US07950063B2

An electronic system provides secure and authorized access to data or a user interface on at least one first computer for operating machines from at least one second computer. The data or the user interface on the first computer can be accessed exclusively from the second computer, in that the second computer has an authorization device which stores the access data for personnel with access authorization, and in that access to the data or the user interface on the first computer is preceded by a display apparatus connected to the first computer showing a display which reveals the identified personnel with access authorization from the second computer.
US07950052B2

A system, method, and interface for segregating a network controller and a security gateway is provided. A security gateway-network controller interface is established between a security gateway and a network controller. One or more application interfaces are carried over the security gateway-network controller interface. An admission policy interface may be maintained on the security gateway-network controller interface that allows establishment of dynamic access control lists for admission policies applied on specific secure tunnels. Additionally, a security association-international mobile subscriber identity interface may be maintained on the security gateway-network controller interface that facilitates ensuring an IMSI used during a registration process matches an identity used to establish a tunnel. Thus, a subscriber validation mechanism is provided over the security gateway-network controller interface that couples the network controller and the security gateway.
US07950051B1

A password management system generates passwords for users. The system registers the passwords with applications in network elements in a communication network. The system indicates the passwords to the users who use the passwords to access the applications. The system generates new passwords before the old passwords expire. The system registers the new passwords with the applications and indicates the new passwords to the users before the old passwords expire. The users use the new passwords to access the applications. The system may also register network addresses with the applications for the users.
US07950049B2

Exemplary embodiments provide a method and system for providing a hybrid meta-directory for recording a grant of privileges. In one embodiment method and system aspects of the exemplary embodiment include: assigning a privilege identifier to each privilege stored in a privilege repository; in response to a granting of one of the privileges to a target user, storing the privilege identifier assigned to the granted privilege in an authoritative source domain record for the target user; and in response to receiving a query of the authoritative source domain based on a user ID, retrieving a list of privileges granted to the corresponding target user based on the privilege identifiers associated with the user ID.
US07950047B2

Embodiments are directed towards detecting and reporting use by a domain of a message authentication mechanism, such as DomainKeys (DK), and/or DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and enabling subsequent blocking of messages based, in part, on its usage. When a message is received by an inbound message server, a message source is determined for the message. In one embodiment, the message source is a domain name associated with the sender of the message. Statistics are recorded about the message, including the message source, whether the message is suspect, includes a forged source identifier, employs DK/DKIM message authentication, and the like. The reports may ten be sent to various message sources to enable them to determine the extent of use of DK/DKIM message authentication, and to selectively block, re-direct, or forward the messages based, in part, on the use of DK/DKIM message authentication mechanism.
US07950045B2

Disclosed techniques provide enhanced security for a communications network. Access terminal devices intended for operation via the network are expected to have security agent functionality, e.g. in the form security agent software loaded into or otherwise enabled on each of the access terminal devices. Registration procedures include verification that such an agent is present/enabled on an access terminal and that the agent currently implemented on the terminal device provides adequate security for the communications network against malicious traffic from that device.
US07950026B1

A virtual execution environment for software applications and other code objects. In one implementation, the present invention allows for virtual execution of applications by transparently capturing the rendered output of natively executed applications, and delivering the output to other processes on the same platform or to remote devices in a platform agnostic manner.
US07950020B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for secure operating system switching. In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying a second operating system of a plurality of operating systems that is to be active next; causing a memory access controller to enable exclusive access to a portion of memory for the second operating system once the second operating system becomes active; and causing the second operating system to become active.
US07950015B2

A method, computer program product, and data processing system for providing an improved directory service for storing information about hardware and software components is disclosed. The directory service stores not only the information that other hardware and software components require to locate, and make use of, the components listed in the directory, but is also able to dynamically construct ‘meta services’ that fulfill a client's functionality requirements.
US07950014B2

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to detecting the ready state of a user interface element. In aspects, a synchronization object is created to indicate when a user interface element is ready. Data is then loaded into the user interface element. After the data is loaded, an indication is made via the synchronization object that the user interface element is ready. After this occurs, a thread waiting on the synchronization object may interact with the user interface element with confidence that the user interface element is ready.
US07950007B2

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer usable program code are provided for maintaining a computer network. Resources and services affected by a change to a resource are identified in response to receiving a request for the change. A determination of an optimal time for the change is made based on a policy associated with the service. The change is deployed with a deployment engine.
US07949972B2

Systems, methods and computer program products for exploiting orthogonal control vectors in timing driven systems. An exemplary embodiment includes running an initial logic synthesis run on the system, identifying critical inputs to a logic cone related to the run, identifying orthogonal vectors in the logic cone, adding vectors to the logic cone, obtaining logical solutions and selecting a solution from the logical solutions.
US07949970B1

Techniques are provided for fast reduction of a system model, such as fast parasitics reduction of an electrical design. Delta loops, which comprise three nodes connected by three edges, may be identified. The netlist can be annotated with the number of delta loops to which an edge belongs and a delta loop identifier. Delta loops that share an edge may be assigned the same identifier. Identifying delta loops may be based on the intersection of binary search trees that are based on the netlist. In one embodiment, a cost of removing a node from the netlist is determined. Based on the annotations to the edges connected to a node under consideration for removal, the total number of delta loops that are shared by pairs of edges is determined. Based, at least in part, on the total number of common delta loops, a cost is determined of removing the node.
US07949969B2

System and method for developing an ASIC. A software program may be stored which includes program instructions which implement a function. The software program may be executed on a processing system at a desired system speed and may be validated based on the execution. A first hardware description of at least a portion of the processing system may be stored and may specify implementation of at least a portion of the processing system. A second hardware description may be generated that corresponds to a first portion of the first hardware description. The second hardware description may specify a dedicated hardware implementation of a first portion of the software program executing on the processing system. Generation of the second hardware description may be performed one or more times to fully specify the ASIC. An ASIC may be created which implements the function of the software program.
US07949968B2

An improved method, system and computer-readable medium for constructing binary decision diagrams for a netlist graph is disclosed. The method comprises traversing a netlist graph in a depth-first manner. At least one binary decision diagram is built for one input of a node of the netlist graph using a binary decision diagram for the other input of that node as a don't-care condition.
US07949958B2

Optical disc players are today connectable to the Internet, and may contain local storage capability, e.g. HDD. Additional post-production content can be downloaded and locally stored. It is difficult to include downloaded additional post- production material in menus for keeping a menu always consistent with the actually available data. Ideally, the menu should reflect the available data even if certain content is deleted or replaced with e.g. another version. A ‘linked-list’ approach for menu pages generates a dynamic menu structure. The menu consists of basic menu pages, which are retrieved from the disc, and additional pages that are downloaded together with the additional content. Page ranges may be reserved for e.g. audio, video or subtitles. The linked-list is implemented by an implicit link from each page to the next higher or lower page number.
US07949957B2

An edit selection control. The edit selection control can include a drop down list box coupled to a list of entries of full textual length; an edit box coupled to the drop down list box within the edit selection control and configured to display a selected one of the entries; and, list management logic coupled to the edit box and programmed to accept through the edit box as an alternative selection to the list of entries, a manually specified entry. Importantly, the edit selection control can have a structure configurable for embedding within a markup language document.
US07949952B2

A system for providing user representations in real-time collaboration application participant lists reflecting external communications, together with user representations in external communication applications indicating current real-time collaboration session participation. A participant list in a collaboration session represents other participants with whom the local user has recently or frequently communicated in a visually separate area. User representations associated with messages, entries, or the like, and contained in applications external to the collaboration application are displayed in a way that visually indicates the user's current participation in a collaboration session.
US07949946B2

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for the facilitating the layout and composition of graphics. Embodiments of the present invention allow declarative input for creation and modification of layout compositions and also allows adjustments or modifications made to layout compositions. Layout compositions may be created, adjusted, and modified by input through a markup language or by user-commands and gestures. Relationships and associations among nodes and among line segments and connections between nodes which are embodied within a composition or created by an auto layout are preserved both during and after adjustments and modifications.
US07949940B2

A data entry restriction program capable of rejecting invalid structured documents out of structured documents of a general-purpose format with great flexibility. When a structured document is entered, a data entry restriction apparatus compares the structure of the structured document with flexibility requirements (step S1). When the structured document does not meet the flexibility requirements, the data entry restriction apparatus records error information in association with the sending client of the document (step S2). After the error information associated with the client exceeds prescribed limits, the data entry restriction apparatus rejects structured documents from the client (step S3). Structured documents which meet the flexibility requirements and the data entry restriction apparatus has accepted are entered into a data processing apparatus and analyzed (step S4).
US07949933B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first memory cell coupled to a first WL and one of a pair of BLs for information bits, a second memory cell coupled to the first WL and one of a pair of BLs for parity bits, a third memory cell coupled to a second WL and the other of the pair of BLs for information bits, a fourth memory cell coupled to the second WL and the other of the pair of BLs for parity bits, column switches which connect the pair of complementary BLs for parity bits to a pair of data lines for parity bits, and a logic correction circuit connected to one of the pair of data lines for parity bits. The logic correction circuit executes a parity bit rewrite operation.
US07949931B2

A method for error detection in a memory system. The method includes calculating one or more signatures associated with data that contains an error. It is determined if the error is a potential correctable error. If the error is a potential correctable error, then the calculated signatures are compared to one or more signatures in a trapping set. The trapping set includes signatures associated with uncorrectable errors. An uncorrectable error flag is set in response to determining that at least one of the calculated signatures is equal to a signature in the trapping set.
US07949929B2

A controller for controlling an access of a non-volatile memory having an error-correcting code area and a data area is provided. The controller includes an error-correcting module and a first inverting circuit electrically connected to the error-correcting module for inverting data and error-correcting codes corresponding to the data. When the controller both writes all 0xFF data in the data area and writes all 0xFF error-correcting codes in the error-correcting code area, the first inverting circuit inverts the all 0xFF data and the all 0xFF error-correcting codes into all 0x00 data and all 0x00 error-correcting codes, respectively.
US07949927B2

In a method of detecting an error pattern in a codeword transmitted across a noisy communication channel, a codeword is detected. A syndrome is then generated by applying a generator polynomial to the codeword. The generator polynomial is adapted to produce a distinct syndrome set for each of “L” (L>1) different error patterns potentially introduced in the codeword during transmission across the communication channel. A type of an error pattern within the codeword is detected based on the syndrome or a shifted version of the syndrome, and then a start position of the error pattern within the codeword.
US07949926B2

A method and apparatus for selecting interleaver sizes for turbo codes is provided herein. During operation information block of size K is received. An interleaver size K′ is determined that is related to K″, where K″ from a set of sizes; wherein the set of sizes comprise K″=ap×f, pmin≦p≦pmax;fmin≦f≦fmax, wherein a is an integer and f is a continuous integer between fmin and fmax, p takes integer values between pmin and pmax, a>1, pmax>pmin, pmin>1. The information block of size K is padded into an input block of size K′ using filler bits, if needed. Encoding is performed using the original input block and the interleaved input block to obtain a codeword block using a turbo encoder. The codeword block is transmitted through the channel.
US07949920B2

A technique for reducing the overhead of daisy chain test mode in divide-and-conquer testing using intermediate test modes that do not span all cores or all flip-flops in the core. The partial residual test mode spans across a subset of the cores and allows to bound the number of cores that a full residual test mode may span across. The interaction of the cores among one another at the top-level is analyzed and the minimum number of flip-flops in a core that must participate in a intermediate test mode is selected. Algorithms are devised to analyze the interactions among the cores and build data structures which are used for identifying intermediate test modes. Using a reconfigurable scan segment architecture, intermediate test modes are implemented that are designed to work with all known test compression solutions. Since the length of the longest scan chain in an intermediate residual test mode is much smaller than the length of the longest scan chain in the full residual test mode, there is a substantial improvement in test application time as well as test peak power.
US07949916B1

Scan chain circuitry is provided for performing scan chain testing of integrated circuits. The integrated circuits being tested may include programmable logic. The scan chain circuitry may include scan chain cells. Each scan chain cell may have a first logic circuit that receives a scan enable signal. When the scan enable signal is asserted, the scan chain cells may be connected to form a scan chain for test data loading and unloading. Each scan chain cell may also include a second logic circuit. The second logic circuit in each scan chain cell may receive a test enable signal. Signal transitions may be created at the output of scan chain cells by loading the scan chain cells with data, deasserting the scan enable signal while the test enable signal is asserted, and applying a clock. At speed delay fault tests may be performed using the scan chain circuitry.
US07949914B2

A system is described having a JTAG diagnostic unit and a serial wire diagnostic unit. A watcher unit is connected to a data connection shared between the diagnostic units. Special patterns detected upon the shared data connection serve to switch between diagnostic modes with respective ones of the diagnostic units becoming active.
US07949899B2

An electronic apparatus testing method is provided. The method includes the step of: reading a product ID of the electronic apparatus when the electronic apparatus is connected to a control apparatus; determining the device type ID from the product ID, wherein the product ID comprises basic information of the electronic apparatus, determining the script files of the functions of the electronic apparatus in the testing table according to the device type ID; obtaining the script files from a data storage and running the script files to test functions of the electronic apparatuses, sending a control instruction to the corresponding measuring device of the function to control the measuring device test the function during the process of running the script files; and displaying test results through a display of the control apparatus.
US07949896B2

A storage system includes a controller that controls switching from a system before switching to a system after switching. The controller includes a check unit that checks whether a connection between the system before switching and the system after switching is enabled, or not, a determination unit that determines whether switching from the system before switching to the system after switching is enabled, or not, a fail-over information migration unit that migrates fail-over information included in the system before switching to the system after switching, a user data migration unit that migrates user data in the system before switching to the system after switching, and a switching execution unit that enables the system after switching to receive I/O from a host.
US07949890B2

Described are the architecture of such a system, algorithms for time synchronization during a multiway conferencing session, methods to fight with network imperfections such as jitter to improve synchronization, methods of introducing buffering delays to create handicaps for players with faster connections, methods which help players with synchronization (such as a synchronized metronome during a music conferencing session), methods for synchronized recording and live delivery of synchronized data to the audience watching the distributed interaction live over the Internet.
US07949886B2

An exemplary power supply system and method for a motherboard includes a power circuit providing power for a south bridge, and a controller having first and second transistors. An input terminal of the power circuit is connected to a power supply. An output terminal of the power circuit is connected to a reset pin of the south bridge. A first terminal of the first transistor is configured for receiving a control signal from the south bridge. A second terminal of the first transistor is connected to a first terminal of the second transistor. A second terminal of the second transistor is connected to the reset pin of the south bridge. Each of the first and second transistors has a third terminal grounded.
US07949885B2

A power supply device supplies power to an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a load and a control unit. The load requires power, and is controlled by the control unit. The power supply includes a capacitor and a power-supply unit. The capacitor is charged by an external power source, and dischargably stores therein power. The power-supply unit provides power supply from the capacitor to the load and the control unit before voltage of the external power source drops below a threshold level where malfunction of the image forming apparatus occurs. After the voltage recovers to the threshold level, the power-supply unit stops the power supply from the capacitor.
US07949880B2

A method, system and apparatus for secure password validation can include a local authentication process configured for coupling both to local authentication data and to a remote authentication process. The system also can include a comparator disposed in the local authentication process and programmed to detect an extended password string in the local authentication data. Finally, the system can include a remote authentication handler disposed in the local authentication process and programmed to outsource password validation to the remote authentication process responsive to the comparator detecting an extended password string retrieved for a supplied user identifier. Preferably, the remote authentication handler can be a remote procedure call to the remote authentication process.
US07949876B2

A method, a router and a host are introduced for providing secure communication with limited use of processing intensive cryptographic means. Strong cryptographic keys are first used between the host and the router to sign messages therebetween, thereby ensuring that a first communication between the host and the router is secure. The router generates a secret key and forwards it to the host, the secret key being encrypted at the router and decrypted at the host by use of the strong cryptographic keys. Further communication between the host and the router is signed by use of the secret key.
US07949875B2

For the authentication of messages communicated in a distributed system from an originator to a destination a keyed-hashing technique is used according to which data to be authenticated is concatenated with a private (secret) key and then processed to the cryptographic hash function. The data are transmitted together with the digest of the hash function from the originator to the destination. The data comprises temporal validity information representing the temporal validity of the data. For example the setup key of a communication is therefore only valid within a given time interval that is dynamically defined by the communication originator. After the time interval is exceeded the setup key is invalid and cannot be reused again.
US07949872B2

An authentication requesting device which includes a battery connecting section to be connected to a battery and a receiving section to be supplied with power from an external power source when connected to the external power source, and executes an authentication process for authenticating a battery connected to the battery connecting section, where the authentication requesting device is arranged to change the authentication process depending on whether or not the receiving section is being supplied with power from the external power source.
US07949871B2

A Secure Service Network (SSN) in which at least two participants having a relationship are connected to a physical network by way of Secure Service Gateways and share information defined by one or more Service Definitions allowing for the creation of a secure Virtual Service Connection (VSC) between the participants in which the VSC is specific to the activity being performed and the participants provisioned for that activity. SSN enables the creation of a secure virtual network topology on any network transport that allows participants to exchange documents and transact business over the network real time, where all activity inherits a business and security infrastructure that is independent and in addition to the applications, devices, web services, users using the network.
US07949864B1

Systems and methods of balanced adaptive body bias control. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a method of balanced adaptive body bias control comprises determining a desirable dynamic condition for circuitry of an integrated circuit. A first dynamic indicator corresponding to the desirable dynamic condition is accessed. Second and third dynamic indicators of the integrated circuit are accessed. A first body biasing voltage is adjusted by an increment so as to change the first dynamic indicator in the direction of the desirable dynamic condition. A second body biasing voltage is adjusted based on a relationship between the second dynamic indicator and the third dynamic indicator.
US07949862B2

Address control section includes an encoding section to generate higher-order address information made by compressing a predetermined higher-order bit part from predetermined higher-order and lower-order bit parts included in an instruction address, and a restoring section to restore the higher-order bit part from the higher-order address information. Branch instruction predicting section includes a history memory section that stores the higher-order bit part and the lower-order bit part corresponding to a branch address of a processed branch instruction at either one of a plurality of storing places determined from the higher-order bit part and the lower-order bit part corresponding to a branch address of a processed branch instruction.
US07949861B2

In one or more embodiments, a processor includes one or more circuits to flush instructions from an instruction pipeline on a selective basis responsive to detecting a branch misprediction, such that those instructions marked as being dependent on the branch instruction associated with the branch misprediction are flushed. Thus, the one or more circuits may be configured to mark instructions fetched into the processor's instruction pipeline(s) to indicate their branch prediction dependencies, directly or indirectly detect incorrect branch predictions, and directly or indirectly flush instructions in the instruction pipeline(s) that are marked as being dependent on an incorrect branch prediction.
US07949857B2

An improved method, device and system are presented for selecting a predetermined number of unused registers in a processor. The method includes partitioning registers in a processor into subsets; searching each subset for an unused register; determining whether every subset includes an unused register; if so, selecting an unused register from each subset; if not, partitioning the registers into new subsets with each subset having a different combination of registers; searching each of the new subsets for an unused register; determining whether each of the new subsets includes an unused register; if so, selecting an unused register from each new subset; and if not, searching each register serially to find the predetermined number of unused registers.
US07949849B2

A file system can be provided in a capture system to efficiently read and write captured objects. In one embodiment, such a file system includes a plurality of queues to queue captured objects to be written to a disk, each queue being associated with one of a plurality of object types, and each queue containing captured objects of the type associated with each queue. A scheduler can be provided to select one of the plurality of queues, and a block manager to select a partition of a disk, the partition being associated with the object type of the captured objects in the selected queue. A disk controller configured to write contiguous blocks of data from the selected queue to the selected partition is connected to the block manager to enable writing to a disk.
US07949846B2

A method and system for allocating storage space on a storage device to a requesting entity. The storage device includes a set of extents. An allocation map is maintained in computer memory. The allocation map has a plurality of map blocks, the map blocks each having a plurality of map entries. The map entries include respective logical extent identifiers, physical extent information and obsolete indicators. An invalid extent logical identifier represents a free extent and a valid extent identifier represents a prior allocated extent. An obsolete indicator marks a map entry as either current or obsolete. In one technique an extent allocation request is received from the requesting entity. A first map block is selected having a first map entry marked as obsolete. A second map block is selected having a second map entry not marked as obsolete. Physical extent information is copied from the second map entry to the first map entry. The logical extent identifier is assigned to the first map entry. The first map entry is marked as current and the second map entry is marked as obsolete. The storage allocation system includes a disk storage device having a set of extents. A requesting entity is configured to request allocation of one of the extents. An allocation map is maintained in computer memory. An allocator is configured to allocate one of the extents on the disk device to the requesting entity.
US07949845B2

Host system data files are written directly to a large erase block flash memory system with a unique identification of each file and offsets of data within the file but without the use of any intermediate logical addresses or a virtual address space for the memory. Directory information of where the files are stored in the memory is maintained within the memory system by its controller, rather than by the host. Each data file is uniquely identified in a file directory, which points to entries in a file index table (FIT) of data groups that make up the file and their physical storage locations in the memory.
US07949838B1

A memory management system includes a memory controller module configured to receive a frame of data. The frame of data includes a plurality of data words that generate boundary indicators based on at least one of a start of the frame and an end of the frame. The plurality of data words inserts the boundary indicators into the frame of data. The memory is configured to store the frame of data, including the data words and the boundary indicators, during transmission of the frame of data between a host and a storage device.
US07949832B2

In one embodiment, a system comprises a plurality of agents coupled to an interconnect and a cache coupled to the interconnect. The plurality of agents are configured to cache data. A first agent of the plurality of agents is configured to initiate a transaction on the interconnect by transmitting a memory request, and other agents of the plurality of agents are configured to snoop the memory request from the interconnect. The other agents provide a response in a response phase of the transaction on the interconnect. The cache is configured to detect a hit for the memory request and to provide data for the transaction to the first agent prior to the response phase and independent of the response.
US07949821B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed, such as those involving a flash memory device. One such method includes storing data on memory cells on a memory block including a plurality of word lines and a plurality of memory cells on the word lines. The word lines comprising one or more bottom edge word lines, one or more top edge word lines, and intermediate word lines between the bottom and top edge word lines. The data is stored first on memory cells on the intermediate word lines. Then, a remaining portion, if any, of the data is stored on memory cells on the bottom edge word lines and/or the top edge word lines. This method enhances the life of the flash memory by preventing a premature failure of memory cells on the bottom or top edge word lines, which can be more prone to failure.
US07949812B1

A wireless network device includes a first communication module to communicate with at least one of first devices and a second communication module to communicate with at least one of second devices. An arbitration module receives a request for communication from the first communication module, detects when the second communication module is communicating in a locked mode, and denies request for communication from the first communication module when the second communication module is communicating in the locked mode. Transmission or reception of a packet in the locked mode is not interrupted to avoid loss of the packet. The arbitration module grants the request for communication from the first communication module when the second communication module is communicating in the locked mode and when granting the request for communication from the first communication module does not require stopping the second communication module from communicating in the locked mode.
US07949804B2

To display, on an external display device, an image with a higher resolution than a screen's resolution of a display belonging to a mobile information communication apparatus. This is achieved only by additionally providing an interface means between the external display device and the mobile information communication apparatus and further additionally providing some functions to a display data generating means originally belonging to the mobile information communication apparatus.A mobile information communication apparatus comprising a data processing means for sending plotting command/data to a display control means that controls the pixels of a display panel belonging to the mobile information communication apparatus; wherein an interface means is provided which receives the plotting command/data generated by the data processing means and sends, based on plotting command/data, an external display signal to the external display device; and wherein the data processing means and the interface means are configured to send, from the interface means, a higher-resolution external display signal.
US07949793B1

Method and apparatus for interfacing a programmable circuit and a processor is described. In one example, data output from the programmable circuit is packetized to form at least one packet. The at least one packet is provided to the processor via a streaming interface. The data is extracted from the at least one packet. A function is executed on the processor using the data as parametric input. Return data is then packetized by the function in response to the parametric input to produce at least one return packet. The at least one return packet is send towards the programmable circuit via the streaming interface. The return data is extracted from the at least one return packet and provided to the programmable circuit.
US07949785B2

A private virtual dynamic network is provided for computing devices coupled to public networks or private networks. This enables computing devices anywhere in the world to join into private enterprise intranets and communicate with each other. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a separate private virtual address realm, seen to each user as a private network, while seamlessly crossing public and private network boundaries. One implementation of the present invention uses an agent to enable an entity to participate in the network without requiring the member to add new hardware or software.
US07949779B2

A plurality of content providers provide multiple resources to multiple clients. At least some of said resources are to be served to clients from a shared content delivery network (CDN) formed by a plurality of repeater servers. Each content provider provides at least some resources via one or more content sources associated with that content provider. Amounts of data transmitted by the CDN on behalf of each of the plurality of content providers are monitored. Based at least in part on said monitoring, requests for resources are selectively delivered at a lower transmission rate. The lower transmission rate is achieved by generating pauses or delays in the transmission.
US07949772B2

There is disclosed an interface block for providing application access to the underlying protocol engine at several different layers. These layers are preferably the application core layer, the transaction layer, and the transport layer.
US07949760B2

A system and method for serving an application to different types of client devices. The application is served from a J2EE-compliant application server, to clients operating a variety of communication protocols (e.g., HTTP, Telnet). The application is developed according to a single application model, but can be served to heterogeneous clients. The application communicates via a request/response format (e.g., HTTP), thereby requiring clients communicating via other formats or protocols (e.g., Telnet byte streams) to connect to the application via one or more other components of the application server. Illustratively, the application server includes a Telnet resource adapter for maintaining persistent communication connections with Telnet clients, and an EJB (Enterprise Java Bean) configured to discretize continuous Telnet data streams into discrete application requests.
US07949757B2

In a network, a user can configure host-level policies usable for load balancing traffic to servers of a domain. A global server load balancing (GSLB) switch provides load balancing to the servers, and is configured with the GSLB host-level policies. Users can define a host-level policy (alternatively or additionally to a globally applied GSLB policy) and apply the host-level policy to hosts in domains configured on the GSLB switch. Thus, the user can enable different policies for different hosts. This allows the user to have the flexibility to control metrics used for selection of a best address for querying clients, as well as the metric order and additional parameters used in the GSLB process, at the host level.
US07949746B1

A system in which a user (e.g., equipment operator) can readily configure a logging system to log desired information regarding a network platform (e.g., one or more pieces of network equipment), rather than restricting the user to select just one of a plurality of logging levels defined programmatically by the platform manufacturer. The system will provide the user with an interface through which the user can readily define one or more logging levels and, for a given logging level, the particular information that the system is to log. Particular information to be logged may include particular messages that would pass to, from, through, or within the platform, particular parameters of those messages, particular platform status or platform settings, and so forth.
US07949744B2

A change management system to synchronize the configuration of network management applications. Traditional network management systems are maintained by hand-entering device lists into individual network management applications with no common-ties between the different applications. Whenever a network management application is changed or upgraded, it frequently becomes necessary to insure that the upgrade is populated throughout the network in order for devices to talk to one another in an error free way. The present invention is a system and method that automates the change management process in a real-time using a two-way communications model that permits a central database to affect changes on all or some network management applications/systems in the field, while also allowing those same field systems to affect the central database thereby reducing the time required for updating and monitoring a system when device changes take place.
US07949726B2

A system and method designed to optimize the delivery of information on demand via wired or wireless connections. Dynamic information such as weather data can be delivered as compressed text, images, charts, buoy data, radar, GRIB files, and many more formats. Numerous continuously updated products can be delivered to a user of a client application on demand by the push of a button. The user can generate a batch folder having a list of data products to download. The data list in the batch folder can be requested from a server using a single command. The system and method can be configured to immediately connect to a server via a wireless connection or email, including satellite phone and HF/Pactor Radio, and downloads the requested data. After the download the client can be configured to automatically display the requested data.
US07949725B2

A system includes a server and at least a client. The sever transfers a code data to the client. The client receives the code data from the server and decodes the code data. The client includes a requesting unit configured to request a code data stored in the server, a first receiving unit configured to receive the code data from the server, a decoding unit configured to decode the code data which is received from the server and a display unit configured to display an image data which is generated by the decoding unit. In addition, the server includes a second receiving unit configured to receive the request from a client, a selecting unit configured to select the code data which is requested from the client, a transferring unit configured to transfer the code data which is selected by the selecting unit, wherein the code data is a part of at least code data of JPM file.
US07949723B2

A unique real time tuning (RTT) process is employed for obtaining the desired optimum device parameter adjustments. The RTT parameter adjustment process is utilized with IP phone or other device chipsets as desired. In one embodiment, RTT provides a graphical user interface to a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like, on the device chipset allowing for observation, evaluation and control of the device parameters in real time. The real time exchange of the device parameter information between the device and an external workstation, e.g., a personal computer or the like, is provided by a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) that runs on a controller on the device, e.g., an ARM processor or the like. In this example, the unique combination of the RTT, UDP and DSP cooperate advantageously to implement, in accordance with the principles of the invention, the desired observability, and control to designers to tune the device, e.g., IP Phone, in real time to specified hardware, plastics, audio requirements required by existing standards or the like.
US07949715B2

There is provided a method, a system and a program product for delivering on-target messages needed for a user, without omissions. A method for delivering a plurality of delivery messages in a delivery message database to one or more clients, comprising the steps of: delivering one or more delivery messages for a first delivery which are extracted from the delivery message database to at least one of the one or more clients, monitoring reading statuses of each of the one or more delivery messages for the first delivery, generating correlation data indicating a correlation between the plurality of delivery messages based on a result of monitoring the reading statuses, and delivering one or more delivery messages for a second delivery which are not included in the one or more delivery messages for a first delivery and are extracted from the delivery message database based on the correlation data.
US07949703B2

Disclosed is a group admission system having a client and a server that belongs to a closed group within which contents are available. The client determines whether it is permissible to request to join the group to be a member device thereof based on the number of groups that the client is in and the maximum number of groups that the client is permitted to be in. If permissible, the client transmits a registration request to the server with information unique to the client. The server determines whether to permit the client to join the group by registering with the server based on the number of member devices registered with the server and the maximum number of member devices registerable with the server. If it is permitted, the server registers the unique information, and transmits group identification information to the client. The client receives and stores the group identification information.
US07949699B1

A programmable integrated circuit device such as a programmable logic device can be configured as a finite impulse response (FIR) filter capable of operating in decimation mode. The device includes at least one user-configurable random access memory block, and that user-configurable random access memory is configured as coefficient memories and data sample memories. The memories are large enough to hold up to all of the coefficients of the filter and a plurality of data samples at one time. Because the data samples and coefficients need not be shifted through the filter at the programmable logic device clock rate, overclocking of the filter is not necessary. The filter can run at a clock rate which is the same as the input data rate, while taking advantage of the available random access memory to mimic a shift register.
US07949684B2

In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for creating, exporting, viewing and testing, and importing custom applications in a multi-tenant database environment. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide a vehicle for sharing applications across organizational boundaries. The ability to share applications across organizational boundaries can enable tenants in a multi-tenant database system, for example, to easily and efficiently import and export, and thus share, applications with other tenants in the multi-tenant environment.
US07949678B2

A method and system for facilitating access to content on an electronic device is provided. Facilitating access involves maintaining a temporal log of metadata for content accessed by one or more users, segregated based on time slots; searching the log to detect a pattern related to the metadata for one or more times slots; and constructing a temporal usage profile based on the pattern. The temporal usage profile may be used for recommending appropriate content to a user at an appropriate time.
US07949674B2

A computer-implemented method for providing a search result is disclosed. The method comprises, making a presentation of a dataset with structured data; and storing metadata items that define the dataset from a data superset that is stored in a first database with structured data. The method also comprises converting the metadata items to a search request, submitting the search request to a search engine to search for documents located in second database; capturing the search result; and making a presentation of the search result.
US07949665B1

Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for rapidly traversing movable storage media during file content examination for malicious computer code. An embodiment of the inventive method comprises the steps of: accessing an enumerated list of electronic files (220) stored on a movable storage medium (420); identifying at least one batch of electronic files (320) stored on the movable storage medium (420); associating each electronic file stored on the movable storage medium (420) within the batch of electronic files with a physical file location on the movable storage medium (310); creating a sorted list electronic files by the file's physical location on the movable storage medium (330); and examining the identified batch of electronic files on the movable storage medium (420) according to the sorted list (340).
US07949658B2

Computer-readable media, systems, and methods for enabling a rich client search experience. In embodiments, a description is received from a data store. The description includes fields of information existing on the data store that are capable of being searched. A user interface is built based on the description and the user interface provides a user with a mechanism for searching the data store. And the user interface is presented to the user. The description is definable by the data store using a data-driven extension, allowing the data store to express schema and query capability information to a client and allowing the client to dynamically customize the user interface based upon the schema and query capability information expressed by the data store.
US07949654B2

Methods, systems and computer products perform cost estimate to determine an efficient approach to answer a query according to one of several unified query plans. One unified query plan involves querying an unstructured database, referencing a unified index, and probing a structured database based on matches discovered in the unified index. The results of the unstructured database query are used to lookup entries in a unified index associated with the structured database. Then the structured database is probed by querying only the subset of the structured database gleaned from the unstructured database query.
US07949653B2

In order to make real time and the avoidance of risk compatible according to the contents of processing by an application, an index ID applying module applies an index computed utilizing streams before and after stream data to the stream data, computes the index again according to a stream that varies every moment, applies an index computed based upon the index of the stream data to the result of the processing of the stream data according to a predetermined procedure and outputs it. An application that receives the result of the processing and the index of the result of the processing switches processing depending upon the index.
US07949648B2

A subject-specific search engine utilizes a smart web crawler and includes a capability of filtering out sites not relevant to the particular subject. As the smart crawler traverses the Internet, sites are filtered, and only sites found relevant are indexed and stored in a database for later searching. Sites may be filtered an arbitrary number of times for relevance, and such filtering may, for example, comprise automated, lexicon-based filtering; manual filtering, using a human editor; or both.
US07949647B2

Search assistance is provided to users that submit search queries to search engines. In one implementation, a partial search query input by a user to a search engine is received. The partial search query is predicted to be a navigational query. A web address is selected based on the predicted navigational query. A search assistance list that includes the selected web address is generated. The search assistance list is displayed to the user in response to the received partial search query. In another implementation, a plurality of suggested search queries is determined for the received partial search query. A suggested search query of the plurality of suggested search queries having a highest relevance to the user is determined. A search assistance list is generated and displayed to the user. The suggested search query having the highest relevance to the user is prominently displayed in the search assistance list.
US07949640B2

A method is provided for loading data from a source database to a target database that includes at least one table. Prior to loading the data from the source database into the target database, at least one referential integrity constraint and/or at least one consistency requirement regarding the data is automatically identified. A subset of the data that satisfies the at least one referential integrity constraint and/or consistency requirement is then automatically identified. The identified subset of the data is then loaded into the target database as a unit of work.
US07949639B2

The present invention provides a method for updating data sources. The method may include identifying a plurality of data sources, identifying a plurality of overlapping attribute segments to use for comparing the data sources, calculating a factor as a function of each of the plurality of overlapping attribute segments, and using the factors to update a first group of values in the second data source to reduce bias. Further, at least a first data source is more accurate than a second data source.
US07949637B1

A system for managing data includes providing at least one logical device having a table of information that maps sections of the logical device to sections of at least two storage areas. Characteristics of data associated with a one section of the logical device may be evaluated. The section of the data may moved between the at least two storage areas from a first location to a second location according to a policy and based on the characteristics of the data. A copy of the data may be retained in the first location and a list maintained that indentifies the copy of the data in the first location. The system provides for garbage collection processing for memory management.
US07949631B2

Building database statistics for use by a query optimizer is beneficial but may over utilize system resources. Accordingly, the frequency that statistics are rebuilt is controlled in order to minimize the effect of the system. In particular, the staleness of the data and the time since the last statistics collection are used to determine whether or not to re-collect statistics. Even for relatively stale data, statistics are not rebuilt until a predetermined time period has passed.
US07949628B1

The described embodiments contemplate a system, method and computer-readable medium with computer-executable instructions for managing an information technology network. The novel system includes a network of data sources and a federated configuration management database capable of communicating with the data sources. The data sources also may be federated. The federated configuration database management identifies among the data sources. The system also includes a core database that is capable of communicating with the federated configuration management database. The core database defines relationships of the data sources with a business practice.
US07949624B2

A system includes a coordinator configured to generate a first offer representing a possible solution to a problem being solved. The coordinator is configured to generate the first offer using a first model. The system also includes multiple cooperators each configured to receive the first offer and to determine if a sub-problem associated with the problem can be solved based on the first offer and using a second model. Each cooperator is also configured to identify an infeasibility and communicate the infeasibility to the coordinator when the sub-problem cannot be solved based on the first offer. The coordinator is further configured to receive the infeasibility, generate a second offer by reducing a deviation between the first offer and a consensus of the cooperators, and provide the second offer to the cooperators. The consensus of the cooperators is based on a level of the first offer that each cooperator can achieve.
US07949623B2

Initially a method for communication between a management information system, in which a field content is stored, and an execution system are disclosed, wherein the field content in Job Definition Format is transmitted from the management information system to the execution system, then a method for communication between a source system, in which a field content is stored in a file in Job Definition Format, and an executing system, wherein the field content in Job Definition Format is transmitted by the source system to the execution system, and eventually a communication module, through which a field content in Job Definition Format can be transmitted to an execution system, wherein in order to simplify communications between management information systems or source systems and execution systems in job format, and to render them less error prone, the field content is initially adapted according to a rule specified for the management information system, or the source system, and the execution system is adapted to specified rules and subsequently transmitted to the execution system, or the field content is adapted according to such method before transmission.
US07949607B2

An image forming apparatus which enables a user to continue an operation using an application without restarting the application, by the image automatically accessing a license server to update a license for the application when the license becomes expired while the user is performing the operation. A notification notifying the application of invalidity of the license is issued when it is detected that the license for the application has become invalid during execution of the application. The application suspends the execution of the application in response to the notification.
US07949606B1

Intellectual property is sold to buyers through a kiosk. The kiosk provides users with the ability of located desired content on a seller's computer. When a user located the desired intellectual property, a payment transaction is initiated. When the payment transaction is complete, the seller transmits the intellectual property to the kiosk. The kiosks also preferably include production facilities that transfer the owner's intellectual property onto a permanent medium and/or presentation facilities that present the owner's intellectual property on a one-time basis.
US07949604B2

This invention relates to an information providing system which is designed to be able to realize secondary utilization of broadcasting contents, along with copyright of the broadcasting contents being protected. A broadcasting receiving and picture recording device 5-1 records broadcasting contents that a broadcasting device 4 broadcasted, and a terminal 6-1 edits the broadcasting contents which were recorded, and generates corresponding metadata. The metadata is transmitted from the terminal 6-1 to a metadata delivery server 2 through Internet 1, and registered. The metadata delivery server 2, on the basis of utilization availability information of broadcasting contents which is held in advance, in case that the broadcasting content that the metadata targets can be utilized, registers the metadata. The registered metadata is delivered through the Internet 1 on the basis of a request of a terminal 6-2. This invention is applied to an information providing system which delivers the metadata.
US07949600B1

Systems and methods for facilitating payment of a computerized transaction. One method according to an embodiment of the invention includes providing a money transfer system; receiving at the money transfer system an electronic payment request; assigning, by the money transfer system, a unique transaction number to the payment request; determining by the money transfer system a preliminary total amount required from the buyer; determining by the money transfer system a grand total amount; communicating information from the money transfer system to the seller computer system; receiving at the money transfer system a payment notification; communicating a message to the seller computer system that payment associated with the unique transaction number has been received at a payment location; and effecting completion of the electronic payment request by making payment via the money transfer system to the seller.
US07949599B1

A trading system matches a passive order to buy or sell an item at a price with an aggressive order to hit or lift the item at that price. A workup is initiated during which other parties can submit additional orders at the passive order price. A further order may be submitted during workup with a better price. If the amount at the better price equals or exceeds a threshold value and it can be traded at the better price, the workup is terminated and a new workup initiated at the better price.
US07949593B2

The present invention is a system and method of providing a repurchase facility for securities, bonds, and/or debt. The present invention is directed to a method for enhancing the liquidity of a tradable security, other than by an agency of Government trading in the Government security. The method comprises holding an issue of a security, determining when the security is being squeezed, and offering to the market a first portion of the holding during the squeeze to enhance the liquidity of the market for the security.
US07949587B1

An image of a negotiable instrument may be communicated from a user to a financial institution using a messaging application so that funds associated with the negotiable instrument may be deposited into a user's bank account. A user may launch an instant messaging application and establish a communications session with a predetermined account at the financial institution to communicate the image. The image may be stored in a file or created by a capture device under control of the instant messaging application. The image file may be processed and verified by the financial institution, where it may be deposited in an account associated with the user.
US07949584B2

A computer implemented data processing system and method administers a deferred variable annuity contract during the accumulation phase for a relevant life. The annuity contract has a payment base value, a contract value, and benefit payments. A maximum annual benefit payment withdrawal amount available without reducing the payment base value is calculated by multiplying the payment base value by a factor including a deferral bonus percent, which is a function of a number of years deferred by the relevant life until taking a first lifetime benefit payment.
US07949579B2

This invention relates to an expense reporting system for viewing and manipulating a user's financial transaction data and a method for associating financial transaction data with a user's project data. The system includes a user's financial transaction data hosted in a data storage unit, addressable on a network, and accessible by a remote user on a user interface unit having a user input means and a display; and an expense reporting module having a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to define project category data and associate representations of the user's financial data with the user-defined project category data.
US07949577B1

A computer system and method for managing commissions, including: a storage device containing a database having commission data and a periodic extract of sales transactions stored therein; a user interface for inputting the commission data into the database and viewing the commission data stored in the database; and a processor for calculating commissions for sales representatives and agents associated with a business enterprise based on the commission data, and forwarding the calculated commissions to a payroll department within the business enterprise; wherein the processor executes: a first software module for retrieving billing, inventory, corporate, and affiliated sales information for the sales representatives, and for calculating the commissions based on a predetermined rules set; and a second software module for retrieving billing and affiliated sales information for the agents, and for calculating the commissions based on the terms of a contract between the agent and the business enterprise.
US07949576B2

A category recommendation method includes maintaining a category database including an internal identifier and an internal category to which the internal identifier belongs; externally receiving a foreign identifier and a foreign category where the foreign identifier belongs to from an outside; extracting a query associated with the foreign identifier; and recommending at least one of the internal categories stored in the category database by using the query as a category corresponding to the foreign identifier.
US07949567B2

An example integrated interface apparatus for a point-of-sale system and an example point-of-sale system including the integrated interface apparatus have been disclosed. The integrated interface apparatus includes a base member, a vertical arm member, a display device and a data input device. The base member is configured to be disposed on a counter. The vertical arm member is operatively connected to the base member. The vertical arm member includes a terminal attachment member and a side attachment member below the terminal attachment member. The display device is operatively connected to the terminal attachment member and the data input device is operatively connected to the side attachment member.
US07949560B2

A system and method for providing print advertisements is presented. A target audience is assembled from characteristics about readers. Advertising content is targeted to the target audience. The characteristics of the target audience are analyzed against the advertising content to identify potential advertisers. At least one of the potential advertisers is selected. At least one print advertisement for the selected advertiser is included on the document.
US07949548B2

The present invention is a tool including a spatial database and a data warehouse used to track portfolio sites that are affected by weather events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, hail, tornados, or manmade events. A spatial database provides rich spatial geometry features using earth longitude and latitude as a 2-D reference system in spatial system. A insurer portfolio site, which is defined by longitude and latitude data, includes portions that are represented as a point. A weather event is represented as polygon in the spatial database. Based on user configured threshold values, it may be determined when a point falls inside, or on a boundary, of a polygon to identify a site that is affected by that weather event and corresponding reports may be generated, including maps identifying the affected sites and total insured value calculations for the affected sites, in order to gauge risk.
US07949543B2

The disclosed methods, systems, and computer-program products allow a credit or charge card issuer to promote healthcare information technology (HIT) products to physician card members that are affiliated with a healthcare organization, such as a preferred-provider organization (PPO). In an embodiment, the PPO endorses at least one HIT product, such as an electronic medical record (EMR), and the PPO identifies the endorsed HIT product to a transactional card provider. The transactional card provider then identifies at least one supplier of the endorsed HIT product and negotiates a discount on the endorsed HIT product when purchased from identified HIT supplier using a financial transaction instrument issued by the transactional card provider. The financial transaction instrument may be provided to the physician card member, who may purchase the endorsed HIT product from the identified supplier at the negotiated discount.
US07949542B2

A computer-implemented method for graphically illustrating an entity and generating a text-based report therefrom includes providing a visual base representation of an entity. The base representation includes a plurality of elements at least one of which is modifiable, where the elements are each associated with a plurality of attributes. A visual diagram of a particular entity is built based upon the base representation of the entity. In this regard, at least one visual element is added to the base representation, where the added visual elements are modifiable. Accordingly, the diagram includes the elements of the base representation and the elements added to the base representation. After determining attributes associated with the added elements, a text-based report is generated from the diagram, where the report is generated based upon the elements of the diagram and the associated attributes, and where the report is automatically generated from the diagram without user input.
US07949535B2

A system and method is provided for easily detecting a fraudulent user who attempts to obtain authentication using voice reproduced by a reproducer. A personal computer is provided with an audio data obtaining portion for picking up ambient sound around a person as a target of user authentication using voice authentication technology during a period before the person utters, and a fraud determination portion for calculating an intensity level showing intensity of the picked-up ambient sound per predetermined time for each of sections into which the period is divided and for determining that the person is a fraudulent user who attempts to obtain authentication using reproduced voice, when, of two of the calculated intensity levels, the intensity level of the later section is larger than a sum of the intensity level of the earlier section and a predetermined value.
US07949531B2

A conversation controller outputs a reply sentence according to a user utterance. The conversation controller comprises a conversation database and a conversation control unit. The conversation database stores a plurality of plans. Each plan has a reply sentence and one or more pieces of next plan designation information for designating a next candidate reply sentence to be output following the reply sentence. The conversation control unit selects one of the plans stored in the conversation database according to a user utterance and outputs a reply sentence which the selected plan has. Then, the conversation control unit selects one piece of the next plan designation information which the plan has according to a next user utterance and outputs a next candidate reply sentence on the basis of the selected piece of the next plan designation information. Some plans have a plurality of reply sentences into which one explanatory sentence is divided.
US07949519B2

The acoustic signal transmission method is based on generating a synthesized sound electrical signal by electrically synthesizing an audible sound signal and another signal different than the audible sound signal at the sending side, and transmitting the synthesized sound electrical signal, and extracting the another signal different than the audible sound signal from the synthesized sound electrical signal at the receiving side. Here, generation of the synthesized sound electrical signal is made by using a data hiding technique, for example. Accordingly, the acoustic signal represented by the synthesized sound electrical signal can be heard by human ears in the same way as the audible sound signal, and the synthesized another signal cannot be detected by human ears. Here, the synthesized sound electrical signal can be transmitted as a sound wave in air space, as electrical signal through a transmission line or as radio signals such as infrared and electromagnetic waves.
US07949507B2

A diabetes care management system for managing blood glucose levels associated with diabetes comprising a computing device and an insulin delivery device. The computing device generally includes (i) a memory comprising one or more optimal blood glucose values, one or more self care values of a patient, one or more measured blood glucose values, and one or more scaling factors for weighting the impact on a future blood glucose value and that are customizable to an individual patient to predict the effect on the blood glucose of self care actions performed by the individual patient; (ii) a microprocessor, in communication with the memory, programmed to (A) determine the one or more scaling factors from one or more physiological parameters including body mass, metabolism rate, fitness level or hepatic or peripheral insulin sensitivity, or combinations thereof, and (B) calculate a further value, the further value being based on the self care values, and on the one or more optimal blood glucose values, and on the one or more scaling factors; and (iii) a display configured to display information according to the further value; and (iv) a housing, wherein the memory and the microprocessor are housed within the housing, thereby providing a hand-held, readily transportable computing device. The insulin delivery device may deliver insulin in response to information associated with the further value.
US07949500B2

This invention combines the modeling capabilities of causal models, business process models, and dimensional reporting to allow the locating of root causes of problems. The causal models let the user explore the effects of other parts of the system have on the process in question through accessing dimensional reports. By recording and annotating the problem solving flow, and deriving characteristics of the problem solved, future users can be assisted in other problem solving sessions. Ad-hoc reports created to aid in the problem solving can be attached in the causal model and process model for future use.
US07949498B2

Methods, systems and computer program products for estimating changes in an object represented by first and second multidimensional datasets. The first dataset is a reference dataset and the second dataset is an altered dataset. Discrete data samples of the first dataset are processed to form a piecewise continuous representation thereof. An error function is computed for comparisons between discrete data samples in the second dataset and the piecewise continuous representation of the first dataset. An alteration of the second dataset relative to the first dataset that minimizes the error function is determined.
US07949495B2

A process variable transmitter with diagnostics based on power spectral density (PSD) analysis of a process variable sensor signal is provided. In one embodiment, the process variable transmitter is a pressure transmitter and the diagnostics are used to diagnose impulse line obstruction or impending obstruction. Other diagnostics are also useful such as diagnosing primary element degradation. The sensor signal is digitized and the digitized signal is transferred into the frequency domain. The power of the frequencies on the sensor signal is examined to provide the enhanced diagnostics. In one aspect diagnostics are generated directly with the sensor PSD data. In another aspect, the PSD analysis is used to tune a filter in order to enhance traditional diagnostic algorithms.
US07949483B2

A method and apparatus provide for reduced cost and complexity in managing an intelligent motor in an architecture in which information is transferred between a power management device and the intelligent motor. The information may be used by an embedded processor of the motor to provide diagnostics and/or prognostics of the motor, machinery operating in conjunction with the motor, and/or a process in which the motor may be configured to operate. The power management device may remotely determine motor current information that is used by the intelligent motor to self-diagnose the intelligent motor using the motor current information.
US07949471B2

A method and a system is disclosed for determining cetane values from constant volume combustion chamber apparatuses capable of producing pressure versus time combustion profiles having a fast combustion region and a slow combustion region, where data from the two regions is used to compute cetane values for middle distillate fluid samples using a series expansion equation.
US07949470B2

To process subterranean survey data, measurement data is collected by a receiver positioned in deep water, where the collected measurement data is responsive to signals emitted by at least one signal source located at or near an air-water interface of the body of water. The measurement data is processed to reduce a predetermined signal component.
US07949462B2

Upon no detection of the closing abnormality where the EGR valve does not become in the totally closed state (when the flag Fa is value ‘0’), the engine is controlled using the target fuel injection amount obtained from the correction of the basic fuel injection amount toward the increase direction, in the case that the engine is operated together with the recirculation of the exhaust in the preset high-load operation range (when the flag Fi is ‘1’). Upon detection of the closing abnormality (when the flag Fa is value ‘1’), the engine is controlled using the target fuel injection amount obtained from the correction of the basic fuel injection amount toward the increase direction, in the case that the engine is operated together with the recirculation of the exhaust in the whole range that the engine is operable together with the recirculation of the exhaust.
US07949448B2

Disclosed is a calibration apparatus for an airbag inflator resistance. The calibration apparatus for an airbag inflator resistance includes: an airbag inflator unit for applying a deployment signal for deployment of an airbag; a resistance detection unit for detecting a change in the resistance of the airbag inflator connector; and a control unit for self-cleaning the airbag inflator connector in accordance with the resultant resistance detected by the resistance detection unit. The calibration apparatus is effective in preventing malfunction of an airbag warning light and ensuring reliability by preventing an increase in resistance due to the contamination of the airbag inflator by the self-diagnosing and self-cleaning effect using an electric current.
US07949430B2

A legged robot subjected to a force is controlled by determining an instantaneous capture point where the robot will step with a swing leg to reach a balanced home position, the balanced home position being a state in which the Center of Mass remains substantially over the Center of Pressure and the robot is able to maintain its balance indefinitely. The capture point can be determined using a Linear Inverted Pendulum Plus Flywheel (LIPPF) model of the robot. The LIPPF model includes a flywheel with a mass and a rotational inertia, and a variable length leg link. A torque profile is applied to the flywheel and a set of capture points is determined based on this torque profile An experimentally determined error value can be added to a capture point that is determined based on the model to account for differences between an actual robot and the model.
US07949421B2

A multi-needle type embroidery sewing machine and a computer-readable storage medium including a computer program for the multi-needle type embroidery sewing machine that may enable convenient selection and replacement of thread information. The multi-needle type embroidery sewing machine may include a plurality of needle bars, a needle bar thread information storage device, a needle bar selection device that enables the selection of a suite of needle bars selected from the plurality of needle bars, and a control device for changing needle bar thread information that corresponds to a needle bar in the selected suite of needle bars.
US07949416B2

A method for controlling a multivariable system according to one non-limiting embodiment includes receiving a plurality of limits, receiving a first quantity of goals each having a desired value, and receiving sensor feedback. The method further includes estimating a basepoint in response to the first quantity of goals, the plurality of limits, and the sensor feedback, wherein the basepoint includes a set of values corresponding to an equilibrium point at which a predetermined amount of enabled limits are met and a second quantity of goals are fulfilled according to a goal prioritization scheme. Actuator requests are transmitted to a controlled system in response to the estimated basepoint. Predicted values from a mathematical model are compared to the sensor feedback, and the estimated basepoint is selectively adjusted in response to a difference between the predicted values and the sensor feedback in order to reduce the difference.
US07949414B2

Processing a work piece by first scanning the work piece. The work piece is modeled to determine its weight, outer perimeter and/or how the work piece could be divided into portions of specific areas and perimeters based on desired portion weights of desired areas and perimeters. The modeled work piece and/or the modeled portions are compared with the one or more desired perimeter configurations. The deviation of the modeled outer perimeter size of the work piece and/or portions from the desired perimeter configuration(s) is calculated. Based on such calculations, one or more steps in processing the work piece and/or portions therefrom is carried out. Such one or more steps may include modeling the work piece again, using different modeling criteria or options, if the calculated deviation is outside an acceptable range.
US07949404B2

An implantable medical device system is provided with multiple medical devices implanted in a patient's body and a wireless mesh communication network providing multiple communication pathways between the multiple medical devices. A communication pathway between a first and a second implanted device of the multiple medical devices can comprise one or more of the other implanted multiple medical devices.
US07949402B2

The invention provides a system for treating chronic pain including a lead configured and adapted to be percutaneously implanted into an epidural space of a spinal cord, a stimulation generator that delivers electrical stimulation to the spinal cord through the lead to precisely locate the treatment area, and an ablation generator that delivers ablation energy to the treatment area through the same lead to inhibit the chronic pain. The invention also provides a method for treating chronic pain, including providing a lead, inserting the lead percutaneously into the epidural space, locating the treatment area by probing the epidural space while the lead sends electrical stimulation signals, and then ablating the treatment area.
US07949397B1

Methods and devices are provided for influencing an amount of food ingested. The methods include applying stochastic resonance stimulation to a stomach to influence a nervous system response using an implantable stimulation device. In one embodiment, a device includes electrodes in communication with a gastric wall capable of delivering stimulation therapy, and a controller adapted to apply stochastic resonance stimulation to a stomach to influence a response of stomach receptors and/or interstitial cells of Cajal. In some embodiments, the implantable device is configured to apply a suprathreshold signal in addition to the stochastic resonance stimulation. In some embodiments, the implantable device is configured to apply an electrical signal in other areas of the nervous system besides the stomach. In some embodiments, the implantable stimulation device is an implantable cardiac stimulation device capable of providing therapy to a heart.
US07949386B2

A method for performing computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery includes the steps of: (1) producing and displaying three-dimensional geometrical models of first and second bones, the first and second bones forming a joint; (2) identifying a zone of impingement between the first bone and the second bone on at least one of the bones; and (3) generating and displaying a color map of at least one surface of at least one bone, the at least one surface being within the zone of impingement, the color map including different colors representing different depths of bone to be removed in order to achieve an increased range of motion between the first and second bones.
US07949384B2

PRF shift MRI data is acquired. The PRF shift MRI data may include signals affected by both a desired PRF shift and an undesired PRF shift. Thus, example systems and methods describe manipulating the PRF shift MRI data to make it substantially free of the effects of the undesired PRF shift, which facilitates displaying certain MRI images based on the desired PRF shift.
US07949377B2

A method and apparatus for improved battery performance of user equipment in a wireless network having multiple radio resource control (RRC) states, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, application data exchange; determining when no application on the user equipment is expected to exchange data; and initiating, from the user equipment, a transition to a less battery demanding radio resource control state or mode.
US07949371B1

A communication device, such as a mobile phone, which implements a voice communication mode, a digital mirror mode, and a color caller ID mode, wherein the image retrieved from the camera is displayed in an inverted manner when the digital mirror mode is implemented, and upon receiving a phone call, a specific color corresponding to the caller of the phone call is output from the communication device when the color caller ID mode is implemented.
US07949369B2

A computer apparatus, a wireless network transmission system and its transmission method are disclosed. The computer apparatus comprises a power supplier, a first circuit architecture, a second circuit architecture and a power controller. A power is provided by the power supplier. The main functionality of the computer apparatus is provided by the first circuit architecture. The second circuit architecture includes a controller, a storage unit and a communication unit. The power controller is electrically connected to the power supplier to provide the power to the first circuit architecture or the second circuit architecture. The first circuit architecture includes the second circuit architecture. The power provided by the power controller is supplied to the first circuit architecture while the computer apparatus is in operating state. The power provided by the power controller is supplied to the second circuit architecture while the computer apparatus is in power-off state. The communication unit is then utilized for wireless transmission.
US07949360B2

An apparatus that adaptively allocates transmission power for beam-forming combined with orthogonal space time block codes in a distributed wireless communication system, the apparatus including: sub-arrays for beam-forming, which are geographically distributed and each of which includes a plurality of distributed antennas placed in random groups. A central processing unit provides predetermined combinable power allocation schemes according to subsets in a plurality of the sub-arrays, identifying performances of the schemes by using information on large-scale fading of each of the sub-arrays fed back from a receiving party, setting a subset having best performance as an optimal subset according to the identified performances, and performing power allocation according thereto.
US07949356B2

Communicating among stations in a network includes providing repeated beacon transmissions from at least some of the stations including a first station. The first station is assigned to a first level. Any stations that can reliably receive transmissions from the first station are assigned to a second level. Any stations not assigned to any of the preceding levels that can reliably receive transmissions from the preceding level are assigned to each of one or more higher levels. Timing information at each station in a given level is synchronized according to transmissions received from at least one station in the preceding level.
US07949344B1

A system is described. The system includes a fixed microwave path pair between a first site and a second site and an additional microwave path between the first site and a third site. A transceiver portion of the first site and a transceiver portion of the second site are configured to transmit on the fixed microwave path pair on TDD-FDD reversed paired frequencies. The transceiver portion of the first site is configured to transmit to the transceiver portion of the third site on one frequency of the paired frequencies using the side lobe radiation of an antenna at the first site.
US07949341B2

A method for an antenna architecture that handles World band cellular and broadcast channels may be provided. The method may comprise receiving at a first radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) integrated within a mobile terminal, first signals via a first antenna, where the first signals comprise signals within at least one of a 2100 MHz band and a 1900 MHz band. The method may further comprise receiving at a second RFIC integrated within the mobile terminal, second signals via the first antenna, where the second signals comprise signals within at least one of a 1900 MHz band, a 1800 MHz band, a 900 MHz band and a 850 MHz band. Additionally, third signals may be received via the first antenna at a third RFIC integrated within the mobile terminal, where the third signals comprise signals within a VHF/UHF broadcast band.
US07949340B2

A system and method for determining the positioning of mobile-appliance location determining sensors in a mobile-appliance communications network by estimating the positioning accuracy of the sensors.
US07949335B2

A multi-modal portable communications gateway for operation in an airport environment is disclosed. The multi-modal portable communications gateway may include a communication interface, a controller that controls the operation of the multi-modal portable communications gateway, a controller panel that includes a user interface to enable a user to interact with the multi-modal portable communications gateway, a WiFi antenna that enables reception and transmission of WiFi signals, a cellular antenna that enables reception and transmission of cellular signals, a power supply unit that enables power to be provided to the multi-modal portable communications gateway, wherein the controller signals the power supply unit to shut down based on one or more safety indication, a communication router that receives data from systems in the airport environment through the communication interface, and transmits the data to at least one predetermined location outside an aircraft upon receiving a signal from the controller, and one or more charging port that enables external electronic devices to be connected to the multi-modal portable communications gateway, wherein the power supply unit enables power to be provided to charge batteries of the external devices.
US07949330B2

A method is provided for providing weather data to a vehicle comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a broadcast signal containing weather data referenced to a plurality of cells arranged in a grid corresponding to a geographic map; (b) determining the present location, speed, and direction of the vehicle; (c) calculating a geographic region for which the weather data will affect the vehicle user based upon the current location, speed, and direction of the vehicle; (d) filtering the weather data to yield filtered data comprising at least one of the plurality of cells correlated to the previously calculated geographic region; and (e) formatting the filtered data for display to vehicle occupants.
US07949327B2

The invention of a method and an apparatus for reception of long transmission range Bluetooth signals impaired by multipath are disclosed. The new reception method and apparatus proposed allows to increase the transmission range for data transmission in Bluetooth. The invention proposes the use of a new FDE adapted to SC transmission without a GI or CP. The proposed FDE very successfully mitigates ISI while being very implementation-friendly.
US07949326B2

A system includes a network controller to communicate with a telecommunications network. The network controller is coupled to one or more unlicensed wireless base stations serving one or more unlicensed wireless access areas. Each unlicensed wireless access area is mapped to one or more licensed wireless access areas. The system includes a mobile station to communicate with the telecommunications network using a licensed wireless communication channel serviced by the telecommunications network in a licensed wireless access area, and an unlicensed wireless communication channel in an unlicensed wireless access area. The mobile station is associated with a licensed wireless network identifier and a licensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the licensed wireless access area and is associated with an unlicensed wireless network identifier and an unlicensed wireless location identifier when the mobile station is in the unlicensed wireless access area.
US07949323B1

The present invention provides a local oscillator (LO) leakage controller for use with a receiver. In one embodiment, the LO leakage controller includes a comparison unit configured to process an LO leakage error signal from the receiver to provide a leakage cancellation signal. Additionally, the LO leakage controller also includes a leakage counterbalance unit coupled to the comparison unit and configured to adapt the leakage cancellation signal to the receiver to counterbalance LO leakage in the receiver.
US07949321B2

The back-off of an AGC diversion section can be appropriately controlled. A base station apparatus (10) includes an amplifying part (12) for receiving a first transmission signal, which is generated by being modulated using a first modulation scheme and transmitted, and a second transmission signal, which is generated by being modulated using a second modulation scheme in which the maximum value of the amplitude of the transmission signal that is generated differs from that of the first modulation scheme, and which is transmitted following the first transmission signal, and amplifying these signals at a given amplification factor; a basic value determining part (14a) for determining a basic value that is used to determine the given amplification factor on the basis of the received power of the first transmission signal; an amplification factor correcting part (15) for acquiring correction data for the basic value, which is correction data that is determined on the basis of the amount of difference between the maximum values of the amplitudes of the transmission signals that are respectively generated using the first modulation scheme and second modulation scheme; and an amplification factor determining part (14) for determining the given amplification factor for the second transmission signal on the basis of the basic value and the correction data.
US07949315B2

An integrated circuit (IC) includes an RF transmitter that transmits a transmit signal at a selectable transmit power based on a transmit power control signal and at a selectable data rate based on a transmit data rate signal. A processing module operates to generate the transmit power control signal and generate the transmit data rate signal based on a value of the transmit power control signal.
US07949314B2

Provided is a transmission output control apparatus including: a level control circuit operable to adjust a level of an inputted signal; a power amplifying circuit including a plurality of amplifying stages and being operable to amplify the signal whose level has been adjusted by the level control circuit; an antenna operable to transmit the signal amplified by the power amplifying circuit; a memory unit operable to prestore a plurality of control signals; a control signal generating unit operable to select and extract, from the memory unit, one of the control signals that is in accordance with a transmission level instructed by a base station, and supply the extracted control signal to the level control circuit; and a detection unit operable to detect a signal at a midway amplifying stage of the power amplifying circuit, where a transmission level of the level control circuit is monitored according to an output of the detection unit.
US07949307B2

A frame format is generated which can constrain the PAPR at a lower level without limitation in code selections in a radio communication system. The radio communication system with each radio channel constituted by a control channel and a data channel divides a plurality of the radio channels in a frequency direction for mapping to a radio frame format. A control signal position on the control channel is controlled in the radio frame format for each user or service to reduce peak transmission power or a peak-to-average power ratio of a radio communication apparatus.
US07949304B2

A combined SAIC receiver and a multiple-antenna, receive diversity receiver are employed to reduce interference in a wireless system. The real and imaginary parts of the de-rotated signal for each receive path associated with an antenna are separately filtered and a combined output signal of all receive paths is generated. The weighting coefficients are adjusted based on an error signal produced by comparing the combined output signal with a reference signal. The weighting coefficients are initially set based on an MMSE/LS type of signal processing criteria, where the reference signal is the Training Sequence Code (TSC). Subsequent adjustment/tracking can be accomplished by using known tracking algorithms, e.g. LMS or RLS, or the coefficients can be re-computed using MMSE/LS processing. The reference signal for tracking may be a combination of the TSC and estimated data symbols provided by an equalizer.
US07949300B2

A system and method are disclosed for wireless sharing of audio sounds among a plurality of users. A user of the present invention can communicate his or her audio sounds to other users, who can receive the audio sounds wirelessly and choose to rebroadcast them. Along with the audio sound files users can share information regarding the audio sounds being shared, such as title, artist, collection, genre, year, encoding rate, size, playlist, and other desired information. The user of device can opt to set the device to transmit, re-transmit, broadcast, re-broadcast, receive or not to receive play-list information in addition to the audio sound files and the information regarding the audio sounds themselves.
US07949286B2

A development cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the same are provided. The development cartridge includes a reception unit including at least one auger. A toner supply unit is disposed on the reception unit and connects a toner cartridge with the reception unit. A transfer means transfers the toner supplied from the toner cartridge to the reception unit. The transfer means engages the at least one auger, and includes a plurality of main wings arranged radially about a rotation axis.
US07949281B2

An image forming apparatus includes a charging roller that continuously rotates and uniformly charges a photoconductor for forming an electrostatic latent image thereon, a cleaning roller that contacts a peripheral surface of the charging roller and cleans the charging roller while being driven by rotation of the charging roller, wherein a peripheral surface of the cleaning roller is formed of a melamine resin foam, and a cleaning roller shifting unit that causes the cleaning roller to contact the charging roller for a predetermined time at predetermined intervals of image formation while movably holding the cleaning roller.
US07949274B2

In a fixing apparatus having a first roller which includes a first heater and a second heater arranged in difference ranges from each other in the direction of rotation axis and an auxiliary heater arranged in a range including the ranges where the first and second heaters are arranged in the direction of rotation axis, and a second roller which is heated by a third heater and nips and carries a sheet in cooperation with the first roller, predetermined timing accompanied by start of fixing processing in the fixing apparatus is determined, and when it is determined that the predetermined timing has been reached, the quantity of power supply to the third heater is reduced and power supply to the auxiliary heater is started.
US07949265B2

A toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing device includes: a first toner supply portion for supplying toner to a developing hopper; a second toner supply portion for supplying the stored toner to the first toner supply portion; a first toner supply driver for driving the first toner supply portion; a first residual toner quantity detector for detecting the residual toner quantity in the first toner supply portion; a second toner supply driver for driving the second toner supply portion; a second residual toner quantity detector for detecting the residual toner quantity in the second toner supply portion; and a controller for controlling the drives of the first and second toner supply drivers by switching on and off the drives of the first and second toner supply drivers in accordance with the residual toner quantities detected by the first and second residual toner quantity detectors.
US07949263B2

An image forming apparatus of which maintenance work can always be conducted appropriately independent of time-degradation of the apparatus is provided. In the image forming apparatus of which maintenance work is done in accordance with either a user mode or a service engineer mode, an image forming unit including an image forming station prints an image in accordance with image data, and a main CPU calculates duration of use of the apparatus as an index indicating time-degradation, and determines whether or not the calculated duration of use of the apparatus has reached one year as a predetermined threshold value. Based on the result of determination, a user mode or a service engineer mode is set as a maintenance method for conducting maintenance work.
US07949260B2

An evaluation method of an optical receiver of an optical communication system, including a DPSK (Differential Phase Shift Keying) signal modulated by a specific data series, a delay interferometer for performing delay detection on the DPSK signal, an optical receiver for receiving each of two optical outputs of the delay interferometer and outputting a difference signal, and a spectrum analyzer for measuring a spectrum of an output electrical signal of the optical receiver, comprising monitoring a specific frequency component of the spectrum analyzer and detecting a delay difference and a deviation in optical reception level between the two outputs of the delay interferometer and the optical receiver.
US07949258B2

It is possible to realize remote control in a reflection wave transmission system, and enhance operability for a mobile apparatus having a reflector. The mobile apparatus comprises a reflector and performs reflection wave transmission by carrying data on a reflection wave for unmodulated carrier. A reflection wave reader comprises an infrared light receiving section, receives and decodes a request signal sent as an infrared remote control command, transmits it to the mobile apparatus by an ASK modulated signal and then transmits the unmodulated carrier. The mobile apparatus transmits requested data by reflection wave. The mobile apparatus can be operated from an infrared remote controller and remote control distance can be extended.
US07949254B1

To achieve secure optical communications, a messaging encoding scheme is utilized in which optical communication signals are encoded based upon a known unique code. This encoding methodology allows for the broad transmission across an optical network which will include intended destination. Only the intended destination or destinations will include the necessary unique codes to allow recognition and decoding of the optically encoded message. By providing security in this optical encoding manner, the need for additional message overhead and/or additional systems is thus avoided, thereby providing efficient communication in a secure manner.
US07949253B2

In a camera filter unit having a small longitudinal width, the camera filter unit (1) comprises a filter frame (2) having a cylindrical component (2a) and a filter-holding ring (3), and an optical filter (4). The optical filter (4) is fixed to an internal side of the filter-holding ring (3) in a state of being held from the front and the rear between a protuberance (31) formed in the filter-holding ring (3) and a crimp (33a). The filter-holding ring (3) is fixed to the internal side of the cylindrical component (2a) by a ring-side male thread (32) being screwed into a female thread (22) of the filter frame (2). The filter-holding ring (3) for holding the optical filter (4) is disposed concentrically between the cylindrical component (2a) and the optical filter (4), and the longitudinal dimension of the filter frame (2) can therefore be made smaller than when the member for holding the optical filter is mounted to the cylindrical component (2a) in a state of being aligned with the optical filter (4) in the axial direction.
US07949251B2

A camera includes: an electrical-power-supply-source detection unit that detects, among a plurality of batteries, from which battery supply of electrical power is being received; a battery capacity detection unit that detects a remaining amount in each of the plurality of batteries; and a display control unit that displays, upon a display device, a result of detection by the electrical-power-supply-source detection unit and a result of detection by the battery capacity detection unit.
US07949242B2

A lens cover assembly comprises a lens cover and a water absorption portion. The lens cover has a transparent portion located in a center portion thereof. The water absorption portion is mounted to the lens cover surrounding the transparent portion.
US07949236B2

A home heating radiator using a heat transfer fluid operating in phase change form, includes a reservoir of heat transfer fluid, and electric resistance heat source, for raising the temperature of the heat transfer fluid to a temperature such as to cause a phase change of the fluid, and a heating body where heat transfer takes place with the ambient air, the heating body including a number, n, of channels, communicating in the lowermost part of the reservoir, where n may be equal to 1.
US07949233B2

A method for controlling a heat-dissipating fan for an electronic component includes the steps of: detecting a temperature of the electronic component, and outputting a first control signal corresponding to the temperature thus detected; receiving a load current of the electronic component, and converting the load current into a second control signal; and controlling a rotating speed of the heat-dissipating fan with reference to the first control signal and the second control signal. A device employing the method includes a current detecting module adapted for detecting a load current, a temperature control circuit adapted for detecting a temperature, and a logic circuit unit coupled to the current detecting module and the temperature control circuit and controlling a rotating speed of a heat-dissipating fan.
US07949231B2

The recording medium includes a navigation area and at least one playlist area. The navigation area stores navigation management information for managing the reproduction of at least multiple reproduction path video data from the recording medium. At least one playlist is stored in a playlist area. Each playlist identifies at least one playitem, and each playitem identifies at least one clip of video data.
US07949222B2

There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07949221B2

The present invention relates to the management of cables extending to and from fiber termination blocks with sliding fiber adaptor modules within a fiber distribution frame. The blocks include a splitter chassis and fiber optic splitters mounted within the chassis.
US07949212B2

Disclosed is an optical waveguide element that includes first and second optical waveguides (11, 12) which are formed to have different waveguide modes of guided lights, whose polarized waves are different. First optical waveguide (11) includes directional coupling region (13) and, second optical waveguide (12) includes incident side waveguide (12a), which has directional coupling region (13) and which is provided in parallel with first optical waveguide (11), and second optical waveguide (12) includes exit side waveguide (12b), which is extended from incident side waveguide (12a) and which is bent in the direction that recedes from first optical waveguide (11).
US07949202B2

A projector including: a sensing section which senses an area including at least a part of a projection image projected onto a projection target area to generate sensing information; a projection target area information generation section which generates projection target area information based on the sensing information; a projection area information generation section which generates projection area information based on the sensing information; an image distortion correction section which corrects distortion of the projection image and generates correction information indicating a degree of the correction; a display area information generation section which generates display area information based on the projection area information and the correction information; and an environmental influence reduction section which performs processing of reducing environmental influence based on the sensing information and the display area information.
US07949193B2

An apparatus and method for efficiently compressing three-dimensional stereoscopic images are provided. The apparatus and method include a search for Global motion between left and right images input through two image input units mounted in a mobile communication terminal. The images are arranged and a difference between the two images is computed. The images are compressed using the difference between the two images and a reference image. Accordingly, because the left and right images are similar, a computation amount can be reduced since the global motion is computed only once.
US07949186B2

A method for classifying or comparing objects includes detecting points of interest within two objects, computing feature descriptors at said points of interest, forming a multi-resolution histogram over feature descriptors for each object and computing a weighted intersection of multi-resolution histogram for each object. An alternative embodiment includes a method for matching objects by defining a plurality of bins for multi-resolution histograms having various levels and a plurality of cluster groups, each group having a center, for each point of interest, calculating a bin index, a bin count and a maximal distance to the bin center and providing a path vector indicative of the bins chosen at each level. Still another embodiment includes a method for matching objects comprising creating a set of feature vectors for each object of interest, mapping each set of feature vectors to a single high-dimensional vector to create an embedding vector and encoding each embedding vector with a binary hash string.
US07949182B2

An image processing system includes: an image capture device operable to capture at least first and second images of an object at different exposures, a storage for at least part of the at least first and second images, a filter for splitting the at least first and second images into respective first and second spatial frequency components, the first frequency component being of lower frequency than the second, a selector for selecting local image intensity data from the second spatial frequency components of a region of the at least first and second images for combination with the first frequency component from the corresponding region of the first image, and a combiner for combining the selected local image data from the second spatial frequency components of the at least first and second images with the first spatial frequency component of the first image to form a final image.
US07949179B2

The present invention is a system for determining the three dimensional shape of an object, having a first measuring means for measuring a first distance and direction from a fixed first observation point to a first group of measurement points on an object, and a second measuring means for measuring a second distance and direction from a movable second observation point to a second group of measurement points on the aforementioned object, at least one point among said second group of measurement points being the same measurement point as at least one point among the aforementioned first group of measurement points, and said second group of measurement points including at least one measurement point not included in the aforementioned first group of measurement points, and further being provided with a calculating means for calculating the traveling velocity vector of the second observation point from the measurement results concerning the aforementioned same measurement point due to the first and second measuring means, correcting the aforementioned second measurement results based upon said traveling velocity vector, and calculating the three dimensional coordinates of the measurement points of the first group and the second group, and a displaying means that displays an image of the object based upon the aforementioned three dimensional coordinates.
US07949172B2

A method for processing an image which has the steps of a) receiving acquired data necessary to obtain an image and estimating a preliminary image; b) selecting at least one image element within the image; c) performing an iterative algorithm for processing the image at least on the at least one image element; d) computing a difference between the processed at least one image element and the at least one image element; and e) repeating the steps c) and d) until the difference is below a predefined threshold.
US07949151B2

A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus is provided herein which is capable of determining an object type, particularly capable of determining an animal other than a human being among objects. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus which monitors the surroundings of a vehicle by using an image captured by a camera (2R, 2L) mounted on the vehicle, including an object extraction process unit which extracts an image area of the object from the captured image (steps 1 to 6) and an object type determination process unit which determines the object type according to whether the image area of the object extracted by the object extraction process unit includes a first object area in which the ratio of widths in different directions is within a predetermined range and a plurality of second object areas located below the first object area and smaller in area than the first object area (steps 31 to 37).
US07949148B2

Directional albedo of a particular article, such as an identity card, is measured and stored. When the article is later presented, it can be confirmed to be the same particular article by re-measuring the albedo function, and checking for correspondence against the earlier-stored data. The re-measuring can be performed through us of a handheld optical device, such as a camera-equipped cell phone. The albedo function can serve as random key data in a variety of cryptographic applications. The function can be changed during the life of the article. A variety of other features are also detailed.
US07949130B2

A flexible aes instruction for a general purpose processor is provided that performs aes encryption or decryption using n rounds, where n includes the standard aes set of rounds {10, 12, 14}. A parameter is provided to allow the type of aes round to be selected, that is, whether it is a “last round”. In addition to standard aes, the flexible aes instruction allows an AES-like cipher with 20 rounds to be specified or a “one round” pass.
US07949111B2

A call processing method is disclosed. A first station initiates a call to a second station. Call information associated with the initiated call is evaluated by comparing the call information with information in a fraud database. Completion of the call is prevented if the evaluation results in a finding of fraud. If the evaluation results in no finding of fraud, the call is completed to the second station via a routing path obtained from a routing database. If the call being completed is deemed to be a call of interest, the routing path obtained from the routing database for completing the call is stored.
US07949104B1

Interactive system for responding to conditions after an answering machine has been detected in an automatic telephone number dialing and announcing system so that realistic sounding recorded messages can be delivered without truncation. The system starts by: placing a telephone call to an answering machine; playing a recorded message onto the answering machine: monitoring the machine for echo cancellation sounds (sounds emanating from the answering machine) while simultaneously playing the message; repeating the playing of said message onto the answering machine while monitoring for echo cancellation sounds; and continuing to play the message until there are no echo cancellation sounds whereby the recorded message is launched unto the answering machine and continues playing the message to completion. If there are greater than three occurrences of echo cancellation sounds. Then the system avoids further resetting steps and proceeds to play the recorded message onto the answering machine without further interruption.
US07949103B2

A system and method for creating and distributing messages including dynamic content is provided. In one form, an entity provides a plurality of content segments for use in building a dynamic message. The entity also provides a listing of end users to receive a message and information associated with the user, such as demographic or prior purchasing information. In an alternate form, the service connects to the user in a communication session and collects information from the user directly. The service then uses this information, whether provided by the entity or the end user, as the basis for selection of various content segments which will make up a dynamic message for presentation to the user.
US07949098B2

A method of obtaining recommendations for lowered radiation dose for a type of radiological image, executed at least in part by a computer system, obtains at least one clinical image of at least one patient, taken under a baseline set of exposure conditions, as a basis image. Processing instructions related to image simulation under one or more reduced exposure conditions are obtained. The basis image is processed according to the processing instructions to generate a set of one or more simulation images, each simulation image representative of corresponding reduced exposure conditions. One or more simulation images are displayed to one or more diagnostic practitioners and an evaluation obtained from the one or more practitioners related to at least the quality of the one or more simulation images. At least one recommended reduced exposure condition is generated and electronically stored according to the practitioner evaluation.
US07949091B2

A mammography system using a tissue exposure control relying on estimates of the thickness of the compressed and immobilized breast and of breast density to automatically derive one or more technic factors. The system further uses a tomosynthesis arrangement that maintains the focus of an anti-scatter grid on the x-ray source and also maintains the field of view of the x-ray receptor. Finally, the system finds an outline that forms a reduced field of view that still encompasses the breast in the image, and uses for further processing, transmission or archival storage the data within said reduced field of view.
US07949090B2

An X-ray CT apparatus is provided for reducing the amount of computation at image reconstruction thereby to shorten an image reconstruction time. The X-ray CT apparatus comprises a cradle which moves in a horizontal direction to convey a subject to a photography space, an X-ray detector comprising a plurality of detecting element rows, for obtaining projection data by a helical scan when the cradle is moved under acceleration/deceleration and at a constant velocity, and backprojection processing device for performing a backprojection process on the projection data. When image reconstruction is carried out using the projection data acquired when the cradle is moved under acceleration/deceleration, the backprojection processing device assumes a virtual image reconstruction plane P′ where the cradle is assumed to be moved at the constant velocity, with respect to an image reconstruction plane P of each view and backprojects projection data onto the virtual image reconstruction plane P′.
US07949084B2

An apparatus for passively cooling and retaining molten core material discharged from a damaged reactor vessel during a severe accident in the nuclear plant including: a molten core material retention tank to retain molten core material; a compressed gas tank storing high-pressure inert gas; a cooling water storage tank being installed higher than the molten core material retention tank; and a mixing means. The molten core material retention tank includes an outer retention vessel having at least one coolant hole, a porous protection vessel formed at an inside of the outer retention vessel, and a gravel layer formed between the outer retention vessel and the porous protection vessel. The apparatus can be installed in a reactor cavity without changing the compartment structure of a containment building, and makes it possible to prevent a steam explosion during the cooling process for the ultrahigh-temperature molten core material and to secure the reliability of the cooling process.
US07949069B2

A method, system and apparatus using hybrid automatic repeat-request (HARQ) to enhance a system throughput in a transmit diversity system. Embodiments of the present invention may include a method including receiving a quality-indication signal such as a HARQ from the base station, calculating a complex weighting based on the quality-indication signal, modifying a pre-transmission signal based on the complex weighting to produce a plurality of modified pre-transmission signals, each modified pre-transmission signal from the plurality modified pre-transmission signals being uniquely associated with an antenna element from a plurality antenna elements of a mobile device, and sending the plurality of modified pre-transmission signals from the plurality of antenna elements to produce an effective combined transmitted signal, the complex weighting being associated with a total power of the transmitted signal and at least one from a phase rotation and a power ratio associated with each antenna element from the plurality of antenna elements.
US07949064B2

A method of transmitting a communication signal (FIG. 1) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a data signal (102). The method further includes receiving a codeword index (pre-coder selection) from a remote transceiver. A codeword is selected from a Householder matrix based codebook in response to the index. The data signal is precoded (104) in response to the selected codeword. The precoded data signal is transmitted (100) to the remote transceiver.
US07949061B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for inserting data symbols and pilot symbols in an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) transmission resource utilizing frequency hopping patterns for the data symbols and/or the pilot symbols. Data symbols and pilot symbols are allocated for down link (base station to mobile station) and up link (mobile station to bases station) transmission resources in a two-dimensional time-frequency pattern. For each antenna of a MIMO-OFDM (multiple input multiple output OFDM) communication system, pilot symbols are inserted in a scattered pattern in time-frequency and data symbols are inserted in an identical frequency-hopping pattern in time-frequency as that of other antennas.
US07949058B2

A radio receiver apparatus and a radio transmitter apparatus wherein the energy loss caused by addition of GI is suppressed, while the reception quality is improved. A signal having been subjected to an IFFT process is repetitively transmitted N times with a length of one OFDM symbol interval. At a receiver apparatus receiving the transmitted signals, a leading data extracting part (207) extracts, from the leading data portions of the direct waves of the received signals, portions that are not interfered with by temporally adjacent data. A combing part (209) combines the received signals in such a manner that align the rear end of each repetitively transmitted data portion except the leading data portion with the rear end of the leading data portion extracted by the leading data extracting part (207). The combined signal is then subjected to an FFT process in an FFT part (210).
US07949056B2

A balanced transmission signal Tx (t) (voltage e, −e) is applied to a transmission line (L1, L2), a suppression signal (ec) is generated from a common mode suppression signal source (ec), and the suppression signal (ec) is superposed on respectives of balanced transmission signals via adders (15a, 15b). By pertinently controlling a level of the suppression signal (ec), voltage levels and phases of respectives of the transmission signals transmitted to the transmission lines (L1, L2) are controlled.
US07949054B2

A system, a method and computer-readable media for organizing a bitstream of compressed data that represents an image. The image may be partitioned into independently decodable regions. The portion of the compressed bitstream associated a selected region is decoded. This decoding yields a series of transform coefficients. Areas of the image that surround the selected region are identified, and information associated with these areas is decoded to yield additional transform coefficients. The original series of transform coefficients and the additional transform coefficients are used to reconstruct the selected region of the image.
US07949043B2

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is presented for controlling a video image compression system. In this method a video frame of raw video image data is compressed using a processor. Then it is determined whether the processor is limited in its ability to compress video image data. Then, a target frame rate is adjusted based on a current amount of time taken to compress said video frame of raw video image data.
US07949041B2

A transceiver architecture supports high-speed communication over a signal lane that extends between a high-performance integrated circuit (IC) and one or more relatively low-performance ICs employing less sophisticated transmitters and receivers. The architecture compensates for performance asymmetry between ICs communicating over a bidirectional lane by instantiating relatively complex transmit and receive equalization circuitry on the higher-performance side of the lane. Both the transmit and receive equalization filter coefficients in the higher-performance IC may be adaptively updated based upon the signal response at the receiver of the higher-performance IC.
US07949033B2

Method for generating reference signal sequence using grouping is explained. In this method, base sequences are grouped such that each group contains at least one base sequence of each length, so UE(s) can use various length sequences as a reference signal. And in this method, inter cell interference caused by using various length sequence as a reference signal sequence can be minimized by grouping sequences having the high cross correlation relation.
US07949031B2

A semiconductor diode laser having a broad vertical waveguide and a broad lateral waveguide is disclosed emitting laser-light in a single vertical mode and a single lateral mode narrow beam. The vertical waveguide comprises a coupled cavity structure, wherein light, generated in the active medium placed in the first cavity leaks into the second cavity and returns back. Phase matching conditions govern the selection of a single vertical mode. A multi-stripe lateral waveguide comprises preferably a lateral photonic band crystal with a lateral optical defect created by selected pumping of multistripes. This approach allows the selection of a single lateral mode having a higher optical confinement factor and/or a lower absorption loss and/or a lower leakage loss compared to the rest lateral optical modes. This enables a single lateral mode lasing from a broad area field coupled laser array. A laser system comprised of multiple field coupled laser arrays on a single wafer and a set of external mirrors enables an ultra-broad field coupled laser bar emitting a coherent laser light in a single vertical optical mode and a single lateral optical mode. A laser system comprised of multiple ultra-broad field coupled laser bars on different wafers and a set of external mirrors enables an ultra-broad field coupled laser stack emitting coherent laser light in a single vertical optical mode and a single lateral optical mode. This allows realization of ultrahigh power ultrahigh brightness laser systems based on semiconductor diode lasers.
US07949027B2

A semiconductor laser device includes: an n-type cladding layer; a p-type cladding layer; and an optical waveguide portion disposed between the n-type and p-type cladding layers and including spaced-apart active layers. The optical waveguide portion permits lasing in a crystal growth direction of the active layers in at least three modes, including the fundamental mode and two higher order modes. The number of active layers is equal to or greater than the number of extreme points of the electric field of a particular one of the higher order modes. At least one of the active layers is disposed near each extreme point of the electric field of the particular higher order mode, within the optical waveguide portion.
US07949023B2

A semiconductor laser apparatus of the present invention includes: a semiconductor laser chip 1 having an electrode 11 formed on a surface of the semiconductor laser chip 1; a heat sink 3 for the semiconductor laser chip 1; a submount 2 disposed between the semiconductor laser chip 1 and the heat sink 3 and bonded to the semiconductor laser chip 1 and the heat sink 3; and recessed marks 13 formed on the surface of the semiconductor laser chip 1 by partially removing the electrode 11, wherein the semiconductor laser chip 1 is longer in the resonator direction than in a direction orthogonal to the resonator direction, and the recessed marks 13 are disposed within a predetermined distance from each of the front and rear end faces of the semiconductor laser chip.
US07949018B2

In a mode-locked laser-diode-excited laser apparatus: a solid-state laser medium is arranged at a distance of at most twice the Rayleigh range from a saturable absorbing mirror with a depth of absorbing modulation of at least 0.4%; the total intracavity dispersion is smaller than zero and makes oscillating light have such a pulse bandwidth that the saturable absorbing mirror can suppress a background pulses other than soliton pulses repeated with a fundamental repetition period, and the magnitude of the total intracavity dispersion has a predetermined relationship with a pulse width of the oscillating light; and an output mirror is a negative-dispersion mirror being constituted by three or more multilayer mirrors and cavity layers arranged at predetermined intervals between the three or more multilayer mirrors, and causing a mirror dispersion of −3000 fsec2 to −600 fsec2 and realizes a reflectance of 97% to 99.5%.
US07949008B2

An audio application program is isolated from an Internet application program in a cell phone system having a processor. An operating system program, a partition manager process and the audio and Internet application programs are stored in a computer readable memory of the cell phone. The method includes executing the partition manager process, the audio application program and the Internet application program by the cell phone system processor. Executing the partition manager process includes the partition manager process controlling the audio application program executing to be associated with a first executing instance of the cell phone operating system and the Internet application program executing to be associated with a second executing instance of the cell phone operating system, so that the audio application program is isolated from the Internet application program.
US07949001B2

A packet data transmission method of the HSDPA system includes collecting information on the quality of physical channels, a status of the MAC buffer, the priority level of data, the delay of data, and the like, determining the transmission order of data and the size of a data block to be transmitted based on the collected information, and transmitting the data block through the physical layer according to the order of transmissions. Since the HSDPA scheduler takes into account the delay of data, the quality of real-time services can be improved.
US07948999B2

Signaling completion of a message transfer from an origin node to a target node includes: sending, by an origin DMA engine, an RTS message, the RTS message specifying an application message for transfer to the target node from the origin node; receiving, by the origin DMA engine, a remote get message containing a data descriptor for the message and a completion notification descriptor, the completion notification descriptor specifying a local direct put transfer operation for transferring data locally on the origin node; inserting, by the origin DMA engine in an injection FIFO buffer, the data descriptor followed by the completion notification descriptor; transferring, by the origin DMA engine to the target node, the message in dependence upon the data descriptor; and notifying, by the origin DMA engine, the application that transfer of the message is complete in dependence upon the completion notification descriptor.
US07948998B2

A vehicle-mounted Local Area Network (LAN) system includes vehicle-mounted LANs in each of which an electronic control unit is connected to a communication line to send and receive messages. The LAN system also includes a relay connection unit that relays the messages between the vehicle-mounted LANs. Each electronic control unit has a reception port for transmitting a reception confirmation signal to the relay connection unit in response to a received message. The relay connection unit has a relay management device that determines, based on the presence or absence of the reception confirmation signal responsive to the message relayed to each of the vehicle-mounted LANs, whether or not a relay is required, and that then updates relay processing information stored in a storage device.
US07948997B2

The present invention provides a BGP route evaluation device and method. A message receiving section 101 receives a BGP Update message. A status detecting section 102 detects the active/inactive status of each BGP route on the basis of a pair of prefix and next hop registered in “Announce” and “Withdraw” of the BGP Update message. In a management table 104, the active/inactive status of each BGP route is managed. An update section 103 updates the registration contents of the management table 104 on the basis of the detection result of the active/inactive status. An evaluation section 105 evaluates each BGP route on the basis of the registration contents of the management table 104.
US07948995B2

Both a connection server and a relay connection server are installed in an IP transfer network; a function similar to a line connection control of a subscriber exchanger is applied to a connection server; a function similar to a line connection control of a relay exchanger is applied to the relay connection server; and a terminal-to-terminal communication connection control method with using the IP transfer network is realized in such a manner that a telephone set and a terminal such as an IP terminal and a video terminal transmit/receive an initial address message, an address completion message, a call pass message, a response message, a release message and a release completion message, which can be made in a 1-to-1 correspondence relationship with line connection control messages of the common line signal system. Furthermore, while an address administration table is set to a network node apparatus of an IP transfer network, means for registering addresses of the terminals into this address administration table is employed, so that an IP packet communication by a multicast manner can be realized with improving information security performance.
US07948987B2

A method of adjusting fields of a datagram in the handling of the datagram in a network device may comprising receiving a datagram, with the datagram having at least module identifier fields and port identifier fields, at a port of a network device, adding or subtracting an offset value to at least one of the module identifier fields and at least one of the port identifier fields of the datagram based on data registers in the network device, and forwarding the datagram to a legacy device based on the module and port identifier fields of the datagram. A size of each of the module identifier fields and the port identifier fields handled by the legacy device may be smaller than a size of the module identifier fields and port identifier fields handled by the network device.
US07948985B2

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer program products for source-aware IP routing at a media gateway. According to one aspect, a method for source-aware IP routing at a media gateway is provided. The method includes providing a packet including a layer 3 source address and a layer 3 destination address at a media gateway having a source-aware routing table. Using the destination address included in the packet, at least one entry corresponding to the destination address is located in the source-aware routing table, where the located entry contains at least a portion of a source IP address, at least a portion of a destination IP address and routing information including an interface identifier and a next hop identifier. From among the at least one located entry corresponding to the destination IP address information, at least one entry corresponding to the source IP address included in the packet is located. Based on the routing information located in the routing table, the packet is routed to the destination.
US07948984B2

Detecting an identifier change of an endpoint includes dialing an identifier associated with an endpoint to initiate a call to the endpoint. A network indicator indicating a change of the identifier is detected. A new identifier associated with the endpoint is determined, and a record is updated to reflect the new identifier associated with the endpoint.
US07948979B2

A computing system comprises a programmable network interface card and a host comprising a memory and a transport handler. The programmable network interface card may process a frame received over a network, and determine whether packet data included in the frame is to be directly placed in a first region in a memory. The programmable network interface may comprise a network direct memory access engine (NDE), which may cause transfer of the packet data directly to the first region in the memory if the packet data is to be directly placed into the first region in the memory. The programmable network interface card may cause transfer of the packet data to the transport handler in response to determining that the packet data is not to be directly placed in the first region in the memory.
US07948975B2

A communication apparatus includes at least one input port, multiple output ports, at least one Serial-to-Parallel (S/P) converter and at least one Parallel-to-Serial (P/S) converter. The S/P converter is operative to receive from the input port an input data stream that is to be cross-connected to a destination output port, and to separate the input data stream into multiple sub-streams. Each of the switching planes includes at least one input for receiving a respective sub-stream from the S/P converter; multiple outputs, each output associated with a respective one of the output ports; and switching circuitry, which is configured to switch the respective sub-stream to the output that is associated with the destination output port. The P/S converter is coupled to the outputs of the switching planes so as to combine the multiple sub-streams switched by the switching circuitry into a combined output data stream at the destination output port.
US07948973B2

A system and method for processing a plurality of requests for multi-media services received at a call control element (CCE) defined on the system from a plurality of IP-communication devices. The system includes at least one Network Routing Element (NRE), a Service Broker (SB), a media sever, a plurality of application servers (ASs) and a plurality of border elements, all of which are coupled to the CCE. The CCE is adapted to receive requests for multi-media services and to generate subsequent requests for the multi-media services, which are communicated to the SB for processing. The subsequent requests can each include a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message including a message identifier portion having at least a first predetermined information field and a second predetermined information field. The message identifier portion of the SIP message declares the content and format of the SIP message to a recipient device defined on the system.
US07948971B2

The embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and device for controlling media resources, and a method and system for establishing calls. The method for controlling media resources includes the steps of: indicating source attributes of at least one of locally transmitted media and locally received media to a first media gateway, which also includes: receiving source attributes of locally transmitted media reported from the first media gateway; when the source attributes of locally transmitted media and destination attributes of locally received media of the first media gateway are at least partly identical, determining the source attributes of locally transmitted media by receiving the destination attributes of locally received media reported from the first media gateway.
US07948965B1

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing at least one service. Specifically, the method comprises obtaining at least one connection request associated with at least one user, determining the at least one service subscribed to by the at least one user where the at least one service comprises at least one service attribute and the at least one service attribute identifies at least one border element capable of supporting the at least one service, selecting the at least one border element according to the at least one service attribute, and responding to the at least one connection request using the at least one border element.
US07948956B2

A Wireless Access Point (WAP) of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) infrastructure includes a processor, a radio and a directional antenna. The radio supports communications with a first plurality of wireless terminals and listens to, but does not participate in transmissions of at least some of a second plurality of wireless terminals to collect non-participatory WAP data. Based upon the non-participatory WAP data, the processor creates WAP operational reports and provides the WAPs operational reports to the WLAN. The WLAN creates directions based thereon and directs the WAP to alter the gain pattern of the directional antenna.
US07948951B2

Disclosed herein are exemplary techniques for initiating a direct wireless link between two wireless devices. The method includes transmitting, a first frame from a first wireless device having a destination media access control (MAC) address; receiving, at the first wireless device, a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for a wireless device other than the first wireless device; and establishing a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when the when the destination MAC address of the first frame matches the destination MAC address of the second frame.
US07948949B2

A handover of a wireless communication device is performed between a first wireless band and a second wireless band when a detected feature occurs within a content stream being communicated with the wireless communication device.
US07948943B2

A digital broadcasting system and a data processing method are disclosed. The method includes receiving a data processing method includes receiving a broadcast signal in which main service data and mobile service data are multiplexed, acquiring transmission-parameter-channel signaling information including transmission parameter information of the mobile service data, and fast-information-channel signaling information, acquiring binding information describing a relationship between at least one ensemble transferring the mobile service data and a first virtual channel contained in the at least one ensemble by decoding the fast-information-channel, and acquiring status information of the first virtual channel, displaying content data contained in the mobile service data according to the binding information and the status information of the first virtual channel.
US07948942B2

One embodiment of the communication system includes a switch, at least one base station, and a backhaul connection including at least one wireless link connecting the at least one base station to the switch. The wireless link may include at least one of a WiMax carrier and a WiFi carrier.
US07948938B2

A wireless communication device (and its related method of operation) includes, if invoked, password protected access to data stored therewithin and/or to normal device operations and further includes duress password checking logic that automatically causes a duress message to be sent if a duress password has been entered. The duress message is preferably sent without maintaining any user accessible indication of such sending. It is also preferred that the password checking logic automatically cause an end-of-duress message to be sent if a normal password is entered after a duress password has been entered. A plurality of different duress passwords may be entered into a duress password portion of data memory in the device.
US07948933B2

A virtual broadband transmitting unit includes a stream generator to generate a multiplicity of data streams from an incoming media datastream, and a transmission manager to control the upload of the multiplicity of data streams along a multiplicity of transmission channels to at least one wireless communication network. A virtual broadband receiver includes means to receive a multiplicity of media data streams from a multiplicity of data connections, and an assembly engine to assemble the data streams into a single media stream.
US07948924B2

A Radio Frequency (RF) front-end apparatus in a wireless communication system is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of BandPass Filters (BPFs) for band-pass filtering a transmission signal or a reception signal, at least one circulator for dividing a signal transmission path and a signal reception path and at least one switch for controlling the signal transmission path and the signal reception path. The RF front-end apparatus provided by the present invention supports various frequency bands and optionally supports TDD and FDD in a wireless communication system.
US07948923B2

A wireless subscriber terminal (ST) for use with IP push-to-talk (PP2T) service using a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in a plurality of modes, including a mobile terminal having an ability to communicate over the air to a wireless Access Point (AP), the mobile terminal further programmable to use conventional WLAN protocols, and a method for operating the wireless terminal are described.
US07948922B2

An exemplary embodiment provides for a method for use in a network device of a plurality of network devices configured to implement a link management protocol for blocking ports corresponding to redundant links between individual network devices of the plurality of network devices. The method is used for preventing delivery of selected traffic to and from a port of the network device. Preventing, at the network device, delivery of the selected traffic to the port includes determining that a port corresponding to a remote device is to be placed in a blocked state and transmitting a port blocking notification message to the remote device, wherein the port block notification message is operative to cause the remote device to stop transmitting the selected traffic to the network device on the port. Preventing, at the network device, delivery of the selected traffic from the port includes receiving a bridge protocol data unit (BPDU) and determining if the BPDU is a port block notification message. In turn, transmission of the selected traffic is stopped from the port of the network device that received the BPDU, if the BPDU is the port block notification message.
US07948921B1

Systems and methods for automatic network optimization are provided. One embodiment comprises receiving a first data packet including an unenhanced payload from a first network device. A portion of the first data packet is then modified, the portion being outside the unenhanced payload of the first data packet, to indicate that a first optimization device is capable of enhanced communication. Next, the modified first data packet is sent from the first optimization device to an endpoint device. An indication of a capability of enhanced payload processing may be received. Based on the indication, an enhanced payload of a second data packet addressed to the endpoint device based on the indication may be generated. Finally, the second data packet including the enhanced payload may be sent to the endpoint device.
US07948918B2

This document describes, e.g., a system and method for minimizing superfluous signaling traffic and for minimizing data processing pressures on a network including a network information repository (NIR), comprising: having mobile stations that enter a network domain compare and detect inconsistencies in network information received through different sources and report those inconsistenci to the NIR; having the NIR update a cell broadcast controller (CBC)/BMSC with said network information; and having the CBC/BMSC broadcast or multicast the updated information.
US07948915B2

Techniques for removing time tag jitter and crossover distortion from a measurement system are described. A period or clock drift estimate is generated for each sensor, and the estimates are used to remove time tag jitter and detect and remove crossover distortion. This crossover distortion condition is common to measurement systems required to acquire and accurately time tag data from multiple sensors where the sensors produce data at an asynchronous periodic rate which may result in a distortion in time tag accuracy. These techniques are germane to aircraft and other systems that require precisely time correlated measurements from multiple sensors hosted by a data control system, and can obviate the use of real time operating systems and specialized hardware for this purpose.
US07948914B2

In described embodiments, elements of a wireless home network employ learned power security for the network. An access point, router, or other wireless base station emits and receives signals having corresponding signal strengths. Wireless devices coupled to the base station through a radio link are moved through the home network at boundary points of the home and the signal strength is measured at each device and communicated to the base station. Based on the signal strength information from the emitted signals measured at the boundary points and/or from measured signal strength information of signals received from the boundary points, the base station determines a network secure area. The base station declines permission of devices attempting to use or join the home network that exhibit signal strength characteristics less than boundary values for the network secure area.
US07948911B2

Briefly, the invention concerns the issue of supporting link adaptation in a wireless network, and basically involves implicit signaling for link adaptation based on transfer of transmit duration information. More particularly, a designated originating node sends (S1) a first message, including an indication of a current transmit duration for transfer of a predetermined amount of information, to at least a designated receiving node. The current transmit duration corresponds to a currently assumed data link rate. The designated receiving node selects (S2) a desired data link rate for subsequent communication from the originating node, and then determines (S3) an updated transmit duration according to the selected data link rate. The receiving node sends (S4) a second message, including an indication of the updated transmit duration, to at least the designated originating node, and the originating node then determines (S5) an updated data link rate in response to the updated transmit duration. In particular, the transmit duration information may preferably be transferred in the existing duration field in the frames of contention-based network protocols with support for virtual carrier sensing.
US07948905B2

A voice over WLAN diagnostic system. In particular implementations, a method includes simulating, in response to a triggering event, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications with a remote diagnostics engine; gathering metric data characterizing one or more aspects of the simulated VoIP communications; and periodically transmitting diagnostic packets including the metric data to the remote diagnostics engine; wherein the simulating VoIP communications comprises transmitting diagnostic protocol packets that simulate VoIP communications to the remote diagnostic engine; and intercepting diagnostic protocol packets received from the diagnostics engine.
US07948903B2

A method and apparatus are provided for using voice commands to invoke a mode of operation of a broadband network device used in a broadband communication network implemented with VOIP, such as a communication gateway. The user can interface interactively with the device through voice commands or through touch-tone data entry, and the results of the tasks performed are reported back to the user in voice format.
US07948901B2

A data transmission method and system by which an arrival delay can be controlled are provided. A node (i) calculates a cumulative delay CUM_DLY(i) of a received packet cumulated up to the current hop, by using an arrival delay of the packet and a cumulative delay CUM_DLY(i−1) cumulated up to the previous hop, and compares the cumulative delay CUM_DLY(i) with a target cumulative delay TAR_CUM_DLY(i), thereby controlling a transmission profile for the packet so that an expected cumulative delay at the next node becomes closer to a target value. The node (i) writes the cumulative delay CUM_DLY(i) in a header of the packet and transmits the packet to the next node using the set transmission profile. Similar transmission profile control is carried out at each transit node in a multi-hop system, whereby the cumulative delay in the entire system can be controlled within a desired range.
US07948900B2

A method for testing connectivity of a multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) in a network, the method comprising: sending an echo request message from a first provider edge (“PE”) device to a second provider edge (“PE”) device for a section of the multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) between the first provider edge (“PE”) device and the second provider edge (“PE”) device; the echo request message being identified as such by a control word contained therein; an inner label of the echo request message having a time-to-live (“TTL”) value set to a number of segments in the section; the time-to-live (“TTL”) value for determining whether the control word is to be inspected as it traverses the section; upon the echo request message arriving at the second provider edge (“PE”) device, the second provider edge (“PE”) device recognizing the echo request message as such by inspecting the control word contained therein; and, receiving an echo reply message from the second provider edge (“PE”) device in response to the echo request message, the echo reply message confirming connectivity of the section.
US07948899B2

This invention provides for a technique for selectively off-loading traffic from congested sub-regions of a network to more lightly-loaded regions by making use of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). For each network element, an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing is employed to provide re-routing and to identify congested links caused by re-routed trunks for each single failure. The re-routed traffic is then analyzed and alternate Label Switched Paths (LSPs) are identified for such traffic trunks so that the traffic is directed to the alternate LSPs during the single failure event.
US07948892B2

The present invention enables accurate simulation of the state of communication over a communication network in which a communication channel of different communication characteristic is set for each protocol and session, such as a VoIP network built in a multi-vendor environment, and evaluation of communication quality of communications between IP phones, etc. over a supposed communication network. A relay device for relaying packet communications between a plurality of communication devices is used, and the relay device sets a virtual processing unit as an initial process so that it corresponds to the packet transmission direction and/or attribute, based on the contents of a received packet specified by a control protocol, and relays communications of packets after the initial process, based on the packet loss rate and delay time distribution indicated by communication state information associated with the processing unit.
US07948891B2

A wireless communication apparatus for performing communication via a plurality of wireless interfaces in a wireless ad hoc network is disclosed. When the wireless communication apparatus receives a request frame via one of the plurality of wireless interfaces, the wireless communication apparatus sends the request frame from at least two wireless interfaces in the plurality of wireless interfaces. In addition, the wireless communication apparatus selects a wireless interface to be used for communication from among the plurality of wireless interfaces based on the request frame.
US07948887B2

Technologies for measuring a data throughput rate of a link typically use for transferring media catalogs and media between a media provider and an UPnP Control Point.
US07948882B2

A method for scheduling a network resource comprises adding tokens to first and second accumulators at first and second fill rates, respectively. A number of tokens corresponding to a size of a packet is subtracted from the first accumulator and a highest priority is assigned to a queue with which the packet is associated, if a number of tokens in the first accumulator is greater than zero. The number of tokens is subtracted from the second accumulator, and a default priority assigned to the queue, if the number of tokens in the first accumulator is less than zero and a number of tokens in the second accumulator is greater than zero. The network resource is assigned for transmission of the packet from the queue using a schedule that is based on the priority assigned to the queue. The packet is transmitted using the assigned network resource.
US07948879B2

Method and arrangement in a first node for requesting a status report from a second node. The first node and the second node are both comprised within a wireless communication network. The status report comprises positive and/or negative acknowledgement of data sent from the first node, to be received by the second node. The first node comprises a first counter configured to count the number of transmitted Protocol Data Units, PDUs, and a second counter configured to count the number of transmitted data bytes. The method and arrangements comprises initializing the first and the second counter to zero, transmitting data to be received by the second node, comparing the value of the first and the second counters with a first threshold limit value and a second threshold limit value and requesting a status report from the second node if any of the threshold limit values is reached or exceeded.
US07948878B2

Flow in a data network is policed by determining a measure of greediness of a flow through a node, comparing the measure of greediness with a measure indicative of acceptable greediness dependent on the expected greediness of a compliant flow experiencing substantially similar path conditions, and designating the flow for possible sanction in the event that the greediness is not in accordance with the acceptable greediness. Such allows for the policing of a data network when one or more fields in a data packet that carry information relating to a characterization of an end-to-end path and/or a downstream path of the data packet are used in order to police the data network.
US07948869B2

The present invention relates to a digital communication architecture based upon the concept of time encoding. In one aspect, systems provide time-encoding-based digital communication, the systems comprising a transmitter, a communication channel, and a receiver. In another aspect, methods for digital communication comprise time encoding digital input data and then transmitting the resultant asynchronous pulse signal to a receiver that converts the asynchronous pulse signal back into digital symbols. Methods of providing a digital communication link can include (i) providing digital symbols, (ii) time encoding the digital symbols to generate asynchronous pulse signals, (iii) communicating switching times of the signals to a receiver, and (iv) digitizing in parallel and reconstructing the digital symbols. The methods and systems of the invention can utilize existing chip-scale circuit technologies and can be characterized by link capacities of 50 Gbit/sec, 100 Gbit/sec, 200 Gbit/sec, or higher.
US07948865B2

In a unidirectional or broadcasting communication system using OFDM transmission from a base station to subscriber units, a device for achieving a bi-directional channel comprising: A. a transmitter in the subscriber units for transmitting signals that are orthogonal to signals transmitted from the base station and are also orthogonal to signals from other subscriber units; B. a receiver in the base station for receiving and processing together signals from a plurality of subscriber units; C. a controller for allocating to each subscriber unit several carriers that are separated from each other (not adjacent to each other).
US07948858B2

An optical pick-up device includes a laser source enabling emission of at least two light beams with different wavelengths, an objective lens which focuses the light beams emitted from the laser source on an optical disc, an optical detector which receives a light reflected from the optical disc, a front monitor which receives a part of the light beams emitted from the laser source, a front monitor light-guiding plate which guides part of the light beams emitted from the laser source to the front monitor. The front monitor light-guiding plate is arranged between the laser source and the objective lens, at least a part of a region of the front monitor light-guiding plate illuminated by the light beams emitted from the laser source has a predetermined shape which causes the light beams to change traveling direction thereof by refraction and then be guided to the front monitor.
US07948854B2

An optical head apparatus of an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus is provided with a light source. An objective lens focuses an output light emitted by said light source on a disc optical recording medium for which a groove or a pit for tracking is provided. T photo-detector receives a reflected light reflected by said optical recording medium. A polarizing splitter unit splits said output light and said reflected light. A quarter-wave plate disposed between said polarizing splitter section and said objective lens. A birefringence compensating unit reduces a change in an amplitude of a track error signal caused by birefringence in a protective layer of said optical recording medium.
US07948850B2

An optical read/write apparatus causes a read/write light beam from illuminating means to strike only one side of an optical storage medium including stacked data storage layers each of which is readable/writeable separately from the other layers. In this case, the optical read/write apparatus operates so that data is read/written from/into a second data storage layer after fully recording a recordable area of a first data storage layer. Thus, light can be shone with uniform intensity across the substantially entire recordable area of the second data storage layer without using a complex read/write system even under such conditions that the transmittance to light of the first data storage layer in the recordable area may vary depending on whether any data is recorded in the recordable area.
US07948824B2

A memory device includes a clock buffer circuit. The clock buffer circuit includes a cross-coupled logic circuit. The cross-coupled logic circuit has at least two logic gates in which an output of at least one of the logic gates is coupled to an input of at least one of the logic gates. The cross-coupled logic circuit is coupled to an input for accepting a clock signal. The memory device also includes a clock driver operable to generate a clock signal from the output of the cross-coupled logic circuit. A feedback loop from the clock signal to the cross-coupled logic circuit controls the cross-coupled logic circuit. A buffer circuit including a tri-state inverter is coupled to the clock signal to maintain the clock signal while avoiding contention with the clock generator. The memory device is enabled by a chip select signal.
US07948823B2

A semiconductor memory device having a plurality of cell blocks includes: a block decoding unit configured to decode an input address for selecting a corresponding cell block to generate a block selection signal; a block information address generating unit configured to perform a logic operation on the block selection signal and an assignment address for selecting a word line to be activated within the corresponding cell block to generate a block information address activated only when the corresponding cell block is selected; and a word line driving unit configured to select a word line in response to the block information address.
US07948821B2

A memory has a serial interface. The serial interface is programmable to either use separate dedicated input and output pads, or to use one bidirectional pad. When one bidirectional pad is used, the interface signal count is reduced by one.
US07948818B1

An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a memory module that stores at least one of data and code. A memory repair database stores data relating to defective memory addresses. A memory control module detects defective memory locations in the memory module, locates redundant memory elements in the memory module, and stores information that associates memory addresses of the defective memory locations with the redundant memory elements in the memory repair database. Storing said information includes electrically altering at least one of a plurality of electrical fuses. A redundant memory decoder module receives the information and physically remaps the memory addresses to the redundant memory locations.
US07948816B2

A memory is disclosed that comprises: an input for receiving an input signal and an output for outputting data; a plurality of data storage cells for storing individual units of data; said plurality of data storage cells being arranged in an array; a plurality of said arrays; each of said arrays comprising detecting circuitry for detecting and outputting stored data in response to a control signal received at said detecting circuitry; delay circuitry for providing a delay to said control signal sent to said detecting circuitry of at least some of said plurality of arrays, said delay provided to said control signal being longer for at least one array located closer to an input and output of said memory than it is to at least one array located further from an input and output of said memory.
US07948813B2

A reading method includes: selecting the memory cell; performing a read operation on the selected memory cell to supply the read voltage, amplifying a first voltage read out from the selected memory element, outputting a second voltage obtained by amplifying the first voltage, and storing the second voltage as a first read state; performing a write operation on the selected memory cell to supply one of the first and second write voltages, regarding a third voltage appearing on the second line during the write operation as a second read state, comparing the first read state with the second read state, and deciding a state stored in the memory element before the read operation, as a read logic state on the basis of a result of the comparison; and writing the decided read logic state into the memory element if a logic state written in the write operation is different from the decided read logic state.
US07948807B2

The present invention describes a semiconductor memory device that can reduce current consumption occurring in a data write path. The semiconductor memory device includes a write path over which any one of general data and representative data corresponding to a particular mode is transferred in correspondence with a prescribed pad. A routing controller allows the representative data to be routed over a transfer path corresponding to any other pads in the particular mode and prevents the general data from being routed over the transfer path in modes other than the particular mode. The semiconductor memory device can reduce current consumption caused by unnecessary toggling of the data through utilization of the routing controller.
US07948802B2

The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for operating memory cells. One method embodiment includes applying a ramping voltage to a control gate of a memory cell and to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The aforementioned embodiment of a method also includes detecting an output of the ADC at least partially in response to when the ramping voltage causes the memory cell to trip sense circuitry.
US07948788B2

A method for driving a ferroelectric memory device having a plurality of memory cells that store data and a memory cell for flag is provided. The method includes, upon writing to the plurality of memory cells, the steps of: reading data from the plurality of memory cells and the memory cell for flag; judging as to whether the data readout from the memory cell for flag is specified data; overwriting write data to the plurality of memory cells, and writing reverse data of the specified data to the memory cell for flag, when the data readout from the memory cell for flag is the specified data; and rewriting the data readout from the plurality of memory cells to the plurality of memory cells, and writing the reverse data to the memory cell for flag, when the data readout from the memory cell for flag is the reverse data.
US07948779B2

Converter and method for controlling a converter with power semiconductor switches, having a filter (1) which is connected to the power semiconductor switches and having a drive circuit (4) which is connected to the power semiconductor switches for the purpose of modulation, wherein, as a result of the modulation, a fundamental at a fundamental frequency (fGS) is generated in a passband (P) of the filter (1), modulation products are generated in a first frequency band (FB1), in a second frequency band (FB2) and in an intermediate frequency band (ZFB) which is formed between the first frequency band (FB1) and the second frequency band (FB2), the modulation products in the intermediate frequency band (ZFB) are reduced in comparison with the modulation products in the first frequency band (FB1) and the modulation products in the second frequency band (FB2); and the intermediate frequency band (ZFB) is generated, in a resonant range (R) of a resonant frequency (fres) of the filter (1), between the passband (P) and an attenuation range (D) of the filter (1). A converter having an output-side sinusoidal filter whose dimensions have been reduced is thus obtained.
US07948764B2

Method for mounting an electronic component, such as a silicon chip, on a support which consists in: providing an electronic component (40) having connection pads, whereof one predetermined pad (41A) is provided with a bump (42); providing a support having (30) to the predetermined pad via the bump; aligning the predetermined pad provided with the bump with the terminal; contacting the bump and the terminal and assembling them in specific temperature and pressure conditions. Prior to contacting and fixing the bump and the terminal, the surface of the terminal is covered with an insulating layer (32), the insulating layer being a material selected so as to be traversed by the bump in the temperature and pressure conditions.
US07948759B2

An installation assembly for installing a number of hard disk drives includes a bracket and a number of holders. Each holder is used for holding a hard disk drive. Each holder is slidably mounted to the bracket.
US07948758B2

The invention relates to a circuit board unit and a method for production thereof. The circuit board unit comprises a circuit board topmost laminate with conductive tracks on the upper side for mounting surface-mountable devices. The circuit board topmost laminate features a thickness dimensioned such that the anticipated heat dissipated by the surface-mountable devices is transported from the upper side to the underside of the circuit board laminate to good effect. The circuit board unit further comprises an electrically insulating laminate arranged under the circuit board topmost laminate, inserts made of a material with good heat conductivity and electrical insulation embedded in the electrically insulating laminate at sites below surface-mountable devices with high heat dissipation, and a cooling plate arranged below the electrically insulating laminate and the inserts.
US07948757B2

A method of fabricating a multi-fluid cooling system is provided for removing heat from one or more electronic devices. The cooling system includes a multi-fluid manifold structure with at least one first fluid inlet orifice and at least one second fluid inlet orifice for concurrently, separately injecting a first fluid and a second fluid onto a surface to be cooled when the cooling system is employed to cool one or more electronic devices, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are immiscible, and the first fluid has a lower boiling point temperature than the second fluid. When the cooling system is employed to cool one or more electronic devices and the first fluid boils, evolving first fluid vapor condenses in situ by direct contact with the second fluid of higher boiling point temperature.
US07948751B2

A security device protects information handling systems from theft with a reduced footprint at the information handling system by interfacing a key receptacle with a lock hook through a flexible member, such as a coaxial cable. Rotation at the key receptacle by a key translates through the flexible member to the lock hook so that the lock hook rotates to a locked position in a lock body integrated with the information handling system chassis. The flexible member avoids or reduces leverage placed on the lock body through the security device.
US07948750B2

An electronic device includes a chassis, an electronic component, a heat sink having a base and a thermal module. The chassis includes a bottom plate and a side plate surrounding the bottom plate. A cutout is defined in the side plate. The electronic component is arranged on the bottom plate and faces the cutout of the side plate. The base of the heat sink is arranged on the electronic component, and the thermal module is arranged on the base of the heat sink. The thermal module is assembled onto the base by extending through the cutout and can be taken out of the chassis through the cutout. The thermal module and the heat sink together dissipate heat generated by the electronic component when the thermal module is inserted into the chassis.
US07948740B2

A method of manufacturing a solid electrolytic capacitor includes: rolling an anode foil, a cathode foil and a separator together, the separator being a mixed fiber composed of a chemical fiber and a natural fiber and being between the anode foil and the cathode foil; degrading and removing the natural fiber with enzyme; and forming an electrolytic layer composed of solid polymer between the anode foil and the cathode foil after degrading and removing the natural fiber.
US07948725B2

A composite integrated semiconductor device. In one embodiment, an input surge/noise absorbing circuit absorbs surge from an input signal, an attenuating circuit attenuates the input signal, and an electrical signal converting circuit converts the input signal to an output signal. The input surge/noise absorbing circuit, the attenuating circuit, and the electrical signal converting circuit together form a unit, and a plurality of these units are arranged in parallel in one semiconductor substrate to form the composite integrated semiconductor device, resulting in a reduction in the number of discrete components mounted on a printed circuit board.
US07948724B2

A bracket is provided for supporting a current transformer on a printed circuit board including a first aperture and a second aperture. The bracket includes a base portion including first and second ends, the base portion extending therebetween; a first mounting portion extending laterally from the first end of the base portion to an end of the first mounting portion, the first mounting portion being structured to be coupled with the first aperture in the printed circuit board; and a second mounting portion extending laterally from the second end of the base portion to an end of the second mounting portion, the second mounting portion being structured to be coupled with the second aperture in the printed circuit board. The end of the first mounting portion forms a first tab and the end of the second mounting portion forms a second tab, which are structured to extend through and be coupled with the first and second apertures, respectively.
US07948722B2

A differential protection device comprising: differential current measuring means, processing means connected to the measuring means and comprising operating rating selection means and time delay selection means to select tripping curves, actuating means, and test means connected to the measuring means. In the protection device the test means are associated with the operating rating selection means and with the time delay selection means to select a minimum or reduced operating rating and to select a minimum or reduced time delay when said test means are actuated.
US07948720B2

A power controller having good transient performance and including a voltage regulator and one or more (K) transient recovery circuits is described. The voltage regulator receives a supply voltage and generates a regulator output signal used to generate K output voltages for K loads. Each transient recovery circuit detects for transients in a respective output voltage and corrects the detected transients. In one design, the transient recovery circuit compares the output voltage against a low threshold voltage, detects a low transient when the output voltage is below the low threshold voltage, and couples the output voltage to a high voltage to correct the low transient. Alternatively or additionally, the transient recovery circuit compares the output voltage against a high threshold voltage, detects a high transient when the output voltage is above the high threshold voltage, and couples the output voltage to a low voltage to correct the high transient.
US07948717B2

A magneto-resistance effect element includes a first magnetic layer of which a magnetization direction is fixed; a second magnetic layer of which a magnetization direction is fixed; an intermediate layer which is provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; and a pair of electrodes for flowing a current perpendicular to a film surface of the resultant laminated body comprised of the first magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer and the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes insulating portions and metallic portions containing at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Cr and the metallic portions are contacted with the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.
US07948713B2

A magnetic head slider includes at least one thin-film magnetic head formed on a trailing surface of the magnetic head slider, and an ABS to be faced a magnetic disk in operation. At least a part of the ABS is made of a giant magnetostrictive material.
US07948712B2

A transducer carrying structure includes a first portion carrying the transducer, a second portion spaced from the transducer, and a spacing control actuation system operable to adjust a position of the first portion of the transducer carrying structure. An overcoat is provided on a surface of the transducer carrying structure. The overcoat has a first thickness in the first region of the transducer carrying structure and a second thickness in the second region of the transducer carrying structure, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness. This configuration provides increased wear robustness to the transducer carrying structure without causing the transducer to be excessively spaced from a medium during operation of the transducer.
US07948708B2

An apparatus, system, and method comprise a magnetoresistive head configured to respond to magnetization states of patterned cells formed on a patterned medium. The magnetoresistive head detects the magnetization states of at least two patterned cells formed on a patterned medium. The magnetoresistive head generates a readback signal based on the magnetization state of the at least two patterned cells. A detector circuit coupled to the head determines a bit pattern corresponding to the readback signal. A processor circuit coupled to the detector circuit determines positional information associated with the magnetoresistive head relative to the at least two patterned cells based on the bit pattern. The system further comprises a patterned medium.
US07948687B2

A zoom lens is composed, in order from the object side thereof, of a front side lens unit having a negative refracting power at the wide angle end and a rear side lens unit having a positive refracting power at the wide angle end. The front side lens unit includes a first lens unit located closest to the object side and having a positive refracting power and a second lens unit located on the image side of the first lens unit and having a negative refracting power. The distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is larger at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The rear side lens unit includes a third lens unit located closer to the object side at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end and having a positive refracting power, the distance between the third lens unit and the second lens unit being smaller at the telephoto end than at the wide angle end. The third lens unit satisfies the following condition: 0.01
US07948682B2

An apparatus includes first and second portions. The first portion has optics which cause first radiation within a selected waveband to travel along a path of travel and to have a selected field of view. The second portion introduces second radiation within the selected waveband into the field of view, without any significant degradation of a transmission efficiency of the first radiation along the path of travel. The second radiation then travels with the first radiation along the path of travel.
US07948666B2

At the time of setting a correction value for a certain density (subject density), a higher side density that is higher than the certain density and a lower side density that is lower than the certain density to be referenced according to the measured value of a region printed at the certain density are arbitrarily specified, and a correction value for the certain density is set by using at least one of a measured value of the density of a region printed at the arbitrarily specified higher side density and a measured value of the density of a region printed at the arbitrarily specified lower side density.
US07948664B2

A similarity calculation process section registers the largest number of votes of the image of the first document, the index representing the document, and the category of the document into a category table. For the images of the documents being successively read after the document being read first, the similarity calculation process section determines the similarity of the documents based on the result of the voting inputted from a vote process section. When the similarity is lower than a threshold value, determining that the images are not similar to the image of the document registered in the category table, the similarity calculation process section registers the indices representing the documents, the largest numbers of votes of the documents and new categories into the category table, and outputs the result of the determination (classification signal).
US07948662B2

Generation of an electronic document which leaves density difference information between the background of a document and a correcting liquid applied surface is in demand. Hence, upon reading a document image and converting it into an electronic document, the background density of the document is read from the read image, and a lower density region having a density lower than the background density is extracted from the read image using the background density.
US07948655B2

There is disclosed an image processing apparatus which applies an adjusting process to an image that includes a pixel to be processed. The image processing apparatus extracts an image area with a predetermined size including the pixel to be processed. The apparatus calculates a variation associated with the pixel to be processed from signal values of pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates a variation time count in the image area from the signal values of the pixels included in the image area. The apparatus calculates adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe from the variation time count and the variation using a definition unit which defines correspondence among the variation time count, the variation, and the adjusting levels, and applies an adjusting process to a signal value of the pixel to be processed by the calculated adjusting levels. Note that the definition unit defines the correspondence so that the adjusting levels Fz1, Fz2, and Fe progressively change in accordance with different variation time counts or different variations.
US07948653B2

A printing calorimetric control device of the present invention is configured to comprise a reception section which receives a designation for a colorimetry position on a predetermined image; a printing control section which prints an image on a print medium on the basis of image data which represent the predetermined image; a determination section which determines a position when a colorimetry section is caused to perform colorimetry on the predetermined image printed on the print medium on the basis of the designation; a conveyance section which conveys the print medium for which printing has been completed on the basis of the position thus determined; and a colorimetric control section which acquires a colorimetry value of the colorimetry position of the designation by causing the colorimetry section to execute colorimetry on the basis of the position thus determined.
US07948648B2

An electronic pen for interacting with a substrate having coded data disposed thereon. The pen comprises: an image sensor for sensing the coded data when the pen is used to interact with the surface; a cartridge having a nib for contacting the surface; a retraction mechanism for slidably moving the cartridge between a retracted position and an extended position; a force sensor cooperating with the retraction mechanism; and a processor configured to generate indicating data indicative of the interaction with the substrate. The image sensor is configured to sense the coded data only when the force sensor detects that the nib is in contact with the substrate.
US07948637B2

In certain aspects, disclosed methods include combining reference light reflected from a reference surface with test light reflected from a test surface to form combined light, the test and reference light being derived from a common source, sinusoidally varying a phase between the test light and reference light, where the sinusoidal phase variation has an amplitude u, recording at least one interference signal related to changes in an intensity of the combined light in response to the sinusoidal variation of the phase, determining information related to the phase using a phase shifting algorithm that has a sensitivity that varies as a function of the sinusoidal phase shift amplitude, where the sensitivity of the algorithm at 2 u is 10% or less of the sensitivity of the algorithm at u.
US07948632B2

A non-destructive method and device for analyzing a sample comprising transparent living and/or dead cells, by 5 means of a digital holographic microscope, where the sample (8) is exposed to light from a laser (2). The light that travels through the cells in the sample will experience a difference in the optical path length compared to the surrounding media and the wave front that emerges from the 10 cells will thus be phase shifted. This distortion can be detected in the digital hologram, which is reconstructed from the interference pattern detected by a digital sensor (17), such as a CCD or a CMOS, as phase differences or phase shifts and thereby creating a digital hologram. The 15 phase shift of each element of the hologram is then used for analyzing the characteristics of the cells in the sample.
US07948630B2

Provided is a method for focusing a workpiece in the Z-axis for optical metrology. The auto focusing subsystem includes a focus detector having a tilt angle, a capture range, and a plurality of sensors. A processor coupled to the focus detector is configured to utilize the plurality of focus signals measured using the focus detector to determine two or more focus parameters. The two or more focus parameters and calibration data are used to determine an initial position of the workpiece and to generate instructions to move the workpiece to a best focus position.
US07948626B2

The device comprises a laser source which emits a beam of a predetermined wavelength towards an optically transparent closed container and detectors arranged to detect the laser beam which is attenuated by the gas absorption. The detectors provide the first data of absorption representative of a first absorption spectrum of the gas including distorted absorption lines and noise. The invention implements a method of calculation aimed at receiving and elaborating said first data. The output of the operation are parameters that represent a second absorption spectrum free of noise and distortion in the absorption lines. From these parameters we are able to determine the gas pressure and concentration in the container.
US07948625B2

The present invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for analyzing biological samples. The apparatus, systems, and methods can involve using a vacuum source to pull microfluidic volumes through analytical equipment, such as flow cells and the like. Additionally, the invention involves using optical equipment in conjunction with the analytical equipment to analyze samples and control the operation thereof.
US07948619B2

A cuvette with at least one sealing element and two transparent elements is provided where the latter are arranged at a distance from one another and define two opposing boundary faces of a sample channel and the sealing element defines side walls of the sample channel as a result of which the sample channel is formed as a channel that is closed in the longitudinal direction with an inlet opening and an outlet opening. At least one spacer is provided which keeps the transparent elements at a distance from one another. At least one of the two transparent elements has a projection which extends towards the other transparent element and forms a boundary surface of the sample channel such that the height of the sample channel is less than the height of the at least one spacer.
US07948615B2

A non-destructive method for characterizing a surface-illuminated integrated optical coupler associated with an optical waveguide, comprising the steps of measuring the reflection coefficient on a first region of the coupler at a distance from the optical waveguide and constructing a first curve, determining a first model of the reflection coefficient on the first region, performing a first parameter fitting between the first curve and the first model to determine first parameters, measuring the reflection coefficient on a second region of the coupler close to the guide, and constructing a second curve, determining a second model of the reflection coefficient on the second region, performing a second parameter fitting between the second curve and the second model to determine second parameters, and constructing the characteristic of the coupling efficiency of the coupler using the first and second parameters.
US07948607B2

An immersion lithography apparatus includes an optical system having a liquid delivery unit. The liquid delivery unit is arranged to deliver a layer of an immersion liquid onto a surface of a wafer as well as an annulus of a barrier liquid adjacent an exterior wall of the immersion liquid. The presence of the barrier liquid prevents ingress to the immersion liquid of a gas external to the immersion liquid.
US07948604B2

An exposure apparatus, wherein exposure is carried out while filling a space between a projection optical system and a substrate with a liquid, enables to suppress deterioration of a pattern image caused by any bubble in the liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a liquid supply unite 1 which fills at least a part of the space between the projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid 50, and exposes the substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate via the projection optical system. The liquid supply unite 1 includes a degassing unit 21 which suppresses the generation of the bubble in the liquid 50.
US07948592B2

A display device includes a display panel, a first optical unit, and a second optical unit. The display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer is operated in a vertical alignment mode. The first optical unit includes a C-plate and a first polarization plate having a first absorption axis. The second optical unit includes a positive A-plate, a negative A-plate, and a second polarization plate having a second absorption axis substantially perpendicular to the first absorption axis. The positive A-plate and the negative A-plate may gather dispersed polarization states of a colored light.
US07948583B2

A coloring composition for a color filter, which includes a transparent resin, an organic pigment dispersed in the transparent resin, and a retardation-regulating agent containing a compound which is capable of increasing a retardation. A color filter which is provided with colored pixels formed on a transparent substrate by using this coloring composition. A liquid crystal display device which is provided with this color filter.
US07948578B2

An LCD device includes an LCD panel for displaying images, a printed circuit board connected to one side of the LCD panel and supplying a driving signal to the LCD panel, and including a connection hole, a bottom chassis and a middle mold receiving the LCD panel, and a top chassis protecting the LCD panel and the middle mold, wherein the bottom chassis includes a hook fixing the source PCB.
US07948576B2

Methods and apparatus for aligning a display stack with respect to a housing associated with a portable electronic device are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a chassis arrangement suitable for use in aligning a display stack with respect to a housing includes a first portion, a second portion, and a coupling arrangement. The first portion is configured to engage the display stack, and the second portion is configured to enable the display stack to be manipulated when the display stack is engaged by the first portion. The coupling arrangement couples the first portion with the second portion, and is configured to enable the second portion to be detached from the first portion.
US07948566B2

In a liquid crystal display apparatus realizing a dual view display by bonding a liquid crystal panel and a parallax barrier, the parallax barrier separates display images by treating three pixels including R, G, and B pixels as one unit (one picture element). At this time, luminance variation due to crosstalk concentrates on a right-end pixel among the three pixels constituting the one picture element (in a case where each pixel receives data from a source line immediately on the left of the pixel). Accordingly, the right-end pixel is arranged to be a B pixel that has a low correlation with luminance information and in which influence of crosstalk is hard to be viewed. Further, an applied voltage to be supplied to the display pixel of the B (blue) color and an input gradation are set to have a relationship along a γ curve that makes luminance variation difficult to occur in a low luminance area.
US07948563B2

Provided are an apparatus and method for automatically adjusting luminance, and more particularly, apparatus and method for automatically adjusting luminance per region in plurality of luminance regions of an image to be displayed according to its average luminance value. An average luminance of an image is detected, and then contrast and brightness of image is automatically adjusted according to detected average luminance. Amplification of contrast and brightness is increased to brighten an image in an image with low luminance and reduced to suppress image dazzle in an image with high luminance, thereby providing user with an image of appropriate brightness, irrespective of original brightness. It is possible to prevent diversion of image by dividing its luminance level into a plurality of regions and controlling contrast and luminance per region. Further, a buffer region between luminance regions prevents flickering of image on a screen due to diversion of an adjustable gain.
US07948558B2

A method and apparatus for synchronizing audio and video portions of a media program signal is disclosed. In a transmitting embodiment, the method comprises the steps of identifying a video event according to an video event discriminant in the video signal, and inserting a timing signal into the audio signal, and the apparatus comprises a video analysis module for identifying a video event according to an video event discriminant in the video signal, a timing signal generator for generating a timing signal, and a mixer for inserting the timing signal into the audio signal.
US07948546B2

A solid-state imaging apparatus including a solid-state imaging device having a pixel section having unit pixels for generating imaging signal associated with an object each formed of a first pixel and a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, a read drive section where one or more pixels of the first and second pixels are respectively treated as a read unit group so as to effect read operation by the read unit group based on a setting signal inputted from an external source, and an output section for generating a difference signal between signals outputted from the first and second pixels to output it as an imaging signal associated with the unit pixel; and a section for interpolating an imaging signal at a predetermined location between the unit pixels based on imaging signals outputted from the difference signal output section.
US07948537B2

A method for resetting image sensing and an image sensing device using the same are provided. The method for resetting image sensing includes generating a plurality of reset signals and a plurality of control signals, and using the reset signals and the control signals to control a pixel array to reset and expose. The pixel array has a plurality of pixel blocks, each of the pixel blocks has a plurality of pixel sensing units. When the plurality of pixel sensing units of one of the pixel blocks expose to acquire a plurality of sensing signals sequentially, the plurality of pixel sensing units of another one of the pixel blocks are reset.
US07948536B2

A method and apparatus for equalizing gain in an array of electron multiplication (EM) pixels is disclosed, each pixel having one or more impact ionization gain stages with implants to achieve charge transfer directionality and comprising a phase 1 clocked gate, an EM clocked gate, and two DC gates formed between the phase 1 clocked gate and the EM clocked gate, comprising the steps of (a) applying initial voltages to each of the DC gates and the EM clocked gates of at least two pixels of a plurality of pixels; (b) clocking phase 1 clock gates and an EM clock gates associated with the at least two pixels of the plurality of pixels a predetermined number of times to achieve an average pixel intensity value after impact ionization gain; and (c) selectively adjusting the difference in voltage between the DC gate and corresponding EM clocked gate of the at least two pixels of the plurality of pixels until the difference between the resulting pixel intensity values and the average pixel intensity value needed to produce a desired uniform gain image is below a predetermined threshold.
US07948530B2

An imaging device includes a read circuit having a bias circuit for biasing the signal currents output from a sensor array to correct variations of the sensor array. The bias current is determined so that the number of pixel data output from the read circuit which are below or above the threshold is equal to a specified number setting for the number of pixel data. A fixed pattern noise (FPN) correction circuit determines the full scale of the FPN correction current based on the bias current.
US07948519B2

An intelligent light source for use with the test of a digital camera module provides a plurality of shapes of light. A fast light pulse is created with turn-on and turn-off transitions less than or equal to one microsecond. Other waveform shapes comprise a ramp and a sinusoid, and all shapes can be made to occur once or repetitively. The magnitude of the light has a range from 0.01 LUX to 1000 LUX, and the ramp has a ramp time that has a range from microseconds to 100 ms. The light comprises of a plurality of colors created by serial connected strings of LED devices, where the LED devices in a string emit the same color. The light emanating from the light source is calibrated using a photo diode and the control of a tester by adjusting offset voltages of a DAC controlling a current through the LED strings.
US07948514B2

High-precision normal information on the surface of a subject is generated by capturing an image of the subject. A normal information generating device captures the image of the subject and thereby passively generates normal information on the surface of the subject. The normal information generating device includes: a stereo polarization image capturing section for receiving a plurality of polarized light beams of different polarization directions at different viewpoint positions and obtaining a plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions; and a normal information generating section for estimating a normal direction vector of the subject based on the plurality of polarization images of different viewpoint positions.
US07948513B2

A method for providing a videoconferencing service between two fourth generation wireless terminal types including cellular or wireless mobile and fixed terminals, said fixed terminals to include television receivers with a 4G wireless interface, each terminal employing a video camera, a microphone and loudspeaker. All terminal types will be rendered parametrically compatible by use of subscriber tables which identify called terminal parameters and which contain a class of service sequence which identifies the originating terminal's parameters wherein said class of service sequence is sent to the receiving terminal in an alternate caller ID along with selection characters which cause direct routing to the receiving terminal. The called subscriber may opt out of a video send mode by sending a “canned” video frame advising the caller that video is not available.
US07948508B2

An image recording apparatus includes an image forming section, a first frame for supporting the imager forming section, a second frame for supporting the first frame loosely, and a supporting section disposed on an apparatus body for supporting the second frame in a rotatable manner, wherein the first frame moves in association with a rotation of the second frame.
US07948507B2

A display device which exhibits functional effects in which color separation between sub-pixels constituting a pixel is hardly recognized and white line display is easily recognized as one line, in enlargement of the color reproduction range in image display using multi-primary colors, and thereby improves display quality, and provides a liquid crystal display device including such a display device. The display device displays an image constituted by pixels each including sub-pixels of four or more colors, wherein the pixels constituting the display device mainly include a pixel arranging a sub-pixel of a color having the highest brightness value in a central region of the pixel.
US07948505B2

The present invention provides an image signal processor, comprising: (a) an input circuit for receiving and/or holding an image signal of N-bit binary data word, where N is a positive integer; (b) a data converter converting at least M-bit data of binary data into non-binary data having multiple bits, where M is a positive integer and N≧M≧2, wherein (c) all bits of the non-binary data have a weight which is equal to, or less than, that of the least significant bit of the M-bit data of binary data; and (d) the data converter outputting the each bit of the non-binary data in sequence starting from an equal data value.
US07948504B2

A method and computer graphics program executed by a processor for interactively subdividing a region in a computer controlled graphics display system is described. The user directly manipulates a control object (or “handle”) using a pointing device such as a computer mouse with the result that the region exposing the control object is evenly divided into an array or volume of smaller regions. The distance from the position of the start of interaction with the control object (the “click”) is continuously monitored to interactively update the number of divisions in the horizontal and vertical directions. Example displays during this interaction phase include overlaid grids representing the actual position of pending subdivisions, or a matrix of abstract subregions representing the count of subregions that will be created when the user indicates that the interaction is complete by releasing the control object. Upon release of the control object, the previewed splits to the region are converted to real splits in the region.
US07948496B2

A programmable processor and method for improving the performance of processors by expanding at least two source operands, or a source and a result operand, to a width greater than the width of either the general purpose register or the data path width. The present invention provides operands which are substantially larger than the data path width of the processor by using the contents of a general purpose register to specify a memory address at which a plurality of data path widths of data can be read or written, as well as the size and shape of the operand. In addition, several instructions and apparatus for implementing these instructions are described which obtain performance advantages if the operands are not limited to the width and accessible number of general purpose registers.
US07948488B2

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to map a detail model to a destination while preserving the shape of the detail model. A destination surface (that is a smooth surface) is obtained. The destination surface is tessellated to generate a mesh representation of the destination surface. A parameterization of the mesh representation is then generated. Reverse mapping is conducted from a point of a detail model surface to a point of the destination surface via the parameterization and mesh representation.
US07948481B2

Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include systems, devices and/or methods enabling appearance comparison. The system, according to some demonstrative embodiments, may include at least one interactive imaging and display station. The station may include, for example, a mirror-display device capable of selectably operating in either or both a mirror mode or a display mode; an imaging device to capture one or more appearances appearing in a filed of view in front of the mirror-display device; and/or an image control unit to select the mode of operation of the mirror-display device according to a user command. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07948480B2

A current driving circuit includes: a reference input terminal to which a first reference current is given; a current mirror circuit for receiving the first reference current and outputting a first internal current corresponding to the first reference current; a bias voltage generation section for receiving the first internal current and generating a bias voltage corresponding to the first internal current; an output reference current generation section for receiving the bias voltage and generating a second reference current corresponding to the bias voltage; a reference current output terminal for outputting the second reference current; an internal current generation transistor for receiving at a gate thereof the bias voltage and generating a second internal current corresponding to the bias voltage; and an output current generation section for receiving the second internal current and generating n output currents corresponding to the second internal current.
US07948476B2

A touch panel 47 is constructed by a display/sensor unit 51a which is slightly larger than a display screen of an LCD 46 and a sensor unit 51b which is projected to the outside from one side, for example, from one side on the right. A finger 52 of the user is touched to a selection item such as desired button, icon, or the like on the display/sensor unit 51a and vertically moved on the sensor unit 51b. A selection display 53 constructed by a plurality of buttons is displayed along the side of the right side of the display screen by the LCD 46. A button beside the finger 52 is highlighted and when the finger 52 is released, the highlighted button is selected. If there are no buttons adjacent to the finger 52, the button is not highlighted. Even if the finger 52 is released, the state is not changed. When finger 52 is moved to the display/sensor unit 51a, the selection display 53 disappears.
US07948468B2

The present disclosure may relate generally to controlling multiple light sources and to systems and methods for reducing inefficiencies and interference in a light emitting diode (LED)-based backlighting systems for LCD televisions.
US07948464B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a memory-type liquid crystal display device capable of controlling a color to be displayed in a peripheral area without using display data based on which display is achieved in the peripheral area. The memory-type liquid crystal display device having a display area and a peripheral area located on the perimeter of the display area, comprising a memory-type liquid crystal provided between first and second substrates and has a first stable state and a second stable state, a first pixel disposed on the display area, a second pixel disposed on the peripheral area and a control unit that applies a reset pulse to a portion of the memory-type liquid crystal corresponding to the first and second pixel so that the portion of the memory-type liquid crystal corresponding to the first and second pixels becomes one of the first and second stable states at a reset period which resets a state of the memory-type liquid crystal, and controls the memory-type liquid crystal so that a portion of the memory-type liquid crystal corresponding to the second pixel maintains its stable state of the reset period at a frame period after the reset period.
US07948459B2

A display device includes scanning lines disposed along rows of display pixels, signal lines disposed along columns of the display pixels, pixel switches disposed near intersections between the scanning lines and the signal lines, pixel electrodes connected to the pixel switches, a counter-electrode disposed to be opposed to the pixel electrodes, storage capacitance lines disposed substantially parallel to the scanning lines, first inspection switches connected to the scanning lines in a peripheral section, second inspection switches connected to the signal lines in the peripheral section, a first wiring line which supplies a signal for turning on/off the first inspection switches, a second wiring line which supplies a signal for turning on/off the second inspection switches, and a third wiring line which applies a signal to the counter-electrode and the storage capacitance lines.
US07948454B2

A method for driving a light-emitting diode includes the step of modulating the luminance of the light-emitting diode with current density within the range of 20 A/cm2 or less. The light-emitting diode includes a p-type layer, an n-type layer, and a light-emitting layer disposed therebetween and having an indium-containing quantum well structure. Each of the p-type layer, the n-type layer, and the light-emitting layer includes a nitride-based group III-V compound semiconductor crystal having a wurtzite structure. The light-emitting layer has a main surface inclined at an angle of 0.25° to 2° with respect to a c-plane.
US07948451B2

An interactive method of presenting information in an image to a user, who carries a head-mounted display device that presents an image of the surroundings. The user's head position and direction are established in relation to the surroundings and a calculating device establishes, based on this, which part of the surroundings is positioned in front of the user's head. Furthermore, the calculating device establishes where in a chain of information the user is positioned and, based on this, presents information in the form of a virtual image which is mixed with the real image. A central part of the image is then defined and fields and/or objects outside this area are shown in a non-disturbing way until the user's gaze has left the central part. The user informs the calculating device that he/she has received the information and, respectively, performed the current operations by looking at the fields/objects.
US07948450B2

An apparatus for allowing display modules to communicate information about themselves to other display modules in the same display panel, comprising a module-based display panel wherein each face of the panel comprises a plurality of display modules, wherein the transmitters, receivers and/or transceivers are configured so that each transmitter or transceiver on a given display module is adjacent to a receiver or transceiver on an adjacent display module, wherein the transmitters or transceivers on a given display module transmit information about that display module to the adjacent receivers or transceivers, wherein the receivers or transceivers on a given display module receive information about the adjacent display module from the adjacent transmitters or transceivers, and wherein the information is used by the display modules and/or a main controller to determine the location of the display module within a display panel.
US07948448B2

A presentation system and method for presenting information to an audience within a space hat includes a plurality of mobile projectors and a master presentation unit that can be moved into a presentation space and associated where the projectors and master unit are quickly linkable via a network and where the master unit expedites the system configuration process to allow the system user to manipulate images presented by all of the projectors.
US07948445B2

Provided are a first planar radiating element and second planar radiating element that have at least one side. At least the first or second radiating element has a strip-shaped element. A first side of the first radiating element and a second side of the second radiating element are so disposed as to be parallel to each other, face each other and be shifted slightly in a parallel direction. The strip-shaped element is so disposed as to be connected to any side other than the first and second sides of the first and second radiating elements, run parallel to the first and second sides, and not go beyond tips positioned at the outermost points of the first and second sides.
US07948437B2

Positional information is provided at a place out of reach of radio wave. The process executed by a positional information providing apparatus includes the steps of: obtaining a received positioning signal; specifying an emission source of the positioning signal; obtaining, when the emission source of the positioning signal is outdoors, a navigation message included in the positioning signal; executing a process for calculating the position based on the signal; obtaining, when the emission source of the positioning signal is indoors, message data from the positioning signal; obtaining coordinate values from the data; and displaying positional information based on the coordinate values.
US07948434B2

Aspects of a method and system for maintaining a GNSS receiver in a hot-start state are provided. A GNSS receiver in a standby mode may transition from a sleep state to a wakeup state to acquire ephemeris from, for example, GPS signals, GALILEO signals, and/or GLONASS signals. The acquired ephemeris may be stored and utilized for the GNSS receiver to generate a navigation solution in a normal mode. The GNSS receiver may transition from the normal mode to the sleep state or the wakeup state in standby mode. A sleep period and a wakeup period for the full sleep-wakeup cycle in the standby mode may be predetermined or dynamically adjusted based on required QoS, quality of satellite signals, and/or user inputs. The sleep period and the wakeup period may be selected in a way to ensure a valid and complete ephemeris to be acquired.
US07948429B2

Methods and apparatus for processing data from a low beam channel, a high beam channel and a weather channel to perform an altitude estimation based upon a target amplitude ratio between the low beam channel and the high beam channel and target range, and for performing target detection based upon data from the weather channel. In one embodiment, migrating birds can be more accurately detected and classified than with conventional systems.
US07948416B2

A device includes an upsampling digital-analog converter (DAC) and logic to add a DC offset to a signal input to the DAC, the logic adapted to set the DC signal to cancel a DAC output spur.
US07948414B2

A delta-sigma analog-to-digital conversion apparatus for receiving an analog input signal to generate a digital output signal includes a subtracting unit, a quantizer, and a feedback unit. The subtracting unit is utilized for performing a subtraction function to generate a subtracted signal according to the analog input signal and a feedback signal. The quantizer is coupled to the subtracting unit and utilized for performing quantization to generate a quantized signal according to the subtracted signal. The feedback unit is coupled between the subtracting unit and the quantizer, and utilized for providing the feedback signal to the subtracting unit according to the quantized signal. The subtracting unit is arranged to reduce signal input swing of the quantizer.
US07948408B2

Methods and apparatus for entropy decoding are disclosed. Compressed input data representing one or more signals is loaded into one or more registers. A first candidate value for a most probable signal case is prepared from the input data. A second candidate value for a least probable signal case is prepared from the input data. A final signal value for the one or more signals is selected from the first and second candidate values and an output bin value is generated based on the final signal value. A processor readable medium having embodied therein processor readable instructions for implementing the method for entropy decoding is also disclosed. In addition, a method of avoiding a branch instruction in an electronic processing algorithm is disclosed.
US07948407B2

A high-speed serial interface circuit includes a data receiver circuit, a clock signal receiver circuit, a logic circuit block that includes at least a serial/parallel conversion circuit, a free-running clock signal generation circuit, a clock signal detection circuit, and an output mask circuit. The clock signal detection circuit compares a received clock signal from the clock signal receiver circuit with a free-running clock signal from the free-running clock signal generation circuit to detect whether or not clock signals are transferred through differential clock signal lines. When the clock signal detection circuit has detected that the clock signals are not transferred through the differential clock signal lines, the output mask circuit masks an output signal from the logic circuit block so that the output signal is not transmitted to a circuit in the subsequent stage. The present invention can prevent a partial characteristic variation by NBTI by inputting a free-running clock into a logic block, and operating it.
US07948404B2

A display generator for providing obstacle avoidance guidance to a pilot is described. The display generator receives data from an obstacle avoidance dispatcher and resolver module, a hybrid ground collision avoidance module, a hybrid air collision avoidance module, a display control panel, and a navigation management module. The display generator generates obstacle avoidance display image video data, which includes symbology that represents a location of one of a predicted ground collision, a predicted air collision, and an induced collision. The display generator provides the obstacle avoidance display image video data to an image rendering device, which a pilot can use to avoid both air and ground obstacles.
US07948401B2

A method, apparatus and system for monitoring an emergency frequency at a ground station for detection of an emergency signal and, upon detecting an emergency signal, determining whether the emergency signal represents an emergency event. If an emergency event is detected, the emergency event is reported. Determining whether the emergency signal represents an emergency event may include testing validity of the emergency signal to eliminate false positives. Reporting the emergency event may include sending an emergency event message to a remote server. The emergency event message may include time information and signal strength information associated with the detected emergency event and location information associated with the ground station.
US07948392B2

A consumer electronic device (CED) having a display and including at least one light sensor for recalibrating the display at intervals, wherein the display and the at least one light sensor are mounted within different parts of a unitary housing such that when the CED is not in use the light sensor is able to monitor light from the display. Preferably, the different parts of the unitary housing comprise two hinged parts, one mounting the display, the other at least a light sensing portion of the sensor.
US07948389B2

An electronic device, for example a smoke alarm, that includes a battery carrier that includes a push to open and push to close apparatus for opening and closing the carrier. In one embodiment, the carrier is mounted so as to be pivotable between a closed position and an open position. Pivoting movement of the carrier is controlled by a double acting latch mechanism that includes at least one heart-shaped cam groove and at least one cam follower engaging with the cam groove. The carrier is a simple to access and operate to facilitate replacement of the battery. A lockout mechanism can also be provided to prevent closure of the carrier without a battery installed. In addition, a tamper resist mechanism can be provided to prevent the carrier from being opened when the carrier is at the closed position.
US07948375B2

The present invention is a method and apparatus for the detection of portable electronic device functionality. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a chemically coated antenna to serve as a trigger for device functionality detection. The chemically coated antenna may be passively or actively detected. In active detection, a detection apparatus releases a chemical which reacts or otherwise respods with the chemical trigger in a detectable manner. The detection apparatus detects the reaction, which is specific to the functionality of the portable electronic device. In passive detection, a detection device simply detects the chemical trigger, which is specific to the portable electronic device functionality. Other trigger embodiments utilizing optics, radio frequency (RF) signals, sound waves, and magnetic identification are also disclosed.
US07948373B2

A method for reducing power consumption of sensors (2) within a sensor network (1), wherein a central controller (3) calculates a transmission schedule for said sensors (2) on the basis of a correlation between sensor data transmitted from said sensors (2) to the central controller (3).
US07948370B2

Method and apparatus for communicating with a sealed electronic device via the electronic device's existing data ports for programming, testing configuration or diagnosis of the electronic device such as a transmitter unit for use in a data monitoring and management system such as analyte monitoring and management system is provided.
US07948365B2

A tire air pressure monitoring system has a plurality of sensor units and a receiver. The pressure sensor units are mounted near corresponding tires to measure tire air pressures and transmit transmission signals indicating the respective measured tire air pressures. The receiver has an antenna element, a variable capacitor and a power supply source. The variable capacitor is coupled to the antenna element. The power supply source supplies electric power to the antenna element. The voltage supplied to the variable capacitor is controlled so that a current flowing in the antenna element is changed and its directivity is changed. Thus, the transmission signals will be received more surely.
US07948356B2

A mobile terminal is capable of reducing unnecessary consumption of electric power. The mobile terminal includes a terminal status detecting unit which detects a first terminal status and a second terminal status, the first terminal status being a status of the mobile terminal before a change in the mobile terminal takes place, and the second terminal status being a status of the mobile terminal after the change in the mobile terminal takes place. The mobile terminal also includes a condition managing table which manages a condition for starting an electric power supply to an SD memory card, a judging unit which judges, when the first terminal status and the second terminal status are detected by the terminal status detecting unit, whether or not the change in the status of the mobile terminal meets the condition, and an electric power supplying unit which starts the electric power supply to the SD memory card when the change in the status of the mobile terminal is judged by the judging unit as meeting the condition.
US07948354B2

A surface-mount negative-characteristic thermistor includes a ceramic body composed of a semiconductor ceramic material including at least one of Mn, Ni, and Ti; external electrodes disposed on surfaces of the ceramic body; and plating films disposed on surfaces of the external electrodes. When the molar quantity of Mn in the semiconductor ceramic material is represented by a and when the molar quantity of Ni in the semiconductor ceramic material is represented by b, the molar ratio of Mn to Ni is in the range of 55/45≦a/b≦90/10, and when the total molar quantity of Mn and Ni in the semiconductor ceramic material is defined as 100 parts by mole, the content of Ti is in the range of about 0.5 parts by mole to about 25 parts by mole.
US07948350B2

A coil component has a first core with a winding core portion, a second core with a winding core portion, a first coil wound on the winding core portion of the first core, and a second coil wound on the winding core portion of the second core. A part of the first coil is wound on the winding core portion of the second core. The first core and the second core are arranged as magnetically separated from each other.
US07948347B2

At least two or more flat rectangular wires having been fed separately or simultaneously (two or more are superimposed) are integrated by being pinched in a width direction and a thickness direction by at least two or more pairs of rollers and are rolled and formed simultaneously in a forming part to be formed into two or more flat rectangular electric wires. The two formed electric wires are stacked in layers in a wind-up part while being wound into a disk shape to provide a multi-stage coil. Two or more systems up to the forming part of the winding apparatus may be disposed in a planar layout. Each system may supply one flat rectangular electric wire separately, and the supplied electric wires may be stacked in layers in the wind-up part while being superimposed. The coil may be molded entirely.
US07948343B2

A settings emulator for a circuit breaker trip unit includes a handheld enclosure and a plurality of adjustable rotary switches mounted on the handheld enclosure. The adjustable rotary switches define a plurality of different trip settings for the circuit breaker trip unit. A communication channel is also mounted on the handheld enclosure. A microprocessor is enclosed by the handheld enclosure. The processor reads the different trip settings from the adjustable rotary switches and communicates the different trip settings through the communication channel to the circuit breaker trip unit.
US07948342B2

An AC neutral bus electromotive power rectification unit includes a first coil unit and a second coil unit. The first coil unit includes a first conductive wire coil having a first end and an opposite second end. The conductive coil is disposed in a first non-conductive tube and is suspended in a ferrous matrix. The second coil unit includes a second conductive wire coil having a first end and an opposite second end. The first end of the second coil unit is electrically coupled to the first end of the first coil unit. The second coil unit is disposed in a second non-conductive tube and is surrounded by a non-conductive material.
US07948340B2

A three-phase, multi-winding includes a core, the core including a hub and an outer shell around a perimeter of the hub. wherein the hub and the outer shell are in a fixed position with respect to each other. The core also includes multiple slots. In addition to the core, the multi-winding device includes a primary winding positioned in at least two of the slots; and multiple spatially distributed secondary windings, wherein at least one of the secondary windings is positioned proximate the primary winding in at least one of the two slots.
US07948339B2

An electromechanical switching device, especially a contactor or a multifunctional device including a contactor, includes at least one stationary contact piece, at least one movable contact piece movable to and from the at least one stationary contact piece for opening or closing a current path and an electromagnetic drive unit including a yoke and a coil and a movable armature. In at least one embodiment, the electromagnetic drive unit is adapted to displace the movable contact piece in response to a voltage applied to the coil. The at least one movable contact piece and the at least one stationary contact piece are adapted to limit movement of the armature after activation of the electromagnetic drive unit.
US07948321B2

A FET bias circuit applies a bias voltage that is not adjusted separately to an amplifying element FET of a FET amplifying circuit. In the FET bias circuit is provided a monitor element FET m having a gate connected to the gate of the amplifying element FET a and a source connected to the source of the amplifying element FET a, respectively, and having a drain current with respect to the bias voltage substantially proportional to the drain current of the amplifying element FET a. In the FET bias circuit is further provided a fixed bias circuit for applying the bias voltage so that the amplifying element FET a enters a predetermined operating class by applying a bias voltage to the monitor element FET m so that a drain current flowing to the monitor element FET m enters a predetermined operating class.
US07948320B2

The present invention relates to a synchronization circuit for an integrated amplifier provided with a bandwidth control in accordance to a bandwidth control signal, wherein said synchronization circuit comprises a control terminal for a control signal and rank selector means connected to an internal control signal and being configured to emboss said internal control signal to said control terminal, if said internal control signal has a higher rank in accordance to a predetermined ranking criteria in comparison to said control signal. Further, the present invention relates to a respective synchronization method for continuously communicating and synchronizing of a common control signal for multiple circuits. One preferred application of the invention is in temperature protection by a synchronized bandwidth control for multiple class-AB amplifiers by means of only one additional terminal pin per amplifier. In such multi-channel amplifier configuration, the hottest amplifier dictates the amount of bandwidth reduction. By the invention the individual amplifiers can communicate about their individual temperatures, by which the temperature of the actual hottest amplifier and the respective required bandwidth reduction is determined and provided to each individual amplifier for a synchronized bandwidth reduction. Thus, in three channel RGB-amplifiers the signal integrity is advantageously maintained.
US07948317B2

A power amplifier integrated circuit, which generates an RF output signal by amplifying an RF input signal, includes a thermal-sensing circuit, a feedback circuit, a logic judging circuit, an adjusting circuit, and an amplifying circuit. The thermal-sensing circuit generates a thermal sensing signal according to the operational temperature, and the feedback circuit generates a power compensation circuit according to power variations in the RF output signal. The logic judging circuit outputs a compensation signal according to the thermal sensing signal and the power compensation signal. The adjusting circuit adjusts the level of the RF input signal according to the compensation signal, thereby generating a corresponding 1st stage RF signal. The amplifying circuit can amplify the 1st stage RF signal, thereby generating the corresponding RF output signal.
US07948305B2

A circuit having a substrate, a generator with a field effect transistor (FET) portion and a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) portion integrated in the substrate, a voltage-to-voltage conveyor integrated in the substrate, a bias circuit, and a power amplifier is disclosed.
US07948296B2

A synchronous rectifier comprising a MOSFET device, and a gate driver for driving the gate of the MOSFET device, the MOSFET device comprising first and second MOSFET transistors coupled with their drain-source paths in parallel to receive an alternating current waveform for rectification by the drain-source paths of the MOSFET transistors, the first transistor having a low Rdson and the second transistor having a high Rdson whereby the apparent Rdson of the MOSFET device is increased when the current through the MOSFET device is below a threshold thereby enabling zero crossing detection.
US07948293B1

A method of synchronizing transitions between voltage sources that are used to provide a supply voltage. A first control signal (CSclamp) that indicates whether to initiate a first transition from a first voltage source to a second voltage source to provide the supply voltage (Vgg). When the first control signal indicates to initiate a first transition from a first voltage source to a second voltage source to provide the supply voltage, the first voltage source can be deactivated from providing the supply voltage. In addition, the first voltage source can be pre-biased with a voltage pre-bias to facilitate a second transition from the second voltage source to the first voltage source. Further, the second voltage source can be activated to provide the supply voltage.
US07948290B2

An input clock dividing unit frequency-divides an input clock, and an input clock multiplying unit frequency-multiplies the input clock. An operation clock selecting unit selects the frequency-divided clock when the input clock is fast and selects the frequency-multiplied clock when the input clock is slow, based on the frequency detection result of frequency detecting unit. The operation clock selecting unit then outputs the selected clock to a phase comparing unit as an operation clock. The phase comparing unit operates according to the frequency-divided or frequency-multiplied clock, and controls an oscillating unit so that the phase difference between a reference signal and a comparison signal becomes zero. The phase of an output clock is thus caused to track the phase of the reference signal.
US07948281B2

A triangular waveform generator includes a square waveform clock circuit and an active integrator. The active integrator receives input from the square waveform clock circuit and generates a triangular waveform output. An active feedback network is operatively added to the active integrator to reduce the audio band noise content in the triangular waveform output. The feedback network acts as a DC balance without significant sacrifice in the linearity of the triangular waveform output.
US07948280B2

A sawtooth generator adapted to produce a sawtooth voltage, a method of operating the same, and a power converter employing the sawtooth generator and method. In one embodiment, the sawtooth generator includes a current source, coupled to a clock with a clock frequency, configured to produce a reference current proportional to the clock frequency. The sawtooth generator also includes an active network including a switch and a capacitor coupled to the current source and configured to provide a sawtooth voltage with a waveform slope produced across the capacitor substantially proportional to the reference current.
US07948276B2

It is presented a gate driver circuit for driving an electric switch, the switch being arranged to control a main current using a gate signal. The gate driver circuit comprises: a non-linear capacitor means having a lower capacitance when an applied voltage is under a threshold voltage and a higher capacitance when an applied voltage is over the threshold voltage, wherein the non-linear capacitor is arranged to be connected between a high voltage connection point of the switch and a connection point for the gate signal; a current change rate sensor, the current change rate sensor being configured to detect changes in a main current of the electric switch and to control a gate signal of the electric switch depending on the current change; a gate buffer; and at least one current source, arranged to drive the gate buffer. The current change rate sensor is connected to control the current source to thereby control the gate signal of the electric switch.
US07948266B2

Some embodiments provide an integrated circuit (IC) that has a first interface rate for exchanging signals in at least one direction with a circuit outside of the IC. The IC has multiple reconfigurable circuits. Each of the reconfigurable circuits is for reconfiguring at a second rate. The second rate is faster than the first interface rate. Each of the reconfigurable circuits reconfigures when configuration data that specifies an operation of the particular reconfigurable circuit changes from a first configuration data set that is stored in the IC to a second configuration data set that is also stored in the IC.
US07948263B2

A power gating circuit includes a logic circuit, a switching element and a retention flip-flop. The logic circuit is coupled between a first power rail and a virtual power rail. The switching element selectively couples the virtual power rail to a second power rail in response to a mode control signal indicating an active mode or a standby mode. The retention flip-flop selectively performs a flip-flop operation or a data retention operation in response to a voltage of the virtual power rail.
US07948261B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a target circuit of a low power consumption mode having at least one flip-flop circuit to which a clock signal is supplied in a normal operation mode and in a low power consumption mode, and a logic circuit to which each output of the at least one flip-flop circuit is input, wherein each of the flip-flop circuits includes a selector that selects a normal data signal in the normal operation mode, selects an inverted output of the flip-flop circuit in the low power consumption mode, based on an operation-mode switching signal that designates switching between the normal operation mode and the low power consumption mode, and inputs the selected signal to a data input terminal of the flip-flop circuit.
US07948250B2

The invention concerns a probe with at least two test prods, which are provided on a changing device connected to the probe and which can be alternately connected to an electric waveguide running inside the probe.
US07948248B1

A transmission line impedance compensation method includes the step of providing a measurement device that is adapted to source a test signal having a frequency to a device under test and to determine a corresponding impedance of the device under test using an auto-balanced bridge technique. A first transmission line, a second transmission line, a third transmission line, and a fourth transmission line are connected to said measurement device. An end of the first transmission line is connected to an end of second transmission line. An end of third transmission line is connected to an end of fourth transmission line. A combined phase delay of the connected first and second transmission lines, and a combined phase delay of the connected third and fourth transmission lines, are measured by the measuring device. The device under test is connected to the first transmission line, the second transmission line, the third transmission line, and the fourth transmission line after measuring the phase delays. The corresponding impedance of the device under test is determined based on both of the phase delays.
US07948242B2

An integrated circuit includes a monitoring-target circuit portion 1200 and a debugging circuit portion 1100. The debugging circuit portion 1100 acquires a signal on a signal line of the monitoring-target circuit portion 1200 and transmits the acquired signal to an external device 2000 by radio. The debugging circuit portion 1100 includes a setting unit 1120 and a radio transmitter 1140. In order to monitor the monitoring-target circuit portion 1200, the setting unit 1120 sets an isolation unit 1300 so as to make electrical connection between the debugging circuit portion 1100 and the monitoring-target circuit portion 1200. In addition, the setting unit 1120 sets a selector 1130 to select a signal line 1131 specified as a monitoring target. The radio transmitter 1140 acquires a signal on the signal line selected by the selector 1130 and transmits the acquired signal to the external device 2000 by radio.
US07948228B2

To accurately measure power source noise generated inside an integrated circuit, the power source noise measuring device comprises: a mutual inductor pair placed inside an integrated circuit, the mutual inductor pair including (i) a first inductor connected to between power source voltages of the integrated circuit and (ii) a second inductor arranged opposite the first inductor, the both ends of which second inductor are connected to external output terminals; and a power source noise measuring unit which measures power source noise of the integrated circuit on the basis of a voltage waveform output from the second inductor of said mutual inductor pair via the external output terminals.
US07948225B2

A system and method for determining the relative phase between current-carrying conductors. A reference unit samples and digitizes a voltage waveform at a reference location and transmits the digitized voltage waveform. A field sampling unit is placed on or directly adjacent a field conductor at a field location and transmits a signal representative of the voltage waveform of the field conductor. A field unit receives and digitizes the waveform received from the field sampling unit, receives the digitized voltage waveform from the reference unit, and compares the digitized field waveform and the digitized reference waveform. Also provided are methods for commissioning the phase identification system and calibrating the reference unit.
US07948221B2

The invention provides an optimal electric power converter for a DC/DC converter which variably steps up a voltage successively with an optional magnification of one to two times or more and/or step down a voltage successively with a step-down ratio of one time or less. The converter includes a first input-output part, an inductor connected with a positive or a negative electrode side of the first input-output part, plural switches, plural capacitors, a second input-output part connected with plural capacitors, and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit controls the plural switches with operation mode and makes the inductor and plural capacitors selectively functional, wherein the electric power converter is of a switched capacitance type that performs any operation out of step-up, step-down, regeneration, and continuity, and wherein the control circuit controls to have a period for which two switches out of the plural switches are simultaneously turned ON.
US07948215B2

An apparatus for generating power in an enclosure includes a power generation device configured to operate in the environmental conditions of the enclosure, a first power storage device connected to the power generation device and configured to store power generated by the power generation device, a power converter connected to the power storage device and configured to output power at a voltage different than that output by the power storage device, and a second power storage device connected directly or indirectly to the power converter and configured to store power output by the power converter. The second power storage device may then provide power for at least one component of an environmental monitoring system.
US07948210B2

A battery pack includes a plurality of lithium battery cells, an analog thermo sensing member, and an analog switch. The analog thermo sensing member detects, in an analog form, a battery temperature of at least one of the plurality of lithium battery cells, and outputs an output preventing signal if the battery temperature is over a first predetermined temperature. The analog switch element is the plurality of lithium battery cells in series, and is switched, based on the output preventing signal, to a state in which a current is prevented from flowing in the plurality of lithium battery cells.
US07948205B2

A multi-phase AC motor driving device in which occurrence of failure is not erroneously determined is provided. In a multi-phase AC motor driving device including an inverter circuit; current detecting resistances Ru, Rv, and Rw, respectively arranged on lower arm of the respective phase of the inverter circuit, for detecting phase current of the motor; and a control portion and a PWM circuit for controlling ON/OFF operation of switching devices of the inverter circuit, the determination on the occurrence of failure based on the current values detected by the current detecting resistances is not made if the ON-duty ratios of the switching devices on the upper arms of the inverter circuit are not smaller than a predetermined value.
US07948202B2

A starting circuit for a single-phase AC motor, comprising a main winding, a detecting circuit, a rectifying and filtering circuit, a triggering circuit, a switching circuit and a starting winding. The detecting circuit is connected in series to the main winding for transforming current parameters thereof into detecting signals. The switching circuit is connected in series to the starting winding. The rectifying and filtering circuit processes the detecting signals and the processed detecting signals to the triggering circuit. The triggering circuit enables or disables the switching circuit according to the detecting signals, so as to energize or deenergize the starting winding. The starting circuit features high reliability, long lifetime, simple circuit structure, low cost, and small size.
US07948193B2

An inexpensive, productivity-enhanced single-phase AC synchronous motor in which stabilized synchronous pull-in can be carried out by suppressing generation of counter torque during a starting operation. Starting operation is performed while the energizing range of motor current is suppressed such that the energizing direction of motor current waveform lagging in a phase behind the output waveform from a detection sensor (17) is switched at at least the zero cross point of the output waveform from the sensor when the number of revolutions of a permanent magnet rotor (1) reaches a predetermined number of revolutions in the vicinity of the synchronous number of revolutions.
US07948192B2

A dual redundant permanent magnet type dynamoelectric machine includes a dual flux throttle system to selectively disable one of a first motor and a second motor.
US07948190B2

Apparatus and methods for the thermal management of one or more light emitting diode (LED) modules disposed within a channel sign are disclosed. The apparatus, in various aspects, detects the ambient temperature generally proximate the LED module and regulates the current flowed onto the LED's within the LED module based upon the ambient temperature. Methods for thermal management of the one or more LED modules disposed within a channel sign are disclosed herein.
US07948188B2

A light emitting diode (LED) illuminating apparatus (100) includes a controller (20) and an illuminating member (10). The controller is configured for setting a luminance of the LED illuminating apparatus and creating a luminance level value according to the luminance. The illuminating member includes a processor (13), a regulating circuit (15) and an LED lamp (17), the processor is connected to the controller to store the value, the regulating circuit is connected to the processor to receive signals transformed from the value and form output currents sent to the LED lamp according to the signals, thus the LED lamp emits light has the predetermined luminance.
US07948187B2

A power-supply circuit is described. In particular, the power-supply circuit includes an input node configured to receive a power-supply signal, an output node configured to output a modulated power-supply signal, and a modulation mechanism coupled between the input node and the output node. This modulation mechanism is configured to modulate the power-supply signal to produce the modulated power-supply signal. Furthermore, the modulation mechanism may be configured to modulate the power-supply signal using both a first modulation and a second modulation. This first modulation is a duty-cycle modulation which controls the power output of the piezoelectric transformer signal, and the second modulation spreads harmonic energy associated with the first modulation over a range of frequencies. By spreading the harmonic energy, the perceived acoustical noise generated by the piezoelectric transformer is reduced.
US07948186B2

An exemplary backlight control circuit includes an inverter, a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit, and a frequency setting circuit. The inverter is configured to provide an alternating current voltage to a lamp. The PWM circuit is configured to provide a pulse control signal to the inverter. The frequency setting circuit is configured to regulate a frequency of the pulse control signal provided by the PWM circuit according to a temperature of the lamp.
US07948178B2

Hermetic seal for a device includes a substrate. A first strip on the substrate has a first surface wettability and a second strip on the substrate has a second surface wettability different from the first surface wettability. The seal further includes a first cover strip having the first surface wettability spaced from the first substrate strip and a second cover strip having the second surface wettability spaced from the second substrate strip in contact with the first cover strip. A sealing member wets and adheres to the first substrate and cover strips but not the second substrate and cover strips.
US07948176B2

A flat panel display device includes a display area in which a desired image is displayed, and a non-display area arranged outside the display area and bordering the display area, and further includes bank portions arranged in a pattern in the display area and partitioning a plurality of first openings, emission elements arranged at the first openings, dummy bank portions formed in the non-display area in substantially a same pattern as the bank portions and partitioning a plurality of second openings, an absorbing material layer for removing oxygen/moisture located at the second openings, and a sealing passivation layer isolating the emission elements from the outside air and including a structure having at least two layers comprising an organic film and an inorganic film deposited alternately. Thus, the emission elements are prevented from being oxidized or corroded by a harmful material, and in a manner that minimizes additional processes.
US07948174B2

A panel for a multi-panel display effectively reduces the width of its connecting portion. The panel for a multi-panel display comprises a substrate, a display element mounted on the substrate, a glass cover attached to the substrate, and a recess in the substrate between the display element and an end of the substrate, wherein the glass cover is attached to the substrate within the recess. The panel for a multi-panel display of the present invention reduces the width of the connecting portion so that a high quality continuous screen image formed on two panels can be obtained.
US07948149B2

A stator and a piezo ultrasonic motor including the same are provided. The piezo ultrasonic motor includes a stator including an elastic body having a flat portion at its outer surface and a central hole penetrating the center of the stator with a predetermined size, and a piezoelectric body including a first internal piezoelectric body and a second internal piezoelectric body integrally disposed parallel to each other in a longitudinal direction of the flat portion and providing an external force deforming the elastic body when an AC voltage is applied, a rotor inserted in the central hole and including a contact frictionally contacting an inner surface of the central hole, an elastic part providing an elastic force maintaining close attachment of the contact to the stator. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost decreases by reducing the number of elements and simplifying a structure, and a stable driving characteristic can be achieved.
US07948143B2

A stator for an electric rotary machine which includes a stator coil which is made up of conducting wires each of which includes in-slot portions disposed one in each of slots formed in a stator core and turned portions each of which connects adjacent two of the in-slot portions outside the slots. Each of the turned portions includes steps adjacent connected through a curved bend. The curved bend of one of the conducting wires is laid to overlap one of turned portions of the other conducting wire in an axial direction of the stator core through a gap. The curved bend has walls extending toward one of the turned portions of the other conducting wire to define a chamber. The walls increase a total area of the stator coil from which thermal energy will dissipate, thus enhancing the ability of the stator coil to be cooled.
US07948139B2

An electric alternator/motor having a stator with at least two non-overlapping sectors is provided. Each sector includes a first winding, first and second magnetic circuits and a saturation control assembly. A cross-talk reduction feature, such as a peripheral slit is provided between each sector of the stator for impeding magnetic flux crossing between the sectors.
US07948137B2

A rotor includes a core extending in a predetermined direction, and a plurality of magnets. The core has parts formed by magnetic materials and extending in the predetermined direction. The parts are arranged in a loop around the part, and face the part through gaps. The magnets are buried in the gaps in the form of a loop in the core. The magnets have pole faces extending in the predetermined direction. In each of the magnets, at least one of ends of the magnet protrudes forward in parallel to the predetermined direction with respect to an end of the part that is on the same side with the at least one of the ends of the magnet.
US07948113B2

A power supply management system includes means for detecting required electric power supply from electric loads installed in the motor vehicle, means for determining a distribution of amounts of the electric power to be distributed to the electric loads from an electric power resource in the motor vehicle based on the requirements of the supply of the electric power from the electric loads, and means for supplying one of amounts of the electric power to a corresponding one of the electric loads in accordance with the distribution of the amounts of the electric power.
US07948112B2

An electric equipment mounting structure includes: a PCU mounted inside an engine room of a hybrid vehicle; an air cleaner mounted inside the engine room of the hybrid vehicle with a distance between the PCU; and cables connected to a surface, facing the air cleaner, of the PCU.
US07948107B2

An energy conversion system comprising a support structure upstanding within a volume of water subject to the occurrence of both wave motion and tidal flow, a first apparatus mounted from the support for deriving usable power from the tidal flow, and a second apparatus operationally supported relative to the support structure for deriving usable power from the occurrence of wave motion independently from that derived from tidal flows and power transfer apparatus for facilitating the transfer of such usable powers to a land based location, or for making some alternative use of such power elsewhere.
US07948101B2

A platform apparatus for producing hydrogen gas from water includes a buoyant base configured for floating in a body of water, such as on the ocean, a vertical support member extending upwardly from the base, a wind turbine rotatably coupled to the support member for transforming the kinetic energy of wind into rotational energy, a generator coupled to the wind turbine for transforming the rotational energy generated into DC electricity, and an electrolysis apparatus affixed to the platform for using the electricity to extract hydrogen gas from water by the process of hydrolysis. The electrolysis apparatus preferably comprises an exchange chamber for storing water collected from the body of water, a pair of corrosion resistant electrodes, and a gas collection apparatus for collecting the hydrogen gas produced by electrolysis. The platform apparatus preferably includes a pumping apparatus powered by wave motion of the body of water for supplying water to the electrolysis apparatus. A gearing system preferably allows the generator to be driven at a greater rotational speed than the wind turbine.
US07948099B2

The invention relates to a method of controlling the power supply to an electric starter that drives heat engine of a vehicle, in which the starter power supply is stopped after each supply phase for a first pre-determined period TOFF. According to the invention, the starter power supply is inhibited for a second pre-determined period TREP which is longer than the first period TOFF, when the number NON of consecutive starter supply phase ON1, ON2, ON3, ON4 exceeds a pre-determined value NMAX without the heat engine reaching an autorotation state.
US07948095B2

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices comprising two or more dies stacked vertically on top of one another, and methods of making the semiconductor devices. The methods may comprise a combination of wafer-level through silicon interconnect fabrication and wafer-level assembly processes.
US07948090B2

An underfill composition is formulated to increase the surface tension thereof for use in capillary underfilling of an integrated circuit die that is coupled to a mounting substrate. A method includes mixing a surface tension-increasing additive with a bulk polymer and a hardener and allowing the underfill composition to flow between the integrated circuit die and the mounting substrate. An article is achieved by the method. The article can be assembled into a computing system.
US07948089B2

A chip stack package is provided, wherein semiconductor chips having different die sizes are stacked by arranging pads in a scribe region through a redistribution process, so that the thickness of the package can be reduced. A method of fabricating the chip stack package is also provided. In the chip stack package, a plurality of circuit patterns are arranged on one surface of a substrate, and a unit semiconductor chip is mounted thereon. The unit semiconductor chip includes a plurality of semiconductor chips sequentially stacked on the substrate. The semiconductor chips of the unit semiconductor chip have different die sizes. One of the semiconductor chips includes a plurality of first pads arranged in a first chip region, and the other semiconductor chips include second pads arranged in a scribe region at an outside of a second chip region defined by the scribe region.
US07948088B2

In order to improve the manufacturing yield of a semiconductor device having a three-dimensional structure in which a plurality of chips are stacked and attached to each other, the opening shape of each of conductive grooves (4A) formed in each chip (C2) obtained from a wafer (W2) is rectangular, and the number of the conductive grooves (4A) whose long-sides are directed in a Y direction and the number of the conductive grooves (4A) whose long-sides are directed in an X direction perpendicular to the Y direction are made to be approximately equal to each other number in the entire wafer (W2), whereby the film stress upon embedding of a conductive film into the interior of the conductive grooves is reduced, and generation of exfoliation and micro-cracks in the conductive film or warpage and cracks of the wafer (W2) are prevented.
US07948085B2

A circuit board structure and a fabrication method of the same are disclosed according to the present invention. The circuit board structure includes: a carrier board with at least one surface formed with a circuit layer having electrically connecting pads; a first solder mask formed on the carrier board and the circuit layer and formed with first openings for exposing the electrically connecting pads; and a second solder mask formed on the first solder mask and formed with second openings for exposing the first openings and the electrically connecting pads. The first solder mask is made of a high-insulation photosensitive material characterized by presence or absence of impurities, such as microparticles, to have enhanced fluidity for being filled in the circuit layer, thereby preventing metal ions migration and subsequent metal hypha electricity discharge which might otherwise affect electrical performance, therefore the present invention is applicable to fine circuit fabrication.
US07948084B2

In a first aspect, a first method of manufacturing a dielectric material with a reduced dielectric constant is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) forming a dielectric material layer including a trench on a substrate; and (2) forming a cladding region in the dielectric material layer by forming a plurality of air gaps in the dielectric material layer along at least one of a sidewall and a bottom of the trench so as to reduce an effective dielectric constant of the dielectric material. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US07948075B2

A silicon nitride substrate having appropriately adjusted warpage and surface roughness can be obtained by mixing magnesium oxide of 3 to 4 wt % and at least one kind of rare-earth element oxide of 2 to 5 wt % with silicon nitride source material powder to form a sheet-molded body, sintering the sheet-molded body, and performing a heat treatment at a temperature of 1,550 to 1,700 degree C. with a pressure of 0.5 to 6.0 kPa with a plurality of substrates being stacked. Also, a silicon nitride circuit board and a semiconductor module using the same are provided.
US07948069B2

A high reliability package which includes electrical terminals formed from an alloy of tungsten copper and brazed onto a surface of a ceramic substrate.
US07948067B2

In an embodiment, the invention provides a coil transducer isolator package comprising at least one lead frame, at least two integrated circuits (ICs) and a flex circuit comprising at least a first coil transducer. The first coil transducer comprises at least one metal coil. The coil transducer isolator package is fabricated such that no portion of the lead frame is physically located within a spatial volume extending substantially perpendicular to the at least one metal coil. The boundaries of the spatial volume are defined by a periphery of the at least one metal coil. At least one of the two ICs is at least partially located within the spatial volume extending substantially perpendicular to the at least one metal coil.
US07948065B1

A system and method is disclosed for providing an integrated circuit that has increased radiation hardness and reliability. A device active area of an integrated circuit is provided and a layer of radiation resistant material is applied to the device active area of the integrated circuit. In one advantageous embodiment the radiation resistant material is silicon carbide. In another advantageous embodiment a passivation layer is placed between the device active area and the layer of radiation resistant material. The integrated circuit of the present invention exhibits minimal sensitivity to (1) enhanced low dose rate sensitivity (ELDRS) effects of radiation, and (2) pre-irradiation elevated temperature stress (PETS) effects of radiation.
US07948064B2

Structures of a system on a chip are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system on a chip (SoC) includes an RF component disposed on a first part of a substrate, a semiconductor component disposed on a second part of the substrate, the semiconductor component and the RF component sharing a common boundary, and a conductive cage disposed enclosing the RF component. The conductive cage shields the semiconductor component from electromagnetic radiation originating from the RF circuit.
US07948063B2

Semiconductor devices required forming a stress control film to handle different stresses on each side when optimizing the stress on the respective P channel and N channel sections. A unique feature of the semiconductor device of this invention is that P and N channel stress are respectively optimized by making use of a stress control film jointly for the P and N channels that conveys stress in different directions by utilizing the film thickness.
US07948060B2

An integrated circuit and corresponding method of manufacture. The integrated circuit has a die comprising: an outer strengthening ring around a periphery of the die, the outer ring having one or more gaps; and an inner strengthening ring within the outer ring and around interior circuitry of the die, the inner ring having one or more gaps offset from the gaps of the outer ring. One or more conducting members are electrically isolated from said rings and electrically connected to the interior circuitry, each member passing through a gap of the inner ring and through a gap of the outer ring.
US07948058B2

A lateral IGBT structure having an emitter terminal including two or more base layers of a second conductivity-type for one collector terminal, in which the base layers of a second conductivity-type in emitter regions are covered with a first conductivity-type layer having a concentration higher than that of a drift layer so that a silicon layer between the first conductivity-type layer covering the emitter regions and a buried oxide film has a reduced resistance to increase current flowing to an emitter farther from the collector to thereby enhance the current density.
US07948053B2

A semiconductor device includes a first insulating film, paired resistance elements each of which includes a first conductive film formed on the first insulating film, a second insulating film formed on the first conductive film and a second conductive film formed on the second insulating film, paired first contact plugs formed on one of the resistance elements and arranged along a first direction, and paired second contact plugs formed on the other resistance. One of the resistance elements has a first width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a semiconductor region surrounded by an element isolation region has a second width. The first width is smaller than half of the second width. The second insulating films are spaced from each other by a first distance. The second conductive films are spaced from each other by a second distance. The second distance is longer than the first distance.
US07948051B2

A method for forming a self aligned pattern on an existing pattern on a substrate comprising applying a coating of a solution containing a masking material in a carrier, the masking material having an affinity for portions of the existing pattern; and allowing at least a portion of the masking material to preferentially assemble to the portions of the existing pattern. The pattern may be comprised of a first set of regions of the substrate having a first atomic composition and a second set of regions of the substrate having a second atomic composition different from the first composition. The first set of regions may include one or more metal elements and the second set of regions may include a dielectric. The first and second regions may be treated to have different surface properties. Structures made in accordance with the method. Compositions useful for practicing the method.
US07948047B2

An input display is provided in the present invention. The input display includes a thin film transistor (TFT) and a light blocking layer. The TFT includes a low-field electrode, a high-field electrode connected to the low-field electrode with a connecting section, and a field-effect area positioned on the connecting section and connected to the high-field electrode, wherein a PN junction field is formed in the field-effect area when the TFT is switched off. The light blocking layer corresponds to the high-field electrode and hides the field-effect area from all incident light from the TFT.
US07948045B2

A transistor device includes a magnetic field source adapted to deflect a flow of free electron carriers within a channel of the device, between a source region and a drain region thereof. According to preferred configurations, the magnetic field source includes a magnetic material layer extending over a side of the channel that is opposite a gate electrode of the transistor device.
US07948044B2

A STT-RAM MTJ that minimizes spin-transfer magnetization switching current (Jc) while achieving a high dR/R is disclosed. The MTJ has a MgO tunnel barrier formed by natural oxidation to achieve a low RA, and a CoFeB/FeSiO/CoFeB composite free layer with a middle nanocurrent channel layer to minimize Jc0. There is a thin Ru capping layer for a spin scattering effect. The reference layer has a shape anisotropy and Hc substantially greater than that of the free layer to establish a “self-pinned” state. The free layer, capping layer and hard mask are formed in an upper section of a nanopillar that has an area substantially less than a lower pedestal section which includes a bottom electrode, reference layer, seed layer, and tunnel barrier layer. The reference layer is comprised of an enhanced damping constant material that may be an insertion layer, and the free layer has a low damping constant.
US07948041B2

Sensors and detection systems suitable for measuring analytes, such as biomolecule, organic and inorganic species, including environmentally and medically relevant volatiles and gases, such as NO, NO2, CO2, NH3, H2, CO and the like, are provided. Certain embodiments of nanostructured sensor systems are configured for measurement of medically important gases in breath. Applications include the measurement of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in breath, such as for the monitoring or diagnosis of asthma and other pulmonary conditions.
US07948036B2

A technique to enhancing substrate bias of grounded-gate NMOS fingers (ggNMOSFET's) has been developed. By using this technique, lower triggering voltage of NMOS fingers can be achieved without degrading ESD protection in negative zapping. By introducing a simple gate-coupled effect and a PMOSFET triggering source with this technique, low-voltage triggered NMOS fingers have also been developed in power and I/O ESD protection, respectively. A semiconductor device which includes a P-well which is underneath NMOS fingers. The device includes an N-well ring which is configured so that the inner P-well underneath the NMOS fingers is separated from an outer P-well. The inner P-well and outer P-well are connected by a P-substrate resistance which is much higher than the resistance of the P-wells. A P+-diffusion ring surrounding the N-well ring is configured to connect to VSS, i.e., P-taps.
US07948031B2

A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode formed through an insulating film in a groove having a first side surface adjacent to a source region and a base region, and a second conductive type first impurity region formed adjacent to a second side surface of the groove between the groove and a lead-out portion of a drain region existing below the base region so as to extend downward beyond a lower end of the groove.
US07948029B2

A semiconductor device includes a drain, an epitaxial layer overlaying the drain, a body disposed in the epitaxial layer, a source embedded in the body, a gate trench extending into the epitaxial layer, a gate disposed in the gate trench, an active region contact trench extending through the source, the active region contact trench having a varying contact trench depth, and an active region contact electrode disposed within the active region contact trench.
US07948027B1

An embedded bit line structure, in which, a substrate includes an insulator layer having an original top surface and a semiconductor layer on the original top surface of the insulator layer, and a bit line is disposed within the lower portion of the trench along one side of an active area. The bit line includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is located within the insulator layer and below the original top surface of the insulator layer. The second portion is disposed on the first portion to electrically connect the semiconductor layer of the active area. An insulator liner is disposed on the first portion of the bit line and between the second portion of the bit line and the semiconductor layer of the substrate opposite the active area for isolation. An STI is disposed within the trench to surround the active area for isolation.
US07948023B2

A semiconductor device including a nonvolatile memory and the fabrication method of the same is described formed on a semiconductor substrate. According to the semiconductor device, a second gate electrode film is used for a gate electrode film of a logic circuit, and for a control gate electrode film of a nonvolatile memory. As the second gate electrode film is formed at a relatively later step in fabrication, subsequent thermal process may be avoided. The gate structure is suitable for miniaturization of the transistor in the logic circuit.
US07948022B2

A flash memory device, and a manufacturing method thereof, having advantages of protecting sidewalls of a floating gate and a control gate and preventing a recess of an active area of a source region are provided. The method includes forming a tunneling oxide layer on an active region of a semiconductor substrate, forming a floating gate, a gate insulation layer, and a control gate on the tunneling oxide layer, forming insulation sidewall spacers on sides of the floating gate and the control gate, and removing at least portions of the tunneling oxide layer and the device isolation layer so as to expose the active region.
US07948018B2

An image sensor pixel includes a substrate, an epitaxial layer, and a light collection region. The substrate is doped to have a first conductivity type. The epitaxial layer is disposed over the substrate and doped to have a second conductivity type opposite of the first conductivity type. The light collection region is disposed within the epitaxial layer for collecting photo-generated charge carriers. The light collection region is doped to have the first conductivity type as well.
US07948016B1

The present disclosure provides a method of making a thin film semiconductor device such as a transistor comprising the steps of: a) providing a substrate bearing first and second conductive zones which define a channel therebetween, where the channel does not border more than 75% of the perimeter of either conductive zone; and b) depositing a discrete aliquot of a solution comprising an organic semiconductor adjacent to or on the channel, where a majority of the solution is deposited to one side of the channel and not on the channel. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the solution is deposited entirely to one side of the channel, not on the channel, and furthermore the solution is deposited in a band having a length that is less than the channel length. The present disclosure additionally provides thin film semiconductor devices such as a transistors.
US07948001B2

A light-emitting device held on a fixture body includes an LED chip, a heat transfer plate made of a thermally conductive material on which the LED chip is mounted, a wiring board having, on one side, patterned conductors, for supplying an electric power to the LED chip and formed with an aperture (exposure part) through which a LED chip mount surface of the heat transfer plate is exposed, an encapsulation part in which the LED chip is encapsulated on the one side of the wiring board, and a dome-shaped color-changing member made of a fluorescent material and an optically transparent material and placed on the one side of the wiring board. The light-emitting device is bonded to the fixture body with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, and the insulating layer has electrical insulating properties and is interposed between the heat transfer plate and the fixture body to thermally couple the same.
US07947997B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor light emitting device. The semiconductor light emitting device comprises a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer under the first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer under the active layer, a second electrode layer under the second conductive semiconductor layer, and a transmissive conductive layer at least one part between the second conductive semiconductor layer and the second electrode layer.
US07947993B2

Disclosed is a light emitting device having an isolating insulative layer for isolating light emitting cells from one another and a method of fabricating the same. The light emitting device comprises a substrate and a plurality of light emitting cells formed on the substrate. Each of the light emitting cells includes a lower semiconductor layer, an upper semiconductor layer positioned on one region of the lower semiconductor layer, and an active layer interposed between the lower and upper semiconductor layers. Furthermore, an isolating insulative layer is filled in regions between the plurality of light emitting cells to isolate the light emitting cells from one another. Further, wirings electrically connect the light emitting cells with one another. Each of the wirings connects the lower semiconductor layer of one light emitting cell and the upper semiconductor layer of another light emitting cell adjacent to the one light emitting cell. Accordingly, there can be provided a light emitting device wherein particles are prevented from remaining between the plurality of light emitting cells to prevent current leakage between the light emitting cells. Further, there can be provided a light emitting device wherein the regions between light emitting cells are filled with an isolating insulative layer to facilitate formation of the wirings.
US07947991B2

A high efficiency lighting device comprising a light emitting diode structure, an eutectic layer and a distributed-Bragg reflecting layer (DBR) therebetween is disclosed. The distributed-Bragg reflecting layer is attached to said light emitting diode structure by vapor deposition and comprises a plurality of high refraction layers, a plurality of low refraction layers and a micro-contact layer array. The high refraction layers and said low refraction layers are arranged in an alternating manner, so as to form a stacked thin film having an alternate high/low refraction pattern. The micro-contact layers are in said stacked thin film and extend vertically through the stacked thin film, therefore connecting said light emitting diode structure and said eutectic layer.
US07947990B2

A semiconductor device including a wafer-level LED includes a semiconductor structure coupled to first and second electrodes. The semiconductor includes a P-doped portion of a first layer to an N-doped portion of a second layer. The first layer includes a surface configured to emit light. The first electrode is electrically coupled to the P-doped portion of the first layer on a first side of the semiconductor structure. The first side is adjacent to the surface that is configured to emit the light. The second electrode is electrically coupled to the N-doped portion of the second layer on a second side of the semiconductor structure. The second side is also adjacent to the surface that configured to emit light.
US07947988B2

A semiconductor device includes an SiC substrate, a first SiC layer of first conductivity provided on the substrate, a second SiC layer of second conductivity provided on the first SiC layer, first and second SiC regions provided in the second SiC layer, facing each other and having the same depth, a third SiC region extending through the first SiC region and reaching the first SiC layer, a gate insulator formed on the first and second SiC regions and the second SiC layer interposed therebetween, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulator, a first contact of first conductivity formed on the second SiC region, a second contact of second conductivity formed on the second SiC region, reaching the second SiC layer through the second SiC region, and a top electrode formed on the first and second contacts, and a bottom electrode formed on a back surface of the substrate.
US07947979B2

An object of the invention is to manage variation of electrical characteristics of an element in a semiconductor device due to a vapor deposition process by measuring electrical characteristics of a TEG. A substrate 100 of an active matrix EL panel includes a vapor deposition region 101 having a film formed by a vapor deposition method. In the vapor deposition region 101, a pixel region 102 is provided. A TEG 109 is provided in the vapor deposition region 101 having a film formed in a vapor deposition step and outside of the pixel region 102. A measurement terminal portion 110 for measuring the TEG 109 is provided outside of a sealing region 103.
US07947978B2

A semiconductor chip comprises a metal pad exposed by an opening in a passivation layer, wherein the metal pad has a testing area and a bond area. During a step of testing, a testing probe contacts with the testing area for electrical testing. After the step of testing, a polymer layer is formed on the testing area with a probe mark created by the testing probe. Alternatively, a semiconductor chip comprises a testing pad and a bond pad respectively exposed by two openings in a passivation layer, wherein the testing pad is connected to the bond pad. During a step of testing, a testing probe contacts with the testing pad for electrical testing. After the step of testing, a polymer layer is formed on the testing pad with a probe mark created by the testing probe.
US07947975B2

A dopant composition for organic semiconductors is an electron acceptor characterized by an evaporation point above 150° C. or a glass phase. The dopant composition includes a compound represented by structural formula (1): wherein R1 to R5 are independently hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, nitro, or cyano; or a phenyl or annulated aromatic group optionally substituted with chlorine or fluorine. Also included are doped organic semiconductors and organic electronic components comprising the dopant composition, and methods of preparing the doped organic semiconductor.
US07947972B2

Disclosed are a light emitting device. The light emitting device includes a first conductive semiconductor layer, a light emitting layer, a protective layer, a nano-layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer. The light emitting layer is formed on the first conductive semiconductor layer. The protective layer is formed on the light emitting layer. The nano-layer is formed on the protective layer. The second conductive semiconductor layer is formed on the nano-layer.
US07947971B2

Embodiments described include straining transistor quantum well (QW) channel regions with metal source/drains, and conformal regrowth source/drains to impart a uni-axial strain in a MOS channel region. Removed portions of a channel layer may be filled with a junction material having a lattice spacing different than that of the channel material to causes a uni-axial strain in the channel, in addition to a bi-axial strain caused in the channel layer by a top barrier layer and a bottom buffer layer of the quantum well.
US07947969B2

A stacked conformation radiotherapy system capable of homogenizing a radiation dose distribution, including an irradiation head and irradiation control means. The irradiation head projects a particle beam accelerated by an accelerator, toward an object to-be-irradiated, and it includes wobbler electromagnets for deflecting and scanning the particle beam. In carrying out stacked conformation radiotherapy by deflecting and scanning the particle beam, the irradiation control means subjects the wobbler electromagnets to magnetization controls so that the particle beam may depict a one-stroke revolving orbit which begins with a start point and returns to the start point, and it performs a control so that the irradiation period of the particle beam to be outputted from the irradiation head may become integral times a wobbler cycle which is required for the particle beam to make one revolution of the revolving orbit.
US07947968B1

Provided are apparatuses for processing a surface of a substrate using direct and recycled radiation reflected from the substrate. The apparatus includes a radiation source positioned to direct a radiation beam toward a beam image forming system that forms a beam image on the substrate surface and a recycling system. The recycling system collects radiation reflected from the substrate surface and redirects it back toward the beam image on the substrate in a +1× manner. As a result, radiation incident on and reflected from the substrate is recycled through multiple cycles. This improves the uniformity of the radiation absorbed by the substrate in instances where the thin film patterns on the substrate would otherwise result in non-uniform absorption and uneven heating. Exemplary recycling systems suitable for use with the invention include Offner and Dyson relay systems as well as variants thereof.
US07947966B2

An ion source includes a first plasma chamber including a plasma generating component and a first gas inlet for receiving a first gas such that said plasma generating component and said first gas interact to generate a first plasma within said first plasma chamber, wherein said first plasma chamber further defines an aperture for extracting electrons from said first plasma, and a second plasma chamber including a second gas inlet for receiving a second gas, wherein said second plasma chamber further defines an aperture in substantial alignment with the aperture of said first plasma chamber, for receiving electrons extracted therefrom, such that the electrons and the second gas interact to generate a second plasma within said second plasma chamber, said second plasma chamber further defining an extraction aperture for extracting ions from said second plasma.
US07947962B2

A radiometer for measuring the total effective UV radiance of the type comprising, in an optical pathway sequence, a diffuser, an interference filter and a detector. Said interference filter comprises a plurality of alternating layers of magnesium fluoride and zirconium oxide, where the diffuser/interference filter/detector system has a spectral response equivalent to the erythema action curve CIE.
US07947958B2

A part of exposure beam through a liquid (LQ) via a projection optical system (PL) enters a light-transmitting section (44), enters an optical member (41) without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.
US07947954B2

The present embodiments provide methods, systems and apparatuses that detect, classify and locate flash events. In some implementations, some of the methods detect a flash event, trigger an imaging system in response to detecting the flash event to capture an image of an area that includes the flash event, and determines a location of the flash event.
US07947953B2

A detection apparatus for use in a charged particle beam device is provided. The detection apparatus includes a separation field generating portion adapted to generate a separation field separating positively and negatively charged secondary particles, at least one first detector for detecting positively charged particles, at least one second detector for detecting negatively charged particles, wherein the detection apparatus is adapted to simultaneously detect the positively charged secondary particles in the at least one first detector and the negatively charged secondary particles in the at least one second detector. Further, a method of simultaneously detecting negatively and positively charged particles is provided. The method includes providing a separation field, providing at least one first detector and at least one second detector, separating the negatively charged particles from the positively charged particles in the separation field, simultaneously detecting positively charged particles with the at least one first detector and negatively charged particles with the at least one second detector.
US07947949B2

A sample processing system and a sample processing method for a trace detector are disclosed. The system comprises a sampling substrate for collecting a substance or substances from the surface of an object to be tested by contacting the sampling substrate with the surface of the object, and a trace detector. The trace detector includes a sample feeding device provided with a sample feeding part. The substance collected by the sampling substrate can be transferred to a surface of the sample feeding part so that the substance transferred to the surface of the sample feeding part can be detected. With the configuration of some embodiments of the present invention, a sampling substrate made of chemical fiber is used to collect a sample from the surface of an object to be tested by contacting the sampling substrate with the surface of the object to be tested. The sample collected by the sampling substrate is mechanically transferred to a metal film or mesh of the sample feeding device of the trace detector. Then, the metal film or mesh of the sample feeding device is heated to vaporize the sample and to release the sample vapor into the trace detector. Therefore, the efficiency of sample collection and desorption processes can be improved. In addition, the direct heating of a sampling substrate can be avoided so as to decrease the interference of the sampling substrate with trace detection.
US07947947B2

Disclosed is a light module package including a mounting substrate for mounting and electrically contacting at least one light emitting diode and a ceramic layer disposed in a path of light emitted by the light emitting diode. The ceramic layer includes a wavelength converting material and the light emitting diode is disposed between the ceramic layer and the mounting substrate. The light module package also includes a light sensor disposed at the mounting substrate for detecting a luminous output of the light emitting diode in order to control the brightness and/or the color of the light leaving the light module. The ceramic layer is only partly translucent to shield the light sensor against ambient light.
US07947942B2

There is provided a photoconductive element capable of generating and detecting broadband electromagnetic waves such as terahertz waves at a comparatively high efficiency by decreasing or avoiding the absorption of electromagnetic waves into a substrate. A photoconductive element 1 includes a photoconductive film 5 exhibiting conductivity by the radiation of light, a substrate 6 holding the photoconductive film and a thin film sandwiched between the photoconductive film 5 and the substrate 6, the thin film being different in composition from the photoconductive film 5 and the substrate 6. The photoconductive film 5 is provided with an antenna 7 having a gap portion 2 and an electrode 4 electrically connectable to the antenna 7. At least a part of the photoconductive film where the gap portion 2 of the antenna 7 is located is single crystal. The substrate 6 has an opening portion 3 at a part corresponding to a part of the photoconductive film 5 where the gap portion 2 of the antenna 7 is located.
US07947941B2

In one example, an optical detector includes a photosensitive layer, and a group of additional layers associated with that photosensitive layer. The group of additional layers may include first and second contact layer configured for electrical communication with the photosensitive layer. In this example, one of the group of layers is shaped so as to define a corner whose radius of curvature is greater than about 2 microns.
US07947940B2

A photoelectric current integrating circuit including: a first operational amplifier with a switch and an integrating capacitor connected in parallel between an input terminal and an output terminal thereof; a photodiode; and a current passing circuit provided between one terminal of the photodiode and the input terminal of the first operational amplifier, for passing a photoelectric current detected at the photodiode while blocking a connection between a parasitic capacitance of the photodiode and the integrating capacitor.
US07947934B2

To provide a high-frequency cooking apparatus of which installation performance, handling performance, and quality can be enhanced. A high-frequency cooking apparatus 10 for heat-processing an object to be heated, by supplying high frequency and steam into a heating chamber, is provided with a water tank 13 which stores water for generating the steam. The water tank 13 is detachably assembled toward the front to a lower part of a body 11 of the high-frequency cooking apparatus which has the heating chamber, and a tray 12 is integrally assembled to the water tank 13.
US07947928B2

A slow cooker for heating food stuffs includes a housing defining a heating cavity and a housing rim. A heating element is disposed within the housing to heat the heating cavity. A container has a generally hollow interior and a container rim and is shaped and sized to fit within the heating cavity for heating thereof by the heating element. A lid is sized and shaped to at least partially cover an opening of the container and includes a gasket around an outer edge thereof for sealing engagement with the container rim. The slow cooker further includes at least one clip for selectively retaining the lid in sealing engagement with the container rim to inhibit leakage of the food stuffs. The at least one clip is an over-the-center clip and includes a hook and a catch to selectively retain the lid in sealing engagement with the container rim.
US07947917B2

For specifying a cause of generation of a water level abnormality alarm in a wire-cut electric discharge machine, stopping supply of a machining liquid to a machining tank when the alarm is generated, draining the liquid; measuring an amount of change in the water level per unit time that is detected by the water level detecting unit; and displaying a question to an operator about the measured amount of change in water level and the state of a water level adjusting mechanism. The operator manually inputs an answer to the displayed question, and specifies, from the answer input by means of the inputting unit, a part which causes the generation of the alarm.
US07947915B2

Disclosed is a keypad assembly including a light guide panel, light, at least one light extracting pattern provided on the light guide panel so that light propagating inside the light guide panel is directed out of the light guide panel, a switch board having at least one switch; and at least one light source for coupling light to the inside of the light guide panel, wherein the light guide panel has a thickness of 0.03-0.6 mm.
US07947908B2

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: a circuit board having a surface on which a hollow is formed; an electronic component placed into the hollow; a pattern wiring which is formed on a bottom surface of the hollow and whose tip is provided at a position corresponding to a signal electrode of the electronic component; a signal wire connecting a tip of the pattern wiring and the signal electrode of the electronic component; two in-hollow ground patterns formed so as to sandwich the tip of the pattern wiring therebetween on the bottom surface of the hollow; and two or more ground wires that connect two ground electrodes provided on the electronic component so as to sandwich the signal electrode therebetween to the corresponding in-hollow ground patterns, respectively.
US07947906B2

A multi-layer printed circuit board and a method of manufacturing the multi-layer printed circuit board using a metal substrate as a core member and having an electronic component embedded in the metal substrate, the method including anodizing the metal substrate such that an anodic oxide layer is formed on upper and lower sides of the metal substrate, respectively; forming an inner layer circuit on upper and lower anodic oxide layers, respectively; etching the metal substrate to form a cavity in correspondence with a position where the electronic component is to be embedded; mounting the electronic component in the cavity with a chip bond adhesive; and forming an outer layer circuit on upper and lower sides of the metal substrate, respectively, such that a multi-layer circuit is formed.
US07947902B2

An electronic device enclosure includes a housing and a cover fixed on the housing. The housing defines a first latching portion, and the cover defines a plurality of first latching hooks to engage with the first latching portion. The electronic device enclosure further includes an urging assembly rotatably assembled in the housing to contact the first latching hooks, and an operating member positioned in the housing and contacting the urging assembly. The operating member is capable of pushing the urging assembly to rotate so that the first latching hooks bends and disengages from the first latching portion.
US07947901B2

A sealed device with integral weatherproof cover includes a device integral with a weatherproof cover to prevent the introduction of moisture into the device. A portion of the device is positioned within the weatherproof cover housing. The device includes wires extending out through one or more openings along or near the back of the device. The openings are environmentally sealed around the wires to prevent moisture from passing therethrough. The weatherproof cover housing includes a pair of openings. A portion of the device is positioned next to, and sometimes through, one of the openings. A door is coupled to the weatherproof cover housing and positioned adjacent the other opening. The door can be moved about an axis along an edge of the weatherproof cover housing such that the door can be adjusted between an open position and a closed position about the second opening.
US07947900B2

A metal housing (10) includes a base (110) and an outer layer (120). The base is made of a thin metal plate. The outer layer includes a plurality of first sections (121) and second sections (122). The material of the first sections is different from that of the second sections. The first sections and the second sections are arranged on the base in an interleaving manner.
US07947899B2

A novel pole guard for electric utility poles has at least one notch for allowing a portion of the pole guard to provide insulative coverage below a cross arm of a utility pole. Further features include hooks, pins, or other fasteners on the pole guard for attaching insulative blankets.
US07947897B2

A photosensitive device includes a series of organic photoactive layers disposed between two electrodes. Each layer in the series is in direct contact with a next layer in the series. The series is arranged to form at least one donor-acceptor heterojunction, and includes a first organic photoactive layer comprising a first host material serving as a donor, a thin second organic photoactive layer comprising a second host material disposed between the first and a third organic photoactive layer, and the third organic photoactive layer comprising a third host material serving as an acceptor. The first, second, and third host materials are different. The thin second layer serves as an acceptor relative to the first layer or as a donor relative to the third layer.
US07947896B2

Disclosed herein is a method for modifying the surface of a counter electrode. According to the method, the surface modification is achieved by treating the surface of a counter electrode with a polyethylene glycol derivative having a pendant group at one end. Also disclosed is a counter electrode whose surface is modified by the method. The electron transfer rate at the interface between the counter electrode and an electrolyte layer of a photovoltaic device is increased and the affinity of the counter electrode for the electrolyte layer is improved, resulting in an improvement in the power conversion efficiency of the photovoltaic device.
US07947894B2

In the solar battery module 20, solar battery cells 10 arranged in a matrix of eight rows and four columns with their conducting direction aligned and five plate spring members 22 having nearly an inverted U-shaped cross-section are housed in an inner space surrounded by a support substrate 21, an outer frame, a rubber packing frame, and a glass casing plate 25, and the plate spring members 22 each have a pair of connection flanges 22a at the bottom. The plate spring members 22 are provided on either side of columns of multiple solar battery cells 10. Eight solar battery cells 10 are interposed between the connection flanges 22a of the plate spring members on either side of them, whereby they are parallel-connected. Four columns of solar battery cells 10 are serially-connected by five plate spring members 22 and the output is retrieved through the positive electrode coating 28 and negative electrode coating 29.
US07947893B2

A solar cell includes: a photoelectric conversion part having a concave and convex profile in a light receiving surface thereof; and a protective layer 10 which is provided to cover the concave and convex profile, and which includes particles therein. In a cross section, in parallel with an incident direction of light, of the protective layer 10, the number of the particles 11 contained in a second region is smaller than the number of particles 11 contained in a first region. The first region is centered at a concave portion of the concave and convex profile, and has a unit length, while the second region is centered at a convex portion of the concave and convex profile, and has the unit length.
US07947881B2

The invention relates to the novel cotton variety designated 07W514DF. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants, plant parts and derivatives of the cotton variety 07W514DF. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the cotton variety 07W514DF and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing cotton plants by crossing the cotton variety 07W514DF with itself or another cotton variety and plants produced by such methods.
US07947872B2

The present invention relates to methods for producing plants having enhanced disease resistance. NRC1 proteins and nucleic acid sequences encoding these are provided, as well as transgenic plants producing NRC1 proteins.
US07947868B2

The present invention relates to a new plant breeding process. The process improves the agronomic performance of crop plants by using genetic material that is also used in classical breeding. Instead of sexually recombining entire genomes at random, as is done in classical breeding, specific genetic elements are rearranged in vitro and inserted back into individual plant cells. Plants obtained through this new plant breeding process do not contain foreign nucleic acid but only contain nucleic acid from the plant species selected for transformation or plants that are sexually compatible with the selected plant species. Plants developed through this new plant breeding process are provided. In particular, potato plants displaying improved tuber storage and health characteristics are provided.
US07947854B2

The present invention relates to bis-cationic compounds comprising quaternary ammonium groups and/or quaternary phosphonium groups. The invention also relates to the use of bis-cationic compounds as Phospholipase B inhibitors and the use of bis cationic compounds for the treatment or prevention of microbial infection.
US07947853B2

The present invention relates to a process for producing an aliphatic primary amine or an aliphatic secondary amine from an aliphatic alcohol with a high catalytic activity and a high selectivity. In the process for producing an aliphatic amine according to the present invention, a linear, branched, or cyclic aliphatic alcohol having 6 to 22 carbon atoms is contacted with ammonia and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst formed by supporting a ruthenium component on at least one material selected from the group consisting of (B) a zirconia-containing composite oxide and (C) zirconia surface-treated with a metal by hydrolysis of (A) a ruthenium compound.
US07947846B2

The invention relates to the use of compounds to treat a number of conditions, such as thrombocytopenia, neutropenia or the delayed effects of radiation therapy. Compounds that can be used in the invention include methyl-2,3,4-trihydroxy-1-O-(7,17-dioxoandrost-5 -ene-3β-yl)-β-D-glucopyranosiduronate, 16α,3α-dihydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one or 3,7,16,17 -tetrahydroxyandrost-5-ene, 3,7,16,17-tetrahydroxyandrost-4-ene, 3,7,16,17 -tetrahydroxyandrost-1-ene or 3,7,16,17-tetrahydroxyandrostane that can be used in the treatment method.
US07947835B2

At least one chemical entity chosen from compounds of Formula 2 and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates, chelates, non-covalent complexes, prodrugs, and mixtures thereof is described herein. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one chemical entity of the invention, together with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle chosen from carriers adjuvants, and excipients, are described.Methods of treating patients suffering from certain diseases responsive to inhibition of Btk activity and/or B-cell activity are described. Methods for determining the presence of Btk in a sample are described.
US07947834B2

The present invention is related to a compound of formula (I): wherein i, j, n, o, p, q, r, R1a, R1b, R1c, R1d, R2a, R2b, R2c, R2d, R3a, R3b and R4 are as defined herein, or an addition salt with an acid thereof, or a hydrate or solvate thereof, its preparation, pharmaceutical composition, and uses for treating a disease in which the enzyme 11β-HSD1 is involved.
US07947822B2

The invention provides a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and six plasmids, each of which encodes an HIV Env, Gag, Pol, or Nef protein. The invention also provides a method of inducing an immune response in an animal using the composition.
US07947816B2

Provided is an industrially safe and useful azodicarboxylic acid bis(2-alkoxyethyl) ester compound that is useful for the Mitsunobu reaction in which it is used in combination with a phosphorus compound to carry out a dehydration condensation reaction, and also useful as an oxidizing agent, and a starting material for various synthetic processes. Also provided are a production intermediate of the above-described compound, and methods for producing these compounds. An azodicarboxylic acid bis(2-alkoxyethyl) ester compound represented by formula (1); wherein A represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms.
US07947815B2

An azo dye represented by the following formula (I): wherein, in formula (I), R1, R2, R3, and R4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aryl group, a halogen atom, an acyl group, a cyano group, an acylamino group, an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, a carbamoyl group, an aliphatic sulfonyl group, an arylsulfonyl group, a sulfamoyl group, an aliphatic oxycarbonylamino group, an aryloxycarbonylamino group, a sulfo group, a carboxyl group, a carbamoylamino group, a sulfamoylamino group, or an aliphatic- or aromatic-sulfonylamino group, wherein R1 and R2 and/or R3 and R4 may be combined with each other to form a five- or six-membered aromatic ring or non-aromatic ring; X represents a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom, wherein n is 0 when X is a nitrogen atom and n is 1 when X is a carbon atom; A, B, C, and D each represent a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom, provided that at least one of A, B, C and D represents a nitrogen atom; Y represents a substituent; and m denotes an integer from 0 to 3.
US07947814B2

A plurality of metal-containing complexes of a polydentate beta-ketoiminate, one embodiment of which is represented by the structure are shown: wherein M is a metal such as calcium, strontium, barium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, vanadium, tungsten, manganese, cobalt, iron, nickel, ruthenium, zinc, copper, palladium, platinum, iridium, rhenium, osmium; wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl, having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; R2 can be from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R3 is linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkylene, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, and aryl; R4 is an alkylene bridge; R5-6 are individually linear or branched selected from the group consisting of alkyl, fluoroalkyl, cycloaliphatic, aryl, and they can be connected to form a ring containing carbon, oxygen, or nitrogen atoms; n is an integer equal to the valence of the metal M.
US07947813B2

Methods are presented for isolating and purifying proteins by adding a polyelectrolyte to a cell culture fluid, such as a harvested cell culture fluid, and precipitating a protein-polyelectrolyte complex or a complex of impurities and the polyelectrolyte.
US07947808B2

According to the present invention, an antibody against a Panton-Valentine leukocidin toxin contained in Staphylococcus aureus, a method and a kit for detecting the toxin with the use of the antibody, and a pharmaceutical composition containing an antibody against a Panton-Valentine leukocidin toxin for treating PVL infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus containing PVL are provided. Also, an antibody which is capable of binding to Panton-Valentine leukocidin F and has no cross-reactivity to LukD and/or HlgB and an antibody which is capable of binding to Panton-Valentine leukocidin S and has no cross-reactivity to at least one of LukE, HlgC, and HlgA are provided.
US07947798B2

An asymmetric siloxane is made by reacting a silicone having the formula MHDxM′H where MH is R1R2HSiO1/2. M′H is R4R5HSiO1/2 and x is an integer 0≦x≦10 under selective hydrosilylation conditions in the presence of a precious metal hydrosilylation catalyst, with a first olefinic compound and in a second step, a monohydridosiloxane produced in the first step is reacted under hydrosilylating conditions with another olefinic compound different from the first olefinic compound.
US07947793B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a class of ethylene/α-olefin block interpolymers. The ethylene/α-olefin interpolymers are characterized by an average block index, ABI, which is greater than zero and up to about 1.0 and a molecular weight distribution, Mw/Mn, greater than about 1.3. Preferably, the block index is from about 0.2 to about 1. In addition or alternatively, the block ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer is characterized by having at least one fraction obtained by Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation (‘TREF’), wherein the fraction has a block index greater than about 0.3 and up to about 1.0 and the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer has a molecular weight distribution, Mw/Mn, greater than about 1.4.
US07947789B2

Disclosed is a method for producing a fluorine-containing copolymer composition wherein a fluorine-containing copolymer is produced by polymerizing 1-99 weight % of a monomer mixture (A) containing a polymerizable monomer having a fluoroalkyl group and a polymerizable monomer having a hydrophilic group in the presence of 1-99 weight % of a surfactant (B) containing a surfactant having an oxyalkylene group. The total amount of the monomer mixture (A) and the surfactant (B) is not less than 80 weight % of the polymerization system.
US07947773B2

An electrically conductive composite material includes metallic nanostrands distributed throughout a matrix constructed of a polymer, ceramic, or elastomer. The nanostrands may have an average diameter under four microns and an average aspect ratio over ten-to-one. Larger fibers may also be included to enhance electrical conductivity or other properties. The nanostrands and/or fibers may be magnetically oriented to enhance electrical conductivity along one direction. A pressure sensor may be formed by utilizing an elastomer for the matrix. Electrical conductivity through the composite material varies in proportion to deflection of the elastomer. A composite material may be applied to a surface as an electrically conductive paint. Composite materials may be made by cutting a blank of the nanostrands to the desired shape, inserting the matrix, and curing the matrix. Alternatively, a suspension agent may first be used to dispose powdered nanostrands in the desired shape.
US07947764B2

This invention provides a cationic electrodeposition coating composition which exhibits high paint stability, forms coating film excelling in conductivity, intimate adhesion, corrosion resistance, finished appearance and acid resistance, and is capable of forming uniform electrocoated film also on substrates having uneven surfaces, characterized by comprising a conductive filler dispersion paste, base resin and a curing agent, said paste being formed by dispersing a conductive filler (A) composed of high conductive carbon black (a1) and at least one conductive powder (a2) selected from furnace black, graphite and conductive whisker, using a pigment-dispersing resin (B), the composition (i) containing 30-100 wt parts of a conductive filler (A) which contains at least 2 wt parts of high conductive carbon black (a1), per 100 wt parts of combined solid content of the base resin and the curing agent, (ii) the weight ratio of the conductive powder (a2)/high conductive carbon black (a1) being within a range of 0.4-20, and (iii) the pigment-dispersing resin (B) being acrylic resin-derived pigment-dispersing resin formed by copolymerization of (meth)acrylic monomer (b1) which is modified with mono- or poly-alkylene glycol or a monoether derivative thereof; nitrogen-containing, radical-polymerizable unsaturated monomer (b2) and other radical-polymerizable unsaturated monomer (b3).
US07947760B2

Polymer emulsion compositions for use in printing inks and printing inks made from the compositions are provided. The emulsion compositions include an aqueous continuous phase containing water and a dissolved carboxylic acid-functional support polymer. The dispersed phase of the emulsion composition contains crosslinked, dispersed polymer particles. The emulsion compositions also include at least one multivalent metal crosslinker and at least one stabilizing agent. The polymer emulsion compositions display superior printability properties in inks and other coatings formulated with them, yet are stable at elevated temperatures for long periods of time.
US07947757B2

The invention relates to an initiator comprising at least one structural element characterized by the following formula (I) wherein X− is a non or low coordinating anion, R1, R2, R3, R4 are independently linear, cyclic or branched C1-C20 alkyl or alkylene groups, wherein one or more of the methylene groups contained in the alkyl or alkylene group can be substituted by —CO—, —CONH—, —CON(CH3)—, —S— and/or —O—, and wherein R1, R2, R3 and/or R4 can act as a bridging element connecting two or more structural elements. The invention is also related to a process of producing the initiator and to a curable composition comprising the initiator, a process for producing the curable composition a kit comprising a cationically curable composition and the inventive initiator and the use of the initiator or the curable composition comprising the initiator for various applications, especially in the dental field.
US07947754B2

The present invention provides a foam comprising (a) a polylactic acid resin, (b) at least one thermoplastic resin selected from a polyolefin resin and a polystyrene resin, and (c) a block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic compound and a conjugated diene, wherein a ratio of (a) to (b) by weight (a/b) is 80/20 to 20/80, and the foam comprises 0.5 to 20 parts by weight of (c) with respect to 100 parts by weight of (a) and (b) in total.
US07947753B2

A composition for forming a textured coating on drywall material, comprising acoustic texture material and propellant material. The acoustic texture material comprises a base portion and a particulate portion, where the particulate portion comprises at least one of urethane foam and melamine foam. The propellant material is at least one of DME and a hydrocarbon propellant.
US07947749B2

A system to recycle plastics, which enables a supply of recycled plastics having a stable quality required for the recycled products. A system to recycle a used plastic material as a resin material including (a) means to sort used plastic materials for the purpose of recycling said used plastic materials, (b) means to crush and melt said used plastic material after it has been sorted, (c) reviving means to regain a desired property, and (d) means to measure a physical property of a reclaimed plastic after it has been revived and to indicate said measured physical property for quality assurance.
US07947744B2

Provided herein is a stable pharmaceutical product comprising a dry powder inhalation device, and a pharmaceutical composition that comprises R,R-Formoterol L-tartrate salt, in particular crystalline R,R-formoterol L-tartrate; and ciclesonide.
US07947730B2

Compounds of formula I in salt or zwitterionic form wherein, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, J, L and M have the meanings as indicated in the specification, are useful for treating conditions that are mediated by the muscarinic M3 receptor. Pharmaceutical compositions that contain the compounds and a process for preparing the compounds are also described.
US07947729B2

A compound having preferential localization in tumor tissue relative to normal tissue, a preferential electromagnetic absorption at a wavelength between about 660 and 900 nm, and a fluorescence at a wavelength shifted from the preferential absorption by at least +30 nm and preferably at least +50 nm. The compound further preferably destroys tumor tissue in which it is absorbed when exposed to light at its preferential absorption wavelength. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compound is a conjugate of a tumor avid tetrapyrrole compound with a fluorescent dye, and more preferably the fluorescent dye is an indocyanine dye such as indocyanine green. The tumor avid tetrapyrrole compound is preferably a porphyrin derivative selected from the group consisting of chlorins, bacteriochlorins, purpurins and derivatives thereof.
US07947725B2

The present invention relates to shelf-stable liquid formulations of palonosetron for reducing chemotherapy and radiotherapy induced emesis with palonosetron. The formulations are particularly useful in the preparation of intravenous and oral liquid medicaments.
US07947724B2

The present invention relates to shelf-stable liquid formulations of palonosetron for reducing chemotherapy and radiotherapy induced emesis with palonosetron. The formulations are particularly useful in the preparation of intravenous and oral liquid medicaments.
US07947722B2

The objective of the present invention is to provide an optically active imidazolidinone derivative widely usable for synthesizing an optically active amino acid, a method of easily producing the derivative, and a method of easily producing an optically active amino acid by using the derivative. The objective can be achieved by producing an optically active amino acid using a novel optically active imidazolidinone derivative represented by a general formula (3) and the like. According to the method of the present invention, an optically active imidazolidinone derivative can be obtained by preferential crystallization from a mixture of isomers of the imidazolidinone derivative. Therefore, an optically active amino acid can be easily and stereoselectively produced without cumbersome procedures required for the conventional methods, such as resolution of diastereomers, synthesis from an optically active amino acid and resolution of isomers by silica gel column chromatography.
US07947713B2

The present invention is concerned with novel compounds of formula (I) which are inhibitors of a membrane tripeptidyl peptidase responsible for the inactivation of endogenous neuropeptides such as cholecystokinis (CCKs). The invention further relates to methods for preparing such compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising said compounds as well as the use as a medicine of said compounds. wherein n is an integer 0 or 1; X represents O; S; or —(CR4R5)m— wherein m is an integer 1 or 2; R4 and R5 are each independently from each other hydrogen or C1-4alkyl; R1 is C1-6alkylcarbonyl optionally substituted with hydroxy; C1-6alkyloxycarbonyl; aminoC1-6alkylcarbonyl wherein the C1-6alkyl group is optionally substituted with C3-6cycloalkyl; mono- and di(C1-4alkyl)aminoC1-6alkylcarbonyl; aminocarbonyl substituted with aryl; C1-6alkylcarbonyloxyC1-6alkylcarbonyl; C1-6alkyloxycarbonylaminoC1-6alkylcarbonyl wherein the amino group is optionally substituted with C1-4alkyl; an amino acid; C1-6alkyl substituted with amino; or arylcarbonyl; R2 is an optionally substituted 5-membered heterocycle, or R2 is optionally substituted benzimidazole; R3 is a bivalent radical —CH2CH2— optionally substituted with halo or phenylmethyl; or R3 is a bivalent radical of formula.
US07947712B2

The present invention relates to 8-Hydroxyquinoline Compounds; compositions comprising an 8-Hydroxyquinoline Compound; and methods for treating or preventing a metalloproteinase-related disorder, such as, an arthritic disorder, osteoarthritis, malignant neoplasm, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, atherosclerosis, age-related macular degeneration, myocardial infarction, a corneal ulceration, an ocular surface disease, hepatitis, an aortic aneurysm, tendonitis, a central nervous system disorder, abnormal wound healing, angiogenesis, restenosis, cirrhosis, multiple sclerosis, glomerulonephritis, graft versus host disease, diabetes, an inflammatory bowel disease, shock, invertebral disc degeneration, stroke, osteopenia or a periodontal disease or comprising administering an effective dose of an 8-Hydroxyquinoline Compound to a mammal in need thereof.
US07947711B2

Compounds of formula (I) are useful in treating conditions or disorders prevented by or ameliorated by histamine-3 receptor ligands. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the histamine-3 receptor ligands, methods for using such compounds and compositions, and a process for preparing compounds within the scope of formula (I).
US07947706B2

The invention relates to compounds of formula (I): wherein Ra, R1, Ar, L, A, W, Y, and Z are as defined in the disclosure; to compositions containing them; and to the preparation and use thereof, in particular as anticancer agents.
US07947704B2

The invention relates to novel 2,4,6-phenyl-substituted cyclic ketoenols of the formula (I), in which CKE, W, X and Y are as defined above, to a plurality of processes and intermediates for their preparation and to their use as pesticides and/or herbicides, and also to selective herbicidal compositions comprising firstly the 2,4,6-phenyl-substituted cyclic ketoenols and secondly at least one compound which improves crop plant tolerance.
US07947695B2

This invention comprises the novel compounds of formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, Q1, Q2, X1, X2, Y and Z have defined meanings, having cell cycle kinase inhibiting enzymatic activity, their preparation, compositions containing them and their use as a medicine.
US07947677B2

Compounds of formula I: (wherein variables A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, B1, B2, B3, B4, D1, D2, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, G1, G2, J, K, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z are as described herein) which are antagonists of CGRP receptors and which are useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases in which the CGRP is involved, such as migraine. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and the use of these compounds and compositions in the prevention or treatment of such diseases in which CGRP is involved.
US07947651B2

The invention stems from the discovery that sFRP and fragments thereof can bind to members of the Wnt family of proteins and cause an increase in Wnt biological activity. Furthermore, fragments of sFRP that do not contain the CRD domain are shown to bind to Wnt proteins and modulate Wnt biological activity. Accordingly, the invention provides these sFRP fragments and variants of these fragments, as well as vectors and host cells containing nucleic acid sequences encoding the sFRP fragments and variants.
US07947649B2

Improved formulations and methods are provided for stabilizing a solution of bone morphogenetic protein. The compositions comprise an acetate buffered solution of GDF-5 and other excipients wherein the solution has a pH of from about 4.2 to about 5.3, thereby providing for a biologically isotonic solution having improved stability of the GDF-5 protein during storage, handling, and use.
US07947646B2

The present invention provides variant activin IIB soluble receptor polypeptides and proteins capable of binding and inhibiting the activities of activin A, myostatin, or GDF-11. The present invention also provides polynucleotides, vectors and host cells capable of producing the variant polypeptides and proteins. Compositions and methods for treating muscle-wasting and other diseases and disorders are also provided.
US07947633B2

Viscoelastic compositions are disclosed herein containing an effective amount of one or more random or structurally defined polycationic quaternary ammonium compounds for controlling the viscoelasticity of the composition. In at least one aspect, the present technology provides polycationic quaternary ammonium compounds comprising dissymmetric bis-quaternary compounds. In another aspect, the present technology provides viscoelastic compositions comprising polycationic quaternary ammonium compounds that comprise dissymmetric bis-quaternary compounds. In yet another aspect, the present technology provides polycationic quaternary ammonium compounds comprising a carboxylate functional polycationic quaternary ammonium compound. Preferred viscoelastic compositions of the present technology maintain viscoelasticity at a temperature greater than about 80° C., preferably greater than about 100° C. or about 110° C. when the amount of the one or polycationic quaternary compounds is less than about 10% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
US07947632B2

Phosphate esters useful for gelling hydrocarbons in combination with a metal source are disclosed along with methods of preparation of the phosphate esters. Fouling in oil refinery towers has been attributed due to distillation of impurities present in phosphate esters used to gel hydrocarbons for oil well fracturing. The improved method of preparation of the phosphate ester results in a product that substantially reduces or eliminates volatile phosphorus, which is phosphorus impurities that distill up to 250° C., and increases the high temperature viscosity of the hydrocarbon gels formed using the phosphate esters.
US07947631B2

Gelled liquid hydrocarbons and methods for gelling hydrocarbons and treating subterranean wellbores employ a phosphorus compound of the formula: wherein, X is a straight chained alkyl or alkoxy group having 5 to 18 carbon atoms in combination with a polyvalent metal source.
US07947630B2

The present disclosure is directed to compositions and methods for enhanced oil recovery, for modifying the permeability of subterranean formations and for increasing the mobilization and/or recovery rate of hydrocarbon fluids present in the formations. The compositions may include, for example, expandable cross-linked polymeric microparticles having unexpanded volume average particle size diameters of from about 0.05 to about 5,000 microns and cross linking agent contents of from about 100 to about 200,000 ppm of labile cross linkers and from 0 to about 300 ppm of non-labile cross linkers that may be used in combination with other components such as, for example, a second and different polymeric microparticle, a viscosified aqueous solution, a subterranean reservoir treatment, or combinations thereof.
US07947624B2

In a metal honeycomb-shaped catalyzer carrier 11, a corrugated portion 24 is formed on one side 33 in the longitudinal direction of a metallic thin belt plate 23. A plurality of belt plates 23, . . . are alternately stacked such that a flat plate portion 35 on the other side 34 of another belt plate 23 is superimposed on the corrugated portion 24, and are wound from their central flat portion 25 in the longitudinal direction thereby to form a wound honeycomb-shaped carrier body 12. The wound honeycomb carrier body 12 is fit in a hollow cylindrical member 13. The central flat portion 25 of the belt plate is wound so as to form a central cylindrical portion 17 having diameter of D, and length of the central flat portion in the longitudinal is at least 4.14 D.
US07947604B2

The present invention relates to the reduction or complete prevention of Cu corrosion during a planarization or polishing process. In one aspect of the invention, RF signal is used to establish a negative bias in front of the wafer surface following polishing to eliminate Cu+ or Cu2+ migrations. In another aspect of the invention, a DC Voltage power supply is used to establish the negative bias.
US07947596B2

A semiconductor device according to this invention comprises a substrate 100 in which semiconductor elements are formed, a first conductor 301 at least a portion of the peripheral surface of which is made of a material comprising copper as a main ingredient, and a first insulative diffusion barrier layer 203 covering at least a portion of the first conductor 301. The first insulative diffusion barrier layer 203 is formed by using a gas mixture at least containing an alkoxy silane represented by the general formula (RO)nSiH4−n (n is an integer in a range from 1 to 3, R represents an alkyl group, an aryl group or a derivative thereof), and an oxidative gas by a plasma CVD. Thus, a semiconductor device comprising copper wiring of high reliability and with less wiring delay time can be provided.
US07947594B2

A method for producing an interconnection structure including at least one insulating layer having a low dielectric constant and at least one metal connection element coated with a support layer and capable of connecting to at least one conductive area of a microelectronic device. The interconnection structure has an improved low dielectric constant. The interconnection structures may be a metal interconnection structure in a variety of integrated circuits.
US07947593B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a Zn system material directly on a copper terminal pad formed over an underlying base; disposing a Pb-free solder ball over the Zn system material; and performing a heating process for reflowing the Pb-free solder ball to thereby form a reactive product layer constituted of a component of the copper terminal pad and a component of the Zn system material between the copper terminal pad and the Pb-free solder ball.
US07947585B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which properties of photoresist through a lithography process are changed to form a dummy structure, and the structure is applied to a process of forming a gate electrode. The method includes the steps of: forming a buffer layer on the top of a semiconductor substrate; applying an inorganic photoresist on the buffer layer, and forming a photoresist pattern using a lithography process; thermally treating the photoresist pattern using a predetermined gas; uniformly depositing an insulating layer on the thermally treated structure, and etching the deposited layer by the deposited thickness in order to expose the thermally treated photoresist pattern; depositing an insulating layer on the etched structure, and etching the deposited insulating layer to expose the thermally treated photoresist pattern; removing the exposed photoresist pattern using an etching process; forming a gate oxide layer in the portion in which the photoresist pattern is removed; and forming a gate electrode on the gate oxide layer. Accordingly, in forming a structure for manufacturing a nano-sized device, the properties of the layer formed by a lithography process are improved through thermal treatment, and thus the structure used to manufacture various devices can be easily formed.
US07947584B2

The present invention generally relates to a thermal processing apparatus and method that permits a user to index one or more preselected light sources capable of emitting one or more wavelengths to a collimator. Multiple light sources may permit a single apparatus to have the capability of emitting multiple, preselected wavelengths. The multiple light sources permit the user to utilize multiple wavelengths simultaneously to approximate “white light”. One or more of a frequency, intensity, and time of exposure may be selected for the wavelength to be emitted. Thus, the capabilities of the apparatus and method are flexible to meet the needs of the user.
US07947581B2

Processes for forming full graphene wafers on silicon or silicon-on-insulator substrates. The processes comprise formation of a metal carbide layer on the substrate and annealing of the metal carbide layer under high vacuum. For volatile metals, this annealing step results in volatilization of the metal species of the metal carbide layer and reformation of the carbon atoms into the desired graphene wafer. Alternatively, for non-volatile metals, the annealing step results in migration of the metal in the metal carbide layer to the top surface of the layer, thereby forming a metal rich top layer. The desired graphene layer is formed by the carbon atoms left at the interface with the metal rich top layer. The thickness of the graphene layer is controlled by the thickness of the metal carbide layer and by solid phase reactions.
US07947567B2

A semiconductor device fabrication method is disclosed. The method comprises an insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; a trench forming step of forming a trench for device isolation in a predetermined part of the semiconductor substrate; a trench filling step of forming a buried oxide film filling the trench; a polishing step of polishing the buried oxide film on the semiconductor substrate until the insulating film is exposed; a thickness measuring step of measuring the thickness of the insulating film remaining after the polishing; an etching amount determining step of determining an etching amount of etching the polished buried oxide film based on the measured thickness of the remaining insulating film; and a buried oxide film etching step of etching the polished buried oxide film based on the determined etching amount.
US07947562B2

One or more embodiments describe a method of fabricating a silicon based metal oxide semiconductor device, including introducing a first dopant into a first partial completion of the device, the first dopant including a first noise reducing species; and introducing a second dopant into a second partial completion of the device, the second dopant and the first dopant being opposite conductivity types.
US07947552B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to method for the concurrent deposition of multiple different crystalline structures on a semiconductor body utilizing in-situ differential epitaxy. In one embodiment of the present invention a preparation surface is formed, resulting in two distinct crystalline regions, a monocrystalline silicon substrate region and an isolating layer region. A monocrystalline silicon layer and an amorphous silicon layer are concurrently formed directly onto the preparation surface in the monocrystalline silicon substrate region and the isolating layer region, respectively. Deposition comprises the formation of two or more sub-layers. The process parameters can be varied for each individual sub-layer to optimize deposition characteristics.
US07947549B2

CMOS circuit structures are disclosed with the PFET and NFET devices having high-k dielectric layers consisting of the same gate insulator material, and metal gate layers consisting of the same gate metal material. The PFET device has a “p” interface control layer which is capable of shifting the effective-workfunction of the gate in the p-direction. In a representative embodiment of the invention the “p” interface control layer is aluminum oxide. The NFET device may have an “n” interface control layer. The materials of the “p” and “n” interface control layers are differing materials. The “p” and “n” interface control layers are positioned to the opposite sides of their corresponding high-k dielectric layers. Methods for fabricating the CMOS circuit structures with the oppositely positioned “p” and “n” interface control layers are also disclosed.
US07947534B2

An integrated circuit package system is provided including: forming a plurality of leads with a predetermined thickness and a predetermined interval gap between each of the plurality of leads; configuring each one of the plurality of leads to include first terminal ends disposed adjacent an integrated circuit and second terminal ends disposed along a periphery of a package; and forming the second terminal ends of alternating leads disposed along the periphery of the package to form an etched lead-to-lead gap in excess of the predetermined interval gap.
US07947530B2

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a wafer level package including the steps of: preparing a substrate wafer including a plurality of pads formed on a bottom surface, a plurality of chips positioned on a top surface, and dicing lines for dividing the chips; forming external connection units on the pads; coating resin on the dicing lines by positioning masks on the substrate wafer to expose only the dicing lines; removing the masks; encapsulating the chips positioned between the resin by coating the chips with encapsulant; removing the resin coated on the dicing lines; and cutting a wafer level package along the dicing lines exposed by removing the resin into units.
US07947528B2

A back-illuminated type solid-state image pickup device (1041) includes read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (1042) to read a signal from a photo-electric conversion element (PD) formed on the semiconductor substrate (1042), in which electric charges (e) generated in a photo-electric conversion region (1052c1) formed under at least one portion of the read circuits (Tr1, Tr2) are collected to an electric charge accumulation region (1052a) formed on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate (1042) of the photo-electric conversion element (PD) by electric field formed within the photo-electric conversion element (PD). Thus, the solid-state image pickup device and the camera are able to make the size of pixel become very small without lowering a saturation electric charge amount (Qs) and sensitivity.
US07947525B2

A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display includes the following steps. First, source/drain and a bottom electrode are formed over a color filter substrate with a color filter layer. The next step forms source/drain junction regions over the source/drain. A channel region is also formed between the source/drain in this step. A gate dielectric layer and a gate are formed over the channel region and the source/drain junction regions in this step as well. Moreover, a plurality of stack layers and an upper electrode are formed over the bottom electrode in this step, too. Then, a pixel electrode is formed to electrically connect one of the source/drain and the bottom electrode. Then, a passivation layer pattern is formed to cover the source/drain, the gate, the upper electrode and the bottom electrode by backside exposure. Finally, a plurality of steps are performed to finish the liquid crystal display.
US07947522B2

A method of production of a semiconductor device includes: forming a pattern having open element isolation regions on a first insulating film situated on a semiconductor substrate; forming trenches at the element isolation regions on the semiconductor substrate; forming a second insulating film on the first insulating film and inside the trenches; forming holes in the second insulating film in active regions sectioned by the element isolation regions; and leaving the second insulating film inside the trenches only. An interval between an outer perimeter of each the active regions and an outer perimeter of each of the holes in each of the active regions is set such that the interval in the first circuit region, in which a total area of the active regions is relatively large, is smaller than the interval in the second circuit region, in which the total area of the active regions is relatively small.
US07947520B2

In the method of making a semiconductor laser, a semiconductor region is grown on an active layer, and a part of the semiconductor region is etched to form a ridge structure. An insulating film is formed over the ridge structure, and a resin layer of photosensitive material is formed to bury the ridge structure. A cured resin portion and an uncured resin portion are formed in the resin layer by performing lithographic exposure of the resin layer, and the uncured resin portion is on the top of the ridge structure. The uncured resin portion is removed to form a dent which is provided on the top of the ridge structure. An overall surface of the cured resin portion and dent is etched to form an etched resin layer. An opening is formed in the etched resin layer by thinning the cured resin portion, and a part of the insulating film is exposed in the opening of the etched resin layer. The part of the insulating film is etched using the etched resin layer as a mask to form an opening in the insulating film. An electrode is formed over the ridge structure and the etched resin layer.
US07947516B2

A method of packaging a light-emitting diode (LED) chip includes coupling the LED chip to a printed circuit board (PCB) and forming a conductor on a cover plate. Conductive epoxy is applied to at least one of the LED chip and the conductor. The cover plate is coupled to the PCB such that the conductive epoxy forms a circuit connection between the LED chip and the conductor. An LED-based lighting product includes a PCB with one or more LED chips mounted directly thereon. A cover plate has conductors that couple at least to the one or more LED chips and to the PCB, such that the conductors form electrical connections between the one or more LED chips and the PCB.
US07947508B2

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for intra-orally diagnosing a body condition.
US07947506B2

A hydroxyquinolone compound formulated as a fluorescent dye for protein detection, assay, quantitation, etc. The hydroxyquinolone compound may be modified, for example, by adding or removing sulfate groups, changing hydrocarbon chain lengths, etc. to result in more desirable properties such as enhanced binding to basic proteins, enhanced solubility, etc. The dye has enhanced sensitivity over commercially available protein stains, and may be used to stain proteins in solution, proteins separated on gels, proteins transferred to solid supports, etc. Methods of using the dyes are also disclosed.
US07947503B2

A dust monitor is disclosed that is suitably deployed in dusty environments and capable of providing near real-time indications of exposure to airborne particulates. The monitor includes a filter and filter assembly made of materials that do not interfere with subsequent instrumental (such as spectrometric) analysis for detecting and/or quantitating an analyte. In some disclosed embodiments, the filter is made of nylon or other material that is readily subjected to thermal destruction prior to spectrometric analysis. The dust monitor also includes a humidity correction feature that permits the filter to be made of ashable organic materials even if those materials are not highly hydrophobic. Transport devices are provided for shipment of the filter and/or filter assembly to an analytical laboratory which prevent loss of particulate matter and which facilitate an accurate analysis procedure.
US07947500B2

The present invention is directed to liquid crystalline substrates useful in the culture of cells and methods of their use. In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods and devices for imaging changes (e.g., reorganization) of extracellular matrix components by living cells.
US07947493B2

The invention relates to compositions, specifically novel nucleic acid constructs encoding a cardiovirus 2A polypeptide operably linked to suitable promoters. Also, disclosed are methods whereby the nucleic acid constructs are introduced into cells or cell free systems to regulate cellular mRNA transcription and cap-dependent or internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-dependent mRNA translation.
US07947491B2

The present invention relates to devices and systems that may generate and maintain a chemical gradient. In one embodiment, the invention provides a source and a sink channel so that a gradient bridge is created. In another embodiment, the gradient bridge creates a stable environment for facilitating molecular events to occur, such as a cell migration, or formation of crystallized molecules.
US07947490B2

The invention herein described relates to an assessment device comprising an assay part and a detachable recording part. The assessment device facilitates the rapid assaying and processing of tissue/fluid samples by healthcare workers. Also, advantageously, the result of the assay is only apparent to the healthcare worker after interrogation of the recording part at a processing facility.
US07947483B2

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microorganism comprising one or more gene disruptions, the one or more gene disruptions occurring in genes encoding an enzyme obligatory to coupling 1,4-butanediol production to growth of the microorganism when the gene disruption reduces an activity of the enzyme, whereby the one or more gene disruptions confers stable growth-coupled production of 1,4-butanediol onto the non-naturally occurring microorganism. The microorganism can further comprise a gene encoding an enzyme in a 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathway. The invention additionally relates to methods of using microorganisms to produce BDO.
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