US07942463B2
In a rear-window roller blind for motor vehicles in which a rear half of a back-seat shelf, which is located between the rear window and the pull-out slot for the rear-window roller blind, is used as a support element for the roller blind. The back-seat shelf half is made either from a wood material or is a plastic molded part. Through alternative arrangements, it is ensured that the temperature expansion and contraction of the components of the roller blind and its support are accommodated.
US07942460B2
A litter scooper for quick and convenient removal of waste from pet litter boxes. The litter scooper may include a bowl having a front opening and a guard covering at least part of the front opening. The scooper may also include a handle of sufficient length to allow a user of the device to scoop litter without getting too close to the litter box and without bending.
US07942457B1
With the adoption of this new modern latching system, (FIG. 1) closing and latching a pocket door will be just as simple and convenient as closing and latching a swinging door, irregardless of the physical capability of the operator. This system has been masterfully designed and engineered with appropriate lever handles 20 that are prominently mounted on the face of the door, where they will be convenient to use by people of all ages and physical encumbrances. Coupling these handles to a reliable automatic latching embodiment 15 and complementing the completed assembly with door guides 22, promises to be a bold step forward in latching concepts for modern interior pocket doors.
US07942456B2
Fluid conduits for plumbing and other uses having integral end fittings are disclosed herein. A fluid conduit configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure includes a tube, such as a copper tube, having an end portion adjacent to a body portion. The body portion has a first wall thickness and the end portion has a second wall thickness that is greater than the first wall thickness. The fluid conduit also includes a seal positioned in an annular groove formed in an interior surface of the end portion. In this embodiment, the tube can be joined to another tube by at least partially compressing the end portion around a portion of the other tube.
US07942454B2
A threaded connection includes a pin member including a pin thread having a pin thread crest, a pin thread root, a pin load flank, and a pin stab flank, and a box member including a box thread having a box thread crest, a box thread root, a box load flank, and a box stab flank, wherein at least one of the pin thread crest, the pin thread root, the box thread crest, and the box thread root has at least one perturbation formed thereon. Upon a selected make-up of the pin member with the box member, a localized clearance or a localized interference exists between the pin thread and the box thread at the at least one perturbation, wherein the localized clearance between the pin thread and the box thread exists across substantially the entire pin thread crest or substantially the entire box thread crest, and wherein the localized interference between the pin thread and the box thread exists across substantially the entire pin thread crest or substantially the entire box thread crest.
US07942449B2
A seat belt retractor includes a frame having a back plate and a side wall protruding from each of multiple side edges of the back plate. The seat belt retractor also includes a spool supported by the frame and configured to rotate and wind a seat belt, a motor configured to rotate the spool, and an electronic control unit configured to drive and control the motor. The electronic control unit is mounted between the side walls of the frame and the back plate is disposed in an inner space of a vehicle body member and faces a vehicle interior direction.
US07942444B2
The disclosed airbag device for a vehicle may comprise an airbag and at least one connection member. The airbag may have first and second side surfaces, wherein the first side surface has upper and lower ends. The at least one connection member may connect the lower end of the first side surface to an intermediate position on the first side surface located between the upper and lower ends of the first side surface.
US07942443B2
An airbag module for a vehicle includes an airbag cushion, an inflator to inflate the airbag cushion, a sleeve connected to the airbag cushion and a tether configured to pass through the sleeve. A first end of the tether is anchored to a portion of the airbag cushion, module, or a structure of the vehicle and a second, opposite end of the tether is capable of passing through at least a portion of the sleeve during deployment of the airbag. The tether and sleeve are configured to initially restrain the deployment of the airbag cushion to provide a knee bolster, after which the tether is configured to unlace within the sleeve to release the restraint on the airbag cushion.
US07942435B1
A tow bar includes a towing hitch member including a pintle hitch and secured to a towing vehicle; a towed hitch member secured to a vehicle to the towed; a head member with a lunette ring; a pair of tow bar legs, each including a proximal end including an outer member with a distal end, and a distal end including an inner member with a proximal end telescopingly displaceable within the distal end of the outer member; a leg connector mechanism pivotally connecting the proximal ends of the tow bar legs to the head member; towed connector elements secured to the distal ends of the tow bar legs and structured to releasably connect the tow bar legs to the towed hitch member; and a locking mechanism structured to automatically and releasably lock each of the tow bar legs in either a stored configuration or a deployed configuration.
US07942434B2
A disengageably coupled bicycle frame, utilizing a device for coupling a first tube and a second tube, the tubes having terminal ends and tube faces defined by their terminal ends, the device comprising a first plate member having a first plate member face and a first plate member rear and a second plate member having a second plate member face and a second plate member rear, the first plate member rear fastened by a fastening means to a face of the first tube, the second plate member rear fastened by a fastening means to a face of the second tube, and the first and second plate members fastened face to face by a fastening means, the fastening means being other than a clamp, the plate members not hingedly attached.
US07942430B2
A device for accommodating objects, in particular for use in an airplane, comprising a housing, which has an access opening, as well as a door which is connected to the housing by at least one hinge so as to be pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The hinge defines a pivot axis for pivoting the door. The access opening is at least partially clear in the open position of the door and the access opening is at least partially closed off by the door in the closed position of the door. The door is lockable relative to the housing in its closed position. The door, in its closed position, is movable in a direction which extends substantially parallel to the pivot axis between a locked position and an unlocked position. The door, in its locked position, is locked relative to the housing, and the door, in its unlocked position, is pivotable about the pivot axis.
US07942429B2
A device used in beach-entry scuba dives that both assists the diver to transport scuba tanks and other diving gear to and across the shoreline, and then accompanies the diver and gear underwater. The device holds at least one scuba tank and associated gear such as a buoyancy compensator (BCD), and has a pair of wheels whose rolling position enables the loaded device to be easily transported over natural terrains. Upon reaching or while in the water the wheels may be shifted from the “rolling position” into a streamlined, free-swim position. The means attaching the scuba gear and the scuba tank are easily operated to let the user now don both scuba tank and gear and start their dive, taking the device along for the return cross-shore trip.
US07942425B2
To make a plasma resistant seal excellent in both a plasma resisting performance and a sealing performance, and prevent an O-ring from protruding to a vacuum side gap, a plasma seal (6) made of PTFE having a plasma resisting performance is provided in a plasma irradiating side of an O-ring (5) as a main seal made of a rubber-like elastic material, an installation groove (4) shallower than a depth of an installation groove (3) provided in an installation member (2) is continuously provided in a plasma irradiation side of the installation groove (3), the O-ring (5) is attached to the installation groove (3), and the plasma seal (6) is attached to the installation groove (4) in a compressed state, or the O-ring is attached to the installation groove and the plasma seal is attached to the plasma irradiation side of the same installation groove (3) in a compressed state.
US07942423B2
A resin lip type seal (1) capable of increasing safety against rupture by reducing rigidity of a plate-like lip (4) bent around a tip point A of a approximately wedge-shaped recessed part (8) to reduce stress concentration at the point A, suppressing the lowering of sealability due to a reduction in creep of the lip, and increasing the follow-up capability of the lip to the eccentricity of its axis. Indentations are formed on the slidable contact surface (41) of the plate-like lip (4) or/and the anti-slidable contact surface (42) thereof. Indentations (7) are also formed on the sloped slidable contact surface (21) of the inner lip (2) of the seal. Then, the ratio of the portion of each of the slidable contact surfaces where the indentations (7) are formed is ½ or more of each of the surface areas of the slidable contact surfaces (21, 41, 42).
US07942391B2
A cooling tower for evaporating water from a brine solution is provided and may include an air inlet, a brine inlet for receiving the brine solution, and a heat-exchange assembly receiving the brine solution from the brine inlet and receiving air from the air inlet. The heat-exchange assembly transfers moisture from the brine solution to the air received from the air inlet to reduce the moisture content of the brine solution.
US07942382B2
The invention relates to an optical cable laying device comprising a mechanism for fixing a rotary motor (i0), at least one friction drive roller (60, 70) for driving the cable (200), and a compressed air inlet (130) for driving the cable (200), the device being characterized in that the motor fixing mechanism, the at least one roller (60, 70) and the compressed air inlet (130) are disposed so that the axis of the motor (10), the compressed air arrival direction (130), and the cable (200) driven by the roller (60, 70) are substantially parallel to one another.
US07942381B2
A solenoid valve includes a movable core, a magnetic opposed portion opposed to the movable core, a nonmagnetic cylindrical portion, a first magnetic cylindrical portion axially close to the movable core, and a second magnetic cylindrical portion located radially outside of the magnetic opposed portion. The nonmagnetic cylindrical portion surrounds radially outside of a gap between the magnetic opposed portion and the movable core. A coil is provided radially outside of the nonmagnetic cylindrical portion. A thickness t of the nonmagnetic cylindrical portion, a cross-sectional area S1 of the magnetic opposed portion, and a total cross-sectional area S2 of both the magnetic opposed portion and the second magnetic cylindrical portion having the thickness t satisfy the relationships of t≦0.6 mm and 0.55≦(S1/S2).
US07942373B2
A mounting bracket allows an electronic whiteboard to be positioned in front of a blackboard. The mounting bracket is attached above the blackboard and extends in front of a portion of the blackboard. A lower portion of the mounting bracket abuts the front of the blackboard. The mounting bracket includes an adjustable portion at the lower end to adjust the distance between the blackboard and the mounting bracket. A standard mounting bracket for the electronic blackboard is attachable to the mounting bracket of the present invention. The height of the standard mounting bracket may be adjusted.
US07942370B2
A vortex detection device suitable for use in fighter aircraft including an angle-of-attack sensor, an angle-of-attack processing unit connected to the angle-of-attack sensor capable of forming a signal representative of current air stream's angle-of-attack, a synthetic angle-of-attack estimation unit capable of forming a synthetic angle-of-attack signal, and a vortex level calculation unit connected to the processing and estimation unit, capable of calculating a vortex level signal, and a vortex detection unit connected to the vortex level calculation unit, for deciding, based on the vortex level signal, if a vortex is detected.
US07942367B2
A rest compartment configured for at least one aircraft pilot includes a berth arranged at least partially above an aisle separating two monuments. The first and second monuments are located behind a cockpit of an aircraft. One of the monuments comprises an access to the berth.
US07942363B2
The rewinding machine comprises: a first winding roller (11) and a second winding roller (13) defining a nip (15) through which said cores are inserted and through which said web material (N) is fed; and at least one pair of motorized engaging members (57), to engage the ends of a winding core and transmit a rotational movement to the core during at least part of the winding cycle of each log. The engaging members and the first and second winding roller are produced and disposed so that the log being formed is in contact with said first and said second winding roller. Moreover, a third winding roller (17) is provided, defining a winding space with said first and said second winding roller, said third winding roller being movable to allow increase and completion of winding of each log in said winding space.
US07942362B1
A collapsible reel-type apparatus provides a plurality of adjoining arm component axially joined to a plurality of adjoining leg component. The component so adjoined may be swiveled into a collapsed parallel condition for storage and an open perpendicular position for dispensing. Spring loaded elements automatically lock the components in the open position. Bearings located on the axial member above and below the sum arm component allow the free rotation of the arm component in the open position. Post guide members are adjustably secured to at least one arm component. An axially joined tubing guide extends outward and upward terminating in a looped enclosure. An upper retaining bar is detachably connected upon a coil with a tensioned retainer.
US07942357B2
A wear part for protecting a vertical rotor wall of a rotor of a VSI-crusher includes a wear body having a wear surface adapted for contacting abrasive particles. The wear surface is provided with at least one ridge extending over at least a portion of the wear surface. At least a portion of the length of the ridge is, when the wear part has been mounted to the vertical rotor wall, inclined in relation to a horizontal plane.
US07942352B2
Disclosed herein is a shredder having a rotatable device located at least partially between a shredder mechanism and a bottom of an output opening of the shredder housing. The rotatable device includes a shaft configured to rotate about an axis parallel to an axis of the cutting assembly so as to allow for rotation of the device. The rotatable device has a plurality of fingers or fins extending at least partially radially from the shaft. The rotatable device is able to rotate about the shaft axis in either direction, so as to disperse any accumulation of shredded materials in the waste bin, as well as remove shredded materials caught in or near the cutting assembly within and adjacent the output opening.
US07942351B2
The method of converting nepheline syenite particulate feedstock with a grain size profile to an ultra-fine grain finish product for subsequent commercial use, the ultra-fine grain final product has a maximum grain size of less than about 6 microns. The method comprising: providing a dry feedstock with a controlled maximum particle size greater than about 20 microns; grinding the feedstock in a dry state by passing the feedstock vertically downward through a continuous, high-speed stirred ball mill whereby the feedstock is ground into an intermediate powder having a drastically reduced grain size profile than the grain size profile of the feedstock; and passing the intermediate powder from the mill through an air classifier using a rapidly moving high speed air stream moving along a given path to convey the ultra-fine grain product along the path and from the classifier and to allow coarse particulate material including particles larger than the ultra-fine product to be separated and then expelled from the classifier.
US07942347B2
A sprinkler includes an oscillating mechanism having a receptacle for receiving a water, and a casing rotatably attached to the receptacle. A device may be used for swinging the casing relative to the receptacle in reciprocating action, to allow the water to smoothly or swiftly flow out of the sprinkler tube in various kinds of water spraying patterns. Two ratchet gears are rotatably received within the receptacle and rotated in different directions, a barrel and a shaft are rotatably received within the receptacle and rotated in different directions, and a valve controlling device may be used for controlling the water to flow through the shaft, such as to flow through the shaft intermittently.
US07942344B2
A device to prevent the exsiccation of fluid products in a delivery head of a dispensing machine for said fluid products. The device comprises a first element able to generate a flow of air mixed with steam or with at least a solvent, and a second element able to convey the flow towards a zone underneath the delivery nozzles of the delivery head and to create in said zone a determinate atmosphere, different from the atmosphere in the environment where the dispensing machine is to be found during use. The device also comprises detection elements arranged in proximity with the delivery head and able to detect one or more significant parameters of said determinate atmosphere, and a regulation circuit able to regulate one or more characteristics of said flow according to the values detected by the detection elements in order to maintain the significant parameters of the determinate atmosphere within a set of pre-determined values.
US07942339B2
An electronic card includes an element for transmitting a signal to a user of the electronic card, an electronic unit, an electric energy source, a switch actuatable by a user of the electronic card and an application introduced into the electronic unit. The electronic unit includes an element for detecting actuation of the switch, arranged for determining whether the actuation ends within a first time interval from the start of actuation (t0), the end of the first time interval occurring after transmission (t1) of a signal perceptible to the card user, or for determining whether the switch actuation ends within a second time interval (T2max) from the start of transmission (t1) of the user perceptible signal, the application being actuated or the actuation thereof being validated when the detection element has detected the end (t2) of the switch actuation within the first time interval or the second time interval.
US07942330B2
An apparatus having an image sensor is provided. An image sensor of the apparatus can include a two dimensional image sensor. A lens assembly can be provided in combination with an image sensor. In one aspect, an apparatus can attempt to decode a decodable symbol representation. In one aspect an apparatus can output a frame of image data.
US07942329B2
An optical barcode and/or RFID reader having at least two sets of illuminating LEDs that are directed toward a target object to reflect whether the barcode and/or RFID reading was successful or unsuccessful. The reader is provided with a set of red LEDs and a set of green LEDs for illuminating targets, such as barcodes or RFID tags. In addition to using these LEDs to illuminate the target, the reader will illuminate the target with a particular color of light to signify a successful read, such green light, or an unsuccessful read, such as red light. A third color may be provided to indicate a successful RFID interrogation, such as blue light. The reader thus uses the built-in illumination LEDs to cast differently colored light on the target, rather than having to provide additional LEDs in a user interface positioned on the housing of the reader.
US07942328B2
A method for data interchange includes summing up data associated with an electronic document to provide summed up data, representing the summed up data as one or more bar codes, and returning the one or more bar codes for display and data capture via a bar code scan from either a video display or a printed version of the one or more bar codes. The electronic document may be of any number of formats. The summing up may include taking data from multiple information fields to create the summed up data. The data may include data tags or a step of adding data tags to the data to assist in data interchange may be performed.
US07942326B2
A multi-mode ring scanner (MMRS) has a ring unit for wearing on a finger. The MMRS optionally has a wrist unit coupled to the ring unit, such as via a cable. The MMRS optionally communicates wirelessly with a computing device. The ring unit has one or more scanners (such as an optical scanner or an RFID tag reader). The ring unit optionally has two paddle switches for activation by inward pressure from fingers adjacent to the finger. The two switches enable specifying operation of the MMRS in a plurality of modes and/or to communicate a plurality of information codes to the computing device. The computing device is optionally enabled to assign a function to each combination of activation of the two switches. A scanning system including the MMRS optionally provides feedback to a user based on feedback from a host processor.
US07942325B2
By splitting a smart card driver into multiple components, with one component residing on the mobile communication device and another component residing on the smart card reader, the smart card reader driver component is enabled to do more than merely relay communication between the mobile communication device and the smart card. By transferring part of the communication handling of the smart card driver to the smart card reader, a reduction in communication over the connection between the smart card reader and mobile communication device advantageously results in a more efficient transaction.
US07942319B2
A method of managing product-location specific information is provided. Product-location specific information is collected from multiple users at a centralized network hub and transformed into location-harmonized data with one or more attached attributes including product data. The location-harmonized product-location specific data and/or content derived therefrom is distributed, and/or other content is distributed based on the location-harmonized product-location specific data and/or on the location harmonized data, to the same or different users. One or more efficient customer access methods is/are also provided.
US07942317B2
Data storage and access systems are described for downloading and paying for data such as audio and video data, text, software, games and other types of data. A portable data carrier has an interface for sending and receiving data, non-volatile data memory for storing received content data and non-volatile payment validation memory for providing payment validation data to an external device. The carrier may also store a record of access made to the stored content, and content use rules for controlling access to the stored content. Preferred embodiments store further access control data and supplementary data such as hot links to web sites and/or advertising data. A complementary data access terminal, data supply computer system and data access device are also described. The combination of payment data and stored content data and, in preferred embodiments, use rule data, helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access to data such as compressed music and video data, especially over the Internet.
US07942313B1
A cash dispensing automated banking machine actuated by user cards is in operative connection with a system usable to capture images related to activity that is conducted at or adjacent to the machine. The automated banking machine is positioned at a banking facility including a vault and an entrance. A plurality of cameras are positioned at the facility. Images captured may be analyzed at the bank facility or the remote monitoring center. The monitoring center may operate to assure that employees of the bank facility or others can safely access and/or leave the bank facility.
US07942305B1
A soldering apparatus includes a base body, an actuator connected to the base body, and a pair of soldering arms connected to the actuator, each of the pair of soldering arms including a heating member and a soldering tip thermally coupled to the heating member. The pair of soldering arms is moveable and the actuator is controllable to move one soldering arm relative to the other soldering arm.
US07942303B2
A cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. The cartridge assembly includes a channel, a cover, a staple cartridge and a knife. The channel includes a protrusion thereon. The cover is configured for mechanical engagement with the channel and includes a blocking member and a surface defining a plane. At least a portion of the blocking member is configured to move away from the plane upon contact with the protrusion. The staple cartridge is configured for mechanical engagement with the cover. The blocking member is configured to substantially prevent distal translation of the knife after the knife has been translated proximally past a predetermined position.
US07942288B2
Disclosed is a cooking utensil coated with a metallic non-stick coating made of a nickel-aluminum-molybdenum (NiAlMo) alloy mainly composed of nickel aluminum (NiAl), and/or a nickel-chrome-chromic carbide (NiCr—Cr3C2) alloy mainly composed of chromic carbide (Cr3C2). A method for coating a cooking utensil with a metallic non-stick coating is also provided. The metallic non-stick coating of the invention possesses high impact, heat and abrasion resistances.
US07942280B2
A push tab container assembly includes a container and a lid configured to mate with the container in an unlocked state and in a locked state. The container includes a push tab assembly having a locking member defining a ramped surface and ending at a locking edge. The locking edge is vertically oriented with respect to the ramped surface and is tapered as it extends radially inwardly. The container has exactly one external container thread positioned on an external surface and at least one internal thread positioned on an internal surface. The lid has at least one locking lug positioned on an internal surface of a second skirt. The locking lug has a lug edge that tapers as it extends radially inwardly. When the lid is operably oriented relative to the container in the unlocked state, the external lid thread is mated with the internal container thread. When the lid is operably oriented relative to the container in the locked state, the internal lid thread is mated with the exactly one external container thread, while the locking edge of the locking member is engaged against the lug edge of the locking lug. The push tab assembly is actuatable to release the locking edge of the locking member from the lug edge of the locking lug to permit disengagement of the lid from the container.
US07942278B2
A baking rack is provided. The rack includes a plurality of relatively straight wires that are each disposed in parallel to each other and an outer wire establishing a perimeter of the rack and extending along opposing ends of the plurality of wires, the straight wires and the outer wire are each disposed within a plane. A plurality of height stabilizing members are connected to two or more of the straight wires or the outer wire, such that the plane is disposed above a surface upon which bottom portions of the height stabilizing members rest. A plurality of upstanding members extend from the plane, the upstanding members each connected to one or more of the straight wires and the outer wire, the upstanding members each comprising an arched portion and an upstanding stick, wherein a second plane is disposed through the arched portion of each upstanding member is at an acute angle with a line parallel to the straight wires.
US07942267B2
A case for receiving and dispensing pills, having an optional top cover having a forward edge and a rearward edge, an optional bottom cover having a forward edge and a rearward edge, a spine extending between the top cover and the bottom cover, to which the top cover and the bottom cover are affixed at the rearward edges thereof, and at least one sleeve containing a plurality of pills secured within the sleeve and adapted to be dispensed therefrom, the sleeve having a forward edge and a rearward edge and being attached to the spine at the rearward edge thereof between the top cover and the bottom cover.
US07942255B2
A transport apparatus for the low-pressure transforming of a stream of containers into at least two separate single rows is provided. The apparatus has a multiple-lane feed conveyor, a plurality of single-lane discharge conveyors and an acceleration conveyor arranged between the feed conveyor and the discharge conveyors. A plurality of diagonally oriented guides are provided at a distance from one another across the acceleration conveyor, which guides a separated sub-stream of the stream of containers coming from the feed conveyor across the sections of the acceleration conveyor.
US07942248B2
A damper device comprising a first mode having a first level of damping, a second mode having a second level of damping corresponding to a predetermined function, a sensor system having a first output corresponding to a normal position and a second output corresponding to an end stop approaching position, and a control system operable for receiving the first output and the second output and executing the first mode and the second mode. The damper device is operable in the first mode when the control system receives the first output and is operable in the second mode when the control system receives the second output. A controllable suspension system comprising a damper device, a magnetic probe, a sensor system comprising at least one position sensor operable for sensing the position of the magnetic probe, and a control system electronically connected to the sensor system and the damper device, wherein the control system is operable for receiving an output from the sensor system and executing a predetermined function to control the damper device. Electric signals are supplied to the damper device from the control system during system operation to provide damping sufficient to prevent end stop collisions.
US07942239B2
A muffler for reducing the sounds of combustion gases exhausted from an internal combustion engine including an elongated fluid passage extending between an inlet and an outlet such that the outlet is in fluid communication with the inlet. Further, the inlet being connectable with the gases exhausted from the engine and the outlet being connectable with the atmosphere. The muffler further including an outer tank surrounding the passage and a tubular connector having a first end in fluid connection with the passage and a second end in fluid connection with the tank such that the connector produces a fluid connection between the passage and the tank. The connectors having a perforated resistance plate to restrict the fluid flow between said passage and said sound chamber thereby reducing the severity of the sound or fluid pulses entering and exiting said sound chamber, perforations in said perforated plate forming an open portion of said plate and said open portion being less than 60 percent.
US07942233B2
A method for personalizing a stethoscope, wherein the personalization permanently identifies the owner of the stethoscope and also decorates the stethoscope. The personalization does not deter from the normal operation of the stethoscope, and allows for full sterilization of the stethoscope. The diaphragm of the stethoscope, includes an exterior side that is adapted to come into contact with the patient and, an interior side that is not exposed to the outside. A design selected by the owner is applied, in reverse, to the interior surface of the diaphragm. The design is preferably painted on the diaphragm in stages, or layers. Using the present reverse application technique, images painted on the right-half of the interior surface, appear on the left-half, when viewed from the exterior of the stethoscope. Further, in the present application technique, the foreground is painted on, or applied, first, and the background of the personalization is applied last.
US07942231B2
A hydraulic auxiliary power steering for motor vehicles having a source for a hydraulic medium, in particular an oil pump, which can be driven during operation by a drive device, in particular by an internal combustion engine of the vehicle or by an electric motor, having a steering transmission and having a line system for the hydraulic medium connecting the source to the steering transmission, wherein the line system has at least two line sections through which the hydraulic medium can flow.
US07942227B2
A motorcycle is provided that includes a frame and an engine supported by the frame. The motorcycle also includes a continuously variable transmission operatively driven by the engine and a reduction gearset operatively driven by the continuously variable transmission. The motorcycle further includes a rotatable rear wheel operatively, indirectly driven by the reduction gearset and a swing-arm assembly pivotably mounted, at a forward end thereof, on the frame. The swing-arm assembly is coupled, at a rear end thereof, to the rear wheel. The swing-arm assembly includes first and second elongated and laterally spaced fork members. The reduction gearset set is positioned forward of the rear wheel and laterally between the first and second fork members.
US07942222B2
To realize a mounting structure on the rear side of the seat of the operator station on which the seat and equipment for operation are installed in the swing table of a swing-type operation machine, the mounting structure being simple in construction yet imparted with a sufficiently large strength without increasing the size of the swing table or without utilizing the counter weight. The swing-type operation machine comprises an under carriage, a swing table mounted on the under carriage so as to freely swing thereon, an operator station mounted on the swing table and on which a seat and equipment for operation are installed, and a heat exchanger-mounting body supporting a heat exchanger for cooling the engine that is positioned at the back of the seat of the operator station and supporting the rear part of the seat of the operator station.
US07942219B2
PCD constructions include a PCD body comprising a polycrystalline matrix region, a first region that includes a replacement material positioned remote from a body surface, and a second region that is substantially free of the replacement material and that extends a depth from the body surface. The PCD construction can further include a substrate that is attached to the body. The PCD body is formed by removing a solvent catalyst material used to form the body, replacing the removed solvent catalyst material with a replacement material, and then removing the replacement material from a region of the body to thereby form the second region. The replacement material can be introduced into the PCD body during a HPHT process, and the substrate may or may not be the source of the noncatalyzing material.
US07942217B2
The present disclosure relates to a microtunnelling apparatus including a cutting apparatus adapted to be rotated by a drill shaft defining a central axis of rotation that extends along a length of the drill shaft. The cutting apparatus includes a front cutting rotor having a hub defining a shaft receiver that extends at least partially through the hub in a direction extending from a back side toward a front cutting side of the front cutting rotor. The shaft receiver is configured to receive the drill shaft. The drill shaft and the shaft receiver cooperate to define a torque transmitting mechanical interface for allowing torque to be transferred between the drill shaft and the front cutting rotor such that the drill shaft can be used to rotate the front cutting rotor about the central axis of rotation. The front cutting rotor also includes a plurality of cutting bars that project at least partially radially outwardly from the hub. The cutting apparatus further includes a front retainer that mounts at the front cutting side of the front cutting rotor for retaining the front cutting rotor on the drill shaft.
US07942215B2
Compositions including relatively low reactivity acids, mixed with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) and internal breakers may serve as drilling fluids to open underground hydrocarbon reservoirs with carbonate contents of 10 wt % or above. The drilling fluids have low viscosities in the drilling pipe. After the fluid flows out of the drill bit, the acids react with carbonates in the formation thereby increasing the pH of the drilling fluids causing the VES to gel the fluid at the bottom of the hole and the downhole annulus between the drilling pipe and the formation rock. The viscosified drilling fluid will reduce fluid loss and will carry no dissolved drilling debris to the surface. After drilling through the targeted formation, the internal breakers in the viscosified drilling fluids will break down the fluids to permit their removal, and the well is ready to produce with very little or no near well bore damage.
US07942211B2
This invention relates to a power tool one having a driven member 5 for releasably gripping a working element 4. The power tool is operable in a working mode in which the working element performs work, or an adjustment mode in which the driven member 5 grips or releases the working element 4. The power tool includes a powered selector means including a controller 6 which enables the operator to select the mode of operation of the power tool.
US07942208B2
A system for automatically controlling the position and level of an earthmoving implement on an earthmoving machine. The system includes at least one hydraulic actuator adapted to raise and lower the earthmoving implement, a device for delivering a pressurized fluid to and receiving pressurized fluid from the actuator, and an electronic control circuit that includes electronic sensors for sensing the absolute orientation of the machine and the position of the actuator, and a controller for receiving outputs of the sensors, calculating an amount of the pressurized fluid that must be delivered to or received from the actuator to achieve a desired position for the earthmoving implement, and control the delivering-receiving device to deliver or receive the amount of the pressurized fluid to achieve the desired position for the earthmoving implement.
US07942204B2
A method of using a survey system comprising at least one sensor. The method comprises operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the sensor relative to the Earth at a first resolution level while the sensor is a first distance relative to the Earth's surface and operating the survey system to provide information regarding the orientation of the sensor relative to the Earth at a second resolution level while the sensor is a second distance relative to the Earth's surface. The second distance is larger than the first distance. The second resolution level is higher than the first resolution level.
US07942195B2
A heat dissipation device (10) includes a first heat sink (20), a second heat sink (30) and a heat pipe (40) transferring heat from the first heat sink to the second heat sink. A bracket (50) includes a first end (51) attached to the first heat sink and a second end (52) attached to the second heat sink.
US07942188B2
A cast metal article, such as a turbine engine component, is made by shaping a body of refractory metal particles to form a molded refractory metal article. The molded refractory metal article is sintered to form a refractory metal core. Both the refractory metal article and a setter block may be sintered at the same time. At least a portion of the refractory metal core is enclosed with wax. The wax is at least partially enclosed with a covering of mold material. The wax is removed from the mold material to form an article mold cavity. The article mold cavity is filled with molten metal which solidifies to form a cast metal article. The refractory metal core is removed from the cast metal article.
US07942183B2
The present invention relates to a partial painting method, and more particularly, to a painting method wherein a printing layer is completely transferred onto a base material surface by attaching a hologram transfer film on the base material surface subjected to transparent painting, heat-treating it to transfer a printing portion and then removing a base material film. Since the printing layer is completely transferred onto and impregnated into the transferred surface of the present invention, there occurs no step and the printing layer is not erased due to a solvent. Further, the present invention relates a method of preparing a painting composition using a hologram transfer film and a painting method using the painting composition. More particularly, there is provided a method of preparing a painting composition, wherein a remaining portion except a base material film of a transfer film having a hologram thin film formed thereon is scratched to use by mixing with a binder solution so that a hologram pattern provided with a three-dimensional effect can be coated through a relatively simple method, and a painting method using the painting composition, a painting composition and a device for preparing hologram particles used in preparing the painting composition.
US07942169B2
A folding type cable protection and guide device is provided in which a cable is accommodated into a cable accommodating space. The cable accomodating space can be easily adapted to accommodate the cable, even if the cable is a long body. The assembly load is decreased. Further, the use of many different sized metal molds is not required. The form stability of the cable accommodating space is sufficiently ensured during both linear movement and flexion movement, so that smooth linear movement and flexion movement can be attained. The rectangularly shaped cable accommodating space is formed by folding a pair of right and left folded sections 110, 110 extending in a longitudinal direction of the extruded synthetic resin tape 100 along the longitudinal direction of the tape.
US07942167B1
An expandable pipe (20) for restoring a damaged conduit (22) includes a liner (24) formed of polypropylene material. The liner (24) presents exterior surface (26) defining a plurality of grooves (28) and surrounding a center opening (32). The grooves (28) contain a grout material (30) and provide for controlled placement of the grout material (30). The grooves (28) maintain the placement of the grout material (30) when sliding the expandable pipe (20) into the conduit (22). The grout material (30) includes urethane and recycled fibers (36), and expands in volume upon contact with moisture. The grout material (30) expands to fill cracks in the conduit (22). The grooves (28) also render the expandable pipe (20) bendable in width (W) at the groves for folding and transporting the expandable pipe (20) and for maneuvering around bends of the conduit (22).
US07942164B2
A dual-purpose gas stove switch includes a valve body and a valve seat. The valve body includes an inlet passageway, an interior passageway, a nozzle having a mouth, a compensation nozzle, and a compensation passageway in communication with the compensation nozzle. A valve core is received in a chamber formed by the valve body and the valve seat. The valve core includes a blind hole in communication with the mouth via the interior passageway. The valve core includes four holes and a compensation hole. The valve core is rotatable to make the four holes to be in selective communication with the inlet passageway. The compensation hole can be in communication with the compensation passageway and the compensation nozzle. Thus, the switch can be selectively utilized with liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas.
US07942157B2
In order to deliver supplies of liquid for irrigation of a cleaning head, a turnable part of the cleaning head housing and a nozzle hub (4) are mounted directly in a stationary part (2) of the housing to the turnable part (3) by forming slide bearings therebetween made of materials such as AISI316L and Nitronic60, preferably with at least one bearing having parts (15, 20) made of the same material. Liquid can flow through gaps (9, 14) provided between the slide bearing parts, reducing the consumption of liquid used for irrigating an exterior of the cleaning head, while creating a strong film of liquid which settles on the exterior surface.
US07942152B1
The present invention, a SOFT HAND RESTRAINT DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING PRISONERS comprising a fabric pouch, a retaining clip mechanism, a wrist retaining strap, restraint grommets, a handcuff retainer and a splay device seeks to provide law enforcement personnel a means of safely transporting prisoners, whereby the ability of a prisoner to grasp objects or persons and exercise his hands in an offensive posture is temporarily debilitated. This is accomplished by maintaining the hand in a position whereby the middle and ring finger are splayed apart at a predetermined distance by a splay device, which interferes with the grip ergonomics, wherein the prisoner is unable to exert sufficient force to overcome the splay device and hence is unable to form a grip. Additional embodiments providing differing arrangements of the primary elements are also disclosed and claimed.
US07942146B2
Propellant gas inhaler fitted with a valve or valve system through which at least two clouds of aerosols or at least two jet streams are produced that travel towards one another at an angle from 0° to 180°, so that the individual aerosol particles at least partially impact with one another and lose kinetic energy thereby.
US07942144B2
A heating apparatus and a system that utilize friction to generate thermal energy. The heating apparatus comprises a housing unit, a plurality of heating chambers for generating heat, an actuating unit, a shaft; and at least one blade unit. Each heating chamber comprises a stationary disc member, a rotating disc member, and a medium disposed between the stationary disc member and the rotating disc member. The actuating unit drives the rotating disc member in the heating chamber to generate thermal energy by friction among the stationary disc member, the rotating disc member, and the medium. Thermal energy generation is controlled by rotating speed, diameter of the disc member, and contact pressure between the rotating disc member and the stationary disc member. Tube members can also be used in the heating chambers.
US07942139B1
A ring insert for an air intake conduit for an internal combustion engine comprising a sleeve-shaped body which is tightly mounted within the air intake conduit. The body has an inner surface which includes an annular surface in the shape of a truncated cone defining an annular inclined surface that is narrower at the forward edge of the body than at the rearward edge forming a venturi directly adjacent the rearward edge. The forward edge of the body is smoothly contoured and the rearward edge of the body is smoothly contoured.
US07942134B2
A method for controlling an automotive canister purge valve in fluid communication with an evaporative canister includes selecting a purge flow rate of increase for the purge valve based on a hydrocarbon concentration in a fluid stream exiting the evaporative canister, and operating the purge valve based on the selected rate.
US07942133B2
A control method of an electronic injection fuel feeding system for an internal combustion engine and displaying at least one injector and a non-continuous flow rate fuel pump actuated by a an actuator device; the control method includes the steps of: determining the desired fuel amount which must be injected at each cycle of the internal combustion engine; driving the injector for injecting the desired fuel amount at each cycle of the internal combustion engine; determining an optimal pumping frequency of the actuator device of the fuel pump according to the desired fuel amount which must be injected at each cycle of the internal combustion engine; and actuating the actuator device of the fuel pump at the optimal pumping frequency.
US07942113B2
An animal litter mixture comprising pine wood and silica gel is provided. The pinewood is preferably a sawdust form, although the pinewood may be in the form of fine shavings or compressed pellets. The silica gel may have one porosity or a mixture of porosity. In one embodiment of the animal litter mixture, the silica gel may be an indicator gel that changes colors when the silica is saturated with water.
US07942110B2
An electrostatic coating device (10) comprising a body defining to an interior chamber (13) communicating with the exterior by means of a first coating powder inlet conduit (14) and a second outlet conduit (15) for said powders, a plurality of electrodes (16) and one or more voltage generators (17) connected to said electrodes (16), wherein said electrodes (16) are positioned so as to generate an electrical field inside said second conduit (15).
US07942100B2
A break down desk is disclosed to facilitate an efficient storage disassembly and transport in compact shipping containers. The break down desk may be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled without the use of traditional tools and fasteners and with a minimal of assistance. A removable desktop is detachably connected to and across a pair of opposing side panels. The removable desktop includes a primary writing surface at the front, a file/paper stacking surface located behind the primary writing surface, and a pair of detachable side wings. A wire management channel, through which to receive an electrical wire from an electrical apparatus, runs around the desktop between the primary writing surface, the file/stacking surface, and the side wings. A cable routing trough, to guide the cable from an AC power strip received therewithin towards a source of power, is detachably connected between the pair of opposing side panels below the desktop. A cable access door is pivotally attached to the file/stacking surface of the desktop to be rotatable from a closed position, at which to prevent access to the cable routing trough through the desktop, to an open position, at which to permit access to the cable routing trough through the desktop.
US07942095B2
A bag dispenser feeds a bag assembly for supplying bags to a work station for manual removal from the bag assembly as needed. Each bag is printed with information such as packing date or packing location prior to reaching the work station.
US07942085B2
A double-fulcrum torque wrench including a tubular body, a head section for fitting with a socket or a screwing member and a flexible mechanism including a flexible section. The flexible mechanism is connected with a rear end of the head section and disposed in the tubular body. The head section protrudes from a front end of the tubular body. When a wrenching force is applied to the wrench, the flexible section of the flexible mechanism is flexible. The head section and the flexible mechanism are connected with the tubular body via two fulcrums and the flexible section is positioned between the two fulcrums. By means of the double-fulcrum design, the action force at the force application end of the wrench is equal to the action force at the resistance end. In addition, the flexure of the wrench and the actual wrenching torque applied to the wrench can be more accurately and sensitively measured.
US07942083B2
A c-clamp locking device has been specially modified to depress brake drum springs while the brake shoes are replaced. The device has opposing c-clamp jaws, one of which has a blunt end for compression against the surface of the brake drum, and the other of which has a ring for compressing the brake drum spring. The jaws are adjustable relative to each other. A locking mechanism enables the device to lock in place when the brake drum spring is appropriately compressed, allowing the mechanic to use both hands unencumbered when replacing brake shoes.
US07942076B2
An adjustable steering column assembly having a column jacket defining a longitudinal axis and moveable in at least one of a telescoping direction and a tilting direction is disclosed. A bracket is coupled to the column jacket with at least one pivot shaft coupled to the bracket along a pivot axis. A lever is mounted to the pivot shaft and rotates between a set position for preventing movement of the column jacket and an adjustable position for allowing movement of the column jacket. A locking device engages the lever and moves between a locked position and an unlocked position in response to rotation of the lever between the set and adjustable positions, respectively. A restrictor encircles the bracket, the column jacket, the lever and the locking device for resisting against an outwardly radial force produced by the locking device when in the locked position.
US07942073B2
Device for transmitting rotary motion in a diverter switch comprising a motion-transmitting member for transforming an alternating rotary motion of a drive shaft into a unidirected rotary motion of a driven body driven about driven shaft. The motion-transmitting member includes an intermediate body rotatable about an intermediate shaft. A mechanical energy accumulation member is connected to the driven body. The motion-transmitting member for transforming the alternating rotary motion of the drive shaft into a unidirected rotary motion of the driven shaft includes an intermediate motion member connected to a crank mechanism. The motion member includes an engagement mechanism for transforming the linear motion into a unidirected rotary motion of the intermediate shaft via drive members.
US07942070B2
The invention relates to a flow sensor having a measuring chamber to which a fluid whose volume and/or rate of flow is to be measured is supplied and then drawn off. Inside the measuring chamber elements of a measuring mechanism are mounted so as to freely rotate. The sensor is also provided with a magnet which produces a magnetic field inside the measuring chamber and in close proximity thereto. At least one sensor device measures the magnetic field and/or changes in the magnetic field. The sensor device for measuring the magnetic field is provided with at least one giant magnetoresistance sensor.
US07942069B2
A fluid handling device includes a body portion defining a flow passage and an impulse chamber extending from the flow passage. The impulse chamber is fluidly coupled with the flow passage and has a pair of opposing ends defining a length dimension therebetween. The impulse chamber further presents a diameter dimension transverse to the length dimension, wherein the length dimension is at least 3 times and not greater than 10 times the diameter dimension. The device further includes at least one sensor operably coupled with the body portion. The sensor is disposed proximate the end of the impulse chamber opposite the flow passage and presents a sensing face facing into the impulse chamber.
US07942065B2
The invention relates in a one aspect to a method or apparatus for measuring flow properties of a multiphase fluid stream flowing in a pipeline comprising means for sampling, with a sampling probe, a portion of the fluid stream; for measuring a differential pressure between a first pressure of the fluid stream in the pipeline and a second pressure of the portion of the fluid stream in the sampling probe; for controlling flow rate of the sampled portion, wherein the flow rate of the sampled portion is controlled to provide for nullification of the differential pressure in order to obtain substantially isokinetic sampling of the fluid stream; for measuring properties of the portion of the fluid stream; and for processing the measured properties to determine the flow properties of the multiphase fluid stream flowing in the pipeline, wherein the above elements do not require- or are performed without the determination of the density of fluid in the fluid stream through nuclear radiation methods.
US07942059B2
A sensor arrangement for detecting objects, includes an ultrasonic sensor and an optical sensor integrated into the ultrasonic sensor.
US07942058B2
A system and methods with which changes in microstructure properties such as grain size, grain elongation, texture, and porosity of materials can be determined and monitored over time to assess conditions such as stress and defects. The present invention includes a database of data, wherein a first set of data is used for comparison with a second set of data to determine the conditions of the material microstructure.
US07942053B2
An air flow measuring instrument, comprising: an auxiliary passage 8 arranged inside a main passage through which fluid flows, a tabular member 5 on which a pattern of a heating resistor for measuring an air flow is provided on one face 5a, the tabular member being disposed inside the auxiliary passage so that the one face 5a on which the heating resistor pattern of the tabular member is provided is disposed along a flow of fluid inside the auxiliary passage 8, a heating resistor pattern-side fluid passage 8a portion formed so that the fluid flows between the face 5a and a passage-forming surface 8d of the auxiliary passage, and a back-surface 8b side fluid passage portion formed so that fluid flows between a face 5b on a side opposite to the face of the tabular member and the passage-forming surface of the auxiliary passage. Guidance portion 13 guiding dust that collides against the end portion to back-surface side fluid passage portion 8b side is provided on upstream-side end of tabular member.
US07942049B2
A device for evaluating a wind tunnel measurement, in which a processor identifies a flow element on an image recorded in the wind tunnel. The identified flow element subsequently may be segmented and further analyzed in order to obtain accurate information about the flow behaviour of an object to be analyzed. In addition, a method, a computer-readable storage medium, a program element, and an arrangement are disclosed.
US07942045B1
An engine pulley testing device comprising a first support arm pivotally connected to a second support arm; an arc-shaped brace component with a slot disposed therein, wherein the brace component is slidably attached to the back of the first support arm and the back of the second support arm, wherein the brace component can be locked to the first support arm and to the second support arm via a third locking means; a third support arm attached to the support brace and extending upwardly past the pivot component; a pulley pole perpendicularly attached to the third support arm; and a top pulley attached to the pulley pole, a first bottom pulley rotatably attached to the first support arm, and a second bottom pulley rotatably attached to the second support arm; wherein an engine belt can be wrapped around the pulleys and the test pulley being tested in the engine.
US07942035B2
A system and method is provided for detecting an anode leak of an anode stream in a fuel cell stack. The system comprises a controller that stores at least one first predetermined control value that corresponds to a first pre-selected pressure level. The controller generates at least one first operational control value. The controller controls a pressure regulator device to adjust the pressure of the anode stream to reach the first pre-selected pressure level with the at least one first operational control value. The controller compares the at least one first operational control value to the at least one first predetermined control value. The controller determines the presence of an anode leak in the anode stream based on the comparison of the at least one first operational control value to the at least one first predetermined control value.
US07942032B2
A method of detecting impact damage of a structure having a first surface exposed to potential impacts from an object comprises providing a sensor having a body portion that has a surface provided with an elongated channel. The sensor is fixed to a second surface of the structure such that a conduit is formed by the channel and the surface. The surface is on an opposite side of the structure to the first surface. A pressure differential is established between the conduit and a reference pressure adjacent the conduit. Monitoring is conducted for detecting any change in the differential pressure that may be indicative of a fracture or crack propagating in the second surface.
US07942029B2
The invention relates to a method for expanding the use of a coiling and uncoiling station (coilbox) located between the roughing train and the finishing train for rolled strip material in hot-rolling mills. The use of said coilbox is expanded by impinging the coil that is to be uncoiled with a pressing force (F) which acts in the direction of the roller table (4) and/or placing the coil in a depression of the roller table in order to process smaller coil weights in a spikeless coilbox, and/or by combining, in a chronological and weight-related manner, the active transfer and passive transfer of a coil from a first coiling station to a second coiling station in order to increase the throughput especially at average coil weights in a spikeless coilbox, and/or by supplying heat to the strip upstream or downstream of the spikeless coilbox and/or thermally insulating the strip or the coilbox in order to variably increase and homogenize the strip temperature. The invention further relates to a correspondingly equipped device for carrying out said method.
US07942021B2
A needle cam assembly is provided in a circular knitting machine or a flat-bed knitting machine, said needle cam assembly allowing an adjustment of at least one cam assembly part with respect to at least one other cam assembly part. As a result of this, the timing of the closing and opening of the inside space of the hook of the slider needle can be adjusted relative to the timing of the retraction of the slider needle and can be set as needed. This measure may be utilized to increase the knitting quality and operational safety of a knitting machine that has been loaded with slider needles.
US07942019B2
The present invention concerns a cooling or heating system including at least a compressor (10), a coolant tank/accumulator (4), a condenser (11), an inspection glass device with ejector pump (1, 2) for circulation and control of coolant, coolant and a vaporizer (13). The invention is characterized essentially in that the system comprises: a connection (8) to the ejector pump (1, 2), for intake of condensate from the condenser (11), an exit connection (9) from the ejector pump (1, 2), for connection to the vaporizer (13) and means (3) for visually controlling the ejector pump (1, 2). The invention also concerns a device (12) for controlling the coolant of a cooling or heating apparatus.
US07942015B2
A water sump structure (1) is provided. A channel, trough, trench or the like is formed as or provided with an impermeable member (7) for trapping water. One or more heat exchange pipes (6) for carrying a heat exchange fluid are located, in use, so as to pass through water trapped by the impermeable member thereby forming a heat exchange water sump structure.
US07942005B2
A turbomachine combustion chamber has primary and dilution air inlet orifices formed by die stamping to have edges that project into the inside of the combustion chamber, and stress relaxation and/or reduction means in the edges or in the vicinity of the edges of said orifices, said means comprising, for each orifice, one, two, or three slots formed in the edge or around a fraction of the edge of said orifice.
US07941996B2
An actuation system for a servo-assisted transmission; the actuation system is provided with: a hydraulic circuit comprising a reservoir containing a control fluid, a hydraulic accumulator containing the pressurized control fluid, and a pump which draws from the reservoir and feeds the hydraulic accumulator; at least a hydraulic actuator comprising at least one actuation chamber and a mobile piston which slides within the actuation chamber; a solenoid valve for connecting the actuation chamber of the hydraulic actuator to the hydraulic accumulator and to the reservoir; and a recirculation circuit, which departs from at least one environment bordering with the actuation chamber of the hydraulic actuator and ends in the reservoir.
US07941991B2
A split crimper for use in a crimping assembly for engaging and heat sealing overlapping layers of a packaging material includes a first crimper portion having a crimping surface and a second crimper portion that is secured to the first crimper portion to form a crimper. Portions of the first and second crimper portions cooperate to define an interior cavity, and a heating element is disposed completely within the interior cavity.
US07941986B2
The invention includes a work platform and support system that includes a hub and joist configuration, wherein the hubs and joists are capable of articulation, or pivoting. One method of installation allows for sections of new work platform system to be extended from an existing suspended work platform system. The system is also capable of supporting, without failure, its own weight and at least four times the maximum intended load applied to it.
US07941985B2
A column/beam connection in a building frame, including an elongate column having faces which join through corners, an elongate beam having an end, and a full-moment nodal connection connecting the end of the beam to the column solely through a pair of next-adjacent corners in the column, with the beam end, as so connected, being spaced from the column face which lies between the mentioned pair of corners. The connection per se features (a) plural standoffs joined to and extending, one each, outwardly from the column's corners at a selected, common elevation located along the length of the column, and (b) a halo collar joined through a gravity-seat-and-lock, full-moment interface connection to each of the standoffs, and, as so joined, spaced by the standoffs from the column faces which lie between the column corners.
US07941973B2
A synchronized actuation system for sliding doors, of the type of those formed, in which the pulling grip (1) and the free grip (2) have flanges (12) and the belt (4) and free (2) and pulling (1) grips are joined by a connecting shoe (3). With this configuration it is possible to carry out assembly and maintenance operations vertically and therefore in situ.
US07941971B2
Disclosed is an irrigation device for use with a drip irrigation conduit for providing water to individual plants planted in rows. The irrigation device includes a water distribution element configured with at least one support configuration for supporting the drip irrigation conduit, and a plurality of water direction elements. Water emitted by the drip irrigation conduit is collected by said water distribution element and each of said plurality of water direction elements directs said water to a different delivery point that corresponds to the location of a plant. The water distribution element of the present invention is provided in at least three variations. In a first variation, the water distribution element of the present invention is deployed between the crop rows and is configured with at least one water flow trough and a plurality of spaced apart output channels extending from the water flow troughs at predefined intervals (matching the intervals between plants) used to direct water coming from the water flow trough to the individual plants. In a second variation, the water distribution element of the present invention is deployed over the crop row and is configured with a separate opening for each crop plant to which the water is directed. A third variation, of the water distribution element of the present invention is deployed substantially as a groundcover having a plurality of openings to provided growing space for the individual crop plants.
US07941968B1
The plant watering trellis apparatus provides both a trellis for plant support and a plant watering means. The collection tray is sized with a width about equal to the top width of the apparatus so that rain collection is also an option, as well as hand or automated filling from another source. Transparency of the vertical supply tubes allows a user to visually determine the water level within the apparatus. Legs are inserted into a given soil for apparatus support. The valves in the delivery tubes control drip and rate of drip from the delivery block orifices so that monitoring water supply to plants is needed only at the outset in determining best plant water supply. After setting, the apparatus can be conveniently left unattended. The delivery blocks are relatively heavy so the delivery tubes are downwardly extended. The planar apparatus is easily located and used.
US07941965B2
The invention is a tackle container that incorporates interchangeable and removable inserts. The inserts secure different kinds of fishing lures and baits. For example, the inserts hold segmented lures within notched upright posts. In this regard, the inserts may be suitably structured to hold spinner bait lures, buzz bait lures, or other fishing lures with segmented bodies. Moreover, the inserts are interchangeable to facilitate a wider variety of uses for the tackle container.
US07941962B2
Provided is a waterfowl decoy that includes a suction bottom main body in combination with a removable keel. The main body includes extensions on the bottom that are within the cavity, and the keel includes corresponding slots to slideably engage the extensions. The keel also includes a hollow ballast section with an opening for insertion of desired ballast material. The keel is brought into contact with the bottom of the main body and the extensions are slid into the slots. This invention allows for quick, selectable attachment or removal of the keel in the field. The keel also includes a structure for the attachment and wrapping of an anchor cord.
US07941961B1
A cartridge catching system designed to attach to picatinny rail of a firearm to receive spent cartridge cases from the ejection port of firearm is provided. The cartridge catching system has a container body which is downwardly angled to deflect the spent cartridge cases towards the bottom of the container body. A connecting rod where one end of the connecting rod is fixed on picatinny rail of the firearm and other end is placed within an elongated hole is provided on a rod receiving assembly. The rod receiving assembly is mountable on top or within the container body to optimize the position of the container body depending on the type and size of firearm. A spring actuated ball is provided inside the elongated hole on the rod receiving assembly to fit onto the semicircular hole of the connecting rode to provide an easy ON/OFF mechanism for attaching/removing the cartridge catching system making it easy to empty the container body.
US07941951B2
A portable sign stand with wheels or rollers, an adjustable weighted base member, and a sign display member. The base member has one or more compartments so that liquid or solid ballast can be added to stabilize the sign stand in windy conditions. The upper and lower wall members of the otherwise hollow base member are joined together at one or more locations where the sign display member is connected to the base member. The base member can be made by blow molding techniques. Wheels are provided on one edge of the base member in order to allow the sign stand to be rolled and easily moved to different positions. Axle members secure the wheels to the base member. One or more resilient members can be used to connect the sign display member to the base member.
US07941941B2
An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure has a plurality of support elements, and each of the support elements include a shell and a core. The shell defines an interior void and is formed from a polymer material that extends around substantially all of the void. The core has a shape of the void and is located within the void, with at least a portion of the core being a polymer foam material. The polymer foam material of at least two of the support elements may have different densities.
US07941938B2
An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole assembly secured to the upper. The sole assembly includes a first portion having a lower ground engaging surface, an upper surface, and a recess formed in the upper surface. The upper surface of the first portion is in contact with the upper. A second portion is seated in the recess in the first portion and has an upper surface, with the upper surface of the second portion being in contact with the upper. The second portion comprises a foam material having a density less than 0.25 g/cm3.
US07941934B2
A system for controlling access to a secure area includes a lock and an electronic access device for controlling access to a secure area. The lock includes pins for locking and unlocking the lock. The access device communicates with the pins for electrically measuring movement of the pins. The access device stores an unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock. The electronic access device electrically measures pin movement by a key and determines a key code for the key from the pin movement. A control device electrically communicates with the electronic access device for identifying the key code and determining when the key code matches the unlock pin code.
US07941932B2
An ergonomic, self contained hand-held thread inspection tool is power driven, which uses a mechanical clutch as a surrogate for torque to initiate automatic reversal and gauge withdrawal in case of jamming. The distal end carries the thread gauge attached to a motor-driven spindle. A thread depth collar sleeve, adjustable by manual turning, concentrically surrounds the thread gauge. When threaded into a blind hole or onto a protruding stud and operated, the distal end of the thread depth collar sleeve comes in contact with a part, pushing it against spring force. This movement is internally sensed, causing an indicator to flash, signaling “test OK”, while automatically reversing the spindle to withdraw the thread gauge. If during the forward excursion of the thread gauge a torque exceeding the pre-set torque limit is encountered, a buzzer is sounded signaling an over-torque problem and the spindle is simultaneously reversed for automatic gauge withdrawal.
US07941931B2
A protective cover for a razor cartridge. The cartridge is joined to a handle and is pivotal about a pivot axis with respect to the handle. The cover includes a front wall, a back wall opposed to the front wall, a side wall extending from the front wall to the back wall, a first end and an opposed second end. The second end has an opening. The back wall has an opening with first and second pivot inhibiting members extending away from the back wall and towards the front wall. The cover is slidable over the cartridge through the opening in the second end to cover the cartridge such that the first and second pivot inhibiting members engage the handle to inhibit the cartridge from pivoting about the pivot axis with respect to the handle.
US07941926B2
An apparatus for manufacturing a hydro dynamic bearing device is provided for the finishing treatment of lubricating oil after lubricating the hydro dynamic bearing device. The hydro dynamic bearing is constructed of an axial member housed in a housing, a radial bearing part for supporting the axial member in a non-contact manner in a radial direction by a hydro dynamic pressure action of the lubricating oil generated in a radial bearing clearance, and a sealing part arranged in an opening part of the housing, and the apparatus has a laser for measuring an oil-level height of the lubricating oil in the housing.
US07941922B2
A method for manufacturing a lightweight valve is provided. The lightweight valve includes a valve stem, a hollow valve cone and a valve disk closing the valve cone, the valve stem being provided with a hollow space at an end facing the valve disk, the valve disk also having a force transmission element extending through the hollow valve cone into the stem hollow space. The method includes producing a first one-piece component forming the valve disk with the force transmission element by casting, forming and/or a powder metallurgy method, producing a second component forming the valve stem and the valve cone and joining the first and second components together and connecting them by a material, non-positive and/or positive connection.
US07941917B2
A method of sealing a cable penetration includes assembling a cable seal and inserting the cable seal into a cable penetration. Assembling the cable seal includes adhering at least a portion of a heat-shrinkable tubing to at least a portion of a cable outer jacket, and positioning a secondary elastic seal over the heat-shrinkable tubing. An example of a secondary elastic seal could be O-rings. A cap or other means provides the outer sealing surface.
US07941910B2
Method for removing winding conductors from a twisting machine and placing them in a rotor or stator stack. For a plurality of rectangular winding conductors each having a pair of legs separated by an amount equal to the distance between a predetermined number of rotor or stator slots in which they will be inserted, moving a plurality of fingers of a clamping assembly between the legs of a plurality of winding conductors in a twisting fixture to retain the winding conductors, moving the clamping assembly away from the twisting fixture to withdraw the winding conductors from the twisting fixture, providing relative movement of the clamping assembly and a rotor or stator to insert free ends of the winding conductors into a rotor or stator, and moving the fingers of a clamping assembly from between the legs of a plurality of winding conductors. A preferred embodiment of the method is disclosed.
US07941908B2
A plurality of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips with different functions is provided. Each of the ASICs performs one or more functions along an ultrasound data path. The chips include communications protocols or processes for allowing scaling. For example, ASICs for backend processing include data exchange ports for communicating between other ASICs of the same type. As another example, receive beamformer ASICs cascade for beamformation. By providing ASICs implementing many or most of the ultrasound data path functions, with scalability, the same ASICs may be used for different system designs. A family of systems from high end to low-end using the same types of ASICs, but in different configurations, is provided.
US07941897B1
A vehicle door hinge for a passenger or driver side vehicle door. The hinge has a chassis mounting plate securely fastenable to the vehicle frame, a swingarm securely fastenable to the door, a bi-directional rotation mechanism operatively connected to the chassis mounting plate and to the swingarm allowing rotation of the swingarm in a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane, and a sag adjuster screw positioned to bear against a sag adjuster screw guide when the swingarm is rotated in the horizontal plane.
US07941896B2
An upright vacuum cleaner has a cleaner body; a suction port assembly hinged to the cleaner body with a drum brush mounted on a front lower surface thereof; and a height adjusting apparatus set to an active mode or an inactive mode. In the active mode, the height adjusting apparatus raises the rear portion of the suction port assembly from an initial height, with the drum brush spaced from a surface, to bring the drum brush into contact with the surface when the cleaner body tilts from an upright position towards the rear of the suction port assembly. In the inactive mode, the rear portion of the suction port assembly remains at the initial height when the cleaner body tilts from the upright position towards the rear of the suction port assembly.
US07941893B2
A vacuum cleaning tool has a housing having a connecting socket for effecting flow communication to a vacuum device of a vacuum cleaning device. The housing has a suction opening through which a working air flow enters the housing. The housing has an outlet opening through which the working air flow exits from the housing. A cleaning tool is rotatably supported in the housing. An air turbine is rotatably supported in a turbine chamber of the housing and drives the cleaning tool in rotation. A control device controls the drive power for driving the cleaning tool based on a pressure existing in the vacuum cleaning tool.
US07941884B2
The invention in one embodiment relates to a method for operating a washing machine having a heating unit, wherein the heating unit comprises a carrier and at least one planar heating element disposed thereon. At least one first heating element is attached to the carrier in a planar manner, wherein the carrier has a recess extending in the longitudinal direction in the center region. The washing machine has a washing machine barrel and a drum therein, wherein the heating unit is displaced at the bottom in the washing machine barrel outside of the drum. A heating element is provided on the outside of the carrier in the region of the recess in the region along an apex, or along an apex of the recess, wherein only said heating element is operated in the region of the recess for creating steam in the washing machine.
US07941867B2
An energy absorbing device suitable for wearing by humans, or for use in a prosthetic device or robot is provided. The device including support structures which may conform to the contours of limbs, and have the capability of being removeably attached to the limbs. Plates are attached, either fixedly or slideably, to the support structures and adjacent ends of plates may be joined with a flexible link. As the limbs flex at a joint, the slideably attached plate slides to accommodate the rotational motion between the limbs at the joint.
US07945954B2
A receiver is shielded from undesirable electronic messages, sometimes referred to as “spam”, by requiring any sender who wants to send an electronic message to the receiver to first submit to a filter. The filter is specified by the receiver. The receiver-specified filter can be downloaded to the sender's computer and executed on the sender's computer. By execution, the filter elicits information from the sender and uses it without disclosing it to authorize, or not, the sending of electronic messages (such as email) from the sender to the receiver. Another embodiment according to the invention allows a sender to prevent undesirable receivers from viewing the sender-sent electronic messages by requiring any receiver who wants to view an electronic message from an authorized sender to first submit to a filter. One or more third parties can be involved. For example, senders can be recommended to and/or approved for receivers by one or more certifying third parties, and receivers can be recommended to and/or approved for senders by one or more certifying third parties.
US07945947B1
A method of giving a user high-level access privileges if a combination of keystrokes is sent to a desktop is disclosed. Each terminal services session is enumerated and sessions identified. Unidentified sessions have a user-definable process associated with the session. Desktops registered in the terminal services session are identified, and if a new desktop is identified, a thread is created to attach to that desktop and hook the desktop's low-level keyboard input. The keyboard input is then monitored for a pre-defined combination of keystrokes, and if found, a command shell starts, giving the user higher-level access privileges.
US07945945B2
A method, computer readable medium, and system for acquiring address block information for an attached function that initiates network access on a distributed computing network. Additional policy information in acquired concerning the attached function. One or more access policies are set based, at least in part, on the address block information and the additional policy information.
US07945943B2
A method of gaining access to a resource using an access token linked to a print medium, comprising the steps of: determining a print media identifier from the print medium using a sensor module of a mobile telecommunications device, the print media identifier having been linked to the access token; identifying, using the mobile telecommunications device and the print media identifier, the access token; and, causing the access token to be supplied to a system, wherein the system is configured to authenticate the access token and, if the authentication succeeds, provide access to the resource.
US07945933B2
A television receiver is connected to a multi-directional antenna, and stores, in a memory, a receiving direction table containing: channel numbers; best receiving directions of the multi-directional antenna for receiving the respective channels; and register channel information indicating whether the channels are registered as selectable or non-selectable. The receiving direction table is used for selecting each channel. Based on the operation of a user interface by a user (S42), the register channel information of the receiving direction table can be changed (S44, S45), so that the user can optionally set selectable channels. Thus, the user can preliminarily delete channels in bad receiving conditions from candidates of selectable channels.
US07945932B2
A bandwidth-limited system for delivering satellite video signals. The system comprises a receive antenna that includes at least one low noise block amplifier (LNB), and a module, coupled to and proximate the receive antenna, the module comprising a multiswitch, coupled to the LNB, for directing the satellite signal received by the LNB to an output of the multiswitch a tuner, coupled to the output of the multiswitch, for tuning to a specific portion of the satellite signal, the specific portion of the satellite signal selected based on commands received from a new Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD), a demodulator, coupled to the tuner, for demodulating the specific portion of the signal into a plurality of demodulated signals, and an interface for delivering a specific demodulated signal to the new IRD, wherein the specific demodulated signal is selected based on the commands received from the new IRD, and the commands and the demodulated signal are carried on a single connection between the at least one IRD and the interface.
US07945928B2
Methods, systems, and products classify subscribers based on viewing habits. An event record is stored that associates a command entered by a subscriber to a time. The event record is merged with data describing media programming to form event timeline data describing the at least one command and the media programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time. Credit card purchasing data is retrieved that describes the subscriber's credit card purchases. The event timeline data is compared to the credit card purchasing data. The subscriber is classified in a category associated with a product or service when the event timeline data indicates that the subscriber viewed an advertisement and afterwards purchased the product or service.
US07945927B2
A user preference information data structure which is capable of classifying and setting user's preference information regarding multi-media contents with multiple items to thereby provide users with user's request-based whole or partial multi-media information, and a method for providing multi-media information by using the user preference information data structure. The multiple item user preference information data structure for multi-media contents comprising: single item user preference information for single items related to the multi-media information; and multiple items user preference information for multiple items formed by combining the single items.
US07945923B2
The invention provides a disc device capable of offering good SATA interface performance by optimizing the placement of the SATA connector relative to the control board, solving problems concerning noise or unnecessary radiation.A driver IC and DSP for executing main processing concerning disc recording or reproduction processing are installed in a main printed circuit board. A SATA connector having a power supply terminal and signal terminal is fixed to the main printed circuit board. The SATA connector is placed on the board opposite the DSP. Patterns each connecting the power supply terminal to the driver IC and connecting the signal terminal and DSP are formed on the board. The SATA connector and DSP are placed on the driver IC side relative to the central line of the board, the power supply terminal is placed on the driver IC side, and the signal terminal is placed on the DSP side.
US07945918B2
A simulator of WBEM/CIM indication providers conforming to the CIM Indication Provider object specification simulates both the CIM indication provider and the means to drive the associated CIM events. The simulator comprises three functionally unique pieces: one or more CIM indication provider drivers, one or more CIM event trigger drivers, and a control application. This modularization creates flexibility in configuring the simulator to stress test different aspects of an operating system's underlying support for CIM indications. Modularization also makes the simulator design operating system independent. Provision is made in the simulation for generation of additional CIM events as background activity on the operating system.
US07945917B2
A screen image for monitoring the usage state of a client computer is acquired, the acquired screen image is efficiently stored, and the stored screen image can be easily searched.A draw command is acquired by a driverware (22) when a screen image is generated in a client computer (2), and text data is extracted from the draw command. The extracted text data are associated with the draw command and stored in a database (13) of the server (3). The database (13) is searched using a keyword, and the screen image is reproduced from an associated draw command.
US07945909B2
Systems and techniques to manage tasks in a data processing environment. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes monitoring a task in a data processing environment and, using an instance of a distributed application, assessing when to initiate recovery of the monitored task based on an expected execution time derived using the task's associated class and historical execution times. In another implementation, the technique includes forecasting an execution time of a task in a data processing environment using a class of the task and historical task execution times as input into a statistical analysis tool comprising multiple interconnected processing elements and servicing the task based on the forecast execution time.
US07945903B1
A method, system and module for automatically converting a call flow into a state-based representation are disclosed. The method comprises walking a call flow and converting each page of the call flow into a rule of a higher level representation of the call flow, augmenting the higher level representation with terminal symbols representing state variable assignments and comparisons associated with decision and computation shapes in the call flow and converting the higher level representation into a state-based representation.
US07945897B1
The disclosure is directed to computing systems that provide access to the content of layers. Layers may include, for example, application layers, baseline layers, data layers, patch layers, application patch layers, and sublayers. Prioritization schemes, including prioritization by layer type, by assigned priority weights, by access type, by sub-layers and by read-write indicators are provided. Layers may contain file reference information including exclusion or inclusion entries indicating what files may be written. Paths recorded in layers may also embed variables to true paths on a layered system. Detailed information on various example embodiments are provided in the Detailed Description, and the invention is defined by the appended claims.
US07945887B2
Modeling spatial correlations of semiconductor characteristic variations is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes developing a solution for each of a plurality of specific forms of spatial correlations of a characteristic of a circuit design and developing a plurality of solution methods for a given spatial correlation; selecting one of the solutions that is closest to a desired spatial correlation; and modeling the desired spatial correlation using the selected solution.
US07945883B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing vertically coupled noise control through a mesh plane in an electronic package design. Electronic package physical design data are received. Instances of vertically coupled noise in the electronic package physical design data are identified. The identified instances of vertically coupled noise are quantified. Then the electronic package physical design data are modified to limit the vertically coupled noise.
US07945879B2
A method and an apparatus take software source code to synthesize a hardware platform for running the software. The method determines which processor is suitable for running the code and meeting the performance parameters determined by the user. The method also determines which hardware devices are accessed by software. If the hardware target is a semiconductor chip, the invention selects the appropriate IP and creates an HDL description of the chip. If the hardware target is a printed circuit board, the invention creates a schematic or netlist that includes the appropriate microprocessor, the various semiconductor chips, and the necessary interconnections.
US07945869B2
A method for generating a mask pattern is provided. A target lithographic pattern comprising a plurality of first geometric regions is provided, wherein the regions between the plurality of first geometric regions comprise first spaces. The target lithographic pattern is transformed, and the transformed pattern is decomposed into a first pattern and a second pattern.
US07945864B2
An operation assisting apparatus includes: an option-function distance storage unit that stores a semantic distance between each of the options displayed on a menu screen and each of functions positioned at an end in the hierarchical structure; an operation history storage unit that stores the operation history of the options sequentially selected by the user; an estimation unit that estimates, based on a semantic distance between a selection option selected by the user and each of the functions, and a semantic distance between an unselected selection option that has been selectable but not selected and each of the functions, a degree of probability that the function is the function desired by the user; and an operational assistance determination unit that determines, based on the result of the estimation, a detail of an output such that functions with higher probability will be presented with higher precedence in selectability.
US07945846B2
A method of optimizing a set of elements on a device display. The method includes positioning the set of elements on the device display, where the set of elements includes a first set of spatial indicia, and the device display further includes a first set of device characteristics. The method also includes generating a first set of workspace configuration indicia based, in part, on the first set of spatial indicia and the first set of device characteristics; and, if desired, re-positioning the set of elements on the device display, where the set of elements includes a second set of spatial indicia, and wherein the device display further includes a second set of device characteristics. The method further includes generating a second set of workspace configuration indicia based in part, on the second set of spatial indicia and the second set of device characteristics; wherein if the device display comprises the first set of device characteristics, positioning the set of elements according to the first set of workspace configuration indicia; else if, the display comprises the second set of device characteristics, positioning the set of elements according to the second set of workspace configuration indicia; else, positioning the set of elements according to a set of default workspace configuration indicia.
US07945842B2
A method of and system for rateless source coding are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a set of low-density parity check (LDPC) codes, each of which accepts a range of data input lengths and a range of target compression rates; identifying a data input having a data input length; and identifying a desired compression rate. The method comprises the further steps of selecting one of said LDPC codes based on said data input length and desired compression rate; encoding the data input, using the selected LDPC code, to generate a sequence of data values; and puncturing some of said encoded data values to achieve the desired compression rate. Preferably, the encoding step includes the steps of generating a syndrome and a parity sequence from the data input, puncturing the generated parity sequence, and mixing a remaining portion of the data input with the punctuated parity sequence.
US07945841B2
In some embodiments, the invention involves a system and method to continuously log correctable errors without rebooting by changing the granularity of the error detection and logging mechanism. A mask register is used to identify which errors are to be logged. Each bit of the mask register may represent a different memory component of the system. Logging of the memory component is determined by the value of the bit in the mask. The masking enables granularity of error logging to the channel and/or dual in-line memory module (DIMM) level. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07945818B2
A method and an apparatus are disclosed for the coupling of a safety-critical process from a safe environment to an environment that is not safe or to an environment that is safe but has fewer processing channels. To this end, provision is made of a method which processes a data record that is relevant to the safety-critical process to form a respective safe protocol using at least two redundant processing channels in accordance with identical laws, and forms a common safe protocol taking into account at least two redundant safe coupling protocols. When writing at least elements of the common safety-based protocol using a processing channel with write authorization, another processing channel is used to check whether these elements are identical to one another. Access to a common buffer register for the purpose of storing these elements is enabled only when they are identical to one another.
US07945803B2
This disclosure relates to generating clock signals that drive data passing circuitry for various clock domains. Each individual clock domain can adjust its operating frequency from one generated by a central clock to an appropriate frequency. By using embodiments of the invention, clock crossing circuitry between domains need not run at the highest clock frequency of the entire circuit, but rather the clock crossing circuitry need only operate at the highest frequency of the two domains sharing data.
US07945795B2
A method, computer program product and system for enabling a client device in a client device/data center environment to resume from sleep state more quickly. The resource in the server blade used for suspending the activity of the computing state of the client device in order to enter the client device in a sleep state is not reallocated for a period of time. If the client device indicates to the server blade to resume the client device from sleep state prior to the ending of that period of time, then the server blade reinitializes the computing state using the same resource as used in suspending the computing state of the client device. By using the same resource, steps traditionally implemented in resuming the client device from sleep state are avoided thereby reducing the time in resuming the client device from sleep state.
US07945793B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for using interface frequency modulation to allow non-terminated operation and power reduction. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an interface having a termination mode and a power management controller coupled with the interface. The apparatus may also include a power management controller coupled with the interface. In some embodiments, the power management controller is capable of dynamically reducing the operating frequency of the interface and disabling the termination mode to reduce the power consumed by the interface. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07945789B2
A system and method for securely restoring software program context is presented. A special purpose processor core is included in a heterogeneous processing environment where each processor can access a shared memory. The isolated special purpose processor core includes an isolated local memory. The isolated special purpose processor core receives an identifier corresponding to the secured program. The identifier is used to read an encrypted context of the secured program from the shared memory. The encrypted context is decrypted using an encryption key. The decrypted context is stored in the isolated special purpose processor core's local memory. The secured program's context integrity is verified by using a persistent security data that is retrieved from a secure location, such as a persistent storage register that can only be accessed when the special purpose processor core is running in isolation mode. If the context is verified, the secured program is executed.
US07945773B2
Failover of blade servers in a data center, including powering off by a system management server a failing blade server, the failing blade server characterized by a machine type, the failing blade server mapped to remote computer boot storage administered through a Storage Management Initiative-Specification (‘SMI-S’) provider; identifying, by the system management server by use of the SMI-S provider from a pool of standby blade servers, a replacement blade server; remapping by the system management server through the SMI-S provider the remote computer boot storage of the failing blade server to the replacement blade server; and powering on the replacement blade server by the system management server.
US07945769B2
Single system board with automatic feature selection based on installed configuration selection unit
Disclosed is a method and circuit board assembly for automatically configuring a circuit board assembly based on installed configuration selection unit. The method comprises reading a feature detection input signal representing a machine model from the installed configuration selection unit; enabling the feature selected by the installed configuration selection unit; reading a machine type number; and determining whether the machine model represented by the feature detection input signal matches the machine type number.
US07945768B2
A method and apparatus for executing a nested program loop on a vector processor, the loop comprising outer-pre, inner and outer-post portions. An input stream unit of the vector processor provides a data value to a data path and sets an associated data validity tag to ‘valid’ once per outer loop iteration, as indicated by an inner counter of the input stream unit. The tag is set to ‘invalid’ in other iterations. Functional units of the vector processor operate on data values in the data path, each functional unit producing a valid result if the data validity tags associated with inputs data values are set to ‘valid’. An output stream unit of the vector processor sinks a data value from the data path once per outer loop iteration if an associated data validity tag indicates that the data value is valid.
US07945764B2
A multirate execution unit is capable of being operated in a plurality of modes, with the execution unit being capable of clocked at multiple different rates relative to a multithreaded issue unit such that, in applications where maximum performance is desired, the execution unit can be clocked at a rate that is faster than the clock rate for the multithreaded issue unit, and in applications where a lower power profile is desired, the execution unit can be throttled back to a slower rate to reduce the power consumption of the execution unit. When the execution unit is clocked at a faster rate than the multithreaded issue unit, the issue unit is permitted to issue more instructions per cycle than when the execution unit is throttled to the slower rate to increase overall instruction throughput.
US07945753B2
A computer system wherein, when a state of the primary host computer is in an active state, a data sent from the primary host computer to the first storage system is copied through a first copy route which includes a route from the first storage system to the second storage system and a route from the second storage system to the third storage system, wherein, if a failure occurs in the primary host computer and a state of the second host computer is to be in an active state, a data sent from the secondary host computer to the second storage system is copied through a second copy route which includes a route from the second storage system to the first storage system and a route from the first storage system to the third storage system.
US07945750B2
A storage system of this invention maintains consistency of the stored contents between volumes even when a plurality of remote copying operations are executed asynchronously. A plurality of primary storage control devices and a plurality of secondary storage control devices are connected by a plurality of paths, and remote copying is performed asynchronously between respective first volumes and second volumes. Write data transferred from the primary storage control device to the secondary storage control device is held in a write data storage portion. Update order information, including write times and sequential numbers, is managed by update order information management portions. An update control portion collects update order information from each update order information management portion, determines the time at which update of each second volume is possible, and notifies each-update portion. By this means, the stored contents of each second volume can be updated up to the time at which update is possible.
US07945738B2
A system may include a node and an additional node coupled by an inter-node network. The node includes an active device, an interface to the inter-node network, a memory, and an address network coupling the active device, the interface, and the memory. The active device sends an address packet to initiate a transaction to gain an access right to a coherency unit. In response to receiving the address packet, the memory is configured to send a report corresponding to the address packet to the interface if the transaction cannot be satisfied within the node. The interface is configured to ignore the address packet and to send a coherency message requesting the access right to the additional node via the inter-node network in response to the report.
US07945736B2
A system for managing network memory comprises a communication interface and a processor. The communication interface receives a status message from another appliance. The status message indicates an activity level of a faster memory and a slower memory associated with the other appliance. The communication interface also receives a data packet. The processor processes the status message to determine the activity level of the faster memory and the slower memory. The processor also processes the data packet to identify any matching data in the other appliance and estimate whether the matching data is stored in the faster memory based on the activity level. Based on the estimate, the processor determines whether to generate an instruction to retrieve the matching data.
US07945731B2
Provided is a database management system obtains storage mapping information which associates addresses in a plurality of physical disk drives within the storage system and addresses in logical disk drives including these physical disk drives, to create queues individually for each of the plurality of physical disk drives. The database management system receives a plurality of read requests which request to read data out of the physical disk drives via the logical disk drives provided by the storage system, sorts the read requests by their destination, and accumulates the read requests in the respective queues associated with the request destination physical disk drives. The database management system reallocates the accumulated read requests into an order that shortens the data read time in each physical disk drive, and then issues the read requests to the storage system.
US07945725B2
A system may include a content addressable memory (CAM) that is configured to include multiple services, receive a key, where the key includes source port information and IP information related to a packet received on one of multiple ports, and output a match index value in response to a search of the CAM using the key. The system may include a policy memory module that is configured to receive the match index value and to output meter controls and a meter address based on the match index value, a port meter map module that is configured to receive the source port information and to output a mask value and a per port meter value, and a remapping module that is configured to receive the meter address, receive the mask value and the per port meter value, and modify the meter address based on those values.
US07945713B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for creating device association/control information for realistic media representation. The device includes a media analyzer, a device information creator, a device parameter creator, a device attribute database, a device control information creator, and a device control stream creator. The media analyzer analyzes media to determine control values and control times for control parameters of respective devices to be associated for media reproduction. The device information creator creates device information by searching peripheral devices connected to a media reproduction device. The device parameter creator creates device parameter information by extracting controllable factors for the respective devices. The device attribute database stores the device information and the device parameter information. The device control information creator creates device control information including control values and control times for the respective device parameters. The device control stream creator creates a device control stream by converting the device control information into a stream-format binary code in the order of reproduction. Herein, one or more devices are associated according to the contents of the media. The apparatus and method can provide the optimal media representation effect by controlling peripheral devices suitably for an available environment by creating a signal for controlling the peripheral devices according to the media contents.
US07945704B2
A method of facilitating communications between a computer device and a smart card reader having an associated smart card, the computer device including a smart card resource manager and a smart card reader service, the smart card reader service acting as a relay for commands between the smart card resource manager and the smart card reader, the method comprising: receiving from the smart card resource manager a first command for setting a protocol for communications with the smart card; and responding, prior to receiving a reply from the smart card to the first command, to the smart card resource manager with a message indicating that the smart card has successfully received the first command.
US07945694B2
Nodes in a realtime p2p media distribution can act in the role of ‘Amplifiers’ to increase the total available bandwidth in the network and thus to improve the quality of the realtime media consumed by the viewers. Examples of such media consumptions are TV channels over the Internet, video on demand films and files, and media files downloaded to be consumed at a later time. Amplifiers are added to the p2p swarm by a mechanism that discovers the need for supplemental bandwidth in the swarm and orders nodes to join the swarm in the role of amplifiers. The amplifiers' main goal is to maximize the amount of bandwidth they supply (upload) to the swarm while minimizing the amount of bandwidth they consume (download).
US07945690B2
Plug-ins for instant messaging (IM) systems are described. By using plug-ins in conjunction with IM systems, the functionality of IM systems may be greatly extended. Specifically, in business applications, such as workflow processes, IM provides a more reliable approach to determining actual delivery of messages.
US07945688B1
A method for reducing output traffic bursts in a streaming media cache includes receiving a request from a first client system for a stream of media data, the stream of media data including a first streaming media data packet and a second streaming media data packet, receiving a request from a second client system for the stream of media data, receiving the first streaming media data packet from an upstream server, the first streaming media data packet including a delivery time, determining a first modified delivery time for the first streaming media data packet, determining a second modified delivery time for the first streaming media data packet, the first modified delivery time different from the second modified delivery time, modifying the first streaming media data packet with the first modified delivery time to form a first modified first streaming media data packet, modifying the first streaming media data packet with the second modified delivery time to form a second modified first streaming media data packet, outputting the first modified first streaming media data packet to the first client system at the first modified delivery time, and outputting the second modified first streaming media data packet to the second client system at the second modified delivery time.
US07945680B2
A method and apparatus for linking to a Peer-to-Peer (“P2P”) network for VOIP communications. An intermediary peer creates a map to link peers together in the P2P network. A series of messages are generated to open the ports of one peer to be accessible to other peers on the P2P network. Peers are then enabled to communicate directly with other peers. Steward peers can assume the functionality of the intermediary peer.
US07945679B2
In a presence service system, at least two terminals are connected via a network to each other for communicating presence information therebetween. Each terminal applies a presence notification policy registered corresponding to a condition regarding presence information. A presence service system, a presence apparatus, a presence service method, and a presence service program make it possible to mitigate presence policy setting load imposed onto the user.
US07945677B2
A method is described that involves establishing a connection over a shared memory between a connection manager and a worker node. The shared memory is accessible to multiple worker nodes. Then sending, from the connection manager to the worker node over the connection, a first request containing a method call to a remote object on the worker node. Also sending, from the connection manager to the worker node over the connection, a second request containing a second method call to a second remote object on the worker node.
US07945676B2
Provided are a method, system, and program for processing requests transmitted using a first communication directed to an application that uses a second communication protocol. A request is received from a client over a network in a first communication protocol. A determination is made as to whether the request includes an identifier of an application indicated in a data structure. A socket is processed that enables communication between the application identified by the identifier in response to determining that the identifier included in the request is indicated in the data structure. The socket is provided to the application associated with the requested resource to enable the application to communicate with the client over the network using a second communication protocol.
US07945672B2
A system and method for providing content to users including a multicast sub-system providing content to multiple users and a unicast sub-system providing content to individual users. The multicast sub-system being operative to push to each of a plurality of user communities, content relating to the community and the unicast sub-system being operative to provide on demand to a user, content which has not been previously pushed to the user.
US07945671B2
A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for instantiating a service on a network. A service infrastructure manager determines whether a service is available at a requested quality of service in response to receiving a request for the service that specifies the quality of service. The service infrastructure manager performs an analysis of components associated with the service to identify resources needed to create the service in response to the service being unavailable at the requested quality of service. Based on the analysis, the service infrastructure manager allocates resources to support the service and instantiates the service at the requested quality of service after the resources have been allocated.
US07945662B2
A computerized system and method for optimizing contents of a domain landing page for increased revenues for the domain name owner. A landing server tracks user interactions with the domain landing page and generates an optimized keyword data set for the domain name. The keyword data set is used for selecting the information to be displayed on the domain name page. According to one embodiment, the keywords are associated with advertiser payment values. When a link to an advertiser bidding on a particular keyword is selected, revenue generated due to the click is shared with the domain name owner. Selection of links on pop-under pages displayed with a landing page are also shared with the domain name owner. Semantic analysis of keywords and domain names allows the generation of a related keyword data set when there is insufficient number of relevant user interactions for generating the optimized keyword data set.
US07945661B2
A method for real time monitoring of at least one TCP flow involves monitoring TCP packets flowing past a particular point in a TCP network. A flow trace including at least source and destination addresses for each TCP packet is determined and a packet record for each monitored TCP packet within a determined flow trace is created. Each of the packet records includes at least a transmitted order number and an actual received sequence number, from which an expected received sequence number for each packet record is determined and stored in the packet record. The difference between the expected received sequence number for each packet record and the expected received sequence number for the previous packet record is used to thereby determine by how much a particular packet was moved out of sequence.
US07945660B2
A system and method are disclosed for rotating an advertisement on a single page or screen. The advertisement may be rotated when the user is active on the page or screen. In addition, the advertisement that replaces the original ad may be based on the user's activity, or may be based on the content displayed in the page or screen. This system and method may increase advertising inventory that is displayed on a page or screen by displaying advertisements for a set time interval, which results in increased flexibility for sellers and buyers of online advertising.
US07945655B2
A method for content storage on behalf of participating content providers begins by having a given content provider identify content for storage. The content provider then uploads the content to a given storage site selected from a set of storage sites. Following upload, the content is replicated from the given storage site to at least one other storage site in the set. Upon request from a given entity, a given storage site from which the given entity may retrieve the content is then identified. The content is then downloaded from the identified given storage site to the given entity. In an illustrative embodiment, the given entity is an edge server of a content delivery network (CDN).
US07945645B2
Entertainment content complementary to a musical recording is delivered to a user's computer by a computer network link. The user employs a browser to access the computer network. A plug-in for the browser is able to control an audio CD or other device for playing the musical recording. A script stored on the remote computer accessed over the network is downloaded. The script synchronizes the delivery of the complementary entertainment content with the play of the musical recording.
US07945640B1
In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a storage request having a storage pool policy, a volume creation policy, and volume creation attributes; searching available storage in a dynamic storage pool and storage connectivity elements based upon the storage request; selecting front-end and back-end virtual local area networks (VLANs), zones, and virtual initiators (VIs) matching a service level agreement (SLA) for the storage request; determining a provisioning plan for the storage request including an array, array ports, the virtual targets (VTs), the VIs, the zones, the VLANs, virtual volume identity, and logical units by examining resources for the VTs and VIs including resource usage and input/output operations per second to select a VT/VI pair based on the SLA; masking and mapping the virtual volume to the array ports to the VIs; creating a back-end zone for connectivity between the virtual targets and host bus adaptor ports; and outputting the provisioning plan to a user for display.
US07945637B2
A web site system includes an event history server system that persistently stores event data reflective of events that occur during browsing sessions of web site users, and makes such data available to other applications and services in real time. The server system may, for example, be used to record information about every mouse click of every recognized user, and may also be used to record other types of events such as impressions and mouse-over events. The event data of a particular user may be retrieved from the server system based on event type, event time of occurrence, and various other criteria. In one embodiment, the server system includes a cache layer that caches event data by session ID, and includes a persistent storage layer the persistently stores the event data by user ID. Also disclosed are various application features that may be implemented using the stored event data.
US07945634B1
The present invention relates to a computer program product and method of use thereof that converts short message service (SMS) message content, including but not limited to, text messages, photos, web links to articles, and advertisements, so that the content can be posted on websites.
US07945621B2
In one embodiment, the systems and methods attend a collaboration session; detect content shared during the collaboration session; automatically record the content and a time stamp corresponding to the content; and play at least a portion of the content during the collaboration session.
US07945613B2
A methodology is presented for discovering and storing end-to-end associations between different types of entities in a system configuration model of a distributed middleware system. First associations are determined, at each distributed system tier, between instances of data and data-container configuration elements. Those first associations point to logical subdivision of a data service that is directly responsible for implementing an instance of data. Second associations are determined, at said each distributed system tier, between said data-container configuration elements and a server infrastructure. Said second associations point to a server infrastructure that hosts said data-container configuration elements. Third associations are composed, within said each distributed system tier, between said instances of data and said server infrastructure, using said first associations and said second associations. Fourth associations are composed, end-to-end, which represent dependency of an application using said instances of data to said server infrastructure.
US07945609B2
A method for composing a lookup table and searching indexes thereof is provided. The method includes the steps of: a) composing a lookup table using a symmetry of a sine and a cosine function; b) changing and setting a gain of a DCO by reflecting a lookup table size in the DCO; c) transforming an absolute value of a DCO output to an integer value; d) determining a range of the integer value of the DCO output; e) searching indexes of a sine and an cosine function according to the range of the integer value of the DCO output; and f) correcting a sign of a lookup table value corresponding to the searched index of the sine function and a sign of a lookup table value corresponding to the searched index of the cosine function according to the range of integers of the DCO output.
US07945605B2
A new technique for accelerating the computational speed of a computer algorithm is provided. The inventive technique can be applied to video compression/decompression algorithms, optical character recognition algorithms, and digital camera zooming applications.
US07945602B2
Document libraries that facilitate content contribution to and management of a website. In general, a document library comprises a database, a special “document library” file system folder and the documents in that folder (or within subfolders of that folder). The database maintains properties of documents in the document library file system folder, and is used to dynamically update views of the document library file system folder and views of properties of the documents. Each document folder is a folder in which content of a specified type may be read and saved.
US07945601B2
Embodiments described in the application provide for reports that are generated in many different formats using an Approval Workflow Engine (AWE) and an XML Publisher (XMLP) component. The AWE can accept user parameters to extract data from at least one data source, transform the data, and generate a structured XML data file appropriate for the report. The AWE can pass this XML file, along with at least one report template and other necessary information to the XMLP, which is able to generate reports in any of a number of specified formats. Such an approach keeps the data separate from the formats and components, and allows for multiple reports to be generated without accessing an application for each format. The AWE also can store an audit history record for each transaction passing through the AWE in order to provide a concise location from which to retrieve the information.
US07945599B2
A process is managed by creating a future revision of a base. Data are input into the future revision of the base. The future revision of the base is made current, revising the base. A control tracks the authorization of the base revision, storing the authorization of the future revision of the base.
US07945577B2
A local database cache enabling persistent, adaptive caching of either full or partial content of a remote database is provided. Content of tables comprising a local cache database is defined on per-table basis. A table is either: defined declaratively and populated in advance of query execution, or is determined dynamically and asynchronously populated on-demand during query execution. Based on a user input query originally issued against a remote DBMS and referential cache constraints between tables in a local database cache, a Janus query plan, comprising local, remote, and probe query portions is determined. A probe query portion of a Janus query plan is executed to determine whether up-to-date results can be delivered by the execution of a local query portion against a local database cache, or whether it is necessary to retrieve results from a remote database by executing a remote query portion of Janus query plan.
US07945567B2
A document is stored in and retrieved from a repository being indexed by a search engine by applying to each document a first classification based on a profile of a user who is likely to access the repository. A query formulated by the user to the search engine results in the engine producing a list of references of documents. The list of references is reduced by eliminating from the lists the documents and references which do not correspond to the user's profile. A second classification level, representative of the particular nature of the problem to which the document refers, is performed. Automatic tagging and labeling mechanisms improve the repository partitioning.
US07945564B2
A computing system and method receive a query; separate a plurality of information sources into individual elements of content (EOC); tag each EOC with metadata that indicate source, date, and other relevant information; pattern match each EOC; calculate the respective distance function from every EOC to every other EOC; and output EOC to a set of virtual buffers (404) containing appropriately related EOC less than a given distance value. The method further creates virtual summary buffers (406); then concatenates the EOC in each virtual buffer (404); applies a comparative analysis filter (318) to remove redundant sub-elements; and presents the results as summary digests (408).
US07945560B2
Methods for transforming a query to remove redundant subqueries in HAVING clauses are provided. The methods provided transform queries that contain subqueries in HAVING clauses with tables and join conditions and filter conditions equal to tables, join conditions and filter conditions in outer query to queries that eliminate the original subquery and retain the original outer query with a single inline view using window functions. Whether this transformation can be performed depends on which tables and join and filter conditions are in the outer query and the subquery. The transformation eliminates duplicative table accesses and join operations from queries.
US07945557B2
A set of algebraic rules applicable to a query are identified, wherein each of the algebraic rules represents a relationship between two columns in a relational database table. A source column is identified by searching the query for a source predicate, wherein the source predicate is a range predicate. One or more candidate target columns are identified by searching the set of algebraic rules, wherein each of the candidate target columns occurs on one side of a binding expression and the source column occurs on the other side of the binding expression. For each of the one or more candidate target columns, a bounds subquery that provides a lower bound and an upper bound for a new range predicate is derived and he new range predicate is introduced into the query, wherein the query is executed to retrieve data from one or more data stores.
US07945555B2
The present invention provides method and system for categorizing a content published on Internet. The method comprising gathering one or more feeds associated with the content. The method further comprises extracting contextual information from the one or more feeds. Thereafter, the content is categorized into one or more general web-based categories belonging to a set of general web-based categories. The categorizing step further comprises performing a semantic analysis of the contextual information that yields a keyword string. The content is classified into the one or more general web-based category based on the keyword string. Finally, the set of general web-based categories is translated to a set of pre-defined categories, such that one or more general web-based category is translated to a pre-defined category that is relevant to an end user.
US07945550B1
The present invention provides a system and method of managing Internet browser navigation. Software code designed to interact with and control the user's Internet browser is embedded into web pages made available to remote users by a web server. Embedded software code is read by the user's Internet browser upon loading a requested web page. Embedded software code directs the browser to store one or more attributes upon the remote user's computer system. Stored attributes may then be compared to attributes embedded within subsequently requested web pages to determine if the requested web page, or a corrected web page, should be displayed.
US07945545B1
A method and system for utilizing user information to provide a network address. The method collects user information about a user from at least one electronic device that is associated with the user. In addition, a network address activity pattern is identified based on a combination of a network browsing activity and the user information. A list of network addresses that have been viewed in context of the activity pattern is then accessed. At least one network address on the list of network addresses is scored. Then, the at least one network address having a highest score is provided to the user.
US07945538B2
The present invention relates to a method and arrangements for node recovery particularly suitable for recovery involving large database fragments. The method for node recovery according to the present invention makes use of an old version of a fragment in a failed node (114). The old version is brought up to date by means of scanning an up to date version of the fragment in another node and copying parts of the fragment (117), which have changed since the creation of the old version, to the recovering node. A delete log is utilized in order to take deletions, which have taken place since the creation of the old version, into account in the recovery of the failed node (116). An advantage of the method for node recovery according to the present invention is that it does not require write transactions to be stopped during the recovery process.
US07945528B2
Disclosed herein is an improved architecture for regular expression pattern matching. Improvements to pattern matching deterministic finite automatons (DFAs) that are described by the inventors include a pipelining strategy that pushes state-dependent feedback to a final pipeline stage to thereby enhance parallelism and throughput, augmented state transitions that track whether a transition is indicative of a pattern match occurring thereby reducing the number of necessary states for the DFA, augmented state transition that track whether a transition is indicative of a restart to the matching process, compression of the DFA's transition table, alphabet encoding for input symbols to equivalence class identifiers, the use of an indirection table to allow for optimized transition table memory, and enhanced scalability to facilitate the ability of the improved DFA to process multiple input symbols per cycle.
US07945512B2
Embodiments describe a method and a system to link a secondary account to a primary account with an account management module associated with the primary account and to control access to funds in the secondary account with respect to a secondary account holder through the account management module. The secondary account includes a spending account and a savings account.
US07945509B1
An improved seller automated engine architecture methodology particularly (though not exclusively) for use in automated real-time iterative reverse auctions over the Internet and the like for purchase and sale of goods and services, providing a choice of architectural implementations while enabling price optimization on market share-directed considerations, specific sales target-directed implementations, seller utility derivative-following implementations, model optimizer implementations and explorations, mathematical optimization-oriented and rules-based implementations.
US07945504B1
Secure image bidding system process for financial transactions, including structured investment products, escrows and interest rate swaps. Some embodiments provide a secure image bidding system and process for image-based bid transmissions where each of a plurality of bids received by the system is encrypted and held in a digital “Vault” until the specified end of the bid period, at which time a package containing the encrypted bids, a log of server activity, and a digital checksum of the original bid file is sent via electronic mail to the bid broker and other participants. A second electronic mail message is sent to the bid broker and other participants containing the decryption key. During the bid process, no party has access to the bid information and there is no human interaction in the receipt, conversion to image, encryption, storage or conveyance of compiled information.
US07945498B2
A business-to-business transaction clearinghouse integrates the traditional point-to-point business supply chain at the clearinghouse. The clearinghouse provides cost effective access to a wide variety of members and includes value-added services. Members of the clearinghouse can include trading members, members that help the trading members ship their products, and banking members. The clearinghouse facilitates business among the trading members by providing a single point of contact for all transactions. The clearinghouse can be specific to an industry, such as the chemical industry. Multiple industry specific clearinghouses may form a network clearinghouses to effectively create one larger and more general business-to-business electronic commerce community.
US07945496B2
A method of computer-assisted price modeling is provided, which uses a reference price to assist in evaluating discretionary pricing of transactional services provided (i) by a professional among his own transactions or (ii) by a target professional among others' transactions. A universe of pricing episode data is segmented into groupings based on price predictive parameters. These data are then arranged in each grouping according to price. A reference price is determined within each grouping based on a predetermined level, rank or percentile. This reference price can then be used to evaluate the pricing episode data and provide various calculations or comparisons, including the revenue opportunity that could have been obtained by pricing at the reference price.
US07945494B2
The present teachings describe a system for processing financial transactions. In one embodiment, the system includes a remote terminal adapted to identify the location of financial transactions via global positioning system (GPS) information such that the remote terminal acquires transaction information from a user and transmits a first signal indicative of transaction information and GPS information. In addition, the system includes an authorizing host adapted to receive the first signal transmitted by the remote terminal such that the authorizing host evaluates the risk associated with financial transactions based, at least in part, on the GPS information so as to determine whether to accept or decline the financial transaction. The present teachings further describe devices and methods of acquiring GPS information for the purpose of managing risk for financial transactions.
US07945479B2
A system and appertaining methods are provided that makes it possible to order pizza and other products using an instant messaging or other signaling mechanisms such as cell-phones and two-way pagers, using a tokenized representation of the order elements. Signaling mechanisms provide context sensitive help to facilitate the use of the tokens, and a system then processes the order to the end point system for immediate preparation and/or delivery of the products. Communications may be implemented by a system in which a non-secure channel is used to poll a central server to determine if there is any data available, and the actual data transmission, if available, is provided over a secure channel.
US07945477B2
A patron service system and method is described herein with reference to several exemplary implementations. For example, in one described implementation, portable patron units are provided to patrons for use in a resort or other establishment. The portable patron units are mobile wireless devices that include interactive display screens. The portable patron units enables patrons to interact order items, request services, and/or browse information associated with the resort wirelessly. Portable staff units are provided to staff members for use in the resort or other establishment. The portable staff units are also mobile wireless devices that include interactive display screens. The portable staff units, enable staff members to view information about orders and/or requests entered by patrons made by the patrons wirelessly. The portable staff units can also display locations of the portable patron units to enable staff members to locate portable patron units when delivering items, servicing requests, etc.
US07945464B2
A rule-based search engine is used in conjunction with an automated network-based workflow system (which in turn is interfaced with an organizational database) to efficiently determine service routing requests from users/clients. The search engine employs search techniques adapted for use with multi-dimensional tree structures that define the matrix organizational model. Workflow services are preferably represented by roles that can be used to represent workflow actors in the workflow routing rules. These roles are preferably evaluated at run-time to best match recipients depending on the organization context from which the routing request is made.
US07945461B2
A method for monitoring patient compliance to medical therapy that includes repeatedly measuring therapy compliance of a patient, uploading the therapy compliance measurements to a personal computer, connecting a central server using the personal computer, sending the uploaded therapy compliance measurements from the personal computer to the central server, providing a number of predetermined compliance threshold amounts, comparing the sent therapy compliance measurements with the number of predetermined compliance thresholds corresponding to the patient, determining a need and level of intervention based on the result of the comparing and reporting the determined need for intervention to a health professional corresponding to the patient and determined level.
US07945456B2
A service provider is prompted to provide a summary of an engagement with a consumer, an audible summary provided by the provider is recorded and, and the audible summary is associated with a record of the engagement.
US07945442B2
The invention provides an Internet communication device. The Internet communication device plays a remote audio signal received via a network and transmits an audio signal back to the remote party to complete the communication. The Internet communication device comprises a line-in speech detection module and a line-in channel control module. The line-in speech detection module detects whether the remote audio signal is speech or not to generate a remote speech detection result. The line-in channel control module then attenuates the remote audio signal if the remote speech detection result indicates that the remote audio signal is not speech, thus, all noise including non-stationary noise is removed from the remote audio signal.
US07945439B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus configured to generate metadata corresponding to content including, a data output, a data input section, a control section, an interaction execution section, an interaction metadata generation section, and a content control section.
US07945438B2
A method and device for creating a glossary includes a processor operable for executing computer instructions for identifying, in at least one information source, at least one glossary item identifying a part or a component, determining at least one glossary item form as a canonical form, defining, by using the canonical form, at least one syntactic structure, that includes one of the at least one identified glossary items, for each of at least one semantic classes, and searching a second information source for the at least one syntactic structure of the semantic class.
US07945434B2
A system and a method for capturing, storing and replaying data describing application of an event-based process to an event are described. As an event processing engine processes an input event, specified data is captured by a store monitor included in the event processing engine. Hence, while the event processing engine processes an input event, data describing the event processing is contemporaneously captured without affecting processing of the input event. The captured data is then stored for later access and can be used later simulate or analyze the event processing. In one embodiment, the stored data is also classified or grouped based on one or more grouping criteria (e.g., event type, timestamp) to simplify later access to the data.
US07945428B2
Disclosed is an electronic processing system for a flow cytometer that uses a processing chip that processes data in a parallel architecture on a sample by sample basis and provides for high throughput of data. In addition, multi-gain linear amplifiers are used which are matched using feedback circuits to provide accurate data and high resolution data having high dynamic range.
US07945426B2
A computer-implemented method of optimizing at least one of a design, production and testing process in a mass manufacturing process includes steps of: collecting error data relating to a product; classifying the error data into categories of symptoms; mapping the symptom to a revealing condition of the product; mapping the revealing condition to a test type; mapping a scope of a fix to phases of error injection mapping; and recommending modifications to an end user for at least one of the design, production, delivery, and testing process based on the scope of the fix.
US07945423B2
The applicant describes a system and methods of calculating the overall operating efficiency of an air conditioning chiller that evaluates efficiency of the component parts of the chiller and generates an overall efficiency based on these component efficiency values. If the overall chiller efficiency is less than the maximum attainable chiller efficiency, the cost of the inefficiency is calculated and presented to the user. Recommendations for corrective action to restore maximum chiller efficiency are identified and presented to the user. The system also adjusts the efficiency calculations as appropriate to account for actual compressor current load conditions.
US07945422B2
A weight and balance system for accurately determining gross weight of an aircraft. The present invention integrates tire pressure measurements with strut pressure measurements to overcome the problem associated with the friction in the strut seals, and simultaneously overcome the problem with the large number of variables associated with using tire pressure measurement to determine load (weight on wheels). An example system includes a plurality of strut pressure sensors that generate strut pressure data for landing gear struts of the aircraft and a plurality of tire pressure sensors that generate tire pressure data for tires of the aircraft. A processing device that is in data communication with the strut and tire pressure sensors determines gross weight and center of gravity of the aircraft based on the received strut and tire pressure data.
US07945421B2
A method of detecting a reference zone formed on the periphery of a toothed disk integral with a rotary part, for determining the angular position of the rotary part. According to this detection method, when a reference zone is expected and at the time of the detection of a tooth (n) at a time tn, there is defined a time window [tmin, tmax] of duration depending on the time period Tn separating the detection of the tooth (n) and the detection of the preceding tooth (n−1), and the reference zone is considered present in the absence of detection of a tooth (n+1) during the time window [tmin, tmax]. Moreover, the duration of each time window [tmin, tmax], calculated from a measured time period Tn, is adjusted by modulating that duration by a correction parameter equal to ΔT=Tn−Tn−1.
US07945419B2
In a method of electronically measuring reel off-center run-out and reel hub mismatch, tape speed data related to a tape coupled with an operating drive reel is electronically measured. The tape speed data is correlated with drive reel rotation angles. The correlated tape speed data is translated to drive reel hub radii variations with respect to the drive reel rotation angles. The drive reel hub radii variations comprise an operational measure of reel off-center run-out and reel hub mismatch of the drive reel.
US07945410B2
An average fault ratio is calculated from product characteristics of a product as a target of yield prediction, in order to predict yield accurately in the course of manufacturing the prediction target product.With respect to a reference product, whose wiring pattern is different from the prediction target product but manufactured by the same manufacturing process, a monthly electric fault density is calculated from actually measured data. Respective average fault ratios are obtained from product characteristics of the prediction target product and the reference product. A monthly electric fault density of the prediction target product is obtained by multiplying the monthly electric fault density of the reference product by the ratio of the average fault ratios. The yield is calculated by using the monthly electric fault density of the month in which a yield prediction target lot of the prediction target product was processed.
US07945405B2
Provided is a jitter measurement apparatus, including a sampling section that samples a signal under measurement having a cycle T, a waveform reconfiguring section that shapes a reconfigured waveform having the cycle T by rearranging ordinal ranks of sample values sampled by the sampling section, a distribution generating section that generates a timing distribution of edges in the reconfigured waveform, and a statistical value calculating section that calculates a statistical value of the timing distribution. The sampling section may sample the signal under measurement having the cycle T a certain number of times N while the signal under measurement repeats for M cycles, where M and N are coprime.
US07945402B2
When the number of battery cells of a certain battery block is different from a reference number of cells, the inter-terminal voltage of the battery block is converted into the voltage corresponding to the reference number of cells. Thus, even when a plurality of battery blocks being different in the number of battery cells are included, a map for calculating the SOC may only be one. That is, since conventional software or calculation methods can be used, it is not necessary to increase the capacity of SOC calculation software or allowable battery output calculation software. As a result, a plurality of assembled batteries being different in the number of battery cells constituting each battery block can appropriately be monitored.
US07945400B2
The system and methods monitor odd harmonics within a power distribution system quantity using a special digital filter. A normal level of odd harmonics for the monitored quantity is established. Over predetermined time periods, the odd harmonics within the power distribution quantity are compared to the normal level, and a determination of whether a high-impedance fault is present in the monitored power distribution system is made.
US07945399B2
Capacitive detection systems, modules, and methods. In one embodiment, time interval measurement(s) are generated that are monotonic functions of the capacitance(s) of capacitive sensor(s) in a capacitive sensing area. In one embodiment, the generated time interval measurement(s), or any other monotonic function(s) of capacitance(s) of capacitive sensor(s) in a capacitive sensing area, may be analyzed to detect the presence of an object near the capacitive sensing area and/or to detect the position of an object near the capacitive sensing area.
US07945391B2
A computer controlled method for detecting and diagnosing a rare cell type in a tissue sample is provided, said method comprising treating the tissue sample such that it generates a first signal indicative of the presence at a location of a rare cell, detecting the first signal, treating the location at which the first signal is detected to generate a second signal indicative of a diagnostically useful cellular characteristic and detecting the second signal. The first signal can be morphological or a color present in a sought cell either before or after staining. The second signal can be generated by in situ PCR or PCR in situ hybridization. In one preferred embodiment, the rare cell type is a fetal cell in a maternal blood tissue sample, said sample consisting of a smear of unenriched maternal blood. In another embodiment, the method is used to diagnose or genotype cancer cells in a blood or tissue biopsy sample.
US07945389B2
A system for processing information for providing semantic information and/or information associated with the semantic information useful for each individual organism through effective utilization of differences in nucleotide sequence-related information among individual organisms is constructed. The method for processing information on a nucleotide sequence comprises: (a) receiving request information for an object and/or service; (b) obtaining positional information in accordance with the request information from a memory having positional information representing a position in a nucleotide sequence memorized therein; and (c) obtaining nucleotide sequence-related information corresponding to the positional information obtained in (b) above, and obtaining semantic information implied by the nucleotide sequence-related information and/or information associated with the semantic information.
US07945386B2
A navigation device includes a processor, a map information storage medium storing map information, a position determining module configured to determine a current location, a velocity and direction of travel of a vehicle, and determine whether the current position indicates a deviation from an original route to a final destination. Further included is a routing module configured to determine an original route from a starting position to a destination, and at least one reroute from the current location to the destination, wherein the reroute includes a restoration route from the current location to at least one intermediate point on the original route and then continuing to the destination. Based upon an estimated cost of the restoration route plus a predetermined actual cost of the route from the intermediate point to the final destination, the routing module is further configured to estimate a reroute cost, and select a reroute based upon the estimated reroute cost.
US07945383B2
A navigation system is able to find an optimum route to a destination even when a large non-digitized area exists between a starting point to the destination. The navigation system produces processing points based on a particular shape and size of the large non-digitized area and determines whether such processing points should be used for route search operations. When it is determined that the route search operation is effective, the navigation system performs A* algorithm search operations with respect to the start point, processing points and the destination and detects an optimum route to detour the large non-digitized area.
US07945381B2
A method is disclosed for communication between a vehicle travelling along a route and a stationary system. The vehicle is equipped with a communication unit to communicate messages to the stationary system. The method includes dividing the route into a plurality of partial sections, defining for each partial section a required information flow from the vehicle, and adapting the communication to this definition. The method makes it possible to command the communication unit to communicate with correctly adjusted accuracy. This also improves the possibility of effectively utilizing the traffic information in local units, for instance for displays and traffic signals.
US07945376B2
In a method of maintaining temperature of engine exhaust gas from cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine (23) with a desired range, exhaust gas from a first group of cylinders (25) including at least one cylinder is routed to at least one of an EGR system (53) and an exhaust system (41). Exhaust gas from a second group of cylinders (27) including at least one of the cylinders is routed to the exhaust system (41). Routing of the exhaust gas from the first group of cylinders between the EGR system and the exhaust system is controlled to maintain a temperature of engine exhaust gas within a desired range. An engine (23), a control system (69), and a controller (71), as well as an exhaust gas mixture, are also disclosed.
US07945374B2
A method for equalizing fuel injector flows among a plurality of fuel injectors in an internal combustion engine including the steps of a) characterizing the electrical and/or mechanical performance of each fuel injector; b) imprinting characterization data on each fuel injector; c) reading the imprinted data into a control computer, preferably at the time of engine assembly or sub-assembly; and d) using the characterization data in an algorithm to adjust at least one electrical parameter such as hold current, peak current, and boost time for each fuel injector in an assembled engine during each fuel injection cycle.
US07945373B2
A control system for an engine capable of operating on more than one type of fuel includes an engine control unit that determines a default fuel volume to be injected into the engine based on relevant engine parameters and characteristics of a default fuel type. A default mass fuel flow rate is derived from the default fuel volume and relevant engine parameters. The actual mass fuel flow rate into the engine is inferred from the mass air flow rate into the engine and the exhaust gas air-to-fuel ratio, which is determined using a wide range oxygen sensor. A fuel correction factor is calculated from the default mass fuel flow rate and the inferred mass fuel flow rate. The fuel correction factor is used to increment or decrement the default fuel volume in a subsequent fuel injection cycle thereby incrementing or decrementing the inferred mass fuel flow rate toward the default mass fuel flow rate.
US07945371B2
In turbocharged engines, there is the problem that, in particular under load, the ambient pressure (AMP) cannot be determined directly from the measurement values of a charge-pressure sensor (8). In order to avoid the installation of a further pressure sensor which is suitable for the detection of the ambient pressure (AMP), it is proposed that, during a negative load step of the internal combustion engine in which a switch takes place from supercharged engine operation into non-supercharged engine operation, the charge-pressure sensor (8) measures the transient profile of the charge pressure (PUT). A value for the ambient pressure (AMP) is determined from the transient profile of the charge pressure (PUT). Through the pressure value for the present ambient pressure (AMP), it is possible to optimize the engine operation for example when travelling up a slope.
US07945363B2
A storage device stores map data, which indicates a road map, and a reliability of the map data. A navigation controller determines an absolute position of a vehicle based on signals of a GPS sensor, a gyrosensor and a vehicle speed sensor. The controller sets a sensing accuracy of the absolute position based on a sensing condition, under which the absolute position is sensed. The controller stores the absolute position at the time of traveling of the vehicle as travel path information of the vehicle in the storage device. The controller sets a reliability of the travel path information based on the sensing accuracy of the absolute position. A light controller controls headlights based on a road state that is determined according to a selected one of the travel path information and the corresponding map data, which shows the higher reliability.
US07945359B2
The present invention provides a method for providing vehicle maintenance client notification within a telematics equipped mobile vehicle that includes monitoring the mobile vehicle for vehicle system maintenance information, determining an oil-life value based on the vehicle system maintenance information, determining when the oil-life value exceeds at least one oil-life threshold level, sending the vehicle system maintenance information to a call center responsive to the oil-life threshold level determination, and generating a service reminder, at the call center, based on the received vehicle system maintenance information. The step of determining when the oil-life value exceeds the oil-life threshold level may include comparing the determined oil-life value with the at least one oil-life threshold level, determining at least one oil-life threshold level that is exceeded by the oil-life value, and initiating a vehicle data upload based on the at least one exceeded oil-life threshold level.
US07945342B2
The present invention provides an audio processing apparatus for automatically controlling gain. The audio processing apparatus includes an audio signal source and a sound reproduction device. The sound reproduction device attaches to the audio signal source, which includes a storage unit for storing a default gain value and a gain index table. The gain index table lists genre types with a genre gain value of each of the genre types. After receiving a play command signal, the audio signal source fetches an audio file to be played, reads a genre type of the audio file from a tag thereof, and processing the audio file to generate audio signals. The audio signal source further reads a genre gain value of the genre type from the gain index table, amplifies the audio signals by the genre gain value, and sends the amplified audio signals to the sound reproduction device to reproduce corresponding sounds.
US07945336B2
Probe (1) for deep electrical neurostimulation, and more specifically for deep brain electrostimulation, comprising: a tubular body (10) of biocompatible material with a lateral wall (11) defining a lumen (12) and a closed anterior end (13), said tubular body (11) can be introduced for at least a part of its length inside a patient's body for reaching a region to be stimulated; wherein it also comprises: a plurality of electrically insulating arms (32) each bearing at least one electrode (40) and being able to pass from a first position in which they are housed inside of said tubular body (11) to a second position in which they project radially from this latter and inversely; and means (20 and 50) for making said arms (32) pass from said first position to said second position and inversely.
US07945327B2
In one embodiment, an external programming device is operable to determine and graphically display power consumption of an implantable medical device (“IMD”). In accordance with this particular embodiment, the external programming device includes a graphical user interface display and a communication interface operable to receive information from an IMD. In this embodiment, the external programming device is operable to receive IMD parameter settings and/or battery parameter values from the IMD, calculate a power consumption rate for the IMD, and then display the power consumption on the graphical user interface display using a graphical visual indicator.
US07945325B2
A method for allowing cardiac signals to be sensed and pacing pulse vectors to be delivered between two or more electrodes. In one embodiment, cardiac signals are sensed and pacing pulse vectors are delivered between at least one of a first left ventricular electrode and a second left ventricular electrode. Alternatively, cardiac signals are sensed and pacing pulse vectors are delivered between different combinations of the first and second left ventricular electrodes and a first supraventricular electrode. In addition, cardiac signals are sensed and pacing pulse vectors are delivered between different combinations of the first and second left ventricular electrode, the first supraventricular electrode and a conductive housing. In an additional embodiment, a first right ventricular electrode is used to sense cardiac signals and provide pacing pulses with different combinations of the first and second left ventricular electrodes, the first supraventricular electrode and the housing.
US07945324B2
Various different implementations of lead systems are disclosed for use with implantable stimulation systems. Generally, the lead systems incorporate, within an elongate lead body, one or more electrical conduits that connect to one or more distal electrodes, and a liquid-filled pressure transmission catheter lumen that extends proximally from a distal entry port. Use of the lead systems allows accurate pressure sensing at a location near where the electrodes are positioned. In addition, a defibrillator lead is disclosed having such features, and a system using that lead is capable of directly monitoring pressure within a heart chamber, and using that information to confirm the delivery of a defibrillation pulse.
US07945314B1
A surface electrocardiogram (EKG) is emulated using signals detected by internal leads of an implanted device. In one example, emulation is performed using a technique that concatenates portions of signals sensed using different electrodes, such as by combining far-field ventricular signals sensed in the atria with far-field atrial signals sensed in the ventricles. In another example, emulation is performed using a technique that selectively amplifies or attenuates portions of a single signal, such as by attenuating near-field portions of an atrial unipolar signal relative to far-field portions of the same signal. The surface EKG emulation may be performed by the implanted device itself or by an external programmer based on cardiac signals transmitted thereto. A transtelephonic monitoring network is also described, wherein the emulated surface EKG (or raw data used to emulate the EKG) is relayed from an implanted device to a remote monitor, typically installed in a physician's office.
US07945308B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which a compact pod insertable into the rectum for Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRI/MRS) examination of the prostate and containing two receive coils, each connected to transmit blocking and pre-tuned trap circuitry which can be superimposed within the pod in close proximity, can, without either circuit interfering with the other, efficiently gather, for imaging and tissue analysis, radio frequency signals emanating from magnetically disturbed nuclei in prostate tissue.
US07945306B2
A method for generation of an image exposure of the heart of an examination subject with an imaging medical examination apparatus in particular a magnetic resonance apparatus, the image exposure requiring preparation includes the steps of: preparation of the heart in a heart position that is relevant for the image acquisition and determination of the associated heart position, determination of at least one current heart position in the further course of the heart cycle, comparison of the determined current heart position with the heart position relevant for the image acquisition, and given correlation of the current heart position and the heart position relevant for the image acquisition, starting the image acquisition through a control device of the imaging medical examination apparatus.
US07945302B2
A tissue mapping system comprising a two dimensional array of test electrodes 10 for application to the surface of tissue under investigation and circuit means 50-66 for measuring an electrical characteristic of the tissue underlying each test electrode. In one embodiment the electrical characteristics is the impedance of the tissue underlying each test electrode.
US07945295B2
A portable radio and battery pack configuration favoring higher available transmit power in explosive atmosphere applications includes a radio device (302) and a battery pack (304) removably attached to the radio device. The battery pack includes at least one of an audio power amplifier (346) and a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (356), and a battery (306) for supplying power to the radio device and to the at least one of an audio power amplifier and a RF power amplifier.
US07945294B2
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for providing hands-free operation of a device. A hands-free adapter is provided that communicates with a device and a headset. The hands-free adapter allows a user to use voice commands so that the user does not have to handle the device. The hands-free adapter receives voice commands from the headset and translates the voice commands to commands recognized by the device. The hands-free adapter also monitors the device to detect device events and provides notice of the events to the user via the headset.
US07945278B2
A one-to-multitude group communication method and group communication system enabling a user of each communication terminal to predict transmission permission and a communication terminal used in this one-to-multitude group communication system, where when a communication terminal requests the transmission permission from a communication management system, the information concerning communication terminals waiting for transmission permission in the communication system is provided from the communication management system to all communication terminals and this information is displayed on a display part of each communication terminal. Due to this, each communication terminal can determine communication terminals waiting for the transmission permission in the communication system, therefore, even if transmission is not permitted at a point of time when it issues the request, it can predict how long it must wait for obtaining the transmission permission.
US07945270B2
The approximate location of a directed cell of a cellular network is calculated based on locations in the vicinity of which mobile devices were able to detect the directed cell. A mobile device is able to estimate its own location from the approximate locations of one or more directed cells that it can identify. This estimated location of the mobile device may be used to seed its GPS receiver.
US07945269B2
In a carrier allocation scheme for a cellular communications system, cells are divided into groups of different types (CG1, CG2, CG3, CG4) and carriers (fxyz) are divided into sets (f1yz, f2yz, f3yz, f4yz) allocated respectively to the different types. Carriers may be re-used between different groups of the same type, and optionally within a group, subject to a minimum re-use distance rule. The allocation patterns may be varied independently between different groups of the same type. The scheme may be adapted to the demand for carriers over a predetermined period. Different allocation schemes applied to different carriers may be overlaid on the same cells. Different allocation schemes may be applied to different cells, provided that the minimum re-use distance rule is obeyed between schemes. The scheme may be applied to spot beams of a satellite communications system, or cells of a terrestrial cellular system.
US07945268B2
An apparatus and a method for allocating IDcells in a wireless communication system are provided, in which an initial IDcell allocation is performed by allocating entire sectors to elements of an N×M IDcell matrix, a sector pair with the highest proximity is selected for each IDcell in the initial allocation, an IDcell with a sector pair having the highest of the proximities of the selected sector pairs is determined as a target IDcell, one sector of the sector pair with the highest proximity for the target IDcell is selected as a target sector, a predetermined number of sectors are selected for each of the other IDcells except for the target IDcell, from among sectors to which the each of the other IDcells is allocated, and the IDcell of the target sector is swapped with the IDcell of a sector satisfying a first condition among the selected sectors.
US07945260B2
A network element includes at least one input to receive communications from a plurality of terminal devices and a plurality of network elements, a processing unit and logic to classify the communications as a type of user information, and a router to route the communications according to the type of user information. The communication may be routed to at least one of a plurality of subnetworks according to the type of user information.
US07945259B2
A method of providing telecommunication service via a terminating device aboard an aircraft is disclosed and includes receiving data related to identification information included on an aircraft boarding pass at a boarding pass reader interface. The method also includes determining, based on the data, that a passenger identified by the boarding pass is a subscriber of a service to forward calls placed to a mobile terminal of the passenger to a terminating device accessible to the passenger aboard an aircraft associated with the boarding pass. The service is automatically activated with respect to the passenger when the identification information indicates that the service is to be activated.
US07945252B2
A mobile device and corresponding service provider are configured to provide a user of the mobile device with access to one or more instant messaging help entities, from the mobile device. The one or more instant messaging help entities may be associated with the corresponding service provider or with a service that is external to the corresponding service provider. In some cases, some of the one or more instant messaging help entities may be embedded as part of the mobile device or service, so that access to the one or more help entities may not be permanently terminated by the user. In some cases, the user may control access to some of the one or more instant messaging help entities, such as by adding or removing the access to the instant messaging help entities from a list of instant messaging entities.
US07945244B1
A method and apparatus for communicating using a plurality of identities is disclosed. The method includes communicating on a mobile communications device using a first identity having an associated first content and communicating using a second identity having an associated second content. The apparatus includes a processor for communicating with a communications network using the first identity having the associated first content and using the second identity having the associated second content.
US07945243B2
A mobile terminal for use in a Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) system. A mobile equipment (ME) for use in the GSM system includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card and a Mobile Terminal (MT). The SIM card stores International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) information used for subscriber authentication and private information. The MT stores the IMSI and private information of a user, and contains a controller, which reads IMSI information from the SIM card when the SIM card is inserted into the MT, and denies access to the stored private information when the read IMSI information of the inserted SIM card is different from the stored IMSI information.
US07945240B1
A telecommunications payment system which includes a transaction component that facilitates the communication of at least billing and payment information to at least one of a plurality of mobile terminals. In operation the carrier will cause the transaction component to communicate an SMS message to the mobile terminal that includes a billing notification message. The notification message can include a current account balance, including total and past due, if applicable, the user's last payment method, and personal financial account data such as the last four digits of a credit card and/or bank account file. When providing the proper reply, payment processing is initiated such that an amount of funds will be transferred from the user's financial institution to the carrier back-office systems or its financial institution.
US07945238B2
A system and method for the real-time management of a device, and more particularly to the allocation of electronic wallets that are associated with one or more devices and various controls that enable at least two entities to manage how the device is utilized for various activities and to pay for goods and services. Each device is associated with at least two electronic wallets, a user wallet and an administrator wallet. The administrator can establish rules that designate how and when the device can be used and which wallet will be used to pay for goods and services desired by the user, but in the event the user wallet is depleted or low on funds, the administrator wallet can serve as a backup funding source for specified types of goods and/or services. Additional wallets can also be associated with the device to authorize and pay for goods and services, under the control of the administrator wallet, such as a promotional wallet that could be designated for use with the device before a primary or administrative wallet was used, or a dynamic wallet that could be associated for use with multiple different devices as well as other wallets, but acts in conjunction with the user and administrator wallets. Additional rules can be established to perform many other functions, such as manage the movement of value between wallets and from other sources to the wallets.
US07945231B2
A semiconductor device for an ultra-wideband standard for ultra-high-frequency communication includes an ultra-wideband semiconductor chip and a multilayer circuit substrate with at least one lower metal layer and one upper metal layer, in which an ultra-wideband circuit with passive devices is arranged. The lower metal layer has external contact pads on which external contacts are arranged, via which the semiconductor device can be surface-mounted on a circuit board. In addition, the semiconductor device has an antenna which is operatively coupled to the ultra-wideband semiconductor chip via the circuit on the circuit substrate and is arranged above the semiconductor chip and the circuit substrate.
US07945230B2
A passive, differential RF mixer reduces second order intermodulation interference while maintaining I/Q isolation via common mode feedback wherein the I and Q error signals in the feedback path are time multiplexing using a four-phase LO signal. An RF signal is received at a differential input having a center tap. The RF signal is mixed with an in-phase differential signal of the four-phase local oscillator signal in a differential mixer (I mixer). The RF signal is also mixed with a quadrature-phase differential signal Q components of the four-phase local oscillator signal in a differential mixer (Q mixer). The common mode levels of the I and Q differential mixer outputs are compared to a reference DC voltage to generate I and Q error signals. The I and Q error signals are time-multiplexed, and fed back to the RF input center tap.
US07945225B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for combining digital sidebands with an FM analog signal for IBOC transmission by a single antenna. Specifically, a high power filter combiner for combining an FM analog and a digital signal of the same channel, or frequency, is disclosed. The combiner has two inputs that respectively receive an FM analog and a digital signal to be transmitted in the same FM channel. The combiner has mild tuned filters interposed between the inputs and the output which are tuned to pass the FM analog signal while reflecting the digital signal such that the passed FM analog signal and the reflected digital signal combine as IBOC, i.e., an FM analog signal with digital sideband signals. The combined IBOC signal is provided at an output of the combiner, capable for transmission through a single antenna.
US07945220B2
A linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) power transmitter is provided. The LINC power transmitter includes a digital signal processing unit which controls the LINC power transmitter; a frequency modulation unit which modulates or converts a digital signal output from the digital signal processing unit into a radio-frequency (RF) signal; a signal amplification unit which amplifies the RF signal output from the frequency modulation unit using a gain amplifier and a power amplification module; and a direct current/direct current (DC/DC) conversion unit which controls bias of the power amplification module. Here, the DC/DC conversion unit controls a base bias and/or a collect bias of the power amplification module, and the power amplification module operates in saturation.
US07945208B2
Embodiments of an RFIC and methods for same and mobile terminals can internally reduce an input voltage to provide a prescribed voltage to a radio frequency transceiver. Embodiments of an RFIC can have a high efficiency and/or a low noise. In one embodiment, a device can include a PMIC and an RFIC. The RFIC can include an RF transceiver to carry out an RF transmission and an RF reception, a DC-DC converter to lower a voltage provided by the PMIC, and an LDO regulator to regulate the lowered voltage to a fixed voltage used by the RF transceiver.
US07945199B2
A fixing device including a heating roller; a fixing roller facing the heating roller; a fixing belt wound between the heating roller and the fixing roller, and including, a cylindrical substrate, and an elastic layer provided on or above the substrate except at end parts of the substrate; a pressure roller configured to press the fixing roller through the fixing belt; and a separation part configured to separate media from the fixing belt.
US07945188B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a charging member, a toner image forming device for forming an image on the image bearing member, and an intermediary transfer member for carrying a toner image. A cleaning member removes toner remaining on the image bearing member, a speed switching device selectively set a speed of the recording material, and an intermediary transfer member speed switching device switches a rotational speed of the intermediary transfer member after the toner image is transferred. A charging control device render off a DC voltage applied to the charging member after transfer of the toner image and while the intermediary transfer member is carrying the toner image. A charging member cleaning control devices permits, when a signal for starting image formation is inputted, a cleaning operation for discharging toner deposited on the charging member to the image bearing member before starting the image formation.
US07945183B2
An image forming device includes: a high voltage generating circuit for applying an oscillating voltage to a charging member disposed in contact with or proximity to an image carrier, the oscillating voltage having a DC voltage Vdc and an AC voltage Vac superimposed thereon; a current detecting portion for detecting the value of a DC current Idc between the image carrier and the charging member; an AC voltage control portion for controlling the value of the AC voltage Vac so as to secure the detected value of the DC current Idc within a target current range; and an aging control portion for performing rotation driving of the image carrier while securing the AC voltage Vac and the DC voltage Vdc at preset voltage values and setting the frequency of the AC voltage Vac at a frequency different from a frequency during an image forming operation.
US07945180B2
When an image forming apparatus, after a feeding error of a recording material occurs in a fixing device, re-forms on the recording material an image corresponding to image data which image was formed on a sheet which caused the feeding error, an image forming condition is caused to be different from an operation condition used when the feeding error has occurred. This makes it possible to prevent a JAM corresponding to the same image from recurring in the fixing device.
US07945179B2
A light-emitting device includes: a plurality of light-emitting elements that emit light in response to driving signals; a control unit that adjusts the timings at which the driving signals are supplied to a plurality of blocks each composed of one or more light-emitting elements to generate control signals for indicating the timings at which the driving signals are supplied for every block; and a plurality of driving units that are provided for the blocks and supply the driving signals to the light-emitting elements belonging to the corresponding blocks on the basis of the control signals.
US07945176B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries an image and rotates, a transfer member that rotates in contact with the image carrier and transfers an image formed on the image carrier to a recording medium, a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium to a contact position where the image carrier and the transfer member come into contact with each other, and a gap forming unit that forms a gap between the image carrier and the transfer member at the contact position. The gap forming unit forms the gap immediately before the recording medium enters the contact position.
US07945169B2
The present invention provides an optical transceiver with a function of the wavelength division multiplexing. The transceiver includes a receiver optical unit, a transmitter optical units and a substrate. Both optical unit includes a plurality of receiver optical subassemblies (ROSAs) or a plurality of transmitter optical subassemblies (TOSAs) and a plurality of wavelength selective filters. The ROSAs or the TOSAs in respective optical units is electrically connected with the circuit on the substrate by the flexible printed circuit (FPC) board with a plurality of branches, each connected to the ROSAs or the TOSAs, and a connecting portion fixed to the substrate.
US07945163B2
To achieve a station-side apparatus of a wavelength multiplexing PON system, which is capable of saving the wavelength resource through automatically carrying out allotment of the wavelength and the network address to reduce the complicated work for the setting, and through dynamically allotting the wavelength without fixing it in advance. It is a station-side apparatus (OLT) of a wavelength multiplexing PON system that comprises a plurality of in-home apparatuses (ONUs). The station-side apparatus is connected to the in-home apparatuses via transmission paths including an optical multiplexing distributor, and executes allotment of the wavelength in response to wavelength allotment requests from the in-home apparatuses. The station-side apparatus comprises a wavelength/network address allotting device that is provided with a DHCP server in advance, which dynamically allots wavelength and network address to the in-home apparatus in response to the wavelength allotment request from the in-home apparatus.
US07945160B2
Systems and methods for monitoring a data transmission link, especially an optical, bidirectional data transmission link, in which a digital transmit signal is transmitted on a first transmission path from a local end of the data transmission link toward a remote end of the data transmission link. A portion of the power of the transmit signal sent at the local end is transmitted, delayed by a non-zero delay time on a second transmission path as a control signal toward the remote end of the data transmission link. Both signals are received at the remote end and are tested for the presence of events of a predetermined type. A conclusion can be reached on the quality of the transmission link as a function of a time correlation and frequency of the appearance of events in the received transmit signal and in the received control signal.
US07945157B2
A ship includes a network, integrating services for security and control services and/or for multimedia and infotainment services on board the ship. The service-integrating network includes services for security-related systems as well as services for non-security-related systems. The conventional situation for network solutions on board cruise ships is characterized by a number of service functions and individual networks distributed over the entire ship. In at least one embodiment, the service-integrating network is embodied as a redundant ring both for services for security-relevant systems as well as for services for non-security-related systems. As such, the number of security functions and service functions and the number of individual networks can be advantageously reduced to a common high-security network.
US07945151B2
A focus control method is provided that performs focus control by sensing a plurality of images of an object while moving a position of a focusing lens and determining in-focus positions in auto focusing areas located at a plurality of positions. The focus control method calculates an in-focus position of the focusing lens based on the focusing lens position at the time of reading an image signal of each of the auto focusing areas and a degree of focused state of each of the auto focusing area that is based on the image signal of each of the auto focusing areas.
US07945149B1
A method comprising receiving an indication from a user that the user wishes to take a picture. The method further comprising receiving motion data for a camera device and analyzing the motion data to determine a motion state of the camera. The method further comprising acting based on the motion data. In one embodiment, acting on the motion data comprises providing feedback to the user regarding a time to take a photo, based on the motion data. In one embodiment, acting on the motion data comprises automatically taking a picture when the motion state is at a particular level. In one embodiment, acting on the motion data comprises automatically taking a picture when the camera is at a correct angle as determined by the motion data.
US07945148B2
Provided is a digital image processing apparatus that supports a hand-shake correcting function. The digital image processing apparatus includes: a shutter button operating in two stages that comprises a half-shutter state and a full-shutter state; a first filter filtering shock-waves generated in the half-shutter state when a half-shutter signal is in an ON state; and a second filter filtering shock-waves generated in the full-shutter state when a full-shutter signal is changed from an ON state to an OFF state.
US07945141B2
An information storage medium storing event information for generating an event with reference to an audio/video data structure and an apparatus and method thereof. The information storage medium includes: core data, that includes audio/video data and navigation data for reproducing the audio/video data; and program data that is used for interaction with a user, wherein the program data includes event occurrence information for generating an event with reference to a structure of the audio/video data.
US07945139B2
An adapter dust cap comprising a dust cap body defining a clearance extending at least partially therethrough, a resilient member attached to the connector body, and a latching feature attached to the resilient member and configured to engage within internal geometry defined by a connector adapter. The adapter dust cap is translucent so that visible light from a connector may diffuse therethrough, and may include a material or coating thereon for converting light in the invisible spectrum to visible light so that the light can be detected through the dust cap without removing the dust cap from an adapter to which it is engaged.
US07945135B2
Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include a telescoping fiber optic module. The telescoping fiber optic module may be provided in a fiber optic equipment chassis which may be disposed in an equipment rack to support fiber optic connections. In embodiments disclosed herein, the telescoping fiber optic module is comprised of a fixed housing portion having an opening on a front side defining a passage inside the fixed housing portion. The fiber optic module is also comprised of a telescoping portion received in the passage inside the fixed housing portion. In this manner, the telescoping portion can telescope in and out of the fixed housing portion. This allows fiber optic connectors or adapters disposed in the telescoping portion and any connections made thereto to be telescoped out for improved access and telescoped back into the fixed housing portion when access is no longer needed.
US07945133B2
A fiber optic cable assembly with a floating tap is disclosed, wherein the assembly comprises a fiber optic cable having a cable fiber assembly, such as in the form of a ribbon stack. The assembly includes at least one network access point (NAP) for accessing at least one cable fiber in the cable fiber assembly and at least one strength area for example a strength member. At least one cable fiber is extracted from the cable fiber assembly and held by a transition assembly. A buffer conduit loosely contains the at least one cable fiber and guides it to an intermediate buffer conduit, which in turn guides the at least one cable fiber to a splice tube. The intermediate buffer conduit can translate relative to the splice tube. At least one tether fiber is spliced to the at least one cable fiber. Alternatively, the at least one cable fiber has sufficient length to serve as the at least one tether fiber so that splicing to another fiber is not required. Each strength member is covered by a movable member. A bonding structure bonds the cable fiber assembly, buffer conduit and movable member so that the cable fiber assembly can translate but not rotate relative to the cable within the NAP. This allows the tap point to “float” within the NAP when the cable fiber assembly needs to translate within the cable.
US07945128B1
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to optical-based barrier methods and systems for synchronizing processing of two or more threads. In one method embodiment of a barrier method, each thread can be processed by a different processing element. The method comprises transmitting a lightwave along a waveguide that is optically coupled to each of the processing elements. Each processing element that processes a thread turns on diverter capable of diverting substantially all of the lightwave from the waveguide. Each processing element that completes processing of a thread turns off a corresponding diverter. A barrier is reached when all of the processing elements have turned off the corresponding diverters and discontinued diverting a portion of the lightwave from the waveguide.
US07945126B2
A system that provides automatic background analysis of a digital image or other media element makes a determination that the image or media element may benefit from correction, and prompts the user to use a correction feature of the system. In some implementations, the prompt itself can navigate the user to the controls for the correction feature. Accordingly, users are notified when they might benefit from correction, and they can be further led to discover a feature with which they may have previously been unfamiliar.
US07945122B2
The invention provides a method, system, and program product for processing an electronic document. In one embodiment, the invention includes determining a procedure applicable to the electronic document; defining at least one step of the procedure; in the case that the at least one step includes a plurality of steps, determining an order of the plurality of steps; determining whether the at least one step applies to the electronic document; applying an algorithm for carrying out the at least one step; applying a completion algorithm; determining whether the procedure includes an additional step for which an algorithm has not been applied; and in the case that the procedure includes an additional step for which an algorithm has not been applied: determining whether the additional step applies to the electronic document; applying an algorithm for carrying out the additional step; and applying a completion algorithm.
US07945119B2
Optimizing objects output to a user. One method includes accessing a reference object of a character representing an idealized output. A different representation of the reference object is accessed. The reference object is compared to the representation of the reference object to generate an error metric. An optimization is applied to the representation of the reference object. The optimization is directed to causing the representation of the reference object to more closely approximate the reference object. Comparing objects and applying optimizations is repeated until an acceptable representation of the reference object is achieved. The acceptable representation of the reference object is displayed.
US07945105B1
Techniques, apparatus and systems for muon tomography vehicle imaging use autonomous processing of 3-dimensional muon tomography vehicle images based on Data Modeling techniques and various applications including analyzing vehicle voxel data such as muon vehicle images to detect potential threat objects and then to further discriminate the identified potential threat objects by shape.
US07945104B2
The invention provides devices and methods that process images. The invention processes a received signal representing information of texture and information of an image, which has the texture removed from at least one region. The image information is encoded to obtain encoded information of the image. An output signal is generated representing the texture information and the encoded image information. In another embodiment, the invention synthesizes texture based on the received texture information, decodes received image information, which is encoded, to obtain a decoded image, and then maps the synthesized texture onto the decoded image.
US07945103B2
Presented is a method for decoding-decompressing a compressed-encoded digital data sequence relating to at least one initial digital image. The method includes receiving the digital data sequence having compressed-encoded data groups separated from one another by at least one restart marker and each one including a respective set of encoded data structures. The method calculates a representative value of the number of encoded data structures being between a first restart marker and a subsequent second restart marker signaling, respectively, the start of a first data group to be decoded and the start of a second data group. The method then extracts from the first data group the encoded data structures, and detects the presence of at least one error, if the number of the encoded data structures extracted is different from the calculated value.
US07945099B2
An index is provided that holds information about each image content item in a collection of items, For each image content item, a first information item identifying the image content item and its location on a network, and at least one of (i) a second information item identifying a signature value of an object in the image content, or (ii) identification of a recognized object in the image content.
US07945097B2
A method for classifying digital ink receives digital ink comprising ink strokes. A plurality of the ink strokes can be classified. A temporal line grouping is performed on a plurality of the classified ink strokes that are grouped to form a temporal line group. The temporal line group is segmented into a cluster. The cluster can be classified.
US07945093B2
A method for predicting a color response of a device comprises: operating the device with image information wherein operating includes utilizing a first correction transform for modifying device color values; determining a first device response based on a device output associated with a device input wherein the device response includes a color response; obtaining a second correction transform; and predicting a modified color response of the device, applicable to operating the device while utilizing the second correction transform instead of the first correction transform, wherein predicting is based on the first color response and the first and second correction transforms.
US07945092B2
A pixel processor employing an image processing technology by a computer capable of enhancing color identity. The pixel processor comprises a means performing color vision conversion processing for varying the component in the luminance axis direction depending on the component in the selected axis, i.e. any one of first axis and second axis, out of the component in the luminance axis direction, the component in the first axis direction and the component in the second axis direction included in pixel data represented as positional data in a uniform color space defined by three orthogonal coordinate axes system of the luminance axis indicating luminance, and the first and second axes indicating chromaticness index.
US07945091B2
An image processor captures image data which include at least correction object color components and reference color components and has one kind of color component per pixel. The image processor acquires or detects information about positional shifts of the correction object color components and corrects positional shifts of correction object color components. In this correction, image structures lost from correction object color components are compensated for by image structures extracted from reference color components.
US07945088B2
The present invention aims to generate a stereoscopic image that appears natural when viewed by a viewer, without reduction in quality of the image.In an apparatus for generating a stereoscopic image according to the present invention, a pixel value (G) for each of pixels (Pix) comprising an original image (IMG0) is stored in a RAM (23). A CPU (10) calculates a depth value (Z) for each of the pixels (Pix) included in the original image based on a comparison between the pixel value (G) of a target pixel Pix and a pixel value (G) of an adjacent pixel lying in the same line of the target pixel (Pix), so as to generate a stereoscopic image based on the calculated depth values (Z).
US07945085B2
A wafer viewer system is provided for graphical presentation and analysis of a wafer and a wafer series. More specifically, the wafer viewer system includes a graphical user interface for displaying a wafer, graphically selecting regions of the wafer for analysis, performing analysis on the selected regions of the wafer, and displaying results of the analysis.
US07945083B2
A method for supporting diagnostic workflow from a medical imaging apparatus. A set of at least two images are obtained from a patient and displayed according to a user-specified image display layout selected from a plurality of image display layouts. One or more markers are associated with a region of interest in the displayed images. A list of regions of interest is generated, each having an entry for each associated marker. A classification is assigned to each entry in the list of regions of interest according to health risk.
US07945078B2
Disclosed herein is a user-accessible tissue image database system. The system is searchable using a query image provided by a user. The query image is matched with images in the database based on common visual features. Specifically exemplified is the matching of images based on the presence of a target molecule and/or internal anatomical structure.
US07945071B2
A method and system for automatically generating a notification of a status of precipitation being received by a user-defined detection zone within a geographic area. An image of the geographic area is received. The image includes pixels associated with the detection zone. Each pixel is associated with a sub-area of the detection zone. Characteristics (e.g., colors) of the pixels are obtained. The characteristics indicate intensities of precipitation being received by sub-areas of the detection zone. The intensities of precipitation that are greater than a first user-defined threshold are counted to produce a count. Based on the count's comparison to a second user-defined threshold, a status of precipitation being received or not being received by the detection zone is determined. A notification of the status is generated and sent.
US07945064B2
A hearing system has a first device and a second device. The first device acoustically couples to skin of a user of the hearing system and includes a sensor to detect acoustic signals. The second device includes a hearing stimulator arrangement to stimulate hearing of the user in response to the acoustic signals detected with the first device. The first device and second device are each operable to bidirectionally communicate through an ultrasonic communication link comprising at least a portion of the body of the user.
US07945059B2
A speaker device mixes an audible frequency band signal wave with a modulated wave obtained by modulating an ultrasonic frequency band carrier wave with an audible frequency band signal so as to generate a synthesis wave, and drives an ultrasonic transducer with the synthesis wave so as to reproduce a signal sound.
US07945056B2
The invention regards a listening device with two or more microphone units. The listening device has a signal processing device and means for delivering a signal to the user of the device representative of the audio signals picked up by the microphones, whereby the signal processing device comprises means for adding and scaling the signals from at least two microphone units to provide a single added signal in a manner which allows signal parts from different directions to be equally represented in the resulting added signal.
US07945042B1
A method and apparatus for switching active calls from one entity to another on a network device. The method includes the steps of collecting the call information, designating a second, or target, entity to receive the call, and switching the call. If compression is being used in the call, the method will include the steps of copying the compression dictionary tables and loading the tables in the second entity. The apparatus includes a controller and at least two entities. A connector connects the entity with incoming or outgoing phone calls. The controller switches the active call from a first entity to a second entity.
US07945028B2
A coalescence voice mail service provider enables a user to access all of the user's voice mail systems implemented within the various telecommunications systems the user has accounts with. Using any one of the telecommunications devices of the user, the user accesses voice mail from any one or more of the user's cell phone, home phone, work phone, PDA, home computer and work computer. A voice mail broker communicates with each of these different voice mail systems to collect voice mail messages and send messaging for manipulating such voice mail messages to and from each of the telecommunications systems. Such a system provides the user with a single interface for accessing the user's diverse voice mail systems.
US07945026B2
An overlay list of MSAG-valid addresses is created for use in lieu of (or in addition to) the lat/lon or postal address which otherwise would go with an E911 VoIP 911 call. This overlays the nation with a series of MSAG-addressed polygons, with center points identified in those polygons, and MSAG-valid addresses provided to the PSAPs for those centers, preferably along with the original latitude/longitude coordinates.
US07945019B2
An X-ray machine for monitoring thermal treatment of human tissue produces a reference exposure of the tissue to be treated prior to commencement of the treatment. Thermal treatment is performed subsequently. Check exposures are made with the X-ray machine during the treatment or also during treatment intervals. The check exposures are performed as partial volume exposures at a lower radiation load than the reference exposures. From a comparison of check exposures with the reference exposures, conclusions can be drawn concerning changes of tissue temperature and also tissue properties.
US07945018B2
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for producing projective and tomographic images using X-rays, allowing structures of similar composition to be imaged particularly well by combined evaluation of the behaviour of the test object with respect to the phase displacement during passage of the X-rays and its absorption. At least one embodiment of the invention also relates to an X-ray system and a CT system with respective source grids, phase grids, and analytical grids for carrying out the method.
US07945017B2
Disclosed are a method and a device for security-inspection of liquid articles with dual-energy CT imaging. The method comprises the steps of obtaining one or more CT images including physical attributes of liquid article to be inspected by CT scanning and a dual-energy reconstruction method; acquiring the physical attributes of each liquid article from the CT image; and determining whether there are drugs concealed in the inspected liquid article based on the difference between the acquired physical attributes and reference physical attributes of the inspected liquid article. The CT scanning can be implemented by a normal CT scanning technique, or a spiral CT scanning technique. In the normal CT scanning technique, the scan position can be preset, or set by the operator with a DR image, or set by automatic analysis of the DR image.
US07945015B2
An X-ray imaging apparatus includes a multi X-ray generating unit in which multiple X-ray foci are disposed in two-dimensional form at a predetermined pitch in a first direction, and a slit unit having multiple slit members each disposed opposite to its respective X-ray focus. Each slit member has multiple slits arranged in the first direction, and each of the slits forms a slice-formed X-ray beam whose lengthwise direction is a second direction that is different from the first direction. The two-dimensional detection unit detects the X-ray intensity of the formed X-ray beams at the detection surface. The X-ray imaging apparatus executes X-ray imaging at multiple positions while moving the multi X-ray generating unit and the slit unit in the first direction by the amount of the predetermined pitch, while keeping the relative positional relationship therebetween, and reconstructs an X-ray image based on the obtained X-ray intensity.
US07945014B2
In an x-ray system and a method for tomosynthetic scanning of a subject, x-ray radiation is emitted from two x-ray sources that are panned along a line relative to the subject during a tomosynthetic scan. The two x-ray sources are located next to each other along the line, and each emit an x-ray beam. X-rays from the two parallel beams attenuated by the subject are detected by a two-dimensional x-ray detector, that is substantially stationary during the tomosynthetic scan.
US07945012B2
A computed tomography acquisition geometry provides an increased field of view (218). A radiation source (202, 702) such as an x-ray source and a radiation detector (204, 704) are displaced from the imaging center (214). In one implementation, the central ray (216) of a radiation beam (212) is parallel to the plane of the detector (204, 704) at the detector midpoint (219, 719), but is displaced from the imaging center.
US07945011B2
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a nuclear reactor during a transient period. The method includes actuating the steam dump system in response to a temperature error signal and a power mismatch signal.
US07944995B2
A variable bandwidth receiver uses allocated bandwidth more efficiently and ensures that blocking signals do not overload receiver components. The receiver includes multiple branches for receiving a first bandwidth signal. Each receiver branch has a filter for passing signals in a frequency band corresponding to a second bandwidth less that the first bandwidth and an analog-to-digital converter for converting the baseband signal into a digital signal. A controller digitally combines the digital signals from two or more of the receiver branches to produce a received signal having a bandwidth substantially wider than the first bandwidth. Because combining is done after analog-to-digital conversion in the digital domain, the controller can combine the digital signals from two or more of the receiver branches having adjacent corresponding frequency bands without the normal guard band separating them.
US07944989B2
An RF signal, which has been obtained by a quadrature modulation, is corrected without performing quadrature demodulation. There are included an in-phase multiplier, a quadrature multiplier, an adder, a power detector, and an error determining part. The in-phase multiplier outputs an in-phase conversion signal by mixing an in-phase local signal of a predetermined local frequency with an in-phase correction user signal obtained by adding an in-phase user signal to an in-phase correction signal of a sinusoidal voltage outputted from an in-phase correction signal output unit. The quadrature multiplier outputs a quadrature conversion signal by mixing a quadrature local signal, which is different in phase by 90 degrees from the in-phase local signal, with a quadrature correction user signal obtained by adding a quadrature user signal to a quadrature correction signal, which is different in phase by 90 degrees from the in-phase correction signal, from a quadrature correction signal output unit. The adder adds the in-phase conversion signal to the quadrature conversion signal. The power detector measures an output voltage of the adder. The error determining part determines, based on the measurement result of the power detector, the error of the quadrature modulation.
US07944988B2
Enhancements allowing multiplexing of normal and robust data in wireless digital video transmissions using vestigial sideband modulation are implemented as an enhanced vestigial sideband encoder on the studio side and a standard vestigial sideband modulator at the transmitter. The enhanced encoder conventionally processes multiplexed data into encoded packets, with backwards compatible parity data supplied for normal data, then deinterleaves the processed data, removes a trailing portion from each packet, and derandomizes the remainder before forwarding the processed encoded data as MPEG compliant packets to the standard modulator for VSB modulation and transmission.
US07944982B2
In order to avoid malfunction of lower layers of a user equipment, known as UE, in a wireless communications system, the present invention provides a method of improving a multi-input multi-output, known as MIMO, procedure. The method includes the following steps. A MIMO operation is activated, and the MIMO operation is then de-activated when the UE initiates a cell update procedure.
US07944981B2
When a UE (102) determines that non-control data needs to be transmitted, the UE will receive a grant that comprises information identifying a resource block (RB) for transmissions by the UE. If the UE determines that the RB is also used for transmitting control data, it will know to transmit only over the portion of the RB used for non-control data transmissions. Rate matching will then be performed on the non-control data that needs to be transmitted and the non-control data will be transmitted only over a portion of the RB. The second portion of the RB will be used for normal control data transmissions by other UEs.
US07944966B2
The invention relates to a method of decoding a video bitstream including base layer and enhancement layer coded video signals, the method comprising the steps of decoding the base layer and enhancement layer coded video signals to produce decoded base layer frames and decoded enhancement layer frames, and displaying the decoded base layer frames either alone or with the decoded enhancement layer frames. According to the invention, each poor quality frame of the base layer to be displayed is replaced by an frame obtained either by means of an interpolation between the two frames of the enhancement layer preceding and following the poor quality frame of the base layer or by only one of these two frames, for example the temporally closest one.
US07944957B2
A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a substrate, a lower reflective mirror formed on the substrate, an active layer formed on the lower reflective mirror, an upper reflective mirror formed on the active layer, an optical mode controlling layer formed between the lower reflective mirror and the upper reflective mirror, and a current confining layer formed between the lower reflective mirror and the upper reflective mirror. The active layer emits light. The upper reflective mirror forms a resonator between the lower reflective mirror and the upper reflective mirror. In the optical mode controlling layer, an opening is formed for selectively absorbing or reflecting off light that is emitted in the active layer. The optical mode controlling layer optically controls mode of laser light. The current confining layer confines current that is applied during driving.
US07944945B2
Apparatus (D1) is dedicated to processing STM-n/STS-m type data frames in a communications network. It comprises at least one STM-n/STS-m interface unit (LIU1) adapted to receive STM-n/STS-m type data frames from a communications network and processor means (MTj) adapted, on receiving data from an STM-n/STS-m frame coming from said line interface unit (LIU1): i) to segment the whole of said received frame into m groups of p successive bytes; ii) then to associate with each group a control header containing data representing its position within the STM-n/STS-m frame; and iii) to encapsulate each group and the associated control header in a payload data field of an Ethernet frame.
US07944943B2
A channel inverse multiplexer/multiplexer (IMUX/MUX) (14a) of a MAC sublayer (14) of a UTRAN RNC (11) for providing to a UE (18) traffic (communication signals including in general both control and user data) at a higher rate than the UE can accept over a single channel. The channel IMUX/MUX performs inverse multiplexing of traffic for downlink, and multiplexing of traffic on uplink, and does so in a way that is transparent to all other layers/entities of the UTRAN (11 17) and to the UE (18).
US07944939B2
In some embodiments of the present invention, asynchronous network nodes and synchronous network nodes coexist on a shared media network.
US07944938B2
Service-specific logical interfaces for providing VPN customers access to external multicast content
A network device seamlessly handles multicast traffic flow between virtual private networks (VPNs) and content providers located external to the VPNs. For example, the network device, such as a router, comprises an interface card and a forwarding component. The forwarding component maintains forwarding data for a public network and forwarding data for the virtual private network. The interface card receives a multicast packet from a virtual private network destined for a multicast content provider external to the virtual private network. When forwarding the multicast packet, the forwarding component bypasses the forwarding data for the public network and forwards the multicast packet to the multicast content provider in accordance with the forwarding data for the public network.
US07944937B2
A data transmission apparatus connecting to a network consisted of a plurality of data transmission apparatuses comprises a disconnecting device that disconnects a connection established between a transmission plug of a transmitting node and a reception plug of a receiving node, both nodes being connected to the network, an optimization requesting device that requests optimization of transmitting sequences to the transmitting node, a receiver that receives information about a transmission plug newly assigned to the transmitting sequence used by the transmitting nodes of which connection has been disconnected by the disconnecting device, the information being received as an answer for the optimization request from the transmitting node, and a connecting device that establishes a new connection between the newly assigned transmission plug and the reception plug of the receiving node of which connection has been disconnected by the disconnecting device.
US07944928B2
The method for transporting LAN signal in an OTN is provided by embodiments of the present invention includes mapping a LAN signal into an adaptation protocol frame; mapping the adaptation protocol frame into a virtual concatenation group comprising at least one 1 Gbps level Optical Channel Data Unit (ODU); multiplying the 1 Gbps level ODU in the virtual concatenation group into a higher order ODU; mapping the higher order ODU into a higher order Optical Channel Transport Unit (OTU); and outputting the higher order OTU to the OTN. Embodiments of the present invention improve the bandwidth utilization rate while implementing the transparent transporting of the LAN signal in the OTN.
US07944926B2
A method for peer migration in a distributed Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) system includes: disconnecting a peer relationship between a source BGP process and a network device, wherein first routing information received from the network device is recorded in a forwarding instruction process; establishing a peer relationship between a target BGP process and the network device, and receiving second routing information from the network device; and updating the first routing information recorded in the forwarding instruction process according to the second routing information.
US07944922B2
In a network environment such as a wireless packet network, a source node transmits a data stream, e.g., a stream of media packets to a plurality of sink nodes, including the source node transmitting a first data stream of unicast packets addressed to at least a first one of the sink nodes, while other ones of said sink nodes receive while in promiscuous mode traffic on the network including the data stream. Individual ones of the other sink nodes, upon ascertaining that there are packets of the stream that were not received, transmit a re-transmission request to the source node so that the source node can take corrective action, and so all the sink nodes can receive the data stream, even though sent as unicast addressed to fewer than all the sink nodes.
US07944920B2
Disclosed are systems employing an architecture that provides capabilities to transport and process Internet Protocol (IP) packets from Layer 2 through transport protocol processing and may also perform packet inspection through Layer 7. A set of engines may perform passthrough packet classification, policy processing and/or security processing enabling packet streaming through the architecture at nearly the full line rate. A scheduler schedules packets to packet processors for processing. An internal memory or local session database cache stores a session information database for a certain number of active sessions. The session information that is not in the internal memory is stored and retrieved to/from an additional memory. An application running on an initiator or target can in certain instantiations register a region of memory, which is made available to its peer(s) for access directly without substantial host intervention through RDMA data transfer.
US07944919B2
A wireless broadcast system that collects content for distribution over a wireless communication network. Multiple content streams are received and interleaved into an aggregate content stream. The aggregate content stream is encapsulated into a stream of transport packets that are ruggedized for broadcast over the wireless communication link. One connection identification is associated with the entire aggregate content stream. The aggregate content stream is packetized into multiple service data units. An identical signal that includes the service data units and one connection identifier is broadcast by multiple synchronized transmitters in a single frequency network. The content can include multimedia data, such as audio/video data, movies, game, audio broadcasts, television network programs, or other types of multimedia content.
US07944914B2
The invention concerns providing a default subscription profile for controlling a roaming terminal device in a packet data based mobile communication network. A roaming terminal device requesting to use a gateway is detected. A request for a subscription profile for the roaming terminal device is sent from the gateway. A default subscription profile stored in a network element of the mobile communication network is sent to the gateway. The invention allows avoiding the need to transmit the subscription profile of the roaming terminal device from a home network of the roaming terminal device to the visited network. Thus real-time signaling and its associated delay are decreased. Furthermore, the subscription profile is accessible even when there are connection problems between the home network and the visited network.
US07944905B2
Disclosed is a method for dynamically identifying locations of a plurality of mobile nodes in a time division multiple access (TDMA) based ad hoc communication network, wherein one or more mobile nodes are being moved in and out of a predefined region. The method comprises allocating a hello slot in a dedicated channel of the TDMA based ad hoc communication network to each of the mobile nodes and announcing the allocation to the mobile nodes through hello slot allocation map, receiving location information from each of the mobile nodes during their hello slot and determining mobile nodes that are inside the predefined region based on the received location information, allocating a data slot to each determined mobile nodes inside the predefined region and announcing the allocation to the mobile nodes through data slot allocation map, and receiving updated location information from each determined mobile nodes during their data slot.
US07944902B2
A method performed by a first network device may include receiving a request for a resource from an end-point device and acknowledging the request for the resource to the end-point device. The method may also include receiving a resource coordination message from a second network device and transmitting a return resource coordination message to the second network device.
US07944901B2
A Intelligent Mobile HotSpot (IMHS) comprises a wide area network radio interface configured to enable communications between a wide area network and the IMHS; a local area network radio interface configured to enable communications between the IMHS and a computing device; a power input configured to cause the IMHS to be powered on; memory configured to store instructions; and a processor coupled with memory, the instructions configured to cause the processor to perform the following in response to an activation of the power input: automatically establish a data connection with a base station associated with the wide area network over the wide area network, automatically establish a data connection with computing device over the local area network, and be in a ready state to route data packets from the computing device to the base station via the local area network data connection and the wide area network connection.
US07944900B2
A base station, in a mobile communication network, includes a receive component to receive, from a higher rank station in the network, a particular data unit that includes multiple data units multiplexed together; a master processor to determine that the first portion of the particular data unit is destined for the base station and that the second portion of the particular data unit is not destined for the base station, and discard the second portion of the particular data unit; and a slave processor to determine that the second portion of the particular data unit is destined for the other base station and that the first portion of the particular data unit is not destined for the other base station, and send the second portion of the particular data unit to the other base station.
US07944899B2
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, a forwarding node in an ad hoc network collects sets of node information pertaining to its neighbor nodes. An example of a type of node information is history information that indicates previous time periods during which a neighbor node has been available for communication. Other types of node information may include proximity information that indicates how far a neighbor node is from the forwarding node. In selecting a routing path, the forwarding node takes into account information collected in the sets of node information. A routing path can be selected to include a neighbor node having the highest probability to be available for communication. Additionally or alternatively, a routing path may be selected to minimize the power transmission level required for the forwarding node to forward data packets.
US07944895B2
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for allocating time slots to circuit-switched channels established to comprise one or more respective time slots in a recurrent frame of a time division multiplexed network. According to the invention, a time slot allocated to said channel is associated with a selected level, of at least two available levels of priority. Decisions as to whether or not to deallocate said time slot from said channel is then based upon a comparison of said selected level of priority and a level of priority associated with a request for a time slot for another channel.
US07944894B2
A method of retransmitting packet data in a wireless communication system comprises receiving a link map information element from a transmitting station having three antennas to achieve space time transmit diversity, wherein first, second and third packet data are transmitted from first, second and third antenna of the transmitting station, respectively. The method also comprises transmitting a non-acknowledgement signal to the transmitting station if at least one packet data from the transmitting station is not properly decoded. The method also comprises receiving the packet data from the transmitting station, wherein at least two of retransmitted packet data are transmitted from different antennas of the transmitting station, and one of retransmitted packet data is transmitted from the same antenna of the transmitting station. The retransmitted packet data are received with an information element comprising a retransmission count associated with a number of retransmission made by the transmitting station.
US07944891B2
The present invention provides a system and method for transmit beamforming in a Frequency Division Duplex communication system. A first step (600) includes correcting for differences between transceiver receive and transmit responses within a base station. A next step (604) obtaining a beamforming weight of a phase antenna array on an uplink. A next step (606) transforming the uplink beamforming weight a downlink beamforming weight by applying a phase correction that is a function of wavelength at the uplink and downlink frequencies and distance between antenna elements.
US07944890B2
A communications device operates in a wireless local area network (WLAN), and includes a processor operating in accordance with an operating system that includes a standardized set of object identifiers (OIDs) associated therewith. An antenna steering algorithm is executed by the processor for generating a driver query. A driver generates an antenna query in response to the driver query. A smart antenna is driven by the driver and generates antenna beams for receiving signals, and generates metrics based upon the received signals. The smart antenna provides to the driver a metric associated with the antenna query. The driver associates the metric received from the smart antenna with one of the object identifiers from the standardized set of object identifiers, and provides the same to the antenna steering algorithm.
US07944885B2
Enabling a standard cellular handset to be used to access a core mobile network via a generic access network is disclosed. A communication between a generic access network element and the core mobile network is intercepted. A modified version of the communication is generated. The modified communication is forwarded.
US07944883B2
A wireless network system includes overlapping wireless mesh networks. Nodes that are members of more than one mesh network are capable of communicating with the gateways of each of those mesh networks, which allows sharing information between interrelated control systems through the wireless network system.
US07944880B2
A method and arrangement for establishing a packet-switched multimedia session for a mobile terminal connected to a mobile access network. A first Radio Access Bearer RAB is obtained, and the multimedia session is started by communicating media over the first RAB. Simultaneously with the media communication, a quality of communicated media is monitored and evaluated. If the monitored quality is deemed unacceptable, a media-adapted second RAB is obtained, and the session is continued over the second RAB. Thereby, it is not necessary to delay the communication of media by waiting for the second RAB to be obtained.
US07944879B2
An apparatus and a method for mitigating interference of a neighbor cell in a multihop relay wireless communication system are provided. The method includes constituting a subframe for a link affected by interference of a neighbor cell over a first frequency band of the frame, and constituting a subframe for a link causing interference to a neighbor cell over a second frequency band of the frame. Therefore, the interference between the neighbor cells can be reduced and the amount of the resources allocated to the links can be freely adjusted.
US07944876B2
In accordance with the invention, time slot interchange switches (“TSIS”) with bit error rate testing are described. The bit error rate testing includes creating a channel of data appropriate for bit error rate testing and monitoring the bit error rate testing on that channel.
US07944872B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for determining a preferred routing path for communicating source data from a data source to a data terminal over a network having multiple routing path options. Embodiments include receiving a source dataset at a network node; determining multiple routing path options for routing the source dataset, each comprising a set of communication links that communicatively couple the data source with the data terminal; determining a hierarchical encoding scheme for encoding the source dataset to generate a transmission; generating routing path profiles for each routing path option by evaluating each routing path option against a routing metric; determining a preferred routing path for routing the transmission by comparing the routing path profiles; and routing the transmission over the preferred routing path according to the hierarchical encoding scheme.
US07944864B2
A publisher-subscriber system includes a broker configured to receive and distribute at least one data stream from publishers to subscribers in accordance with subscriptions. An annotator/classifier is configured to annotate or classify the data stream by employing one or more additional stream-level attributes to create an annotated data stream wherein the annotated data stream applies the stream-level attribute to all messages therein. Subscribers can subscribe to the annotated data stream created by the annotator/classifier.
US07944856B2
A method and apparatus for providing redundancy for an access network are disclosed. For example, the method receives an access network structure, and removes one or more unnecessary 2D edges or 3D edges from a simplex cover for the access network structure. The method then performs a search on the simplex cover; and, generates a new access network structure that includes the redundancy.
US07944842B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method, system, and article of manufacture that provide opportunistic queuing injection strategy used for data communication between nodes of a parallel computer system. A message may be encapsulated into a set of data packets. When the packets are sent, an opportunistic injection queue may be configured to transmit them to multiple hardware injection ports. This approach allows for complete network link saturation. In a parallel system with network links in multiple dimensions, sending message packets using more than one dimension may substantially increase network throughput.
US07944841B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for transmitting error information between an Ethernet network and a synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) network. According to the present invention, when an error occurs in the Ethernet network or the SDH network, OAM information is transferred to the opposite network by using a conventional MAC control frame from a linked part of the Ethernet network and the SDH network and thus the EoS network may be efficiently operated and managed. Also, by using standardized MAC control frame, the present invention may be applied to an existing system without additionally changing hardware or defining a new OAM frame.
US07944838B2
Traffic control for a communication network using a token bucket. Tokens stored in the token bucket and data throughput to/from a data buffer are monitored, and a new token rate is determined based on the data throughput during the period that at least one token is stored in the token buffer.
US07944818B2
There is described a communication system for reliable communication between communication stations, wherein there is at least one communication connection between the communication stations, wherein the communication connection features at least two channels for transmitting payload data telegrams, wherein only one channel acts as primary channel for the communication at any time, and wherein the other channels are provided as backup channels. A status indicator in the payload data telegram is provided for the indication of information concerning which channel is primary channel or backup channel at a given time point, wherein the communication stations adopt as primary channel that channel for which, during receipt of the payload data telegrams, the most recent status change from backup channel to primary channel was detected by the communication stations.
US07944806B2
Theft, distribution, and piracy of digital content on optical media (software, video, audio, e-books, any content of any kind that is digitally stored and distributed) is often accomplished by copying it directly to another disc using commonly available copy tools and recordable optical media, or the copying of media to another mass manufactured disc. Methods which cause—the copy process to become lengthy and inconvenient, or which produce copies that are significantly measurably different from the original and therefore be recognizable as copies, deter or prevent an unauthorized individual from making copies. This is accomplished by modifying the optical path of an optical medium to include regions of selective distortion. This, in turn, modifies the read operation of the data in the regions, which can be used to identify and authenticate the medium.
US07944798B2
An objective lens unit according to the present invention includes a first objective lens 41; and a first lens holder 2 for supporting the first objective lens 41. The first lens holder 2 is formed of a material which transmits ultraviolet. Preferably, the first lens holder 2 includes a through-hole, having first and second openings 2a and 2b, through which light incident on the first objective lens 41 passes, and an opening limiting section 3 provided along a circumferential direction of the through-hole and projecting toward a central axis of the through-hole. The first objective lens 41 is supported so as to block the first opening 2b. The opening limiting section 3 guides light incident thereon from the second opening 2a in a direction away from an optical axis of the first objective lens.
US07944793B2
The invention concerns the field of holographic storage units. More particularly, the invention concerns the field of holographic storage units used for bit-by-bit storage of information. It concerns a method for reading data recorded in a holographic material in the form of a hologram obtained by interference of two beams of substantially the same wavelength, and using at least one reflecting layer. The invention is characterized in that it includes the following steps: emitting a light comprising at least said wavelength at said holographic material comprising said hologram; performing a homodyne detection between the signal resulting from the first light diffracted by said hologram and at least one signal selected between the reflected signal and the signal transmitted by said at least one reflecting layer.
US07944792B2
A video object (26) contains a cell (31) which can be appropriately read and reproduced and a dummy cell (32) which cannot be appropriately read or reproduced. Video title set information (21) contains a plurality of program chains (40) containing a real program chain not specifying the dummy cell (32) and a virtual program chain specifying the dummy cell (32).
US07944789B2
When playback of a recording medium, which stores content data that is only allowed to be played back for a limited number of times, is forcibly terminated due to a scratch on the recording medium, the playback of the content data residing at a subsequent location that follows a location having the scratch is performed without the number of playbacks being counted, and without a particular operation such as skip. Upon the playback after the forced termination, an address of an optical disk at which the playback was performed at the time of the forced termination is stored in a RAM unit. The address stored in the RAM unit is read out, and the content data residing at a subsequent address that follows the read address in terms of a predetermined number of addresses is played back. When data residing at the subsequent address that follows the read address cannot be read, the playback is repeated for a predetermined number of times for other addresses that follow the previous address at intervals in terms of the predetermined number of the addresses.
US07944788B2
An optical disk drive capable of reproducing data even when defects, such as flaws or stains, are present in the disk. A system controller of an optical disk drive reproduces data by setting the maximum speed in accordance with the type of an optical disk, an amount of side-to-side runout, and the like. When reproduction of data becomes impracticable for reasons of meandering of a track, or the like, in the middle of reproduction of data, the rotational speed is decreased, and a retry is performed. However, when reproduction of data becomes impracticable for reasons of flaws or stains, the rotational speed is reversely increased, and a retry is performed.
US07944779B2
A multifunction time display device includes a main body, a first element, a second element, and an indication element. The main body includes a casing, and the casing possesses a transparent portion. The first element moves inside the casing as time goes by. The second element is removably attached to any position of the transparent portion of the casing. The indication element is triggered when the first element moves to overlap the second element.
US07944774B2
A method for marine seismic surveying includes towing seismic sensors in a plurality of streamers in the water, actuating a seismic energy source in the water at selected times and detecting seismic signals at the sensors resulting from the actuation of the source. A data trace is created for each of the detected signals. At least one Fresnel zone is determined for at least some of the seismic data traces. A contribution of each of the traces to each one of a plurality of bins defined in a predetermined pattern is computed, based on the Fresnel zone associated with each trace. Based on the computed contributions, a maximum lateral distance between corresponding seismic sensors is determined that will result in a contribution sum above a selected threshold.
US07944771B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes an input unit configured to receive address and command signals, an internal address generator configured to output an internal address signal by adjusting a timing of the input address signal to correspond to a predetermined internal signal processing timing margin, and an internal command generator configured to output an internal command having a predetermined time difference from the internal address signal by adjusting a timing of the input command signal.
US07944764B1
Writing to non-volatile memory during a volatile memory refresh cycle is described. In one example, a write command is received and data is received to write into a memory cell. The data is temporarily stored in response to the write command. A refresh command is received and the temporarily stored data is written into the memory cell in response to the refresh command.
US07944762B2
Methods and apparatus for use in a memory system having a non-volatile memory and a controller for limiting the number of non-volatile memory arrays from a plurality of available arrays accessed at one time are useful in the control of concurrent access of memory arrays. One method includes implementing a pipelining sequence for transferring data to and from the non-volatile memory arrays and limiting the number of active arrays operating at one time. The controller is configured to wait for the at least one of the arrays to complete before initiating a transfer to and from a further array.
US07944757B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, modules, and systems for programming multilevel non-volatile multilevel memory cells. One method includes increasing a threshold voltage (Vt) for each of a number of memory cells until the Vt reaches a verify voltage (VFY) corresponding to a program state among a number of program states. The method includes determining whether the Vt of each of the cells has reached a pre-verify voltage (PVFY) associated with the program state, selectively biasing bit lines coupled to those cells whose Vt has reached the PVFY, adjusting the PVFY to a different level, and selectively biasing bit lines coupled to cells whose Vt has reached the adjusted PVFY, wherein the PVFY and the adjusted PVFY are less than the VFY.
US07944746B2
Providing for suppression of room temperature electronic drift in a flash memory cell is provided herein. For example, a soft program pulse can be applied to the flash memory cell immediately after an erase pulse. The soft program pulse can help to mitigate dipole effects caused by non-combined electrons and holes in the memory cell. Specifically, by utilizing a relatively low gate voltage, the soft program pulse can inject electrons into the flash memory cell proximate a distribution of uncombined holes associated with the erase pulse in order to facilitate rapid combination of such particles. Rapid combination in this manner reduces dipole effects caused by non-combined distributions of opposing charge within the memory cell, reducing room temperature program state drift.
US07944745B2
A flash memory array comprises a plurality of memory cells organized in a matrix of rows and columns. Each of the memory cells includes a floating gate memory transistor having a source region and a drain region, and a coupling capacitor electrically connected to the memory transistor. A plurality of word lines are each electrically connected to the capacitor in each of the memory cells in a respective row. A first set of bit lines are each electrically connected to the drain region of the memory transistor in each of the memory cells in a respective column. A plurality of high voltage access transistors are each electrically connected to a bit line in the first set of bit lines. A second set of bit lines are each electrically connected to the source region of the memory transistor in each of the memory cells in a respective column. Various combinations of voltages can be applied to the word lines and the first and second sets of bit lines in operations to erase, program, inhibit, or read the logic state stored by the memory transistor in one or more of the memory cells.
US07944743B2
One-transistor (1T) capacitor-less DRAM cells each include a MOS transistor having a bias gate layer that separates a floating body region from a base substrate. The MOS transistor functions as a storage device, eliminating the need of the storage capacitor. Logic “1” is written to and stored in the storage device by causing majority carriers (holes in an NMOS transistor) to accumulate and be held in the floating body region next to the bias gate layer, and is erased by removing the majority carriers from where they are held.
US07944738B2
A magnetic memory cell including a soft magnetic layer and a coupling layer, and methods of operating the memory cell are provided. The memory cell includes a stack with a free ferromagnetic layer and a pinned ferromagnetic layer, and a soft magnetic layer and a coupling layer may also be formed as layers in the stack. The coupling layer may cause antiferromagnetic coupling to induce the free ferromagnetic layer to be magnetized in a direction antiparallel to the magnetization of the soft magnetic layer, or the coupling layer may cause ferromagnetic coupling to induce the free ferromagnetic layer to be magnetized in a direction parallel to the magnetization of the soft magnetic layer. The coupling layer, through a coupling effect, reduces the critical switching current of the memory cell.
US07944724B2
A column of ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) cells includes a bit line pair that is twisted at a location at or near the center of the column. Data is written to (and read from) TCAM cells located above the twist location with a first bit line polarity. Data is written to (and read from) TCAM cells located below the twist location with a second bit line polarity, opposite the first bit line polarity. As a result, read leakage currents introduced by TCAM cells storing ‘Don't Care’ values are reduced.
US07944723B2
A matrix converter that can be used as part of a two-stage power converter has three ac three ac voltage lines AC1, AC2 and AC3 and two dc voltage lines DC1 and DC2. An array of six semiconductor switches 10a to 10f are arranged such that each of the three ac voltage lines AC1, AC2 an AC3 can be connected to one of the two dc voltage lines DC1 and DC2 when the associated switch is closed. A freewheel path is provided between the two dc voltage lines DC1 and DC2, which provides a fifth state of operation when all the switches 10a to 10f are open.
US07944721B2
A switching control circuit for multi-channels and multi-phases power converter according to the present invention comprises a master control circuit and a slave control circuit. The master control circuit generates a multiplier signal in response to an input voltage and an output voltage of the power converter, and generates a first switching signal to switch a first inductor of the power converter in accordance with the multiplier signal and the first-current signal generated by a first current-sense device. The slave control circuit generates a second switching signal to switch a second inductor of the power converter in accordance with the multiplier signal, the first switching signal and a second-current signal generated by a second current-sense device. Once the power converter is at light-load, the multiplier signal is disabled to turn off the second switching signal to turn off the slave control circuit for power saving of the power converter.
US07944720B2
Provided is a control technique of a PWM conversion type power converter capable of compensating for a voltage error due to voltage drop mainly at a switching element and managing a switching time of a PWM signal at the same time, and capable of suppressing increase/decrease of software operation load and addition of a hardware circuit to the minimum. A semiconductor integrated circuit having a PWM signal generating unit which generates a PWM signal is provided with a PWM timer unit including a counter counting a pulse width of a pulse signal inputted from the outside with delay from a PWM signal, a register loading a counter value of the counter in synchronization with the PWM signal, and an A/D converting unit converting an analog signal serving as a source signal of the pulse signal inputted from the outside to a digital signal.
US07944716B2
The invention deals with the control of a resonant LLC converter by use of control parameters. The primary current flowing in the resonant tank and a voltage at a predetermined point in the resonant tank are monitored and control parameters are set for a high side conduction interval and control parameters are set for a low side conduction interval, the control parameters for the two conduction intervals being: a peak current of the interval and a predetermined voltage of the interval. The resonant converter comprises series-arranged controllable switches to be connected to the supply source. The resonant converter is operated by setting up criteria for turning off a switch in accordance with criteria including the four control parameters.
US07944709B2
The micro-sensor includes a first circuit substrate and a second circuit substrate. One surface of the first circuit substrate has an image sensing device electrically connected to main printed wires formed by a first wire group and a second wire group. On the other surface of the first circuit substrate has a main connector electrically connected to the second wire group. A plurality of first signal transmission lines connected to the first wire group. The second circuit substrate has a sub-connector that is electrically connected to sub printed wires having an equivalent number as and corresponding to the second wire group. The other end of the sub printed wires is electrically connected to a plurality of second signal transmission lines. Through connecting the connectors respectively disposed in different circuit boards to overcome the difficulty in the manufacturing process of concentrating all devices on a single circuit board.
US07944693B2
A housing for holding electronic plug-in assemblies having a component installation space open toward the front side of the housing for the plug-in assemblies and a fan space arranged above the component installation space with a cover plate and a lateral air outlet. The fan space contains at least one axial fan with an air outlet on the top side of the fan. The axial fan is arranged in the fan space such that air is drawn out from the component installation space. An air-guiding plate that runs in the direction of the air outlet of the fan space is positioned between the top side of the fan and the cover plate of the fan space.
US07944669B2
A lightning protection circuit for electric fence energizers used with electric fencing systems is provided. The circuit includes a protective combination having at least two electrical components connected in series. The protective combination allows induced voltage from lightning strikes to be effectively spread across a first of the electrical components and a switch of the fence energizer, so as to limit peak levels of current drawn to a second of the electrical components.
US07944660B2
Electrical distribution systems implementing micro-electromechanical system based switching devices. Exemplary embodiments include a method in an electrical distribution system, the method including determining if there is a fault condition in a branch of the electrical distribution system, the branch having a plurality of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) switches, re-closing a MEMS switch of the plurality of MEMS switches, which is furthest upstream in the branch and determining if the fault condition is still present. Exemplary embodiments include an electrical distribution system, including an input port for receiving a source of power, a main distribution bus electrically coupled to the input port, a service disconnect MEMS switch disposed between and coupled to the input port and the main distribution bus and a plurality of electrical distribution branches electrically coupled to the main distribution bus.
US07944659B2
An ESD protection circuit for a switch coupled to high-speed signaling pins of an integrated circuit includes a first string of clamping elements and a second string of clamping elements. The first string of clamping elements has a collective capacitance less than the capacitance of a single clamping element. The first string of clamping elements is operably coupled to the drain and source of the transistor and conducts when a first polarity ESD voltage is applied to the high-speed pins. The second string of clamping elements has a collective capacitance less than the capacitance of one clamping element. The second string of clamping elements is operably coupled to the drain and source of the transistor and conducts when a second polarity ESD voltage is applied to the high speed signaling pins.
US07944657B2
An electrostatic protection circuit includes a first impurity region, a second impurity region, a first electrode, a third impurity region, a fourth impurity region, a second electrode, a fifth impurity region, a sixth impurity region, a third electrode, a gate insulating film, and a fourth electrode.
US07944656B2
In a level conversion circuit mounted in an integrated circuit device using a plurality of high- and low-voltage power supplies, the input to the differential inputs are provided. In a level-down circuit, MOS transistors that are not supplied with 3.3 V between the gate and drain and between the gate and source use a thin oxide layer. In a level-up circuit, a logic operation function is provided.
US07944655B2
An ESD protection circuit for protecting a host circuit coupled to a signal pad from an ESD event occurring at the signal pad includes at least one MEMS switch which is electrically connected to the signal pad. The MEMS switch includes a first contact structure adapted for connection to the signal pad, and a second contact structure adapted for connection to a voltage supply source. The first and second contact structures are coupled together during the ESD event for shunting an ESD current from the signal pad to the voltage supply source. The first and second contact structures are electrically isolated from one another in the absence of the ESD event. At least one of the first and second contact structures includes a passivation layer for reducing contact adhesion between the first and second contact structures.
US07944643B1
A magnetic disk media is physically preformatted to have a non-user data area providing any of a servo pattern, a gray code pattern and a timing line pattern. The non-user data area patterns are preformatted to have non-recordable regions with a radial width that is always less than the track pitch of the data area. In exemplary implementations, servo patterns, gray code patterns and timing line patterns are physically preformatted to have a recordable:non-recordable radial width ratio substantially equal to that of a user data area. In certain embodiments, non-magnetic or magnetically suppressed regions having cross-track dimension substantially equal to that of spaces between tracks in the user data area are consecutively offset in a cross-track direction from the discrete track recording pattern of the user data area.
US07944634B2
A support structure for a light quantity control unit of a lens barrel includes a holding frame which holds a light quantity control member; front and rear support members positioned in front and behind the holding frame, respectively; a front guide pin and a front pin support hole formed on one and the other of the holding frame and the front support member, the front guide pin being slidably inserted into the front pin support hole; and a rear guide pin and a rear pin support hole formed on one and the other of the holding frame and the rear support member, the rear guide pin being slidably inserted into the rear pin support hole. The holding frame is supported by the front and rear guide pins and the front and rear pin support holes to be movable between the front and rear support members.
US07944631B2
A lens actuator has a carrier, a cover, a first spring, a second spring, a coil, and a magnet. The carrier with a cylindrical shape is provided with a hollow section formed along a first direction, and has a holding section formed on one side of the first direction. The hollow section has a shape configured to mount a lens barrel therein. The cover, which is disposed on the side having the holding section of the carrier, has a supporting section that meets with the holding section of the carrier. The first spring and the second spring make a resilient contact with each of both surfaces in the first direction of the carrier. The coil is circumferentially disposed on the carrier so as to face the magnet. Of the coil and the magnet, one is mounted on the carrier and the other is disposed on the outer or the inner periphery of the carrier.
US07944621B2
A zoom lens system comprising, arranged sequentially from the enlarging side to the reducing side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power as a whole, a second lens group having a positive refractive power as a whole and a third lens group having a positive refractive power as a whole. The third group is fixed during the zooming. The first lens group moves along an optical axis from the enlarging side to the reducing side during zooming from the wide angle end to the intermediate area. The first lens group also moves along the optical axis from the reducing side to the enlarging side during zooming from the intermediate area to the telephoto end. The second lens group moves along the optical axis from the reducing side to the enlarging side during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end. Thus, the zooming operation of the whole lens system is achieved.
US07944615B2
An optical system for shaping an incoming beam having a divergence with an angular distribution at least in a first direction comprises at least one angle selective optical element for clipping the angular distribution in the at least first direction. The approach according to the present invention bases on using an angle-selective device operated by the principle of total internal reflection to reduce divergence of the incoming beam, in contrast to a spatially-selective device as for example a field-stop or slit. The method according to the present invention has the advantage that no physical sharp edges have to be exposed at high energy densities. Thus, thermal impact and demands on the optical elements to withstand a high power laser beam are significantly reduced.
US07944601B2
An ornamental display device having an interferometric modulator for displaying an ornamental image. The ornamental device may also have a signal receiver configured to receive an external signal. The ornamental device may further have a processor configured to control an image on the display based on the external signal. The external signal is emitted from a controller configured to control a plurality of ornamental devices to display coordinated images. The ornamental device may have a patterned diffuser formed on a transparent substrate to provide an ornamental image or information. The ornamental device may be a piece of jewelry or an article that may be worn. The image displayed may have an iridescent appearance. A controller may also be used to control images displayed on multiple ornamental device to provide coordinated images based on externals received or pre-programmed images.
US07944598B2
Laser scanner projection systems that reduce the appearance of speckle in a scanned laser image are provided. The laser projection system includes a visible light source having at least one laser, a scanning element and a system controller. The system controller is programmed to generate a scanned laser image. The system further includes a first lens that focuses a scanned output beam onto an intermediate image and a second lens that projects the intermediate image onto a projection surface. A periodic phase mask having a period that is approximately equal to or greater than the beam waist diameter of the scanned output beam is positioned at the intermediate laser image. The period of the periodic phase mask is such that the projection of the scanned output beam jumps progressively from pixel to pixel, thereby reducing speckle contrast in the scanned laser image.
US07944597B2
Disclosed herein are novel electrochromic materials. The electrochromic materials are viologens into which an imidazole derivative is asymmetrically introduced. The electrochromic materials can be used in a variety of electrochromic displays, including electrochromic windows and smart windows. Also disclosed herein are electrochromic devices that use the electrochromic materials.
US07944594B2
An image forming device that carries out color reproduction using plural of color materials having: a setting unit setting a color material curbing mode that curbs an amount of color material; and a color information inputting unit that inputs input color information. The image forming device further has a converting unit that, when the color material curbing mode is set by the setting unit, converts the input color information inputted by the color information inputting unit into output color information in a color material curbing region, on the basis of correspondence relationships that are set in advance such that a region that is color-reproducible by the image forming device is kept within the color material curbing region that is narrowed such that an amount of the color material is curbed.
US07944592B2
Embodiments of a method performed by an image capture device are provided. The method includes performing a calibration operation on a photosensor array of the image capture device using a background surface with a substantially uniform grey color and performing a scan operation to capture a scanned image from a medium using the background surface.
US07944588B2
An image correction process that suppresses image deterioration in a printed image is provided. An image correction processing apparatus includes an area setting unit which sets an area comprising a plurality of pixels including an interest pixel, a first correction strength setting unit which adaptively sets a first correction strength for at least the interest pixel in the area based on the number of changes and the changing amount, a first correction unit which executes image correction for a pixel, for which the first correction strength is set, by the first correction strength, a second correction strength setting unit which adaptively sets a second correction strength for at least the interest pixel in the area based on the number of changes and the changing amount, and a second correction unit which executes image correction for a pixel, for which the first correction strength is set, by the second correction strength.
US07944585B2
An image processing system including a processor configured to analyze a color image to determine a set of target colors and a database including factor profiles associated with a set of stored colors. The image processing system further includes a printer controller that assigns the factor profiles to the target colors according to a color space proximity of the target colors with the stored colors. The factor profiles represent a combination of factors including a gray level and a screen angle.
US07944582B2
A carriage drive control method capable of detecting the acceleration of a carriage at low cost, improving external disturbance suppression of the carriage, and thus improving image quality. This method is applied to a printing apparatus which prints by relatively moving on a printing medium a carriage to which a printhead is mounted. In the printing apparatus, the moving velocity of the carriage is detected, the acceleration of the carriage is detected on the basis of outputs from first and second strain gauges which are respectively attached on the two sides of a fixing portion for fixing the carriage on a belt for transmitting a drive force from a carriage motor to the carriage, the carriage velocity is compensated on the basis of the carriage acceleration detected for the detected moving velocity of the carriage, and driving of the carriage motor is feedback-controlled on the basis of the compensated carriage velocity.
US07944579B2
A method and a multi-function machine are provided for scanning and counting documents, generating a summary report thereof, and dispatching the summary report to at least one destination. The summary report contains a count of the number of documents scanned or, additionally or alternatively, the number of document sides which contain an image; thumbnail representations of at least one of the scanned pages; and/or metadata. In particular, the multi-function machine includes a scanning assembly; a counting and reporting module configured to count documents scanned by the scanning assembly and to format a report corresponding to the scanned and counted documents, said counting and reporting module further configured to process said report for printing by a printing assembly, for saving to a storage device, and/or for transmitting to a network device or a facsimile device; and at least one processor configured to sense, in accordance with user input, the completion of a document scanning procedure by the scanning assembly, and after the completion of the document counting and scanning procedure, to automatically dispatch said report to recipients in accordance with user selections.
US07944575B2
There is described an image forming apparatus that serves as a client in the client/server type information processing system. The apparatus includes a communicating section to communicate with the server; a device information acquiring section to acquire device information for specifying the device; an information storing section to store server information for specifying the server and client information for specifying the client itself; and a control section to transmit the device information, acquired by the device information acquiring section, and the client information, stored in the information storing section, to the server specified by the server information through the communicating section, in order to request the server to send an application program corresponding to the device information back to the client. When the control section receives the application program from the server, the control section develops the application program into the storage so as to make the device available.
US07944572B2
A system facilitates communication between a control component and a plurality of processing components. One or more processing components performs one or more tasks, each processing component has at least one attribute associated therewith. One or more attribute banks are associated with each of the one or more processing components, wherein each attribute bank stores the at least one attribute. A control component initiates the one or more tasks for each processing component. A universal driver facilitates communication between the one or more processing components and the control component. The driver includes an interrogation component that queries the one or more processing components to receive the at least one attribute associated with each processing component. A constraint evaluator determines combinations of attributes that are supported and unsupported for each of the one or more processing components. An attribute filter categorizes each attribute combination based at least in part on whether it is supported or unsupported.
US07944568B2
When reflection light, reflected from a measurement target that has been irradiated with measurement light in such a manner to scan the measurement target, and reference light are combined in each wavelength sweep, interference light is detected as interference signals. When a thinning region in which the interference signals obtained by detecting the interference light in each wavelength sweep are thinned so that the interference signals that are used to produce the tomographic image remain is set, thinning is performed on the plurality of interference signals in the thinning region. Light intensity information about the measurement target in the thinning region is obtained, based on the interference signals for the respective wavelength sweeps, the interference signals remaining after thinning. The tomographic image in the thinning region is produced based on the obtained light intensity information.
US07944566B2
A single fiber full-field optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging probe (300) includes a hollow tube (301), and a single fiber (305) disposed within the tube for transmitting light received from a broadband light source to a beam splitter (350) in the tube optically coupled to the single fiber (305). The beam splitter (350) splits the light into a first and a second optical beam, wherein the first beam is optically coupled to a reference arm including a MEMS reference micromirror (335) which provides axial scanning and the second beam is optically coupled to a sample arm for probing a sample to be imaged. Both the reference arm and the sample ami are disposed in the tube. A photodetector array (315) is preferably disposed inside the tube (301) optically coupled to the beam splitter (350). The photodetector array (315) receives a reflected beam from the MEMS reference micromirror (335) and a scattered beam from the sample to form an image of the sample.
US07944557B2
Method and apparatus for analyzing radiation using analyzers and encoders employing the spatial modulation of radiation dispersed by wavelength or imaged along a line.
US07944554B2
A pair of angular contact bearings 20A, 20B are disposed between a bearing house 16b of an inspection head 16 and a head supporting tube 8, and a spacer 25 and a spring bearing ring 26 are disposed between outer races 20o of the bearings 20A, 20B. The spacer 25 and the spring bearing ring 26 are urged by a coil spring 27 toward the side of the outer race 20o. An O-ring 28 is disposed between the spacer 25 and the outer race 20o of the bearing 20B, and the outer circumference of the O-ring is brought into closely contact with the inner circumference of the bearing house 16b. The outer races 20o are constrained by a step part 16f in the bearing house 16b and an end cap 29 screwed into the inspection head 16. Removing the end cap 29 makes it possible to take out the bearing housing 16b and a main shaft part 16c integrally from atop of the bearings 20A, 20B.
US07944553B1
A method and system for measuring an optical property of a multi-focal lens are disclosed. One embodiment of the method comprises: filtering out light transmitted by all but one of a plurality of diffraction orders of the lens to provide an unfiltered light from a single diffraction order; receiving the unfiltered light at a wavefront detector; and analyzing the unfiltered light at the wavefront detector to measure the optical property. The multi-focal lens can be a multi-focal diffractive intra-ocular lens. The measured optical property can be a discontinuity in the lens surface. Filtering can comprise blocking all but the unfiltered light using an aperture operable to let through the unfiltered light from the single diffraction order, and/or blocking all but the unfiltered light using an opaque obstruction operable to let through only a selected amount of light corresponding to the light transmitted by the single diffraction order. The method can further comprise generating an image quality parameter, such as a modulation transfer function, based on the measured optical property.
US07944547B2
This invention relates to a three-dimensional image of ground surface and the method and system that generates the three-dimensional image. Here, a three-dimensional image is an image that has three-dimensional XYZ coordinates in a ground coordinate system for every pixel of the image and the ground surface means the bare-earth surface plus all the objects on the bare-earth surface. The scene covered and represented by such a three-dimensional image is a three-dimensional real world scene where everything visible in the three-dimensional image has three-dimensional coordinates. The three-dimensional XYZ coordinates of all the pixels of a three-dimensional image are attributed by the method and system of this invention for generating three-dimensional images with airborne oblique/vertical imagery, GPS/IMU, and LIDAR ground surface elevation or range data. On such a three-dimensional image, one can make direct measurements of location, length, distance, height, area, and volume and indirect measurements including but not limited to profile and sight of view all in the real world three-dimensional coordinate system. Additionally, application systems that utilize three-dimensional images can make three-dimensional displays or perspective views of the ground surface with fly-through or walk-through, rotations and zoom in and out, and three-dimensional manipulation and simulation of ground surface.
US07944542B2
A layout of LCD panels and a size of the mother substrate are disclosed, to improve the efficiency in arrangement of the LCD panels, and to maximize the substrate efficiency, the layout comprising a mother substrate; a dummy region of 15 mm or less in a periphery of the mother substrate; and six LCD panels of the 26-inch model in a matrix of 2×3 on the mother substrate excluding the dummy region with a margin corresponding to 2˜4% of a length of the LCD panel.
US07944541B2
In accordance with a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device including, in a picture element, a first sub-picture-element region where a threshold voltage of the transmittance-applied voltage characteristic is Vth1 and a second sub-picture-element region where a threshold voltage of the transmittance-applied voltage characteristic is Vth2, liquid crystal, which polymerizable components are added to, is filled into the space between a first and a second substrates; thereafter, a voltage V1 slightly higher than the threshold voltage Vth1 is applied to a liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; subsequently, a voltage V2 slightly higher than the threshold voltage Vth2 is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; additionally, a voltage V3 higher than a white-displaying voltage which is applied while the liquid crystal display device is in actual use is applied to the liquid crystal layer, and is held for a certain length of time; then, the polymerizable components are polymerized by irradiation of ultraviolet light; and thus polymers are formed in the liquid crystal layer.
US07944532B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal between substrates and alignment layers disposed on the inner surface sides of the substrates. The alignment layer is made from a material including polyamic acid containing a diamine component and polyimide containing a diamine component different from the diamine component of the polyamic acid. The alignment layer is subjected to alignment treatment by irradiation of light. UV light can be irradiated in the oblique direction onto the alignment layer through a mask having openings. A reflecting plate can be arranged between a UV light source and the mask. Also, bank structures having a thickness from 0.1 to 0.15 μm can be provided on the alignment layer of the TFT substrate.
US07944530B2
An optical film, which is an optically compensatory film that comprises: at least two optically anisotropic layers comprising a first optically anisotropic layer and a second optically anisotropic layer, wherein the first optically anisotropic layer is formed by mixing two or more liquid crystal compounds having different structures with each other.
US07944528B2
In an LCD apparatus, a non-effective display region disposed between pixel electrodes and a light leakage region disposed on the pixel electrodes are covered by means of a light-leakage preventing layer and by overlapping color filters of a color filter substrate, thereby preventing the light from being leaked through the non-effective display region and the light leakage region. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent brightness of the light from being decreased and images displayed through the LCD apparatus from being deteriorated in quality.
US07944523B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of protecting a printed circuit board from electromagnetic interference. The LCD device of the present invention includes a LCD panel for presenting an image, a backlight assembly for illuminating light to the LCD panel, a bottom chassis for securing the LCD panel and the backlight assembly, a first printed circuit board seated on a rear surface of the bottom chassis for generating signals to be supplied to the LCD panel on the basis of externally input signals, a first connector coupled with a signal transfer film which provides the input signal of the first printed circuit board, a shield case made of a conductive material for protecting an upper surface of the first printed circuit board, and a first conductive adhesive member interposed between the first connector and the shield case for discharging an electromagnetic wave from the first connector to the shield case.
US07944518B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight and a power supply controlling circuit substrate. The backlight has a rectangular shaped frame member with long and short sides, light sources in rod form within the frame member, and first and second electrode supporting members electrically connected to opposite ends of the light sources. A wire guide member is arranged along one long side of the frame member and holds a wire for electrically connecting at least one of the first and second electrode supporting members to the power supply controlling circuit substrate. The wire guide member has a wire securing portion where the wire is secured and a temporary wire securing portion which at least temporarily secures the wire running between the wire securing portion and the power supply controlling circuit substrate.
US07944509B2
There is provided with a video processing method including: writing first video signals representing an input video frame alternately into first and second storage regions every input video frame; reading out the written first video signals from either the first storage region or the second storage region; generating second video signals representing an output video frame including a video image represented by the first video signals read out; acquiring write region information indicating either the first storage region or the second storage region into which writing is being performed, before reading is performed; acquiring write location information indicating a location on the first or second storage region, associated with the first video signal which is being written, before reading is performed; and deciding either the first storage region or the second storage region from which reading should be performed, by using the write region information and the write location information.
US07944502B2
Pipelining techniques to deinterlace video information are described. An apparatus may comprise deinterlacing logic to convert interlaced video data into deinterlaced video data using multiple processing pipelines. Each pipeline may process the interlaced video data in macroblocks. Each macroblock may comprise a set of working pixels from a current macroblock and supplemental pixels from a previous macroblock. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07944500B2
An image processing system for properly correcting brightness of a subject area and a background area of a captured image. The image processing system includes an image capturing apparatus, including: an image capturing instruction unit for generating a first instruction signal and a second instruction signal for instructing a capturing of the subject; and an image pick-up unit for capturing a first image of the subject in response to the first instruction signal, and a second image of the subject in response to the second instruction signal. The image processing system also includes an image processing apparatus, including: a backlight status detector for detecting backlight status based on the first image and the second image; and a correction unit for correcting the second image when the backlight status detector detects the backlight status.
US07944499B2
There is disclosed an electronic imaging apparatus capable of selecting a first observation mode in which a subject image is observed using an optical finder and a second observation mode in which the subject image is acquired as image data from an image pickup device and is displayed in a monitor. In this electronic imaging apparatus, subject information (e.g., a person position) recognized based on the image data from the image pickup device in the second observation mode is succeeded even in the first observation mode, and shooting conditions can be set based on the subject information even in the first observation mode.
US07944487B2
The present invention provides an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup method capable of suppressing degradation of the picture quality caused by correction of optical distortion. A distortion correction circuit corrects optical distortion contained in digital image data obtained by photographing conducted via a lens. Correction coefficients (gain) are set by a CPU so as to increase a correction quantity of contour correction as a quantity of correction for the optical distortion increases. Contour correction using the correction coefficients set by the CPU is conducted on the digital image data corrected in optical distortion.
US07944476B2
To enable a prompt switching operation by a user. An image processing device connected to an image capturing section has a process execution section for executing any of a plurality of processes, obtains area specification data for specifying an area where the user is shown in the image, based on a difference between the images sequentially captured by the image capturing section images, and switches a process to be carried out by the process execution section, depending on the position of an edge of the area specified by the area specification data obtained.
US07944474B2
An image pickup apparatus which includes a camera shake correction mechanism and determines exposure conditions including at least a shutter speed in response to brightness of an image pickup object, including acquisition means, decision means, and setting means. The acquisition means is configured to acquire a focal distance of a lens for converging an optical image of the image pickup object. The decision means is configured to decide a camera shake limit shutter speed corresponding to the acquired focal distance. The setting means is configured to set, where the camera shake correction mechanism is valid, a shutter speed lower than the camera shake limit shutter speed by an amount corresponding to a predetermined difference in exposure value to one end of a setting range of the shutter speed of the exposure condition.
US07944465B2
This invention enables the construction of equipment for reproduction of static and moving (live) 3-dimensional stereo representations (3-dimensional display), and is capable of recording and transmitting stereo representations of 3-dimensional objects (scenes). The equipment of the present invention provides to the user comfortable conditions for viewing a volumetric representation without eye strain. The viewing of such 3-dimensional images does not require the use of any supplementary means such as glasses, does not drastically limit the position of the viewer with respect to the display, and allows simultaneous viewing of the 3-dimensional display by many viewers from a sufficiently wide field of view.
US07944456B2
The invention discloses a method, server and a computer program for optimizing content delivered to a variety of terminal devices. In the solution disclosed in the invention, a user is able to create exact layouts and optimize the amount of content to different media environments simultaneously.
US07944449B2
A method for exporting animation data from a native animation environment to a non-native animation environment includes determining first object poses in response to a first object model in the native environment and animation variables, determining a second object model including a geometric object model, determining second object poses in response to the second object model and animation variables, determining surface errors between the first object poses and the second object poses, determining a corrective object offsets in response to the surface errors, determining actuation values associated with the corrective object offsets in response to the surface errors, determining a third object model compatible with the non-native animation environment in response to the second object of poses, the corrective offsets, and the actuation values, and storing the third object model in a memory.
US07944445B1
Generating a child timeline on a drawing sheet of a diagramming program such that the child timeline is dynamically linked to a parent timeline. An automated method allows for the automatic placing of information on the child timeline that was on the parent timeline when the child timeline is created. Parent and child timelines can be modified and a child timeline can be automatically updated when changes are made to the parent timeline and these changes affect the time interval corresponding to the child timeline.
US07944444B2
A three-dimensional (3D) image processing apparatus and method are provided for use with a 3D image divided into a left-eye image and a right-eye image. The apparatus includes a disparity estimation unit estimating disparities between the left-eye image and the right-eye image; a horizontal movement determination unit determining a horizontal movement value for the left-eye image and the right-eye image using the estimated disparities; and a horizontal movement unit horizontally moving the left-eye image and the right-eye image based on the determined horizontal movement value. In the method and apparatus, a receiving end which receives and displays a 3D image can enhance 3D effects and reduce eye fatigue by adjusting the disparity of the 3D image.
US07944429B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal panel divided into a non-display area and a display area where pixel cells are arranged in a matrix, a backlight for supplying light to the liquid crystal panel, and a photo-sensing device in the non-display area for sensing an external light to control light output from the backlight in accordance with the sensed the external light.
US07944413B2
An organic EL display includes plural pixels, each including a drive control element, an organic EL element and an output control switch. The drive control element includes a control terminal, a first terminal connected to a first power supply terminal, and a second terminal outputting a current with a magnitude corresponding to a voltage between the control terminal and the first terminal. The organic EL element includes a first electrode, a second electrode connected to a second power supply terminal, and an active layer interposed between the first and second electrodes. The output control switch is connected between the second terminal and the first electrode. In a part of the pixels, a conductive path electrically connecting the first electrode to the first power supply terminal is broken at a portion which connects the output control switch to the first electrode.
US07944412B2
Each of pixels arranged in a matrix comprises an element to be driven, a switching TFT, an element driving TFT, and a storage capacitor, and a potential shifting capacitor. The storage capacitor is connected between the gate and a source of the element driving TFT. Before a data signal is output, a precharge signal is output to a data line to turn on the element driving TFT, a set signal is output to a power supply line that is used to supply power through the turned-on element driving TFT to the element to be driven, and, before a data signal is applied to one electrode of the storage capacitor, the source of the element driving TFT and another electrode of the storage capacitor are discharged in response to the set signal to be fixed at a constant potential. By performing control as described above, the element to be driven is driven using a minimum number of circuit elements.
US07944397B2
The present invention relates in general, to a chip antenna and, more particularly, to a dual-band small-sized chip antenna, in which a first antenna element, including a plurality of coil members, is coupled with a second antenna element, having a plurality of circuit patterns, in a zigzag fashion, thus forming resonance frequencies, and relates to a multi-band chip antenna fed with current from external part wherein the third antenna element having coil formed in helical form and the fourth antenna formed parallel with the third antenna element and in helical form are connected to the fifth antenna having a plurality of circuit pattern on the layered-substrate, and relates to chip antenna using multi-layered radiator to generate the mutual coupling of two radiator by placing non-feeding radiation element having fixed pattern between the radiator for performing the radiation of the low frequency band and the radiator for performing the radiation of the high frequency band and to have wide band characteristic by forming multiple current path to radiator.
US07944395B1
A method and apparatus for qualifying a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) location determination. A method in accordance with the present invention comprises determining a constellation of satellites used in the location determination, making a measurement set based on signals received from the constellation of satellites, comparing the measurement set and the constellation of satellites used in the location determination to a predetermined threshold, and reporting the location determination only when the threshold is not exceeded.Such a method further optionally includes the threshold being user-selectable, the threshold being adjusted or disabled based on a pre-defined scheme, the threshold being adjusted in a sequential form based on a pre-defined scheme, and the measurement set being made in a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.
US07944393B2
A method for recording a position of at least one component in a location system of a control system of an industrial facility for an industrial process. A model of the facility is created, including position coordinates for major parts of the facility. The model is stored in a location system storage. A component is identified. A mobile information processing device is placed adjacent the component and position coordinates are detected for the mobile information processing device. Identification information of the component and position coordinates of the mobile information processing device are stored in the location system storage.
US07944389B1
Systems and methods for monitoring and classifying RF emissions in the field include storing an electronic signature map (ESM) of a selected geographic area, where the electronic signature map includes previously detected emitter closeness measures (ECMs) in the selected geographic area. The ECMs are representative of detected sources of radio frequency energy. A RF energy emission is detected, a new ECM for that RF energy emission is created, and that the new ECM is compared with the ECMs in the ESM. That comparison may help to determine whether the RF energy emission should be considered a threat.
US07944387B2
An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided, which is adapted to be supplied with a single ended supply voltage. The device includes: a first analog-to-digital conversion stage including a first set of capacitors coupled with a side at a common node and adapted to sample an input voltage and to be coupled to either a first reference voltage level or a second reference voltage level, at least one capacitor of the first set of capacitors being adapted to be left floating, a control stage being adapted to connect the at least one floating capacitor to the first reference voltage level or the second reference voltage level in response to an analog-to-digital conversion decision made by a second analog-to-digital conversion stage. The first analog-to-digital conversion stage is operable to couple the common node to a supply voltage level, in particular ground, during analog-to-digital conversion.
US07944379B2
An apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion using successive approximation is provided. There is a successive approximation register or SAR controller for providing a digital code representing a conversion result, and an integral non-linearity (INL) compensator configured to provide an INL compensation signal for reducing INL of the analog-to-digital conversion in response to the digital code.
US07944377B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for quantization encoding and de-quantization decoding using a trellis. Unlike a trellis coded quantization (TCQ) index, by classifying quantization levels to which cosets are allocated and allocating indexes to the quantization levels so that a coset corresponding to a specific branch in a predetermined state in the trellis can be selected with only indexes without encoding or decoding information on paths, quantization encoding and de-quantization decoding are performed by using a new index.
US07944376B2
A transmit signal generated by the baseband processor in a translational loop type RF transmitter is “pre-distorted” so as to counter act magnitude distortion and group delay variation imposed by a narrow PLL signal filter. The pre-distortion occurs in two steps: a magnitude equalizer in the baseband processor pre-distorts the amplitude of the transmit signal according to the inverse of the PLL signal filter magnitude response, and a group delay equalizer linearizes the phase response of the entire transmitter chain, i.e., pre-distorts the transmit signal such that the combined phase response of magnitude equalizer, group delay equalizer, and PLL signal filter is linear. With such pre-distortion, a loop filter is provided for with component values that define a relatively small bandwidth for the loop filter to filter spurious tones that result from an IF reference feedthrough to a voltage controlled oscillator of the translational loop.
US07944373B2
A handheld electronic device includes a reduced QWERTY keyboard and is enabled with disambiguation software that is operable to disambiguate compound text input. The device is able to assemble language objects in the memory to generate compound language solutions. The device is able to prioritize compound language solutions according to various criteria, including the degree of completeness of the text components of a compound language solution.
US07944369B2
This invention relates to a security device, system and method for use in monitoring an object or person, the device being mountable to an object or person and including a tilt sensing means having a tilt sensor and a control means configured and adapted to detect tilt movement of the said object or person and generating an alarm signal when the detected change of tilt movement of the said object or person exceeds a tilt alarm threshold, the change of tilt movement is between a predetermined normal state of alignment of the said object or person relative to a reference plane and the preset threshold level for triggering an alarm signal.
US07944366B2
Systems and methods of detecting occlusions and fluid-loss conditions (e.g., disconnects and/or leakages) in an infusion pump are discussed. For example, electrokinetic infusion pumps may develop an occlusion in the fluid flow path, which can disrupt control of fluid dispersed from the pump. As well, an infusion set disconnect can also result in a fluid-loss that can be disruptive. Such disruptions can be troublesome to systems that control the infusion pump, such as closed loop controllers. Accordingly, systems and methods described herein can be used to detect such occlusions and fluid-loss conditions during infusion pump operation. For example, a position sensor can be used to monitor fluid flow from the infusion pump, with the measurement being compared with an expected value to detect an occlusion or fluid-loss condition. Other algorithms for utilizing the position sensor are also described.
US07944362B2
A method of detecting a visibility interference phenomenon for a motor vehicle. The method includes the steps of: determining a region of interest (ROI) in an acquired image (I) of the environment (E) of the vehicle (V); determining a grey-level curve (CL) from the region of interest (ROI); calculating at least one tangent (TG) from at least one point of interest (PT) in the grey-level curve (CL); and determining a directing coefficient (CF) from the tangent (TG).
US07944344B2
A control device, either installed on a bicycle or carried by a user, communicates with the accessories via radio signals. The control device radiates control signals via its radio transceiver and the control signals are received by the radio transceivers of the accessories. Each accessory has a unique identification code which is encapsulated in the radio control signals so that the individual lamp or lock could be turned on and off or locked and unlocked. On the other hand, accessories such as speed sensor and body sensor could radiates their collected information to the control device which in turn calculates and displays readings such as the speed of the bicycle and the heart beat rate of the rider, etc.
US07944338B2
In an RFID system including RFID tags each incorporating a sensor, accuracy of measurement by the sensor can be improved. For example, when measurements are performed several times by using RFID tags each incorporating a sensor unit, generation of a carrier directed from an RFID reader/writer to the RFID tags is stopped for a predetermined period every time when a measurement ends. By this means, the chip temperature of the RFID tag increased due to power consumption in each measurement can be reduced to, for example, ambient temperature every time when a measurement ends. Therefore, an error in measurement by the sensor unit can be reduced, thereby achieving accurate measurement.
US07944334B2
Tamper-resistant alarm switch assemblies (22, 100, 124, 148) are provided which include a first movement-sensing switch (24) and a second tamper-sensing switch assembly (25) including a switchable component (26) and an actuating component (74, 136, 166), mounted on a member (30) and each being switchable between respective first and second movement-sensing and tamper-sensing switch states in response to relative movement between first and second members (30, 32), and relative shifting between the switch (26) and actuating component (74, 136, 166). Mounting structure (28, 106, 138) is provided to attach the first switch (24) and second switch assembly (25) to the member (30) in a normal operating position wherein the first switch (24) will sense relative movement between the first and second members (30, 32), with relative shifting between the switchable component (26) and the actuating component (74, 136, 166) in the event of an attempted detachment of at least one of the components (26, 74, 136, 166) of the tamper switch assembly (25), or the first switch (24), or both thereof, from the member (30).
US07944332B2
The proposed invention application describes a novel configuration of an extremely small self-locking switching component, based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Conventional MEMS switches need a continual control signal in order to obtain the wanted active (switching) state. The proposed invention needs only a short control signal (non-locking key) such as e.g. a pulse in order to switch the component on and/or off. RF-noise (ripples) on the de-control signal or bouncing effects can be neglected according to the proposed extension of the MEMS devices. This contributes to an easier and especially more robust design of electronic circuitries and allows for enhanced functionalities.
US07944319B2
Clock spreading systems and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a clock spreading system is provided in an integrated transceiver system that comprises a base band control system and a transceiver coupled to the base band control system. The clock spreading system provides a spread clock output signal derived from a clock reference signal for clocking one of the base band control system and the transceiver. The clock spreading system is configured to provide a periodic phase modulated spread clock output signal during receiving of data in a receive mode and a pseudo-random phase modulated spread clock output signal during transmitting of data in a transmit mode.
US07944306B2
The present invention relates to a bias control circuit and method for supplying a bias signal to at least one stage of an amplifier circuit, wherein a dual bias control is provided by generating a bias current and additionally using this bias current to derive a control signal for limiting a supply voltage of the at least one amplifier stage in response to the control signal. Thereby, a compression of the output signal of the amplifier stage, which results from the voltage limitation, can be realized in addition to the base current steering. This leads to a decrease in small signal gain and thus reduced output noise.
US07944302B2
An apparatus and method for biasing each amplifier of an amplification stage provides that the voltage across each current sensing element of each amplifier of the amplification stage is measured. For each pair of voltage measurements taken, a sum and difference is calculated, where the sum is processed to determine minima peaks and the difference is averaged. A portion of the sum term and the average of the difference term are summed to yield the individual bias current conducted by a first amplifier of the amplification stage. The difference between a portion of the sum term and the average of the difference term is calculated to yield the individual bias current conducted by the second amplifier of the amplification stage. The bias current conducted by the first and second amplifiers may then be individually modified manually, or conversely, may be modified automatically based upon the bias current measurements taken.
US07944301B1
An amplifier including complementary push and pull components, a bias component and a quiescent current balancer. The complementary push and pull components are serially coupled to one another between an electrical source and sink to generate an output signal at a common output terminal responsive to the input signal source. The bias component is coupled between the input signal source and the complementary push-pull components to bias the input signal to the push component and the input signal to the pull component by discrete amounts which reduce cross-over clipping exhibited in the output signal. The quiescent current balancer is coupled to the output terminal to balance quiescent currents in the push and the pull component at discrete levels which equilibrate amplification levels of the input signal generated by the push component and the pull component in the output signal at the output terminal.
US07944300B2
Bias circuits, amplifiers and methods are provided, such as those for providing bias signals over a range of common mode inputs for an amplifier to output a constant current. One example of a bias circuit is configured to generate a bias signal having a voltage magnitude according to a reference signal. The reference signal is indicative of a common mode input level of an input signal of the amplifier circuit and the bias circuit is further configured to adjust the bias signal over a range of common mode input levels. An amplifier receiving the bias signal is configured to generate an output signal in response to an input signal and drive an output current based on the voltage magnitude of the bias signal provided by the bias circuit.
US07944296B1
A power amplifier system in accordance with an example embodiment can utilize a transformer having a primary winding inductively coupled to a secondary winding, where the primary winding includes a center tap between a first port and a second port, where the secondary winding includes a third port and a fourth port, where the primary winding receives a first output from a first amplifier, where the center tap receives a second output from a second amplifier. The system can also include a first capacitor connected to the center tap and the first port; a second capacitor connected to the center tap and the second port; a first switch in electrical connection with the center tap, where the first switch can connect the center tap to a ground port; a second switch connected to the fourth port, where the second switch can connect the fourth port to a common node in electrical connection with the center tap; and a third capacitor connected between the common node and an output node connected to the third port from a system output can be obtained.
US07944295B2
The invention aims to converge predistortion coefficients efficiently in a predistorter adapted to compensate for distortion generated in an amplifier. Level detection means detects the level of a signal input to an amplifier. Signal acquisition means acquire a signal output from the amplifier as a feedback signal. Correspondence acquisition means updates a predistortion coefficient expressed using a set of orthogonal polynomials so that a distortion component contained in the acquired feedback signal is reduced and acquires a correspondence between the level of the signal input to the amplifier and a control coefficient for predistortion (contents of a distortion compensation table). Predistortion executing means applies distortion for predistortion with respect to the signal input to the amplifier in accordance with the control coefficient for predistortion that corresponds to the detected level based on the acquired correspondence.
US07944293B2
Systems and methods for providing an adaptive bias circuit that may include a differential amplifier, low-pass filter, and common source amplifier or common emitter amplifier. The adaptive bias circuit may generate an adaptive bias output signal depending on input signal power level. As the input power level goes up, the adaptive bias circuit may increase the bias voltage or bias current of the adaptive bias output signal. A power amplifier (e.g., a differential amplifier) may be biased according to the adaptive bias output signal in order to reduce current consumption at low power operation levels.
US07944282B2
The voltage generation circuit having a standard voltage generation circuit, a reference voltage, a minimum voltage setting circuit, and a voltage setting circuit that gradually sets voltage by switching a plurality of the gate transistors to switch a combination of resistive elements. The voltage generation circuit includes a differential amplifier that has one input terminal connected to the reference voltage generated by the standard voltage generation circuit and another input terminal connected to the minimum voltage setting circuit. The differential amplifier has an output node showing the result of a difference voltage of the inputs. The voltage generation circuit includes a pump control circuit that outputs a control signal controlling a charge-pump motion, based on the differential voltage, and a charge pump circuit that sets up and outputs the voltage by the control signal.
US07944281B2
A reference current generation circuit generates a first branch current that varies by a first percentage in response to variations in a first supply voltage and variations in transistor threshold voltage. The first branch current is mirrored to create a corresponding second branch current. A first portion (sub-current) of the second branch current is supplied through a first transistor, which exhibits the transistor threshold voltage wherein the first sub-current varies by a second percentage in response to the variations in the first supply voltage and variations in transistor threshold voltage, wherein the second percentage is greater than the first percentage. A second portion (sub-current) of the second branch current is supplied through a second transistor. The second portion of the second branch current is mirrored to create a reference current (IREF).
US07944267B2
A leakage current measurement circuit measuring a substrate leakage current and a gate leakage current in response to a variation in the size of an MOS transistor and a leakage current comparison circuit judging which one of the substrate leakage current and the gate leakage current is dominant. The leakage current measurement circuit includes a charge supply, a leakage current generator and a detection signal generator. The leakage current comparison circuit includes a charge supply, a leakage current comparator and a detection signal generator.
US07944262B2
A duty correction circuit is formed using at least one delay circuit, which is constituted of a first inverter including three transistors of different conduction types and a second inverter including three other transistors of different conduction types and which delays and adjusts an input clock signal at the leading-edge/trailing-edge timing so as to convert it into an output clock signal based on a first or second bias voltage produced by a bias circuit detecting the duty ratio of the output clock signal. The duty correction circuit decreases the high-level period of the output clock signal having a high duty ratio based on the first bias voltage. Alternatively, the duty correction circuit increases the high-level period of the output clock signal having a low duty ratio based on the second bias voltage.
US07944250B2
The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for providing a voltage supply for a driver circuit for driving a semiconductor switch. The circuit arrangement has: a first bootstrap circuit which is supplied with a first auxiliary voltage referring to a lower supply potential, the bootstrap circuit comprising a first capacitor which provides a supply voltage for the driver circuit; a first charge pump which is designed to keep the charge in the first capacitor at or above a particular level at least during a particular period of time; a second bootstrap circuit which is supplied with a second auxiliary voltage referring to an upper supply potential, the bootstrap circuit comprising a second capacitor which provides a supply voltage for the first charge pump; and a second charge pump which is designed to generate the second auxiliary voltage.
US07944248B2
A circuit can include a comparator, a resistor divider, a control circuit, and a multiplexer. The comparator compares an internal supply voltage of the circuit to a selected reference voltage. The resistor divider generates reference voltages. The control circuit receives an output signal of the comparator and generates a select signal. The multiplexer transmits one of the reference voltages from the resistor divider to the comparator as the selected reference voltage in response to the select signal.
US07944234B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods disclosed herein may cause an event trigger state machine associated with a programmable on-chip logic analyzer (POCLA) to transition to a programmable state at a programmable number of occurrences of a programmable set of events associated with a first subset of signals on a first subset of input signal paths. States associated with a second subset of signals on a second subset of input signal paths may be stored at a time relative to a transition to the programmable state if a set of storage criteria have been met. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US07944230B1
The present invention includes a circuit-level system and method for preventing the propagation of soft errors in logic cells. A radiation jammer circuit in accordance with the present invention, including an RC differentiator and a depletion mode MOS circuit, when inserted at the output of a logic cell, significantly reduces the propagation of transient glitches. The radiation jammer circuit is a novel transistor-level optimization technique, which has been used to reduce soft errors in a logic circuit. A method to insert radiation jammer cells on selective nodes in a logic circuit for low overheads in terms of delay, power, and area is also introduced.
US07944223B2
The present invention discloses a burn-in testing system including a burn-in board and a burn-in testing apparatus, the burn-in board including: a first interface component, adapted to connect with the burn-in testing apparatus for signal input and/or output between the burn-in board and the burn-in testing apparatus; and a second interface component, adapted to connect with a device under test for signal input and/or output between the burn-in board and the device, wherein the burn-in testing system further includes a pin matching unit flexibly connected with the burn-in board and adapted to adjust signal connection relationship between the first interface component and the second interface component according to a pin description of the device. By using the invention, burn-in tests of various devices having the same number of pins and different pin descriptions can be performed using the same burn-in board, which is compatible with existing burn-in boards, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs.
US07944220B2
A moisture content sensor for measuring the moisture content of a medium. The sensor includes a probe that injects an electrical signal into the medium. Complex impedance circuitry located between the probe and the electrical signal source allows sensing electronics to generate a signal that represents the moisture content within the medium based on changes in the permittivity of the medium. The complex impedance circuitry minimizes the influence of temperature and conductivity of the medium on the sensed signal. The sensing electronics may be adjusted to optimize the sensor for varying medium conditions and to vary the linearity of the response curve based on volumetric water content of the medium.
US07944217B2
The present invention offers an object proximity detector and object position detector. The variation of frequency of an oscillator is used to detect the proximity of an object to a sensor plate. The dependence of the sensitivity of the detector on the area of the sensor plate is reduced by conducting the sensor plate to two capacitors in series. The conducting wire of the sensor plate can be flexible without causing error detection. In the sensor element of the sensor oscillator, a resistor is connected at one terminal of the sensor plate to form a high pass filter. A resistor and a capacitor are added to the sensor oscillator to form a low pass filter. The high pass filter is used to reduce the low frequency electromagnetic interference. The low pass filter is used to reduce the high frequency electromagnetic interference.
US07944215B2
A device for measuring the position of a first body relative to a second body comprising: a first body which further comprises an electrical intermediate device; a second body which further comprises at least two inductors energised with an alternating current and at least one of which is formed by a planar spiral winding on a printed circuit board normal to the measurement axis and attached to the second body; arranged such that displacement of the electrical intermediate device causes a change in inductance of the planar spiral winding and whereby measurement of the ratio of the inductances indicates the position of the first body relative to the second.
US07944212B2
A tester is disclosed for testing a wiring state of a live electrical receptacle outlet. The tester comprises a body having a display located thereon and a plug extending from the body. The display is configured to selectively provide a text indicator. When the plug of the tester is received in the electrical outlet, the display indicates the wiring state of the electrical outlet.
US07944211B2
A method for characterization of a formation that includes inducing fluid motion in a formation while making electronic measurements.
US07944202B2
A rotation angle detector is arranged to detect a rotation angle of an object. The rotation angle detector includes a rotor that rotates about a rotation axis according to a rotation of the object, a detecting unit for detecting a rotation of the rotor, a controller for detecting a rotation angle of the rotor based on a detection signal output from the detecting unit, and a case for accommodating the rotor rotatably. The case has at least three elongate holes provided therein. The elongated holes have longitudinal directions extending radially from the rotation axis of the rotor.
US07944200B2
A probe apparatus includes a holding frame holding a test head through a biasing unit biasing the test head. An annular member is rotatably mounted in an opening of a ceiling plate of a main body. Cam followers are rotatably provided circumferentially on the annular member. An intermediate connecting member is provided in a lower surface of the test head, for bringing the test head into electrical contact with an upper surface of the probe card. Protrusions for guiding the cam followers are provided corresponding thereto at an outer periphery of the intermediate connecting member, upper surfaces of the protrusions being inclined. The cam followers are moved relatively upward along the respective inclined surfaces of the protrusions by rotating the annular member so that the intermediate connecting member is pushed downward against a biasing force of the biasing unit to bring the test head into press-contact with the probe card.
US07944199B2
An embodiment of a voltage-measuring circuit includes: a first resistor connected to a first measurement node; a second resistor connected to the first resistor and a second measurement node; a configuration switch configured to, in response to a control signal, selectively interconnect the first and second resistors, during enable and disable phases of the control signal respectively, into and out of either a parallel or a series configuration; and a control and measurement circuit configured to provide the control signal, receive a first measurement voltage from the first and second measurement nodes during the enable phase, and receive a second measurement voltage from the first and second measurement nodes during the disable phase.
US07944193B2
A pulse width (PWM) controller for a voltage converter having at least one switch, an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) circuit for digitizing inputted state variables including a feedback voltage from an output of the voltage converter and a reference voltage for setting the output of the voltage converter and providing a digital error signal, and a Proportional Integration and Derivation (PID) circuit receiving the digital error signal and providing a digital duty cycle signal. The controller including a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) circuit for converting the digital duty cycle signal into an analog DAC output signal; and a comparator circuit for comparing a first signal including the DAC output signal with a reference signal for generating a pulse width modulated control signal for controlling the switching of the at least one switch of the voltage converter.
US07944192B2
An embodiment of a hysteretic power-supply controller includes a signal generator, frequency adjuster, and signal combiner. The signal generator is operable to generate a switching signal having a first level in response to a control signal being greater than a first reference value and having a second level in response to the control signal being less than a second reference value, the switching signal having an actual frequency and being operable to drive a switching stage that generates a regulated output signal. The frequency adjuster is operable to generate a frequency-adjust signal that is related to a difference between the actual frequency and a desired frequency. And the signal combiner is operable to generate the control signal from the frequency-adjust signal and the regulated output signal. Such a hysteretic power-supply controller may allow one to set the switching frequency to a desired value independently of the parameters of the power supply.
US07944190B2
The control circuit 30 of power supply unit and power supply unit 10 controlling output power with electric power supplied from the external power 15, comprise a monitoring portion 40 monitoring current I1 and voltage outputted from the external power supply 15 and output power of the external power supply 15 and a setting portion e1 which sets an upper limit value of current outputted from the external power supply 15 based on a monitoring result of the monitoring portion 40.
US07944188B1
A new bipolar output boost converter for ac input applications is revealed. The new boost converter is bridgeless, i.e., it does not require use of a line frequency diode rectifier which improves the efficiency of the converter significantly. The new bipolar boost converter does not include the common mode noise generating mechanisms of prior art ac input bridgeless boost rectifier circuits, thereby easing electromagnetic compatibility problems. Although the new converter requires two output filter capacitors, total capacitor stored energy is the same as other boost converters of the same power level so that capacitor volume and cost is not significantly adversely effected. Zero voltage switching cells which can be substituted for a switch to eliminate first order switching losses are also revealed. New three terminal bipolar input source switching networks having operating properties similar to conventional full bridge source switching networks are also revealed.
US07944187B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for producing current with a desired output frequency from one or more fixed or variable speed alternators by varying a saturation level of a portion of the alternator(s) based on a output frequency desired, and preferably then rectifying the output to produce a desired electrical output which may be provided as direct current or alternating current to a suitable load.
US07944167B2
A method of operating a motor controlled by a closed loop servo control system is provided. The closed loop servo control system employs a digital filter, such as a PID filter, that employs one or more gain coefficients. The method includes temporarily increasing one or more of the gain coefficients by a corresponding first predetermined amount when the motor reaches a coefficient boost motor position that is a predetermined distance before a commanded motor rest position, and decreasing the one or more of the gain coefficients by a corresponding second predetermined amount a predetermined time after the motor reaches the commanded motor rest position.
US07944160B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for discharging a direct current (DC) bus providing power to a motor control circuit in an electric motor system. The method includes the steps of detecting a predetermined discharge signal and generating operational control signals comprising phase currents for dissipating energy from the DC bus through a passive load in response to detecting the predetermined discharge signal, wherein the passive load includes motor windings of an electric motor of the electric motor system. The method also includes the step of providing the operational control signals to the motor control circuit for discharging the DC bus through the motor control circuit and the motor windings of the electric motor.
US07944148B2
A radiation source is presented, the source comprising an ionizable mercury-free composition that comprises tin halide such that the halide to tin ratio is greater than 2.
US07944134B2
A spark plug including: a center electrode including an electrode base member and a core member; an electrode tip joined to the center electrode via a molten bond; an insulator holding the center electrode; a metal shell holding the insulator; and a ground electrode joined to the metal shell. Relationships d≦2.1 [mm] and −0.09×d+0.33
US07944133B2
Light source device, including an alternating current high-pressure mercury lamp having a pair of opposed electrodes within a spherical light-emitting part containing at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury and 10−6 μmol/mm3 to 10−2 μmol/mm3 of halogen, and cylindrical hermetically sealed portions extending from both ends of the light-emitting part. External leads protrude from the ends of the light-emitting part. A reflecting mirror has a concave reflecting part surrounding the light-emitting part and a cylindrical neck part. An adhesive fills a periphery one of the hermetically sealed portions in the area of the external leads in a manner fulfilling the relationship L1/R≧0.5 where L1 (mm) is the length along the hermetically sealed portion filled with an adhesive and R (mm) is the diameter of the hermetically sealed portions. Feed wires connect to the external leads and openings for the feed wires can be formed in the reflecting part with flexible tubes between them.
US07944124B1
A MEMS structure having a stress-inducer temperature-compensated resonator member is described. The MEMS structure includes a frame disposed above a substrate. The frame has an inner surface and an outer surface and is composed of a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and a second material having a second CTE, different from the first CTE. A resonator member is coupled to the inner surface of the frame.
US07944121B2
Co-fabricating of vertical piezoelectric MEMS actuators that achieve large positive and negative displacements through operating electric fields in excess of the coercive field includes forming a large negative displacement vertical piezoelectric MEMS actuator, forming a bottom structural dielectric layer above a substrate layer; forming a bottom electrode layer above the structural dielectric layer; forming an active piezoelectric layer above the bottom electrode layer; forming a top electrode layer above the active piezoelectric layer; forming a top structural layer above the top electrode layer, wherein the x-y neutral plane of the negative displacement vertical piezoelectric MEMS actuator is above the mid-plane of the active piezoelectric layer, wherein the negative displacement vertical piezoelectric MEMS actuator is partially released from the substrate to allow free motion of the actuator; and combining the large negative displacement vertical piezoelectric MEMS actuator and a large positive displacement vertical piezoelectric MEMS actuator on the same the substrate.
US07944116B2
A drive circuit for a high-frequency agitation source includes a signal generator generating a train of low voltage square-wave pulses at a drive frequency, a booster including a boost inductor generating a back EMF and configured to produce a high-voltage pulse train in response to the low-voltage square-wave pulse train and a filter producing a drive signal having a pre-determined harmonic of the drive frequency, the drive signal being used to drive the high-frequency agitation source. The drive circuit is particularly suitable for use with piezoelectric crystals.
US07944100B2
A rectifier assembly includes first and second housings surrounding a pair of electrical rings. Each of the electrical rings communicates with a pin. Bolts secure a spring to hold diodes against an inner wall of the electrical rings. The first housing includes openings opposed to the bolts to allow access to the bolts for tightening the bolts to hold the spring, and bias the diodes against the inner periphery of the electrical rings. A rotor balance assembly, a generator, and a method of assembling a rectifier assembly are also disclosed and claimed.
US07944097B2
The claimed subject matter relates to a mechanism and method for assembling a drive mechanism for a mail sorting machine, or to a drive mechanism for a sorting gate of a mail sorting machine, used to deflect flat, flexible mail items during their conveyance through a mail sorting machine, comprising a base plate that has a bottom plate, a shaft, a bearing assembly for mounting the shaft on the base plate, a stator, which is firmly mounted on the base plate, and a rotor, which is rotatably mounted in the base plate so as to accommodate the shaft and rotate the shaft, wherein the bearing assembly, the rotor, the stator, preferably at least one stop surface for a stop on the rotor, and preferably also a heat dissipation assembly for the stator are all arranged on the base plate.
US07944096B2
A stator mechanism of linear motor. The stator mechanism includes multiple magnetic members. The magnetic members are sequentially arranged along a predetermined straight line with the magnetic poles of the same polarity adjacent to each other to repel each other. Each magnetic member includes at least two magnetic bodies, which are coaxially arranged with the magnetic poles of different polarities adjacent to each other to attract each other.
US07944090B2
A multi-output power conversion circuit is provided for converting an input voltage into a standby voltage and a first output voltage. The multi-output power conversion circuit includes a transformer, a power switching circuit, a first rectifier-filter circuit, a second rectifier-filter circuit, a first switching circuit, a voltage-adjusting circuit, a feedback circuit and a power control circuit. The feedback circuit is connected to the first rectifier-filter circuit, the second rectifier-filter circuit and the system circuit. The feedback circuit generates a feedback voltage according to a power-status signal issued by the system circuit. The power control circuit is interconnected between the power switching circuit and the feedback circuit for controlling on/off statuses of the power switching circuit according to the feedback voltage. The feedback circuit generates the feedback voltage according to the power-status signal and selectively according to the first DC voltage or the second DC voltage.
US07944086B2
A system is described including a master power saving device configured for connection with a master load. The master power saving device is configured to determine when the master load is in an operating condition and a non-operating condition, and the master power saving device provides non-continuous power to the master load when the master load is in a non-operating condition. A slave power saving device is configured for connection with a slave load. The slave power saving device is configured to receive a signal from the master power saving device to turn off said slave load.
US07944079B1
A method of assembling a gearbox handling assembly to facilitate removal of a gearbox from a wind turbine uptower from the wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a rotor rotatably coupled to the gearbox with a rotor shaft. The gearbox and the rotor shaft are supported from a support frame. The method includes coupling a support assembly between the gearbox and the support frame for supporting the gearbox from the support frame. A positioning assembly is coupled to the support frame. The positioning assembly is configured to contact the gearbox to move the gearbox between a first position wherein the gearbox is operatively coupled to the rotor shaft and a second position wherein the gearbox is operatively decoupled and spaced from the rotor shaft to facilitate removing the gearbox from the wind turbine without removing the rotor from the wind turbine.
US07944077B2
This invention provides a nacelle of a wind energy converter and a corresponding mounting method of a nacelle of a wind energy converter and a generator for a wind energy converter. The nacelle includes a main frame; a generator including a stator and a rotor; a generator housing attached to the main frame and at least partially enclosing the stator and a rotor space; wherein the generator housing (20; 20′) has a first and second side face (S1, S2); wherein the first side face (S1) of the generator housing (20; 20′) exposes the rotor space (21); and a flange rotatably supported on the main frame and having a first end which is connected to the rotor; wherein the rotor extends into the rotor space (25) from the first side face (S1) without being supported in the generator housing.
US07944072B2
A method and a device are disclosed which are capable of collecting water at a high point of a high-rise building. The water can be stored until used. The water is allowed to run down by gravity past a hydroelectric generator to generate electricity for the occupants of the building, or for some other use. The water after use is discarded to the public drain.
US07944068B2
An integrated fault and personnel protection system and method for a multi-thread converter in a wind turbine power system is provided. The structure and method provide for system optimization, as well as, arc flash protection. Fault sensing with means of removing power applied to the converter minimizes the energy available to produce an arc flash event. Sensing and disconnects devices for the protections are provided close to the source of energy to protect more of the system. Converter controls detect, identify and isolate faults selecting the best combinations of the novel specific fault isolation devices. Components are distributed into separate physical to enhance protection.
US07944066B2
An improved system for generating electricity by harnessing natural gravitational forces, wherein a plurality of vessels are placed at the bottom of a deep enclosed chamber of liquid. The vessels are secured around tracking cables which extend within the chamber and are held in place by the air lock. Each vessel also has a retention system. The vessels collect released pressurized air through bottom openings and when the air lock is released, the vessels rush to the surface of the chamber along tracking cables. When the vessels are released, the collective force of their release rotates a crankshaft to generate electricity. The process will employ a systematic transfer of air within multiple tanks and collection areas with the use of varying pressure relief valves. This will allow air to be transferred through out the system without being pumped from an external energy source.
US07944064B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate which has a plurality of semiconductor device formation regions and alignment mark formation region having the same planar size as that of the semiconductor device formation region, a plurality of post electrodes which are formed in each semiconductor device formation region, and an alignment post electrode which is formed in the alignment mark formation region and smaller in number than the post electrodes formed in each semiconductor device formation region.
US07944063B2
Alignment marks for use on substrates. In one example, the alignment marks consist of periodic 2-dimensional arrays of structures, the spacing of the structures being smaller than an alignment beam but larger than an exposure beam.
US07944061B2
The invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising through contacts through a plastic housing composition and a method for the production thereof. For this purpose, the wiring substrate has a solder deposit on which through contact elements are arranged vertically with respect to the wiring substrate and extend as far as the top side of the semiconductor device.
US07944050B2
An integrated circuit device comprises a first semiconductor chip on a first substrate and a second semiconductor chip on a second substrate. A side surface of the first semiconductor chip is facing a side surface of the second semiconductor chip. At least one electric cable is provided to be connecting the first substrate to the second substrate.
US07944045B2
A semiconductor module and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed including a semiconductor element having an electrode, a heat radiation plate placed in thermal contact with a main surface of the semiconductor element and electrically connected to the electrode thereof, an insulation body directly formed on an outside surface of the heat radiation plate, a metallic body directly formed on an outside surface of the insulation body and having a thickness lower than that of the insulation body, and a mold resin unitarily molding the heat radiation plate, the semiconductor element and the insulation body. The insulation body is covered with the metallic body and the mold resin and the metallic body has an outside surface exposed to an outside of the mold resin.
US07944043B1
A semiconductor package has an insulative layer having at least one channel formed on a first surface thereof. A conductive pattern conforming to the at least one channel and exposed to a bottom surface of the semiconductor package is formed. A semiconductor die is electrically connected to the conductive patterns. An encapsulant is used to at least partially filling the at least one channel.
US07944039B2
A semiconductor device includes a chip, a laminated wiring structure formed integrally with the chip, a frame disposed to surround the chip and made of a material having stiffness, and a sealing resin formed to bury therein the frame and at least the periphery of the side surface of the chip. The laminated wiring structure includes a required number of wiring layers, which are formed by patterning in such a manner that a wiring pattern directly routed from an electrode terminal of the chip is electrically connected to pad portions for bonding external connection terminals, the pad portions being provided, at a position directly below a mounting area of the chip and at a position directly below an area outside the mounting area, on a surface to which the external connection terminals are bonded.
US07944036B2
Semiconductor device including mounting board with stitches and first and second semiconductor chips
A first memory chip (103a) and a second memory chip (103b) mounted in this order on one surface of a mounting board (101) each have a rectangular planar shape and include a plurality of electrode pads formed in a single line along one side of the rectangle. An electrode pad line of the second memory chip (103b) is formed in parallel with an electrode pad line of the first memory chip (103a). A chip select pad is disposed on an end of the electrode pad line. Control pads, address pads, or data pads (113a) of the first memory chip (103a) are wire bonded to first stitches (109) formed in a single line along one side of the rectangle. A chip select pad (121a) and a chip select pad (121b) are wire bonded to second stitches (111) formed in a line along a side adjacent to a side of the chip select pad (121a). Accordingly, an increase in package area is suppressed when a plurality of memory chips are stacked.
US07944030B2
A lead frame includes a base material having a front surface for mounting of a semiconductor chip and a back surface for connection with an external board, and an Ni layer having a thick section and thin section. The thick section is formed on the back surface of the base material, whereas the thin section is formed on all or a part of the front surface of the base material. It is preferable that the thick section has a thickness ranging from 2.5 to 5 μm, and the thin section is 0.5-2 μm thinner than the thick section. The lead frame can be manufactured with improved productivity by forming an Ni layer on both front and back surfaces of the base material, and then etching only the Ni layer formed on the front surface of the base material.
US07944022B2
In a semiconductor device of the present invention, a first base region 16 is extended to a part under a gate electrode 7 while having a vertical concentration profile of an impurity that increases from the surface of a semiconductor layer 3 and becomes maximum under an emitter region 5, and the length in the lateral direction from a point where the impurity concentration becomes maximum located under an end of the gate electrode 7 to the boundary with a second base region 15 is not smaller than the length in the vertical direction from the point where the impurity concentration becomes maximum to the boundary with the second base region 15.
US07944012B2
An accelerated electron detector comprises an array of monolithic sensors in a CMOS structure, each sensor comprising a substrate (10), an epi layer (11), a p+ well (12) and n+ wells (13) which are separated from the p+ well (12) by the epi layer (11). Integrated in the p+ well are a plurality of NMOS transistors. The sensor also includes a deep n region (15) beneath the p+ well (12) which establishes within the epi layer a depletion layer so that on application of a biasing voltage charge carriers generated in the epi layer are caused to drift to the n+ well (13). The detector has improved radiation hardness and it therefore suitable for the detection and imaging of accelerated electrons such as in electron microscopes.
US07944002B2
Embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having a minimized on-resistance. According to embodiments, a semiconductor device may include at least one of the following: a first conductive type well formed on and/or over a semiconductor substrate, a second conductive type body region formed within the first conductive type well a first conductive type source region formed on and/or over the surface of the body region, a first conductive type drain region formed on and/or over the surface of the first conductive type well. Further, according to embodiments, a semiconductor device may include a field insulation layer positioned between the first conductive type source region and the first conductive type drain region and a gate electrode formed on and/or over the field insulation layer. The source region may be formed at a lower position than the drain region.
US07943999B2
A stress enhanced MOS circuit is provided. The stress enhanced MOS circuit comprises a semiconductor substrate and a gate insulator overlying the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode overlies the gate insulator; the gate electrode has side walls and comprising a layer of polycrystalline silicon having a first thickness in contact with the gate insulator and a layer of electrically conductive stressed material having a second thickness greater than the first thickness overlying the layer of polycrystalline silicon. A stress liner overlies the side walls of the gate electrode.
US07943996B2
The present invention provides a high speed and low power consumption LSI operable in a wide temperature range in which a MOS transistor having back gates is used specifically according to operating characteristics of a circuit.In the LSI, an FD-SOI structure having an embedded oxide film layer is used and a lower semiconductor region of the embedded oxide film layer is used as a back gate. A voltage for back gates in the logic circuits having a small load in the logic circuit block is controlled in response to activation of the block from outside of the block. Transistors, in which the gate and the back gate are connected to each other, are used for the circuit generating the back gate driving signal, and logic circuits having a heavy load such as circuit block output section, and the back gates are directly controlled according to the gate input signal.
US07943995B2
Provided are an NMOS device, a PMOS device and a SiGe HBT device which are implemented on an SOI substrate and a method of fabricating the same. In manufacturing a Si-based high speed device, a SiGe HBT and a CMOS are mounted on a single SOI substrate. In particular, a source and a drain of the CMOS are formed of SiGe and metal, and thus leakage current is prevented and low power consumption is achieved. Also, heat generation in a chip is suppressed, and a wide operation range may be obtained even at a low voltage.
US07943989B2
This invention discloses a semiconductor power device disposed in a semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor substrate has a plurality of trenches. Each of the trenches is filled with a plurality of epitaxial layers of alternating conductivity types constituting nano tubes functioning as conducting channels stacked as layers extending along a sidewall direction with a “Gap Filler” layer filling a merging-gap between the nano tubes disposed substantially at a center of each of the trenches. The “Gap Filler” layer can be very lightly doped Silicon or grown and deposited dielectric layer. In an exemplary embodiment, the plurality of trenches are separated by pillar columns each having a width approximately half to one-third of a width of the trenches.
US07943988B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a first doping concentration. A first semiconductor region, used as drain, of the first conductivity type has a lower doping concentration than the semiconductor layer and is over the semiconductor layer. A gate dielectric is over the first semiconductor region. A gate electrode over the gate dielectric has a metal-containing center portion and first and second silicon portions on opposite sides of the center portion. A second semiconductor region, used as a channel, of the second conductivity type has a first portion under the first silicon portion and the gate dielectric. A third semiconductor region, used as a source, of the first conductivity type is laterally adjacent to the first portion of the second semiconductor region. The metal-containing center portion, replacing silicon, increases the source to drain breakdown voltage.
US07943981B2
A semiconductor memory element includes: a tunnel insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate; a HfON charge storage film with Bevan clusters formed on the tunnel insulating film; a blocking film formed on the HfON charge storage film; and a gate electrode formed on the blocking film.
US07943975B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit, an amplifying transistor, and a reset transistor. The photoelectric conversion unit is arranged in a well of a first conductivity type on a semiconductor substrate. A source or drain region of the amplifying transistor or the reset transistor is arranged between the photoelectric conversion unit of a first pixel and the photoelectric conversion unit of a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel. In the first pixel, a first semiconductor region of an impurity concentration higher than that of the well of the first conductivity type is arranged between the source or drain region and the photoelectric conversion unit, and a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type is arranged under the first semiconductor region.
US07943973B2
A method for producing a tunnel field-effect transistor is disclosed. Connection regions of different doping types are produced by means of self-aligning implantation methods.
US07943972B2
A unit cell of a metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) is provided. The MESFET has a source, a drain and a gate. The gate is between the source and the drain and on an n-type conductivity channel layer. A p-type conductivity region is provided beneath the gate between the source and the drain. The p-type conductivity region is spaced apart from the n-type conductivity channel layer and electrically coupled to the gate. Related methods are also provided herein.
US07943960B2
An integrated circuit arrangement. In one embodiment, the arrangement includes at least one first semiconductor zone of a first conduction type which is doped more highly than the basic doping of a first semiconductor layer and which is arranged at a distance from a first component zone adjoining the first semiconductor layer. At least one connecting zone extends as far as the at least one first semiconductor zone proceeding from the first side. A second semiconductor zone of the second conduction type, is arranged in the first semiconductor layer and is electrically conductively connected to the at least one connecting zone.
US07943957B2
A diode 10 comprises an SOI substrate in which are stacked a semiconductor substrate 20, an insulator film 30, and a semiconductor layer 40. A bottom semiconductor region 60, an intermediate semiconductor region 53, and a surface semiconductor region 54 are formed in the semiconductor layer 40. The bottom semiconductor region 60 includes a high concentration of n-type impurity. The intermediate semiconductor region 53 includes a low concentration of n-type impurity. The surface semiconductor region 54 includes p-type impurity.
