chamber is disclosed. The arrangement includes a chamber end wall pierced by at least one substantially circular opening, a deflector mounted from the downstream side of the chamber end wall in the opening by an annulus, an injector system associated with the opening and including an annular bowl that is flared downstream, passing through the opening, and a pinch ring that cooperates with the annulus to allow the injector system to shift off-center relative to the chamber end wall. The deflector includes an annular collar extending radially inwards. The bowl of the injector system includes at its downstream end an outwardly-open annular groove radially in alignment with the collar of the deflector in such a manner as to enable it to retract into said groove when the injector system shifts off-center relative to the chamber end wall.
US07823389B2
A gas turbine engine includes a compressor, combustor, and turbine having a row of blades mounted inside a surrounding turbine shroud. A heat exchanger is used for cooling pressurized air bled from the compressor. A distribution network joins the heat exchanger to the turbine for selectively channeling air from the heat exchanger below the blades and above the shroud for controlling blade tip clearance.
US07823388B2
In a gas turbine engine control system having a first valve for regulating the flow rate of fuel in premixed combustion and a second valve for regulating that in diffusion combustion, when the combustion mode is switched from one mode to the other mode, whichever of the first and second valves is associated with the other combustion mew is opened to supply the amount of fuel required for conducting the other combustion mode and, the opening of the valve associated with the one combustion mode is gradually decreased, while that of the other combustion mode is gradually increased, thereby maintaining the total amount of fuel supplied to the engine constant, after elapse of a predetermined period. At the time of switching the combustion mode, therefore, the total amount of fuel supplied to the engine can be accurately controlled to a desired value to minimize engine speed fluctuation.
US07823385B2
This invention relates to an actuator assembly for a turbocharger pressure control valve assembly and a method of assembling a pressure control assembly of a turbocharger. The assembly comprises an actuator coupled to an actuator rod which in use is coupled to the valve assembly to control the position thereof. The actuator rod comprises an elongate member at least a portion of which is flexible. The actuator rod may be a resilient member which may be substantially straight when stressed. In use the actuator rod may extend in a substantially straight line between the actuator and the valve assembly.
US07823383B2
An actuator driving device includes: an actuator made of a shape metal alloy having a property that a predetermined shape is memorized in advance, and that the predetermined memorized shape is recovered when the actuator is heated to a predetermined temperature; an applier for applying, to the actuator, a pulse current or a pulse voltage at least having a predetermined current value or a predetermined voltage, and a predetermined duty ratio to heat the actuator; and a determiner for determining the current value or the voltage value, and the duty ratio of the pulse current or the pulse voltage to be applied to the actuator by the applier, wherein the determiner is operative to determine the pulse current or the pulse voltage having: the current value larger than a current value of a constant current required for displacing the actuator by a predetermined targeted displacement amount, or the voltage value corresponding thereto; and the duty ratio of making an applied current amount smaller than an applied current amount corresponding to an integrated value of the constant current in applying the constant current to the actuator.
US07823377B2
A system for controlling the function of a diesel engine (1) in a motor vehicle having anti-pollution means (6, 7) includes an oxidation catalyst (6) and arranged in the exhaust system (3) of said engine (1). The catalyst (6) has at least one non-initialized state and one initialized state and the engine (1) has means (8) for supplying the engine cylinders with fuel with at least one injection during the recovery phase thereof. The system includes a single temperature sensor (18) downstream of the catalyst (6) and means (19) for controlling the supply means (8) by switching of the phase control and/or the quantity of fuel injected during the recovery phase between a first value for the initialization of the catalyst and a second value for maintaining the initialized state of the catalyst as a function of the measured temperature downstream of the catalyst.
US07823376B2
Thrust augmentation in a rocket nozzle is achieved by incorporating injectors for the introduction of unburnt fuel and oxidizer into a nozzle to combust in the nozzle and thereby supplement the primary thrust that is supplied by fuel and oxidizer that are combusted prior to entry into the nozzle. These secondary injectors are incorporated into the design of expansion-deflection nozzles and plug nozzles. In expansion-deflection nozzles, the injectors are either in the flow deflector itself or in the wall of the divergent section of the nozzle. In plug nozzles, the injectors are either in a shell of the nozzle surrounding the forward end of the centerbody or in the centerbody itself.
US07823375B2
An InfraRed Suppression System includes a high aspect ratio exhaust duct which vectors a high temperature engine exhaust flow.
US07823374B2
A heat transfer system is provided for a turbine engine of the type including an annular inlet cowling. The heat transfer system includes at least one heat pipe disposed in contact with an interior of the casing. The heat pipe is thermally coupled to a heat source, such that heat from the heat source can be transferred through the heat pipe and into the inlet cowling.
US07823373B1
A rotary cutting deck for a mower has dual, side-by-side cutting chambers that discharge their grass clippings through a common, rearwardly extending exit tunnel. A pair of pivotal flow control baffles are positioned ahead of the mouth of the exit tunnel. The baffles have an open position in which the baffles clear the mouth of the exit tunnel and form guide channels in concert with some of the walls of the cutting chambers which help direct the grass clippings from each cutting chamber towards the mouth of the exit tunnel. The baffles can be pivoted to a closed position in which the baffles block but do not completely close the mouth of the exit tunnel to provide the operator with some way of controlling how long it takes to fill a grass collector attached to the exit tunnel. A mulching plug with a forwardly extending separator vane can be inserted into the mouth of the exit tunnel to convert the deck from a discharge/collection mode of operation to a mulching mode of operation.
US07823351B2
A stackable insulated unit for wall construction for forming a self-supporting wall structure consists of two side wooden planks spaced apart and secured to one another with an intermediate insulating layer bonded thereto, and a plurality of stud longitudinal sections transversely extending through the insulating layer and being secured thereby. The insulating layer ensures structural integrity of the stackable unit. The stud sections are preferably spaced from at least one of the side planks. The invention also includes the method of fabrication of stackable unit.
US07823347B1
A structural member includes a tubular main body with attached, radially oriented longitudinal flanges. The structural member and accessory components are used to construct a variety of versatile, strong, lightweight, easily assembled, easily disassembled, and easily transportable devices and structures.
US07823344B2
A tension member for use in an anchor method, in which both ends of the tension member are held by anchors, is released by cutting all or some of the wires in the tension member and then hitting at least one of the cut wires to release the tension member. The anchor includes an anchor head having a wedge-receiving space, a wedge unit seated in the wedge-receiving space, and three wedges assembled together to form a hole at the center of the wedge unit, through which the tension member is inserted. A support plate is inserted into a groove formed at an upper portion of the first hole and an O-shaped ring is provided around the wedges so that the wedges are expanded around the support plate. A spring is positioned on the wedge unit for constantly biasing the wedge unit against the wedge-receiving space.
US07823330B2
A cable drum assembly for a power drive assembly for a vehicle sliding door, the cable drum assembly comprising: a first drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the first drum having a first plurality of locating holes; and a second drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the second drum having a second plurality of locating holes, the first plurality of locating holes have a first pair of locating holes configured to align with a first pair of location holes of the second plurality of locating holes when the first drum is used as a rear drum of the drum assembly and the second drum is used as a front drum of the drum assembly and the second plurality of locating holes have a second pair of locating holes configured to align with a second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes when the first drum is used as a front drum of the drum assembly and the second drum is used as a rear drum of the drum assembly.
US07823321B2
The DNA Sampling Hook is a significant improvement on a method of obtaining a tissue sample from a live fish in situ from an aquatic environment. A tissue sample taken from a live fish can be used for DNA analyses, which can identify the species of fish, as well as the unique individual fish. Taking a small tissue sample without bringing the fish to the surface is important as it allows for observing the fish community without harming the individual fish by inducing barotrauma or other stresses associated with bringing a fish up from depth, which can be lethal to the animal. These tissue samples are obtained by hook and line methods and do not capture or traumatize the fish resulting in a non-lethal and non-destructive method of observing fish individuals and species. The DNA Sampling Hook is specifically designed to virtually eliminate a condition called double bites, in which more than one individual fish gives up tissue to the same hook. It is also designed to protect the tissue sample in an enclosed manner and the device can be reused repeatedly for a total overall reduction in cost for programs requiring extensive numbers of tissue samples for DNA analysis.
US07823319B2
The invention relates to a protective cover which is intended for sporting rifles that comprise screws (2) which are used to fix a shell propulsion mechanism (3) to a rifle support (4). The invention is characterised in that the dimensions of the cover (5) are pre-determined as a function of the area to be covered, said area to be covered including the heads (1) of the screws (2) which are used to fix the shell propulsion mechanism (3) to the support (4). The invention is further characterised in that it comprises means for fixing the cover to the sporting rifle.
US07823317B2
Adjustable shooting rests and shooting rest assemblies are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a shooting rest includes a rest assembly for supporting a forestock of a firearm. The rest assembly includes a base member and first and second upright members extending from the base member. A position of each of the first and second upright members is independently adjustable with reference to the base member. The shooting rest also includes a support assembly coupled to the rest assembly to move the rest assembly in a first direction and in a second direction. The first and second directions are in a plane generally transverse to a longitudinal axis of the firearm. The shooting rest further includes a base coupled to the support assembly.
US07823308B1
An electronic sign having a formed metal cabinet where precise and close tolerance formed planar panels and formed channels are fastened together only by rivets, nut inserts, adhesive coated tapes, or the combination thereof for rapid assembly thereof.
US07823294B2
An improvement in a compass that marks large radius arcs is disclosed. The compass is for marking on flat surfaces like the ground and walls where higher degree of accuracy for the radius or circle is desired. More particularly, the present flat compass allows a person to create a virtually unlimited radius arc using a center point and a rigid arm with a marking tip. The flat compass uses a rigid flat ruler with an embeddable anchor, such as a nail, on one end and a marking tip on the other that keeps the rigid arm essentially parallel with the marking surface as the surface is being marked. The marking tip is movable along the length of the rigid flat ruler. Multiple rulers can be connected to increase the size of the arc that will be drawn.
US07823291B2
A rotary cutter for a mowing machine includes a cord for mowing grass by rotating, a reel which contains the cord and intermittently rotates to pay out the cord, a case which contains the reel, and a cover which covers the case, wherein the reel includes an upper cam and a lower cam, a stopper is incorporated in the case at a center of a bottom thereof, one end of the stopper is engaged with the upper cam thereby to stop the rotation of the reel, the other end of the stopper is engaged with the lower cam, one end of the cord is engaged with the stopper from outside thereof and guided out of the rotary cutter through a cord guide, and the other end of the cord is guided out of the rotary cutter without touching the stopper.
US07823290B2
Methods of machining a single piece hub with integral upper and lower female cones includes providing a single piece hub with upper and lower conical voids having respective narrow ends proximal each other and respective wide ends distal each other. Surfaces of the voids are machined using a tool provided from a single side of the hub that is dimensioned to fit through an opening defined by the interface between the narrow ends of the conical void. The tool can be moved parallel to a rotational axis for accessing conical surfaces of both voids and perpendicular to the rotational axis while contacting the surfaces so as to produce a final machined surface.
US07823288B2
A nozzle plate includes a nozzle surface and a nozzle hole. The nozzle surface defines an ink ejection port. The nozzle hole includes a taper hole portion and a curved-surface hole portion. The taper hole portion has an inner surface of a truncated conical shape and has the smallest diameter at one end thereof. The curved-surface hole portion has an inner surface of a curved-surface shape. The inner diameter of the curved-surface hole portion gradually decreases as approaching from the one end of the taper hole portion to the ink ejection port.
US07823283B2
A land grid array (LGA) interposer structure, including an electrically insulating carrier plane, and at least one interposer mounted on a first surface of said carrier plane. The interposer possesses a hemi-toroidal configuration in transverse cross-section and is constituted of a dielectric elastomeric material. A plurality of electrically-conductive elements are arranged about the surface of the at least one hemi-toroidal interposer and extend radically inwardly and downwardly from an uppermost end thereof into electrical contact with at least one component located on an opposite side of the electrically insulating carrier plane. Provided is also a method of producing the land grid array interposer structure.
US07823280B2
The present invention relates to a connector of an electromagnetic clutch for a compressor and a manufacturing method thereof. The method includes the steps of arranging a leading end of a lead wire 62 or 72 of at least one discharge device 60 or remaining magnetic field removing device 70, which configures a surge absorbing circuit, to a terminal 50 installed in a connector 30 configuring a field coil assembly and having a coupling slot 56 formed in one side thereof; plastically deforming at least one slot bridge 57 to fix the lead wire 62 or 72 to the coupling slot 56; and making the connector 30 in a state where the terminal 50 is fixed to an assembly of at least the discharge device 60 or remaining magnetic field removing device 70 by injection molding.
US07823278B2
An interposer having one or more hollow electrical contact buttons disposed in a carrier. The interposer is formed by disposing sacrificial posts in vias of the carrier. The electrical contact buttons are formed on the sacrificial posts by a metallizing process in desired pattern using a mask. The sacrificial posts are made of a material that thermally decomposes upon application of heat without altering the carrier or the electrical contact buttons.
US07823273B2
An apparatus for processing workpieces containing plastics material by welding, stamping, cutting and/or bonding is described. The apparatus includes a loading and unloading station for loading and unloading the workpieces (35), a processing station with a free space for processing the workpieces (35) and at least one interchangeable module (15) which can be inserted and fixed in the free space and which comprises at least one workpiece receptacle (34) and at least one processing tool (37) which are both adapted to a selected processing task. In accordance with the invention the interchangeable module (15) is supported on running wheels (17) and can be inserted in the free space therewith, and the relative position between the receptacle (34) and the processing tool (37) required in the processing is determined by the interchangeable module (15) alone.
US07823270B2
A clamp including an inverted spring portion and a plurality of tabs about a circumference of an inner portion of the clamp. The inverted spring portion of the clamp is insertable into a groove of a clamping interface between a flange and an outer portion thereof to align the plurality of tabs proximate to the flange. As described, the clamp provides a low profile interface for clamping discs to a spindle assembly which snap fits into the groove to provide a screwless clamp interface. Other features and benefits that characterize embodiments of the present invention will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description and review of the associated drawings.
US07823259B2
A fast looping-up and releasing rope loop assembly includes two one-way locking devices, at least one band, and a buckle. The one-way locking device includes a body constituted by a base and a cover. The one-way locking device allows the pull rope to extend therethrough and to move with respect thereto along a single direction. By inserting the pull rope through a rope entry opening of the base of the one-way locking device and further extending the rope around a rotary disk and a rotary wheel arranged inside the locking device and extending out of the locking device, the one-way locking device that locks the movement of the rope in an opposite direction is completed. When the rope is jammed due to excessive tightening, a presser of the buckle is depressed to release the one-way locking device from the jamming condition so that efficient loop-up and release can be realized.
US07823258B2
A wire lock includes a body having an opening therethrough, a locking member disposed at least partially within the opening, and a biasing device. The biasing device urges the locking member into a configuration wherein a wire passing through the opening is restrained in at least one direction, and may operate in either tension or compression. The locking member may include one or more locking elements that are compressed about the wire through engagement with a wedge-shaped locking section of the body, with the biasing member urging the locking member against the locking section. In other embodiments, the locking member is a locking pin riding on an inclined surface of an elongate slot extending across the body, with the biasing member urging the locking pin against one end of the slot, and the wire pinched between the pin and a body surface opposite the inclined surface.
US07823257B2
In an apparatus for the fiber-sorting or fiber-selection of a fiber bundle, especially for combing, which is supplied by means of supply device to a fiber-sorting device, especially a combing device, in which a mechanical device is present which generates a combing action to loosen and remove non-clamped constituents, and a clamping element is present for transfer of the supplied fiber material. To enable productivity to be increased in a simple manner and an improved combed sliver to be obtained, downstream of the supply device there are arranged two rotatably mounted rollers, which are provided with clamping devices for the fiber material having clamping elements that are distributed spaced apart in the region of the roller periphery and co-operate with counter-elements, the counter-elements in the case of the first roller being arranged opposite the roller periphery and in the case of the second roller on or in the roller.
US07823255B2
An exemplary hinge assembly includes a frame, a first rotating module, and a second rotating module. The first rotating module includes a first pivotal shaft non-rotatably connected to the frame. The second rotating module includes a second pivotal shaft substantially perpendicular to the first pivotal shaft, a plurality of resilient washers, a supporting member, a rotating member engaging with the supporting member, and a limiting member. A first end of the second pivotal shaft is fixed on the frame. The resilient washers, the rotating member, the supporting member, and the limiting member are orderly sleeved on a second end, opposite to that of the first end, of the second pivotal shaft. A position of the limiting member relative to the second pivotal shaft is adjustable. The second pivotal shaft is capable of driving the rotating member to rotate.
US07823250B2
The invention relates to a bare floor cleaner capable of wet pickup through a first nozzle opening with the aid of a squeegee, wet scrubbing with an agitator, and dry pickup through a second nozzle opening. The bare floor cleaner comprises a dual-path nozzle assembly having a wet suction path in communication with the first nozzle opening and a dry suction path in communication with the second nozzle opening. A diverter valve selectively controls fluid communication between a suction source and one of the first and second nozzle openings for conversion between wet and dry modes. The bare floor cleaner further comprises a single actuator that controls the positions of the agitator and of the diverter valve. As a result, the cleaning mode of the bare floor cleaner can be controlled with a single switch that is preferably located on the handle assembly for convenient access by a user.
US07823246B2
The present invention is a breakaway mounting bracket assembly for a wiper system that displaces components of the wiper system below the impact line of a vehicle in the event of, for example, a vehicle-pedestrian impact. The assembly includes a mounting bracket and a grommet removably attached to the mounting bracket. The assembly also includes a ferrule disposed within the grommet that includes a column having an internal passage and a platform connected to the column by a plurality of bridges disposed therebetween. The assembly also includes an attachment member to connect the mounting bracket to the vehicle where the attachment member includes a body engaged to the internal passage. The mounting bracket is adapted to break away from attachment with the grommet in the event of a predetermined load acting on a pivot shaft assembly and to displace the pivot shaft assembly and a portion of the wiper arm below the vehicle's impact line in the event of a pedestrian impact.
US07823243B2
A toothbrush with a flexible head is disclosed. At least the head of the toothbrush may be manufactured by in-molded technology. A blend of thermoplastic elastomer and polypropylene is used to impart added flexibility to the head. That flexibility is further enhanced by the tapered profile of the head. Cleaning elements may be secured in place during manufacture using in-molded techniques or staples.
US07823241B2
A system for cleaning a wafer. At least one first chuck roller is connected to a first roller base and includes a first annular groove. A second roller base opposes the first roller base. At least one second chuck roller is connected to the second roller base and includes a second annular groove. A sensing chuck roller is connected to the second roller base and includes a third annular groove corresponding to the first and second annular grooves. A cleaning member covers the third annular groove. A circumferential edge of the wafer is positioned in the first and second annular grooves and abuts the cleaning member. The first and second chuck rollers rotate the wafer, enabling the circumferential edge thereof to rub against the cleaning member.
US07823239B2
An illuminated loading dock system includes a series of light fixtures having sufficient power to illuminate the interior of a series of trailers from a distance that spans a dock leveler pit. The light fixtures are mounted to stanchions (or a railing thereof) that extend upward from an elevated floor that is higher than the pit's floor. In some cases the light fixtures are coupled to control panels that control the operation of the dock levelers. In this arrangement, the pit floor is kept clear of clutter, and dockworkers can control the lights and the dock leveler from one safe location, as opposed to having to step down into the pit, underneath a raised dock leveler deck.
US07823237B2
A method for cleaning within a washing zone comprising: placing at least one article for treatment in the washing zone, providing of at least partially deionized water into the washing zone, and optionally providing cleaning composition into the washing zone wherein the combination of said optional cleaning composition and partial deionized water have a specific conductance of less than about 200 μS/cm.
US07823224B2
A mask is described herein that uses correlated magnets which enable a person to easily secure and remove the mask to and from their head. Some examples of such a mask include a scuba mask, a welding mask, a fencing mask, a goalie mask, a paint mask, a paintball mask, a catcher's mask, a ski mask, a goalie mask, an oxygen mask, a surgical mask, a face shield, a filter mask, a theatrical mask, a costume mask, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask.
US07823223B2
A pair of underpants including a front part, a back part, a crotch part and two leg holes delimited by the parts. The underpants further include a releasable connection for connecting the crotch part to the front part and allowing an opening to be formed in the crotch area. The releasable connection extends from one leg hole to the other and includes two parts, one overlapping the other in the closed condition. The ends of a part of the releasable connection are provided with a flexible protection element.
US07823219B2
A device and method for alleviating pressure on a portion of a patient's body that may be bed-ridden or otherwise constrained for long periods of time. A position of the mechanism is based upon a location or distribution of angiosomes in the body portion. The mechanism includes a pump, and a portable garment with inflatable channels and pressure relievers. The channels provide varying pressure on the body portion, a maximum pressure being set at a level sufficient for treating or preventing decubitus ulcer formation on the body portion. The channels are positioned based upon angiosome distribution in the portion of the body. The pressure relievers protect tissue on bony prominences from excess pressure.
US07823218B2
A protective padding system is provided in which a padding member has one or more cavities formed therein. The padding member preferentially flexes at the cavities. An insert is adapted to selectively engage and fit into the cavity. When engaged, the insert reinforces the padding member at the cavity, and thus reduces or eliminates the flexibility of the padding member at that location. By selectively engaging or disengaging an insert, a user may customize the flexibility characteristics of the padding member in a reversible manner.
US07827613B2
A digital rights management (DRM) system and methodology for a Java client implementing a Java Runtime Environment (JRE). The JRE comprises a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and Java runtime libraries components and is capable of executing a player application for presenting content that can be presented through a Java program (e.g., a Java application, applet, servlet, bean, etc.) and downloaded from a content server to the client. The DRM system includes an acquisition component for receiving downloaded protected contents; and a dynamic rights management layer located between the JRE and player application for receiving requests to view or play downloaded protected contents from the player, and, in response to each request, determining the rights associated with protected content and enabling viewing or playing of the protected contents via the player application if permitted according to the rights. By providing a DRM-enabled Java runtime, which does not affect the way non-DRM-related programs work, DRM content providers will not require the installation of customized players. By securing the runtime, every Java™ player automatically and transparently becomes a DRM-enabled player.
US07827609B2
Provided is a method for tracing-back an IP using marking information of a router stored on a hop-by-hop option header, which is one of IPv6 extension headers. According to the method, an attack made by an attacker is detected on the IPv6 network. If the attack is detected, information stored on a hop-by-hop option header of a packet received through the IPv6 network and marked by a router through which the packet has passed is extracted. After that, a reception path of the received packet is reconstructed and an IP of the attacker is back-traced using the extracted marking information.
US07827607B2
Security sensor data from intrusion detection system (IDS) sensors, vulnerability assessment (VA) sensors, and/or other security sensors is used to enhance the compliancy determination in a client compliancy system. A database is used to store the security sensor data. In one particular embodiment, a list of device compliance statuses indexed by corresponding identifiers (e.g., IP/MAC addresses) combined from IDS, VA, and/or other security sensing technologies is made available as a non-compliance database for query, so that clients and other compliancy authentication elements can tell that a particular client appears to be out of compliance. A client-side self-policing compliance system is enabled, and can be used in conjunction with automated endpoint compliance policy configuration to reduce system administrator burden.
US07827601B2
A method and apparatus for traversing a firewall are described.
US07827587B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US07827582B2
An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a viewer may direct a television to simultaneously display a selected television program and a program guide display. A viewer may use the program guide display to browse available video-on-demand (VOD) while continuing to view a previously selected program in the background. The viewer may browse through video-on-demand programs on the program guide display using a variety of keys on a remote control unit. The viewer may direct the program guide to order a given video-on-demand program, and set a desired broadcast time for that program.
US07827581B1
A customer premises installation has a wireless multimedia center (WMC) for reception from one or more signal sources and for distribution of segments of signals from signal sources through the wireless multimedia center to a plurality of end units, in which the signals include video signals and broadband data. The wireless multimedia center receives all the signals and distributes segments of said signals via a transmitter. The video signals are transmitted by orthogonal frequency division multiplexing in which all signals are added together and summed as an orthogonal array having dimensions of time, frequency and amplitude, to transmit spread spectrum multiplexed signals. Each pulse has sufficiently long individual pulse widths to defeat multi-path, reflection and absorption phase induced losses. The video signals are distributed to one or more end units. The end units communicate with the wireless multimedia center, controlling which segments of which signals are distributed to each end unit.
US07827570B2
A cartridge tray is supported to be movable relative to a frame and capable of receiving a cartridge inserted thereinto. The cartridge tray comprises a cartridge locking lever for locking the cartridge to the cartridge tray, and a lever guard for enabling the cartridge locking lever to act to lock the cartridge to the cartridge tray when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge tray. With the provision of the lever guard, the cartridge locking lever is prevented from transitioning to a locking state even if the tray locking lever is unlocked while no cartridge is accommodated in the cartridge tray.
US07827567B2
A system and method for defining and dynamically invoking polymorphic call flows in a call flow system. Call flows are defined that include a publisher call flow and subscriber call flows. A first trigger point in a publisher call flow is defined. Triggers specifying late-binding references to trigger points are defined in the subscriber call flows. Subsequent to the call flows being published in a repository, the publisher call flow is executed, the first trigger point is located, and the publisher call flow is executed. Without changing any other call flow and without terminating and restarting the publisher call flow, a call flow is added to the call flow system and invoked or a call flow is removed.
US07827565B2
Architecture that facilitates interfacing non-integrated applications. The disclosed architecture comprises a set of APIs and conventions used to enable integration between tools that were not previously architected to be integrated. This provides the basis for server-based partner integration and client integration of tools, and can facilitate the foundation for building a third-party ecosystem. In support thereof, an artifact provider API exposes artifacts of a first application, and an artifact consumer API exposes a reference of a second application, which reference is associated with a link to one at least one of the artifacts of the artifact provider.
US07827559B1
Techniques for execution of multiple threads in a multithreaded computing programming environment are disclosed. The techniques are especially well suited for environments that use multilayered programming architecture where a higher layer can build on the functions provided by a lower layer where the delay time is an important consideration. In one aspect, the conceptual notion of a “Worker” effectively serves to represent the thread-specific execution context for a thread of execution (“thread”) in a multithreaded computing environment. Another aspect, provides the notion of an Exclusion Area (EA) as logical lock that serves to protect shared resources in a multithreaded environment. The combination of the worker and EA are used to provide a powerful framework that, among other things, allows minimizing of the delay time.
US07827552B2
A system and method is described which provides for context checking of an operating environment. A context manager controls the execution of context checks requested by applications or processes. In one embodiment, the context check modules are defined as self-contained modules located in a database. When the data base is opened, these modules are loaded and registered with the context manager. Upon occurrence of certain user actions, the context manager will issue an event to cause the appropriate modules to perform a context check of certain context of the environment. The resulting context information is stored in memory by the context manager and provided to the applications by the context manager when needed. One advantage is that the context checks performed can be changed simply by adding or deleting modules from the database. In other embodiments, context checking functions can also be provided by providing context files, which are loaded at initiation of the context manager and are independent of the database utilized, and by providing certain highly repeatable functions within the function of the context manager itself.
US07827547B1
The invention facilitates remote management of a computer via a network. Remote computer management capability can be updated by providing to a managed computer, for use by software operating on the managed computer to effect management actions, a dynamically loaded library (or other set of instructions and/or data that will not be identified as a new executing process on the managed computer) that includes functionality not previously enabled by the software operating on the managed computer.
US07827546B1
Methods and systems are provided for dynamically configuring document solutions and for obtaining desired or required components of such document solutions for use with computer-generated documents. If a document is associated with a document solution, a request for components of the solution is sent to a manifest of document solutions. Identification of a user of the document is also passed to the manifest. At the manifest, identification information for the user is used to query a user database to determine a profile of the user such as the user's job description, location, security clearance, and the like. Based on the user's profile, the document solution is configured dynamically to include solution components most helpful to the particular user. A manifest collection is provided for serving as a repository of document solution location information for many different namespaces (schemas) that may be associated with one or more user documents.
US07827528B2
The present subject mater relates to configuration of software applications and, more particularly, delta layering of software application content. The various embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, and software to store a first application instance in a first layer and modify the first application instance, wherein the modifying includes a modification to one or more items of first application instance content. Some embodiments further store the first application instance modifications in a second layer, wherein the second layer can be deployed to a second application instance.
US07827515B2
A method including obtaining an operational status of a first processor core, where the first processor core is associated with a plurality of processor cores located on a chip; configuring a first IO block of a package design based on the operational status of the first processor core, where the package design is based on a fully functional chip; and configuring a stackup of the package design after configuring the first IO block for use with the chip.
US07827509B2
The present invention provides a method for digitally obtaining contours of fabricated polygons. A GDS polygon described in a Geographic Data System (GDS) file is provided. Based on the GDS polygon, a plurality of identical polygons is fabricated with the same fabrication process such that shapes of the plurality of identical polygons are altered by optical effects in the same or similar way. The plurality of identical polygons forms poly-silicon gates of a plurality of test transistors. The position of source and drain islands along a length of a poly-silicon gate for each of the plurality of test transistors is different. Using Automated Test Equipment (ATE), a digital test is performed on a circuit including the plurality of test transistors to obtain test responses, the test responses being raw digital data. The test responses may be displayed in a histogram reflecting a contour of the plurality of identical polygons or post-processed to reconstruct a contour of the plurality of identical polygons.
US07827507B2
A system for navigating images spatially referenced to a plurality of location coordinates from at least one coordinate location within a computed space provides travel with a non-linear itinerary. Specifically, serial navigation of a plurality of geographic images spatially referenced to location coordinates of a geo-planar space from a selected coordinate location within each prior geographic image.
US07827506B2
Methods and systems are provided for outputting data on a graphical user interface of a computer system. Consistent with one implementation, a method of outputting data on a graphical user interface is provided. The method comprises retrieving data descriptive of an object from a data repository, transferring the data as an ordered plurality of rows of data to a drop down list box, and displaying the drop down list box on the graphical user interface. Consistent with another implementation, a method of displaying a screen view on a graphical user interface of a computer system is provided. The method comprises defining a screen element allowing display of data, assigning a drop down list box attribute to the screen element, configuring the screen element to suppress data input to the screen element, and displaying the screen element on the graphical user interface.
US07827498B2
A method and system for the dynamic interactive display of digital images, comprising client and server applications working together over the Internet or over other similar modes of digital data transmission to collect, store, select, present, distribute and manage information for digital images, including photographs, pictures, videos, movies and other forms of digital media. The present invention achieves these functions through user-friendly dynamic interactive graphical user interfaces that are readily accessible over the Internet from a wide variety of devices used for digital communication.
US07827496B2
A method and a system are for dynamically generating user interfaces for an application, independently of resolution and platform. In this case, a configuration file is read in and interpreted. A layout engine generates the user interface by accessing a mapping which assigns a respective control event to an event handler.
US07827492B2
Collaboration space object model provides for a Place consisting of rooms. A room is made up of pages. Folders are used to organize pages. Members belong to rooms, and are those users authorized to access them. Place type controls the creation of a place, including how many rooms it has, for example. Room type controls the appearance and content of rooms. A form manages the display of data notes. A form can contain fields for containing data and employ scripts to process and compute data. A page is the basic vehicle for content. Content is created using an or importing content from an external source. A member is also a data note, and each place contains its own member directory. A place is created and managed from a client browser in on-line mode and in offline mode with respect to a replicated copy of the space. Room security is independently managed, and security and aesthetics characteristics of subrooms selectively inherited. Room navigation and workflow processing is provided, as are forms creation and uploading from browser to server.
US07827491B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to edit video by receiving a source video; processing the source video with a plurality of tasks including one or more transitions, effects, and audio; assigning the tasks to a plurality of general purpose processor cores and a graphics processing unit (GPU); and rendering a video output.
US07827490B2
A media state user interface (UI) indicates a section of past recorded content corresponding to content prior in time sequence to the current viewing position via a first visual element and a section of future recorded content corresponding to content post in time sequence to the current viewing position via a second visual element. The first and second visual elements are visually distinguishable, for example, through the presentation of each visual element in a contrasting color. Adjacent ends of the visual elements abut at an interface. The interface visually represents the current viewing position within the media content. A third visual element in the form of a position indicator tracks the current viewing position at the interface and provides additional information regarding playback and other manipulation of the media content.
US07827486B2
A method may include determining a plurality of sets of interaction events, each set of interaction events associated with a use of a user interface. Determining common interaction events among the sets. Determining a common interaction path including an ordered sequence of the common interaction events. Providing a simulation associated with the common interaction path including rendering the common interaction events in the ordered sequence.
US07827484B2
To correct at least one extraneous or missing space in a document, weights are assigned to tokens contained in a dictionary. Each token is defined by an ordered sequence of non-space symbols. The weights are assigned based on at least one of a token length and frequency of occurrence of the token in the document. Corrected text is generated from text of the document by applying an ordered sequence of symbol-level transformations selected from a group of symbol-level transformations including at least (i) deleting a space, (ii) inserting a space, and (iii) copying a symbol. The ordered sequence of symbol-level transformations is optimized respective to an objective function dependent upon the weights of tokens of the corrected text.
US07827467B2
The present invention provides a method and a system for verifying a match between states of a first video processor and a second video processor, wherein one of said first and second video processors is a video encoder utilizing predictive video encoding and the other one of said first and second video processors is a video decoder capable of reproducing a decoded bit stream from an encoded bit stream generated by said video encoder.
US07827461B1
A low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder includes a plurality of bit node processing elements, and a plurality of check node processing elements. The LDPC decoder also includes a plurality of message passing memory blocks. A first routing matrix couples the plurality of bit node processing elements to the plurality of message passing memory blocks. A second routing matrix couples the plurality of check node processing elements to the plurality of message passing memory blocks. The first routing matrix and the second routing matrix enable each bit node to exchange LDPC decoding messages with an appropriate check node via a corresponding one of the message passing memory blocks.
US07827455B1
The current invention provides a mechanism for detecting and recovering from glitches on data strobes. In one embodiment, data is captured from an interlace by a receiver using at least one data strobe that is provided by the transmitter along with the data. A write address counter that is clocked by the data strobe is used to count the active edges of the data strobe. A read address counter that is periodically synchronized with the write address counter, but that is clocked by an internal clock of the receiver, is used to count units of data being received from the interface. Periodically, the contents of the read and write counters are compared. If the contents are not the same, a glitch has occurred on the data strobe. The glitch is recoverable if it occurs on, or after, a last strobe edge of a data transfer.
US07827443B2
Recovery circuits react to errors in a processor core by waiting for an error-free completion of any pending store-conditional instruction or a cache-inhibited load before ceasing to checkpoint or backup progress of a processor core. Recovery circuits remove the processor core from the logical configuration of the symmetric multiprocessor system, potentially reducing propagation of errors to other parts of the system. The processor core is reset and the checkpointed values may be restored to registers of the processor core. The core processor is allowed not just to resume execution just prior to the instructions that failed to execute correctly the first time, but is allowed to operate in a reduced execution mode for a preprogrammed number of groups. If the preprogrammed number of instruction groups execute without error, the processor core is allowed to resume normal execution.
US07827442B2
A fault tolerant, multi-protocol shelf management controller architecture that is extensible provides an intelligent platform management interface that is version indifferent as well as programmable and reconfigurable. The shelf management controller is arranged in a dual redundant configuration in a client-server mode and has a message driven configuration with the messages conforming to the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) specification as extended by PICMG 3.0. In one embodiment, each shelf management controller includes at least one bit stream processor comprising sequenced stage machines implementing one or more finite state machines associated with one or more devices that are under control of the shelf management controller. The finite state machines could be hardware or software based. The shelf management controller is also modeled as a layered architecture that includes an IPMI API layer. The IPMI API layer enables the shelf manager to interface with legacy and future IPMI specifications.
US07827436B2
The present invention discloses a method of updating a dual redundant chassis management system, and the method is applied in a server. If the server obtains a change message, it creates a virtual channel between an active chassis management system and a standby chassis management system, so that the active chassis management system can be updated according to the change message, and the change message can be sent to the standby chassis management system through the virtual channel. After the active chassis management system and the standby chassis management system are updated, the virtual channel is closed to provide sufficiency transmission bandwidth and stability for data transmissions, when the server synchronously updates the active chassis management system and the standby chassis management system.
US07827433B1
Serializing circuitry is provided that can multiplex multiple device output signals and that can drive time-multiplexed data signals on the bus wires of a data path of an electronic system. Bus registers placed at the ends of the bus wires can register or buffer the data signals transmitted over the bus wires. The registered signals may be passed on to deserializing circuitry for demultiplexing the data signals to provide parallel device input signals. The bus registers and the serializing/deserializing circuitry can be provided along signal paths that require additional latency.
US07827427B2
A system-on-chip includes: a controller generating a first input/output control signal determining an input/output state in a normal mode, a second input/output control signal determining the input/output state in a sleep mode, a normal value, and a sleep value; stored in first through fourth registers; a first selector selecting the first or second input/output control signals depending on operation mode; an internal logic circuit operating in the normal mode and generating a signal to be transferred to an external chip based on the normal value; and a second selector selecting an output from the fourth register or the internal logic circuit depending on the operation mode; a power manager controlling the first and second selectors; and a retention input/output device storing outputs of the first and second selectors when the normal mode turns to the sleep mode, which are held when transitioning from the normal to sleep mode.
US07827426B2
An exemplary method of operating an electronic device comprises determining if the electronic device is in a low power mode. The exemplary method also comprises continuing normal operation if the electronic device is not in the low power mode, determining if a wake-up timer is set if the electronic device is in the low power mode, continuing normal operation in low power mode if the wake-up timer is not set, and disabling low power mode if the electronic device is in the low power mode of operation and the wake-up timer is set.
US07827415B2
An image processing apparatus is disclosed including a document data analysis unit and an authentication unit. The document data analysis unit can identify policy data related to the authentication of a document based on information related to a document and/or the type of the document, identify items in document data to be verified, conversion to be performed on data of the items, and verification information contained in the document data based on the identified policy data, and perform the identified conversion on data of the identified items. The authentication unit can authenticate the document based on the data on which the identified conversion is performed and the identified verification information.
US07827413B2
A method and a circuit for extracting a secret datum from an integrated circuit taking part in an authentication procedure that uses an external device that takes this secret datum into account, the secret datum being generated on request and made ephemeral.
US07827409B2
The present invention discloses a technique provisioning network cryptographic keys to a client when direct physical transfer is not feasible. In an embodiment of the invention, a client token generates a temporary key encrypted with a first secret key known only in a master token database and passes this on to an enterprise network token of a network to which service is requested. The enterprise network token then further encrypts the encrypted temporary key with a second secret key and passes that on to the master token database. Since the second secret key is also known by the master token database, the originally encrypted temporary key can be securely decoded only by a master token coupled to the master token database. The decrypted temporary key can then be re-encrypted with a key known only by the enterprise network token and the master token, and returned to the enterprise network token. This allows the enterprise network token to gain secure access to the temporary key of the client token, thereby allowing the enterprise network token to securely provision the remote client token with the appropriate enterprise Network Keys.
US07827406B2
A system and method are provided for pre-processing encrypted and/or signed messages at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device. The message is received at the host system from a message sender. There is a determination as to whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device. For each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device, the message is processed so as to modify the message with respect to one or more encryption and/or authentication aspects. The processed message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver. The system and method may include post-processing messages sent from a wireless mobile communications device to a host system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the host system to one or more receivers.
US07827403B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that decrypts an encrypted column in a row. During operation, the system receives the encrypted column in the row. The system then determines a security domain associated with the encrypted column in the row, wherein the security domain represents a set of columns in rows encrypted using the same key. Next, the system determines a key associated with the security domain. The system then decrypts the encrypted column in the row using the key. Note that using a security domain to represent a set of columns in rows enables the database to grant access to data within the database at arbitrary levels of granularity.
US07827402B2
A method and apparatus for ingress filtering using security group information are disclosed. The method includes performing access control processing on a packet and sending access control information to an ingress node of the packet in response to the access control processing. The access control information includes security group information and an address of a network node. The security group information identifies a security group. The network node is a member of the security group and is a destination of the packet.
US07827398B2
A method for offloading encryption and decryption of a message received at a message server to one or more end devices that are remote from the message server. An encrypting end device remote from the message server encrypts a message using cryptographic context and transmits the cryptographic context and encrypted message to the message server for storage at the message server. The message server stores the encrypted message as received without decrypting the message. The message server sends the stored cryptographic context and the encrypted message to a decrypting end device in response to the decrypting end device sending a request for the message server to transmit the encrypted message to the decrypting end device. The decrypting end device uses the cryptographic context to decrypt the encrypted message and then presents the decrypted message to a user of the decrypting end device.
US07827397B2
An electronic gaming machine (EGM) comprises a memory storing boot program code comprising first code; a central processing unit (CPU) arranged to access the memory and initiate a boot process by reading the first code from the memory; and a monitoring device having or with access to validation code and arranged to take at least one protective action if the first code does not match the validation code.
US07827393B2
A branch prediction apparatus reads out a branch history table 15 by an index calculated by the output of a branch history register 14 containing a plurality of the latest branch result of a branch instruction. The branch prediction apparatus comprises frequency detection units 18-20 for detecting the appearance frequency of a branch instruction with a different address and data width modification units 16 and 21 for modifying the number of valid bits of the branch history register, based on the detected appearance frequency. Even a program in which a branch result strongly depends on the latest branch history or even a program having a plenty of branch instructions can maintain high prediction accuracy with a small capacity of the branch history table.
US07827385B2
A parallel computer comprises a plurality of compute nodes organized into at least one operational group for collective parallel operations. Each compute node is assigned a unique rank and is coupled for data communications through a global combining network. One compute node is assigned to be a logical root. A send buffer and a receive buffer is configured. Each element of a contribution of the logical root in the send buffer is contributed. One or more zeros corresponding to a size of the element are injected. An allreduce operation with a bitwise OR using the element and the injected zeros is performed. And the result for the allreduce operation is determined and stored in each receive buffer.
US07827375B2
A data structure, method and system are provided incorporating a general purpose memory allocator and defensive heap memory manager. This provides an ability to reliably detect various types of memory errors, dynamically enable or disable memory debugging, enhance success of read and write operations using various memory verification techniques. Further, through separation of control information associated with allocated and free chunks of memory from the chunks themselves (separation of metadata from actual data), enhanced protection of vital information about the heap memory layout in general is provided. The heap memory manager uses read, write, and execute protected heap header walls and pool header walls and may, for each pool and memory block, separately use hidden front and back Memory Debug Information Areas (MDIAs) with checksums and well-known signature fields thereby enhancing overall memory management.
US07827359B2
Systems and/or methods that facilitate reading data from a memory component associated with a network are presented. A pre-fetch generation component generates a pre-fetch request based in part on a received read command. To facilitate a reduction in latency associated with transmitting the read command via an interconnect network component to which the memory component is connected, the pre-fetch request is transmitted directly to the memory component bypassing a portion of the interconnect network component. The memory component specified in the pre-fetch request receives the pre-fetch request and reads the data stored therein, and can store the read data in a buffer and/or transmit the read data to the requester via the interconnect network component, even though the read command has not yet reached the memory component. The read data is verified by comparison with the read command at a convergence point.
US07827357B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for receiving requested data from a system interconnect interface in a first scalability agent of a multi-core processor including a plurality of core-cache clusters, storing the requested data in a line of a local cache of a first core-cache cluster including a requester core, and updating a cluster field and a core field in a vector of a tag array for the line. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07827356B2
A system and method of using an n-way cache are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes determining a first way of a first instruction stored in a cache and storing the first way in a list of ways. The method also includes determining a second way of a second instruction stored in the cache and storing the second way in the list of ways. In an embodiment, the first way may be used to access a first cache line containing the first instruction and the second way may be used to access a second cache line containing the second instruction.
US07827354B2
A method, system, and device for enabling intervention across same-level cache memories. In a preferred embodiment, responsive to a cache miss in a first cache memory a direct intervention request is sent from the first cache memory to a second cache memory requesting a direct intervention that satisfies the cache miss. In an alternate embodiment, direct intervention is utilized to access a same-level victim cache.
US07827350B1
A method and system for promoting a snapshot in a distributed striped volume system is provided. A master volume server is configured with a rollback process such that when it is determined that a rollback is required, the master volume server sets a flag persistently in its own raid label on disk. After the persistent flag is set, the master volume server determines a “common snapshot,” and starts the process of sending RPC messages to each node hosting constituent volumes instructing each constituent volume to roll back to the identified snapshot. When the nodes receive this message a flag is set in the own raid label of each constituent volume and the volume then promotes the particular snapshot. If the master volume server has not received a successful response from each node that the snapshot promotion was successful within a specified time period, there is a retry. The common snapshot is then used as the active file system, thus providing data recovery for the striped volume set.
US07827346B2
A data storage device comprising: at least two flash devices for storing data; a circuit board, wherein each of the flash devices are integrated on the circuit board; a controller integrated on the circuit board for reading and writing to each flash devices, wherein the controller interfaces each flash devices; at least one NOR Flash device in communication with the controller through a host bus; at least one host bus memory device in communication with the controller and at least one NOR Flash device through the host bus; at least one interface in communication with the controller and adapted to physically and electrically couple to a system, receive and store data therefrom and retrieve and transmit data to the system.
US07827345B2
A serially interfaced massively parallel Random Access Memory (RAM) includes a matrix of control logic sections on one integrated circuit die, augmented by a switching matrix with an external interface to multiple high speed serial signaling means. A matrix, of the same dimension, of dense memory element arrays is implemented on a different integrated circuit die. One control logic section die and one or more others containing memory sections are joined by appropriate means to form one integrated circuit stack, implementing a matrix of independent memory units. The switching matrix translates command and data content encoded on the external signaling means bidirectionally between internal data and control signals and connects these signals to the control logic sections. Each independent memory unit ably performs atomic read-alter-writes to enable software mutual exclusion operations (MUTEXes). Each and every matrix may guard against defects by having additional rows and/or columns.
US07827331B2
An IO adapter for guaranteeing the data transfer bandwidth on each capsule interface when multiple capsule interfaces jointly share the DMA engine of the IO adapter. An IO driver containing a capsule interface information table including bandwidth information and for setting the forming status of a pair of capsule interfaces and, during data transfer subdivides the descriptors for the capsule interfaces into multiple groups for each data buffer size satisfying the preset bandwidth information and, copies one group at each fixed sample time set by the descriptor registration means, into the descriptor ring and performs DMA transfer. To control this copy information, the IO driver contains a ring scheduler information table for managing the number of descriptor entries for the capsule interface cycle time and, a ring scheduler cancel means for renewing the entries in the ring scheduler information table each time one transmission of the descriptor group ends.
US07827323B2
A host device includes a peripheral control module that includes a first memory register that receives data from a first memory and a direct memory access (DMA) module that communicates with the first memory. The host device also includes a host control module that receives data from the first memory. The host device also includes a DMA control module that communicates with the first memory register, the host control module and a second memory that includes a first memory array. The DMA control module compares contents of the first memory array to contents of the memory register and controls transfers of data from the first memory to the peripheral control module based on the comparison.
US07827318B2
An Internet user transfers directly to a domain within an e-community without returning to a home domain or reauthenticating by providing to a web browser by a home domain server a home identity cookie with an extensible data area and an enrollment token; performing enrollment through an e-community for a web-browser user by redirecting the home identity cookie via the web browser to each affiliated domain in the e-community until each has been visited once; responsive to each visit to each affiliated domain, sending an affiliated domain identity cookie to the web browser including an enrollment successful indicator; accumulating received enrollment success indicators in the extensible data area of the home identity cookie; and subsequently, vouching for an identity of the user at an affiliated domain through exchange of a vouch-for request and vouch-for response between the home domain server and an affiliated domain server.
US07827316B2
There is described an automation network, an access service proxy for an automation network and a method for transmitting operating data between a programmable controller and a remote computer, wherein the operating data of the programmable controller can be transmitted via the Internet or an intranet by means of the HTTP protocol and displayed and/or modified on the remote computer by an Internet browser. The access service proxy here contains a server for supplying the web pages containing the operating data of the programmable controller to the Internet browser of the remote computer, an interface, to which an engineering system can be connected so that operating data of the programmable controller can be transmitted using a communication mechanism for automation-engineering field communication via the connection between access service proxy and engineering system, and a synchronization unit for updating the content of the web pages if the operating data is modified by the engineering system. This provides uniform access to the operating data of the programmable controller and consequently data consistency and security against unauthorized access.
US07827310B1
Verifying subscriber host connectivity is disclosed. In some embodiments, a unicast address resolution protocol (ARP) request is sent to a subscriber host, and based at least in part on whether a response to the request is received from the subscriber host, it is determined whether the subscriber host remains connected to a network.
US07827309B2
Even if a third party intercepts a packet flowing on the Internet, it is made difficult to identify which information processing apparatuses are performing communication with each other. In a communication system, there is provided a virtual address server for pooling a plurality of for-rent-out virtual global addresses to be temporarily used by a communication apparatus. When a first information processing apparatus performs communication with a second information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus requests the virtual address server to rent out a virtual global address. Next, based on this request, the virtual address server rents out this virtual global address. Moreover, the first information processing apparatus sends out a communication packet whose transmission-source address is set up by this virtual global address and whose transmission-destination address is set up by the global address of the second information processing apparatus.
US07827308B2
Optical link related wavekey information and other vendor specific information is distributed in a WDM network using an extension of the standard OSPF routing protocol. The extension makes use of a vendor attribute Link State Advertisement (LSA) which is a new type of opaque LSA. The vendor attribute LSAs include a Vendatt Link State Identifier (ID) field in the LSA header, and a Vendatt Type/Length/Value (TLV) structure. The Vendatt TLV includes a Vendatt-type field identifying the TLV as a Vendatt TLV, and an enterprise code field identifying the vendor whose equipment (node or network element) generates vendor attribute LSAs or is able to receive vendor attribute LSAs by the identified vendor. Vendor attribute LSAs of a specific vendor are designed to be ignored by nodes or network elements of other vendors.
US07827302B2
Resources are partitioned via a virtual partitioning system to distribute the resources over a plurality of resource servers. A virtual partition table can be kept at each of a set of resource managers handling requests for resources in tandem. When a resource is requested, a virtual partition value is calculated algorithmically, and the value is mapped to a resource component via the virtual partition table. The resource component encapsulates information indicating on which of the resource servers the resource resides and can provide a component for performing operations on the resource even though the requester does not have information about where the resource resides. The resources can be repartitioned by modifying the virtual partition table, thus allowing the addition of additional resource servers to the system while the resources remain available. Additional resource types can be added without reengineering the system.
US07827299B2
Provided are techniques for data stream switching. While accepting data change messages from a historical data stream, in response to determining that the end of the historical data stream is approaching, consumption from a real time data stream is resumed. In accepting data change messages from one of a historical data stream and a real time data stream, a data change message identifier (DCMID) for a data change message is obtained. Then, it is determined whether the data change message is from the real time data stream. In response to determining that the data change message is from the real time data stream, the DCMID is processed against a historical data structure to determine whether the related data change message has been seen in the historical data stream. In response to determining that the data change message is from the historical data stream, the DCMID is processed against a real time data structure to determine whether the related data change message has been seen in the real time data stream. It is determined whether a threshold for a number of DCMIDs that correspond to each other in the real time data stream and the historical data stream has been met. In response to determining that the threshold has been met, there is a switch from capturing data change messages in the historical data stream to capturing data change messages in the real time data stream.
US07827280B2
A system and method of filtering a domain name through the DNS includes a domain name processing application that generates a filtering domain name based on a filter service to a domain name. A DNS resolver sends the filtering domain name to a filter service through the DNS. The filter service determines if the filtering domain name is approved and returns a DNS record indicating whether the domain name is approved. The DNS resolver receives the DNS record from the filter service and sends a response to the user.
US07827274B1
A method can be used to profile a user using network addresses, category information, and demographic data when the user requested or received information from those network addresses. A table can be created that includes the user identifier, category information, and demographic data. The user profile can be generated and based at least in part on the user identifier, category information, and at least some of the demographic data.
US07827273B2
Software (such as server products) operating in a complex networked environment often run on multi-machine installations that are known as machine clusters. A server product can be tested on a server machine type. The server product can be tested by tracking the constituent machines of a machine cluster, and configuring and recording the roles that each machine in the machine cluster plays. Scenarios targeting a single server machine-type can be seamlessly mapped from the single machine scenario to a machine cluster of any number of machines, while handling actions such as executing tests and gathering log files from all machines of a machine cluster as a unit.
US07827258B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus are provided for enabling communication with a computer management device. According to a method one or more vendor specific commands for communicating with a management device are defined according to a first communication standard. The one or more vendor specific commands are then transmitted to the management device over a communication link conforming to a second communication standard. A device conforming to the second communication standard may be emulated on the communication link. If vendor specific commands are received by the management device that are not intended for the emulated device, the commands may be used for communicating with the management device.
US07827257B2
Systems and methods are provided through which automatic and adaptive use of active network performance measurement techniques identifies a fastest download source. Before a download source is selected, empirical measurements of the download speed are performed. For small files, the first source to acknowledge an open socket connection is used as an indication of the fastest download source. For large files, a download test is performed as the empirical measurement to determine the fastest download source.
US07827253B2
A method, system, and computer program product for dynamically annotating Web pages passed via a messaging application is provided. The method includes transmitting a Web page and a graphical user interface (GUI) to a requester of the Web page. The GUI directs the requester to provide annotations to at least a portion of the Web page content, which annotations are translated to instructions interpretable by a Web browser. The instructions are bundled with a uniform resource locator (URL) of the Web page at a computer processing device of the requester. The method also includes receiving a request for the Web page from a second requester who received the instructions bundled with the URL of the Web page within a message transmitted by the requester. The method further includes directing a Web browser of the second requester to apply the instructions as the Web page is being rendered. Application of the instructions causes the Web browser to render the Web page along with the annotations.
US07827252B2
A network device management tool that allows a client, such as a network management tool or network device setup utility, to reliably obtain information about a network device. Variations of the network device management tool may alternately or additionally allow a client to deliver information to the network device, such as instructions to control the operation of the network device. The network device management tool may be incorporated into the network device.
US07827246B2
A method for automatically choosing an electronic correspondence signature line, having an electronic search agent for scanning electronic correspondence for the designated destination address of the electronic correspondence, and retrieving at least one designated destination address for the electronic correspondence. The method also includes determining a domain name associated with the at least one designated destination address for the electronic correspondence retrieved by the electronic search agent and comparing the domain name for the at least one destination address with a predetermined list of domain names. The method also includes selecting at least one signature line for the electronic correspondence from a plurality of signature lines, based on the at least one domain name associated with the designated destination address of said electronic correspondence and attaching the at least one selected signature line to the electronic correspondence designated for the destination address.
US07827239B2
Delivering dynamic media content to collaborators, including providing collaborative event media content, where the collaborative event media content further comprises a grammar and a structured document; acquiring data representing a client's environmental condition; storing, in the context server in a data structure comprising a dynamic client context for the client, the data representing a client's environmental condition; detecting an event in dependence upon the dynamic client context; identifying one or more collaborators in dependence upon the dynamic client context and the event; selecting from the structured document a classified structural element in dependence upon an event type and a collaborator classification; and transmitting the selected structural element to the collaborator.
US07827238B2
Programming code embedded in an application automatically converts local client data to emulated HTML multi-part form data, without downloading a corresponding form from a web server. The selection of data for conversion is performed programmatically, without the need for interactive user specification of each data item. The emulated HTML multi-part form data is transmitted to a web server as a service request. Preferably, the client application is a configuration utility which generates a record of a computer system configuration, and the server performs the function of configuration verification on configuration data formatted as emulated HTML multi-part form data. The server concurrently maintains a web page which will, on request, download an HTML form corresponding to a system configuration to a web browser, from which a user may specify a system configuration to be verified.
US07827237B2
Systems and methods of storing previously transmitted data and using it to reduce bandwidth usage and accelerate future communications are described. By using algorithms to identify long compression history matches, a network device may improve compression efficiently and speed. A network device may also use application specific parsing to improve the length and number of compression history matches. Further, by sharing compression histories, compression history indexes and caches across multiple devices, devices can utilize data previously transmitted to other devices to compress network traffic. Any combination of the systems and methods may be used to efficiently find long matches to stored data, synchronize the storage of previously sent data, and share previously sent data among one or more other devices.
US07827233B1
A method and apparatus for providing a send-to framework is described. The method enables a round-trip mechanism between a stateless device and a third party service provider. In one embodiment, the method includes interposing a central server between the stateless device and the third party service provider, which maintains a state for the stateless device, and in one embodiment communicates the state to the third party service provide and/or the stateless device.
US07827221B2
A mathematical calculator where when a mixed fraction key is depressed, an integer part input area, a numerator input area, a denominator input area and a vinculum for a mixed fraction are displayed on a display screen. When a user depresses a “1” key of a numeric keypad, “1” is inputted and displayed to and on the integer part input area. When the user depresses a “+” operator key, a CPU prohibits the inputted “+” operator from being inputted and displayed to and on the integer part display area. When the user depresses the “+” operator key in a state in which “(1” is inputted and displayed to and on the integer part input area, the CPU allows the inputted “+” operator from being inputted and displayed to and on the integer part display area.
US07827220B2
An image log recording system which is capable of optimizing image log transfer. A plurality of log recording agents generate image logs. An image processing server performs image processing on the image logs transferred from the log recording agents. The image logs subjected to image processing by the image processing server are cumulatively stored in a database. Each of the image recording agents receives from a management server transfer settings for transferring an image log to the image processing server, and transfers an image log to the image processing server according to the transfer settings. The management server monitors load on the image log recording system and changes the transfer settings based on the monitored system load.
US07827219B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method for encoding a tree. The method includes receiving an input tree of many nodes organized in a parent-child hierarchy with parent nodes being coupled to one or more child nodes. A node ID is assigned to each of the nodes of the input tree. A representation between each parent node and child node associated with the parent node can be generated and a tree code can be computed from prime numbers in the natural sequence of numbers and the assigned node Ids. Finally, the tree code representative of the input tree is stored.
US07827216B1
Two objects are identified. A relationship between the two objects is determined. A contract object is used to represent the relationship between the objects. The contract is useful in many applications: for example, file systems, relational databases, and spreadsheets. The contract can also have rules for processing events occurring to either of the objects related by the contract.
US07827214B1
A file system includes a master connected to multiple servers. The servers may store data. The master may communicate with the servers upon startup of the master to authoritatively identify the data stored by the servers and record location information that identifies ones of the servers that store the data.
US07827209B2
A test and measurement instrument and method of operating for presenting data in a data presentation, receiving a data selection indicating a portion of the data presented in the data presentation, generating a data object in response to the data selection, presenting the data object in an analysis sandbox, and generating an analysis construct in response to analysis objects in the analysis sandbox.
US07827207B2
A reproduction apparatus, a reproduction method, and a reproduction program that allow a desired content to be easily and quickly selected from those recorded on a recording medium. The reproduction apparatus includes a reproduction section that reproduces first content data, an input section that accepts an operation to search for content information data associated with the first content data, and a control section that searches the content information data when the first content is being reproduced and that controls the reproduction section to reproduce at least a part of second content data corresponding to the content information data.
US07827203B2
Provided in some aspects are reception of an indication of one or more acceptable product attribute levels of a first product attribute, and determination of one or more product attribute levels of a second product attribute based on the one or more attribute levels of the first attribute and on an association between at least a first attribute level of the first attribute and a second attribute level of a second attribute. Further to the above aspect, some aspects provide presentation, prior to the reception step, of a plurality of attribute levels of the first attribute, and presentation of the one or more attribute levels of the second attribute, wherein attribute levels of only one attribute are simultaneously presented.
US07827200B2
The present invention includes a method for managing serialization of ELECTRONIC PRODUCT CODES (EPCs). The method can include a step of identifying a software system for managing Tag Data Specification (TDS) compliant EPCs. The software system can include a database containing two or more related tables. A tuple can be included for each unique nonserialized portion of an EPC ID URN. The database can utilize the nonserialized portion to manage a serialized portion of the EPC. In one embodiment, the database can use the nonserialized portion of an EPC to automatically generate the serialized portion of the EPC. Different sets of sequentially increasing (or sequentially decreasing) serial numbers (that are assigned to the associated unique nonserialized portions of the EPCs) can be associated with different nonserialized values.
US07827181B2
An efficient determination of a click distance value is made for each document in a corpus of documents from data included in a locally-stored inverted index. The click distance is measurement of the number clicks or user navigations from a first document on the network to another document. Specialized words are included in the locally-stored inverted index. The specialized words relate source documents to a set of target documents. A click distance is assigned to a source document when an inverted index is queried for the corresponding set of target documents according to a query that passes in one of the specialized words. The process is repeated for each document in the corpus of documents.
US07827178B2
Provided is a control computer coupled to a storage apparatus for storing a plurality of information resources and a search computer for receiving a search request containing a search condition and transmitting information resource list information containing at least one piece of information regarding an information resource corresponding to the search condition as a search result, the control computer includes a cache memory for storing at least one of the plurality of information resources, in which the control computer is configured to: receive the information resource list information from the search computer; calculate cache priority for each of the information resources based on the received information resource list information; decide at least one information resource to be stored in the cache memory based on the calculated cache priority; and store the decided at least one information resource in the cache memory.
US07827177B2
A declarative mechanism is used to manage large documents within a repository. The large documents are sectioned into subdocuments that are linked together by a parent document. The combination of the parent document and subdocument is referred to as a compound document. There are multiple options for configuring rules to break up a source document into a compound document and naming the subdocuments. The compound documents may be queried using statements that treat the compound document as a single XML document, or the parent document of a subdocument may be queried and treated independently. Access control and versioning can be applied at the finer granularity of the subdocument.
US07827167B2
A database management system has a query interface for receiving a query and a query executor for executing the received query. The query executor dynamically generates a task, and executes a plurality of tasks in parallel. In execution of each task, each time data is required to be read from a database, the query executor generates a task for acquiring the data, and in execution of the generated task, issues a data read request for reading the data from the database, to thereby shorten a time taken to execute each task.
US07827166B2
Techniques for identifying duplicate webpages are provided. In one technique, one or more parameters of a first unique URL are identified where each of the one or more parameters do not substantially affect the content of the corresponding webpage. The first URL and subsequent URLs may be rewritten to drop each of the one or more parameters. Each of the subsequent URLs is compared to the first URL. If a subsequent URL is the same as the first URL, then the corresponding webpage of the subsequent URL is not accessed or crawled. In another technique, the parameters of multiple URLs are sorted, for example, alphabetically. If any URLs are the same, then the webpages of the duplicate URLs are not accessed or crawled.
US07827159B2
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for accessing data stored in multiple data sources. Such methods employ an automated software agent to maintain a collection of data sources available for querying. The data sources may all reside within a single local network or may be distributed throughout multiple locations. Generally, the automated software agent searches a given domain for additional data sources according to a defined set of selection criteria. After discovering an additional data source, the automated software agent configures a query application to reflect the availability the additional data source. Further, the automated software agent may periodically evaluate the collection of data sources against the selection criteria and remove those that are either no longer available or no longer satisfy the selection criteria.
US07827158B2
An information apparatus searches content that is stored in a database by using a search engine based on a newly input keyword; acquires a search operation history of the content that is acquired by the search engine via an operation history engine; and updates the keyword associated with the content that is registered in the database by collating the search operation history and the newly input keyword. While adding of the inappropriate search information (keyword) is prevented, the appropriate search information can be automatically updated and set to the content.
US07827155B2
A system and method for generating metadata for processing by various processing components is provided. A metadata compiler component is operable to generate metadata including one or more constraints which correspond to evaluation criteria and one or more anchor points from source data. A metadata optimizer and arbitrator is operable to normalize the metadata. Various processing components are operable to perform operations on a string using the metadata.
US07827147B1
System and method for managing metadata. A computer system includes one or more hosts, each host having an associated backup agent. Each backup agent conveys data from its associated host to a storage pool and stores metadata associated with the data in a metabase. In response to detecting that a first metabase meets a first condition, the system identifies a backup agent that has stored metadata in the first metabase and redistributes at least a portion of the metadata to a second metabase. In one embodiment, the first condition comprises detecting the amount of metadata stored in the first metabase reaching a threshold value. In a further embodiment, the metadata comprises entries, each of which corresponds to a data file. Each entry includes a fingerprint that is derived from and identifies the corresponding data file. The fingerprints identifying the data files may be encrypted.
US07827145B1
A computer system and method for performing restore operations. A computer system includes one or more hosts. At least one host includes a backup agent. In response to a request to restore a file to a first host, a backup component identifies copies of portions of the file stored on a second host, retrieves the copies, and restores the file on the first host from the copies. The backup component maintains a catalog of entries corresponding to copies of portions of files stored on the hosts. In response to a request to restore the file to a first host, the backup component queries the catalog to identify one or more candidate locations where copies of portions of the file have been stored. The first and second hosts may be the same. The backup component may be located on a host or on a backup server.
US07827143B1
A computer apparatus receives seed characters relating to an object and accesses rules to generate an identifier. The identifier includes a human-readable component that conveys understanding to a non-skilled user. The identifier complies with limitations dictated by the rules and is not based on random generation.
US07827142B2
The present invention proposes a method for data element information management in a network environment, the network environment comprising a plurality of data element information entities (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), each keeping a respective record of data element information for a plurality of subscribers, and a request routing entity (3), adapted to route (4, S2) requests to a selected one of said plurality of database entities, the method comprising the steps of transmitting (S1) a data element information update for a specific subscriber to said routing entity (3), selecting, at said request routing entity (3), one (5b) of said plurality of database entities for said specific subscriber, forwarding (S2) said data element information update to said selected database entity (5b), and relaying (S5) said data element information update from said selected database entity (5a) to another database entity (5d) of said plurality of database entities. Also, the present invention concerns a request routing entity and a database entity, adapted to mutually cooperate with each other in order to perform the method according to the present invention.
US07827139B2
A bandwidth-adaptive method for synchronizing a consumer node representation of a dynamic data set and the source node representation of the dynamic data includes the step of receiving, from a source node, metadata information identifying a plurality of data packets that represent a state of at least a portion of a changing data set at a point in time. At least one of the identified data packets is received from the source node and at least one of the received data packets is selected responsive to the received metadata information. The metadata information and the selected at least one data packet are transmitted to a consumer node.
US07827135B2
Techniques are provided which enable relaxed transactional isolation and optimistic concurrency control in a distributed client-server architecture, and which address the problems of server overloading and network delays known to exist in conventional distributed client-server architectures. In particular, the invention preferably provides client-side caching techniques which advantageously serve to reduce server overloading and effects of network delay.
US07827129B2
A crystal lookup table used to define a matching relationship between a signal position of a detected event in a PET scanner and a corresponding detector pixel location is generated using a neural network-based algorithm, and is implemented by a FPGA.
US07827120B1
A system and method links one or more disparate community awareness management (CAM) datasets for a community awareness program (CAP) with one or more spatial layers to create linked CAM datasets. One or more data attributes common to a CAM dataset and a spatial layer are identified, and the link is defined between the CAM dataset and the spatial layer. The spatial layer and the linked CAM dataset then may be queried using a single input query. Features from the spatial layer and features from the linked CAM dataset that match the query are generated for display. In one embodiment, a system and method manage CAP assets, transactions, interest areas for the CAP, and buffer areas for the CAP. An audience utility enables entering and maintaining audience data for the CAP. A journal utility enables making journal entries for one or more audience members, CAP assets, transactions, and/or other CAM data. A link document utility enables linking one or more documents to CAM data.
US07827118B1
The present invention provides a computer system for managing shipping of a plurality of parcels by a plurality of users using a plurality of carriers that functionally aligns each server computer device of a plurality of server computer devices so that each server computer device performs a plurality of activities in support of a primary function.
US07827110B1
A method and apparatus for marketing an un-owned composition to a user and acquiring an un-owned composition for a user's collection of compositions. A customized sequence of compositions is generated for a user. The customized sequence may be based upon the user's history or other compositions familiar to the user or other compositions in the user's collection. Portions of one or more compositions that are un-owned by the user may be interleaved for free and/or for multiple times in the sequence, in-order to interest the user in acquiring the composition. While an un-owned composition is active or playing, the user may take action to acquire the composition or add the composition to the user's collection. Usage-rights for an acquired composition may be stored at a network repository and may be automatically usable at one or more user-devices, whenever the user is active at such a user-device.
US07827108B2
A system and method for validating a relationship between a user and a user account at a financial institution includes a data communication device, a memory, a processor coupled to the memory, and an account validation module executable by the processor. The account validation module generates a verification identifier for storage in the memory and is provided to the user, and subsequently receives a user initiated financial transaction involving the user account at the financial institution. The received financial transaction includes a comparison identifier supplied by the user. The account validation module determines whether the comparison identifier corresponds to the verification identifier for purposes of validating the relationship between the user and the user account maintained at the financial institution.
US07827106B2
The present invention relates to a process for producing an irregularly shaped Radio Frequency operable transaction device using conventional International Standards Organization dimensions for conventional transaction cards. The invention provides for normal manufacture of a plurality of transaction cards joined together in a single sheet. The outline of a RFID transaction device is impressed in a center portion of one of the transaction cards. A RFID transaction device may then be removed, or punched out of the transaction card in accordance with the transaction device outline.
US07827105B2
To provide a billing system capable of simplifying user's operation and quickly performing a billing process even in the case where there exist a plurality of terminals for billing. A billing system 1 according to the present invention is a billing system for implementing billing by transmitting billing information transmitted from a billing information transmitting terminal 30 to a cellular phone 10, to a billing server 60 on a mobile communication network, in which a service code of a service for which a billing process is allowed is preliminarily stored in the cellular phone 10 and in which, when the billing information is transmitted from the billing information transmitting terminal 30, whether a service code included in the billing information is a service code for which the cellular phone 10 is allowed to perform the process is determined on the basis of whether it agrees with any service code preliminarily stored. When it is then determined that the cellular phone 10 is allowed to perform the billing process, the cellular phone transmits the billing information to the billing server 60 and performs the billing process.
US07827101B2
According to the invention, a method for a payor paying a merchant using a payment system is disclosed. In one step, account information is received that can be used for receiving funds using a money handler. The account information identifies an account of the payor. A token is generated that correlates to the account information. The token is sent to the merchant that uniquely identifies the payor and the merchant. The token, which corresponds to a payment, is received. It is authenticated that the token was presented by the merchant. The payment is transferred from the payor to the merchant with the payment system.
US07827094B2
Techniques are described for securitizing, administrating and trading various index shares securitized by derivative, cash-settled instruments on the underlying index.
US07827092B2
A system and method for trading financial instruments from a master account having a plurality of sub-accounts. A user defines an account group, which includes a plurality of sub-accounts, and the user selects an allocation model for the account group from a group of allocation models. After executing an order of financial instruments for the account group, the order is allocated to the sub-accounts using the allocation model. Prior to executing the order, a financial capability of the account group to execute the order using a primary allocation model is evaluated, and a secondary allocation model is used if the order cannot be allocated using the primary allocation model. The financial capability of the account group may be evaluated in real-time, and a partially executed order may also be allocated to the sub-accounts in real-time. Upon the execution of the order being completed, the order is reallocated to the sub-accounts using the selected allocation model.
US07827088B2
Systems and methods for delivering goods and services from a provider to a receiver. The method includes placing an order for goods to the provider and providing the goods to a deliverer. The deliverer delivers the goods to the receiver. The deliverer then obtains at least one piece of data from the receiver at the time of delivery. The at least one piece of data is from a group comprising a credit card number, a debit card number, the information on the magnetic strip of a credit card, the information on the magnetic strip of a debit card, devices that store information that may be read by infra red, magnetic waves and/or radio waves, a check, a money order, a gift certificate, an electronic signature, and a copy of a piece of identification of the receiver. The at least one piece of data is then provided to a processor who handles payment to the provider.
US07827085B1
An anonymous trading system for financial instruments comprises a network of broking nodes each performing a bid and offer matching function and a market view distribution function. Trader terminals are connected to the network via trading agent nodes. During deal execution a credit check is performed and once the deal is complete the identity of the counterparty becomes known to the other counterparty to the deal. The originating counterparty may send a More quantity message to the other party proposing a further deal at the same price. The other party may decline, partially accept, accept or accept and propose a still further amount. Credit for the further deal is drawn from an external source and the internal credit limits are temporarily increased or disabled to prevent the deal from being rejected.
US07827084B2
A method for providing a bid price and/or an offer price of an option relating to an underlying asset, the method including the steps of receiving first input data corresponding to a plurality of parameters defining the option, receiving second input data corresponding to a plurality of current market conditions relating to the underlying value, computing a corrected theoretical value of the option based on the first and second input data (110), computing a bid/offer spread of the option based on the first and input data (116), computing a bid price and/or an offer price of the option based on the corrected theoretical value and the bid/offer spread (118), and providing an output corresponding to the bid price and/or the offer price of the option.
US07827076B2
A method of matching customer demand with production capacity of a plurality of factory facilities. The inventive method includes inputting demand data and supply data, performing a first matching operation, collecting rematched demand data and rematched supply data, classifying the rematched demand data, and performing a second matching operation.
US07827071B2
The present invention provides an electronically accessible site that lists a product and associated distributors that distribute the product to customers. A customer purchases a product from the electronically accessible site, and during the purchasing process, the customer selects the distributor he wants to receive the product from. The order is received by an agent, and transmitted to the selected distributor for eventual distribution of the product to the customer. In response to the purchase, the agent and electronically accessible site receive compensation based on the amount of the purchase.
US07827064B1
The present invention provides methods and systems for pricing financial transactions by defining product rules, providing links to appropriate price tables, and calculating a price for a financial transaction. A data processing system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, creates a product rule corresponding to a financial transaction. The product rule contains mandatory attributes and optional attributes. Optional attributes may be looked up using identifiers constructed from said mandatory attributes. Optional attributes include a link to a price table which contains further attributes, including a pricing method. A price is then calculated in accordance with the pricing method. Billing is completed according to the billing method for the particular financial transaction.
US07827057B1
In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, a controller receives information relating to customer activity with a first vendor (e.g., via a Web page that a customer accesses). The controller further receives an indication of items the customer desires to purchase, the items having an associated total price. The controller determines, based on any of various criteria, whether to provide an offer for a subsidy based on the information relating to customer activity. The offer for a subsidy is from a second vendor (a subsidizing vendor), and may define, for example, a reduction in the price charged for the item and an obligation for the customer to fulfill in exchange for the subsidy. If the customer accepts the offer, he is charged a second price for the items. The second price is less than the total price, and may even be zero.
US07827053B2
A method for tire market forecasting combines three sub-methods in order to forecast unit volumes for every tire size in the industry or market segment. The method includes deriving a full trend by a first sub-method M1 for a first tire size TS1 based upon a relationship between OE and replacement markets for size TS1; deriving a full trend by a second sub-method M2 for size TS1 based on an estimated vehicle fleet for size TS1; and comparing the first and second full trends to derive a regular forecast. When a tire size does not follow a predictable pattern according to OE assumptions, a full trend is derived by a third sub-method M3 based on an historic replacement market trend adjusted as needed by statistical tools. A vitality calculation may be made calculating present and future vitality V on a market segment or on a selected tire line, and a vitality goal VG may be established whereupon a strategy may be derived identifying tire sizes required and not required to achieve and maintain the goal over time.
US07827045B2
Methods and systems are provided for assessing the potential for fraud of an insurance claim. In some embodiments, request data may be provided to a computer system. In some embodiments, at least one fraud potential indicator may be assessed to the request data from at least one comparison of at least one request data element to at least one fraud model. In some embodiments, a fraud potential indicator may be an estimate of the potential for fraud in an insurance claim. In some embodiments, at least one fraud potential indicator for request data may be assessed based on at least one comparison of at least one request data element to additional insurance data. Some embodiments may include assessing at least one fraud potential indicator for request data based on at least one fraud potential indicator.
US07827038B2
A mask fitting system (1) for selecting a mask system for a patient includes at least one terminal (6) which receives data unique to a patient. The patient data can be scanned in using a scanner, such as a handheld or 3-D scanner, or the relevant dimensions of the patient can be simply input into the terminal. A database (2) is provided to store mask system data relating to a plurality of potential mask system solutions for the patient. A communication channel (4) is provided by which the data received by the terminal can be compared with mask system data stored in a mask system database, so as to generate a best-fit mask system result. The best-fit result may include one or more mask system recommendations for the patient.
US07827037B2
A method for providing toxin information and recommendations includes receiving toxin content data for at least one ingredient. The toxin content data may include the type and amount for toxins found in the ingredient. The ingredient is classified based on the toxin content data and a predetermined allowable toxin amount for the ingredient. Based on the classification of the ingredient, ingredient storage information is displayed. In addition, ingredient use information may be displayed based on the toxin content data.
US07827035B2
According to the present invention, a method for integrating processes with a multi-faceted human centered interface is provided. The interface is facilitated to implement a hands free, voice driven environment to control processes and applications. A natural language model is used to parse voice initiated commands and data, and to route those voice initiated inputs to the required applications or processes. The use of an intelligent context based parser allows the system to intelligently determine what processes are required to complete a task which is initiated using natural language. A single window environment provides an interface which is comfortable to the user by preventing the occurrence of distracting windows from appearing. The single window has a plurality of facets which allow distinct viewing areas. Each facet has an independent process routing its outputs thereto. As other processes are activated, each facet can reshape itself to bring a new process into one of the viewing areas. All activated processes are executed simultaneously to provide true multitasking.
US07827033B2
Enabling grammars in web page frames, including receiving, in a multimodal application on a multimodal device, a frameset document, where the frameset document includes markup defining web page frames; obtaining by the multimodal application content documents for display in each of the web page frames, where the content documents include navigable markup elements; generating by the multimodal application, for each navigable markup element in each content document, a segment of markup defining a speech recognition grammar, including inserting in each such grammar markup identifying content to be displayed when words in the grammar are matched and markup identifying a frame where the content is to be displayed; and enabling by the multimodal application all the generated grammars for speech recognition.
US07827029B2
Techniques are presented to determine user-interest sensitive notes. User selected passages, user interest information, condensation transformations and optional meaning distortion constraints are identified. User foci expressed by the selected passages are determined based on the similarity of the elements in the selected passages to elements in the user interest information. User sensitive notes are determined by selectively applying the condensation transformations to the selected passages to preferentially retain user foci while eliding less salient information. Meaning distortions constraints are optionally applied in conjunction with condensation transformations or in creating the condensation transformations in order to reduce the likelihood of distorting the meaning of the passage.
US07827027B2
The present invention provides method and apparatus for bilingual word alignment, method and apparatus for training bilingual word alignment model. The method for bilingual word alignment, comprising: training a bilingual word alignment model using a word-aligned labeled bilingual corpus; word-aligning a plurality of bilingual sentence pairs in a unlabeled bilingual corpus using said bilingual word alignment model; determining whether the word alignment of each of said plurality of bilingual sentence pairs is correct, and if it is correct, adding the bilingual sentence pair into the labeled bilingual corpus and removing the bilingual sentence pair from the unlabeled bilingual corpus; retraining the bilingual word alignment model using the expanded labeled bilingual corpus; and re-word-aligning the remaining bilingual sentence pairs in the unlabeled bilingual corpus using the retrained bilingual word alignment model.
US07827018B2
A method and computer program for selecting circuit repairs using redundant elements with consideration of aging effects provides a mechanism for raising short-term and long-term performance of memory arrays beyond present levels/yields. Available redundant elements are used as replacements for selected elements in the array. The elements for replacement are selected by BOL (beginning-of-life) testing at a selected operating point that maximizes the end-of-life (EOL) yield distribution as among a set of operating points at which post-repair yield requirements are met at beginning-of-life (BOL). The selected operating point is therefore the “best” operating point to improve yield at EOL for a desired range of operating points or maximize the EOL operating range. For a given BOL repair operating point, the yield at EOL is computed. The operating point having the best yield at EOL is selected and testing is performed at that operating point to select repairs.
US07827014B2
Methods and systems may be provided for simulating forming a wide variety of directional wellbores including wellbores with variable tilt rates and/or relatively constant tilt rates. The methods and systems may also be used to simulate forming a wellbore in subterranean formations having a combination of soft, medium and hard formation materials, multiple layers of formation materials and relatively hard stringers disposed throughout one or more layers of formation material.
US07827012B2
A system and methodology for controlling structural type integration to major fittings requires creating a geometrical set of objects identified here as basic starting geometry which consist of external references and relationships to a main component structure. Structural interface detail characteristics and hardware components are identified that make up a major fitting integration connection between the main component structure and a second component structure. Parametric sets and associated geometrical sets containing sketches and geometry objects are identified and created, the parametric sets and associated geometrical sets being associated to a particular hardware component used in the integration connection between the main component structure and the second component structure and used to defined and control the integration connection between the main component structure and the second component structure with respect to fit, form and function. The parameters and geometry objects are published for review by all companies involved in the integration.
US07827002B2
A contact displacement meter capable of performing an accurate displacement measurement where a movement speed of a contact is fast and having high resistance property to optical noise. A reference light passing regions are away from each other by a distance of a unique value in a movement scale. A peak position of the reference light passing region at which a received light signal of light passed through the reference light passing region takes a local maxim is detected, and an absolute position of the reference light passing region is specified based on the distance between the adjacent peak positions. A relative position of the reference light passing region with respect to a line sensor is specified based on a received light signal of light passed through a lattice region. A displacement of the contact is calculated based on the specified absolute position and the relative position.
US07827001B2
A method for detecting fault in an actuator. By transmitting a control value, which is generated by a control unit, to an input of the actuator a signal for the measured actuator position is produced at the output of the actuator. The signal for the measured actuator position is sent to an input of a signal conditioning unit which determines from it a measure of actuator movement. The control value is also transmitted to an input of a modeling unit, which calculates from it an expected measure of actuator movement. These movements are sent to a computer unit, which produces a corresponding status signal for the functionality of the actuator and for the functionality of the sensor for determining the actuator position.
US07826989B2
In Internal Analysis Space analysis, assuming that no structural body and the like are placed outside of a conversion surface, an electromagnetic field distribution u0 inside of a conversion surface, on a conversion surface, and close to the outside of the conversion surface is found. In External Analysis Space analysis, on the assumption that there exists a structural body and the like outside of the conversion surface, an entire electromagnetic field distribution u is found. At this time, for the inside of the closed surface, an electric field distribution, where a differential electromagnetic field distribution e between electromagnetic field distribution u0 and electromagnetic field distribution u on the closed surface is a wave source, is found. Also at this time, for the outside of the closed surface, an electromagnetic field distribution, obtained by synthesizing electromagnetic field distribution u0 and electromagnetic field distribution e on the closed surface is found.
US07826969B2
A position determining system for a vehicle comprises an imaging unit for collecting image data. A wireless device reads or interrogates a radio frequency identification tag. An identification module determines whether the collected image data contains a visual landmark. A confirmation module determines whether the identified visual landmark is associated with a corresponding radio frequency identification tag having a particular tag identifier. A range finder or distance estimator determines a position offset of the vehicle with respect to the identified visual landmark. A data processor determines a vehicular position of the vehicle based on the determined position offset and a stored reference position associated with at least one of the visual landmark and the radio frequency identification tag.
US07826961B2
In an engine ECU (60), a threshold line LS1 and a threshold line LS2 are set as threshold lines used when stopping of an engine is prohibited based on a coolant temperature Tw. The threshold line LS1 is set to ensure a predetermined heating capacity. The threshold value on the threshold line LS2 is higher than the threshold value on the threshold line LS1. When the vehicle is moving, the threshold line LS2 is selected to prohibit/permit stopping of the engine. This increases the amount of heat stored in an engine coolant. When the vehicle is stopped, the threshold line LS1 is selected to prohibit/permit stopping of the engine. This decreases the frequency of starting the engine in the stopped vehicle, while maintaining the predetermined heating capacity.
US07826959B2
In a cruise controller for a saddle-seat vehicle, it is configured to comprise desired throttle opening control execution means (ECU 110) for executing desired throttle opening control by operating the actuator (74) such that the actual throttle opening becomes the desired throttle opening, determine whether the throttle opening command APS is in a predetermined relationship with the actual throttle opening TPS (S60), and switch the cruise control to the desired throttle opening control (S50) when it is discriminated that they are in the predetermined relationship and a disable condition has been established (S62 to S66). By suitably setting the predetermined relationship, the cruise control can be disabled and shifted to the desired throttle opening control at the actual throttle opening anticipatable by the operator, so that driving feel is not impaired and no unnecessary engine output is produced upon switching to the desired throttle opening control.
US07826958B2
An arrangement and a method for recirculation of exhaust gases of a combustion engine. A return line extends from an exhaust line for engine exhaust gases to an inlet line for air to the combustion engine. An EGR valve in the exhaust line regulates the amount of exhaust gases led through the return line. A control unit controls the EGR valve. An EGR cooler cools the exhaust gases in the return line by means of a cooling system of the combustion engine. The control unit decides whether the coolant in the cooling system is at a too low a temperature and, if it is, controls the EGR valve so that a larger amount of exhaust gases is led through the return line with extra heating.
US07826955B2
In a general-purpose internal combustion engine connectable to operating machines such as a snowplow, a washing machine and a wood chipper having an electronic control unit that controls operation of the operating machine when connected, there are provided a signal output terminal that is installed in the electronic control unit and outputs a signal generated by the electronic control unit to the operating machine and a signal selector constituted by a personal computer that selects a signal to be outputted by the signal output terminal from among signals in response to manipulation by an operator. The engine can be easily connected with any operating machine without a complicated electronic control unit, thereby improving versatility and convenience.
US07826954B2
In a system for monitoring an output of a sensor for detecting an operating state of a gas turbine engine by comparing a value of an output of the sensor with a prescribed reference value, a calibration map for converting the output of the sensor into a variable that is normally used for controlling the engine is used for defining the reference value for determining the state of the sensor. Thereby, a fault of a sensor can be detected both accurately and promptly by using the existing resource without unduly complicating the control program. It is particularly desirable to monitor the output of the sensor by taking into account the current operating condition of the engine to improve the reliability in detecting a fault in the sensor.
US07826952B2
A system including a vehicle body having a plurality of wheels and a brake subsystem associated with each wheel. The system further includes a plurality of remote controllers, wherein each remote controller is associated with one of the brake subsystem and is configured to calculate basic braking functions for the associated brake subsystem and for each of the other brake subsystems. The remote controllers are operatively coupled together. The system further includes a central controller operatively coupled to each remote controller, wherein each remote controller has about the same or less processing capability than the central controller.
US07826947B2
A first method of the invention is for establishing a limit on the time rate of change of a damper command signal applied to a damper associated with a wheel of a vehicle, wherein the damper has damping characteristics, wherein a change in the damper command signal changes the damping characteristics, and wherein the damper command signal is derived at least from an algorithm for vehicle body control. The first method includes steps a) through c). Step a) includes identifying a noise indicating signal predictive of noise occurring in the vehicle due to operation of the damper, wherein the noise indicating signal is derived from the algorithm. Step b) includes calculating the noise indicating signal. Step c) includes determining the limit based at least on the calculated noise indicating signal.
US07826946B2
The invention relates to a method for monitoring the state of vehicle chassis, particularly of rail vehicles, whereby physical quantities are measured on the chassis by means of sensors. The measured and optionally processed quantities are compared with modeled quantities by means of a processing unit. The modeled quantities are determined from specific quantities, a classification into classes of causes is performed on the basis of the comparison by means of one or the processing unit, and an evaluation is carried out based on the classification. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method.
US07826937B2
The control system (1) comprises at least one control panel (P1, Pn) comprising a plurality of operable control means (2) for controllable pieces of equipment (EC1, ECk) of the aircraft, each of which is controlled by first and second computers (3A1, 3Ak, 3B1, 3Bk), and a communication system (4) comprising a first and a second communication channel (5, 6) which are separate from each other and follow different paths (C1, C2), the first communication channel (5) connecting the control means (2) to the first computers (3A1, 3Ak) and the second communication channel (6) connecting the control means (2) to the second computers (3B1, 3Bk), each of said communication channels (5, 6) comprising two different digital communication buses (8, 9; 10, 11).
US07826932B2
A switch-gear system having a central controller for operating a plurality of circuit breakers, a first interface device, a second interface device, and an update system in communication with the first and second interface devices is provided. The first interface device can modify a lineup parameter of the plurality of circuit breakers in and display a first graphical representation of the lineup parameter. The second interface device can modify the lineup parameter and display a second graphical representation of the lineup parameter. The update system can save a modification to the lineup parameter at the first or second interface device and to publish the modification to the other of the first or second interface devices so that the first and second graphical representations are identical.
US07826929B2
A programmable controller and method of operating a programmable controller are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, the programmable controller may have non-volatile memory and random-access memory (RAM), which, in some cases, may be implemented in a single microcontroller. The illustrative programmable controller may include a function block engine resident in the non-volatile memory, a block execution list being resident in the non-volatile memory, and a parameter and/or variable storage space being resident in RAM. The function block engine may execute a program according to a list of function blocks identified in the block execution list. In some cases, the program can be executed from the non-volatile memory, which in some cases may be FLASH memory. Additionally, in some cases, the non-volatile memory may include a firmware portion and a user programmable portion. The block execution list may be stored in the user programmable portion, allowing field programmability and configuration of the function blocks.
US07826919B2
A system for transporting inventory items includes an inventory holder capable of storing inventory items and a mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is capable of moving to a first point with the inventory holder at least one of coupled to and supported by the mobile drive unit. The mobile drive unit is additionally capable of determining a location of the inventory holder and calculating a difference between the location of the inventory holder and the first point. The mobile drive unit is then capable of determining whether the difference is greater than a predetermined tolerance. In response to determining that the difference is greater than the predetermined tolerance, the mobile drive unit is also capable of moving to a second point based on the location of the inventory holder, docking with the inventory holder, and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to the first point.
US07826912B2
An interface and method for determining an operational reliability factor SB for a drive, including gear unit and motor, provided for a load, an operational reliability factor SB is determined for the drive or its gear unit from a load collective that is at least three-dimensional.
US07826911B1
A system determines human recognizable labels for portions of an electronic media stream, gathers data associated with the electronic media stream from a number of media players, and determines at least one section of the electronic media stream with a particular media feature. The system selects a representative clip for the electronic media stream based on information regarding the labeled portions, the gathered data, and the at least one section.
US07826910B2
A method and system may operate to receive a first data from a sensor of a controlled device via a wireless network at a first time, transmit the first data to a controller system, receive a second data from the sensor of the controlled device via the wireless network at a second time, transmit the second data to the controller system, determine that a third data has not been received prior to a predetermined time period, or that the third data has been received prior to the predetermined time period and the third data is outside of a determined range of values, calculate a fourth data based on the first data and the second data, and transmit the fourth data to the controller system at a third time.
US07826904B2
A minimally-invasive fluid-cooled insertion sleeve assembly, with an attached balloon and distally-located penetrating tip, into which sleeve any of a group comprising a rigid rod, a microwave-radiator assembly and an ultrasonic-imaging transducer assembly may be inserted, constitutes a probe of the system. The sleeve assembly comprises spaced inner and outer plastic tubes with two fluid channels situated within the coaxial lumen between the inner and outer tubes. The fluid coolant input flows through the fluid channels into the balloon, thereby inflating the balloon, and then exits through that coaxial lumen. An alternative embodiment has no balloon. The method employs the probe for piercing sub-cutaneous tissue and then ablating deep-seated tumor tissue with microwave-radiation generated heat.
US07826903B2
A radio frequency antenna is provided for use with a medical device for implantation into an animal. The antenna comprises a coil formed by a wire that includes a core formed of a shape-memory material with an electrically conductive first layer applied to an outer surface of the core. A second layer, of an electrically insulating and biologically compatible material, extends around the first layer. If necessary to reduce friction, a lubricant is placed between the first and second layers. If second layer is formed of a porous material or a non-biological compatible material, a biological compatible outer layer surrounds the second layer thereby providing a barrier that is impermeable to body fluids of the animal.
US07826899B1
Implantable systems, and method for use therewith, are provided that take advantage of various neuromodulation and neurosensing techniques for either preventing atrial fibrillation (AF) or terminating AF. Specific embodiments, as will be described below, are for use with an implantable device that include one or more atrial electrode for sensing atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or delivering AATP and one or more electrode for monitoring and/or stimulating atrial vagal fat pads.
US07826895B2
The invention is directed to techniques for monitoring organ rejection. An implanted device monitors the impedance of the transplanted organ. When the impedance measurements indicate that the organ is being rejected, the device provides early warning of rejection.
US07826892B2
A method is provided for characterizing autonomic nervous system activity of a patient based on heart rate variability analysis using electrocardiographic data from the patient. In addition, a computer-readable medium is provided tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method for characterizing autonomic nervous system activity of a patient based on heart rate variability analysis using electrocardiographic data from the patient. Also, a system is provided for characterizing autonomic nervous system activity of a patient comprising a processor and a machine-readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor.
US07826888B2
A method and apparatus for obtaining a dynamic radiographic image with enhanced resolution, in which an electrocardiogram of a subject is obtained, and five time phases are allocated to each cardiac beat period (1 second). The initial X-ray irradiation is performed at 1st time phase of 1st beat to obtain a radiographic image. Thereafter, X-ray irradiations are performed sequentially at 2nd time phase of 2nd beat, at 3rd time phase of 3rd beat, at 4th time phase of 4th beat, and at 5th time phase of 5th beat to obtain respective radiographic images. The five radiographic images obtained are combined at the time interval of 0.2 seconds to be displayed as a motion image. The time interval between the irradiations of the X-ray is 1.2 seconds, so that image signals corresponding to 1st to 5th time phases may be obtained with high resolution.
US07826884B2
An X-ray diagnostic imaging system for conducting live fluoroscopic subtraction imaging is described as including an X-ray source for directing X-ray radiation to a patient being examined, an x-ray imaging device positioned for receiving the X-ray radiation and acquiring images in response thereto and a processor arranged in communication with the x-ray source and x-ray imaging device to control acquisition of a contrast-enhanced mask image frame and a live image frame without contrast enhancement, to conduct a pixel shift calculation operation based on a small, user-defined region of interest (ROI), for example, 1/16 of a full frame, to realize a pixel shift vector to correct for motion between live image frames, to shift pixels comprising the mask image frame by pixel shift directions defined by the pixel shift vector, and to subtract the shifted mask image frame from the live image frame to realize a live roadmapping image frame. The system includes a display for displaying the live roadmapping image frame, and a user interface that allows a user to define and capture the small ROI in the displayed image frame for use by the processor conducting the pixel shift calculation.
US07826882B2
An electrode lead set is provided for electrical connection to a body. The electrode lead set includes a flexible ribbonized cable core extending between a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. The distal end portion includes a plurality of branch end portions that are each configured to hold an electrode. The flexible ribbonized cable core is separable into a plurality of branches that are each joined to adjacent branches by a separable interface prior to separation. Each of the plurality of branches includes a corresponding one of the branch end portions. Each of the plurality of branches includes a generally planar ribbon conductor extending along the corresponding branch from the proximal end portion of the ribbonized cable core to the corresponding branch end portion.
US07826867B2
In a wireless communication terminal having a flashlight, the power consumption is decreased by means of enabling a transmitter to transmit during transmission periods, and disabling the transmitter outside the transmission periods. Moreover, a supply of voltage from a common power supply to a flashlight unit is disabled during the transmitting periods of the transmitter.
US07826858B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for a protected paging indication mechanism within wireless networks. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US07826856B2
A method, computer code product for limiting a wireless communication device to a specified geographic zone. The device is configured to connect to a subscriber device in a subscriber network and determine if the subscriber device is on a list of preapproved subscriber devices in the specified geographic zone. The device can also be configured to determine if it is connected to a subscriber device on at least one neighbor list of approved subscriber devices. If the device is connected to a subscriber device on the preapproved list or a neighbor list, the device is permission as if it is in the geographic zone. Additional subscriber devices can be added to the neighbor list(s) when the device is handed off from an approved subscriber device based on the previous subscriber device to which the device was connected.
US07826853B2
The embodiments of the invention provide an adaptive method for base station cooperation in a wireless network. In a multi-user communications network that includes base stations, and in which each base station is associated with a cell, and in which each cell includes one or more mobile stations, each base station determines pre-coding matrices for full-cooperation, semi-cooperation and non-cooperation. Each base stations also determines a sum rate SRfull for full-cooperation, a sum rate SRsemi for semi-cooperation, and a sum rate SRnon for non-cooperation. Then, each base station selects the pre-coding for full-cooperation, the pre-coding matrices for semi cooperation, or the pre-coding matrices for non cooperation. Each base station transmits signals according to the selected pre-coding matrices.
US07826851B2
A channel quality signaling method and a telecommunication system are provided. The system comprises a base station and one or more user equipment, the base station and the user equipment being configured to communicate with each other using a set of given resources. The system comprises a network element for determining connection information comprising the resources to which the channel quality signaling relates, the user equipment capability, and reference information regarding transmission power used by the base station, a network element for determining connection quality criteria. User equipment is configured to measure a parameter relating to the quality of the received signal from a signal received from a base station, determine an identification of physical connection parameters with which the connection quality criteria may be fulfilled given the determined connection information, and transmit the determined identification to the base station.
US07826848B2
A method and system communicates cooperatively between base stations and mobile stations in a wireless cellular network. At least two mobile stations are detected in a handover region. A diversity set is established for each mobile station in the handover region. Each diversity set identifies at least two base stations that can communicate with the associated mobile station. The at least two base stations and the at least two mobile stations are combined into members of a cooperation set. A resource is allocated to selected members of the cooperative set. The selected members are notified of the allocated resource. Then, the selected base stations of the cooperation set communicate concurrently with the selected mobile stations using the same allocated resource.
US07826832B1
Systems and methods for transferring or conferencing a call between user-accessible communication endpoints are provided. In particular, information related to a call in progress or a connection in progress is stored in removable memory associated with a first user-accessible communication endpoint. The user then removes the removable memory from the first user-accessible communication endpoint, and places it in a second user-accessible communication endpoint. The second user-accessible communication endpoint then calls a network authority, and provides the call information stored on the removable memory to the network authority. In response to receiving the call information, the network authority forks the call to the second user-accessible communication endpoint. The first user-accessible communication endpoint can then be disconnected.
US07826828B2
A method and system for determining availability of a target device in a CDMA environment includes sending a message from a source device for determining the availability of a target device, wherein an intermediary device generates an interrogation command upon receipt of the message. The intermediary device uses the interrogation command to interrogate an HLR in the CDMA environment in order to determine the availability of the target device, such that the intermediary device alerts the source device when the target device becomes available.
US07826822B2
Integrating a network-enabled application with a platform having a plurality of users and a plurality of communication channels with a respective plurality of wireless network carriers, including receiving a request from a third-party provider to integrate a network-enabled application with the platform, receiving a set of registration data corresponding to the network-enabled application from the third-party provider, the set of registration data including a link to an application location for accessing the network-enabled application, receiving a set of pricing structure data corresponding to the network-enabled application from the third-party provider, updating a system database in the platform to include the set of registration data and the pricing structure data corresponding to the network-enabled application, and enabling the network-enabled application to be accessible to the plurality of users via a networked interface operated by the platform.
US07826820B2
A network reconfigurator (26) is provided for use in a telecommunications network (20) comprising a network (24) of radio base stations configured for providing radio access service to the telecommunications network for wireless stations (30). The network reconfigurator is arranged or configured, for differing service outages attributable to differing downed radio base stations (28) of the network of radio base stations, to coordinately and dynamically change modifiable characteristics of plural remaining base stations for at least partially compensating for the service outages. Preferably the reconfigurator (26) is configured, for differing service outages, to dynamically change differing modifiable characteristics of differing plural remaining base stations for at least partially compensating for the service outages. Modifying a characteristic of the plural remaining base stations can include modification of one or more of the following: antenna tilt of at least one of the plural remaining base station; power of a downlink common control channel of at least one of the plural remaining base stations; composition of a neighbor list of at least one of the plural remaining base stations; a parameter pertaining to one of handover, cell power, and cell size for the at least one of the plural remaining base stations.
US07826813B2
There present description is directed to a method and a system for determining a time delay between a transmission and a reception of an RF signal in a noisy environment. The method comprises: transmitting the RF signal according to a transmit frequency pattern, the transmit frequency pattern comprising at least three pulses separated by a period of time, each one of the at least three pulses respectively being at each one of at least three different frequencies; receiving a received RF signal comprising the at least three pulses at the at least three different frequencies, each one of the at least three different frequencies associated to a receive phase change; comparing the receive phase change of one of the at least three different frequencies with the receive phase change of another one of the at least three different frequencies to obtain a dispersion phase difference; and calculating the time delay using the obtained dispersion phase difference.
US07826812B1
Systems and techniques for digital processing of FM signals include, in at least one aspect, an FM digital processing method including receiving one or more digital signals including a first signal having a first frequency; obtaining a second signal by multiplying the first signal by X to assist in information recovery from the one or more digital signals based on the first signal; filtering the second signal to obtain a high frequency component of the second signal; delaying the second signal to obtain a delayed signal; and generating an output signal based on the high frequency component of the second signal and a normalization factor derived at least in part from the delayed signal.
US07826810B2
Transmitter (116) designed to automatically reconfigure one or more circuit parameters associated with an RF power amplifier (210) in response to certain user input commands. Specifically, a transmitter circuit configuration is automatically modified under certain conditions to produce a higher RF output power. The higher RF power output is possible because the transmitter configuration is adjusted specifically for use under a particular set of operating conditions. The operating conditions that trigger the higher powered configuration include burst transmission mode.
US07826805B2
A base unit and a handset comprise a wireless part, a control part, and a transmission (151) and reception part (150), respectively. Communications are switched by either of the two ways: PTT switching and tone generation in the base unit, and tone detection in the handset or PTT switching in the base unit, and voice detection in the handset. It is preferable that the transmission (151) and reception (150) part of the handset includes a single transducer type headphone. It is also preferable that photo-coupler (41, 43) and a photo-switch (42) are provided at connection point of signal paths between the transmission (151) and reception part (150), the control part, and between the control part and the wireless part.
US07826802B2
A method for estimating a size of reverse link resources provided by a base-station transceiver system (BTS), including performing respective first, second, and third measurements of first, second, and third signal strengths received at the BTS. The method also includes comparing the first measurement with the second measurement so as to determine an initial minimum signal strength, and adding at a predetermined time an aging value to the initial minimum signal strength so as to form an updated minimum signal strength. The method further includes forming a comparison between the updated minimum signal strength and the third measurement, determining from the comparison a minimum of the updated minimum signal strength and the third measurement to be a minimum received signal strength, and determining the size of the reverse link resources provided by the BTS in response to the minimum received signal strength.
US07826795B2
Techniques for reducing or eliminating effects of noise on a wireless communication system are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the technique comprises monitoring noise attributable to an interference source that may affect one or more components of the wireless communication system. The interference source being monitored is distant from the wireless communication system to the degree that noise arrives at the wireless communication system within a substantially point source-like angular range. For example, the noise may be attributable to the sun or tropospheric ducting. The technique then comprises initiating one or more operations, as a function of the monitored noise, to reduce or eliminate the effects of the noise attributable to the distant interference source at one or more of the components of the wireless communication system that are determined to be affected by such noise.
US07826785B2
In an induction heating fixing device according to the invention, a first induction heating coil that generates an induced current across the total length of a heat roller is provided on the outer circumference of the heat roller having a metal conductive layer. A second induction heating coil that generates an induced current at a central part of the heat roller is provided, which crosses the first induction heating coil and is arranged on the outer side than the first induction heating coil. With the first induction heating coil, the heat roller is heated across the total length without generating any uneven temperature. On-off control of the first induction heating coil and the second induction heating coil is carried out, and the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the heat roller is kept constant irrespective of the size of a sheet of paper P.
US07826781B2
An image forming apparatus has a photoconductive member, and a developing roller develops a latent image on the photoconductive member by a first alternating-current bias in the form of a rectangular wave. The following relationships are satisfied in calculating the duty ratio (D1) of the first alternating-current bias using an application period of voltage in a direction to transfer the toner from the developing roller towards the photoconductive member as a positive period: a CV value in the number particle size distribution of the toner is ≦25%, 4 μm≦Dt≦7 μm, 105 Ω·cm≦pv≦109 Ω·cm, 0.4 μm≦Ra≦1.5 μm, and 35%≦D1≦75%. where Dt denotes the volume average particle diameter of the toner, pv denotes the intrinsic resistance value of a developing roller surface, Ra denotes the arithmetic average roughness of the developing roller surface.
US07826768B2
A cartridge according to one aspect of the invention is detachably attachable to a main body including a first terminal. The cartridge comprises: a case; a memory device configured to store information concerning the cartridge; a cover member configured to cover a part of the case and movably supported on the case to allow a relative movement to the case; and a second terminal provided at the cover member and electrically connected to the memory device. In a state where the cartridge is attached to the main body, the second terminal contacts with the first terminal of the main body.
US07826758B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum to which an electrostatic image is formed and a developing sleeve carrying a developer including toner carrier. An alternating voltage is applied to the sleeve to form an alternating electric field between the sleeve and the drum to develop the electrostatic image with the developer. A relation |K1|<|K2| is satisfied, where K1: a slope at an electric field intensity Ed=|(Vp2−VL)/D|, K2: a slope at an electric field intensity Eb=|(Vp1−VL)/D|, VL: a potential [V] of the electrostatic image at which a maximum density is obtained, Vp1: a peak potential [V] that provides a potential difference to move the toner toward the drum, Vp2: a peak potential [V] that provides a potential difference to move the toner toward the sleeve, and D: a closest distance [m] between the drum and the sleeve.
US07826755B2
An image forming apparatus capable of performing monochrome printing and color printing in which all the developing units share a single development transformer is constructed such that at the time of monochrome printing the photoreceptor drums for colors are stopped rotating while all the developing units are constantly applied with a high voltage. Further, the cumulative operation time in which the black photoreceptor drum has been operated for monochrome printing is calculated so that the color-printing photoreceptor drums which are stopped during monochrome printing are rotationally driven by a predetermined angle when the cumulative operation time exceeds predetermined fixed time. Thus, the surface of each color-printing photoreceptor drum that is being worn is restored by making the fresh surface of the drum oppose the associated color developing unit, whereby it is possible to prevent occurrence of defects on the surface of each photoreceptor drum.
US07826754B2
An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, a charging device, a developing device, a thickness detecting unit and a parameter setting unit. A photosensitive layer is formed on a surface of the photosensitive member. The charging device charges the photosensitive member. The developing device forms a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive member. The thickness detecting unit detects a thickness of the photosensitive layer on a basis of a value of a current supplied to the charging device. When the thickness detecting unit detects the thickness of the photosensitive layer, the parameter setting unit sets at least one of a charge parameter for the charging device and a development parameter to be different from that used in forming an image on a recording medium by transferring a toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive member onto the recording medium.
US07826753B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a first metal side plate; a second metal side plate opposed to the first metal side plate; an exposure unit disposed between the first and second metal side plates; an antenna; and a metal top plate disposed between the first and second metal side plates and between the antenna and the exposure unit.
US07826746B2
An optically amplified wavelength division multiplexing network has the functionality to add/drop channels at the optical add/drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes. The OADM node includes a receiver amplifier, an OADM module, and a transmitter amplifier. Once the OADM node detects a loss of signal (LOS) due to a fiber cut or network element failure upstream, the receiver amplifier is kept in operation as a noise source. The output of the receiver amplifier is immediately raised by increasing pump power to compensate for the LOS. The noise power received at the transmitter amplifier from the receiver amplifier is substantially equal to the signal power expected before LOS. The transient effect of downstream optical amplifiers is therefore completely suppressed and the inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) induced spectrum tilt does not change. After the noise power is raised, the receiver amplifier may be shut down at a speed much slower than the speed of downstream amplifier control circuitry.
US07826745B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting signals from a plurality of input channels over a TDM optical network, where each of the input channels contains an optical data signal and an electrical control signal containing control information relating to the optical data signal. In accordance with the invention, respective optical receivers convert the optical data signals to respective electrical data signals, which a TDM data multiplexer time-multiplexes to generate a multiplexed data signal. A TDM control signal multiplexer time-multiplexes the electrical control signals to generate a multiplexed control signal that is combined with said multiplexed data signal to generate a composite electrical signal. An optical transmitter generates a composite optical signal from the composite electrical signal that is transmitted over the network, optionally after WDM multiplexing it with other composite optical signals. The corresponding reverse operations are performed at the receiving end to regenerate the original data and control signals.
US07826740B2
A system and method for an Avalanche photo-diode (“APD”) optical receiver and laser system to adjust its performance during system operation without disturbing network traffic. Very small changes may be adaptively applied to some key portions of the system by controlling a set of main system parameters including Q-factor; Bit Error Rate (BER); histograms of “1” and “0” levels; input optical power; and laser output power. This adaptive routine may be performed during operation of the system to keep the main system parameters close to their optimum value. During adjustment, the system may be divided into separate portions. The adjustment of each portion may be independent of the other portions of the system. For the optical network system, optimization and priority of different portions may be assigned based on network channel architecture.
US07826724B2
System and method for the non-contact heating of an electronic substrate using inline heating elements in combination with an automatically controlled airflow. Air heated by the elements is communicated to one or more plenums, which discharge the heated air towards an impingement plate. The impingement plate includes a plurality of openings through which heated air from the plenum passes on its way to heat the electronic substrate. The automatic control of the airflow may be prompted by an operating condition, such as a sensed airflow and/or a transition into an equipment operating mode, e.g., a warm-up, standby, halt production and cool down state. Production may be automatically optimized by using a profile to conjunctively control both the heating of the air and the directing the flow of the heated air. Such a profile accounts for a combined affect of both heating the air and directing the flow of the heated air.
US07826723B2
An automatic circulation device of warm water includes a boiler respectively formed with a feed port and a discharging port at the upper side and the lower side thereof, an electric heater horizontally installed at the inner lower side of the boiler without contacting the inner lower side and supplying heat to the interior of the boiler, a water tank connected to the feed port of the boiler by means of a feed pipe and feeding the cool water to the boiler, a heat exchanging section connected to the discharging port of the boiler by means of a discharging pipe and to the water tank by means of a circulation pipe, and transferring heat to the exterior, and a feed valve and a discharging valve respectively installed to the feed pipe and the discharging pipe, and automatically opened and closed by vapor pressure in the boiler. The automatic circulation device continuously produces and circulates the warm water regardless of the distance and height without using a separate pump.
US07826722B2
A driving apparatus for fan motors, electrically connected between a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator and a controller, includes a converter electrically connected to the PWM signal generator, generating a first reference voltage according to the duty cycle of a PWM signal generated by the PWM signal generator; a reference voltage generator electrically connected to an external power source, generating a second reference voltage according to the external power source; and a comparator having a first and second input terminal and an output terminal; wherein the first input terminal is electrically connected to the converter, the second input terminal is connected to the reference voltage generator and the output terminal is connected to the controller, and when the first reference voltage is greater than the second reference voltage, a driving signal is output from the output terminal to the controller to control the rotation speed of the fan motor.
US07826720B2
The recording medium includes at least one navigation area storing navigation management information for managing reproduction of the multiple reproduction path video data recorded on the recording medium. The navigation area has a plurality of angle change recording information corresponding to each of a plurality of data blocks.
US07826718B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating efficient operation of trick modes in a personal video recording (PVR) system. Stream-navigation data from a data stream is captured and pre-processed to generate a frame-correlated NAV table comprising one entry for each frame within the data stream, during recording of the data stream. The stream-navigation data comprises start code data, content rating data, and conditional access data that is embedded in the data stream. During playback of the data stream in a user-selected trick mode, the frame-correlated NAV table is used to generate command packets that are sent to a data decoder along with selected frames of the data stream. The selected frames are decoded based on information in the command packets and certain selected frames may be displayed as part of the trick mode.
US07826715B2
A method for downloading data associated with a recording medium from an external source, and reproducing data recorded in the recording medium is disclosed. A method for reproducing data from a recording medium in a player equipped with a network device (i.e., a Network Equipped Player) includes the steps of: a) if the recording medium is loaded, transmitting network configuration information and identification (ID) information of the loaded recording medium to a content provider (CP); b) downloading data associated with the recording medium from the content provider (CP) over a network; and c) reproducing data transmitted over the network and data recorded in the recording medium.
US07826710B2
A playback device judges whether a connected display device is equipped to display only interlaced video or both interlaced and progressive video. It equipped to display both interlaced and progressive video, a mode setting unit 15 sets an operation mode of the playback device to an image quality mode for interlaced signal output or a continuity mode for progressive signal output, according to a user selection received via a GUI. If continuity mode is set, the playback device decodes the video stream and performs progressive signal output.
US07826698B1
In one aspect, a planar illumination area includes two light-guide elements, each with an out-coupling region. At least a portion of each out-coupling region overlaps with at least a portion of the other. The overlapping region emits a substantially uniform light output power.
US07826681B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for surround-specific display modeling in which the brightness of a display is varied based on a perceptual brightness model that is expressed as a function of the illumination level that surrounds a display as it is being perceived by a viewer.
US07826679B2
An image reading apparatus includes an image reader, operable to read an image corresponding to an original and a back pad, the original being placed on the back pad so that outside of the original contains an area extending in overall width of the back pad; a first data generator, operable to generate first image data based on the image; a second data generator, operable to generate second image data based on a part of the image corresponding to the area; a first processor, operable to compare the first image data with the second image data so as to generate first edge information; and a detector, operable to detect an edge of the original based on the first edge information.
US07826678B2
The invention discloses an adaptive image sharpening method for generating a sharpened image area corresponding to an original image area. The original image area includes a plurality of original pixel values. The method includes blurring the original image area to generate a plurality of blurred pixel values corresponding to the plurality of original pixel values respectively, calculating a plurality of characteristic values corresponding to the plurality of original pixel values respectively, statistically analyzing the plurality of characteristic values to generate a plurality of weighting values corresponding to the plurality of original pixel values respectively, and generating a plurality of sharpened pixel values according to the plurality of original pixel values, the plurality of blurred pixel values, and the plurality of weighting values. The plurality of sharpened pixel values constitutes the sharpened image area.
US07826677B2
The invention provides an image processing apparatus and method, for processing a captured or recorded image with a dimension of M×N temporarily stored in an external memory; M and N are both integers larger than 1. The image processing apparatus includes a reading module, a buffer, a first processing module, a second processing module, and a writing module. Particularly, the image processing apparatus and method of the invention is a tile-based apparatus and method, which can decrease the width of the buffer and further reduce the hardware cost.
US07826673B2
Methods for predicting a high dynamic range (HDR) image element based on a received low dynamic range (LDR) image element or data and a HDR image element or data. LDR data is extracted to create either a color-converted image element or a LDR image luminance element and a LDR image chrominance element. The created image element or elements are modified either based on prediction data or through a luminance modification operation and a chrominance modification operation. The HDR residual image element is then combined with either a HDR prediction image element or a HDR luminance prediction element and a HDR chrominance prediction element to form an HDR image element. Alternatively, a residual HDR image element may be calculated through a comparison operation.
US07826670B2
There are provided a data compression apparatus and a data compression program capable of performing new and preferable compression processing applicable to compression of CT data. They are provided with: a thinning processing section which creates, by cyclically thinning out a numeric value from the sequence of numeric values constituting the data to be compressed, first data to be compressed which is constituted by a sequence of the numeric values taken out from the data to be compressed by the thinning out, and second data to be compressed which is constituted by a sequence of the remaining numeric values; a lossless compression section which performs lossless compression processing for the first data to be compressed which has been created by the thinning processing section; and a lossy compression section which performs lossy compression processing for the second data to be compressed which has been created by the thinning processing section.
US07826659B2
An embedded system of a digital camera or printer has limited available memory resources. Under such environment, devices are required to detect a red-eye region from a high-resolution image. To solve this problem, an input image is divided into band images each including a predetermined number of lines, so that an overlap area exists between neighboring band images, and candidate pixels which form an image region exhibiting poor color tone are extracted for each band image. The band image which is to undergo characteristic amount determination is determined based on the position of the candidate region which includes the candidate pixels in the overlap area.
US07826657B2
Techniques are described herein for automatically evaluating the quality of digital images based on one or more color characteristics of the images. In some embodiments, a quality metric that indicates the likelihood that the digital images convey semantics is generated based on color characteristics of the digital images. The quality metric may be used, for example, to determine which keyframe to use to make a thumbnail to represent video data. In some embodiments, feature values are generated for an image based on color characteristics of the image, and the feature values are assigned to bins. In such embodiments, the quality metric may be generated to indicate how uniform the distribution of feature values is among the bins.
US07826651B2
A method for checking an x-ray diagnostic apparatus is provided. Fluoroscopic series of x-ray images of a technical phantom are digitally acquired and stored. Difference between a dynamic image and a background image is calculated. A measuring field is predicted. Priori information about the shape of a clinically relevant object is determined. Hough transformation on a gray value image corresponding to the difference is applied. Contrast of the object from the Hough-transformed gray value image is determined. A square of the determined contrast is calculated. A noise variance is calculated by determining a sum of a noise variance of a homogenous image region and a variance of the background image. A contrast-to-noise ratio of the determined contrast and the calculated noise variance is determined. A square of the contrast-to-noise ratio is dynamically averaged. A Clinical Relevant Fluoroscopy Performance index for the x-ray diagnostic apparatus is determined.
US07826642B2
An electro-optical method and apparatus for evaluating the dimensions of any protrusion from the threshold of the fabric surface is achieved by bending any length of fabric over a rotating roller so that the contoured area of the protrusion body above the surface can be visualized. The image of the silhouette as seen by a digital camera is processed by image processing algorithms then processed statistically and then by a neural network to yield an integrated picture of the fabric protrusions. The grading results of pilling are well correlated to the human visual method of pilling evaluation.
US07826635B2
An interpretation system for interpreting electronic signals. The system comprising a central processor for receiving an electronic signal from a user terminal; software for (a) interpreting the signal electronically to reduce errors and (b) identifying parts of the signal that cannot be accurately interpreted electronically. In the event that there are parts of the signal that cannot be interpreted, the system is operable to present at an operator terminal the part of the signal that cannot be accurately interpreted electronically. The operator terminal is such as to allow an operator to interpret the signal and make any corrections that are deemed necessary. Once this is done, the correct interpretation is sent to the user terminal or another pre-determined electronic destination. Also provided are means for automatically adapting the electronic signal-interpretation process when operator assisted interpretation is employed, so as to extend the range of signals that can be accurately interpreted electronically. In this way, the accuracy of the system is continuously and dynamically up-dated.
US07826632B2
The present invention provides a method of adjusting a hearing instrument that is at least partially insertable into an ear canal, the hearing instrument (1) comprising at least two microphones, the method comprising the steps of: estimating the relative microphone location effect for each of the microphones; estimating the feedback stability for each of the microphones; determining the optimum proportion and phase of the signals of the microphones to be used in an omni-directional mode; and setting the optimum proportion and phase of the signals of the microphones. Thus, the present invention takes into account the acoustical stability of each of the microphones in order to optimally combine the microphones to achieve an optimal omni-directional performance if desired by the user of the hearing instrument.
US07826625B2
A method and apparatus for loudspeaker equalization are described. In one embodiment, the method comprising generating a set of parameters using an invertible, non-linear system based on input audio data and output data corresponding to a prediction of an output of a loudspeaker in response to the input data, and controlling an exact non-linear inverse of the non-linear system using the set of parameters to output a predistorted version of the input data.
US07826620B2
An information processor includes a data processing section that executes a processing of storing subsequently generated data, which is subsequently generated or acquired using information read from an information recording medium, onto a storage unit. The data processing section is configured to execute a processing of storing onto the storage unit encrypted subsequently generated data as encrypted data that is encrypted with a unit key as an encryption key corresponding to a content management unit to which the subsequently generated data belongs, and execute a processing of acquiring an encrypted bind unit key and storing the encrypted bind unit key onto the storage unit, the encrypted bind unit key being encrypted data of a bind unit key including as its constituent data the unit key and one of key information acquired from the information processor and identification information acquired from the information recording medium.
US07826616B2
A system and method comprise defining a current rectangular region of the image bitmap, quantifying spectral characteristics of the current rectangular region, dividing the current rectangular region into four rectangular sub-regions in response to the spectral characteristics being greater than a predetermined threshold value, tagging the current rectangular sub-region as a terminal rectangular region in response to the spectral characteristics being less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, tagging each rectangular sub-region as a terminal rectangular region in response to a size of the rectangular sub-region being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold size, defining one of the non-terminal rectangular sub-regions as the current rectangular region and repeating the above until all rectangular regions are tagged terminal, and determining color characteristics for each of the terminal rectangular regions.
US07826608B1
Systems and methods for determining workforce staffing statistics in a contact center are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: receiving activity records associated with agents; and producing queue-specific staff counts for an interval. The counts are based on an activity record subset, and an agent skill, and a contact queue skill set. In one embodiment, the system comprises: an activity collector operative to receive events; and a staff statistics calculator operative to determine a staff count for a specified staffing interval. Each of the events describes a worker activity. In this embodiment, the calculator comprises: logic for receiving activity records derived from one of the events; logic for identifying contact queues for each worker in the activity records; and logic for incrementing a contact queue staff count if at least one skill for the respective worker is included in the respective contact skill set.
US07826606B2
A telecommunication network comprises a switching system configured to route a call to a service platform, the service platform configured to transfer a prompt message over the call, collect caller-entered information from a caller over the call in response to the prompt message, and transfer the caller-entered information to a call processing system in the telecommunication network, the call processing system configured to transfer the caller-entered information to a destination processor at a call center, process a destination routing code from the destination processor to determine a destination routing instruction, and transfer the destination routing instruction to the switching system, and the switching system further configured to route the call to a destination in response to the destination routing instruction.
US07826605B1
A method of operating a telephony system. The method includes receiving a call from a caller through a telecommunication network, identifying a phone number associated with the call from the caller, and processing the phone number. The method also includes determining if the phone number is associated with a wireless telecommunications device, prompting the caller to input a residential phone number for a landline associated with the caller if the phone number is associated with the wireless cellular telecommunications device, and transferring the residential phone number from the caller using a communications process. The method further includes receiving the residential phone number and storing the residential phone number in association with the phone number into one or more memory locations of one or more databases.
US07826592B2
A radiation therapy system that includes a radiation source that moves about a path and directs a beam of radiation towards an object and a cone-beam computer tomography system. The cone-beam computer tomography system includes an x-ray source that emits an x-ray beam in a cone-beam form towards an object to be imaged and an amorphous silicon flat-panel imager receiving x-rays after they pass through the object, the imager providing an image of the object. A computer is connected to the radiation source and the cone beam computerized tomography system, wherein the computer receives the image of the object and based on the image sends a signal to the radiation source that controls the path of the radiation source.
US07826590B2
Regarding a X-ray photographing-tire apparatus and method, defining the reference plane as the plane perpendicular to the center axis of a tire mounted on a rotary device and passing through the X-ray source, and defining the reference line as the line headed from the center axis to the X-ray source within the reference plane, the X-ray source is oriented so that a predetermined azimuth range coincides with a predetermined angular range in which the reference line lies, within the reference plane, and a first line-sensor, being oriented parallel with the center axis, is placed within said predetermined azimuth range, in the radial outside of the tread portion TR of the tire, and the first line-sensor is placed at the position deviated from the plane defined by both reference line and the center axis, having two degrees of freedom of motion within the reference plane with orientation of the receiving surface kept constant.
US07826587B1
A CT system includes a gantry, an x-ray source, a generator configured to energize the x-ray source to a first kVp and to a second kVp, a detector, and a controller. The controller is configured energize the x-ray source to the first kVp for a first time period, subsequently energize the x-ray source to the second kVp for a second time period, integrate data for a first integration period that includes a portion of a steady-state period of the x-ray source at the first kVp, integrate data for a second integration period that includes a portion of a steady-state period of the x-ray source at the second kVp, compare a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) during the first integration period (SNRH) and the second integration period (SNRL), adjust an operating parameter of the CT system to optimize an SNRH with SNRL, and generate an image using the integrated data.
US07826575B2
A channel dispersion estimation algorithm(s) may be implemented within a channel length estimation module of a multi-branch equalizer processing module that disables a branch of the multi-branch equalizer processing module when the channel length or channel delay spread associated with received radio frequency (RF) bursts exceeds a predetermined threshold. The channel dispersion estimation algorithm identifies when the radio frequency (RF) bursts have a channel length or channel delay spread that can affect receiver performance. The channel length estimation module may disable interference cancellation by a branch of the multi-branch equalizer processing module in response to such a channel length or channel delay spread.
US07826574B2
Receivers and methods are provided that include multiple modes of processing signals from multiple antennas. These include legacy, SAIC (single antenna interference cancellation) and MSRD. Various methods are provided for selecting an appropriate receiver processing function. These include looking at correlation and gain imbalance between antennas, looking at the processing gain resulting from one or more of the receiver processing functions, and looking at the equalization quality of at least two receiver processing functions.
US07826569B2
The invention provides a device for reducing ingress noise in a digital signal, comprising a noise predictor for predicting an amount of ingress noise in the digital signal based on past samples of the ingress noise, and a subtractor for subtracting the predicted amount of ingress noise from the digital signal. Channel distortion is compensated for by a noise-independent equalizer, such as a ZF equalizer, placed upstream of the noise predictor. The device may be incorporated, for example, in a cable modem termination system (CMTS) of an hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network.
US07826562B2
An audio controlling device generates an audio mute signal based on the level of a power-supply voltage supplied from the source equipment, whether a clock signal has been input or not, whether a digital signal has been input or not, whether a multiplier circuit is being locked or not, an error rate, whether an audio clock detection circuit is being locked or not, the presence or absence of a change in a control signal, and whether a synchronization detection circuit is stable or not. The audio controlling device applies the audio mute signal to an audio mute circuit, while applying an OSD control signal to an OSD processing circuit. The audio mute circuit is placed in a mute state or unmute state based on the audio mute signal. The OSD processing circuit provides the on-screen display of a message based on the OSD control signal.
US07826561B2
Method for tuning a Single Sideband receiver including processing the signal in the time domain, converting the signal to the frequency domain, processing the signal in the frequency domain, converting the modified signal from the frequency domain to a correlation domain, processing the signal in the correlation domain and analyzing the processed signal from the correlation domain to determine a receiver tuning error.
US07826554B2
In a digital Cartesian modulation transmitter, an encoder generates 1-bit logic signals from in-phase and quadrature signals. A single bit digital modulator multiplexes the 1-bit logic signals for Cartesian I/Q modulation. A digital upconverter (DUC) upconverts the multiplexed 1-bit logic signal. A digital power amplifier (DPA) generates a radio frequency (RF) signal based on the upconverted signal. In a digital polar modulation transmitter, an encoder converts a magnitude signal to a first 1-bit logic signal. A digital phase modulator modulates a carrier using a phase signal to generate a second 1-bit logic signal. A DUC upconverts the second 1-bit logic signal. A first-in first-out (FIFO) memory stores the first 1-bit logic signal. A combiner combines angle information contained in the second 1-bit logic signal with magnitude information contained in the first 1-bit logic signal stored in the FIFO memory. A DPA generates an RF signal based on the combined signal.
US07826550B2
Aspects of a method and system for a high-precision frequency generator using a direct digital frequency synthesizer for transmitters and receivers may include generating a second signal from a first signal by frequency translating an inphase component of the first signal utilizing a high-precision oscillating signal that may be generated using at least a direct digital frequency synthesizer (DDFS) and at least a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). A corresponding quadrature component of the first signal may be frequency translated utilizing a phase-shifted version of the high-precision oscillating signal. The inphase component of the first signal may be multiplied with the high-precision oscillating signal and the quadrature component of the first signal may be multiplied with the phase-shifted version of the high-precision oscillating signal. The second signal may be generated from the first signal by adding the frequency translated inphase component to the frequency translated quadrature component.
US07826549B1
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for transmitting data wirelessly. In one embodiment, the transmitter comprises a first group of stages comprising a first plurality of XOR gates and a first plurality of transistors, each XOR gate of the first plurality of XOR gates having a pair of inputs coupled to one bit of a first set data bits and a first clock, both corresponding to a I quadrature baseband signal component, and having a first output coupled to drive one of the first plurality of transistors; a group plurality of stages comprising a second plurality of XOR gates and a second plurality of transistors, each XOR gate of the second plurality of XOR gates having a pair of inputs coupled to one bit of a second set of data bits and a second clock, both corresponding to a Q quadrature baseband signal component, and having a second output coupled to drive one of the second plurality of transistors, wherein the outputs of the first and second plurality of transistors are summed at a node to obtain a single-side band (SSB) RF output.
US07826546B2
A transmitter codes data to be transferred, performs serial-parallel conversion of the data to two signal groups, and passes one of the groups to a first transmission unit and the other one to a second transmission unit. Each of the first transmission unit and the second transmission unit performs a prephasing process on each of signals included in the input signal group received, performs inverse Fourier transform thereon, and transmits the signal with a predetermined polarization. The polarity of the predetermined polarization of the first transmission is orthogonal to a polarity of the predetermined polarization of the second transmission unit. A receiver receives a signal transmitted from the transmitter with a predetermined polarization, performs Fourier transform thereon, performs MLD (Maximum Likelihood Detector) detection thereof, performs parallel-serial conversion in a parallel-serial converting unit, and decodes a signal originating from the parallel-serial conversion to output the transferred signal. The transmitter performs the prephasing process on each of the signals based on feedback information sent from the receiver in such a way that a probability that a same phase is generated becomes lower.
US07826545B2
Through the use of a variable state length initialization, both the transmitter and the receiver can have control of the length of one or more initialization states. For example, a transmitter can send information, such as a message, to the receiver at the commencement of, during initialization or prior to entering a variable length initialization state. The information can specify, for example, a minimum length of an initialization state as needed by the transmitter.
US07826541B2
A wireless relay system for relaying a radio signal transmitted from a first wireless station to a second wireless station via a wireless relay apparatus is disclosed. The wireless relay system includes a relay control part for receiving transmission symbols transmitted from the first wireless station and refraining from relaying a portion of the symbols, a pilot signal transmission part for transmitting a pilot signal that is inserted into a section of the portion of the transmission symbols, a coupling loop interference wave estimation part for receiving the pilot signal and estimating a coupling loop interference wave based on the pilot signal, and a coupling loop interference wave cancellation part for subtracting the estimated coupling loop interference wave from a reception signal.
US07826531B2
A method for indicating size, shape and location of a region within a digital picture the picture being divided into a set of blocks. A value for at least one size parameter, which is indicative of a number of the blocks within said region is defined, and a value for at least one shape evolution parameter, which is indicative of a selection order of the blocks in said region is selected. Then preferably the values for said at least one size parameter and said at least one shape evolution parameter are encoded into a bitstream of a video sequence in order to indicate size, shape and location of the region within the picture.
US07826530B2
Described herein is a video encoder that includes a memory unit, a selector, and an encoding processor. The memory unit stores a plurality of pictures. The selector accesses the plurality of pictures in the memory unit. The selector initially accesses a first picture, followed by another picture, followed by one or more pictures. The one or more pictures are presented to the video encoder between the first picture and the another picture. The encoding processor encodes the first picture independently, then encodes the another picture independently, and finally, the one or more pictures are encoded. The output of the encoding processor is a first coded picture, another coded picture, and one or more coded pictures respectively.
US07826524B2
A channel equalizer for use in a receiving system includes an overlap unit, a first estimator, an interpolator, and a second estimator. The overlap unit overlaps a group of normal data packets including a head, a body, and a tail, and a known data region is periodically repeated in the body. The first estimator estimates CIRs of the known data regions according to a first algorithm, and the interpolator estimates CIRs of normal data regions in the body by interpolating the estimated CIRs of the known data regions. The second estimator estimates CIRs of normal data regions in the head and tail according to a second algorithm different from the first algorithm. A calculator calculates equalization coefficients based on the estimated CIRs and a compensator multiplies the overlapped data with the coefficients. A save unit saves the compensated data.
US07826521B1
Rate adaptation is accurately provided by using an average SNR technique, a predicted PER technique, or an EVM to PER mapping technique. An average SNR is computed by averaging EVM values in a particular domain. Using the computed average SNR, an optimized rate is determined. The predicted PER technique includes computing EVM values for a current packet, determining an average BER using these EVM values for each data rate, determining an average SNR from this average BER, using the average SNR and a PER versus SNR curve to determine the predicted PER for each data rate, and using a data rate and the predicted PER to compute the predicted throughput for that data rate. In the last technique, an EVM is mapped to a packet error rate (PER) for each data rate. A throughput is computed for each data rate and PER. A data rate with a high throughput is selected.
US07826520B2
In a method for suppressing an interference signal during a transmission of data symbols between two transceivers, a transmit data symbol sequence is transmitted from a first transceiver to a second transceiver. An interference signal, which has occurred during the transmission of the transmit data symbol sequence, is detected in dependence on a received data symbol sequence, and the data symbol of the transmit data symbol sequence, which data symbol was transmitted last, is repeatedly transmitted from the first transceiver to the second transceiver when the interference signal occurs.
US07826519B1
A method and circuit for providing coherent phase noise including a clock receiver to receive a clock signal generated external to the circuit and a local clock source arranged on the circuit. The circuit further includes a selector to select an output of one of the clock receiver and the local clock source and a wireless transceiver responsive to an output of the selector.
US07826508B2
A Bragg grating has a local reflection strength which varies with position along the length of the grating so as to generate a non-uniform wavelength reflection spectrum, enabling compensation for a non-uniform gain profile of the gain section of a tunable laser. In another aspect, a Bragg comb grating is modulated by an envelope function which can also compensate for a non-uniform gain profile. The comb grating may be a phase change grating, with the envelope function shape being controlled by the length between phase changes and/or size of the phase changes.
US07826505B2
A III-V Group GaN-based compound semiconductor device with an improved structure having low current comsumption, high optical output, and a long lifetime is provided. The III-V Group GaN-based compound semiconductor device includes an active layer and a first clad layer and a second clad layer, wherein at least one of the first clad layer and the second clad layer has a superlattice structure formed of a plurality of alternating AlxGa(1-x)N layers (0
US07826499B2
An all-fiber supercontinuum source is formed as a hybrid combination of a first section of continuum-generating fiber (such as, for example, highly-nonlinear fiber (HNLF)) spliced to a second section of continuum-extending fiber (such as, for example, photonic crystal fiber (PCF)). The second section of fiber is selected to exhibit an anomalous dispersion value in the region of the short wavelength edge of the continuum generated by the first section of fiber. A femtosecond pulse laser source may be used to supply input pulses to the section of HNLF, and the section of PCF is spliced to the termination of the section of HNLF. A section of single mode fiber (SMF) is preferably inserted between the output of the laser source and the HNLF to compress the femtosecond pulses prior to entering the HNLF. It has been found that the hybrid combination of these two types of fibers allows for extension of the continuum on the short wavelength side—into the visible portion of the spectrum—by virtue of the first section of fiber acting as a “pump” source for the second section of fiber.
US07826489B2
The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus of channel estimation for a wireless communication system. Dedicated pilot symbols transmitted over at least one time-frequency region for at least one user are received. Channel parameters are estimated for the at least one time-frequency region based on the received dedicated pilot symbols.
US07826488B2
A method for adapting the rates of a certain number of asynchronous HDLC channels (15) to a single clock domain suited for interfacing with an HDLC processor (13) through a synchronous pseudo-TDM interface (14) in which the HDLC channels are multiplexed in time and vice versa in the opposite direction. In one direction the algorithm is based on the writing of the HDLC channels in a dedicated buffer (17) and in reading these buffers with a common synchronous clock just above the expected maximum HDLC rate. The under-run condition is avoided by inserting neutral information between the end byte and the start byte of the HDLC packets when this is suggested by the buffer fill monitoring function. A simple function to locate the first and last bytes of each HDLC packet read by the buffer is hence used in combination with the buffer fill monitoring function. The algorithm is also suited in the opposite direction in which different asynchronous physical lines receive their HDLC channels from a synchronous TDM-type interface on condition that this interface clock domain be just below the minimum expected HDLC output rate. In this case also the under-run conditions are avoided by insertion of neutral data after having used the same algorithm described above. Adaptation devices and a telecommunications card using them are also proposed.
US07826481B2
A network device that processes packets and includes at least one legacy component for performing basic processing on packets in the network device. The network device further includes at least one advanced component for performing advanced processing, which can not be performed by the legacy component, on packets in the network device. When an incoming packet to the legacy component requires advanced processing, the legacy component performs the basic processing and transmits the packet to a loop-back port on advanced component. Upon receiving the packet, basic processing is disabled on the advanced component and advanced processing is performed on the packet.
US07826479B2
A communication message conversion device according to the present invention comprises a first receiving unit receiving a first message according to a first communication protocol, a first message storage unit storing the first message received by the first receiving unit in one of a plurality of buffer areas according to a first message identifier contained in the first message, a first identifier conversion unit converting the first message identifier contained in the first message stored in the first message storage unit into a second message identifier, a first message conversion unit packing a plurality of first messages converted with the first identifier conversion unit into a second message and a first transmission unit transmitting the second message converted with the first message conversion unit according to a second communication protocol.
US07826476B2
A Resource Reservation System includes a Token Generation Unit (TGU) which generates and circulates among nodes of a communications system a Slotted Token (SLT) message having sub-fields to carry identification number for each input port in a node and the resource available for each input port. On receiving the message the Resource Control Unit (RCU) in each node can write port identification number, available resource in appropriate sub-fields of the SLT message, and reserve resources in other nodes by adjusting information in the sub-field associated with the other nodes.
US07826474B2
P-persistent carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) for non-packetized wireless digital voice networks
A communications system includes a plurality of radios that form a CSMA wireless communications network to communicate none-packetized digital voice with each other. Each radio is operative for dividing the period following the end of a received transmission into a sequence of time slots, each having a duration at least equal to an effective end-to-end traffic latency. In each time slot, the radio decides randomly with probability p whether to start transmitting on the channel in that slot, provided that a new transmission has not been detected on the channel prior to the start of the slot.
US07826473B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for enabling a legacy station to perform virtual carrier sensing when a plurality of stations with heterogeneous capabilities coexist in a wireless network. The method includes receiving first data via a bonded channel formed by channel bonding first and second adjacent channels, and transmitting second data via each of the first and second adjacent channels, the second data being a clear-to-send (CTS) frame or a request-to-send (RTS) frame.
US07826463B2
A method and system for configuring a wireless router and a wireless communications network includes establishing connectivity between a wireless router and at least one wireline router. Connectivity between the wireless router and a plurality of neighboring wireless routers is established through the wireline router. The wireless router is configured based on information exchanged with the neighboring wireless routers through the wireline router.
US07826461B2
The packet switching system for transmitting and receiving a packet via a packet switching network 100, which comprises a plurality of routing tables (#0, #1, #2 . . . ), each of which has been generated by a unique routing policy, stored in the routing apparatuses deployed at the border, at the origin or at the end of the respective routing domains, an identifier (RTI) inserted in the packet to specify the routing tables, and an identifier changer to change a value of the identifier on the packet switching network 100. The routing apparatus selects one of the routing tables (#0, #1, #2 . . . ) according to the RTI in the received packet and transfers the packet to a destination that is specified by the selected routing table.
US07826453B2
An address detection system for detecting an address of a set top box is provided; the address detection system includes a first server and a second server. The first server includes a first parsing module and a storage module. The first parsing module parses a first request packet from the set top box, to obtain a media access control (MAC) address and a virtual Internet protocol address (IP) of the set top box. The storage module has a mapping table for storing the MAC address and the virtual IP address therein. The second server includes a second parsing module and an authenticating module. The second parsing module parses a second request packet from the set top box, to acquire the MAC address of the set top box. The authenticating module checks the mapping table for the virtual IP address corresponding to the MAC address, to authenticate validity of the virtual IP address. An address detection method is also provided.
US07826450B2
A method and system for routing a multicast packet through a unicast packet switch network of devices. A virtual destination group, which includes destination devices of the multicast packet, is defined, and then the virtual destination group is mapped to an unused unicast destination encoding in routing tables of the devices. The multicast packet is then routed from a source device to the destination devices using the routing tables.
US07826448B2
A method is devoted to setting up a connection between the first (N1) and second (N2) external nodes connected to a GMPLS control plane (RG) and each incorporating a portion (PA1,PA2) of a distributed application and a signalling module (MS1,MS2) loaded to manage the setting up of the connection. This method consists in i) generating in the first external node (N1) a first message requiring the setting up of a connection session and incorporating parameters defining the connection to be set up, then to transmit this first message to the second external node (N2) via the network (RG), ii) analysing the first message in the network (RG) in order to convert the parameters which it contains for the GMPLS control plane and to check their compatibility with other applications resident in the network and with the GMPLS control plane, iii) if they are compatible, transmitting the first message to the second external node (N2), iv) on receipt of the first message in the second external node (N2), determining whether the connection parameters which it contains are supported by its portion of the distributed application (PA2) and/or its signalling module (MS2), and v) if they are supported, transmitting a second confirmation message for setting up the session to the first external node (N1) in order that its signalling module (MS1) shall initiate setting up of the connection.
US07826444B2
An apparatus includes a plurality of software-controlled broadcast stations, each station capable of operating in a leader mode or a follower mode during a simulcast. Each station in the follower mode is configured to broadcast the same programs as a station in the leader mode during common program periods, and to selectively broadcast programs that are different from those broadcast by the station in the leader mode during independent program periods.
US07826435B1
Methods and systems are described for implementing power control in OFDM and OFDMA wireless communication systems.
US07826434B2
The present invention relates to a buffered crossbar switch which provides a step of changing the size and/or number of queuing buffer entries to ensure optimum buffer memory usage independent of the size of data packets processed.
US07826432B2
An apparatus and method for routing on a mobile ad-hoc network are provided. The apparatus and method allow each node in a network to: measure a packet transmission rate to a neighboring node using a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR); measure variation in the number of nodes due to their insertion or deletion; distribute relative packet transmission time relative to the SNR, which is measured using the packet transmission rate; and determine a routing path using the stored relative packet transmission time relative to the SNR. The apparatus includes a transceiver that receives a reply packet from a neighboring node, a measuring unit that uses the reply packet to measure movement of the neighboring node and a relative packet transmission time thereto, and a routing path determination unit that uses the relative packet transmission time to determine a routing path in the network.
US07826418B2
An ordered list of precedence values includes a number of blocks of precedence values. An operating system receives filters from an application. The operating system assigns a precedence value to each filter from the available block of precedence values that has the highest priority. Precedence values are assigned to maintain a precedence order specified by the application. Filters and their assigned precedence values are communicated to an entity that filters packets by applying the filters in the order of their precedence values. Filters for an application can be added, deleted, or modified without affecting the precedence values of other filters for other applications. If an assignment is to be made when the lowest priority block is not available, then a repacking operation is performed to fill unused blocks in the list. The repacking is performed to reduce signaling associated with communicating reassigned precedences values to the filtering entity.
US07826406B2
A mobile communication device uses a condensed text message store wherein individual messages of a thread are stored in such a manner that the thread can later be reconstructed for display. By storing individual messages rather than thread objects including duplicative content, device memory is conserved. Network bandwidth can also be preserved by sending only individual messages between the device and a central server (which server may also utilize a condensed message store).
US07826395B2
Provided are a communication system using ZigBee to coordinate communication terminals, to transmit and receive data via a coordinator, and to perform a binding operation of setting channels and personal area network (PAN) identifications (IDs) of the communication terminals using only a remote controller when forming a ZigBee communication network between a home appliance and a remote controller, and a method of controlling the same. The communication system which forms a communication network between communication terminals, includes: a ZigBee coordinator disposed at one of the communication terminals, coordinating the communication terminals, and transmitting and receiving data; and a ZigBee device disposed at another one of the plurality of communication terminals and forming a ZigBee communication network through communication with the ZigBee coordinator, wherein an inputting unit for setting channels and PAN IDs of the ZigBee coordinator is provided at the communication terminal in which the ZigBee device is disposed.
US07826389B2
A method comprising determining information for the performance of a channel and sending the determined information to a transmitter is disclosed. The determined information can be sent to the transmitter with acknowledgement data. The determined information can include, for example, data rate and/or transmit power. The acknowledgement data can be sent in an acknowledgement frame, such as a block acknowledgement frame or immediate acknowledgement frame. The determined information can be sent in the payload of the frame. The frame can, for example, be a kink feedback frame associated only with a particular transmitter and receiver. A characteristic of the channel, such as signal and interference to noise ratio, can also be determined.
US07826387B2
To improve the performance of DSL modems, a DSL duplexing ratio for a new communication is selected according to the communications needs of an application. A required upstream and downstream bit rate for application communications is determined. From the ratio of these bit rates, a desired duplexing ratio is calculated. The operation of the modem is then adapted to choose a duplexing ratio that approximates the desired duplexing ratio for the application. To optimize modem operation, the size and position of the upstream and downstream bandwidths used for transmission are intelligently selected when the bit rate necessary for making the transmission is less than the total available bandwidth provided by the chosen duplexing ratio. By intelligently selecting a minimum number of subcarriers for Digital Multi-tone (DMT) signal transmission, a reduction in line driver power consumption is effectuated. Additionally, by intelligently selecting the position of the used bandwidth within the total available bandwidth, near-end crosstalk (NEXT) noise may be minimized.
US07826386B2
Configuring of a communications environment is facilitated. A mapping tool is provided that aids in the configuring of various components of a communications environment, such as an input/output (I/O) subsystem of the environment. Data generated from an order process and a logical configuration definition are used as input to the mapping tool. The tool performs mapping and generates as output a physical configuration definition, and optionally, one or more reports. The mapping tool has a manual function, as well as an automatic function.
US07826376B1
A method and mechanism for monitoring performance in a network computing system. A user application on a source system is configured to communication with a destination system. The application is configured to load a dynamic linked library upon execution. The dynamic linked library is configured to store packet identifiers and time stamp information for communication packets received from the application prior to the packets being conveyed to the destination system. Upon receipt of an acknowledgement packet from the destination system, the library code is configured to retrieve the previously stored time stamp information, determine transit latency information corresponding to the communication packet, and log the determined transit latency information. Acknowledgement packets may further include time stamp information which may be utilized to determine additional latency information corresponding to the communication packet and/or acknowledgement packet. Logged information may be used to distinguish application problems from network performance problems.
US07826373B2
Wireless communications methods and systems. Metrics for measuring performance of a wireless system are generated and compared to metrics generated with an idealized simulation of the system. If the actual system performance falls below a predetermined level, the system may be reconfigured to improve performance using a centralized or decentralized method for such configuration.
US07826370B1
A method and system is disclosed for dynamic adjustment of threshold payload size for triggering an auxiliary pilot. An access terminal in a wireless communication system that includes a base station may operate in a state in which (i) the access terminal transmits a primary beacon signal on an air interface communication link to the base station, and, (ii) upon a condition that the access terminal will transmit a packet having a size larger than a threshold packet size, the access terminal activates and transmits a secondary beacon signal on the air interface communication link to the base station concurrently with transmission of the primary beacon signal. While operating in the state, upon receiving a first particular sequence of power-control commands from the base station, the access terminal will decrease the threshold packet size by a decremental amount. Also while operating in the state, upon receiving a second particular sequence of power-control commands from the base station, the access terminal will increase the threshold packet size by an incremental amount.
US07826367B2
A system and method for protecting a trunk with multiple trunks may select a primary path on a first trunk for which to place a corresponding bypass tunnel on a second trunk. The system and method may further select one or more alternate trunks using a constraint-based trunk-selection algorithm. The system and method may further determine if at least one of the selected alternate trunks has sufficient priority bandwidth. In the event that one or more alternate trunks have priority bandwidths larger than the physical bandwidth of the primary path, the system and method may select an alternate trunk from the one or more alternate trunks having priority bandwidths larger than the physical bandwidth of the primary path based on a pre-determined order of priority bandwidth.
US07826366B2
In a described implementation, a channel cost metric (CCM) is determined in a wireless network environment. The CCM may be determined responsive to an expected transmission time (ETT) and a frequency of air time (FAT), which reflects a channel utilization. In an example implementation, a channel assignment and/or a routing for a network configuration may be switched responsive to the determined CCM.
US07826364B1
The present invention, including system methods and computer program product, provides the ability to control the flow of traffic into an aggregated trunk port in a network. This is performed by monitoring the trunk port of an aggregation packet switch for congestion and limiting the traffic flowing into the aggregation packet switch through virtual connections with one or more user network interfaces. An access control system executing an access control algorithm monitors the trunk port and controls the user network interfaces to limit the traffic the passes through the trunk port in the event of traffic congestion. Traffic may be limited on the basis of the class of service, the virtual connection, or other parameters.
US07826350B1
A host is coupled to a network via an intelligent network adaptor. The host is executing an application configured to receive application data from a peer via the network and the intelligent network adaptor using a stateful connection according to a connection-oriented protocol. The intelligent network adaptor performs protocol processing of the connection. Application data is copied from host memory not configured for access by the application (possibly OS-associated host memory) to host memory associated with the application (application-associated host memory). The application data is received from the peer by the intelligent network adaptor and copied to host memory not configured for access by the application. The operating system selectively provides, to the intelligent network adaptor, information of the memory associated with the application. At least one portion of the application data for the connection is provided directly from the intelligent network adaptor to the memory associated with the application.
US07826347B2
A call processing device communicating with a plurality of line cards includes a mapping table and an address table. The call processing device receives a telephone number, searches the mapping table for one index related to the received telephone number, searches the address table for one address corresponding to the sought index, rejects a call corresponding to the received telephone number if the sought address is a specially preset address, and updates one or more of the addresses of the line cards in the address table if operating modes of one or more of the line cards are changed. A call processing method is also provided.
US07826336B2
The present invention relates to a device for data storage. In particular the invention relates to a single electron memory device utilizing multiple tunnel junctions, and arrays or matrixes of such devices. The data storage device according to the invention comprises at least one nanowhisker adapted to store a charge. Each of the nanowhiskers comprises a sequence of axial segments of materials of different band gaps, arranged to provide a sequence of conductive islands separated by tunnel barriers and a storage island arranged at one end of the conductive island/tunnel barrier sequence, whereby to provide a data storage capability. The number of conductive islands should preferably be between five and ten.
US07826332B2
There are provided a light-receiving element for receiving light reflected from an optical recording medium, an optical head using the element, and an optical recording/reproducing apparatus using the element. In particular, the light-receiving element can be manufactured at low cost and in a simple manner and is configured to receive light from a short-wavelength laser source (having a wavelength of 402 nm to 413 nm). The light-receiving element includes a silicon substrate in which a light-receiving portion is formed; a circuit board for mounting the silicon substrate; at least one or more wires for electrically connecting the silicon substrate and the circuit board; a cover layer for covering the wires; and an exposed portion for exposing the light-receiving portion outside.
US07826331B2
A flux separating unit is maintained in a stable state with a high positioning accuracy relative to a physical deformation when the light flux separating unit is attached or a great temperature change after the light flux separating unit is attached, in an optical pickup device including in a casing a projection optical system, a light receiving optical system and the parallel flat plate shaped light flux separating unit that separates a light flux advancing in the light receiving optical system from a light flux advancing in the projection optical system.
US07826326B2
A data reading method used in a reading device for reading a holographic storage medium is provided. The holographic storage medium has several data areas. Each data area has several data pages, and each data page forms a data image that has at least one reserved block pattern on the reading device. The reserved block pattern of the data image corresponding to a first data page is searched within a first searching region to obtain a first pattern position. The reserved block pattern of the data image corresponding to a second data page is searched within a second searching region to obtain a second pattern position. A third searching position is then determined according to the first and second pattern positions. The reserved block pattern of the data image corresponding to a third data page is searched within a third searching region whose center is at the third searching position.
US07826319B2
A guide groove is formed without wobbles. The guide groove is periodically modulated with its width. Encrypted data are recorded with marks formed on the record film along the guide groove. Information recorded by periodically modulating the guide groove with its width can be accurately detected by a band pass filter. Thus, rotation control information and address information can be stably reproduced. In addition, since the guide groove is formed without wobbles, a drive device having a pirated disc determination mechanism can reproduce encrypted content as with a ROM disc.
US07826311B2
A time counting assembly with a display for world time zones comprised of a power source, a second counter, a minute counter, an hour counter, and a time zone display for displaying a correct time over a faceplate. Stir the time zone adjustable ring with the hand to align a first landmark of a local time zone with a fixed point and then calibrate the time counting assembly in accordance with the local time, and then stir the time zone adjustable ring with the hand to align a second landmark of another locating time zone with the fixed point such that the inner gear ring moves the planetary idle gear set and the planetary base wheel to shift engagement of the engaging hooks in the ratchet holes, and the front hour wheel is rotated on the planetary base wheel with a planetary movement along the minute wheel set to cause rotation of a meshed hour wheel so as to turn a hour hand to the time in accordance with the time zone corresponding to the second landmark. The direct time zone adjustment design greatly reduces the thickness of the assembly so that the time counting assembly is usable in a watch or low-profile timer while maintaining world time zone display and adjustable functions, and providing a modularized design function for ultra-thin time recording device.
US07826308B2
Disclosed herein is a method for the optimal design of an apodization function used for non-uniform weighted periodic sparse arrays for an ultrasound imaging system. The method includes the steps of (a) setting the interval PT of a transmit sparse array and the number LT of array elements within the interval PT so that common grating lobes are not generated in the beam patterns of the transmit sparse array and a receive sparse array; (b) setting the interval PR of the receive sparse array and the number LR of array elements within the interval PR so that common grating lobes are not generated in the beam patterns of the transmit sparse array and the receive sparse array; (c) setting a transmit apodization function WT(n) configured to be applied to the beam pattern of the transmit sparse array; and (d) setting a receive apodization function WR(n) configured to be applied to the beam pattern of the receive sparse array.
US07826304B2
A power-down control circuit utilizes the control signals employed in an active mode operation to operate when a power-down mode entry command is received during an active mode operation. The circuit is simplified requiring less area for devising the control circuit while lowering power consumption. The power-down control circuit in a semiconductor memory device includes at least a clock enable buffer unit, an external clock buffer unit, a latch unit, a control circuit for controlling internally operating clocks employed in active mode operation by using a control signal used in the active mode operation when a power-down mode entry command is received during the active mode operation, and a clock enable generation circuit for outputting clock enable signals for enabling entry to the power-down mode by using the clock control signals, when the external clock pulse signal is low level.
US07826302B2
A semiconductor memory device including an array of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and in a plurality of columns. The memory device further includes a plurality of word lines each associated with a respective row of the array and identified by a respective row address, and a row decoder configured to receive a current row address and select a word line according to said current row address. The row decoder includes a plurality of row selection units each associated with a respective word line and configured to receive the current row address; each row selection unit is configured to be enabled for biasing the respective word line to a selection voltage if the current row address identifies said word line. Each row selection unit includes a corresponding enabling device for enabling the row selection unit after a predetermined time from the reception of the current row address.
US07826301B2
A word line driver circuit for use in a memory array including multiple memory cells and multiple word lines coupled to the memory cells for selectively accessing the memory cells includes a driver adapted to generate a word line signal as a function of a first set of address signals received by the word line driver circuit. The circuit further includes a switching circuit having a plurality of output nodes, the output nodes connected to respective ones of the plurality of word lines, and having an input node connected to an output of the driver and adapted to receive the word line signal. The switching circuit is operative to direct the word line signal to a selected one of the word lines during a memory access as a function of at least one control signal. Between a given pair of memory accesses, the output nodes and the input node of the switching circuit are held to a same prescribed voltage level to thereby substantially eliminate a leakage current path in the switching circuit.
US07826299B2
A plurality of masked memory cells organized in at least two groups, each group using an individual mask signal, is operated by providing a logically valid mask signal only for a selected group comprising the memory cell to be accessed while a logically invalid mask signal are used for all groups other than the selected group.
US07826297B2
In a power supply switching circuit, a transistor that switches to a highest voltage is formed of an enhancement type PMOS transistor, and transistors that switch other voltages are each formed of a depletion type NMOS transistor. A signal for controlling a gate of each of the transistors is input through a level shifter. The depletion type NMOS transistor does not operate in a bipolar manner even if a source voltage thereof reaches a power supply voltage VPP1 or VPP2, and the enhancement type PMOS transistor does not operate in the bipolar manner even if a gate voltage and a source voltage thereof reach the power supply voltage VPP1, and a drain voltage thereof reaches the power supply voltage VPP2. Accordingly, there can be provided the power supply voltage switching circuit that is high in efficiency.
US07826294B2
An apparatus, system, and method for controlling data transfer to an output port of a serial data link interface in a semiconductor memory is disclosed. In one example, a flash memory device may have multiple serial data links, multiple memory banks and control input ports that enable the memory device to transfer the serial data to a serial data output port of the memory device. In another example, a flash memory device may have a single serial data link, a single memory bank, a serial data input port, a control input port for receiving output enable signals. The flash memory devices may be cascaded in a daisy-chain configuration using echo signal lines to serially communicate between memory devices.
US07826292B2
Memories, precharge control circuits, methods of controlling, and methods of utilizing are disclosed, including precharge control circuits for a memory having at least one bank of memory. One such control circuit includes at least one precharge preprocessor circuit. The precharge preprocessor circuit is coupled to a respective bank of memory and is configured to prevent precharge of the respective bank of memory until after execution of buffered write commands issued to the respective bank of memory is completed.
US07826290B2
Circuits and methods for improving noise tolerance in memories are disclosed such as those that include biasing a data line above a normal threshold voltage, either by providing a higher data line charge voltage with a voltage source, or by providing a higher data line charge voltage with a current source.
US07826288B2
In a method for reducing and/or eliminating mismatch in one or more devices that require a balanced state (e.g., in cross-coupled transistors in each memory cell and/or sense amp in a memory array), the bias (i.e., the preferred state) of each of the devices is determined. Then, a burn-in process is initiated, during which an individually selected state is applied to each of the devices. This fatigues the devices away from their preferred states and towards a balanced state. The bias is periodically reassessed during the burn-in process to avoid over-correction. By using this method both memory cell and sense-amplifier mismatch can be reduced in memory arrays, resulting in smaller timing uncertainty and therefore faster memories.
US07826279B2
Receiver architectures and related bias circuits for a data processor are provided. One embodiment of a receiver architecture for a computer processor includes a first linear receiver stage configured to receive a first input, a second input, and a first bias voltage. The first linear receiver stage is configured to generate a first differential output signal in response to a comparison between the first input and the second input. The first differential output signal has a specified programmable voltage swing that is influenced by the first bias voltage. The receiver architecture also includes a first programmable bias circuit coupled to the first linear receiver stage. The first programmable bias circuit is configured to generate the first bias voltage.
US07826278B2
Semiconductor memory device includes a detection circuit configured to detect a voltage level of an external power supply voltage and a core voltage generation circuit configured to vary a voltage level of the core voltage according to an output signal of the detection circuit to generate a uniform core voltage.
US07826269B2
Provided are a flash memory device and a method of driving the same for improving reliability of stored set information. The method of driving the flash memory device includes applying power to the flash memory device, the flash memory device having a memory cell array for storing set information regarding operation environment settings, where the set information includes at least one bit. The method further includes performing an initial read operation on the memory cell array and judging a status of data, corresponding to the set information, read during the initial read operation to determine whether the initial read operation has passed or failed. Each bit of the set information is extended to n bits (where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2). The n bits are respectively stored in different input/output regions in the memory cell array.
US07826262B2
A method for operating a nitride-based flash memory is provided. The operation method includes pre-performing an interference reduction operation (IRO) before the routine programming operating step. Through bias arrangement of the target memory cell, charges are injected into the charge trapping layer mainly above the junction regions of the memory cell before programming so as to reset the influences caused by coupling interference issues. The operation method of this present invention not only reduces coupling interference but also afford a wider operation window.
US07826258B2
A magnetic memory or MRAM memory system comprising an M×N crossbar array of MRAM cells. Each memory cell stores binary data bits with switchable magnetoresistive tunnel junctions (MJT) where the electrical conductance changes as the magnetic moment of one electrode (the storage layer) in the MJT switches direction. The switching of the magnetic moment is assisted by a phase transition interlayer that transitions from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic at a well defined, above ambient temperature.
US07826252B2
A method for operating a static random access memory (SRAM) cell includes providing the SRAM cell having a static read margin and a static write margin, wherein the static read margin is greater than the static write margin; applying a dynamic power to perform a write operation on the SRAM cell; and applying a static power to perform a read operation on the SRAM cell.
US07826244B2
A high density memory device is fabricated three dimensionally in layers. To keep points of failure low, address decoding circuits are included within each layer so that, in addition to power and data lines, only the address signal lines need be interconnected between the layers.
US07826241B2
A pre-decoded address is generated at a high speed in a semiconductor memory device. The device comprises a pre-decoder (210) for generating a first pre-decoded address (PDA1) by pre-decoding the input address (ADD), a CAM circuit (220) for activating the match signal (MT) by responding to the indication of a defective memory cell by the input address (ADD), a ROM circuit (230) for outputting a second pre-decoded address (PDA2) and an enable signal (ES) in response to the activation of the match signal (MT), and a multiplexer (240) for selecting either the first or second pre-decoded address (PDA1 or PDA2) on the basis of the enable signal (ES). According to the present invention, there is no need to use a circuit with numerous stages as there is in substituted logic; accordingly, pre-decoded addresses can be generated at a high speed.
US07826230B2
The invention relates to a server enclosure with a transfer card module with a chassis having a side, a mounting bracket attached to the side of the chassis, and a transfer card secured to the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket includes a first sidewall and an opposite second sidewall. A first receiving slot is defined between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. The transfer card includes a printed circuit board. A first connector and a second connector are disposed on one side of the printed circuit board. The first connector is located between the printed circuit board and the first sidewall of the mounting bracket. The second connector is proximate to the mounting bracket and aligned with the first receiving slot of the mounting bracket.
US07826228B2
Disclosed is a piston reset apparatus for a multichip module that includes a base with multiple projections and two unit associating pegs extending from opposite ends of the base, a hat disposed upwardly of the base and including multiple adjustable pistons vertically adjustable within the hat, each of the plurality of adjustable pistons being disposed in alignment with one of the multiple projections, a mass equivalent plate disposed upwardly of the hat and being configured to hold a spring loaded sleeve, the spring loaded sleeve including a plurality of springs, each of the springs being aligned with and configured to apply pressure upon one of the multiple pistons, a spring loaded clamp disposed upwardly of the plate and including a spring loaded portion and a retaining portion, the retaining portion defining two cavities configured to fixedly associate with an associating groove defined by each of the unit associating pegs.
US07826200B2
A fused electrolytic capacitor assembly that offers improved performance characteristics in a convenient and space-saving package is provided. More specifically, the fused electrolytic capacitor assembly contains an electrolytic capacitor element and a resettable fuse contained within a case. The capacitor assembly also contains a stress absorbing material that is positioned adjacent to and in contact with the resettable fuse. By selecting a stress absorbing material having a certain modulus and a certain degree of inherent flexibility, the present inventors believe the resettable fuse is better able to expand to its full capacity upon exposure to an excessive current. In this manner, the resettable fuse is able to better function during use.
US07826193B2
The present invention relates to an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection scheme and particularly to a string contact structure for an improved ESD performance. In an embodiment, the invention provides a method for forming an ESD protection circuit for protecting an internal circuit from damage due to an ESD voltage appearing on a pad coupled to a clamp device including a first terminal and a second terminal. The method includes forming a string contact along the first terminal and the second terminal of the clamp device. The method further includes forming one or more conductive layers on the string contact to couple the first terminal and the second terminal of the clamp device to the pad and a ground pad.
US07826190B2
An over-voltage protection device includes a comparison module, a first switch, a second switch and an output switch. The comparison module compares a divided input voltage with a threshold voltage to output a control signal according to the comparison result. The first switch is coupled with the comparison module and controlled by the control signal. The second switch is coupled with the first switch and is controlled by the output signal of the first switch. The output switch is coupled with the second switch, the output switch is coupled with the voltage output terminal, and the output switch is coupled with the voltage input terminal. The output switch is controlled by the output signal of the second switch to cut off the input voltage or pass the input voltage to the voltage output terminal.
US07826188B2
A hardware description language (HDL) design structure encoded on a machine readable data storage medium, the HDL design comprising elements that when processed in a computer aided design system generates a machine executable representation of a device for implementing dynamic refresh protocols for DRAM based cache. The HDL design structure further comprises an integrated circuit having a differential driver, comprising: a first driver and a second driver forming the differential driver, the drivers are coupled in parallel between a first voltage source and a second voltage source; a first switch coupled to the first driver and configured to turn off the first driver during an ESD event such that the first driver sustains stress during the ESD event; and a second switch coupled to the second driver and configured to turn off the second driver during the ESD event such that the second driver sustains stress during the ESD event.
US07826186B2
When a manufacturing process becomes finer and a threshold value drops, a leakage current generates in a MOS transistor that is normally in an off-state. In order to suppress an influence of a leakage current that is generated in a protection transistor that constitutes a protection circuit on the internal circuit, an adjustor circuit that forms a transit path of the leakage current is disposed within the protection circuit, and a monitor circuit having the same circuit configuration as a configuration of the protection circuit is disposed to control an impedance of the transit path in the protection circuit and the monitor circuit so as to allow the leakage current to flow through the transit path.
US07826170B2
A hard disk drive control module has a feed-forward signal input port communicatively coupled with a reference model. The hard disk drive control module has a tracking error signal input port communicatively coupled with a magnetic transducer of the hard disk drive. The hard disk drive control module has an error calculator module configured for determining a difference between an estimated tracking error signal in response to a first feed-forward signal and an actual tracking error signal of the magnetic transducer in response to the first feed-forward signal. The hard disk drive control module has a feed-forward signal adjuster module configured for adjusting a gain and a phase for a second feed-forward signal based on the difference between the estimated tracking error signal in response to the first feed-forward signal and the actual tracking error signal of the magnetic transducer. The hard disk drive control module has a feed-forward signal adjustment output port communicatively coupled to the second feed-forward signal.
US07826168B2
A head position control method controls the position of a head by correcting components synchronizing rotation of a disk based on the head control amount. A correction signal for components synchronizing rotation is generated by using a filter function. The filter function that integrates the sine and cosine terms of DFT and inverse DFT and forms multiply of the complex values a(m) and b(m) and sine and cosine for frequency conversion, is measured in advance. The complex values are the m degree of RRO frequencies having frequency characteristics to be multiplied (1+C(z)P(z)) or −(1+C(z)P(z)/P(z)).
US07826167B2
Magnetic reference patterns may be generated on a disk or other magnetic media without the need for seed wedges. This involves writing a first magnetic reference pattern to the disk with a servo writer. The disk may then be transferred to a hard disk drive. Control circuitry within the hard disk drive may recognize the first magnetic reference pattern and then position a RW head within the hard disk drive based on the first magnetic reference pattern. As the RW drive is accurately positioned based on the first magnetic reference pattern a second magnetic reference pattern may be written to the disk using the RW head. The RW head location is determined based on the velocity and phase between the read-write head and spiral sync marks contained within the first magnetic reference pattern.
US07826161B2
An apparatus having a storage medium that includes a first region having a first characteristic and a second region having a second characteristic for storage of a plurality of data objects is disclosed. Each of the objects has an attribute that is determinative of the object being stored in either the first region or the second region.
US07826157B2
A lens module includes an upper coupling element, a spring, a magnet yoke, a plurality of magnets, a coil, a lens holder and a lower coupling element. The magnet yoke is disposed under the spring and has a cylindrical inner wall, multiple extension slices and a top wall. The top wall is outwardly extended from an upper edge of the cylindrical inner wall. The extension slices are downwardly and axially extended from a periphery of the top wall and circumferentially arranged on the top wall at regular intervals. The magnets are attached on inner surfaces of respective extension slices of the magnet yoke. At least two raised structures are circumferentially arranged on the lower periphery of the lens holder. The lower coupling element includes at least two concave structures mating with the raised structures.
US07826144B2
A varifocal optical system includes a substantially circular membrane deposited on a substrate, and a ring-shaped PZT thin film deposited on the outer portion of the circular membrane. The membrane may be a MEMS-micromachined membrane, made of thermal oxide, polysilicon, ZrO2 and SiO2. The membrane is initially in a buckled state, and may function as a mirror or a lens. Application of an electric voltage between an inner and outer electrode on the piezoelectric thin film induces a lateral strain on the PZT thin film, thereby altering the curvature of the membrane, and thus its focal length. Focal length tuning speeds as high as 1 MHz have been demonstrated. Tuning ranges of several hundred microns have been attained. The varifocal optical system can be used in many applications that require rapid focal length tuning, such as optical switching, scanning confocal microscopy, and vibration compensation in optical storage disks.
US07826130B2
A device for the optical splitting and modulation of monochromatic coherent electromagnetic radiation, in particular light beams and/or laser beams, contains a beam source, an acousto-optical element disposed downstream of the latter and serving for splitting the beam generated by means of the beam source into a number of partial beams, a modulator and also a signal generator for applying to the acousto-optical element an electrical signal for splitting the beam. The device is intended to be developed to the effect that in conjunction with a simple and functionally reliable construction and independently of the number of beams emitted by the beam source, the intensity of the individual split partial beams can be kept constant. For this purpose, it is proposed that the modulator is embodied as an acousto-optical modulator disposed downstream of the acousto-optical element, and that the acousto-optical modulator is fed the split partial beams for modulation, and the acousto-optical modulator can be driven with additional high-frequency electrical signals.
US07826129B2
An electrophoretic medium comprises an electrophoretic layer, a layer of lamination adhesive and a polymeric layer disposed between the electrophoretic layer and the lamination adhesive layer, the polymeric layer being impermeable to the fluid. A second form of electrophoretic medium has a layer of a complex of an alkali metal and a polymer in contact with the electrophoretic layer. A third form of electrophoretic medium comprises a plurality of discrete droplets of internal phase in a binder, and further comprises a salt.
US07826119B2
A light scanning device includes: a light source which emits light; a frame which supports the light source; an oscillating mirror which rotationally oscillates about a first axis to reflect the light emitted from the light source; a mirror holder which holds the oscillating mirror; a beam member which extends in a first direction orthogonal to the first axis and which is longer than the mirror holder in the first direction; a first fixing member which fixes the mirror holder to the beam member; and a second fixing member which fixes the beam member to the frame.
US07826116B2
An optical scanning device includes a light source, a deflector, and an optical system including an elongated optical element that focuses deflected luminous flux on a surface of a medium to be scanned. The optical element is supported by a first elastic member and reinforced by a reinforcing member arranged outside a beam effective range along a length of the optical element. The optical element is pressed by a pressing member in a pressing direction orthogonal to a deflection direction, and biased by a second elastic member in a direction opposite to the pressing direction. The pressing member and the second elastic member control a posture of the optical element at a substantially central part in a main scanning direction.
US07826114B2
A hologram recording method is disclosed in which: signal light includes a plurality of arranged reversal regions in which lightness and darkness of plural pixels of a light and dark image is reversed for an intensity distribution of the light and dark image; the signal light is Fourier-transformed; the Fourier-transformed signal light and reference light are illuminated onto an optical recording medium; and the signal light is recorded as a hologram. Also is disclosed an apparatus capable of implementing the hologram recording method, and an optical recording medium usable with the method.
US07826112B2
A color conversion apparatus includes: an original data analyzing unit configured to extract background color information of an original and color information of a character and line drawing object on the background; a background color changing unit configured to change the background color of the original when necessary, on the basis of the result of comparing the background color information acquired from the original data analyzing unit with a preset threshold value; and a character and line drawing color correcting unit configured to change lightness of the character and line drawing color in a way that increases a lightness difference between the background color for printing and the character and line drawing color on the background when necessary, on the basis of the background color information of the original acquired from the original data analyzing unit, the background color information for printing acquired from the background color changing unit, and the character and line drawing color information on the background acquired from the original data analyzing unit. The color conversion apparatus contributes to saving of color material, reduction in load on a printer engine, prevention of stripping of color material, and prevention of deformation of paper.
US07826111B2
Disclosed is color conversion method using a color look-up table. The method includes the steps of: generating a color look-up table using information on the difference of each channel before and after a conversion of each color; and converting the colors using the generated color look-up table. The step of generating the color look-up table includes identifying the maximum difference value among several difference values and generating a first compressed table to initially compress the difference values using the maximum difference value. Further, the step of generating the color look-up table further includes determining, using a predetermined algorithm, whether precedence bits can be removed in the difference values stored in the first compressed table, if yes, removing the corresponding checked bits and storing the converted channel value in a separate auxiliary color table and, if no, storing an index relating to the auxiliary color table as the corresponding difference value, and generating a secondary compressed table that secondarily compresses the initially compressed difference value and adding type information that indicates if information stored as each difference value is the difference value or the index.
US07826108B2
A scanning apparatus for preventing defocus aberration is provided. The scanning apparatus includes a flatbed scanning portion and a scanning module. The flatbed scanning portion includes a glass platform. The scanning module includes a scanning module case, a light source, multiple reflective mirrors, a lens, an optical sensing element, a printed circuit board and a metallic post. The metallic post is interconnected between the scanning module case and the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is not in direct contact with the scanning module case so as to prevent defocus aberration resulting from thermal expansion.
US07826107B2
A scanning device includes a scanner body, a scanning unit, a lens unit, a sensing unit, and a fastening unit. The scanner body has a bottom surface that is formed with two slots. The fastening unit includes two first fastening members disposed respectively within the slots, and two second fastening members engaging respectively and threadably the first fastening members so as to fasten the sensing unit to the scanner body.
US07826106B2
A position measuring device has an incremental dimensional standard and also an associated scanning unit that emits at least two analog, phase-shifted periodic output signals and a monitoring device, so that a value of the output signals emitted by the scanning unit codes a state of the monitoring device. The scanning unit includes a sensor for scanning the dimensional standard, which generates at least one analog sample signal, and an evaluating unit, based on the sampled signal, determines a position value, while a synthesis device synthesizes phase-shift, periodic output signals based on the position value.
US07826100B2
A method for a computer includes determining a call-in fax telephone number called by a facsimile transmission device, receiving the facsimile transmission from a facsimile transmission device including a digitized representation of a transmission page including an optical representation of data associated with an e-mail address, determining the data optically, which is independent of the call-in number, determining a graphics template associated with the call-in number, combining a digitized representation of the transmission page with the graphics template to form a digitized representation of a composite page, formatting the digitized representation of the composite page into a second format, determining additional service provider data in response to the facsimile or the scanned image, and transmitting the additional service provider data and the digitized representation of the composite page in the second format to the electronic destination address.
US07826095B2
A method and system for estimating color separation misregistration of a printing system. The method may include marking a substrate to form a misregistration estimation patch. The misregistration estimation patch being formed by first and second color separations. The first color separation marking the substrate with a first halftone pattern. The first halftone pattern has a first halftone-frequency vector in a first direction and a second halftone-frequency vector in a second direction. The second color separation marking the substrate with a second halftone pattern. The second halftone pattern has a first halftone-frequency vector in a first direction and a second halftone-frequency vector in a second direction. The first and second halftone patterns form a moiré pattern. A deviation in at least one the halftone frequency vectors and/or the moiré pattern can be indicative of a color separation misregistration. The method also includes estimating the color separation misregistration of the printing system using the misregistration estimation patch.
US07826093B2
Scan-to-print color rendering in a system including a scanner engine and a print engine may include, in an exemplary embodiment, storing or providing an index table of respective scanned values in a scanner color space corresponding to each output color printed by the print engine. A color target may be scanned using the scanner engine to provide digital image data in a scanner color space. For each image-scan pixel, a closest scanned value is selected from the index table for a corresponding output color. A color difference is determined a between the image-scan pixel and the closest value as an error for that image-scan pixel. Color error diffusion is applied to compensate for the color difference by distributing the error to neighbor pixels.
US07826091B2
An image processing apparatus has a printing function. A preview original-image creation part creates an original image for preview based on print data. A preview parts-image creation part creates a parts image for preview peculiar to each equipment. A preview image synthesis part synthesizes a preview image from the original image for preview and the parts image for preview. A preview image retaining part retains the preview image.
US07826089B2
An image processing method for performing color conversion among a plurality of image forming apparatuses, includes the steps of: a) producing a plurality of color profiles provided for performing color conversion on input image information within a same color space or through different color spaces; and b) selecting one of the plurality of color profiles whereby color in an image formed by one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses may be approximately equal to color of an image formed by another of the plurality of image forming apparatuses.
US07826088B2
A camera is provided comprising an image sensor for sensing images, a printhead for printing the sensed images on print media, and a controller for controlling the communication of the sensed images to the printhead. The controller comprises an image sensor interface, a very long instruction word vector processor responsive to the image sensor interface, and a printhead interface in communication with the processor and the printhead. The processor is comprised of a number of processing units interconnected by a crossbar switch.
US07826087B2
An image forming apparatus includes an interface detachably connecting a portable recording medium and a first writing part writing setting information stored in a storage unit internally mounted in the image forming apparatus to the portable recording medium with identification information of the image forming apparatus.
US07826084B2
An output destination of a job can be arbitrarily selectively used in accordance with an application of the user. If a state of each of printers to which the print job should be outputted is abnormal, if the states of the printers are unknown, or if there is a trouble in the obtainment and holding of the states of the printers, by controlling so as to output the print job at the output destination according to each situation with reference to an output destination change instruction table which has preliminarily been registered by the user, the output destination of the job is not always changed. If the output destination is changed, the output destination can be manually changed, thereby enabling the job to be outputted at the output destination according to the application of the user.
US07826081B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for imaging device display element localization.
US07826078B2
The subject invention offers data deletion operation with respect to the area storing image data for security purpose, and also offers a function for suspending the deletion operation by a specific condition so as to accept a request of processing new image data. The image processing device includes image data inputting means for inputting image data; image data storing means for storing the image data inputted by the image data inputting means; image data processing (outputting) means for processing (outputting) the image data stored in the image data storing means; image data invalidating (deleting) means for performing invalidation (deletion) of the image data stored in the image data storing means; directing means for directing cutoff of the invalidation performed by the image data invalidating means; and permitting means for permitting the cutoff of the invalidation directed by the directing means.
US07826074B1
Processes and apparatuses print documents containing embedded interactive code (EIC) information by the use of custom postscript commands that are printer independent, with little overhead when printing, smaller print file size, and faster print times. In order to determine the postscript commands, the EIC array may be represented as a bit for every point, as EIC symbols in which each kind of EIC symbol is a glyph of a font, or as graphics procedures. The postscript approach may be selected based on memory and printing time requirements.
US07826071B2
A gallery of seed profiles is constructed and the initial parameter values associated with the profiles are selected using manufacturing process knowledge of semiconductor devices. Manufacturing process knowledge may also be used to select the best seed profile and the best set of initial parameter values as the starting point of an optimization process whereby data associated with parameter values of the profile predicted by a model is compared to measured data in order to arrive at values of the parameters. Film layers over or under the periodic structure may also be taken into account. Different radiation parameters such as the reflectivities Rs, Rp and ellipsometric parameters may be used in measuring the diffracting structures and the associated films. Some of the radiation parameters may be more sensitive to a change in the parameter value of the profile or of the films then other radiation parameters. One or more radiation parameters that are more sensitive to such changes may be selected in the above-described optimization process to arrive at a more accurate measurement. The above-described techniques may be supplied to a track/stepper and etcher to control the lithographic and etching processes in order to compensate for any errors in the profile parameters.
US07826069B2
A laser imaging system and method of projecting a laser template on a surface, including independently determining a position and orientation of the surface using an external metrology device, independently determining a position and orientation of a laser projector using the metrology device, generating a signal from the metrology device to a computer and orienting the laser projector relative to the surface to project a laser template. The apparatus includes a plurality of metrology transmitters at fixed locations, a plurality of metrology receivers at fixed locations relative to the surface and a plurality of metrology receivers at fixed locations relative to either the laser projector or laser targets within a field of view of the laser projector. A laser projector and frame assembly is also disclosed, wherein the metrology receivers are located on the frame and the frame includes laser targets for correcting laser drift. Kinematic supports for the metrology receivers are disclosed as well as an independent laser tracker.
US07826068B2
A method for correcting the measured values of positions of structures (3) on a substrate (2) resulting from bending of a substrate (2) is disclosed. A plurality of geometric parameters of the substrate (2) are determined. A plurality of physical parameters of the substrate (2) are determined. A degree of bending is calculated individually for each substrate (2) on the basis of the obtained geometric parameters, the physical parameters and the position of the support points (40). The measured position data of the structures (3) on the substrate (2) is corrected with the aid of each individually calculated degree of bending.
US07826059B2
A method and apparatus for extracting the vector optical properties of biological samples with micron-scale resolution in three dimensions, using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). The method measures net retardance, net fast axis, and reflectivity. Polarization sensing is accomplished by illuminating the sample with at least three separate polarization states, using consecutive acquisitions of the same pixel, A-scan, or B-scan. The method can be implemented using non-polarization-maintaining fiber and a single detector. This PS-OCT method reported measures fast axis explicitly. In a calibration test of the system, net retardance was measured with an average error of 7.5° (standard deviation 2.2°) over the retardance range 0° to 180°, and fast axis with average error of 4.8° over the range 0° to 180°.
US07826054B2
An instrumentation system utilizes a single light source collimated through windows through a gas line in communication with a fuel cell. As each beam passes through each window, the gas stream will attenuate each beam. A diffraction grating disperses each attenuated beam and transmits particular wavelength bands through a focusing system to a detector. The measured concentration in the gas stream may then be utilized by a controller to determine the amount of power produced by the cell, determine potential leaks, or determine incomplete reaction.
US07826052B2
A method to correct measurement error in a resonance energy-transfer assay, including exciting anti-Stokes photoluminescent donors with at least one wavelength of light which is greater than an emission wavelength of acceptor molecules; measuring emission at the acceptor's emission wavelength and which differs from the donor's emission wavelength in at least two different time windows; a first time window within the time window defined by the excitation light pulse and a second non-overlapping time window which follows the first time window; and correcting the emission signal, which includes signals originating from non-radiative and radiative energy transfer, within the first time window by estimating the ratio of the signals from non-radiative and radiative energy transfer or the signal originating from radiative energy transfer using at least one emission signal measured in the second time window.
US07826047B2
The present invention provides a variety of optical functions so as to be applicable to various kinds of objects to be inspected. For each of the optical functions, the invention accumulates contrasts (brightness differences), etc. of defects to be detected (DOI) and false defects not to be detected (nuisance), and efficiently selects parameters advantageous for inspection with high sensitivity and low nuisance ratio. A wavelength band, an illumination scheme, and filtering parameters can be selected for an optical system.
US07826044B2
A measurement method for measuring an optical characteristic of a target optical system includes the steps of introducing a light from each of plural patterns that reduce diffracted lights other than a predetermined order, to a different position on a pupil plane of the target optical system, the introducing step including the step of scanning the light in a radial direction in the pupil plane of the target optical system, detecting a imaging position of the light introduced by the introducing step, on an image plane of the target optical system, and obtaining the optical characteristic of the target optical system based on a detection result of the detecting step.
US07826041B2
A register mark detecting apparatus detects a transparent register mark printed on a conveyed transparent web. The register mark detecting apparatus includes a light source, a parallel light flux irradiation optical system, a collective optical system, a knife-edge, and a light receiving element. The parallel light flux irradiation optical system converts a light flux from the light source into a parallel light flux to irradiate a transparent web with the parallel light flux. The collective optical system collects the light flux transmitted through the transparent web. The knife-edge is disposed near a back focus of the collective optical system. The knife-edge interrupts the light flux going straight in the transparent web and causes only the light flux refracted by being transmitted through the transparent register mark to pass by. The light receiving element receives the light flux transmitted through the knife-edge.
US07826039B2
For the deliberate attenuation of beam components which originate from multiple reflections, an attenuation filter (18; 19) which produces an attenuation of the intensity by at least a factor of 0.7, preferably at least 0.5 or 0.3, is arranged in each case before a receiver (2) and after a transmitter (1). Alternatively or additionally, deflection means, such as a mirror (10) or a cubic prism (14), can be formed so as to attenuate a beam. Since multiply reflected beam components pass through the attenuation means at least twice as frequently as the regular beam components the former are accordingly more greatly attenuated. Furthermore, an entry surface (5) of the receiver (2) may be surrounded by a conical deflection surface which substantially absorbs light incident on it and reflects the remainder in directions other than the direction of incidence, so that this cannot give rise to multiple reflections.
US07826038B2
A method for adjusting the flatness of a lithographic mask includes determining an initial mask flatness of the mask, determining an applied stress for bringing the mask to a desired mask flatness, and determining a mounting temperature of a pellicle frame to be mounted to the mask, the mounting temperature corresponding to the applied stress. The actual temperature of the pellicle frame is adjusted to the determined mounting temperature, and the pellicle frame is mounted to the mask at the mounting temperature.
US07826035B2
An array of individually controllable elements includes elements, each formed of a stack of layers of dielectric material. At least one layer is an electro-optical material. The at least one layer's refractive index for radiation that is plane polarized in a given direction can be changed by application of a voltage in order to change the reflection/transmission characteristic of the boundary between this layer and the adjacent layer.
US07826028B2
In order to prevent irreversible deformation of column-shaped spacers which retain the gap between a pair of substrates between which the liquid crystal layer of a liquid crystal display device is interposed, spacers which assist in preventing such irreversible deformation are newly provided. According to the invention, two or more kinds of spacers which differ in height from a reference surface are disposed on one of the pair of substrates. In addition, a step pattern with which the spacers are to come into contact is formed in advance on the other of the pair of substrates so that the heights of the spacers can be made different.
US07826020B2
The present invention relates generally to the field of electronics and may be used for making displays and, in particular, liquid crystal information displays, panels, cells e.t.c.The object of invention is to simplify the method for making liquid crystal devices by reducing the number of technological operations and consequently to reduce the cost of liquid crystal display without sacrificing the quality (wide viewing angle).To achieve this the electric field applied to the liquid crystal in such display has the non-uniform component parallel to the plane of the substrates, which leads to the non-uniform reorientation of the aforementioned liquid crystal in the space between the aforementioned electrodes within the pixel area and hence improves optical properties of this display in various directions of observation.
US07826015B2
A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and liquid crystal interposed between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes an active element, a first insulating film formed on the active element, a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the first insulating film, a second insulating film disposed on the first electrodes, and a pixel electrode disposed on the second insulating film. The pixel electrode is electrically coupled to the active element via a portion defining a contact hole formed in a portion defining a clearance between the plurality of first electrodes.
US07826013B2
A liquid crystal display device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The liquid crystal display device includes: a lower substrate having an opening region and a non-opening region adjacent to the opening region; a pixel electrode located on the opening region; an upper substrate located above the lower substrate and having an opposite surface facing the lower substrate; a protrusion type light shielding layer pattern located on a portion of the opposite surface corresponding to the non-opening region; an opposite electrode located on the protrusion type light shielding layer pattern; and an OCB mode liquid crystal layer located between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode.
US07826009B2
A hybrid polarizer includes an absorbing element having a first major surface and a second major surface. The hybrid polarizer also includes a first birefringent reflective polarizer disposed on the first major surface of the absorbing element, the first birefringent reflective polarizer having a first pass axis and a first block axis. The hybrid polarizer further includes a second birefringent reflective polarizer disposed on the second major surface of the absorbing element, the second reflective polarizer having a second pass axis and a second block axis.
US07826006B2
A panel unit is formed by sandwiching a liquid crystal display panel and a diffusion sheet between a front surface plate having a curved plane and a back surface plate having a curved plane. A light source unit is arranged on a back surface of the panel unit. The diffusion sheet is formed in to an outward convex shape in the same manner as the liquid crystal display panel and hence, due to a lens action of the diffusion sheet, light from the light source unit is collected in the direction toward the center of a screen. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress a phenomenon that brightness in a periphery of the screen is reduced when the screen is viewed from a front side.
US07826001B2
An exemplary display device (10) includes a display module (11), a frame (12), a porous material member (13), and a transparent protection plate (14). The frame has a receiving cavity (121). The display module is confined in the receiving cavity of the frame. The transparent protection plate is configured in front of the light output side of the display module. The porous material member is located between the front surface (122) of the frame and the transparent protection plate.
US07825989B1
We describe and claim television channel change picture-in-picture circuit and method. The circuit includes means for displaying a first channel on a primary portion of a screen, means for changing from the first channel to a second channel, and means for displaying the second channel on a secondary portion of the screen responsive to the means for changing from the first to the second channel while continuing to display the first channel on the primary portion of the screen.
US07825982B2
A pixel bias current supply for supplying a stable source of bias current to pixels of an imager includes a current bypass feature for improving stability when one or more pixels of an imager saturates. The pixel bias current supply also features voltage limiters to restrict the output voltage of a pixel in order to prevent reverse video from being output when very strong light is incident upon one or more pixels.
US07825976B2
A solid-state image sensing apparatus which can improve the S/N ratio without enlarging the chip area in both of the mode in which pixel signals are summed and the mode in which pixel signals are not summed is provided. The solid-state image sensing apparatus includes an image sensing region 510 in which a plurality of unit cells 500 is laid out two-dimensionally, the first vertical signal line 520, a row selection circuit 530, a column selection circuit 560, a horizontal signal line 570 and a signal processing unit 100, having a sampling capacitors which accumulate signals corresponding to amplified signals of the unit cells, which selects the case of summing the signals or the case of not summing the signals, wherein the capacitance of the sampling capacitor which accumulates a signal corresponding to an amplified signal of a unit cell for each row when the sum is performed is smaller than the capacitance required for reading out the signal from said capacitor.
US07825970B2
Example embodiments may provide a CMOS image sensor. The CMOS image sensor may include a plurality of unit blocks each including two unit pixels. Each unit block may include two photodiodes having a hexagonal shape, a floating diffusion shared by the two unit pixels, a first transfer transistor and a second transfer transistor between the floating diffusion and the two photodiodes, respectively, a reset transistor connected with the floating diffusion, a drive transistor with a gate connected with the floating diffusion, and/or a selection transistor connected to the drive transistor in series. Example embodiment CMOS image sensors may be used in digital cameras, mobile devices, computer cameras, or the like.
US07825964B2
A method of processing noise in image data by an image processor having a signal-processing portion converting an image signal from an image sensor into a digital signal and outputting the converted signal as image data for each frame, the image data indicating sets of pixel values each having a brightness at a corresponding one of coordinate points arranged in directions of rows and columns is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: extracting pixel values; deciding pixel value; finding autocorrelation coefficients of pixel values which are less than a first threshold value; and deciding random noise in the image.
US07825961B2
Disclosed is a recording apparatus capable of recording image data on a removable recording medium having a plurality of partitions. The apparatus includes a partition recognition unit (1001) for recognizing partitions of a loaded recording medium; a recording/playback unit (105) for selectively recording on any partition of the recording medium; a association storage unit (1003) for storing association information indicating association between a recording setting and a recording-destination partition; and a system controller (106) for specifying a data recording-destination partition based upon the association information and adopting this partition as a recording-destination partition. As a result, in a recording apparatus for recording on a removable recording medium, it is possible to readily set a recording destination in a case where a plurality of partitions exist on a single recording medium.
US07825957B2
An image input device according to the present invention comprises an optical lens, an image sensor, a color filter disposed between the optical lens and the image sensor, a memory for temporarily memorizing the imaging signal from the image sensor, a color temperature measuring circuit for measuring a color temperature of the imaging signal read from the image sensor for each of measurement areas into which an entire area of the image sensor is optionally divided, a measurement result storing circuit for temporarily memorizing a result of the color temperature measurement obtained by the color temperature measuring circuit, and a color temperature circuit for inputting the imaging signal from the memory and the color temperature measurement result from the measurement result storing circuit and the color temperature of the imaging signal for each of divided correction areas based on a result of the per-area color temperature measurement.
US07825939B2
An image reproducing apparatus determines the number of jumps in jump reproduction based on the number of images within a predetermined range recorded on a recording medium, reproduces from the recording medium an image specified by the determined number of jumps, and displays the reproduced image.
US07825929B2
Systems, tools, methods and computer readable media for visualizing a collection of graphs to provide context and focus. A compressed visualization is formed by compressing all of the graphs in a direction along a compression axis of the visualization. At least one of the compressed graphs may be zoomed to make a visualization of the at least one graph having a greater scale along the second axis than a scale of the compressed graphs. The zoomed graph or graphs may be displayed along with the compressed graphs, wherein the zoomed graph or graphs are displayed in a same order relative to the compressed graphs and each other as occupied prior to the zooming. A user interface for use in visualizing a collection of graphs in an overall view while at the same time providing the ability to view detail with regard to at least one of the graphs includes a display configured to visualize the collection of graphs in compressed form, and a feature for selecting a graph from the visualization of the compressed collection, wherein upon selecting a graph, the interface zooms at least the selected graph to make a visualization of at least the selected graph having a greater scale along an axis of compression of the compressed visualization than a scale of the compressed graphs along the axis of compression. The selected graph and any other zoomed graphs may be displayed in the same order that they occupied in the compressed visualization, relative to the graphs remaining compressed and each other.
US07825923B2
A method and apparatus for improving the quality of a computer-generated image including a number of different objects. The apparatus includes a graphics display system which identifies objects to be rendered into a graphic display at either ones to which anti-aliasing is to be applied, or ones to which anti-aliasing is not to be applied.
US07825914B2
A trigger operated portable electronic device is provided. A user only needs to insert a touch pen having a first metal contact into a touch pen receiving slot having second metal contacts. When the first metal contact is electrically coupled to the second metal contacts, the portable electronic device can be triggered to perform corresponding operating procedures. Thus, the convenience of operating the portable electronic device is improved.
US07825908B2
Factory settings of a touchscreen interface may be restored by cycling power off and on to initiate system startup while simultaneously touching the touchscreen. If a screen touch is in progress at system startup, the user is prompted to discontinue the screen touch, and then is prompted to touch the screen again before a timer expires in order to restore factory calibration settings. If there is no screen touch upon startup, or if the user does not touch the screen to restore factory settings within the timer period, existing user calibration is loaded, and the application is allowed to run with the user calibration settings.
US07825890B2
An apparatus, system and method of providing auto-dimming and state transition signal functionality to a telephone system are provided. Generally, when the telephone system is in use, it will have an illuminated screen that may distract others. Because of this, when the telephone system is entering a state that does not require monitoring by the user, the illuminated screen may dim down to decrease the likelihood of distraction by others. However, since the user may want to know when the telephone system is no longer in that state, the telephone system may alert the user when it has transitioned out of that state.
US07825888B2
A shift register circuit comprises a first transistor between a gate line output terminal and a clock terminal, a second transistor between the gate line output terminal and a first power supply terminal, a third transistor between a carry signal output terminal and the clock terminal and a fourth transistor between the carry signal output terminal and the first power supply terminal. Gates of the second and fourth transistors are connected to each other. A fifth transistor connected between a gate of the first transistor and a second power supply terminal and a sixth transistor connected between a gate of the third transistor and the second power supply terminal have gates both of which are connected to an input terminal. With this constitution, it is possible to suppress an influence between two synchronous output signals outputted from the shift register circuit.
US07825886B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a timing control unit for generating first and second control signals, which are transitioned every ½ frame. A polarity signal is set according to a count number obtained by counting the number of wave forms of the first and/or second control signals. A plurality of gate lines and data lines are arranged on a substrate crossing each other. A plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix format on the substrate, with two pixels being provided in the regions divided by the gate and data lines. A data driving unit determines polarities of the first and second image data according to the polarity signal being received from the timing control unit, and then supplies the first and second image data to the pixels in the first and second columns through the first and second data lines, respectively.
US07825882B2
A dimming method for LED driving circuit is proposed. By temporary switching a pin that is originally used for the input/output of other electric signals to a high impedance node, the dimming control signal may be inputted to dim LEDs. The dimming method comprises the steps of: floating the pin every a period of time to pull the pin's voltage being equal to the dimming control signal; detecting the pin's voltage; and retrieving the dimming control signal in accordance with the detected pin's voltage and thereafter dimming the LEDs.
US07825871B2
Aspects of a method and system for equalizing antenna circuit matching variations may include adjusting a frequency response of an antenna via a programmable filter and a gain of the antenna by varying a programmable amplifier. The antenna frequency response and the antenna gain may be adjusted dynamically and/or autonomously. The programmable amplifier and the programmable filter may be adjusted sequentially or simultaneously. The programmable filter may be an LC-type circuit and the programmable amplifier may be a low-noise amplifier. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the programmable filter may comprise a programmable capacitance in a matrix arrangement and/or a programmable inductance in a matrix arrangement.
US07825869B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for miniature transponders having capsule enclosure housings including a magnetic antenna core, such as a ferrite core, with a shaped form to provide space for an integrated circuit also included within the capsule enclosure housing. In addition, metal wire windings surround the antenna core, and these wires can be direct bonded to connections on the integrated circuit. Further, a stabilizing epoxy or other material can be inserted within the capsule enclosure housing to secure the antenna core and the integrated circuit within the capsule enclosure housing.
US07825861B2
A conductor is mounted on a circuit board parallel to its side along which a radiation of a radio frequency signal is generated. The proximal end of the L-shaped conductor is electrically connected to a ground pattern formed on the rear surface of a circuit board 1, and the distal end of the L-shaped conductor is open. The position at which the conductor is connected to the ground pattern is set to be a position spaced apart by a quarter-wavelength of a radio-frequency signal from a feed point of an antenna. The total length of the conductor is set to be a half-wavelength of the radio-frequency signal.
US07825851B2
Methods and apparatus for determining an altitude with an altimeter is provided. One method includes transmitting a signal having a fixed modulation period towards a ground target and then detecting reflected signals off the ground target. The method then implements a single Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the detected signals for each modulation period that computes all possible altitudes in real time. A short history of the real time altitude calculations is collected and then the altitude based on the short history of the real time altitude calculations is determined.
US07825849B2
An object detection apparatus includes a radar that detects the position of an object; an imaging device that detects the position and size of an object; a fusion processing device that fuses the object detected by the radar device and the object detected by the imaging device as the same object, when the detection results of the radar device and the imaging device satisfy a prescribed fusion condition, to generate a fusion object having position information and size information. A provisional fusion object is generated if the detection result from the imaging device does not satisfy the fusion condition with respect to the detection result from the radar.
US07825844B2
Techniques for performing digital-to-analog conversion with first-order or higher-order hold using a simple analog circuit for signal reconstruction and employing feedback control techniques are described. In one design, a digital-to-analog conversion circuit includes an inverse model circuit, a feedback circuit, a zero-order hold (ZOH) circuit, and an analog circuit. The inverse model circuit processes a digital input signal and provides a first digital signal. The feedback circuit receives the first digital signal and an analog output signal from the analog circuit, performs low frequency noise filtering, and provides a second digital signal. The ZOH circuit converts the second digital signal from digital to analog with zero-order hold and provides an analog input signal for the analog circuit. The analog circuit operates on the analog input signal and provides the analog output signal. The analog circuit may be a simple circuit having one or more poles.
US07825829B2
A camera system comprises a CCD imaging device, an infrared illumination source, and a power modulator for amplitude modulating the infrared illumination, e.g., with a 7-kHz tone. A beam splitter is set in front of the CCD imaging device, and a photo-diode array is attached to the beam splitter to detect modulated infrared light returning from the same field of vision as the CCD imaging device Various tone filters, and triggers connected to the tone filters, will cause the CCD imaging device to take a digital picture when the returning modulated infrared light exceeds some threshold and comes from right areas of a picture frame. Such digital pictures will most probably include an image of a vehicle license plate that can be processed, and the results used to extract the registration data from a database.
US07825824B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for the reporting of an environmental condition to vehicles prior to encountering the environmental condition. According to various embodiments described herein, local environment data corresponding to the environmental condition is collected from sensors on a vehicle. The local environment data is used to determine that the environmental condition exists at the current location of the vehicle. A notification that includes the geographic location of the environmental condition is created and provided to one or more other vehicles in the vicinity of the environmental condition.
US07825823B2
A signal monitoring circuit includes a plurality of sensors, a meter chip, a micro control unit (MCU), and a multiplexer. The sensors are adapted for collecting electrical signals of an electrical system, and each of the sensors correspondingly generates an output signal. The multiplexer is adapted for receiving the output signal of each of the sensors. The MCU controls the multiplexer to selectively output one of the output signals. The meter chip receives the selected one of output signals from the multiplexer and generates corresponding meter signals to the MCU.
US07825822B2
An economical system and method for extracting amplitude and frequency information from a modulated AC signal are provided. In one embodiment, the invention includes a circuitry implementing op amps, a dual diode, a filter, and a comparator to receive and manipulate the modulated AC signal. The dual diode receives and splits the AC signal into two separate paths, including a baseline path and a filtering path. The AC signal passing through the baseline path remains substantially unchanged, and the AC signal passing through the filtering path passes through a low-pass filter. The signal is then sent through a comparator for comparing amplitudes of the AC signal from the two paths, and the comparator output is received by a microprocessor for controlling a display that generates a visual indicia responsive to the comparator output.
US07825820B2
Systems and methods for providing security to a user of an electronic device are provided. An electronic device can be configured to enter a prevention mode in response to detecting a force that exceeds a predetermined threshold, thereby providing security. Embodiments are described wherein the device, upon entering a prevention mode, may transmit a security transmission, in the form of a telephone call or an e-mail. This security transmission, when received by a security entity, can lead to the security entity dispatching an officer to the device's location, or to the security entity placing a telephone call to the device's owner, thereby providing security. Embodiments are also provided whereby the device, upon entering a prevention mode, may enter a lock-down mode. When in lock-down mode, the device may become inaccessible by any user, or alternatively may be accessed only if a security password is provided by the user.
US07825816B2
A sensing device arrangement for a fuel storage system is provided having at least one storage tank, a plurality of sensing devices positioned in or around the at least one storage tank, and a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of sensing devices. The controller is configured to communicate with each sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices on a single bi-directional data line. A sensing device of the plurality of sensing devices is activated by the controller. Data is acquired by the sensing device and transmitted to the controller over the data line. The controller instructs the sensing device to change to a low power state. The controller receives electrical characteristics from the plurality of sensing devices recognized on the data line and calculates a characteristic of the sensing device arrangement. The controller verifies compliance with an intrinsic safety barrier.
US07825813B2
Microprocessor technology is used to detect routine sounds in a substantially enclosed environment to determine normal or abnormal activity or noise within the environment (i.e., habitual behavior of an individual) A device is situated in a substantially enclosed environment with audio input device similar to a microphone and an optional visual display for interaction with the local users. The device has the ability to be controlled locally via key-pad or USB port connected to a local laptop computer, or remotely via a phone line or Ethernet connection to internet. The device further performs audio pattern recognition using waveform matching scheme to detect the occurrence of pre-programmed sounds representing routine activities. The microprocessor counts the number occurrence of each recognizable sound for a particular interval and over a length of a day or other duration and reports to a remote server. The remote server performs tracking and trending analysis to a web-based caregiver client. Significant changes are detected and reported to caregiver or family web-based client.
US07825805B2
Apparatus, systems, devices and methods for providing an orthogonal frequency coding technique for surface acoustic wave sensors incorporating the use of multiple parallel acoustic tracks to provide increased coding by phase shifting and delaying a code sequence. The surface acoustic wave sensor includes parallel tracks with multiple reflectors with differing delay offsets to form a complex code sequence. The reflectors may be uniform, but alternatively could include fingers withdrawn, have reflector position modulation, differing frequencies or be spatially weighted.
US07825792B2
Templates are used to define generic site layouts in terms of site-independent elements. The templates are customized by site-knowledgeable users and employed within a surveillance system.
US07825781B2
A tire pressure monitoring system is capable of ensuring accuracy of the rate of transmission of data via wireless communications without an increase in the number of oscillators and an increase in the cost. The tire pressure monitoring system includes a tire pressure measuring module. The tire pressure measuring module has a microcomputer, an activation control circuit, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a frequency divider, a transmitting circuit, and a battery. The microcomputer has a clock pulse generator, analog-to-digital converter circuits and a controller. The transmitting circuit has an oscillator circuit. The frequency divider divides the frequency of a carrier wave CW output from the oscillator circuit to generate a clock signal, and outputs the clock signal to the controller included in the microcomputer. The clock signal is used for the timing for outputting data to a data signal line DL. The clock signal for high precision data transmission can be generated without the need to provide an expensive oscillator in the microcomputer since the oscillator circuit is used in the transmitting circuit, and the clock signal used for data transmission by the microcomputer is generated by the inexpensive frequency divider.
US07825763B2
The current transformer comprises at least two partial circuits (CBn) each comprising a Rogowski type winding (Cn), each of said the partial circuits being made in the form of an angular portion of a complete circuit (CB) which surrounds at least one primary conductor (10, 10A, 10B, 10C) of the transformer over 360°. The winding (Cn) of each partial circuit (CBn) is constituted by a go winding (Cn0) and by a return winding (Cn1) which extend over the angular extent (θn) of the partial circuit (CBn). For each partial circuit (CBn), the go and return windings are electrically connected in series, both having turns wound in the same direction so as to form a single winding (Cn) which presents a pair of adjacent electrical terminations (T1n, T2n) connected to an acquisition system (7, 7′).
US07825756B2
The electro-magnetic relay comprises a contact block which is structured to uniformly maintain the contact resistance between the terminals of two circuits. Fixed contacts are provided for each of the terminals of the two circuits and each of two sets of a pair of movable contacts in positions corresponding to these is supported by two both-end-supported movable springs. An insulation sheet and a press spring are overlapped over the two movable springs and disposed as a bridge. A pair of tongues are formed on the press spring by a Z-character shaped cut and by an armature pressing their tips, the insulation sheet and press spring transforms to an upward concave shape, the two movable springs bend and are taken in inside while inclining and the movable contacts touch the fixed contacts while sliding.
US07825755B2
A semiconductor substrate; a cantilever which is formed on the semiconductor substrate so as to face the semiconductor substrate with an air layer therebetween, the cantilever being made from an electrically conductive material or a semiconductor material, and the cantilever being mechanically movable; a photodiode which is formed so as to be connected in parallel to a capacitance that is constituted from the cantilever and the semiconductor substrate, and the photodiode being formed between an anchor portion which is a portion of the cantilever and the semiconductor substrate; and a power source which supplies voltage via a resistance on a side of the cantilever which is a connection point of a parallel circuit including both the capacitance and the photodiode so as to be backward bias to the photodiode, are included.
US07825754B2
A variable resonator has a dielectric substrate 2, an input/output line 3 formed on the dielectric substrate 2, a first resonator 4 that has one end connected to the input/output line 3 and the other end grounded, and a second resonator that has one end connected to the input/output line 3 at the point of connection of the one end of the first resonator 4 and the other end grounded via a terminal switch 7. When the terminal switch 7 is turned off, resonance occurs at a frequency at which the sum of the line lengths of the first resonator 4 and the second resonator 6 equals to a quarter of the wavelength. When the terminal switch 7 is turned on, resonance occurs at a frequency at which a half of the sum of the line lengths equals to a quarter of the wavelength.
US07825753B2
A variable radio frequency band filter capable of varying the resonance frequency band comprises a housing having a support; a number of resonator rods arranged along the longitudinal direction of the housing; at least one tuning rod positioned on top of the resonator rods; a tuning support extending through the respective tuning rods along the longitudinal direction of the housing and adapted to slide on top of the respective resonator rods to vary the position of the tuning rods; and a frequency variation unit positioned on a lateral surface of the housing. The frequency variation unit being coupled to an end of the tuning support and adapted to vary the position of the tuning rods, as the tuning support is slid, according to the frequency band.
US07825750B2
Disclosed relates to an electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter. Capacitance and resistance or inductance of an EMI filter, which includes a resistor and a capacitor or an inductor and a capacitor, can be controlled, such that a cutoff frequency can be freely controlled without manufacturing a separate EMI filter according to a characteristic of a desired cutoff frequency. Further, an intelligent EMI filter that can be applied to a surge protection device, which includes an ESD protection function as well as the EMI filter, is provided, such that a process can be simplified and costs can be reduced.
US07825748B2
A tunable filter circuit having inputs IN1-IN2 and outputs OUT1-OUT2, comprising at least a primary four-pole circuit including in cascade: a first varactor having a first electrode connected to IN1 and a second electrode; a first inductive resistor connected between the second electrode of the varactor and input IN2, a secondary four-pole circuit comprising four BAW resonators. First and second of these resonators have a first electrode connected to a first input of the secondary four-pole circuit and a second electrode connected to first and second outputs of the secondary four-pole circuit, respectively. Similarly, third and fourth of these resonators have a first electrode connected to a second input of the secondary four-pole circuit and a second electrode connected to the second and first outputs of the secondary four-pole circuit, respectively. The circuit further comprises a second inductive resistor connected in parallel to the first and second outputs of the secondary four-pole circuit and a second varactor having a first electrode connected to the first output of the secondary four-pole circuit and a second electrode for connecting a second primary four-pole circuit having the same structure. This allows realization of a particularly effective tunable filter circuit with only four inductive resistors.
US07825740B2
In at least some embodiments, a communication system includes a receiver having a local oscillator (LO) for each of a plurality of frequency bands. Each LO is controlled by a separate phase-locked loop (PLL) that tracks carrier frequency offset (CFO) using a common phase error (CPE). The CPE is selectively weighted based on at least one inter-band frequency correlation (IFC) coefficient.
US07825738B2
Aspects of a method and system for implementing a low power, high performance fractional-N PLL synthesizer are provided. The synthesizer comprises a reference generator/buffer, a charge pump, a divider, a VCO, a loop filter, and a phase-frequency detector (PFD). The reference generator/buffer may increase the frequency of the input reference signal to the PFD. The PFD may generate a single signal for controlling the charge pump utilizing the increased frequency input reference signal and a divider signal generated by the divider whose input frequency may be substantially the same as that of a VCO output signal. The single signal charges a charge up portion of the charge pump and a charge down portion is charged by a leakage current. The VCO signal may be generated based on a filtered output of the charge pump generated by the loop filter. The divider may utilize true single phase clock (TSPC) logic.
US07825735B1
A transimpedance amplifier system is disclosed which simultaneously generates a low-gain output signal and a high-gain output signal from an input current signal using a single transimpedance amplifier having two different feedback loops with different amplification factors to generate two different output voltage signals. One of the feedback loops includes a resistor, and the other feedback loop includes another resistor in series with one or more diodes. The transimpedance amplifier system includes a signal linearizer to linearize one or both of the low- and high-gain output signals by scaling and adding the two output voltage signals from the transimpedance amplifier. The signal linearizer can be formed either as an analog device using one or two summing amplifiers, or alternately can be formed as a digital device using two analog-to-digital converters and a digital signal processor (e.g. a microprocessor or a computer).
US07825730B2
A bias circuit for the wireless transceiver is disclosed, which can be used for modulating the gain of the amplifier. The bias circuit comprises a first stage bias unit for receiving a constant current, a control voltage, and a first reference voltage and outputting a first outputting current, wherein the control voltage is used for controlling the value of the first outputting current, and further, the first outputting current can be increased or decreased by representing as an analog form, thus, the gain of the amplifier can be modulated according to the first outputting current, and the modulation of the gain can be represented as an analog form, such that the transient response occurred while the gain is modulated can be reduced.
US07825729B2
An operational amplifier includes an output unit, a voltage drop element and a feedback unit. The output unit is provided for sourcing an output current to an output of the operational amplifier when operating with a power unit for providing a current being multiple times the value of the output current. The voltage drop is provided for generating a voltage drop in accordance with the output current. The feedback unit is controlled with the voltage drop generated by the voltage drop element and controls the output unit and the power unit to regulate the output current in accordance with the voltage drop.
US07825721B2
Systems and methods for filtering analog signals corresponding to sensed parameters are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: sampling the analog signal to acquire a sequential series of data points; determining a first cumulative change in value with respect to a first of the data points relative to at least two subsequent data points in the series, the subsequent data points including a second of the data points; determining a second cumulative change in value with respect to the second of the data points relative to at least two data points adjacent to the second of the data points in the series, the at least two adjacent data points including an immediately preceding and an immediately succeeding one of the data points relative to the second of the data points; comparing the first cumulative change and the second cumulative change to respective data thresholds; and outputting a filtered analog signal based, at least in part, on results of the comparing.
US07825708B2
A first phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit includes an input for receiving a timing reference signal from an oscillator, a controllable oscillator circuit supplying an oscillator output signal, and a multi-modulus feedback divider circuit. A second control loop circuit is selectably coupled through a select circuit to supply a digital control value (M) to the multi-modulus feedback divider circuit of the first loop circuit to thereby control the oscillator output signal. While the second control loop is coupled to supply the control value to the feedback divider circuit, the control value is determined according to a detected difference between the oscillator output signal and a reference signal coupled to the second control loop circuit at a divider circuit. While the second control loop circuit is not coupled to control the first PLL circuit, the first PLL circuit receives a digital control value to control a divide ratio of the feedback divider, the digital control value is determined at least in part according to a stored control value stored in nonvolatile storage, the stored control value corresponding to a desired frequency of the oscillator output signal.
US07825707B2
A multiphase clock generation circuit (111) for generating a multiphase clock signal, a phase subdivision unit (113) for shifting a phase of the multiphase clock signal output from the multiphase clock generation circuit (111), and a clock selection unit (114) for selecting one of clock signals output from the phase subdivision unit (113) are provided. A PLL circuit (120) for receiving an output from a frequency division circuit (115) is further provided. The phase shift carried out by the phase subdivision unit (113) and the selection of the clock signal carried out by the clock selection unit (114) are controlled by a frequency control unit (112) to switch SSC ON/OFF and to change the bandwidth of the PLL circuit (120).
US07825706B2
There is provided a phase locked loop, PLL, that sets gain automatically. The PLL comprises a frequency discriminator for providing a first signal that represents the difference between a first frequency and a second frequency. The PLL also comprises a comparator coupled to the frequency discriminator for receiving the first signal and providing a second signal based on information from the first signal. The second signal is representative of a gain setting for the phase locked loop to set.
US07825703B2
A local oscillator includes a programmable frequency divider coupled to the output of a VCO. The frequency divider can be set to frequency divide by three. Regardless of the divisor, the frequency divider outputs quadrature signals (I, Q) that differ from each other in phase by ninety degrees. To divide by three, the frequency divider includes a divide-by-three frequency divider. The divide-by-three frequency divider includes a divide-by-three circuit, a delay circuit, and a feedback circuit. The divide-by-three circuit frequency divides a signal from the VCO and generates therefrom three signals C, A′ and B that differ from each other in phase by one hundred twenty degrees. The delay circuit delays signal A′ to generate a delayed version A of the signal A′. The feedback circuit controls the delay circuit such that the delayed version A (I) is ninety degrees out of phase with respect to the signal C (Q).
US07825699B2
A receiver circuit includes an offset control signal generating unit that outputs a plurality of offset control signals using an offset voltage. A sense amplifier receives a first current and a second current generated on the basis of an up input signal and a down input signal, respectively, converts the first current and the second current into an up compensating signal and a down compensating signal having electric potentials compensating the offset voltage, and amplifies the up compensating signal and the down compensating signal to output an up output signal and a down output signal.
US07825698B2
Method and means for random or systematic mismatch compensation for a memory sensing system are disclosed. A sense amplifier includes a bulk voltage source to set the bulk of the sensing transistor to be a voltage different than the voltage driving the sensing transistor. For an NMOS sensing transistor, a triple well is used with the variable bulk voltage. Differential sense amplifiers with various offset compensation are included. Intentional offset creation for useful purpose is also included.
US07825697B2
A signal detection circuit is used for detecting signal squelch of a differential input signal to generate a corresponding digital output signal. The signal detection circuit includes: a reference voltage generator for generating a reference voltage of which the common mode voltage tracks the common mode voltage of the input signal; a real-time signal judgment circuit, real-time rectifying and amplifying a difference between the input signal and the reference voltage; and a deglitch circuit, sampling and/or amplifying an output signal of the real-time signal judgment circuit, and transforming sampling results into the digital output signal to reflect signal squelch of the differential input signal.
US07825692B2
An apparatus for supplying current to a semiconductor memory device. A current supply circuit supplies current to an input/output (I/O) drive circuit responsive to a pattern of data input to the I/O drive circuit. The current supply circuit configured to supply current generated by an external voltage to the I/O drive circuit responsive to a first pattern of data input to the I/O drive circuit, and to prevent the current generated by the external voltage from being supplied to the I/O drive circuit responsive to a second pattern of data input to the I/O drive circuit.
US07825691B2
A transmission circuit and related method are disclosed. A transmitter in the transmission circuit has CMOS transistors as driving units for responding an input signal to drive an output signal at an output node, and each driving unit has a corresponding charge unit formed by a capacitor-connected MOS of a same type as that of the corresponding driving unit. Each charge unit is controlled by an auxiliary signal inverse to the input signal. When a level transition occurs in the input signal, the charge unit can compensate charge injection and clock feed-through caused by the driving unit at the output node, and form peaks for pre-emphasis. In this way, a better transmission property can be realized by using a simpler and low-power circuit design.
US07825690B2
A method for forming a decouple capacitor of an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit including a core circuit and a plurality of I/O circuits coupled to the core circuit, includes cutting part of a plurality of lines in at least one specific circuit of the I/O circuits to form decouple capacitors of the integrated circuit.
US07825683B2
On die termination (ODT) device that can reduce the number of lines for transferring calibration codes to reduce the size of a chip including the ODT device. The ODT device includes a calibration circuit configured to generate calibration codes for determining a termination resistance, a counting circuit configured to generate counting codes increasing with time. A transferring circuit of the device is configured sequentially to transfer the calibration codes in response to the counting codes. A receiving circuit is configured sequentially to receive the calibration codes from the transferring circuit in response to the counting codes. A termination resistance circuit of the device is configured to perform impedance matching using a resistance determined according to the calibration codes.
US07825677B2
A test jig is for testing electrical characteristics of a high frequency semiconductor device in a package having a ground electrode and a high frequency signal electrode. The test jig includes a test circuit substrate with a microstrip line structure, a grounding block and a high frequency signal contact pin. The test circuit substrate includes an insulating substrate, a ground conductor on a bottom surface of the insulating substrate and high frequency signal wiring on a top surface of the insulating substrate. The grounding block is disposed on the top surface of the insulating substrate and connected to the ground conductor. The high frequency signal contact pin is disposed on the top surface of the insulating substrate and connected to the high frequency signal wiring. The high frequency signal contact pin is spaced from the grounding block.
US07825675B2
A probe card assembly can comprise a first source of compliance and a second source of compliance. The probe card assembly can further comprise a controller, which can be configured to apportion a total compliance demand placed on the probe card assembly between the first source of compliance and the second source of compliance.
US07825670B2
A measuring apparatus for measuring capacitance of a capacitor includes a microprocessor, a control circuit coupled to the capacitor, and an Analog-to-Digital (A/D) converting circuit. The control circuit receives a control signal from the microprocessor, and outputs an analog voltage signal of the capacitor, and the control circuit charges/discharges the capacitor according to the control signal. The A/D converting circuit receives the analog voltage signal from the control circuit, and outputs a digital voltage signal. The microprocessor receives the digital voltage signal from the A/D converting circuit, and calculates capacitance of the capacitor according to the digital voltage signal and charge/discharge time.
US07825668B2
A method related to a process for treating pharmaceutical contents in a pharmaceutical processing vessel is provided. The contents have a number of predefined parameters of variable values. According to the method electromagnetic radiation of various frequencies is transmitted into the vessel and its contents. Electromagnetic radiation which has interacted with the contents is received. Based on the received electromagnetic radiation, a respective value of a physical quantity related to the contents is determining for a plurality of said frequencies. A combination of values of said predefined parameters which would, for said plurality of frequencies, approximately result in the determined values of said physical quantity is determined.
US07825666B2
There is provided a test apparatus for testing a device under test, which includes a voltage supplying section that supplies a voltage to the device under test through a wire, a first capacitor that is arranged between the wire and a common potential in series, a current detecting section that detects a current flowing through the wire at a location closer to the device under test than the first capacitor is, an integrating section that outputs an integration value obtained by integrating a difference between the current detected by the current detecting section and a predetermined reference current, and a judging section that judges whether the device under test is a pass or a failure based on the integration value.
US07825658B2
A magnetic device includes: a magnetoresistive effect element having a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a nonmagnetic layer sandwiched between the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer; an input terminal for feeding an AC signal to the magnetoresistive effect element in its stacking direction; and an output terminal for extracting an output voltage from the magnetoresistive effect element, wherein the nomagnetic layer includes an insulating layer portion comprising an insulating material, and a current-constricting layer portion comprising a conductive material which passes through the insulating layer portion in its film thickness direction.
US07825654B2
Methods are provided for calibrating a tachometer or generator device to reduce residual errors associated with the tachometer-generator device. A shim structure is positioned within the air gap of the tachometer-generator device. A physical characteristic or location of placement of the shim structure is selected to reduce variation in an output voltage of the tachometer-generator device.
US07825639B1
A system and method is disclosed for minimizing power consumption in a reference voltage circuit. A capacitor is coupled to a reference voltage circuit and charged to a voltage that equals the reference voltage of the reference voltage circuit. The capacitor is then decoupled from the reference voltage circuit and power to the reference voltage circuit is turned off. The capacitor then provides the capacitor voltage to other circuits as a reference voltage. After a selected period of time has elapsed since the capacitor was last charged to the reference voltage, the reference voltage circuit is turned on and the capacitor is again coupled to the reference voltage circuit. The reference voltage circuit then recharges the capacitor to the reference voltage level. This process is repeated to periodically charge the capacitor to the reference voltage.
US07825637B2
A capacitive load is controlled by charging and respectively discharging by way of a load current, which is allowed to oscillate between a maximum default and a minimum default. The maximum default increases monotonously in a first step, remains essentially constant in a second step, and decreases monotonously in a third step during a charging process. The minimum default decreases monotonously in a first step, remains essentially constant in a second step, and increases monotonously in a third step during a discharging process. A variable temporal overlap of the third step of the charging process and the first step of the subsequent discharging process is provided to set a required degree of charging. This results in a high level of resolution and reproducibility of the control.
US07825636B2
One or more buttons, located either on a battery pack or on an electronic device powered by the battery pack, that allow the user to charge the battery of a portable device faster than normal. Electronic circuitry is provided for activating the charge mode choices.
US07825631B2
A battery management system for managing a plurality of subsystem circuits and functions of a mobile communication device powered by a battery is disclosed. The battery management system includes a battery monitoring circuit, a user interface, and a battery management module. The battery monitoring circuit is operable to monitor a present battery capacity and generate a battery capacity signal based on the present battery capacity. The user interface is operable to receive a user-input allocation of battery capacity among the subsystem circuits and functions. The battery management module is operable to receive the user-input allocation and the battery capacity signal, and to selectively disable each subsystem circuit or function when each subsystem circuit or function has depleted its allocation of battery capacity.
US07825620B2
A controller and a constant measuring apparatus have a means for supplying a synthesized current, resulting from superimposing an AC current to a DC current, from an inverter and for changing the DC current component of the synthesized current continuously or discontinuously. Accordingly, the controller and constant measuring apparatus can measure inductances, which are electric constants of the AC motor, with high accuracy and can use the measured inductances for control.
US07825618B2
A vehicle-mounted display device comprises a display mounted to a shaft, and operable to revolve with the rotation of the shaft; a transmission mechanism for coupling an output shaft of a motor with the shaft; a control module for controlling the motor; a baffle plate located at any position that enables it to rotate in synchronism with the rotation of the display, and a detection module for detecting the baffle plate. During the rotation of the display, when the detecting module does not detect the baffle plate in a predetermined period of time, the control module causes the motor to stop running or to turn in a reverse direction. This vehicle-mounted display device not only is reliably operable and electronically controllable, but also has anti-clamping and self-protection functions and has a simple structure and low cost.
US07825612B2
There is provided a LED array driving apparatus for driving a light emitting array having a plurality of LEDs connected to one another, including: a DC-DC converting part; a current/voltage detecting part detecting a magnitude of a first current flowing through a switching transistor of the DC-DC current converting part to correspondingly output a first current detection voltage, detecting a magnitude of a both-end voltage of the LED array to correspondingly output a LED array detection voltage, and detecting a magnitude of a current flowing through the LED array to correspondingly output a second current detection voltage; and a constant current controlling part controlling an on/off duty of the switching transistor according to the magnitude of the first current detection voltage, the second current detection voltage and the LED array detection voltage detected by the current/voltage detecting part.
US07825610B2
Power management in a light emitting diode (LED) system having a plurality of LED strings is disclosed. A voltage source provides an output voltage to drive the LED strings. An LED driver monitors the tail voltages of the active LED strings to identify the minimum, or lowest, tail voltage and adjusts the output voltage of the voltage source based on the lowest tail voltage. The LED driver can adjust the output voltage so as to maintain the lowest tail voltage at or near a predetermined threshold voltage so as to ensure that the output voltage is sufficient to properly drive each active LED string with a regulated current in view of pulse width modulation (PWM) performance requirements without excessive power consumption.
US07825609B2
An electronic ballast for driving a gas discharge lamp includes a rectifier to convert an AC mains input voltage to a rectified voltage, a filter circuit for producing a DC bus voltage, an inverter for converting the bus voltage to a high-frequency AC voltage for driving the lamp, an output circuit for supplying an essentially sinusoidal voltage to the lamp, a control circuit for controlling the inverter, and a flyback cat-ear power supply for powering the control circuit. The power supply supplies current to the inverter when the rectified voltage is less than a predetermined level, and draws current only when the inverter is not drawing current directly from the AC mains, so as to make the input current to the ballast substantially sinusoidal. The ballast thus has substantially improved power factor and THD, and operates more efficiently.
US07825606B2
A kind of fluorescent lamp driver power consists of a multi-switch converting circuit, a power transformer, a resonant inductor, a resonant capacitor, a step-up transformer and a rectifier. The primary winding of the power transformer connects with an AC output of multi-switch converting circuit. The resonant inductor and the resonant capacitor are connect to the secondary winding of the power transformer through the primary winding of the step-up transformer. The secondary winding of the power transformer connects with the rectifier. The secondary winding of the step-up transformer connects with the load output. This invention combines the fluorescent lamp driver power and the power supply of the control system, so that energy transformation occurs only once for the output from the Power Factor Correction Circuit to lamp.
US07825605B2
The present invention discloses a DC/AC converter in the backlight power supply system using cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL). The DC/AC converter comprises a front end DC/DC converter, a full-bridge or half bridge inverter, and a piezoelectric transformer. Even with a wide range of input voltages, the front end DC/DC converter produces a predetermined DC voltage or a DC voltage with a predetermined small range and the cascaded inverter operates with a switching frequency close to the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transformer, which helps the backlight power supply system achieve high efficiency.
US07825596B2
A full color three electrode surface discharge type plasma display device that has fine image elements and is large and has a bright display. The three primary color luminescent areas are arranged in the extending direction of the display electrode pairs in a successive manner and an image element is composed by the three unit luminescent areas defined by these three luminescent areas and address electrodes intersecting these three luminescent areas. Further, phosphors are coated not only on a substrate but also on the side walls of the barriers and on address electrodes. The manufacturing processes and operation methods of the above constructions are also disclosed.
US07825589B2
A display device includes a thin film transistor formed on an insulating substrate; a first electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; a conductive polymer layer formed on the first electrode; a low molecular weight organic layer formed on the conductive polymer layer; a polymer light emitting layer formed on the low molecular weight organic layer; and a second electrode formed on the light emitting layer. With this configuration, a display device, which is capable of reducing pixel defects, can be provided.
US07825583B2
An organic EL device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The organic EL device comprises a substrate having a first electrode arranged on an active region, at least one organic material layer formed on the first electrode, a second electrode formed on the organic material layer so as to extend to an inactive region of the substrate to allow heat of the device to be dissipated to an outside therethrough, and a seal-cup facing the second electrode while being sealingly connected with the second electrode at a seal line via a sealant. The organic EL device can effectively lower an interior temperature of the device while preventing degradation thereof, thereby remarkably increasing lifetime thereof, and enhance interface stability of the device, thereby remarkably suppressing degradation in characteristics of the device.
US07825582B2
A flexible display of the present invention is an active matrix flexible display in which a TFT is provided for each pixel. In the flexible display, an adhesive layer, a protective layer, a gate electrode for the TFT, which is buried in the protective layer, a gate insulating layer for the TFT, source and drain electrodes for the TFT, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode, an organic active layer for the TFT, an organic EL layer including a red (R) emitting layer, a green (G) emitting layer and a blue (B) emitting layer, which are formed on a plurality of the pixel electrodes, a metal electrode, and a sealing layer are formed on a plastic film.
US07825581B2
A method for manufacturing an organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) display which includes first and second pixels each displaying a different color, the method includes: sequentially depositing a first transparent conductive layer and a translucent conductive layer; forming an intermediate first electrode on the second pixel by photolithography and etching of the translucent conductive layer; depositing a second transparent conductive layer on the intermediate first electrode and the first transparent conductive layer; forming a first electrode of the first pixel which includes upper and lower layers on the first pixel and a first electrode of the second pixel which includes a lower first electrode, an intermediate first electrode, and an upper first electrode by photolithography and etching of the second transparent conductive layer and the first transparent conductive layer; forming an emission layer on the first electrodes of the first and second pixels; and forming a second electrode on the emission layer.
US07825580B2
A fluorophor comprising, as a main component, an α-type sialon crystal which contains at least an A element (wherein A represents one or more elements selected from among Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Er, Tm and Yb), an M element (wherein M represents one or more elements selected from among Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Y, La, Gd and Lu), Si, Al, oxygen and nitrogen, and is represented by the general formula: (Mx, Ay)(Si12−(m+n)Alm+n)(OnN16−n) (1) m=δM×x+δA×y (2) 0.2≦x≦2.4 (3) 0.001≦y≦0.4 (4) and 0.5×m
US07825572B2
A spark plug including a center electrode; an insulator; and a metal shell, wherein the metal shell includes: a mounting portion; a cylindrical portion; a seal portion; a crimping portion; and a buckled portion all as defined herein, and a relationship A
US07825565B2
A driving apparatus (100u) is provided with: a first base portion (110-1); a first stage portion (130-1); a first elastic portion (120-1) which has elasticity to displace the first stage portion in one direction (X axis); a second stage portion (130-2) which is disposed on the first stage portion and on which a driven object (12) is mounted; a second elastic portion (120-2) which has elasticity to displace the second stage portion in other direction (Y axis); a first applying device (141, 142, 143, 22) for applying a first excitation force for displacing the first stage portion such that the first stage portion is resonated in the one direction at a resonance frequency determined by the first stage portion and the first elastic portion; and a second applying device (161, 162, 22) for applying a second excitation force for displacing the second stage portion at a phase shifted by approximately 90 degrees from a phase of the displacement of the first stage portion such that the second stage portion is resonated in the other direction at a resonance frequency determined by the second stage portion and the second elastic portion.
US07825563B2
In an insulator to be inserted into each slot to be attached to adjacent teeth formed at a rotor or a stator of an electric rotating machine, the insulator is composed of insulator segments that are made divisible in a longitudinal direction parallel to a rotational axis of the rotor at a position corresponding to 2 slots and are made divisible in a lateral direction perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotor, the insulator segments have surfaces to be coupled to each other of a same shape in the lateral direction, and the insulator segments have a creepage distance that is made longer than a distance in the lateral direction, thereby enabling to elongate the creepage distance and to improve work efficiency.
US07825560B2
A motor that reduces a cogging torque and rotates at a high speed is presented. The motor comprises: a shaft, a plurality of core blocks coupled to the shaft, a plurality of permanent magnets inserted into each of the core blocks, and an aligning unit, coaxial with the shaft, and disposed between the shaft and the core blocks. The core block includes a plurality of core sheets each having at least a pair of flux barriers formed to be symmetrical to each other about a line of symmetry. A first rib lies along the line of symmetry and a separate anti-deformation rib is positioned within each of the pair of flux barriers. Accordingly, a skew process for a rotor is facilitated. An anti-deformation rib within the flux barrier provides structural integrity for the core block. Accordingly, when the rotor is rotated with a high speed, a bridge is prevented from being deformed.
US07825552B2
A variable reluctance electric machine comprising a rotor and a stator; the stator having two or more electromagnetic windings and the rotor having a plurality of salient poles, the salient poles defining axially extending cooling fluid channels; wherein the salient poles and the cooling fluid channels are circumferentially skewed along at least a part of their length whereby in use the cooling fluid channels impel cooling fluid in a substantially axial direction towards the electromagnetic windings and the stator to facilitate heat transfer and dissipation from the windings.
US07825545B2
Energy conservation and control systems, devices, processes and methods are disclosed. The conservation and control systems, devices, processes and methods may be used or performed in combination with one or more electronic devices and systems comprising a plurality of devices, such as but not limited to entertainment systems and other appliance systems. The invention comprises in some embodiments control systems, devices, processes and methods, alone or in combination with or performed with the electronic devices or accessory devices generally, such as remote controls or other accessory hardware. The invention in some embodiments are conservation and control retention devices, as well as methods and processes thereof, having an accessory device retention element and a conservation function element configured with the accessory device retention element. The conservation and control retention device and methods and processes provide functionality such that when the user of an accessory device inserts the accessory device into the accessory device retention element, not only is the accessory device retained but the conservation function element removes power to the one or more electronic devices.
US07825544B2
There is elucidated a device (10) comprising first and second magnetic cores (30, 40; 30a, 30b, 30c, 40a, 40b, 40c) forming a magnetic circuit. The circuit includes a first set of electrical windings (300, 310) for magnetically coupling a first electrical signal through the device (10) via a first magnetic path (350) in the circuit. The circuit includes a second set of electrical windings (400, 410) for magnetically coupling a second electrical signal through the device (10) via a second magnetic path (450) in the circuit. The paths (350, 450) are partially spatially intersecting. The sets of windings (300, 310, 400, 410) are configured so that: (a) the first set of windings (300, 310) is sensitive to magnetic flux in the first magnetic path (350), and insensitive to magnetic flux in the second magnetic path (450); and (b) the second set of windings (400, 410) is sensitive to magnetic flux in the second magnetic path (450), and insensitive to magnetic flux in the first magnetic path (350). The first and second cores (30, 40; 30a, 30b, 30c, 40a, 40b, 40c) enable relative motion (50) there between whilst coupling the signals through the circuit. The device (10) is beneficially employed in a medical system (800).
US07825536B2
An intelligent power system includes one or more common power sources and one or more subsystem components interconnected with the common power sources. Each common power source includes a regulated bus, an unregulated bus, a sensor, a controller and a plurality of switches operated by the controller. A subsystem component includes a regulated bus, an unregulated bus, a power source, a sensor, a controller and a plurality of switches operated by the controller. With such a configuration, the system is able detect and isolate failed segments of the power system and is reconfigurable to restore power.
US07825535B2
A self-coupled transformer boostbuck circuit includes a first transformer having a first winding, a second winding and a third winding, a first switch having a first voltage output at its one end, a second switch, a second transformer, a third switch having a second voltage output at its one end, a fourth switch, a fifth switch having a third voltage output at its one end, and a sixth switch.
US07825531B2
A hydraulic power generating device may include a power generating hydraulic turbine having a plurality of first blades projected on an outer peripheral side and a cylindrical plate part which may be coaxially structured with a rotating center axial line of the power generating hydraulic turbine at a position adjacent in an axial direction to the first blades, and an ejection port for ejecting water may be opened both to the first blade and to the cylindrical plate part. Further, hydraulic power generating device may include a power generating hydraulic turbine having a hollow cylindrical body, a first cylindrical radial bearing and a second cylindrical radial bearing. The second radial bearing may be positioned at a second end part of the hollow cylindrical body with a shaft hole of the first radial bearing as the reference.
US07825522B2
A device fabricated on a chip is disclosed. The device generally includes (A) a first pattern and a second pattern both created in an intermediate conductive layer of the chip, (B) at least one via created in an insulating layer above the intermediate conductive layer and (C) a first bump created in a top conductive layer above the insulating layer. The first pattern generally establishes a first of a plurality of plates of a first capacitor. The via may be aligned with the second pattern. The first bump may (i) be located directly above the first plate, (ii) establish a second of the plates of the first capacitor, (iii) be suitable for flip-chip bonding and (iv) connect to the second pattern through the via such that both of the plates of the first capacitor are accessible in the intermediate conductive layer.
US07825518B2
A semiconductor device including: a semiconductor substrate including an electrode; a resin protrusion formed on the semiconductor substrate; and an interconnect electrically connected to the electrode and formed to extend over the resin protrusion. The interconnect includes a first portion formed on a top surface of the resin protrusion and a second portion formed on a side of a lower portion of the resin protrusion. The second portion has a width smaller than a width of the first portion.
US07825515B2
A semiconductor device includes a film containing silicon as the main ingredient, and an aluminum alloy film, such as a source electrode and a drain electrode, that is directly connected to the film containing silicon as the main ingredient, such as an ohmic low-resistance Si film, and contains at least Al, Ni, and N in the vicinity of the bonding interface. The Aluminum alloy film has a good contact characteristic when directly connected to the film containing silicon as the main ingredient without having a barrier layer formed of high melting point metal.
US07825504B2
Disclosed is a semiconductor package and a multi-chip semiconductor package. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip having bonding pads located at a center portion thereof; redistribution patterns extending from the bonding pads toward one edge of the semiconductor chip; and dummy bump pads located adjacent to another edge of the semiconductor chip which is opposite the one edge.
US07825502B2
Disclosed are semiconductor die packages having overlapping dice, systems that use such packages, and methods of making such packages. An exemplary die package comprises a leadframe, a first semiconductor die, and a second semiconductor die that has a recessed portion in one of its surfaces. The first die is disposed over a first portion of the leadframe, and the second die is disposed over a second portion of the leadframe with its recess portion overlying at least a portion of the first die. Another exemplary die package comprises a leadframe with a recessed area, a first semiconductor die disposed in the recessed area, and a second semiconductor die overlying at least a portion of the first die. Preferably, electrically conductive regions of both dice are electrically coupled to a conductive region of the leadframe to provide an interconnection between dice that has very low parasitic capacitance and inductance.
US07825499B2
A semiconductor package 60 in which a region where a land pad 18 is formed is provided on an outer side of a region in which a flip-chip connecting pad 16 is formed, wherein a protecting member 39 is formed to expose the land pad 18 in the region in which the land pad 18 is formed, and the protecting member 39 includes a frame-shaped structure portion 39A disposed to surround the flip-chip connecting pad 16 and a support film portion 39B disposed on an outer side of the frame-shaped structure portion 39A, and a semiconductor device 70 using the semiconductor package 60.
US07825483B2
An MEMS sensor of the present invention includes a substrate, a lower thin film provided on a surface of the substrate, an upper thin film opposed to the lower thin film at an interval on the side opposite to the substrate, and a wall portion surrounding the lower thin film and the upper thin film and protruding on the side opposite to the lower thin film with respect to the upper thin film.
US07825482B2
A semiconductor device includes: an isolation region formed in a semiconductor substrate; a first active region and a second active region surrounded by the isolation region; an n-type gate electrode and a p-type gate electrode formed on gate insulating films; an insulating film and a silicon region formed on the isolation region and isolating the n-type gate electrode and the p-type gate electrode from each other; and a metal silicide film formed on the upper surfaces of the n-type gate electrode, the silicon region, the p-type gate electrode, and part of the insulating film formed therebetween. The n-type gate electrode is electrically connected to the p-type gate electrode through the metal silicide film.
US07825480B2
The characteristics of a semiconductor device including a trench-gate power MISFET are improved. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having an active region where the power MISFET is provided and an outer circumferential region which is located circumferentially outside the active region and where a breakdown resistant structure is provided, a pattern formed of a conductive film provided over the substrate in the outer circumferential region with an insulating film interposed therebetween, another pattern isolated from the pattern, and a gate electrode terminal electrically coupled to the gate electrodes of the power MISFET and provided in a layer over the conductive film. The conductive film of the pattern is electrically coupled to the gate electrode terminal, while the conductive film of another pattern is electrically decoupled from the gate electrode terminal.
US07825469B2
The present disclosure is directed to a CMOS active pixel sensor that compensates for variations in a threshold voltage of a source follower contained therein. A structure in accordance with an embodiment includes: a replica source follower transistor; a system for creating a current in said replica source follower transistor such that a gate-source voltage of said replica source follower is substantially equal to a threshold voltage of said replica source follower; and a current mirror for biasing the isolation source follower transistor at a same current density as the replica source follower transistor.
US07825453B2
A semiconductor device includes a memory cell gate structure having a first gate insulating film, a first gate electrode, a second gate insulating film, and a second gate electrode, a select gate structure having a third gate insulating film and a third gate electrode including a first electrode portion, a second electrode portion, and a third electrode portion between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion, a first impurity diffusion layer formed in a surface area of the semiconductor substrate and located at a portion which corresponds to an area between the memory cell gate structure and the first electrode portion, and a second impurity diffusion layer formed in a surface area of the semiconductor substrate and located at a portion which corresponds to an area between the first electrode portion and second electrode portion.
US07825442B2
In a semiconductor device of the present invention, an N type epitaxial layer is formed on a P type silicon substrate. In the epitaxial layer, P type diffusion layers as a base region, N type diffusion layers as collector regions and an N type diffusion layer as an emitter region are formed. In this event, the P type diffusion layers are formed so as to have a double diffusion structure, and an impurity concentration in a surface of the base region and in a region adjacent thereto is set high. This structure enables improvement in high frequency characteristics and in a current amplification factor while maintaining breakdown voltage characteristics of an NPN transistor.
US07825440B1
A suspended-membrane/suspended-substrate monolithic microwave integrated circuit module and method of making same. The device contains a plurality of active devices, such as transistors, a plurality of transmission mediums connected to the active devices; and a substrate having a first portion supporting the active devices and the transmission mediums thereon, and further having a plurality of discrete second portions extending from the first portion. The method teaches how to manufacture the device.
US07825433B2
A semiconductor device having a silicide film above source-drain regions comprises an element isolation insulating film which is provided so as to enclose an element forming region of a semiconductor substrate whose main component is silicon and contains silicon oxide as a main component, a gate electrode which is formed above the element forming region via a gate insulating film, diffused layers which are formed in the semiconductor substrate so as to sandwich a channel region below the gate electrode, semiconductor regions which are formed so as to sandwich the channel region and diffused regions and are composed of semiconductor material whose lattice constant differs from that of silicon, a silicon nitride film which is formed between the semiconductor regions and the element isolation insulating film and above the lowest part of the semiconductor regions, and a conducting film which is formed at the surface of the semiconductor regions.
US07825419B2
A high-quality light emitting device is provided which has a long-lasting light emitting element free from the problems of conventional ones because of a structure that allows less degradation, and a method of manufacturing the light emitting device is provided. After a bank is formed, an exposed anode surface is wiped using a PVA (polyvinyl alcohol)-based porous substance or the like to level the surface and remove dusts from the surface. An insulating film is formed between an interlayer insulating film on a TFT and the anode. Alternatively, plasma treatment is performed on the surface of the interlayer insulating film on the TFT for surface modification.
US07825407B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes steps of forming a gate electrode over a light-transmitting substrate, forming a gate insulating layer containing an inorganic material over the gate electrode and the substrate, forming an organic layer containing a photopolymerizable reactive group over the gate insulating layer, polymerizing selectively the organic layer by irradiating the organic layer with light from back side of the substrate, using the gate electrode as a mask, forming an organic polymer layer by removing a residue of the organic layer, being other than polymerized, forming an organosilane film including a hydrolytic group over the gate insulating layer in a region other than a region in which the organic polymer layer is formed, forming source and drain electrodes by applying a composition containing a conductive material over the organic polymer layer, and forming a semiconductor layer over the gate electrode, the source and drain electrodes.
US07825406B2
An organic EL device comprising a semiconductor element A having a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, a semiconductor element B having a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode of the semiconductor element A, and an organic EL element having a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode of the semiconductor element B, in which the source electrode and the drain electrode of the semiconductor element A and the gate electrode of the semiconductor element B are set on the same plane.
US07825402B2
The present invention presents devices and methods for localized control and transport of excitons as well as separate processing of holes and electrons in a device with an optical input and an optical output. An example optoelectronic device includes a coupled or wide quantum well structure. Optical input and optical output electrodes are arranged over regions that are separated by a gate electrode region. The coupled or wide quantum well structure is dimensioned and formed from materials that create a nonzero distance d between the separated electron and hole of an excitors formed in response to the input. The flow of excitons (separated electrons and holes) between the optical input and optical output can be controlled by a voltage potentials applied to the localized gate electrode, optical input, and output electrodes.
US07825397B2
Random access memory cells having a short phase change bridge structure and methods of making the bridge structure via shadow deposition. The short bridge structure reduces the heating efficiency needed to switch the logic state of the memory cell. In one particular embodiment, the memory cell has a first electrode and a second electrode with a gap therebetween. The first electrode has an end at least partially non-orthogonal to the substrate and the second electrode has an end at least partially non-orthogonal to the substrate. A phase change material bridge extends over at least a portion of the first electrode, over at least a portion of the second electrode, and within the gap. An insulative material encompasses at least a portion of the phase change material bridge.
US07825394B2
Methods and apparatus are described for retrieving information from a storage medium. A first portion of the surface of the storage medium is exposed to stimulating light which diffuses in the storage medium under a second portion of the surface adjacent the first portion. The second portion of the surface is shielded from exposure to the stimulating light. Stimulated light corresponding to the information is received with at least one detector positioned to receive the stimulated light via the second portion of the surface of the storage medium. The stimulated light is released from the storage medium in response to the stimulating light diffused under the second portion of the surface.
US07825390B2
An apparatus for forming a beam of electromagnetic radiation includes a plasma radiation source, and a foil trap provided with a plurality of thin foils that extend substantially parallel to the direction of radiation from the plasma source. A grid is disposed between the plasma radiation source and the foil trap. A space is located between the grid and the foil trap. The apparatus also include an electrical potential application circuit that is constructed and arranged to apply an electrical potential to the grid so that the grid repels electrons emitted by the plasma radiation source and creates a positive space charge between the grid and the foil trap to deflect ions emitted by the plasma radiation source to the foil trap.
US07825386B2
System and method for charged particle beam. According an embodiment, the present invention provides a charged particle beam apparatus. The apparatus includes a charged particle source for generating a primary charged particle beam. The apparatus also includes at least one condenser lens for pre-focusing the primary charge particle beam. Furthermore, the apparatus includes a compound objective lens for forming the magnetic field and the electrostatic field to focus the primary charged particle beam onto a specimen in the charged particle beam path. The specimen includes a specimen surface. The compound objective lens includes a conical magnetic lens, an immersion magnetic lens, and an electrostatic lens, the conical magnetic lens including an upper pole piece, a shared pole piece being electrically insulated from the upper pole piece, and an excitation coil.
US07825384B1
A quantum detector array is provided. The array includes a semiconductor substrate and an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor substrate. The epitaxial layer includes a plurality of binary quantum sensor elements operable in breakdown mode to generate signals, logic elements, and a digital processing circuit. The binary quantum sensor elements each have a radiation-sensitive drift region and amplification region with a pn junction for detecting radiation from a radiation-emission source. The logic elements are each electrically interconnected to a corresponding binary sensor element of the plurality of binary quantum sensor elements for resetting the corresponding binary sensor element, generating digital information based on the signals received from the corresponding binary sensor element, and outputting the digital information. The digital processing circuit carries out digital processing of logic and time signals from the binary sensor elements.
US07825381B2
A micromechanical device including an improved sensing element and improved bending elements is described. Sensing elements include multi-layered structures which are thinner, lighter, and flatter than structures presently known within the related arts. Bending elements include structures which separately respond to illumination by an infrared source so as to twist a sensing element. Micromechanical pixels may be arranged to form two-dimensional arrays of infrared sensitive pixels. Arrays of micromechanical pixels are applicable to imaging devices for use within the fields of security and surveillance, firefighting, automotive safety, and industrial monitoring.
US07825377B2
An electron beam apparatus with an aberration corrector using multipole lenses is provided. The electron beam apparatus has a scan mode for enabling the operation of the aberration corrector and a scan mode for disabling the operation of the aberration corrector and the operation of each of the aberration corrector, a condenser lens, and the like is controlled such that the object point of an objective lens does not change in either of the scan modes. If a comparison is made between the secondary electron images of a specimen in the two modes, the image scaling factor and the focus remain unchanged and evaluation and adjustment can be performed by distinctly recognizing only the effect of the aberration corrector. This reduces the time required to adjust an optical axis which has been long due to an axial alignment defect inherent in the aberration corrector and an axial alignment defect in a part other than the aberration corrector which are indistinguishably intermingled with each other.
US07825374B2
A tandem mass spectrometer includes a linear time-of-flight mass analyzer and curved field reflectron mass analyzer. The curved-field reflectron mass analyzer is disposed at an end of the linear time-of-flight mass analyzer such that ions having a plurality of ion masses formed in the linear time-of-flight analyzer such that ions having a plurality of ion masses formed in the linear time-of-flight analyzer enter the curved-field reflectron mass analyzer. The tandem mass spectrometer also includes a mass selection gate disposed between the time-of-flight mass analyzer and the curved-field reflectron mass analyzer. The mass selection gate selects an ion mass from the plurality of ion masses. Furthermore, the tandem mass spectrometer also includes a dissociating component located in a path of the ions formed in the linear time-of-flight analyzer. The dissociating component causes dissociation of the ions into a plurality of ion fragments.
US07825367B2
[Problems to be Solved] To provide a rotary encoder capable of carrying out self-calibration for a horizontal encoder as well as a vertical encoder without requiring special equipment and simply and inexpensively with a high degree of accuracy while reducing the burden on a worker.[Means for Solving the Problems] In a rotary encoder including: a rotary disk (1) with an angle code (11); a light source that irradiates the angle code; a CCD linear sensor (3) that reads the angle code; and a processing unit that acquires a reading value f(θ) based on the angle code read by the CCD linear sensor, every time the rotary disk is rotated by a predetermined angle, where a rotation angle of the rotary disk is provided as θ and an angle from the rotation angle θ is provided as φ, based on a change in a difference g(θ,φ) between reading values f(θ+φ) and f(θ) within a reading range on the CCD linear sensor, the difference g(θ,φ) is determined as a Fourier series, and self-calibration of the reading value f(θ) of 0 to 360° is carried out based on the result.
US07825364B1
An optical antenna assembly including multiple optical antenna elements, each of the optical antenna elements are arranged in a regular pattern and carried by a supporting body. The regular pattern of the plurality of optical antenna elements is nonuniform. Certain ones of the optical antenna elements are configured to respond to the one or more waves of light.
US07825360B2
This is an optical apparatus provided with an objective with a correction collar for correcting aberration due to an error in the optical thickness of a piece of cover glass comprising a focusing mechanism for changing a distance between the objective and the sample, an optical thickness detecting unit for detecting the optical thickness of the cover glass, an operating unit for calculating the amount of aberration correction, based on the optical thickness of the cover glass detected by the optical thickness detecting unit, a driver unit for driving a correction collar, based on the amount of aberration correction calculated by the operating unit and an imaging sensor for forming the image of the sample that passes through the objective.
US07825356B2
Certain embodiments pertain to a heater for warming a patient's extremity in order to cause vasodilation for facilitating venous catheterization.
US07825354B2
An array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) located in or on an article for attracting attention are energized over respective time increments of a predetermined duty cycle with peak power pulses having an amplitude substantially equal to their rated forward voltage VF and a current no larger than their rated maximum current IMAX.
