US08037537B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for conditionally securing data stored on a peripheral device coupled to a system, based on a state of the system. In use, a state of a system is identified. In addition, data stored on a peripheral device coupled to the system is conditionally secured, based on the state.
US08037531B2

A dynamic network security system and a control method thereof in a router where an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and a Voice over Internet Protocol Application Level Gateway (VoIP ALG) are integrated, system including: a VoIP ALG module for acquiring VoIP IP/port information of a counterpart unit in use for determining whether or not to perform intrusion detection on a packet received via VoIP signaling with the counterpart unit; an intrusion detection module for comparing the received packet with a preset intrusion detection log entry to perform intrusion detection on the received packet, and based on a result of the intrusion detection, determining whether or not to allow passage of the received packet; and an IP/port check module for checking VoIP IP/port information of the received packet according to the VoIP IP/port information of the counterpart unit provided from the VoIP ALG module to determine whether or not to perform the intrusion detection, and providing result information on the determination whether or not to perform the intrusion detection to the intrusion detection module.
US08037527B2

A method and apparatus for look-ahead security. Within a document (e.g., a web page, a word processing document, a list of electronic mail messages), a link to other content or another document is selected and the content is identified before a user clicks on the link to open the content. The content is placed into a safe cache that prevents the content from adversely affecting the user's computing device. The content is scanned and/or its behavior is analyzed to detect any security threats or undesirable content (e.g., viruses, worms, scripts, adware, spyware, pornography). Results of the analysis may be collected at a central server. The link or an associated indicator may be configured to indicate whether a threat is present; more information may be provided as desired. A user may be provided with various options to ignore a threat, disable the link, etc.
US08037526B1

A method makes use of positional relationships in a memory stack between the frame pointer, such as the Extended Base Pointer (EBP) in Windows®-based systems, of a critical call initiating function making a call to a critical operating system (OS) function, the top of stack position, such as the Process Environment Block (PEB) in Windows® based systems, and the bottom of stack position, such as the Extended Stack pointer (ESP) in a Windows® based system, to detect and block buffer overflows.
US08037525B2

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to access control and provide a method, system and computer program product for access control and entitlement determination for hierarchically organized content. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for access control and entitlement determination for hierarchically organized content can be provided. The method can include selecting a node in hierarchically organized content, inferring entitlements for direct descendants of the selected node based upon expressly conferred permissive access rights amongst ancestors and descendants of the selected node and expressly conferred impermissive rights amongst descendants of the selected node. Finally, the method can include applying the inferred entitlements in a view to the hierarchically organized content.
US08037512B2

A method is provided for separating people from direct access to personally identifiable information. The method involves use of a rules-based section which selectively blocks access to personally identifiable information where the access fails to comply with specified rules, and which selectively permits access to personally identifiable information where the access abides with the specified rules.
US08037511B1

One or more media is provided for performing a method of operating an electronic locking mechanism. Initially, a request from a requesting mobile device is received at a computing device via a sensing device. The request includes an identifier utilized in an initial validation sequence having the following steps: identifying a device identity according to the identifier, transmitting the device identity with a request that a message be communicated to a target mobile device, and determining validation data. Upon receiving the request, a communications network identifies the target mobile device, based on the device identity, and communicates a message with validation data therein. The mobile device conveys authentication information to the computing device, where the authentication information is based on the validation data. The computing device compares the authentication information against the determined validation data to determine whether the targeted mobile device is authorized to operate the electronic locking mechanism.
US08037509B2

According to one aspect of the invention, when an algorithm bay is connected to a signal processing apparatus according to a first connection mode, a selector of the algorithm bay selects and sets a first function provided by a first function provider as the signal processing function of the signal processing apparatus. When the algorithm bay is connected to the signal processing apparatus according to a second connection mode, the selector of the algorithm bay selects and sets a second function provided by a second function provider as the signal processing function of the signal processing apparatus. According to another aspect of the invention, a first information provider of an algorithm bay supplies a signal indicating first information to be used in the signal processing of a signal processor of a signal processing apparatus to the signal processor via a wired interface of the algorithm bay, wired connection, and a wired interface of the signal processing apparatus. A second information provider of the algorithm bay supplies a signal indicating second information of changing the signal processing function of the signal processor to the signal processor via a wireless interface of the algorithm bay, wireless connection, and a wireless interface of the signal processing apparatus.
US08037501B2

Methods for entertainment-programming distribution are provided. A set of entertainment programs is transmitted in real time over a public network for display on user computers in communication with the public network and identified as subscribers to the set of entertainment programs. A notification signal is transmitted with at least one of the entertainment programs to identify that entertainment program as available for download. A request is received from one of the user computers over the public network to download that entertainment program. It is verified that the user computer is authorized to receive downloaded entertainment programs in accordance with a subscriber agreement. The identified entertainment program is then downloaded to the user computer.
US08037500B2

A portable media device for use in cooperation with passenger entertainment systems installed in vehicles, such as automobiles and aircraft, and methods for manufacturing and using same. The portable media device is configured to communicate with one or more content sources, which provide viewing content and which may be proximate to, and/or remote from, the portable media device. Preferably being configured to wirelessly communicate with the content sources, the portable media device can select content from any available content source and can download and present the selected content in any conventional manner. The selected content can be streamed to the portable media device for contemporaneous presentation and/or stored by the portable media device for viewing at any time, including after disembarking the vehicle once travel is completed. As desired, the portable media device likewise can be configured to transmit appropriate upload content to the content sources.
US08037498B2

An electronic mail on which a control command is interpolated is transmitted through a public line, received by a modem section of a gate way, converted to a digital data, and supplied to the control section. A CPU of the control section stores the received electronic mail in a RAM, and extracts the control command contained in the electronic mail. The CPU supplies a control signal corresponding to the control command to an interface section. The interface section controls an IR transmission section to transmit a signal corresponding to the control signal supplied from the CPU or outputs a signal through a connection line, and controls a video deck.
US08037494B2

According to the invention, a method for generating a personalized menu promoting other video programs available from a video content delivery system is disclosed. The video content delivery system provides a plurality of channels of video content simultaneously. In one step, it is determined that a triggering event has occurred with a video content delivery conduit. First information about one or more users is gathered. The one or more users are associated with an account with the video content delivery system. Alternative video programs are determined and personalized for the one or more users based, at least in part, upon the first information. The context for the triggering event is analyzed to produce second information. A configuration of the personalized menu is determined based, at least in part, upon the second information. The personalized menu is formulated for presentment to the one or more users. The personalized menu comprises links to the alternative video programs.
US08037478B2

When the states of a large number of objects must be transferred to another device, the overhead can be greatly reduced and the object states can be synchronized in a short period of time. At the time of creating an object, an object creation function arranges the internal state of the object into a byte sequence in a region for transfer, and sets mapping data in a mapping management table. When an application program has manipulated the internal state by using an accessor method, the state is set in the byte sequence in the region for transfer, or obtained therefrom. A transfer function transfers the byte sequence in the region for transfer and the mapping management table to a receiver, where a reproduction function reproduces the object based on the received data.
US08037475B1

The disclosure relates to systems, methods and computer-readable media for dynamically provisioning resources within a compute environment. The method aspect of the disclosure comprises A method of dynamically provisioning resources within a compute environment, the method comprises analyzing a queue of jobs to determine an availability of compute resources for each job, determining an availability of a scheduler of the compute environment to satisfy all service level agreements (SLAs) and target service levels within a current configuration of the compute resources, determining possible resource provisioning changes to improve SLA fulfillment, determining a cost of provisioning; and if provisioning changes improve overall SLA delivery, then re-provisioning at least one compute resource.
US08037469B2

A computer settings configuration system and method for configuring computer settings are provided. The computer settings configuration system comprises a loading module for loading into computer readable memory a subset of computer setting variables and a modification module for modifying computer system settings corresponding with the subset of computer setting variables. The method comprises the steps of loading into computer readable memory a subset of computer setting variables and modifying computer system settings corresponding with the subset of computer setting variables.
US08037466B2

Critical sections used for multiple threads in a parallel program to access shared resource may be selected to merge with each other to reduce the number of signals/tokens used to create critical sections. Critical section merge may be based on a summarized dependence graph which is obtained from an instruction level dependence graph constructed based on a result of critical section minimization.
US08037441B2

A computerized method for automatically generating a grid-based derivative of a non-gridded cell library of an integrated circuit design comprises the step of determining at least one valid position of at least one wiring element of a circuit of the first cell library, wherein the at least one valid position fulfills all technological design rules and wherein the at least one valid position fits into the second grid format. The method can also be used for automatically transforming a first cell library of an integrated circuit design having a first grid format into a second cell library having a second grid format or for automatically analyzing a grid-based cell library of an integrated circuit design in view of the circuit quality regarding technical design rules.
US08037440B2

A method for designing a read-only memory (ROM), and related device, includes partitioning a dataset into two or more sub-datasets that each have the same address space, but are of a smaller bit-width than the original dataset. The sub-datasets are row collapsed, and then respective memory cells for the sub-datasets are provided. The output of the memory cells provides the output of the ROM. Each memory cell includes a decoder that maps addresses to word lines based on mapping information obtained during row collapsing, and a logic array driven by the decoder that encodes the data words of the sub-dataset.
US08037433B2

A layout of a semiconductor circuit is analyzed to calculate layout-dependant parameters that can include a mobility shift and a threshold voltage shift. Layout-dependant effects that affect the layout dependant parameters may include stress effects, rapid thermal anneal (RTA) effects, and lithographic effects. Intrinsic functions that do not reflect the layout-dependant effects are calculated, followed by calculation of scaling modifiers based on the layout-dependant parameters. A model output function that reflects the layout-dependant effects is obtained by multiplication of each of the intrinsic functions with a corresponding scaling parameter.
US08037418B2

A wireless communication device stores a system GUI configuration file and a downloaded service provider GUI configuration file, each of which contains a text name checksum value that is calculated using the text names of the GUI parameter data stored either the system GUI configuration file or the service provider GUI configuration file. The text name checksum values are based on the text names of the GUI parameter data. After the download operation is complete, a text name checksum comparator program compares the downloaded text name checksum value to the initial text name checksum value in the system GUI configuration file. If the two text name checksum values do not match, the downloaded service provider GUI configuration file is rejected.
US08037416B2

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques for filtering and presenting elements of an immersive virtual environment. The elements may be filtered according to importance to the user, based on user-specified importance of each element, the number and type of past interactions with the elements, and the like. Further, the filtering may be performed on the basis of the user's preference for density of element presentation. The user may then be presented with a view of the virtual world in which elements having a higher degree of interest to the user are highlighted visually, and in which elements having a lesser degree of interest to the user are made partially transparent or invisible.
US08037411B2

A method for pre-print visualization of a 3D object that represents opposite faces of a document is described. The method includes manipulating two 3D objects that represent opposite faces of a document in parallel such that they do not intersect while being animated in a folding operation.
US08037408B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods of validating templates. One embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method validating a template comprising receiving a target language schema, receiving a placeholder schema, generating a template schema that is based on the target schema and the placeholder schema, and validating the template against the template schema. If the template conforms to the template schema and if the template is instantiated, the instantiated template will conform to the target language schema.
US08037402B2

A method for creating an electronic form for publication comprising responsive to first user input allowing a user to create the electronic form using a form-creating user interface wherein the user defines the fields and their values for the electronic form that is modeled after format information as specified by an entity; responsive to second user input allowing a user to fill in the electronic form to create a populated form; automatically creating the electronic message compliant with the format information; and transmitting the electronic message to the entity for publication. The user interface allows the user to create the form in compliant with the format information, thereby automating the process for flexible creation and publication of forms without a need to modify the software program for each entity, hence eliminating the manual process and saving time and money as well as creating more competition in the market.
US08037401B2

Some embodiments of the invention provide a computer system that includes a media server, a media client, and a media-server interface. The media server application produces media data, where the media data has a plurality of segments. For example, in some embodiments, the media data is a movie with video and audio components. In this example, the segments of the movie can be specified in two groups, where one group includes the frames of video in the movie and the other group includes the seconds of audio in the movie. The media client application is typically an application that needs to process the media data of the media server application without the need to have any familiarity with the implementation of the media server application. The media-server interface directs the server application to successively generate individual segments of the media data and to store each generated segment in a location that is accessible by the media client. The server application generates each segment in a format that is comprehensible to the media client application. The media client application retrieves each segment from its stored location and processes the segment.
US08037400B2

An electronic shipment planner is adapted for electronically presenting shipment and scheduling information to a user. The shipment and scheduling information includes at least one shipment event date. The shipment planner is linked to a shipment data repository containing shipment and scheduling information. A system interface communicates with the shipment data repository. An interactive shipment data link is electronically associated with the shipment and scheduling information, and cooperates with the system interface as commanded by the user to access and retrieve the associated shipment and scheduling information contained in the shipment data repository. A calendar display interface displays the shipment planner to the user in a calendar format, such that the interactive shipment data link is provided on the shipment event date associated with the shipment and scheduling information.
US08037397B2

The present invention discloses a method for recovering a lost data unit, the method including: partitioning data to be transmitted into one or more data units, sorting the data units according to importance levels of the data units, and determining a check rule for the one or more data units, performing, by a transmitting end, a calculation on the sorted data units according to a predetermined algorithm depending on the check rule, to generate one or more corresponding check units; transmitting, by the transmitting end, the one or more data units to a receiving end in a sorted order, and transmitting the corresponding check units to the receiving end; recovering, by the receiving end, a lost data unit according to the receiving data units and check units as well as the check rule. With the method, the loss-preventative capability of the data units may be improved.
US08037396B2

A universal method of trellis encoding signals mapped according to any signal constellation format involves constructing an encoder output table and a state transition table. The encoder output table defines the output symbol of an encoder given the input symbol and the present state of the encoder, while the state transition table defines the next state of the encoder given the present state of the encoder and the input applied to the encoder. The output table and the next state table are constructed with the objective of providing maximal distances between the branches of the trellis diagram without any regards for the shift register implementation of the code. Cyclic trellis-coded modulation is an example of such codes without feed-forward or feed-back shift register implementations, and with equal or better performance than “optimal” shift register trellis codes with 16 states or less. The cyclic trellis codes for both AWGN and Rayleigh fading applications can be constructed for any signal constellation without resorting to exhaustive searches.
US08037391B1

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for performing RAID-6 computations using simple arithmetic functions and two-dimensional table lookup operations. Four lookup tables are computed and saved prior to normal operation of a RAID-6 disk array. During normal operation of the RAID-6 disk array, all RAID-6 related computations may be performed using a small set of simple arithmetic operations and a set of lookup operations to three of the four previously saved lookup tables. Greater computational efficiency is gained by reducing the RAID-6 computations to simple operations that are performed efficiently on a typical central processing unit or graphics processing unit.
US08037388B2

The metrics matrix may include at least one particular layer including at least one particular column having several metrics cues, respectively, situated in different rows. For the particular layer, the updating of the channel cue is associated with the particular column involving at each iteration one updated metric cue selected from all the metrics cues of the particular column. The row of the selected metric cues may change at each iteration.
US08037384B2

A semiconductor device includes a test target circuit; scan chains that enable scanning of the test target circuit; a first random number generation circuit that forms test patterns supplied to the scan chains; a second random number generation circuit that is provided separately from the first random number generation circuit; and a random number control circuit that uses the random numbers generated by the second random number generation circuit to change the random numbers generated by the first random number generation circuit. In a test of the semiconductor device, since a period of a clock of a scan chain does not need to be longer than that of a clock of a pattern generator, the number of clocks of the pattern generator needed for a test can be prevented from increasing. Accordingly, a test time can be prevented from increasing.
US08037383B2

A scan test architecture facilitates low power testing of semiconductor circuits by selectively dividing the serial scan paths into shorter sections. Multiplexers between the sections control connecting the sections into longer or shorted paths. Select and enable signals control the operation of the scan path sections. The output of each scan path passes through a multiplexer to compare circuits on the semiconductor substrate. The compare circuits also receive expected data and mask data. The compare circuits provide a fail flag output from the semiconductor substrate.
US08037378B2

A memory device has a control register comprising a test mode disable bit. The test mode is initially enabled. If the device does not receive an appropriate key or command as the next command received, the test mode is disabled. If the appropriate key is received, the test mode is continued to be enabled until it is expressly disabled by the user.
US08037375B2

A method, device, and system are disclosed. In one embodiment method includes determining a left edge and right edge of a valid data eye for a memory. The method continues by periodically checking the left and right edges for movement during operation of the memory. If movement is detected, the method retrains the valid data eye with an updated left edge and right edge.
US08037372B2

An apparatus for testing setup/hold time includes a plurality of data input units, each configured to calibrate setup/hold time of input data in response to selection signals and setup/hold calibration signals, and an off-chip driver calibration unit configured to generate the selection signals and the setup/hold calibration signals by using the input data input of one of the plurality of data input units.
US08037371B1

A testing device for testing a high-speed serial transmitter or other device includes an input stage having a first comparator, a second comparator, and a digital-to-analog converter. The first comparator compares first differential signals from a device under test. The second comparator compares the first differential signals and second differential signals from the digital-to-analog converter. An analysis unit identifies first beats based on an output of the first comparator and second beats based on an output of the second comparator. The analysis unit identifies one or more characteristics of the device under test (such as jitter, differential signal swing, and transition time) based on the first and second beats. A clock unit provides an adjustable clock signal to the comparators. The clock signal may have a frequency shift with respect to a frequency of the device under test.
US08037370B2

Apparatus and methods provide at least redundant control information such as control symbols and control data over respective channels, such as differential lanes, and skew at least the redundant control information in time between the plurality of transmission circuits. Non-control information such as video and/or audio data may also be skewed. Corresponding receiver circuits and methods are also disclosed.
US08037357B2

A software testing system for generating a test job control language (JCL) file is provided. The system includes a processor, a memory device for storing a source JCL file containing jobs and an instruction file containing instructions for modifying the source JCL file according to a test environment. A JCL generation module executed by the processor determines all procedures that are referenced by the jobs in the source JCL file, opens each unique procedure of the determined procedures once and modifies the jobs in the source JCL file based on the instruction file and the opened procedures to generate the test JCL file. By opening each procedure only once which may be called multiple times in the jobs, the JCL generation module substantially increases the speed of generating the test JCL file.
US08037354B2

An application control engine computing platform having a shut-down mechanism that permits the platform to adequately start up and operate upon return of power after a power interruption, without a need of a battery pack. The mechanism may target the saving of control object runtime values and operational settings of those objects, rather than the saving of the complete set of objects, and all unsaved alarm and history records upon a power interruption.
US08037347B2

A method and system for copying operating system information to said at least two storage devices, selectively hiding at least one, but not all, of the storage devices from being accessed by the operating system, and selectively revealing one or more of said hidden storage devices as needed to permit access to the information stored therein.
US08037346B2

A system for processing a data read error from a tape medium in one embodiment includes a reading section for reading data in data units from a tape medium; a reading control section for controlling said reading section to read data, and on condition that if an error occurs in reading one of said data units, the data unit where the error occurs is considered an error data unit and the reading control section issues an instruction to skip the error data unit and read the next readable data unit immediately after the error data unit; a computation section for computing a number of records and a number of boundary marks included in the error data unit where said error occurs from information about the records and boundary marks included in the data unit preceding the error data unit that is read immediately before said error occurs, and information about the records and boundary marks included in the data unit next to said error data unit, the boundary marks indicating the boundary of a record block; and a communication section for outputting the number information about said computed number of records and said computed number of boundary marks.
US08037344B2

A storage system is configured to create and manage virtual ports on physical ports. The storage system can transfer associations between virtual ports and physical ports when a failure occurs in a physical port or a link connected to the physical port so that a host can access volumes under the virtual ports through another physical port. The storage system can also change associations between virtual ports and physical ports by taking into account the relative loads on the physical ports. When a virtual machine is migrated from one host computer to another, the loads on the physical ports in the storage system can be used to determine whether load balancing should take place. Additionally, the storage system can transfer virtual ports to a remote storage system that will take over the virtual ports, so that a virtual machine can be migrated to remote location.
US08037343B2

A method includes generating a layer three trap packet that includes an indicator that indicates an audit request of a resident configuration file, transmitting the layer three trap packet to another device, receiving a reference configuration file in response to transmitting the layer three trap packet, comparing the resident configuration file with the reference configuration file, and replacing the resident configuration with the reference configuration file when a difference between the reference configuration file and the resident configuration file exists.
US08037334B2

A method includes detecting a trigger condition, and in response to detecting the trigger condition, reducing a voltage applied to a graphics controller component of a memory controller. The reduction in voltage may cause the voltage to be reduced below a voltage level required to maintain context information in the graphics controller component.
US08037333B2

An information handling system employs low-power processing. In a particular form, an information handling system can include a processing system configured operate using a power system configured to power a shared resource of the processing system and a non-shared resource of the processing system. The information handling system can also include a low-power processing system configured to access the shared resource of the processing system during operation of the low-power processing system. The operation of the low-power processing system can be separate from the operation of the processing system. The information handling system can also include a chipset including a processor of the processing system and operable to be enabled during operation of the processing system. The processor can be configured to be disabled during operation of the low-power processing system.
US08037331B2

Optimized bus powered peripheral battery charging includes a circuit to initiate a change in an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) state in a controller allowing charging of a peripheral device battery, the circuit including a signal converter coupled between an input port and the controller to sense when a the peripheral device battery is coupled to an input port and to restrict the controller from changing ACPI state multiple times for a given peripheral device battery coupling; and a ground loop detector coupled in parallel to the signal converter between the input port and the controller to allow the controller to know that the peripheral device battery has maintained being coupled to the input port.
US08037328B2

A Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) communication system dynamically provides power and data communications over a communications link. In a computing environment made up of one or more personal computing devices (PCD) and/or one or more powered devices (PD), power source equipment (PSE) determines an allocated amount of power to be supplied to each device. The personal computing devices include a unified LAN-On-Motherboard (LOM) that combines the functionality of a powered device (PD) controller of a conventional PD and a LOM of a conventional personal computing device into a single unified subsystem. The unified LOM includes a standard or universal interface between the LOM and PD controller so that different types of PD devices with differing functionality can be easily married to the LOM, without requiring significant hardware or software redesign. The universal or standard interface includes a physical interface between the LOM and the PD controller and a compatible communication protocol to govern the communications between the LOM and the PD controller. This allows the LOM to be mixed and matched with any PD controller, enabling OEMs to economically provide multiple product models with varying degrees of PD and LOM functionality.
US08037313B2

The invention relates generally to a method and arrangement for real-time betting with an off-line terminal, and especially to the technological field of keeping reliable time in the off-line terminal when handling, within a communications system comprising a distributed domain and a central domain, electronic records that contain predictions of the outcome of a certain incident. Within the distributed domain a multitude of electronic records that contain predictions of the outcome of the incident are generated and furnished with a cryptographically protected proof of a certain moment of the distributed domain's local time associated with the generation of the electronic record.
US08037307B2

A system and method for providing an authentication code across a network for use in authentication of documents, such as printed lottery tickets. The system includes document-printing terminals that include a key that is used in a mathematical function with the bet information for a specific-game entry to generate a document code that is sent to a central server. The central server stores the received document code and then generates an authentication code for the document desired to be printed at the terminal, and sends the authentication code back to the terminal for printing on the issued document. The authentication code can be a further mathematical processing of the document code. Verification of the document occurs from comparison of the authentication code on the document and stored authentication and/or document codes at the server.
US08037302B2

The method is for ensuring secure forwarding of a message is performed in a telecommunication network that has at least one terminal from which the message is sent and at least one other terminal to which the message is sent. One or more secure connections are established between different addresses of the first terminal and address of the other terminal. The connections define at least said addresses of the two terminals. When the first terminal moves from one address to another address, a secure connection, which endpoints are the new address of the first terminal and the address of the other terminal, is registered to be at least one of the active connections.
US08037301B2

In some aspects, an encryption key setting method includes inputting a code string, selecting a generating procedure for generating a code string from a plurality of generating procedures that were previously set, generating a code string using the inputted code string based upon the selected generating procedure, and setting the generated code string as an encryption key.
US08037295B2

An internet data exchange authentication method that can provide much of the user authentication assurance and capability of dedicated computer security cryptographic hardware, without requiring that the user actually have such hardware. This method allows users with computerized devices to communicate securely with secure servers by creating customized challenge-response authentication objects (pockets) where both the challenge and the response is based partially on the hardware identity of the user's computerized device, and partially on a secret (such as a random number) known only by the secure server. The secure server receives the device's hardware identity, generates the secret, creates the pocket, encrypts the pocket, and sends the encrypted pocket back to the user's device. The secure server, or a third trusted credential server, then sends the decryption key for the encrypted pocket back to the user using a different, “out of band” communications modality, thus reducing the chances of interception.
US08037290B1

Providing computer security is disclosed. A computing system is booted into a pre operating system environment. The pre operating system environment is used to provide current security data to the computing system. The computer system is booted into an operating system environment other than the pre operating system environment.
US08037289B1

A method and apparatus for cloning a configuration of a computer in a datacenter is described in the present application. In one embodiment, the method comprises accessing a configuration snapshot for a computer in a data center, wherein the configuration snapshot defines at least one configuration attribute for at least one computer resource and indicates an operating system and at least one software application and provisioning a hardware computer in the data center based on the configuration snapshot.
US08037280B2

A system and related method of operation for migrating the memory of a virtual machine from one NUMA node to another. Once the VM is migrated to a new node, migration of memory pages is performed while giving priority to the most utilized pages, so that access to these pages becomes local as soon as possible. Various heuristics are described to enable different implementations for different situations or scenarios.
US08037279B2

A method for sharing data between a first domain and a second domain, including issuing a first request for data from a storage pool by the first domain, receiving the first request by a control domain driver in a control domain, obtaining the data by the control domain driver, storing a first copy of the data in shared memory at a first physical address, updating a hypervisor page map to include an entry associating a first pseudo-physical page number with the first physical address, notifying the first domain that the first request has been completed, issuing a second request for the data by the second domain, receiving the second request by the control domain driver, determining that the first copy of the data is present in the shared memory, and updating the hypervisor page map to include an entry associating the second pseudo-physical page number with the first physical address.
US08037278B2

What is provided is an enhanced dynamic address translation facility. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. An index portion of the virtual address is used to reference an entry in the translation table. If the format control field is enabled, a frame address of a large block of data in main storage is obtained from the translation table entry. The large block of data is a block of at least 1M byte in size. The frame address is then combined with an offset portion of the virtual address to form the translated address of a desired block of data within the large block of data in main storage. The desired large block of data addressed by the translated address is then accessed.
US08037272B2

A design structure is provided for a memory module containing an interface for receiving memory access commands from an external source, in which a first portion of the interface receives memory access data at a first bus frequency and a second portion of the interface receives memory access data at a second different bus frequency. Preferably, the memory module contains a second interface for re-transmitting memory access data, also operating at dual frequency. The memory module is preferably used in a high-capacity memory subsystem organized in a tree configuration in which data accesses are interleaved. Preferably, the memory module has multiple-mode operation, one of which supports dual-speed buses for receiving and re-transmitting different parts of data access commands, and another of which supports conventional daisy-chaining.
US08037265B2

Storage system and data management method to reduce the load on a virtualization apparatus by executing backup processing or restoration processing within one apparatus in which an externally connected storage apparatus and a tape library apparatus are installed. The storage system includes a virtualization apparatus and an external storage apparatus; the virtualization apparatus having: an actual volume for storing data sent from a host apparatus, formed in a storage area provided by a physical disk; and a virtual volume paired with the actual volume, for storing replicated data for the data, and the external storage apparatus having: a logical volume that functions as an actual storage area for the virtual volume; and a tape associated with the logical volume, for storing the replicated data, wherein the external storage apparatus has a copy unit for copying the replicated data stored in the logical volume to the tape.
US08037263B2

A control device of a storage system including a CPU which receives input information including at least a size and an archive deadline of data which is stored in storage devices; wherein data management information includes a write threshold value regarding one type of storage devices, the write threshold value indicating a write limit number to the one type of storage devices, wherein the CPU: selects a storage device which stores data corresponding to the information which is input to an input device, based on the information which is input to the input device and the data management information which is stored in the memory; CPU stores to the selected storage device, the data corresponding to the information which is input to the input device; and, registers to the data management information in the memory, at least one of the information which is input to the input device.
US08037260B2

A unified storage system for executing a variety of types of storage control software using a single standardized hardware platform includes multiple storage control modules connected to storage devices for storing data related to input/output (I/O) operations. A first type of storage control software is initially installed and executed on a first storage control module for processing a first type of I/O operations. A management module replaces the first type of storage control software by installing a second type of storage control software onto the first storage control module. When the second type of storage control software is installed and executed, the first storage control module processes a second type of I/O operation, different from the first type of I/O operation. Control of volumes originally accessed by the first storage control module may be transferred to a second storage control module having the first type of storage control software installed.
US08037256B2

Methods and systems for processing memory lookup requests are provided. In an embodiment, an address processing unit includes an instructions module configured to store instructions to be executed to complete a primary memory lookup request and a logic unit coupled to the instructions module. The primary memory lookup request is associated with a desired address. Based on an instruction stored in the instructions module, the logic unit is configured to generate a secondary memory lookup request that requests the desired address.In another embodiment, a method of processing memory lookups requests includes receiving a primary memory lookup request that corresponds to a desired memory address and generating a plurality of secondary memory lookup requests.
US08037252B2

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide techniques and apparatus to reduce the number of memory directory updates during block replacement in a system having a directory-based cache. The system may be implemented to utilize a read/write bit to determine the accessibility of a cache line and limit memory directory updates during block replacement to regions that are determined to be readable and writable by multiple processors.
US08037234B2

A flash module has raw-NAND flash memory chips accessed over a physical-block address (PBA) bus by a NVM controller. The NVM controller is on the flash module or on a system board for a solid-state disk (SSD). The NVM controller converts logical block addresses (LBA) to physical block addresses (PBA). Data striping and interleaving among multiple channels of the flash modules is controlled at a high level by a smart storage transaction manager, while further interleaving and remapping within a channel may be performed by the NVM controllers. A SDRAM buffer is used by a smart storage switch to cache host data before writing to flash memory. A Q-R pointer table stores quotients and remainders of division of the host address. The remainder points to a location of the host data in the SDRAM. A command queue stores Q, R for host commands.
US08037232B2

A data protection method suitable for a plurality of physical blocks mapped to a logical block in a non-volatile memory is provided. The data protection method includes recording data update information in each of the physical blocks for identifying an update relationship of the physical blocks and re-establishing the update relationship of the physical blocks according to the data update information. The data update information is composed of a plurality of words having a circular relationship, and the number of these words is greater than the number of the physical blocks. The data update information is sequentially recorded in each of the physical blocks according to the update relationship and the circular relationship.
US08037224B2

An advanced processor comprises a plurality of multithreaded processor cores each having a data cache and instruction cache. A data switch interconnect is coupled to each of the processor cores and configured to pass information among the processor cores. A messaging network is coupled to each of the processor cores and a plurality of communication ports. The data switch interconnect is coupled to each of the processor cores by its respective data cache, and the messaging network is coupled to each of the processor cores by its respective message station. In one aspect of an embodiment of the invention, the messaging network connects to a high-bandwidth star-topology serial bus such as a PCI express (PCIe) interface capable of supporting multiple high-bandwidth PCIe lanes. Advantages of the invention include the ability to provide high bandwidth communications between computer systems and memory in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
US08037223B2

In accordance with the present technique, a system and method for configuring pins of an input/output (I/O) card in a host system are provided. The method includes reading configuration information from a card field replaceable unit memory and reading system configuration information from a system field replaceable unit memory. Additionally, the method includes configuring pins of a system logic of the host system to be compatible with the I/O device of the I/O card, and configuring pins of an I/O device on the I/O card to in turn configure the pins of the I/O card with a configuration setting compatible with the host system.
US08037218B2

A method of communication in a communication apparatus includes steps of suppressing communication with a first communication device, which has been connected to a first communication interface, in accordance with data from the first communication device; establishing communication with a second communication device by a second communication interface; removing suppression of communication with the first communication device after communication with the second communication device has been established; and communicating data between the first and second communication devices via the first communication and second communication interfaces.
US08037214B2

Provided are a method and apparatus for controlling direct memory access. In the method, data to be transmitted are read and stored in response to a direct memory access controller (DMAC) operation request, and a portion of the data corresponding to an initial burst size is first transmitted to a data destination. After resetting a burst size according to a state of the data destination, another portion of the data corresponding to the reset burst size is second-transmitted to the data destination. If all the data are not transmitted through the first-transmission and the second-transmission, the second-transmission is repeated until all the data are transmitted. If all the data are transmitted through the first-transmission and the second-transmission, an interrupt signal is generated. Therefore, interrupt signals can be less generated, and thus the processor can access an external memory less frequently, thereby increasing system performance.
US08037200B2

Media data is distributed across multiple devices and is locatable using a hashing function and a hash table. The media data is partially replicated based on popularity thereof. In a described implementation, a media data block is locatable by hashing a media data indicator to produce a media data hash value that maps to a bin of the hash table. The bin is associated with at least one device that stores and/or with a sender that is capable of sending to clients the media data blocks mapping thereto. Each bin may have primary and secondary roles. Devices holding primary roles store all of the media data blocks mapping to a bin. Devices holding secondary roles replicate the media data blocks mapping to the bin that are also within a top predetermined popularity percentage. Popularity is determined based on numbers of clients currently requesting a particular media data portion.
US08037195B2

A system and method for collecting information on components in an information technology (IT) system. This embodiment features discovering components in the IT system, determining at least one dependency between two or more of the discovered components, and tracking changes to the discovered components and the dependency between two or more of the discovered components. The discovery of components can be carried out using fingerprints of components, which can include key elements of the component that exist in a full model of all of the elements of the component.
US08037188B2

A method for soft handoff across different networks is disclosed. A first communication link through a first network is used for communicating between a first user agent and a second user agent. The user agents negotiate to use a second communication link for the same call. The second communication link is established through a second network between the first user agent and the second user agent while maintaining the first communication link. Related data is sent through the first communication link and the second communication link such that the related data is for the same call. The first communication link is dropped and communication is continued using the second communication link.
US08037187B2

The present invention provides a solution for resource sharing (e.g., inter-Cloud) within a Cloud-computing environment. One objective of the present invention is to better utilize idle public or private Cloud infrastructures and improve the availability of Cloud services by allowing different Cloud service providers to virtually combine their services and infrastructures. In the event that there is not enough capacity for a single Cloud service provider to manage its workload, the workload may be shifted to additional infrastructures within the Cloud. The result of the workload shift may reduce the unavailability of Cloud services to the Cloud end-user by allowing another Cloud service provider to temporarily handle the workload. Based on the resource sharing activities, compensation (e.g., credits/tokens) can be exchanged between the participating Cloud providers to reflect their participation in the resource exchange.
US08037177B2

The network type audio system includes a content server storing a large number of music data pieces, an audio client reproducing music, and a controller monitoring and controlling the audio client through the content server. The audio client requests the server to provide the music data of a music piece selected in response to the user's operation. The content server returns the music data of the selected music piece in response to the request from the audio client. The music data is distributed from the content server to the audio client on the basis of a specified amount. The audio client notifies the content server of its status. The content server notifies the controller of the status of the audio client. The controller displays the status. The controller also instructs the audio client to reproduce the music piece selected in response to the user's operation through the content server.
US08037174B2

To provide a data communication system which lightens processing related to changes in the status in signaling processing performed between terminals. A signaling server communicating mutually with a plurality of terminals includes: a transmitting/receiving part for transmitting/receiving a message; a status management part for updating a registered terminal list and status management information; and a signaling processing part for judging a destination and a type of the message received at the transmitting/receiving part. The signaling processing part gives an instruction to the status management part to update the status management information in accordance with contents of the message without transferring the message to a first terminal, when the first terminal requires the signaling processing support and the message is not directly related to starting or stopping of communication with the first terminal.
US08037169B2

A lock manager system is provided that includes multiple distinct mechanisms for assigning resources to masters. Specifically, the lock manager system includes (1) one or more assignment mechanisms that do not take into account the affinity between nodes and objects (“affinity-independent assignment mechanisms”), and (3) one or more assignment mechanisms that do take into account the affinity between nodes and objects (“affinity-based assignment mechanisms”). At any given time, the assignment of any given resource to a master is governed by only one of the multiple assignment mechanisms employed by the system. Various techniques are described for determining which assignment mechanism to use with which resources.
US08037168B2

A WHOIS record of a domain name is retrieved at a first time, the WHOIS record including an expiry date of a second time, a time difference value can be calculated between the first time and the second time, and the time difference value provided to a user. Time difference value can be determined to satisfy at least one condition including a threshold value. An indication can be provided to the user that the at least one condition has been satisfied such as notifying the user of domain name expiration status, storing the domain name in a user expiration watch list, monitoring the domain name for expiration upon or after the second time, and attempting to register the domain name with a selected domain name registration provider after the second time or upon determining that either the domain name may soon be available for registration or available for registration. The WHOIS record can be retrieved in response to receiving or obtaining a request such as a resource location request, domain name resolution request, search engine request, WHOIS request, domain name availability request, and domain name registration request.
US08037164B2

The system remotely manages the configuration of one or several network services (20). The management server (10) has access to a database (12) which stores a representation of the configuration of the network service (20). An agent software component (18)—running preferably on the network device providing the managed service (20)—has access to the configuration in the native language of the network service (20). The management server (10) and the agent software component (18) communicate synchronization information to each other and synchronize the representation of the configuration of the network service in the database (12) and the native language configuration of the network service (20) with each other based on the synchronization information. The synchronization information is in a language different from the native language of the configuration of the network service.
US08037158B2

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for providing real-time, two-way transactional capabilities on the Web. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for enabling object routing, the method comprising the steps of creating a virtual information store containing information entries and attributes associating each of the information entries and the attributes with an object identity, and assigning a unique network address to each of the object identities. A method is also disclosed for enabling service management of the value-added network service, to perform OAM&P functions on the services network.
US08037157B2

An apparatus is provided for generating a Customized Uniform Resource Locator (CURL). The apparatus includes a request receiver, an information obtainer, and a CURL register. The request receiver is adapted to receive a request for assigning a CURL applied by a user to selected content in a network resource accessed through a normal URL. The information obtainer is adapted to obtain the normal URL, the CURL, and a set of description information of the selected content. The CURL register is adapted to obtain a browser context, an application context, and a system context related to the selected content, and is further adapted to store the browser context, the application context, and the system context which have been obtained with the normal URL, the CURL, and the set of description information of the selected content into a CURL repository as a whole.
US08037144B2

Disclosed herein are filtering systems and methods that employ an electronic message source reputation system. The source reputation system maintains a pool of source Internet Protocol (IP) address information, in the form of a Real-Time Threat Identification Network (“RTIN”) database, which can provide the reputation of source IP addresses, which can be used by customers for filtering network traffic. The source reputation system provides for multiple avenues of access to the source reputation information. Examples of such avenues can include Domain Name Server (DNS)-type queries, servicing routers with router-table data, or other avenues.
US08037143B1

Embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to autocomplete functionality in messaging applications. The autocomplete functionality, for example, generates frequently and/or recently used distribution lists or groups, performs keyword searches to identify recipient identifiers, and provides convenient modification of existing distribution lists or groups.
US08037133B2

A method, system and product is provided for the implementation of business to business event handling mechanisms for use in coarse grain components allowing communication of event information among providers and interested subscribers across a network. Provision of a flexible method for resolution of business event model dependencies allows a business component to define its own business event model independently and further may also allow changes to that model. This provision may be used to allow a client without an event handling server to place a dependency on another business component for the provision of event handling services. Further, using a web services architecture network implementation for communications, provides the capability of a business event handling system as a web service.
US08037132B2

The present invention provides several methods and apparatuses for transmitting multimedia data using streaming media protocols such as real-time transfer protocols (RTP) and real-time streaming protocols (RTSP) in a computer network environment. A request for RTP data is sent from the caching proxy server to the server. The request may be for one specific type of data or multiple unrelated types of data. The server responds to the request indicating its support for the requested data. The caching proxy server determines whether to proceed or terminate the data transmission process based on the response provided by the server. If it is determined to proceed with the data transmission process, the caching proxy informs the server to send the requested data. The server sends the requested data in a body of a RTP packet. The RTP packet uses a RTP Meta-Info payload format, which includes a body and a field header. The field header includes fields to identify the streaming media data, and the field body includes the requested streaming media data.
US08037113B2

Techniques for file system searching are presented. File system search processing is modified so as to store previously successful search criterion for previously submitted searches in extended file attributes of files for the file system. In this manner, when a subsequent and same search criterion is submitted for execution in the file system, just the extended file attributes are searched and not the entire content of the files. The only content that need be searched are for those files that were modified or added after the extended file attributes were set with the search criterion.
US08037111B2

A file server holding tag information representative of file contents and an access frequency of each file calculates a tag rating from the access frequency of each file and calculates a file rating from the tag rating affixed to the file. It controls to place a file having a high calculated file rating on a higher transfer performance layer, and place a file having a low calculated file rating on a lower transfer performance layer. Rapid accesses can be handled quickly by placing in advance a file whose access is anticipated to be increased after interest is increased although an access frequency is still low, on a layer having a short response time and high throughput, and by maintaining a file whose access is anticipated to be increased because of increased interest although an access frequency is lowered, on a layer having a short response time and high throughput.
US08037108B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for converting a relational database into a triplestore. In one aspect, a method includes retrieving meta schema information for a relational database, including checking a data dictionary associated therewith, and saving the information (including column, primary key constraint and foreign key constraint definitions) in a canonical format; processing the saved information to identify triples to be created in a triplestore; and generating triples in the triplestore in accordance with results of the processing, the generating including: creating first triples (corresponding to data specified within relational database tables) using the column definitions, creating second triples (corresponding to data links between the relational database tables) using the primary key and foreign key constraint definitions, and creating third triples using a primary key constraint definition, a foreign key constraint definition, and an associative mapping table corresponding to the relational database.
US08037102B2

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are disclosed. In particular embodiments, such hierarchical sets of data may be expressed as trees and/or strings. Further, such trees and/or strings may be associated with numerals. In other particular embodiments, operations on numerals associated with trees may be associated with manipulations of such trees.
US08037099B2

An MIA containing file-system information is updated and a recording/reproduction block 53 records Main MIA containing the updated information in block B″1 in a free area on a recording medium. In addition, Main G1, Res.G1, Main G2, Res.G2 and G3, which form a group of files each serving as an object of group management, are recorded in block B″2. Furthermore, Res.MIA containing a backup of the file-system information is recorded in block B″3. By recording information in this way, the recording area of the recording medium can be used effectively. The present invention can be applied to an information-recording/reproduction apparatus for recording information serving as an object of the group management on the recording medium.
US08037098B2

An exemplary system includes a plurality of heterogeneous data subsystems maintaining local data and a coordinator subsystem configured to maintain global data mapped from the local data. The coordinator subsystem includes a global data life cycle model defining at least one life cycle for the global data. The coordinator subsystem is configured to use the global data life cycle model to coordinate a data update between the global data and the local data. In certain implementations, the coordinator subsystem and the heterogeneous data subsystems are configured to communicate using at least one data update message representative of the data update, the data update message being defined in accordance with the global data life cycle model. In certain implementations, the data update message includes a life cycle status identifier associated with the data update.
US08037096B2

Memory efficient data processing is provided in a computer environment. A data representation or description is utilized to reduce memory footprint. A data structure can be serialized iteratively utilizing the representation rather than first loading the entire data structure to memory. Portions of the data structure can be materialized to and removed from memory as function of operational need.
US08037095B2

A data accessing method and system. The method includes receiving by a computing system from a first user, a first user profile comprising user preference data associated with the first user. The computing system receives and stores Webcast data associated with a Webcast that has been broadcasted for an entity. The Webcast data comprises audio/video data. The computing system receives from the first user, a first request for access to the first Webcast data. The computing system associates the user preference data with a first set of specified portions of the audio/video data. The computing system retrieves a first portion of audio/video data of the first set of specified portions of the audio/video data. The computing system presents the first portion of audio/video data to the first user.
US08037094B2

A hybrid annotation and publication system can access content in a scalable manner from databases, allowing for its editing and publication via wiki-style programs, while at the same time allowing for peer-review of such content via peer-review programs. This system balances the wiki-style programs, the peer-review programs, and any database store accesses in a manner appropriate to the need at hand according to various heuristics. For instance, the system can be accessed via a web browser, and data provided from various databases can be edited. Such data can be stored in the system in a hierarchical manner. Once the content is annotated, it can be reviewed (at various levels, ranging from expert to novice). Upon review, such content can be published using the wiki programs, so that the content is ready for public and/or private consumption.
US08037092B2

A system and method are disclosed for merging manual parameters with predefined parameters. The system includes a parse module configured to receive a command string having multiple nested manual parameters and a build module configured to generate a parameter tree having manual parameter nodes and predefined parameter nodes. The system may also include a search module configured to compare manual parameter nodes to predefined parameter nodes to identify matching parameter contexts, and a command module configured to generate a command string. The method includes receiving a command string having multiple nested manual parameters, identifying manual parameters within the command string, and generating a parameter tree having manual parameter nodes and predefined parameter nodes. The method also includes comparing manual parameter nodes to predefined parameter nodes to identify parameter nodes having a matching parameter context, and generating a command string.
US08037084B2

Signature schema documents, pre-defined in a query language, provide one or more instructions for application by an engine to transcode web pages of respective web sites. The instructions identify a web page family for the web page and extract a subset of data from the web page using one or more signatures previously identified within web pages of the same web page family (e.g. in accordance with a shared template for each family) of the web site. The instructions may include one or more directional references relative to the signatures to locate and extract the subset of data within the web page. Signatures may comprise text strings within the code of the web page and the directional references indicate positions of respective data relative to the location of the text strings. Transcoding may facilitate use of e-commerce web sites by wireless mobile devices.
US08037070B2

A method of generating search queries based on digitized audio from conversations, including: providing a database having a global hot-list of universal popular keywords or phrases and a personalized entity list comprising keywords and phrases used with a frequency above a determined threshold value in conversations involving a user; monitoring a conversation between at least two people, including the user; identifying words or phrases in digitized audio of the monitored conversation through speech recognition; comparing the identified words or phrases to the keywords and phrases in the database to find any matches; generating a search string, without the user requesting a search, based on words or phrases found to match the keyword or phrases stored in the database; submitting the search string to a search engine as a search query; and serving a set of search results returned by the search engine to a display device of the user.
US08037067B1

A data source generates a requested page for an electronic network site to include inserted tracking parameters to aid in tracking the activities of the user at the site. The site receives the generated page with the inserted tracking parameters and returns to a user the received page as the requested page with the inserted tracking parameters removed therefrom. The site appends the removed tracking parameters to the URL associated with the returned page at the query string thereof, and sends to a tracking database the appended URL. The tracking database stores the sent URL for being accessed by one or more analytical tools to analyze the tracking parameters regarding the activities of the user at the site.
US08037065B1

Techniques for extracting information from a database are provided. A database such as the Web is searched for occurrences of tuples of information. The occurrences of the tuples of information that were found in the database are analyzed to identify a pattern in which the tuples of information were stored. Additional tuples of information can then be extracted from the database utilizing the pattern. This process can be repeated with the additional tuples of information, if desired.
US08037053B2

An improved system and method for generating an online summary of a collection of documents is provided. A list of documents may be received, and the titles of the list of documents may be obtained. A set of terms that frequently occur in the titles of the documents may be iteratively expanded and overlapping phrases may be merged until there may be no more terms that occur in the titles with a frequency that exceeds a predefined threshold. In an embodiment, an article summarizer operably coupled to a search engine may be provided to generate a summary of a list of references to web pages in search results using titles of the web pages. The summary of the web pages may then be sent with the list of references to the web pages as search results to a client device for display to a user.
US08037047B2

Techniques for performing inline searches in an instant messaging environment are provided. A user can implement a web search in an instant messaging window by entering a search query. A search query can be preceded by a predefined search trigger to identify the associated text as the search query. The search query is sent to an Internet search server, which processes the query and gathers search results. One or more of the search results is displayed inline in the instant messaging window to the sender and the recipient. The search result can be in XML or HTML format and can include graphics and hyperlinks.
US08037042B2

Automated analysis of user search behavior is provided. Data on user searches is maintained in a user search database. Relevance factors are determined for each search result included in a given search session where the relevance factors provide an indication of user satisfaction with particular search results included in the session. The relevance factors for each search result are analyzed by a relevance classification module for classifying each search result in terms of its relevance to an associated search query. The result of the relevance classification may assign a relevance classification and associated confidence level to each analyzed search result as to whether the search result is acceptable, unacceptable or partially acceptable relative to the search query that resulted in the search result. Relevance classifications for each analyzed search result may be stored for future use, for example, for diagnostic analysis of the operation of a given search mechanism.
US08037040B2

Techniques are described to allow a query to be registered as a persistent stored entity within the database, and to generate notifications as and when the query result changes continuously as long as the query continues to be registered with the database. According to one aspect, for a table referenced in a query, a filter condition is generated based, at least in part, on a predicate of the query. Then, the database server determines whether the filter condition is satisfied by either a before image of a row, or an after image of the row, that was modified by a transaction. If the filter condition is satisfied by either the before image or the after image, then the query is added to a first set of queries whose result sets may have been affected by the transaction. From among the first set of queries, a second set of queries that have result sets that were actually affected by the transaction is determined. Notifications are then sent based on the second set of queries.
US08037036B2

Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system. A method for determining a set of policy attributes to be applied to a digital assets includes: receiving, at a client, a first asset identification tag corresponding to a digital asset and comprising one or more policies associated with the digital asset; associating a second asset identification tag with the digital asset; identifying, by the client a predetermined flag in the first asset identification tag; and deactivating, by the client responsive to the identified tag and the association of the second asset identification tag, the one or more policies associated with the first asset identification tag.
US08037035B2

A computer-readable, non-transitory medium stores a program that manages compressed file groups on a plurality of slave servers. The file groups include compressed files that are to be searched and have character strings. Each of the compressed file groups is expanded, using a Huffman tree that was used for compressing the compressed file group. A common compression parameter is generated based on appearance frequency, by summing, for each character, the appearance frequency in each of the compressed file groups. The expanded files are recompressed using the common Huffman tree such that sums of the access frequencies of the compressed files that are origins of the recompressed files are substantially equivalent among various slave servers. New archives including the re-compressed files are transmitted to the respective slave servers.
US08037033B2

A processing device and a machine-implemented method may be provided for sequentially aggregating, or writing, data to a log included in a data store. The log may store multiple log entries. Each of the log entries may include an entry metadata portion, describing a respective log entry, and an entry payload data portion. The entry metadata portion may include a log sequence number, corresponding to a log entry at a particular position in the log. A library of log-related processes may be provided, along with an application program interface to permit a calling application program to call any of the log related processes. The log-related processes may be called during a boot mode, a user mode, and a kernel mode.
US08037031B2

A method and system for creating an index of content without interfering with the source of the content includes an offline content indexing system that creates an index of content from an offline copy of data. The system may associate additional properties or tags with data that are not part of traditional indexing of content, such as the time the content was last available or user attributes associated with the content. Users can search the created index to locate content that is no longer available or based on the associate attributes.
US08037020B2

The present invention provides a system and method for a user to test and transfer data from a client's database or network to a host's database or network. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a user acquires data information from a client. The user uses this information to generate a spreadsheet, and to populate the spreadsheet with assumed values based on the information received from the client. The spreadsheet is configured in a fashion such that it is consistent with the host's database or network. The user requests and receives a test file from the client and uses a developed algorithm, generally in the form of a computer program, to reformat the file so that it is consistent with the host's database configuration. The user determines the consistency between the reformatted file and the host's database by comparing the reformatted file to the previously generated spreadsheet. Any inconsistencies identified alert the user that the file reformatting algorithm needs updating. When all the updates are complete and the reformatting algorithm has been deemed appropriate to carry out the data transformation function, the entire client database log is sent to the user in the form of an input file. The input file is duplicated to protect the original information and then reformatted using the updated algorithm. The reformatted file may then be uploaded to the host's network or database so that the information contained may be used by others who access the database or network for information.
US08037017B2

A real-time chat and conference contact information manager which, during a real-time online chat, online meeting, or online collaboration session between multiple participants, receives identification items associated with addition of a new participant; stores the received identification data item in a contact record in a local collaboration client contact list; triggered by the storing, extracts a search key value for each data item of the contact record, including at least an email address value associated with the new participant; uses the search key value to search a trusted administered contact information store for corresponding data items; and modifies the contact record to include the corresponding data items from said trusted administered contact information data store.
US08037013B2

Locking allocated data space is disclosed. An indication is received that certain previous version data is required to be retained. A map of metadata records, each associated with a journaling process write of previous version data which write includes previous version data required to be retained, is built. In some embodiments, the map associates a write time with each record in the map. A reclamation process checks to determine whether any storage proposed to be reclaimed is included in the map of record identifiers. In some embodiments, the determination is made based at least in part on the write time associated in the map with at least a first record identifier in time-sorted order.
US08037011B2

A recommendation apparatus comprises a monitoring processor which monitors the presentation of content items. A sample processor determines preference data for different content items by performing the steps of determining a preference value for a content item presented by the presentation unit in response to a first duration for a first section of the content item being presented relative to a total duration of the content item, and if the first duration is less than the total duration, determining if a second section of the content item not being presented corresponds to at least one of an end section and a begin section of the content item; and if so determining a confidence value for the preference value in response to a second duration of the second section. The preference data is used as training data for determining a user preference model which is then used to generate recommendations.
US08037010B2

A spatio-temporal learning node is a type of HTM node which learns both spatial and temporal groups of sensed input patterns over time. Spatio-temporal learning nodes comprise spatial poolers which are used to determine spatial groups in a set of sensed input patterns. The spatio-temporal learning nodes further comprise temporal poolers which are used to determine groups of sensed input patterns that temporally co-occur. A spatio-temporal learning network is a hierarchical network including a plurality of spatio-temporal learning nodes.
US08037005B2

A device and a method for the analysis and troubleshooting of a system, based on the use of a model of the system, with application in particular in the area of industrial installations controlled by automatic control systems of the programmed or wired logic type. The method includes a stage for initialisation of the model, and a stage for the creation of a list of discordant variables whose value in the system differs from that predicted by the model. For each of the variables belonging to a discordance list, an initial list of suspect variables, suspected of having generated the discordant value, is created, and then a restricted list of suspect variables is obtained by filtration of the initial list.
US08037003B2

In accordance with one aspect of the present exemplary embodiment, a system determines a solution based on received data. An intake component receives an incomplete data set from one or more sources. A recommendation system transforms the incomplete data set into a semantic data set via latent semantic indexing, classifies the semantic data set into an existing cluster and provides one or more solutions of the existing cluster as one or more recommendations.
US08037002B2

A design automaton extractor extracts a design automaton from design description data, and a property automaton extractor extracts a property automaton from property description data corresponding to the design description data. A matched state detector counts all states of the design automaton, detects matched states matching the property automaton from all the states of the design automaton, and counts the matched states. A coverage calculator obtains a ratio of the number of matched states to the number of all the states of the design automaton, thereby calculating a coverage representing the degree of correspondence of the property description data to the design description data.
US08036979B1

Embodiments of a system and method are described for generating a finance attribute. In one embodiment, the systems and methods retrieve raw tradeline data from a plurality of credit bureaus, retrieve industry code data related to each of the plurality of credit bureaus, determine one or more tradeline leveling characteristics that meet at least one pre-determined threshold, and generate a finance attribute using the selected leveling characteristics.
US08036975B2

Systems and methods for generating an integrated market and credit loss distribution for the purpose of calculating one or more risk measures associated with a portfolio of instruments are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, compound risk factor sampling is performed that comprises conditionally generating multiple systemic credit driver samples for each market risk factor sample generated per time step of a simulation. There are also disclosed systems and methods for determining an optimal number of sample values for each of the market risk factors, systemic credit drivers, and optionally, idiosyncratic credit risk factors that would be required in order to obtain an acceptable amount of variability in the calculated risk estimates and/or to satisfy an available computational budget.
US08036972B2

Systems and methods are provided for valuing event driven option contracts. A jump diffusion based model, such as a Merton jump diffusion based model, is modified to assume arithmetic movement of an underlying price and a single jump. The arithmetic movement of the underlying price may be modeled with a Bachelier based arithmetic model. Calculated values may be used to determine margin account requirements.
US08036971B2

In one embodiment, first input that specifies a market instrument is received. Second input that specifies one or more parameters for one or more date set computers associated with the market instrument is received. A first time series is received from a data repository, where the first time series is a sequence of data values associated with the market instrument. A set of time periods is extracted by applying the one or more date set computers based on the one or more parameters and the first time series. The set of time periods is displayed overlaid on a graphical representation of the first time series in a graphical user interface.
US08036970B1

A system and a method of managing and reconciling changes in the cost basis for assets is provided. More specifically, the system and the method allow asset management advisors to provide clients with investment portfolio information that is complete and accurate. Specifically, the present system and the method allow cost basis data and tax lot data to be extracted from brokerage systems and other financial instrument administration systems to enable automated reporting of changes to cost basis changes for an individual's portfolio of assets.
US08036965B1

A system and method are provided that, among other things, can reduce the burden on receiving computers, increase data throughput, reduce system failure, and provide components of a scalable and flexible network architecture. Specifically, the system and method provide a multichannel-multicast network environment for use in dynamically assigning data to channels. This configuration is particularly useful in a trading network environment, as it effectively performs channel reassignments in a way not to disturb the receipt of the underlying data. While the example embodiments described herein pertain to electronic trading, the principles of the present invention may be equally applied in other environments where the advantages presented herein are beneficial.
US08036962B2

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for determining payers of cost events in a billing environment. A biller may provide billable services or goods for its customers. At least one participant may be involved in rendering the services or goods, or a service or good related thereto. The payer for each invoice may be determined depending on one or more factors, such as the type of service or good provided and/or the relationships between the involved participant. Additional features may be provided, such as issuing an invoice to the identified payer to request payment.
US08036960B2

A method for systematically coordinating the collection, analysis and storage of payroll information provided to government agencies by government contractors pursuant to applicable regulations is disclosed. The method includes collecting payroll information from contractors, performing an automated compliance check on the payroll information collected from contractors, storing verified payroll information in at least one database, and performing an automated fraud check on payroll information. The method also includes notifying auditors of instances of possible fraud, notifying auditors of instances of non-compliance, sorting payroll information in the at least one database according to geographic and skill categories, and providing reports to agencies.
US08036959B2

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a method and system for accepting financial information from a customer for generating an estimated tax due to the taxing authority and a date by which the estimated tax is due, and periodically impounding an amount of money from an account held by the customer, where each amount impounded is less than the estimated tax and the combined value of the amounts impounded by the date substantially match the estimated tax.
US08036951B2

The present invention relates to a retailing system that provides a series of consumer products, customizable prime business communication products and a selection of ready to eat convenience food products. The retail system is provided at a fixed retail location such as a kiosk or permanent installation and may include a series of advertising panels displaying one or more products that is offered by the retail system. The retail system further includes one or more transaction points enabling a user to obtain the consumer goods, business communication products and ready to eat convenience foods.
US08036949B2

The present inventive device provides a new method of real-time, interactive, competitive, live on-line auction using an animated auctioneer. The animated auctioneer initiates the auction, actively solicits bids from the auction participants, acknowledges bids input from auction participants, and moves to close the auction when there is a cessation in bidding. In the course of the auction, the auctioneer audibly and physically promotes the item up for bid, and entices the participants to bid. Participants input bids real-time, competitively and successively in response to the animated auctioneer's solicitations.
US08036947B2

Provided is a differential payment system connected to both a supplier terminal of a supplier providing a service and a purchaser terminal of a purchaser purchasing the service though a network, to differentially pay for the service based on an evaluation data of the service provided by the supplier.
US08036946B2

A method for making an inference based on cumulative data. The method utilizes video, audio, and biometric devices to observe a retail environment for the presence of a customer. Once a customer is present, the method identifies every cohort to which the customer corresponds. Next, the method observes the customer as they peruse aisles in the retail environment. When the customer selects a product, the method identifies the selected product and searches the cohorts for alternate products to offer the customer. The method offers one alternate product to the customer and records to the cohorts whether the customer thereinafter accepts the method's offer and selects the alternate product or rejects the method's offer and continues perusing the retail environment aisles. The method continues observing the customer and offering alternate product until the customer leaves the retail environment.
US08036941B2

An online system uses, in various embodiments of the invention, credit report information, loan affordability screening and credit approval and management functionality to facilitate the purchase and finance of products online. The online system may include both sellers of products and lenders that offer financing to buyers seeking to purchase the products. The system may automatically obtain a buyer's credit report information and use that information to determine if the buyer is pre-approved, for example, to obtain financing for a particular product or products. The system also enables use of buyer credit information to identify only those of a seller's products for which the buyer is pre-approved, for example, to finance using one or more loans. The system then enables selection of an identified product or products for purchase, and selection of a loan, for example, for financing of the selected product or products. Credit approval (or pre-approval) may be performed automatically, and along with credit processing, may be performed completely online.
US08036923B2

What is described is a method and a system for executing work orders. A first request for receiving a progress information on a work order is generated. A degree of violation between the work order and the progress information is calculated by comparing the work order and the progress information. A tolerance violation status is determined based upon the degree of violation. A second request is generated for receiving a content for the work order to resolve the tolerance violation status. The work order is updated based the content.
US08036922B2

An additional storage processing part additionally stores, in a test information table, data relating to a test to be performed, each time any one of a plurality of tests is performed. An updating part updates the corresponding record in a skill level table each time the test is performed, and then an additional storage by the additional storage processing part is executed. A man-hour computing part executes the process of estimating a test man-hour relating to an evaluator and a test designated in accordance with the contents of a display in a display part. Thus, a test man-hour estimating apparatus can accurately estimate the man-hour of the test the evaluator performs repeatedly, based to the data stored in the test information table and the skill level table.
US08036909B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide for systems, apparatuses, and methods for collaborative watershed restoration projects, which may include one or more restoration actions involving a variety of different stakeholders that, when completed, provides a positive contribution to the ecological health of at least one watershed. The identified restoration actions may be a comprehensive list of actions recognized as addressing limiting factors that may exist in a watershed. Ecological outcomes may drive stakeholder involvement in collaborative watershed restoration projects. While the system provides transparency to the projects that are being funded, stakeholder confidence may benefit from additional assurances provided through a certification that the projects are satisfactorily completed.
US08036907B2

A corporate linkage system and method provides customers with complete, accurate, and timely lists of corporate linkage locations, including monitoring company lists for changes to location lists, matching stored locations to a company or third party list of locations, providing detailed coding on matches, and batch updates to global files.
US08036906B2

An object of the invention is to reduce necessary costs in a merchandise retail store, and to reduce customer inconvenience and waiting time. A customer entering a merchandise retail store borrows a RFID portable terminal at the store entrance. The customer selects a sample commodity from a store sales area, and a commodity code is read out from a wireless tag in a wireless tag label and stored with the RFID portable terminal, which simultaneously relays that information to the outside. An information-processing apparatus in the store receives this message, and prepares the commodity that the customer wishes to purchase. The customer returns the RFID portable terminal to the sales counter, settles payment, and receives his wrapped commodity.
US08036891B2

Methods of using individually distinctive patterns of voice characteristics to identify a speaker include computing the reassigned spectrogram of each of at least two voice samples, pruning each reassigned spectrogram to remove noise and other computational artifacts, and comparing (either visually or with the aid of a processor) the strongest points to determine whether the voice samples belong to the same speaker.
US08036881B2

Methods and an apparatus for enhancement of source coding systems utilizing high frequency reconstruction (HFR) are introduced. The problem of insufficient noise contents is addressed in a reconstructed highband, by using Adaptive Noise-floor Addition. New methods are also introduced for enhanced performance by means of limiting unwanted noise, interpolation and smoothing of envelope adjustment amplification factors. The methods and apparatus used are applicable to both speech coding and natural audio coding systems.
US08036879B2

A speech enhancement system improves the perceptual quality of an aural signal. A receiver detects and receives an unvoiced signal, a fully voiced signal, or a mixed voice remote signal. A coherence processor identifies the similarities or differences between a local signal and the remote signal. A cancellation processor or controller dampens reflected signals that may be part of the local signal.
US08036872B2

A system for conducting performing real-time harmonics analysis of an electrical power distribution and transmission system is disclosed. The system includes a data acquisition component, a power analytics server and a client terminal. The data acquisition component is communicatively connected to a sensor configured to acquire real-time data output from the electrical system. The power analytics server is communicatively connected to the data acquisition component and is comprised of a virtual system modeling engine, an analytics engine and a machine learning engine. The machine learning engine is configured to store and process patterns observed from the real-time data output and the predicted data output, forecasting harmonic distortions in the electrical system subjected to a simulated contingency event.
US08036870B2

A method of determining the behavior of an electronic system comprising electronic components under variability is disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises for at least one parameter of at least one of the electronic components, showing variability defining a range and a population of possible values within the range, each possible value having a probability of occurrence, thereby defining an input domain. The method further comprises selecting inputs randomly from the input domain, wherein the probability to sample (PTS) is obtained from the probability of occurrence (PTOIR). The method further comprises performing simulation to obtain the performance parameters of the electronic system, thereby defining an output domain sample. The method further comprises aggregating results of the individual computations into the parameter/variability of the electronic system and assigning a frequency of occurrence (FoO) to the resulting sample, the parameter variability and the frequency of occurrence defining the behavior.
US08036857B2

A design modelling system for operating on disparate data models in a single application is provided. The design modelling system comprises at least one source file defining a source data model, a modelling development environment module for consuming source files, and an internal generic data model transformed from the source data model in accordance with direction provided by elements of consumed source files.
US08036854B2

An integrated circuit 300 includes a functional circuit 310 and a diagnostic circuit 330. The integrated circuit includes a signal interface controller 320 operable to monitor a signal associated with at least one of the functional circuit and the diagnostic circuit to control selective communication of a diagnostic signal and a functional signal for communication across a signal interface in dependence upon the monitored signal. A further integrated circuit has a signal interface providing a communication path and communicates a functional signal having at least one multi-bit value in which at least one bit is replaced by data of a diagnostic signal.
US08036853B2

A compressor memory system includes a compressor with a first non-volatile memory connected to a module. The module has a processor and a second non-volatile memory. The first non-volatile memory is associated with the compressor. The module is selectively attached to the compressor and the processor is configured to access the first and second non-volatile memories.
US08036846B1

A variable impedance sense (VIS) circuit (400) can detect a drift in the impedance of variable impedance circuits due to changes in operating conditions. Adjustments to binary impedance setting codes are made in response to a detected drift only when such changes do not increase a worst case variation from a target impedance. Adjustments can also be made in response to a detected input offset polarity.
US08036834B2

The invention provides a method of determining a comparative expression profile in an individual by comparing the expression levels of a sample of molecules in a population of molecules in a specimen from the individual with a health-associated reference expression region of the sample of molecules, wherein expression levels within the health-associated reference expression region indicate a reference expression profile and wherein expression levels outside the health-associated reference expression region indicate a perturbed expression profile. The invention also provides methods of diagnosing a disease or a health state in an individual by comparing the expression level of a sample of molecules in a specimen from the individual with a health-associated reference expression region of the sample of molecules.
US08036823B2

A navigation system generating a display which enables an intuitive and instant grasp of a distance to a guide point (such as a guide target intersection) is provided. The navigation system displays an object on a route between the vicinity of a vehicle position and the guide point, and includes a object display control section which calculates a distance from an arbitrary point on the route between the vehicle position and the guide point to the guide point, and sets a mode for displaying the object in accordance with the distance from the arbitrary position on the route to the guide point. The object display control section sets, for example, a display color, a pattern, or a shape of the object in accordance with the distance from the arbitrary point on the route to the guide point.
US08036821B2

Methods and systems are provided for diminishing the effects of an acoustic signature of a vehicle while the vehicle is en route to a destination. One method includes the steps of retrieving acoustic data representing an acoustic model of the vehicle, terrain data representing a terrain model of a geographic area surrounding the destination, route data representing a model of a plurality of routes to the destination, and weather data representing atmospheric conditions of the geographic area. The method also includes selecting a route to the destination based on the acoustic, terrain, route, and weather data. A system includes means for performing the retrieving step and the selecting step of the above method. Another system includes memory storing the acoustic, terrain, route, and weather data, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to select a route to the destination based on the acoustic, terrain, route, and weather data.
US08036819B2

The invention relates to an internal combustion engine for vehicles on which a device is mounted and has a semiconductor-based read-only memory, which contains data which are destined to be used for a given purpose of the device, and has an interface enabling an access to the read-only memory. In addition to the data which are destined to be used for the given purpose of the device there are engine-specific data stored in non-volatile manner in the device, the engine-specific data being neither necessary nor destined for the given purpose of the device, and that the engine-specific data, too, can be read out electronically via the said interface.
US08036818B2

In a general-purpose engine having a throttle valve installed in an air intake passage connected to a combustion chamber, sucked air mixing with fuel to generate an air-fuel mixture to be ignited to drive a piston to rotate a crankshaft connected to a load, a first warm-up time period during which the engine is warmed up and a second warm-up time period which is longer than the first time period are determined based on detected engine temperature and a fuel quantity is increased during the first time period. The operation of the motor is controlled such that a change rate of throttle valve opening is limited within a range until the measured time exceeds the second warm-up time period after it exceeded the first time period. With this, it becomes possible to complete warm-up operation in a short period of time, while improving rate of fuel consumption and emission performance.
US08036816B2

An idle control system for a vehicle is provided.
US08036808B2

An object of the present invention is to enable the convergence of the discharge path length of an ignition plug to a target value irrespective of the condition in a cylinder in an ignition control system for an internal combustion engine equipped the ignition plug that can change the discharge path length. To achieve the object, in the present invention, in an ignition control system for an internal combustion engine equipped with a changing device that changes the path length (or discharge path length) of a spark discharge occurring in the discharge gap of the ignition plug, an actual discharge path length or the path length of a spark discharge that actually occurs in the discharge gap is detected, and the changing device is controlled in such a way that the detected actual discharge path length converges to a target discharge path length.
US08036799B2

A method and device for controlling a fluid-actuated control system, to optimize post-switching times for actuation of control elements in such systems. The system includes at least one pressure medium source, at least one hydraulically controlled control element and a device for controlling the fluid-actuated control system. The optimum post-switching time after hydraulic actuation of the control element, depends on a number of different factors such as a control-element-specific parameter, a specific mounting location of the control element, at least one operating parameter of the fluid-actuated control system and/or of the vehicle. A post-switching time control device controls and/or regulates at least the duration of a post-switching time of the at least one control element and with the above factors determines the post-switching time.
US08036796B2

A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a side support portion moved in first and second directions, a driving device moving the side support portion in the first direction and in the second direction, a vehicle location obtaining means for obtaining vehicle location information including a present location of the vehicle, a curve information preliminarily obtaining means for preliminarily obtaining curve information on a map data including a curve starting point located in an area existing a first predetermined distance ahead from the present location of the vehicle, a control starting point determining means for determining a point existing a second predetermined distance closer to the vehicle than the curve starting point as a control starting point, a control starting point memorizing means for memorizing the control starting point, and a drive control means for starting control on the driving device when the vehicle reaches the control starting point.
US08036795B2

An image based occupant classification system includes an image sensor and an image processor. The image sensor is configured to capture vehicular occupant information. The image processor is in communication with the image sensor. The image processor is configured to perform first sampling operations upon the vehicular occupant information to determine occupant classification. The image processor is further configured to perform second sampling operations upon the vehicular occupant information to determine a seat belt status. Each of the first sampling operations is conducted at a separate time from each of the second sampling operations. Vehicles are also provided.
US08036783B2

With a device for error detection of adjustable flaps on aircraft wings, it is proposed that each flap is provided with a tube as a transmission element arranged in the wing span. The tube is connected fixedly at one end with the flap and is rotatably held. On the free end of the tube, a measuring arm is fixedly arranged on the tube and a sensor fixed to the flap structure is arranged. When an error occurs, the flap twists, whereby a distance change between the sensor and measuring arm occurs. The signals of the sensor are transmitted for error localization of each flap to an evaluation device, which switches off the drive via a control device with occurring errors.
US08036782B2

A method for intelligently managing a transportation network is provided. The method may include providing a roadside apparatus 18 to communicate with nodes 14A to 14D associated with vehicles 12A to 12D in a transportation network, the vehicle nodes being in a neighborhood range of the roadside apparatus. The roadside apparatus may dynamically detect the presence of a node 14A associated with a first vehicle 12A, and establish a mobile Internet Protocol (IP) network between the roadside apparatus and the first vehicle's node. The roadside apparatus 18 receives, in real-time, from the first vehicle's node 14A event data of events associated with the first vehicle 12A over the mobile IP network. The roadside apparatus 18 or nodes 14A to 14D may further receive or transmit real-time command data to control subsystems of a vehicle.
US08036781B2

A driving assisting for calculating risk potential by considering a response delay by the driver and transmitting information related to the risk potential to the operator in a haptic manner. A controller is provided to estimate the response delay based on an operation performed by the operator. Based on the estimated response delay, the controller calculates a future position at which the risk potential is to be calculated. The longer the response delay, the remoter the future position is. The shorter the response delay, the nearer the future position is. The calculated risk potential at the future position may be transmitted to the operator via a pressing force from one of right and left side portions of a driver's seat occupied by the operator.
US08036780B2

A flow controller and a test method therefor are provided which enable testing of the flow control of a process gas passing through a fluid path during operation of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. While the flow control is being performed to adjust the flow rate through the fluid path to a flow rate set value, a predetermined number of pieces of test sampling information is collected and associated with the flow rate set value for storage. The test sampling information is made up of a detected flow rate value of the process gas, a detected pressure value, and valve drive control information delivered to a flow control valve mechanism. Then, coefficients of association are sequentially determined which indicate the associations of the predetermined number of detected flow rate values and pieces of valve drive control information, which are stored as the test sampling information. When the value of a coefficient of association is out of the range of predetermined threshold values, a difference is determined between the valve drive control information made available based on a newly received detected flow rate value and the reference valve drive control information obtained with reference to a valve property information table pre-registered for testing. This difference is employed as test information.
US08036774B2

System and method of dispensing disc-based media and other consumer products. A user can interact with an automated business system to select disc-based media for rental and/or purchase. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the interior of the automated business system and dispense the selection through a port to the user. The automated business system can retrieve the selection from the port in a return process.
US08036772B2

The invention relates to a first product (20) which supports identification information (30) and a second product (22) which, optionally, supports identification information (30′). Said first and second products are maintained and transported together by a clamp (12), such that the second printing product (22) at least partially overlaps the first printing product (20). The identification information (30) of the first printing product (20) is arranged in the edge section (26) and the identification information (30′) of the second printing product (22) is free. The printing products (22, 22) are subjected to an optical-electronic control where an image capturing device (38) captures an image of the identification information (30, 30′), when a control point is passed. The captured image is electronically processed and the result thereof is transformed into control signals.
US08036768B2

Systems and methods for constructing custom orthotics are described. Several embodiments of the system use sensor pads to obtain both static and dynamic three dimensional information concerning the shape or topography of the bottom surface of a patient's foot. The information is analyzed to obtain information useful in constructing a custom orthotic from a selection of basic orthotic shells. Once constructed, the orthotic can modify a patient's gait. One embodiment of the present invention includes a user terminal including a sensor pad connected to a computer, a server configured to analyze three dimensional information acquired by the sensor pad, a manufacturing terminal configured to display the results of the server's analysis of the three dimensional information and a network that connects the user terminal to the server and the server to the manufacturing terminal.
US08036766B2

In operation of an electronics device, audio based on asynchronous events, such as game playing, is intelligently combined with audio output nominally generated in a predictive manner, such as resulting from media playback. For example, an overall audio output signal for the electronic device may be generated such that, for at least one of audio channels corresponding to predictive manner processing, the generated audio output for that channel included into the overall audio output signal is based at least in part on configuration information associated with a processed audio output signal for at least one of the audio channels corresponding to asynchronous events based processing. Thus, for example, the game audio processing may control how audio effects from the game are combined with audio effects from media playback.
US08036754B2

A method, electrical tissue stimulation system, and programmer for providing therapy to a patient are provided. Electrodes are placed adjacent tissue (e.g., spinal cord tissue) of the patient, electrical stimulation energy is delivered from the electrodes to the tissue in accordance with a defined waveform, and a pulse shape of the defined waveform is modified, thereby changing the characteristics of the electrical stimulation energy delivered from the electrode(s) to the tissue. The pulse shape may be modified by selecting one of a plurality of different pulse shape types or by adjusting a time constant of the pulse shape.
US08036751B2

The invention is a retinal prosthesis with an inductive coil mounted to the side of the eye by means of a strap around the eye. This allows for close coupling to an external coil and movement of the entire implanted portion with movement of the eye ball.
US08036736B2

Systems and methods of monitoring a subject's neurological condition are provided. In some embodiments, the method includes the steps of analyzing a physiological signal (such as an EEG) from a subject to determine if the subject is in a contra-ictal condition; and if the subject is in a contra-ictal condition, providing an indication (e.g., to the subject and/or to a caregiver) that the subject is in the contra-ictal condition. The systems and methods may utilize a minimally invasive, leadless device to monitor the subject's condition. In some embodiments, if the subject is in a pro-ictal condition, the method includes the step of providing an indication (such as a red light) that the subject is in the pro-ictal condition.
US08036733B2

A diagnostic parameter calculation method, system and program which detect symptomatically abnormal electrocardiogram data of a patient, using R-R intervals detected from electrocardiogram data collected for a patient to generate a time-series data, then generating a series of partial sets B(j)'s, each B(j) consisting of successive elements starting from the j-th element of the time-series data, and calculating characteristic quantity set (yj, xj) for each B(j), wherein yj is the mean value of all elements, and xj is the mean value of each difference of the first element from each element in the B(j), then, after splitting the (y, x)-plane into lattices, parameters u, v, w are calculated as indices for diagnosis, wherein v is the number of lattices including only one characteristic quantity set, u is the difference subtracted v from the total number of the characteristic quantity sets, and w is the maximum number of characteristic quantity sets included in a lattice.
US08036727B2

A method for noninvasively measuring analytes such as blood glucose levels includes using a non-imaging OCT-based system to scan a two-dimensional area of biological tissue and gather data continuously during the scanning. Structures within the tissue where measured-analyte-induced changes to the OCT data dominate over changes induced by other analytes are identified by focusing on highly localized regions of the data curve produced from the OCT scan which correspond to discontinuities in the OCT data curve. The data from these localized regions then can be related to measured analyte levels.
US08036718B2

The present invention provides a method and system suitable for managing the power consumption of a mobile communication device by way of a user-selectable profile. In response to receiving a power management-initiating signal the mobile communication device performs at least one of the following: Receipt of incoming communication is deferred while other functionality of the mobile communication device is retained; outgoing communication is grouped into a single transmission; and a subsequent transmission is deferred if the transmission requires power exceeding a predetermined threshold.
US08036717B2

Disclosed is a mobile terminal incorporating a battery pack utilized as power supply. The mobile terminal includes a positive terminal connected to a battery pack positive electrode, a negative terminal connected to a battery pack negative electrode, a data communication terminal communicating with a circuit in the battery pack, a charge control unit controlling charging of the battery pack via the positive terminal, and a reference voltage output unit outputting reference voltage. The terminal further includes a dividing resistor and a thermistor connected in series between the reference voltage output unit and the negative terminal, a temperature detector detecting temperature, and stopping charging of the battery pack based on the detected temperature, and a switching device controlling the voltage at the predetermined portion. The terminal still further includes a control unit communicating with the circuit in the battery pack via the data communication terminal, and changing the voltage at the predetermined portion when notified abnormality from the battery pack.
US08036704B2

A device for wirelessly and remotely actuating a trigger of a weapon. The device includes a transmitting portion and a receiving portion. The transmitting portion selectively generates a signal wirelessly and remotely that is received by the receiving portion, and when activated thereby, the receiving portion selectively engages and actuates the trigger of the weapon.
US08036701B2

A base station node is provided that includes a radio frequency (RF) monitor and at least one signal processor. The RF monitor is operable to monitor traffic associated with a plurality of wireless communication devices to determine at least one requested load having a corresponding air interface standard. The signal processor is coupled to the RF monitor and is operable to be dynamically reconfigured to support the air interface standard corresponding to the requested load.
US08036699B2

It is possible to surely protect the user's ear from a sudden large volume and enable the user to surely and clearly hear a sound as information to be alarmed. In case an incoming call signal is received when the user holds a mobile telephone (1) at the speaking position and listens to a message output from an audio output unit (8), a control unit (17) makes a vibrator (27) generate a vibration as an alarm to call user's attention. At the timing when the user has sufficiently separated the mobile telephone (1) from his/her ear, the control unit (17) makes the audio output unit (8) output a ringtone of large volume. Thus, it is possible to surely protect the user's ear from a sudden large volume. Even when a music composition to notify the receipt of incoming call signal is used as a ringtone, the user can surely and clearly hear the sound as information to be alarmed.
US08036696B2

Network devices are disclosed where transmission of information over a wireless channel by a device is prevented or allowed during a particular time period based upon a classification of the wireless electronic device, and whether the particular time period is associated with that classification.
US08036687B2

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for short-messaging in a communication network. More particularly, the invention is directed to an improved method for short-messaging which allows for a service that is adaptable to different communication networks and complies with accepted standards in the industry. The system utilizes a unique UUI format that allows for improved short-messaging service and short-messaging service-based information retrieval.
US08036683B2

Techniques involving the coordination of wireless activities are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may include two or more transceivers. These transceivers may include a first transceiver to communicate wirelessly across cellular links, and a second transceiver to communicate wirelessly across wireless data networking links. The apparatus may also include controllers, each controlling wireless communications of a corresponding transceiver. Information may be exchanged with each other regarding operation of the transceivers. Through the exchange of such information, activity (e.g., transmission and reception of wireless signals) may be coordinated among the transceivers.
US08036677B2

Systems and methods for locating a user of a wired or wireless communication device allow a communication device to respond to a location request with its current location or a default location. A request for the location of a target wireless communication device is sent to the network where the request is responded to by the network or forwarded to the target device. When the request is received by the target device, the device can deny the location request or respond to the location request with the actual location of the device (as determined by GPS or the network) or with a default, predetermined location. The type of response (denial, actual location, or default location) can be selected by the user of the target device on a granular, per request basis so that the user of the target device can selectively respond to location requests in an appropriate fashion.
US08036673B2

A call connection request from an access terminal is suppressed in a state in which the base station judges that the call connection is impossible, thereby suppressing a waste of the wireless band and the generation of noise. A BCMCS management block of an access point receives information indicating whether there is an allocable channel, from a channel management block of the access point, and information indicating whether the start of QoS can be accepted, from a QoS acceptance determination block of the access point, and the BCMCS management block distributes the information to the access terminal. Accordingly, the access point can inform the access terminal that it is not serviceable before channel allocation is attempted.
US08036672B2

Methods and apparatus of efficient communication of resource allocation are described. A base station transmits a resource assignment message, e.g., a state transition message, to a wireless terminal including a first part, e.g., a base station assigned wireless terminal On state identifier, identifying a resource being assigned and a second part, e.g., an ON state mask, identifying a portion of the resource allocated to the wireless terminal. The same resource allocation message information also communicates one of a plurality of different modes of commanded On state operation. The resource allocation message structure supports flexible allocation of available resources facilitating a resource to be partitioned differently at different times accommodating current needs. A predetermined recurring channel structure and association of segments with particular mask bits, facilitates allocated control segments to be used unambiguously without the need to include an overhead wireless terminal identifier field with the control report bits being communicated.
US08036665B2

Communication handoff in a radio telecommunications network in which a quality measurement between a mobile wireless device and a first fixed transceiving entity in the radio telecommunications network is obtained in readiness for potentially handing off the communication. A quality driven handoff is initiated when the quality measurement falls within a range of values defined by a first quality threshold and a second quality threshold.
US08036661B2

A method and system for handling a faulty registration for a subscriber with a mobile communication device in a communications network. A faulty registration comprises a registration missing identification information or having a field that is missing an identifier or other form of information. The method and system comprise selecting another field or property in the faulty registration, which is populated with an identifier or identification information, and searching the selected field or property in a list of registrations for matching identification information. Associating the faulty registration with an existing registration for a subscriber based on matching the identification information. According to another aspect, the system and method comprise generating a new registration for the customer with the faulty registration if a matching registration is not located or search criteria are not satisfied. According to another aspect, the system and method comprise creating a record associated with the faulty registration.
US08036651B1

Systems and methods for enforcing calling restrictions are provided. When a first and second communication station are located in different domains, calling restrictions for a first communication station can be based on a current geographic location of the second communication station. The calling restrictions can be enforced independent of an address/identifier of the first or second communication station. The calling restrictions can be based on the current geographic locations of the first and second communication stations and the allowed geographic area of the first communication station.
US08036644B2

The present invention relates to a method for adding background sound to mobile communication talking. In the method of the present invention, a subscriber may dial additionally a background sound service number at the time of calling the a called party to make a mobile communication exchange, on the basis of the additionally-dialed number, add a talking link of a third party provided by the background sound system to establish a three-party talking at the time of establishing a talking link between a calling mobile communication terminal and a called mobile communication terminal. Thus, the calling and called parties can have a background sound service during the talking. According to the present invention, the calling subscribers are enabled to readily add background sound to relevant talking with the called parties through additionally dialing background sound service numbers and therefore, new telecommunications valued-added services may be added in existing mobile communication networks, making the talking between the calling and called parties more interesting and humanized.
US08036634B2

A vehicle communication system may retrieve “in case of emergency” (ICE) information from a wireless device. The ICE information may include contact information, medical information, etc., and may be transferred to an emergency provider, if the vehicle communication system places an emergency call. The information may also be retrieved at some point before an emergency call is placed and stored in a memory circuit of the vehicle communication system.
US08036631B2

Disclosed is a method for automatically connecting a video communication between mobile stations in an emergency, wherein a mobile station in an emergency calls another mobile station and, even if there is no response from it, the video connection can be made automatically. The method includes the steps of selecting an automatic emergency response mode so that a first mobile station in an emergency calls a second mobile station and automatically connects to it; making an emergency call from the first mobile station, which is in the automatic emergency response mode, to the second mobile station; and automatically connecting the video communication between the first and second mobile stations, when the first mobile station makes a call even if the second mobile station does not respond to it.
US08036630B2

Disclosed is a method for making an emergency call by using a mobile communication terminal. The method includes identifying a current position when a user makes an emergency call request; retrieving an emergency call number from emergency call numbers pre-stored for respective regions, the emergency call number being used in a region corresponding to the current position; and dialing the emergency call number.
US08036622B2

Techniques for cancelling DC offset are described. A DC offset cancellation circuit in a receiver cancels DC offsets caused by leaked LO (local oscillator) signals from a LO signal generator. The receiver first calibrates itself by using the DC offset cancellation circuit during a transmit mode. During the calibration, the DC offset cancellation circuit stores the DC offset voltage signal caused by the leaked LO signals. During a receiving mode when the receiver is receiving a signal, the receiver subtracts the stored DC offset voltage signal from the received signal to cancel the DC offsets caused by leaked LO signals.
US08036619B2

Disclosed is an oscillator circuit (10) for use in a local oscillator of an RF communications device (100) that communicates over an RF channel. The oscillator circuit includes an oscillator transistor coupled to a power supply voltage (Vcc) through a buffer transistor, and a biasing network having bias voltage outputs coupled to a control input of the oscillator transistor and to a control input of the buffer transistor. In one embodiment the bias voltage network is coupled to Vcc, while in another embodiment the bias voltage network is coupled to a separate voltage (Vbias). Circuitry is provided for setting a magnitude of Vcc and/or Vbias as a function of at least one of RF channel conditions, such as channels conditions determined from a calculation of the (SNR), or an operational mode of the RF communications device.
US08036618B2

An auto gain controller (AGC) and a control method thereof are provided. An input signal is amplified by a radio frequency (RF) amplifier and an intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier. When strength of the input signal is lower than a threshold, a gain curve of the RF amplifier is lowered while a gain curve of the IF amplifier is raised. When the strength of the input signal is greater than the threshold, a takeover point (TOP) of the IF amplifier is changed from a first takeover point to a second takeover point.
US08036615B2

A portable simplified image display apparatus and a receiving system are provided, which can sensuously know the state of received strength of radio signals transmitted from a body-insertable apparatus, in either case of before examination or during examination. A viewer (7) includes a detector that detects received strength of a radio signal transmitted from a capsule endoscope (2) and a notifying unit that notifies the detected state of received strength in a display pattern such as a picture display of a capsule (41). Therefore, in either case of before examination or during examination, the state of received strength of radio signals transmitted from the capsule endoscope (2) can be sensuously known according to the notification result of the state of received strength. If it is during examination, supplementary observation can be performed based on an excellent received image by searching a site having strong received strength, thereby enabling contribution to satisfactory examination.
US08036599B2

Aspects of a method and system for a Bluetooth headset with a clock are provided. A Bluetooth headset may have an access to real-time clock information such as a real-time clock value at a specific time instant and generate corresponding audio and/or visual representations to a user via Bluetooth communication. The real-time clock information to the Bluetooth headset may be originated within or external to the Bluetooth headset. The timing of the real-time clock of the Bluetooth headset may be maintained by a Bluetooth clock of the BT headset. The Bluetooth headset may provide respective real-time updates by pressing a button on the Bluetooth headset or from timing events such as calendar entries or personal alarms downloaded into the BT headset from a Bluetooth device, and/or from timed Bluetooth messages communicated to the Bluetooth headset from the peer device.
US08036583B2

An electrophotographic imaging apparatus is provided which is capable of performing a method of preparing a non-metal substrate. The method can include imaging at least one surface of the non-metal substrate with a toner composition, the toner composition including IR absorbers. The method can further include exposing the toner composition to IR radiation through the substrate, thereby pre-heating the toner composition and preheating the substrate to a temperature less than a glass transition temperature of the substrate. The method can further include fusing the pre-heated imaged non-metal substrate at a predetermined temperature so that the average temperature of the substrate during and after fusing is less than a glass transition temperature of the substrate.
US08036582B2

In an image forming apparatus, during a rotation of an intermediate transfer belt performed after a contact-state-changing rotation in which the number of photoconductors contacting the intermediate transfer belt has changed, a control unit of a belt driving device controls the driving speed of a belt driving motor based on a period of the intermediate transfer belt determined in the rotation immediately before the contact-state-changing rotation instead of a period determined in the contact-state-changing rotation.
US08036581B2

A developing device capable of smoothly dispersing a developer in a development container and an image forming apparatus having the developing device. The developing device includes a development container which contains a developer and has an opening, a development roller which is mounted near the opening of the development container, a conveying member which is movably mounted in the development container to supply the developer to the development roller and moves forward and backward in a direction of the opening, and at least one dispersing member which operates according to the forward/backward movement of the conveying member to disperse the developer in the development container.
US08036579B2

A developing device and a developer cartridge are provided. The developing device includes a first housing that receives a developing roller; a second housing that is disposed adjacent to and detachable from the first housing and stores developer; first and second communication paths that allow an inside of the first housing to communicate with an inside of the second housing and an agitator that is provided within the second housing and conveys the developer from the first communication path toward the second communication path. The developing cartridge includes a housing that stores developer and an agitator including a rotational shaft that is disposed in one direction and a first blade that is provided at a midpoint in the axial direction of the rotational shaft and conveys the developer from the midpoint in the axial direction of the rotational shaft to both end portions of the rotational shaft.
US08036574B2

An image forming apparatus for forming image on a recording medium includes a photosensitive member, a motor, a belt, and a drive member to rotate the belt, the drive member including a driven coupling. The apparatus also includes a drive coupling to rotate by a driving force generated by the motor, the drive coupling being movable in an axial direction to take an engagement position at which the driving force is transmittable to the driven coupling, and a release position. The apparatus further includes a transfer member to transfer a toner image onto the recording medium or the belt, a voltage application unit to apply a voltage to the transfer member, and a control unit to cause the voltage application unit to apply the voltage to the transfer member after the drive coupling moves to the engagement position and the driving force is transmitted to the driven coupling.
US08036571B2

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of image forming units arranged in parallel, each image forming unit having an image carrying member and a charging roller disposed face to face with the image carrying member for electrically charging the image carrying member, and a shifting mechanism for selectively shifting at least one charging roller between a first position where the charging roller is brought into contact with the corresponding image carrying member to electrically charge the image carrying member in contact manner and a second position where the charging roller is moved away from the corresponding image carrying member to electrically charge the image carrying member in non-contact manner.
US08036563B2

An image forming apparatus includes a toner storage part which stores a conductive and magnetic toner, a developing part which is accommodated in the toner storage part and generates magnetism, a hollow imaging drum which comprises a drum shaft parallel with the developing part, and a plurality of electrodes to apply electric magnetism to the toner attached to the developing part, a memory installed inside the imaging drum, a drum driver which rotatably drives the imaging drum; a data receiver which receives image data, and a main controller which controls the drum driver to keep stopping the imaging drum and stores the image data received by the data receiver in the memory if printing is requested.
US08036542B2

Disclosed are an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof. The control method of an image forming apparatus includes mounting a cartridge including a status indicating element, determining whether the mounted cartridge is a new one based on identification information of the mounted cartridge and status information of the status indicating element, and performing initial settings with respect to the new cartridge if it is determined that the mounted cartridge is a new one. With this, it is possible to induce a user to use an authenticated cartridge and prevent an image from being deteriorated and a component from being worn due to use of a fraudulent cartridge.
US08036541B2

A coherent optical receiver includes a 90-degree optical hybrid circuit to which a received signal light is input, I-channel and Q-channel photo detectors to which the outputs of the hybrid circuit are input, a clock extraction circuit which reproduces a clock whose speed is the same as a demodulated signal obtained by demodulating the received signal light and which is synchronized therewith, I-channel and Q-channel sampling circuits which sample the signal outputs from the I-channel and Q-channel photo detectors by use of the clock, and a digital signal processing section which digitally processes the sampled signals, converts them to a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal. The digital signal processing section feeds a phase offset signal detected there back to the clock extraction circuit to thereby control the phase of the clock, and compensates dispersion of light within a fiber and phase fluctuation during free-space propagation.
US08036535B2

A pluggable optical transceiver with a function not affecting the command status of the host system appeared in the internal bus, which is coupled with the command line within the transceiver, even when the transceiver is plugged in the host system. The optical transceiver provides a power supply circuit and a control unit. The power supply circuit, by receiving an external electric power, generates an internal electric power with a substantial time lag from a moment when the optical transceiver is plugged in the host system. The control unit communicates with the host system through the command line pulled up to the external electric power within the optical transceiver.
US08036534B2

An optical transmitter that multiplexes a plurality of signal light each having less chirp characteristic by the CML technique is disclosed. The optical transmitter comprises a plurality of optical modules, a plurality of TEC controllers each driving the TEC in the optical module, a de-multiplexer that de-multiplexes the output of respective modules, an etalon filter, and a monitoring unit that monitors the component of the signal light output from respective modules. The TEC controller controls the temperature of the LD in the module such that two emission wavelengths of the LD each corresponding to the ON level and the OFF level is set in both side of one of the critical wavelengths of the etalon filter where the transmittance thereof becomes a maximum.
US08036523B2

A focus adjustment device includes an image sensor that includes imaging pixels for capturing an image formed via an imaging optical system and focus detection pixels for detecting a focus adjustment state at the imaging optical system through a first pupil division-type image shift detection method, a focus detector that detects a focus adjustment state at the imaging optical system through a second pupil division-type image shift detection method different from the first pupil division-type image shift detection method, and a focus adjustment controller that executes focus adjustment for the imaging optical system based upon the focus adjustment states detected by the image sensor and the focus detector.
US08036520B2

Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus configured to make a transition to one of a plurality of modes each defining processing to be executed and execute the one of a plurality of modes to which a transition has been made, which may include first selection means; second selection means; communication controlling means; determination means; and mode transition control means.
US08036514B2

A closed caption tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream prior to or at the time of transmission. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer from the storage device. Tags indicate the start and end points of a program segment. Program segments such as commercials are automatically replaced by the receiver with new program segments that are selected based on various criteria.
US08036507B2

An optical waveguide device includes: a substrate; an optical element arranged on the substrate; and an optical circuit part having an optical waveguide formed on the substrate. The optical circuit part includes: a core whose optical axis is matched with the optical element; and a dummy core arranged on a same layer to the core and exposed on a side being not opposed to the optical element when the optical element is arranged on the substrate. The relative position between the optical waveguide and the optical element can be recognized by observing the dummy core. The planar shape of the optical circuit has a convex portion. The width of the convex portion and the width of the optical element are same in the opposing edge face where the optical element and the core is opposed to one another.
US08036506B2

A tunable optical filter is formed by the longitudinal alignment of two opposing end sections of single-mode optical fibers. On at least one of the end sections is a collimator fiber section which is formed from a section of a graded-index, multimode optical fiber which is an odd number of quarter pitches long. The collimator fiber section has an angled end surface which joined to the reciprocally angled end surface of the at least one single-mode optical fiber end section. Piezoelectric material controls the separation between the first and second single-mode optical fiber end sections and sets the wavelengths of optical signals carried through the first and second single-mode optical fiber end sections.
US08036502B2

An optical bench in a wavelength selective switch (WSS) is mounted using a combination of fixed mounts and stress-free mounts. The WSS is packaged in an enclosure including a base, a sidewall, and a lid. The optical switching engine is attached directly to the base. The optical bench is attached to the base and the optical components supported thereon are aligned with the array of switching elements of the switching engine. The optical bench is attached to the base with at plurality of mounts, which include at least one movable mount supporting movement of the optical bench in a plane parallel to the optical bench and at least one fixed mount maintaining optical alignment between the dispersive element and the array of switching elements.
US08036498B2

A device including a housing, a writing tip connected to the housing, a writing surface position indicator, a processor in the housing, a memory device in the housing connected to the processor, and a sensor in the housing and cooperative with the writing surface position indicator. The device may be used to record writings and drawings applied to a surface by a user, to transmit that data to a remote device, to download data from remote devices, and to otherwise communicate with remote devices.
US08036497B2

A document/image retrieval method for retrieving a document/image corresponding to a captured digital image from a database by comparing features calculated based on feature points of the captured digital image with features preliminarily calculated based on feature points of each of documents and/or images stored in the database, the method comprising: extracting the feature points from the captured digital image; defining a local set of feature points for each of the extracted feature points; selecting feature points from the defined local set to define a feature point subset of the local set; determining invariant values as values characterizing the defined subset for combinations of the feature points in the subset, the invariant values being invariant to a geometric transformation; calculating a feature by combining the determined invariant values; and performing a voting process on the documents and/or images in the database based on the preliminarily calculated features of the documents and/or images; whereby the document/image corresponding to the captured digital image is retrieved from the database.
US08036496B2

A method for providing real time service of huge and high quality digital image on internet is disclosed, wherein data relevant to a general life such as a general photo, an advertising leaflet, and a pamphlet and professional image data exhibited in an art gallery, exhibition grounds, a pavilion are made into huge and high quality digital image or scanned and photographed to be digital, thereby processing real time service as an interactive browsing form. In the present invention, data are directly made, edited, constructed, and uploaded on internet, thereby providing various additional information with image through hyperlink and processing high quality digital image service on network without speed delay for huge image.
US08036494B2

Methods, machines, and machine-readable media for enhancing image resolution are described. In one aspect, a respective motion map is computed for each pairing of a reference image and a respective image neighboring the reference image in a sequence of base images. Each motion map includes a set of motion vectors mapping reference image pixels to respective neighboring image pixels. Respective regions of a target image are assigned to motion classes based on the computed motion maps. The target image has a target resolution level and the base images have a base resolution level equal to or lower than the target resolution level. Pixel values for the target image are computed based on corresponding pixel value contributions from the motion-compensated neighboring base images selected in accordance with the motion classes assigned to the target image regions.
US08036490B2

To measure the dimensions of a tubular vessel, it is planned to plot a set of wall lines on the surface of the vessels. Then, the lengths of these wall lines are measured between a starting section and an arrival section. The plotting of the wall lines starts from a central line of the vessel divided into segments. For each central line segment, a wall line segment is defined on the wall by intersection of a plane containing this central line segment and intersecting this wall. Other wall line segments are distributed all around and all along the wall. Then, the lengths are measured.
US08036484B2

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for averaging data in packed format are provided. The data may be image data, such as data words containing color-specific data portions representative of pixels of a captured image. A first data word containing first image data is received. A second data word containing second image data is received. A logical AND of the first data word and the second data word is performed to generate a third data word. A logical exclusive OR (XOR) of the first data word and the second data word is performed to generate a fourth data word. A right shift of the fourth data word is performed. The third data word and the right shifted fourth data word are summed to generate a fifth data word that is an average of the first and second data words.
US08036483B2

A digital filtering algorithm preprocesses couplet defects prior to their being operated on by a main filtering algorithm that focuses on singlet defects. The preprocessing involves the replacement of one of the defective pixel values in the couplet with a pixel value that is known to be non-defective. In preferred embodiments, the selection of the pixel value in the couplet to be replaced is customized depending on the direction of scanning of the pixel array, and can take into account edge effects of border pixels.
US08036477B2

In one aspect, a mobile device is provided which includes a memory configured to store an original image and an output image, a display device configured to display the output image, and an image decoder. The image decoder is configured to receive the original image from the memory, to identify blocks included in the original image that are capable of being independently decoded, to generate the output image by pre-scaling each of the identified blocks on the basis of a size of a display image, and to store the generated output image in the memory.
US08036473B1

A method of transforming and sending data, comprising: receiving an image with an associated mask; transforming the received image; quantizing the transformed image; encoding the quantized image and associated mask; and transmitting the encoded image and mask; wherein transforming the received image comprises transforming the dimension subset by repeating steps of: preparing an input vector; determining a filter type; determining a first intermediate vector; determining a second intermediate vector; computing a transform vector from the sum of the first intermediate vector and the second intermediate vector; and computing an output value from the input vector and the computed transform vector.
US08036472B2

The present invention is directed to a decoder for decoding encoded video data which comprises blocks of transform coefficients. The decoder comprises a reconstruction information receiver which acquires reconstruction information from an encoder regarding reconstruction of the blocks of transform coefficients. The decoder also comprises an entropy decoder which decodes the blocks of transform coefficients into decoded blocks of transform coefficients. The decoder further comprises a coefficient list maker. According to the acquired reconstruction information, the coefficient list maker combines the transform coefficients of the decoded blocks into a first list of transform coefficients in which the transform coefficients of a respective decoded block are interleaved with the transform coefficients of another decoded block.
US08036469B2

An imaging apparatus includes a first part and a second part separable from each other. If the first part and the second part are in a separated state, the first part applies image processing to image data and transmits the processed image data to the second part. If the first part and the second part are in a united state, the first part and a second part perform assigned roles for applying image processing to the image data.
US08036454B2

An information processing system for performing processes on first image and second image captured from different viewpoints, comprising: a first specifying part for specifying a first corresponding point on the second image, corresponding to a designation point designated on the first image, by searching on a line along a first basis direction corresponding to a predetermined direction and passing through a position corresponding to the designation point in the second image; a second specifying part for specifying a second corresponding point on the second image, corresponding to the designation point, by searching on a line passing through the first corresponding point in the second image and along a second basis direction almost perpendicular to the first basis direction; and a third specifying part for specifying a third corresponding point on the second image, corresponding to the designation point, by searching on a line passing through the second corresponding point in the second image and along the first basis direction.
US08036435B2

A method of analyzing a volumetric data set obtained by an imaging system from an object is provided includes defining a first region of interest comprising a population of voxels of a first tissue part of the object to obtain a first distribution of radiation attenuation coefficient values, defining a second region of interest comprising a sample of voxels of a second tissue part of the object to obtain a second distribution of radiation attenuation coefficient values, and distinguishing the second tissue from the first tissue using the properties of the first and second distributions of radiation attenuation coefficients.
US08036433B1

A system and method for authenticating user-input signatures or other data. A user draws a pattern on an input pad, using for example a pen, stylus, or finger. A grid, including a set of edges, is displayed on the input pad to help the user in drawing in the correct position on the pad. An input processor detects the edges crossed by the user in drawing the pattern. The sequence of edge crossings are converted into a symbolic sequence that can be output, authenticated, compared with previously stored symbolic sequences, or otherwise processed. Additional information, such as edge crossing timing, pen path, and the like, are optionally made available for further authentication.
US08036423B2

A system for identifying artifacts in an image. The system includes an input for receiving images from an imager, the images comprising a pixel of interest. The images can be generated by reflecting light off an object. The system further includes a processor coupled to the input for defining and using at least one contrast value of a second pixel associated with the pixel of interest to identify artifacts in the image.
US08036415B2

A method and system for nano-encoding and decoding information related to printed texts and images on paper and other surfaces is provided. The system and method includes a nano-encoder for encoding information related to printed texts and images; and then collocating the encoded information with the related printed texts and/or images. The system also includes a nano-decoder for decoding information encoded by the nano-encoder. The nano-decoder includes a text processing database having a translator database. The translator database includes a definition database; and a summary database. In addition, the system and method includes detecting luminescent nano particles and/or magnetic nano particles; and determining invariant properties of the detected nano particles. The invariant properties are then matched with coded information. The system and method includes matching the invariant properties with predetermined coded information and analyzing the invariant properties of the detected nano particles for segmentation.
US08036411B2

There are provided a speaker for outputting sound, a plurality of sound output holes formed in a reverse side cabinet, a mesh sheet, a two-sided tape, and a transparent sheet. The sound output holes, the mesh sheet, the two-sided tape, and the transparent sheet control the direction of sound output from the speaker.
US08036409B2

A speaker cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a pair of side plates whose outer peripheral portions define no apexes; and a bent plate curved in conformity with the outer peripheral portions of the pair of side plates and mounted to the pair of side plates.
US08036407B2

An embodiment provides a continuous wear hearing device to be worn entirely within the ear canal, comprising a receiver assembly sized to be positioned in the bony portion of the canal, a battery assembly and a microphone assembly. The receiver assembly includes a receiver for supplying acoustic signals to the tympanic membrane. The battery assembly is coupled to the receiver assembly and includes a metal-air battery and a battery vent. The microphone assembly is coupled to the battery assembly and includes a microphone and a microphone sound port. The sound port faces a medial direction with respect to the canal. The orientation and position of the microphone in the canal are configured to reduce fouling of the port by cerumen. The positioning of the microphone assembly defines an air cavity disposed between the microphone assembly and the battery assembly with the port and the vent fluidically coupled to the cavity.
US08036405B2

A composite hearing aid system comprises two hearing aids (11, 31) with respective microphones (12, 32) and electronic receivers (17, 37), a microphone (42) and a transmitter (41) adapted to transmit the signal from the microphone (42) to the electronic receivers. At least one of the hearing aids (11, 31) comprises means for inverting the phase of the signal received by the electronic receivers (17, 37). When the phase of the received signal is inverted in one of the hearing aids (11, 31), a release from masking is obtained, and the perceived signal-to-noise ratio is improved. The invention provides a composite hearing aid system, a hearing aid and a method for processing audio signals.
US08036387B2

This invention relates to a method for the transmission of management data to at least one multimedia unit or a group of multimedia units. This method is characterized in that said management data is sent in the form of at least one authorization message encrypted by means of at least one synchronization key (SK), the sending of said at least one authorization message being repeated cyclically and intended for said multimedia unit or said group of multimedia units, and in that the synchronization key is modified at least during each cycle.
US08036381B2

A partial multiple encryption device consistent with certain embodiments has an input for receiving a unencrypted video signal. An encryption arrangement produces a partially multiple encrypted video signal from the unencrypted video signal. An output provides the partially multiple encrypted video signal. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08036379B2

Executable instructions designed to provide faster cryptographic processing, fixed-timing memory access, and dedicated memory usage are implementable on an x86 CPU utilizing XMM registers. The instructions can be utilized to implement cryptographic processing in accordance with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). To encrypt, a single instruction performs nonlinear transformation, rotation, and linear transformation. Another single instruction used during encryption performs nonlinear transformation and rotation. New instructions also are implemented to perform decryption. The instructions implemented to perform decryption perform the mathematical inverse functions of their counterparts used for encryption.
US08036372B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for dynamically reallocating a preferred request in one or more specific queues to one or more generic queues. A preferred request in a specific queue can be reallocated to another queue. A specific queue is monitored to determine if a service level target will be satisfied. Thereafter, the preferred request is dynamically reallocated to another queue if the service level target will not be satisfied. The specific queue may be one of a plurality of queues, each having an assigned service level target. A performance level of the specific queue can be evaluated relative to the service level target. For example, the service level target can be a predicted wait time.
US08036370B2

Contact centers typically have an entry process to receive incoming contacts and distribute those appropriately amongst agents associated with the contact center. This entry process is often complex and time consuming. This invention allows users of the contact centre to reach a particular agent without undergoing the entry process. This is achieved without compromising security or giving away details about the agents.
US08036352B2

A method and system include obtaining at a first time a first image of a database having number portability records for each telephone number which has been ported between service providers. The first image is indicative of the LNP records in the database at the first time. At a second time a second image of the database is obtained. The second image is indicative of the records in the database at the second time. The first and second images are compared to determine migration of ported telephone numbers.
US08036348B2

A method of presenting instructions to a user sending an incoming communication to a service center includes presenting a menu to the user. The menu includes a plurality of procedure descriptors to the user. The user is presented, according to a selection of one of the procedure descriptors by the user, a sequence of instructions which enable completion of a procedure described by the selected procedure descriptor. The incoming communication is transferred at a position in the sequence of instructions to a representative. The incoming communication is also transferred back to the same position in the sequence of instructions.
US08036342B2

Systems and methods provide foreign call back number compatibility. The systems and methods receive a local telephone number assigned to a subscriber, the subscriber having a non-local telephone number as the normal calling number of the subscriber. Furthermore, the systems and methods query a database with the local telephone number to obtain the non-local telephone number and to provide the non-local telephone number. In addition, systems and methods provide a foreign call back number compatibility database. The systems and methods receive a local telephone number assigned to a subscriber and a non-local telephone number comprising the normal calling number of the subscriber and saving the local number and the non-local number to a database.
US08036339B2

A dental colorimetry apparatus that allows the color balance of an entire row of teeth to be checked is provided. The invention provides a dental colorimetry apparatus 2 including a multiband-image storing section 21 storing images of teeth in association with information about the positions of the teeth in row of teeth; a contour-line extracting section 25 for extracting contour lines of the teeth from the images of the teeth; a rectangle-setting section 27 for setting rectangles in the images of the teeth so as to include the contour lines extracted by the contour-line extracting section 25 and so as to circumscribe at least both sides of the teeth; and an image-generating section 29 for generating a row-of-teeth image by arranging the images of the teeth based on the information about the positions of the teeth in the row of teeth so that the rectangles adjoin each other.
US08036337B2

Disclosed are a method and a device for security-inspection of liquid articles with dual-energy CT imaging. The method comprises the steps of obtaining one or more CT images including physical attributes of liquid article to be inspected by CT scanning and a dual-energy reconstruction method; acquiring the physical attributes of each liquid article from the CT image; and determining whether the inspected liquid article is dangerous based on the physical attributes. The CT scanning can be implemented by a normal CT scanning technique, or a spiral CT scanning technique. In the normal CT scanning technique, the scan position can be preset, or set by the operator with a DR image, or set by automatic analysis of the DR image.
US08036335B2

In a reactor vessel thermal load reducing system near the surface level of a coolant, the present invention is characterized in that a heat conductive member is installed not contacting the reactor vessel wall in an area above and below the coolant liquid surface, and the heat conducting member is attached to a guard vessel, the heat conducting member being made of material of good heat conductivity.
US08036330B2

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for frequency synchronization in a non-hierarchical network. In one example, the method includes receiving, by a node in a wireless non-hierarchical network, frequency synchronization messages from other nodes. The method calculates an average frequency based on the frequency synchronization messages, calculates a control frequency based on the average frequency, and sets an oscillator of the node to the control frequency.
US08036322B2

The present invention relates to a method of calculating a log-likelihood ratio and a method of detecting a transmission signal. According to the present invention, when a transmission symbol candidate vector is detected on the basis of a received signal, a threshold value and an ML metric of each transmission symbol candidate vector are calculated and the ML metric that is larger than the threshold value is updated by the threshold value. Further, a log-likelihood ratio of the transmission signal bit is calculated using the updated ML metric and the threshold value, and a transmission signal is detected using the log-likelihood ratio.
US08036321B2

Control systems and methods for independent control of power systems, particularly lighting network branches, and separate control of individual branch components. Multi-branch systems comprise independently controllable branches that inter-communicate via PLC communications. In each branch, components such as ballasts, local control units, sensors, actuators, and repeaters, may exchange commands and queries independently of a branch remote control unit (BRCU). Alternatively, a BRCU may manage or arbitrate communications, or interact with other BRCUs, other control units and external management systems. Ballasts include a multi-channel ballast that enables close-loop control of individual fixtures, or of individual dimmable or non-dimmable lamps within a fixture. The close-loop control is facilitated by sampling circuits/sensors co-located with each controlled fixture or lamp. All controllers are preferably implemented using an integrated digital controller. The PLC communication is preferably carried out by a direct spread spectrum method that eliminates side lobes from a cross-correlation function, using an anti-collision protocol.
US08036320B2

A pulse receiving circuit which receives a receiving signal from the outside includes: a template pulse generating circuit which generates a first pulse signal and a second pulse signal having phase different from that of the first pulse signal based on a pulse position timing signal; a first multiplying circuit which multiplies the receiving signal by the first pulse signal and outputs a first multiplication signal; a second multiplying circuit which multiplies the receiving signal by the second pulse signal and outputs a second multiplication signal; a first low band pass filtering circuit which extracts low frequency component from frequency components of the first multiplication signal and outputs a first low frequency signal; a second low band pass filtering circuit which extracts low frequency component from frequency components of the second multiplication signal and outputs a second low frequency signal; and an envelope detection circuit which performs envelope calculation by using the first low frequency signal and the second low frequency signal and outputs a detection signal.
US08036316B2

Certain aspects of a method and system for independent in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) loop amplitude control for quadrature generators may include determining an amplitude voltage associated with an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component of a generated signal. A DC reference voltage associated with the I component and the Q component may be determined. The determined amplitude voltage may be compared with the determined reference voltage to generate a control signal. The amplitude mismatch between the I component and the Q component may be compensated by controlling a biasing current of one or more programmable buffers associated with one or both of the I component and the Q component, based on the generated control signal.
US08036314B2

Methods and structure described herein provide for detecting data inversions between electronic devices in communication with one another and automatically correcting those that inversions. An electronic device may be configured with a receiver that is configured for receiving differential serial data from a transmitter of another electronic device. The differential serial data is formatted according to a particular communication protocol associated with the electronic devices. The receiver detects an invalid sequence in the received differential serial data, such as an inverted SAS primitive, and automatically change the receive logic of the receiver such that subsequent received differential serial data is in the proper polarity. The transmitting device does not require notification of the change in receive logic.
US08036310B2

There is provided with a transmitter including: a pilot generation unit configured to generate a plurality of pilot symbols; a bit sequence generation unit configured to invert each bit in a first bit sequence to generate a second bit sequence; a transmission block generation unit configured to generate a transmission block by giving phase rotation determined according a value of each of bits in the first and second bit sequence to each of the pilot symbols corresponding to each of the bits; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the transmission block.
US08036308B2

Certain aspects of a method and system for a wideband polar transmitter may be disclosed. Aspects of the method may include polar modulating a plurality of signals by generating a plurality of modulated intermediate frequency (IF) signals corresponding to each of a plurality of wireless communication protocols within a transmitter that handles the plurality of wireless communication protocols. The generated plurality of modulated IF signals may be upconverted to a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals. The plurality of RF signals may be combined and the combined plurality of RF signals may be amplitude modulated.
US08036300B2

A clock recovery circuit for digital data transmission includes a delay lock loop having a first loop which generates a phase difference signal which is indicative of a quantized phase difference between a data signal and a clock signal; and a second loop which generates a phase difference signal which is a smooth, continuous function of the phase difference between the data signal and the clock signal, such as a phase difference signal which is proportional to the phase difference. The delay lock loop may include two phase shifters in series, and one or both of these may include a phase interpolator.
US08036298B2

The present invention discloses an effective apparatus and method to measure the received signal quality for digital communication systems by measuring error vector measurement (EVM) with embedded EVM measurement block in receivers. The distinction of the present invention is that the EVMSIG and the EVMDATA are measured in the receiver for the SIGNAL fields and DATA fields, respectively. EVMSIG is a good indicator for one spatial stream and EVMDATA is a good indicator for current multiple streams. The receiver determines the optimum number of spatial data streams for feedback to the transmitter based on the combinations of EVMSIG and EVMDATA with or without other algorithms such as analysis on periodically requested sounding packet. The receiver also determines the optimum modulation and coding schemes for feedback based on the EVM measurements.
US08036288B2

Radiocommunication equipment and method comprising at least the following elements: at least one frequency scan antenna connected to a modem adapted to generate a spectrum OFDM modulation-based waveform by increasing the duration of an OFDM symbol by reproducing the FFT pattern.
US08036283B2

In a data/strobe encoding scheme circuit in which data and a strobe signal are transmitted through different lines, changes respectively in the data and the strobe signal are employed as clock signals for a latching operation, and the data is transmitted to a succeeding-stage circuit operating on a second clock signal. The circuit latches predetermined data by an FF circuit and passes a data pair including a signal indicating that the data has been latched and held therein as well as the latched data to the succeeding-stage circuit, activates, if assertion of a signal indicating reception of the data is received from the succeeding-stage circuit, again the FF circuit which has latched the data and has entered a stop state, and receives new data. There is provided a data/strobe encoding scheme circuit and a data/strobe encoding method, it is possible to implement a data/strobe encoding scheme circuit and a data/strobe encoding method capable of realizing a low-cost data/strobe encoding scheme which is independent of LSI device characteristics and which can be easily designed.
US08036274B2

A block transform-based digital media codec achieves faster performance by re-mapping components of the digital media data into vectors or parallel units on which many operations of the transforms can be performed on a parallel or single-instruction, multiple data (SIMD) basis. In the case of a one-dimensional lapped biorthogonal transform, the digital media data components are re-mapped into vectors on which butterfly stages of both overlap pre-/post-filter and block transform portions of the lapped transform can be performed on a SIMD basis. In the case of a two-dimensional lapped biorthogonal transform, the digital media data components are re-mapped into vectors on which a Hadamard operator of both overlap pre-/post-filter and block transform can be performed on a SIMD basis.
US08036273B2

A method of interpolation in video coding in which an image comprising pixels arranged in rows and columns and represented by values having a specified dynamic range, the pixels in the rows residing at unit horizontal locations and the pixels in the columns residing at unit vertical locations, is interpolated to generate values for sub-pixels at fractional horizontal and vertical locations, the method comprising: a) when values for sub-pixels at half unit horizontal and unit vertical locations, and unit horizontal and half unit vertical locations are required, interpolating such values directly using weighted sums of pixels residing at unit horizontal and unit vertical locations; b) when values for sub-pixels at half unit horizontal and half unit vertical locations are required, interpolating such values directly using a weighted sum of values for sub-pixels residing at half unit horizontal and unit vertical locations calculated according to step (a); and c) when values for sub-pixels at quarter unit horizontal and quarter unit vertical locations are required, interpolating such values by taking the average of at least one pair of a first pair of values of a sub-pixel located at a half unit horizontal and unit vertical location, and a sub-pixel located at a unit horizontal and half unit vertical location and a second pair of values of a pixel located at a unit horizontal and unit vertical location, and a sub-pixel located at a half unit horizontal and half unit vertical location.
US08036268B2

According to one embodiment, a moving image/picture encoding apparatus of an embodiment comprises an encoded information acquisition module, an encoding complexity calculation module, an encoding complexity conversion module, and a transcode module. The encoded information acquisition module reads MPEG header information from the input stream to acquire information on a quantization scale, generated bits and a picture type for each frame. The encoding complexity calculation module uses the acquired information to calculate, for each of the frames, encoding complexity represented in a form of the product of the quantization scale and the generated bits. The encoding complexity conversion module uses a linear function prepared for each of the picture types to convert the calculated encoding complexity into encoding complexity of H. 264/AVC. The transcode module uses the converted encoding complexity of H. 264/AVC to transcode the input stream into the output stream.
US08036262B2

A method and apparatus for storing staggercasted content includes encoding a set of signals representing content. The set of signals is capable of being decoded to produce a corresponding set of decoded signals, each decoded signal having a quality different from the qualities of the decoded signals corresponding to the other encoded signals. A composite signal comprising the set of encoded signals, staggered in time, is generated. The set of encoded signals is extracted from the composite signal. Errors in the set of extracted encoded signals are detected to produce a subset of available extracted encoded signals which are not erroneous. A content representative signal at a selectable desired quality is decoded. The decoded content representative signal is then stored in a storage device.
US08036257B2

In an embodiment of the method, at least one signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) for each antenna configuration in a set of transmission antenna configurations is determined based on an estimated channel characteristic. At least one received signal characteristic is determined for each antenna configuration in the set of antenna configurations based on the determined signal-to-interference-and-noise ratios. One of the antenna configurations in the set of antenna configurations is selected based on the determined received signal characteristics.
US08036251B2

In a packet transmission device and control method thereof which can improve the transmission rate of a packet without adding a high speed user data-conversion card, when packet data is inputted through a single arbitrary channel among a plurality of channels, from among a predetermined number of low speed user data-conversion cards provided common to the plurality of channels, the low speed user data-conversion cards by a number corresponding to a ratio between an output transmission rate of the low speed user data-conversion card and an input transmission rate of the packet data are extracted. The packet data is sequentially and cyclically distributed to the low speed user data-conversion cards extracted. Predetermined length user data outputted from the low speed user data-conversion cards are converted into a frame of HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) system and multiplexed into a single channel HS-DSCH (High Speed Downlink Shared Channel) to be outputted.
US08036249B2

A data verification method and system is provided. The data verification method includes the steps of transmitting data from a sender to a receiver over a signaling channel, transmitting a first set of bits to the receiver over a voice channel, wherein the first set of bits is generated using the data in the sender, and verifying the data through comparison between the first set of bits and a second set of bits that is generated based on the data in the receiver. The first and the second sets of bits may be a group of bits that are selected from a hash value using a selection mask in the sender and the receiver respectively, wherein the section mask has the same length as the hash value and the hash value is calculated based on the data, and the selection mask may be pre-defined between the sender and the receiver.
US08036245B2

A system and method for packet-based communications is performed by implementing arbitrated packet-based communications. According to an example embodiment, packet-based data is arbitrated and output with verification data. For each arbitrated packet stream, verification data is generated in response to detecting an end of frame (EOF) symbol in the arbitrated packet stream, and the verification data is added to the packet stream. A merged packet stream is provided at an output, the merged packet stream including the plurality of arbitrated packet streams with verification data added thereto.
US08036241B2

A method and system for contention resolution in a communications network are disclosed. As one example, a method for contention resolution in a communications network is disclosed. The method includes the steps of transmitting a first contention message during a first time interval, determining if a second contention message has been received during the first time interval, if the second contention message has been received during the first time interval, deferring a use of a network resource in the communications network, and if the second contention message has not been received during the first time interval, using the network resource during a second time interval.
US08036237B2

A transparent routing device disposed within an access network configured in accordance with one or more lower-layer protocols is disclosed herein. The device includes a set of subscriber-side ports. Each of the subscriber-side ports is associated with a plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces disposed to effectively terminate a corresponding plurality of subscriber-side connections with subscriber host devices served by the access network. The device further includes at least one network-side port through which communication occurs with an external network in accordance with a higher-layer protocol. A routing table is configured to establish a correspondence between network addresses of the subscriber host devices and the plurality of virtual subscriber-side interfaces. During operation of the device, packets received through the at least one network-side port are forwarded to corresponding ones of the virtual subscriber-side interfaces based upon network addresses of the packets.
US08036236B2

A media gateway (34.2) comprises a line interface (54) comprising at least one input port, which is connectable to a time division multiplex (TDM) communications carrier. The at least one input port being configured to receive input data in at least one of a) clear channel data in a data carrier type and b) TDM framed in a primary rate carrier. The gateway comprises an extractor (66) for extracting the clear channel data and a formatter (64) for formatting the framed data. The gateway further comprises an interface (67) for making the extracted data and/or formatted data available as packet data network (PDN) data at a PDN output port of the gateway.
US08036235B2

The present invention relates to a home gateway device. The home gateway device comprises a main processor generate information process signals and control signals, a computer bus signal Ethernet adapter unit connected to the main processor to translate the signals between computer bus signals and Ethernet signals, an Ethernet frame process unit connected to the computer bus signal Ethernet adapter unit to forward the received Ethernet frame based on a prearranged policy, an inner interface unit connected to the Ethernet frame process unit to connect interior networking devices, and an outer communication module connected to the main processor and the Ethernet frame process unit. The centralized control of the home gateway device of the present invention can decrease the requirement that the household appliances should be intellectualized, thereby achieving more flexible control and reducing the cost. The uplink and downlink Ethernet signals are controlled by using the prearranged policy to separate the Ethernet signals for Internet access from the Ethernet signals of the household information appliances, and avoid the threat due to the unsafe factors.
US08036230B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet at a network processor, and determining the packet is to be directed to a selected one of a plurality of traffic processors if a tunnel endpoint identifier of the packet is associated with a subscriber terminal. The method further includes determining that the packet is to be directed to the selected one of the plurality of traffic processors if a destination address of the packet is associated with the subscriber terminal. The method still further includes distributing the packet to the selected one of the plurality of traffic processors.
US08036224B2

The present invention relates to a method for efficient routing in a multiple hop wireless communication network. The invention is characterized in that data packets are routed over transmission paths using the following steps providing link status information by acquiring link status quality between nodes in the network, updating a routing element (101) with said link status information, determining possible routes with essentially similar link quality status for said data packet, and routing said data packet via the determined routes.
US08036222B1

In various embodiments, methods and systems are provided for acquiring a mobile internet protocol address in a communication network. In an embodiment, an authentication node sends a mobile network internet node notification message to a mobile network internet node where the mobile network internet node notification message comprises an authentication node identifier associated with a user identifier. A mobile internet protocol request message is sent from a gateway node to the mobile network internet node. A mobile internet protocol access request message is sent from the mobile network internet node to the authentication node utilizing the authentication node identifier associated with a user identifier. A mobile internet protocol access accept message is received at the mobile network internet node transferred from the authentication node where the mobile internet protocol access accept message comprises a mobile network internet node key. The mobile internet protocol address is assigned at the mobile network internet node to a mobile station associated with the user identifier.
US08036211B1

A Legacy User Proxy CSCF (“L-CSCF”) provides multimedia services from a SIP based network to legacy access networks and devices. The L-CSCF includes a legacy service control state machine; a P-CSCF state machine and associated protocols; a mapping between a user's legacy network address and a corresponding network entry point; a database and logic for mapping between legacy user addresses and corresponding authentication data; legacy specific QoS control mechanisms; and an interworking function to handle incompatibilities between the legacy and SIP call models. The L-CSCF may be disposed logically between the legacy network and the multimedia network to translate and process communications such that legacy network and multimedia network devices need not require extensive modifications in order to support operation.
US08036210B2

The present invention discloses a method for providing an online-charging to solve a problem that a related charging can not be processed correctly for a service involving simultaneously a CS domain and an IMS. The method includes: not invoking an online charging for the user in the CS domain when the user, who subscribes for the service involving simultaneously the CS domain and the IMS and the online charging service, originates or terminates a call in the CS domain; and performing the credit control in the CS domain and/or the IMS for the user in the IMS when the call of the user is processed through the IMS. The present invention also discloses a device and a system for an online credit control.
US08036208B2

A computerized telephony bridge unit has a Data Network Telephony (DNT) Port and a Connection Oriented/Switched Telephony (COST) trunk port, each associated with circuitry for receiving a placing calls in the data format required by connected networks. The bridge unit further comprises conversion circuitry for converting data dynamically between network protocols compatible with each connected network. Control routines executable on the computerized bridge unit are adapted to receive a first call from one of the COST and DNT networks, to place a call associated with the received call on the network other than the network on which the call is received, and to dynamically convert data between a call connected at one port and a call connected at the other port. The data network can be the Internet, and the COST network can be any publicly or privately switched dedicated-connection-oriented telephone network. Association between calls between two otherwise incompatible networks can be by a locally-stored lookup table, by negotiation with a caller, or by retrieval of data from incoming calls. Methods for practicing the invention are taught in the disclosure.
US08036192B2

In some embodiments, a method is disclosed involving a mobile device discovery and use of target wireless networks which are at least partly within a coverage area of another wireless network which provides location information which includes: acquiring data from a plurality of said target wireless networks; acquiring location information from said another wireless network; mapping said data from said plurality of said target wireless networks with said location information; and selecting one of said plurality of target wireless networks based on said mapped data.
US08036183B2

Aspects of a method and system for transporting configuration messages across a DS in a WLAN are presented. Aspects of a method for enabling communication of information in a secure communication system may comprise configuring a wireless client station located in a client network based on configuration information received from a configurator. The configurator is located in a configurator network that is located external to and communicatively coupled to the client network. Aspects of a system for enabling communication of information in a secure communication system may comprise a configurator located in a configurator network that is located external to and communicatively coupled to a client network. The configurator configures a wireless client station located in the client network based on configuration information transmitted by the configurator to the wireless client station.
US08036182B2

Mobile IPv6 assigns MN (Mobile Node) with a fixed home address in order to guarantee an arrival to MN 7. A SIP process of HA (Home Agent) 2 is provided with a unit for notifying Binding information of MN to a presence server 1. Alternatively, the presence server 1 is provided with a unit for requesting HA 2 for the Binding information of MN. An information delivery server 3 is provided with a unit for acquiring a Care of Address of MN from the presence server 1 and selecting information corresponding to the Care of Address. Presence service can be provided to MN existing in a network other than a home network.
US08036179B2

A method for transmitting multicast data in a WiMax/WiBro relay system, including transmitting carrier-interference-noise ratios from UEs to corresponding Relays; selecting the minimum value among the carrier-interference-noise ratios; determining the modulation and coding mode according to the selected minimum value; transmitting the modulation and coding mode to BS; selecting a modulation and coding mode with a highest rate for multicast data on an access link; transmitting the final modulation and coding mode to the Relays; and transmitting data via the access link with the modulation and coding mode determined by the BS.
US08036178B2

This disclosure relates to method, device and system for performing handover processing. A roaming list is configured at a receiver which includes multiple entries. Each entry of the roaming list includes receive parameters. A measurement operation is performed on an entry of the roaming list. A transmitter is set based on the measurement operation. Finally, an uplink signal is transmitted to an access point at a time based on a slot start time and a random timing offset. The uplink signal is transmitted while a second signal is transmitted from another node.
US08036177B2

A method of discovering at least one of a homogeneous and a heterogeneous network module to perform handover with in a wireless mobile communication network is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes establishing a network handover module for converging information from at least one network interface module associated with at least one of a homogeneous and a heterogeneous network handover module into a unified presentation and transmitting a broadcast request message from a mobile station (MS) to a source point of attachment (PoA) which transmits the broadcast request message to at least one interface module to identify whether the at least one interface module supports at least one of the homogeneous and the heterogeneous network handover module and a capability of the at least one of the homogeneous and the heterogeneous network handover module. The method further includes initiating a timer for a specified time period when the broadcast request message is transmitted and receiving at least one response message from the at least one interface module via the source PoA prior to expiration of the timer, wherein the response message indicates that the at least one interface module supports at least one of the homogeneous and the heterogeneous network handover module and the capability of the at least one of the homogeneous and the heterogeneous network handover module.
US08036174B2

A wireless multicasting service method using a relayed transmission scheme is provided. In the wireless multicasting service method, a mobile node moves from a first wireless network to a second wireless network. Then, the mobile node performs a new joining request to a mobile multicast agent managing a multicasting service in the second wireless network. If the mobile node receives a joining approval for the new joining request, the mobile node performs a secession request to a previous mobile multicast agent managing a multicasting service in the first wireless network.
US08036171B2

A multicarrier communication base station device (1) in accordance with the present invention includes selection unit that selects a subcarrier to be allocated based on transmission rate information in each mobile station (2), evaluation value calculation unit that calculates a reference value of a transmission rate with regard to a subcarrier to be allocated based on transmission rate information in each mobile station (2) and then calculate an evaluation value that is obtained by evaluating a difference between the reference value and a transmission rate of a subcarrier excluded from allocation, and priority determination unit that determines a priority of a mobile station to be assigned to each subcarrier based on an evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation unit.
US08036170B1

Systems and methods for controlling the transmission and reception of WLAN and short range wireless packets over a common antenna. The system includes WLAN communication circuitry to generate data packets for wireless transmission via the antenna and to process data packets received via the antenna, and includes short range wireless communication circuitry to receive and transmit audio packets via the antenna. The system further includes an arbiter to control access of the WLAN communication circuitry and short range wireless communication circuitry to the antenna. The arbiter causes the data packets to be transmitted and received by the WLAN communication circuitry during time intervals during which no audio packets are transmitted or received by the short range wireless communication circuitry.
US08036166B2

A method includes, in response to receiving implicit signaling of the radio resource, and in response to a plurality of wireless communication system cell-specific static and semi-static input parameters, determining a plurality of output parameters and allocating radio resources using the determined output parameters. Also disclosed are computer readable storage mediums for storing programs that operate in accordance with the methods, as well as various devices that operate in accordance with the methods and that include the computer readable storage mediums.
US08036165B2

The quality of signals during SDMA is raised.In an uplink, a signal processing unit receives signals respectively from a plurality of terminal apparatuses which have been multiple-accessed by division of time. It derives receiving channel characteristics corresponding to the plurality of terminal apparatuses, respectively, for each time slot. In a downlink, the signal processing unit derives transmitting channel characteristics from the receiving channel characteristics derived and, based on the transmitting channel characteristics derived, it transmits signals respectively to the plurality of terminal apparatuses to which SDMA has been performed. In the downlink, a control unit allocates channels to the plurality of terminal apparatuses, respectively, in a manner that the plurality of terminal apparatuses are multiple-accessed by SDMA; and in the uplink it allocates channels to the plurality of terminal apparatuses, respectively, in a manner that the plurality of terminal apparatuses are multiple-accessed by TDMA.
US08036162B2

A wireless communication system and a wireless communication device capable of performing communication by each transmission signal without mutual interference, when a plurality of transmission signals of different communication systems or the same communication systems exist within the same frequency band. The system includes a first wireless communication device, a second wireless communication device, a third wireless communication device, and a fixed band-pass filter and a variable band-pass filter in the third wireless communication device. The first wireless communication signal includes control information indicating a variable pass band in the variable band-pass filter, and the control information is given to the variable band-pass filter, thereby allowing the first wireless communication signal to be selectively passed through the variable band-pass filter, while removing the second wireless communication signal.
US08036146B2

A broadcast/multicast (BCAST) service, specifically, a BCAST service system for transmitting broadcast contents to terminals when a network load is small and a contents transmission method using the same are disclosed. When contents are broadcast by using a distribution window (DM) and a presentation window (PW), the terminals feed back a message indicating reception confirmation of the contents to the network, such that the contents reception success rate between the terminals and the network can be improved.
US08036145B2

A frame format used in a wireless communication system, more particularly an OFDMA TDD wireless communication system, of the kind that includes a base station and a plurality of fixed or mobile subscriber stations, the base station maintaining connections with each of the subscriber stations by performing wireless communication in units of frames having the frame format, and within each frame, allocating resources for data transmission and signalling. Each frame has a plurality of downlink subframes and a plurality of uplink subframes including, in time order, a first downlink subframe, a first uplink subframe, a final downlink subframe and a final uplink subframe. One or more further downlink subframe/uplink subframe pairs may be interposed between the first and final subframes as desired, and the configuration can be changed dynamically.
US08036142B2

A method and Bridge in a Provider Backbone Bridge Network (PBBN) for enabling frames from a Higher Layer Entity attached alternatively to a Provider Instance Port (PIP) on an I-Component of a Backbone Edge Bridge or to a Customer Backbone Port on a B-Component of the Backbone Edge Bridge, to reach an intended entity in the PBBN. A Virtual Instance Port Service Access Point (VIP SAP) is configured for every VIP and every Higher Layer Entity configured on the I-Component. An Enhanced VIP Port Connectivity function utilizes the VIP SAP to tunnel customer-initiated Layer 2 Control Protocols (L2CPs). A Special Multiplexed SAP handles the frames of the Higher Layer Entity, and is assigned an I-SID value that is universally recognized to identify the L2CPs. A Service Instance Multiplex Entity utilizes the Special Multiplexed SAP to transfer frames between the PIP or the Customer Backbone Port and the entity inside the PBBN.
US08036135B2

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate determining when and whether to implement a sender-based data packet scheduling mechanism or a receiver-based data packet scheduling mechanism based on one or mode scheduling factors. For example, a sending node and a receiving node may communicate to permit a determination of which node is more capable of performing the scheduling tasks, and a corresponding scheduling technique may be selected and executed. According to an aspect, an amount of data downloading may be compared to an amount of data uploading at each node, and a sender-based scheduling protocol may be performed when the amount of data uploading is greater than the amount of downloading data.
US08036133B2

Various example embodiments are disclosed relating to efficient techniques for error detection and authentication in wireless networks. For example, according to an example embodiment, an apparatus adapted for wireless communication in a wireless network may include a processor. The processor may be configured to transmit a message including a field to provide both authentication and error detection for the message. The field may include an authenticated checksum sequence.
US08036128B2

A method for communicating backpressure messaging over a serial encoded link is disclosed. Embodiments of the invention enable advanced backpressure signaling to be retrofitted into legacy systems to achieve performance improvements and support new or enhanced services. Specifically, such signaling enables per-context and per-priority backpressure signaling information to be conveyed by a backpressure message; thereby enabling flow control to be performed in accordance with a priority or context associated with a traffic flow, or flows, carried over the serial link.
US08036125B2

An apparatus and method are provided for variably transmitting a multimedia stream according to requirements of a client device and the state of a channel. The multimedia stream transmission apparatus includes: a plurality of virtual machines corresponding to the multiple client applications, each of the virtual machines determining a specific parameter set and obtaining a change value for the parameter set from network statistics and a requirement of a corresponding client application; a parameter adjustment unit which adjusts values of parameters used in a network interface by the change value; and the network interface which transmits the multimedia stream based on the adjusted parameters.
US08036122B2

A packet control component of an apparatus in one example monitors a data stream that comprises a plurality of data packets. The plurality of data packets comprise one or more first data packets associated with a real-time application and one or more second data packets non-associated with the real-time application. Upon a detection in the data stream of a data packet of the one or more first data packets, the packet control component initiates a network treatment for the data packet that is different from one or more network treatments applicable to the one or more second data packets.
US08036120B2

A technique for admission control of packet flows is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for admission control of packet flows in a network. The method may comprise determining at least one flow rate associated with a plurality of packets. The method may also comprise marking at least one predetermined bit in at least one of the plurality of packets if the at least one flow rate is greater than a predetermined rate. The method may further comprise controlling an admission of additional packets into the network based at least in part on the marking of the at least one predetermined bit in the at least one of the plurality of packets.
US08036111B2

In a communication system a procedure is initiated to establish a communication connection for a user equipment. A data bearer may be established via one or more nodes of the communication system for the user equipment before the communication connection procedure is completed. An instruction is signalled to at least one of the nodes associated with the data bearer to prevent transportation of data to or from the user equipment using the data bearer. Based on the instruction, transportation of data to or from the user equipment is prevented until the communication connection establishment procedure has been completed. According to a further aspect, an indication is signalled to at least one of the nodes that the communication connection establishment procedure is completed. Charging record unit associated with charging of data transportation prior said completion are closed in response to the signal.
US08036108B2

A method and apparatus for providing a gateway for IPv6 packet transmission in a WLAN system are provided, in which a gateway takes over a TCP/IP protocol stack from a legacy 6LoWPAN node for providing a gateway for IPv6 packet transmission in a WLAN system. One or more service request messages for data communications are received from a plurality of 6LoWPAN nodes, and a virtual interface is generated for allocating IPv6 addresses to the 6LoWPAN nodes by adding a predetermined IPv6 address prefix to addresses of the 6LoWPAN nodes set in the service request messages. A socket adaptation layer is interfaced for receiving the IPv6 addresses from the virtual interface and transmitting data packets to the 6LoWPAN nodes, and when data packets are transmitted and received to and from the 6LoWPAN nodes, an on-going file is controlled and managed, and the data packets are routed.
US08036107B2

Limiting traffic in a communications system is based on monitoring data packets traversing a first network node and determining whether at least one first data packet originating from a source node fulfills a predefined criterion. When the predefined criterion is fulfilled, a second network node is instructed to change processing of at least one second data packet originating from said source node.
US08036106B1

Packet switch operating methods and packet switches, using first processing circuitry of the packet switch, configure different second processing circuitry of the packet switch to periodically transmit control packets to a destination device via a port of the packet switch and, subsequent to the configuring and using the second processing circuitry, transmit the control packets to the destination device via the port during moments in time when the first processing circuitry is non-operational. Other packet switch operating methods and packet switches, using first processing circuitry of the packet switch, specify a configuration for a control packet processing procedure implemented by different second processing circuitry of the packet switch, communicate the configuration to the second processing circuitry, and using the second processing circuitry, transmit control packets according to the control packet processing procedure, the control packet processing procedure being configured according to the configuration.
US08036096B2

An optical recording medium to be used for a retail activation solution is proposed. The optical recording medium is a modified ROM disk that can only be played after the application of an activation process. For this purpose at least a part of a reflective layer of a read-only area of the optical recording medium is replaced by a light sensitive layer stack that changes its reflectivity upon illumination.Also proposed are a method for producing such an optical recording medium as well as methods and apparatuses for initializing and/or activating such an optical recording medium.
US08036093B2

An optical head device includes a first light source and a second light source respectively emitting a first light beam and a second light beam, a luminous flux separating section selectively separating the first and second light beams for which the same optical path is used, to first and second optical paths, respectively, and a first objective lens converging the first light beam that has been separated to the first optical path on the first optical information recording medium. Further, the optical head device includes a second objective lens made of resin and converging the second light beam separated to the second optical path on the second optical information recording medium, and a first filtering section formed on a beam exit face of the second objective lens and reducing the transmittance of the first light beam to be lower than transmittance of the second light beam.
US08036092B2

To provide an optical head device, which can detect an excellent focus error signal for a dual layer optical recording medium, and optical information recording/reproducing device. Reflected light from a dual layer optical recording medium is diffracted by a diffractive optical element divided into four regions, and is received by a photodetector. Optical spots are equivalent to negative first order diffracted light from the four regions of the diffractive optical element, and are received by four dual-divided light receiving sections, respectively, to be used for detection a focus error signal by a Foucault's method. The four dual-divided light receiving sections are provided with positive component light receiving sections for outputting the received light as a positive component of the focus error signal and negative component light receiving sections for outputting the received light as a negative component of the focus error signal, respectively. When a signal layer of the optical recording medium is far from an objective lens by a defocusing quantity equivalent to an interval between the first layer and the second layer from a just focus position, a diffraction direction of a diffracted light generated from the reflected light from the signal layer is set so as that the diffracted light spreads to the positive component light receiving section and the negative component light receiving section, and a plurality of the positive component light receiving sections and a plurality of negative component light receiving sections are arranged.
US08036091B2

An optical pick-up which permits the relative position of a diffracting optical element and a photodetector to be adjusted by feedback control with signals which are generated when more than one kind of diffracted light differing in order is received, the diffracted light occurring as the reflected light from the optical disc is divided and diffracted by the diffracting optical element having multiple regions. The photodetector which detects the light beam passing through the central region of the diffracting optical element and generates RF signals is juxtaposed with sub-photodetectors, so that they receive reflected stray light from out-of-focus layers and perform computation to calculate the reflected stray light component which the RF signal detector receives, thereby detecting only the component of signals of the reflected light from a target layer.
US08036090B2

Provided is an optical pickup device capable of stabilizing a tracking signal and a focusing signal and of preventing quality deterioration of a data signal by eliminating a multi-layer crosstalk. Of reflected lights from a multi-layer disc, a reflected light from a target layer is split into two by a light flux splitting optical system so that the reflected light is spread out toward two directions with respect to a central line, and then the split lights are condensed. In this case, a reflected light from another layer does not reach a condensing position of the reflected light from the target layer, and only the reflected light from the target layer can be detected by a detector. Accordingly, a crosstalk from the another layer is eliminated.
US08036075B2

A disk drive and an information processing system optimizes the number of rotations of a disk. Data read from a disk and previously-read cache data are temporarily stored in buffer memory. When a total amount of cache data achieved during a given period of time T1 or an average amount of the same is equal to or less than a threshold value X1, a system controller controls the number of rotations in an increasing manner, thereby optimizing the number of rotations. When a total amount of cache data achieved during a given period of time T2 (T1
US08036074B2

An information recording medium (10) is provided with: a first area in which first data is recorded, first data region information being assigned to the first data; a second area in which second data is recorded, second data region information being assigned to the second data; and a control area in which control data including setting command data (72) is recorded, the setting command data setting the first data region information as reference region information, which is referred to by an information reproducing apparatus, if the first data is reproduced.
US08036069B1

A TAMR head is disclosed with a triangular shaped plasmon antenna covered on two sides with a plasmon layer that generates an edge plasmon mode along a vertex of the two plasmon sides formed opposite a main pole layer. A plasmon shield (PS) is formed along the ABS and opposite the vertex to confine an electric field from the edge plasmon mode within a small radius of the edge plasmon tip thereby reducing the optical spot size on the magnetic medium and enhancing writability. An end of a waveguide used to direct input electromagnetic radiation to the plasmon antenna adjoins a PS side opposite the ABS. In one embodiment, a magnetic shield may be formed along the ABS and adjoins the PS so that a first PS section terminates at the ABS and faces the vertex while a second PS section is formed between the magnetic shield and waveguide end.
US08036065B2

A system for locating and identifying an acoustic event such as gunfire. The inventive system employs a plurality of man wearable acoustic sensors for detecting gunfire, each acoustic sensor having a display associated therewith for displaying information concerning the acoustic event to a user. In preferred embodiments, the sensor includes a microphone for receiving acoustic information; an A/D converter; a processor for processing the digitized signal to detect a gunshot and determine a time of arrival; a GPS receiver for determining the position of the acoustic sensor; and a network interface for bidirectional communication with a system server. Preferably the display comprises: an LCD; and an electronically readable compass. When the display and acoustic sensor are in separate housings, the acoustic sensor includes a transmitter and the display includes a receiver for transferring the gunshot information.
US08036063B2

A method and system for automatically adjusting a sensitivity of an acoustic detector. The method comprises receiving an acoustic signal from a remote device, detecting the unique pattern embedded therein, changing a mode of operation based upon the detection, measuring a voltage created by the reception of the acoustic signal and adjusting the sensitivity of the acoustic detector based upon a measured voltage. The acoustic signal contains a unique pattern indicative of the remote device.
US08036058B2

Embodiments are described including those pertaining to an input buffer having first and second complementary input terminals. One such input buffer has a symmetrical response to a single input signal applied to the first input terminal by mimicking the transition of a signal applied to the second input terminal in the opposite direction. The aforementioned input buffer includes two amplifier circuits structured to be complementary with respect to each other. Each of the amplifier circuits includes a first transistor having a first input node that receives an input signal transitioning across a range of high and low voltage levels, and a second transistor having a second input node that receives a reference signal. The first input node is coupled to the second transistor through a capacitor that charges and discharges the drain of the second transistor responsive to the input signal transitioning to mimic the second input node transitioning in the direction opposite to the transition of the input signal, while the reference signal at the second input node is maintained at a constant voltage level.
US08036057B2

A semiconductor memory device (and control method therefor) includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of memory cells arranged at intersections of the word lines and the bit lines, a word driver that selects any one of the word lines, a plurality of sense amplifiers connectable to any of the bit lines, a sense-amplifier starting circuit that sequentially starts the sense amplifiers in response to a request of consecutive read operations to the memory cells connected to a predetermined word line, in a state that the predetermined word line is selected by the word driver, and an address determining circuit that temporarily stops an operation of the sense-amplifier starting circuit in response to a request of consecutive read operations to a same memory cell connected to a predetermined word line, in a state that the predetermined word line is selected by the word driver.
US08036055B2

A semiconductor storage device includes: a plurality of I/O terminals configured in a block, and including a representative I/O terminal and a non-representative I/O terminal; a plurality of memory cells each associated with the plurality of I/O terminals to store data; a data input portion to which data to be stored in the plurality of memory cells is input; and a data output portion which outputs data stored in the plurality of memory cells, the data input portion including a branch circuit which distributes the data input to the representative I/O terminal to all of the plurality of memory cells when the data to be stored in the plurality of memory cells is input while in test mode, and the data output portion including: a selection circuit which is connected to the representative I/O terminal, and which selects one of the data output from the plurality of memory cells and outputs the selected data from the representative I/O terminal when the data stored in the plurality of memory cells is output while in the test mode; and a dummy circuit which is provided between the non-representative I/O terminal and the memory cell associated with the non-representative I/O terminal.
US08036054B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a signal generating unit for generating first and second enable signals in response to a power-up signal, a first sub-word line signal driving unit for driving a first sub-word line signal in response to the first enable signal, a first voltage supplying unit for supplying a first voltage to a pair of bit lines in response to the first enable signal, a second sub-word line signal driving unit for driving a second sub-word line signal in response to the second enable signal, and a second voltage supplying unit for supplying a second voltage to a pair of bit lines in response to the second enable signal.
US08036053B2

Semiconductor device and semiconductor memory device include a plurality of internal circuits configured to perform test operations in response to their respective test mode signals and a plurality of test-mode control units configured to control the test operations of the internal circuits to be disabled in response to a test-off signal.
US08036052B2

Example embodiments disclose a semiconductor memory device and a test method thereof. The semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array that provides first and second data groups at a first data rate and an output circuit, in a normal mode of operation, serially outputs the first and second data groups at a first data rate on an external terminal. In a test mode of operation, the output circuit outputs the first data group or the second data group at a second data rate on the external terminal in response to control signals, without switching the test mode. The second data rate may be lower than the first data rate.
US08036049B2

A semiconductor memory device includes an input/output line of a data transfer path and its surrounding circuits, comprising a controller which generates a control signal corresponding to command and address input in read and write operation; and a repeater which selects any one of the plurality of bank groups as the control signal to control data transfer between the selected bank group and an input/output pad.
US08036030B2

A multi-level cell copyback program method in a non-volatile memory device is disclosed. The method includes performing a multi-level cell copyback program operation; performing selectively a first verifying operation, a second verifying operation or a third verifying operation in accordance with data stored in an MSB node of the first register or data stored in an LSB node of the second register. The first verifying operation is based on a first verifying voltage. The second verifying operation is based on a second verifying voltage higher than the first verifying voltage. And the third verifying operation is based on a third verifying voltage higher than the second verifying voltage. The copy back program operation is performed repeatedly in accordance with result of the verifying operation.
US08036027B2

A memory applicable to an embedded memory is provided. The memory includes a substrate, a gate, a charge-trapping gate dielectric layer, a source, and a drain. The gate is disposed above the substrate. The charge-trapping gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate and the substrate. The source and the drain are disposed in the substrate beside the gate respectively.
US08036024B2

In a ferromagnetic tunnel junction element, a recording layer is in a circular shape, which can suppress an increase in magnetization switching field due to miniaturization of the element. Further, the recording layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, a second non-magnetic layer, and a third ferromagnetic layer successively stacked. The first and second ferromagnetic layers, and the second and third ferromagnetic layers are coupled antiparallel to each other, so that it is possible to control the magnetization distribution of the recording layer in an approximately single direction.
US08036023B2

A circuit and method are provided in which a six-transistor (6-T) SRAM memory cell is hardened to single-event upsets by adding isolation-field effect transistors (“iso-fets”) connected between the reference voltage Vdd and the field-effect transistors (“fets”) respectively corresponding to first and second inverters of the memory cell. According to certain embodiments, the control gates of first and second P-iso-fets are respectively tied to the control gates of first and second pull-up P-fets. According to certain embodiments, first and second N-iso-fets are connected between the output nodes of the memory cell and the pull-down N-fets respectively corresponding to the first and second inverters. The control gates of the first and second N-iso-fets are respectively tied to the control gates of the first and second pull-down N-fets. Again according to certain embodiments, one or more of the iso-fets are physically removed from the proximity of other transistors which comprise the memory cell.
US08036022B2

A design structure, structure and method of using and/or manufacturing structures having asymmetric junction engineered SRAM pass gates is provided. The structure includes an SRAM cell having asymmetric junction-engineered SRAM pass gates with a high leakage junction and a low leakage junction. The asymmetric junction-engineered SRAM pass gates are connected between an internal node and a bit-line node. The high leakage junction is from a body to the internal node and the low leakage junction is from the body to the bit-line node.
US08036017B2

An inexpensive nonvolatile memory having high performance which makes random write and readout possible an unlimited number of times is provided. A unit memory cell is formed of a MISFET having a channel body that is electrically isolated from a semiconductor substrate and a resistance change element having a two-terminal structure with one end electrically connected to a drain of the MISFET. The MISFET functions as a volatile memory element, and the resistance change element functions as a nonvolatile memory element, so that information stored in the MISFET is copied to the resistance change element before the power is turned OFF and information stored in the resistance change element is transferred to the MISFET when the power is turned ON, and thus, the MISFET is used as a volatile memory which makes random write and readout possible.
US08036014B2

Memory devices and methods for operating such devices are described herein. A method as described herein includes applying a fixed sequence of voltage pulses across the memory cell of increasing pulse height to change the resistance state from the lower resistance state to the higher resistance state. The fixed sequence of voltage pulses cause increasing current through the phase change memory element until change to the higher resistance state occurs, and after the change the voltage pulses in the fixed sequence causing a voltage across the phase change memory element less than the threshold voltage.
US08036013B2

A phase change memory cell may be read by driving a current through the cell higher than its threshold current. A voltage derived from the selected column may be utilized to read a selected bit of a phase change memory. The read window or margin may be improved in some embodiments. A refresh cycle may be included at periodic intervals.
US08035996B1

Disclosed are full-bridge power converters providing DC output power at increased conversion efficiencies, and methods of operating full-bridge power converters providing DC output power at increased conversion efficiencies. In disclosed embodiments, the switches of the full-bridge are operated to reduce conduction losses and to provide for zero-voltage switching.
US08035995B2

This invention relates to an ACDC converter (1) comprising a converter input (3) and a converter output (5), a pre-regulation stage (7) and a DC transformer stage (9) comprising a transformer input stage (11) and a transformer output stage (13). The transformer input stage comprises a double ended converter and there is further provided a controller (17) for providing a control signal to the double ended converter. The controller (17) operates the ACDC converter using burst mode control and by sending control signals comprising pulse sets that are designed to provide substantially zero net magnetising current in the double ended converter. The pre-regulation stage preferably comprises a buck converter which in turn also provides power factor correction to the input of the ACDC converter.
US08035994B2

A cavity configured by electrically connecting an earth conductor formed on a multilayer dielectric substrate and on which a plurality of high frequency circuits are mounted, and a shield cover member. A waveguide aperture is formed on the earth conductor on which the high frequency circuits are mounted and is electrically coupled to the cavity, and an end-short-circuited dielectric waveguide formed in a direction of layer lamination of the multilayer dielectric substrate is connected to the waveguide aperture, and has a length approximately ¼ of an effective wavelength in the substrate of a signal wave. Spatial isolation between the high frequency circuits is ensured by an inexpensive and simple configuration using the single cavity.
US08035993B2

A circuit board including a first patterned metal layer and a second patterned metal layer is provided. The first patterned metal layer has metal blocks and spiral structures. A gap is kept between any two adjacent metal blocks. Each of the spiral structures is electrically connected between any two adjacent metal blocks. The second patterned metal layer is disposed beside the first patterned metal layer and has jumper segments. Each of the jumper segments has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. Each of the spiral structures has an outer end and an inner end. The outer end is connected to one of the two adjacent metal blocks. The inner end is electrically connected to the first end of one of the jumper segments, and the second end of the jumper segment is electrically connected to the other one of the two the metal blocks.
US08035992B2

Provided are vertical transitions which have the high electrical performance and the high shielding properties in the wide frequency band in a multilayer PCB, printed circuit boards with the vertical transitions and semiconductor packages with the printed circuit boards and semiconductor chips. In vertical transitions for a multilayer PCB, a wave guiding channel is a conductor which includes at least more than one of signal vias 201, an assembly of ground vias 202 surrounding the signal via, ground plates from conductor layers of the PCB connected to the ground vias, closed ground striplines 205 connecting the ground vias and power supply layer.
US08035991B2

Disclosed are an electromagnetic bandgap structure and a printed circuit board that can solve a mixed signal problem between an analog circuit and a digital circuit. The electromagnetic bandgap structure in which a first metal layer, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a second metal layer are stacked can include a first metal plate, formed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer; a second metal plate, formed on a same planar surface as the first metal plate, accommodated into a hole which is formed in the first metal plate and electrically connected to the first metal plate through a metal line; and a via, connecting the second metal plate to any one of the first metal layer and the second metal layer. With the present invention, the electromagnetic bandgap structure can be not only miniaturized but also have a low bandgap frequency.
US08035988B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for repeatably creating and severing a short circuit to protect an electronic component from ESD. A short circuit may be formed between read sensor pads of a read sensor by depositing a shorting material on a magnetic head using a Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) process. The short circuit may be unshorted using a laser scan configured to sever the shorting material. In one embodiment, a shorting station may be provided to prevent spreading of the shorting material to undesired areas of the electronic component.
US08035972B2

A cooling system for cooling computer component with a liquid provided at atmospheric pressure, or low pressure, that flows through channel defined in the computer component. The liquid is pumped from a reservoir to a discharge port, or weir, that is located above the computer component. The liquid flows through an in-feed manifold to diverters that direct the liquid into in-feed tanks located above a row of the computer component. The liquid flows through the channels and flow control orifices to a drain that returns the liquid to the reservoir.
US08035969B2

The invention proposes a new aeraulic cooling design for ARINC series 600 computers. Using a network of ducts (N) and holes (HM) on an intermediate plate (M) situated just above the bottom place (B) through which a stream of cool air (AF) is injected into said computer (C), the present invention makes it possible to effectively cool the dissipative areas and the identified hot spots on the electronic modules (E) that it contains.
US08035962B2

A computer hot-plug structure allows a hard disk to be connected to a computer in a hot-plug fashion. The computer has a casing and a plurality of side panels surrounding various sides of the casing. Each side panel has a thread-hole and a hood covering the thread-hole. The hood has a top portion and two flanks at two ends of the top portion to form a housing space for plugging and unplugging of the hard disk. The housing space has one end formed an insertion slot to receive the hard disk and a hot-plug connector at another end. The hot-plug connector has a first connection port connected to the hard disk and a second connection port electrically connected to the computer through a transmission line passing through the thread-hole. Thus the hard disk is held on the outer side of the computer to save the interior space of the computer.
US08035959B2

A portable electronic device with a projection function includes a host, a projection module, and at least one linkage. The host has an accommodating space. The projection module is situated in the accommodating space. The linkage is disposed between the accommodating space and the projection module for moving out the projection module from the accommodating space.
US08035958B2

A portable functional unit having a main body and a consumer electronic device coupled to the main body. The main body includes an erasable writing surface, a physical storage compartment for storing articles used with the white board surface, a first service port for selective communication of data, and a second service port for selective communication of power. The main body is adapted to receive the service from the service port.
US08035954B2

An exterior case for a surface-mount type electrolytic capacitor has a box type resin case and an exterior case cover. The resin case incorporates anode terminals and a cathode terminal at the bottom portion and is open upward. The exterior cover covers the top and an outer surface of a side wall of the resin case. A convex portion is formed on an inner surface of a ceiling of the exterior case cover and, thereby, a concave portion is formed between an inner surface of the side wall of the exterior case cover and the convex portion. The concave portion and an upper end portion of the side wall of the resin case are fitted together with an adhesive therebetween. An upper surface of the capacitor element is pressed by the convex portion of the inner surface of the ceiling of the exterior case cover and, thereby, a positional deviation thereof is prevented.
US08035950B2

The formation of a resistive electrode layer as a portion of an external electrode of a monolithic ceramic capacitor by baking a resistive paste, which contains ITO, a glass frit, and an organic vehicle, to impart the function of a resistance element to the external electrode may lead to the occurrence of blisters or reduced denseness. This is modulated when the resistive paste further contains a densification promoting metal or oxide, which promotes densification of a sintered compact of the resistive paste, and a densification preventing metal oxide, which prevents the densification.
US08035946B2

An overvoltage protector circuit for telecommunication equipments is disclosed. The protector circuit includes a gas discharge tube connected to a communication line for passing any harmful surge currents appearing in the line to ground. A degradation detector circuit is arranged to detect any degradation of the gas discharge tube, the detector circuit comprises a reference gas discharge tube with a higher breakdown voltage than the supervised gas discharge tube and an alarm circuit loop connected to an alarm system. The alarm system is arranged to detect when current is breaking through the reference gas discharge tube and to initiate a degradation alarm.
US08035944B2

Existing measurements of an input component (such as voltage or current) in a three phase power supply system are decomposed into a negative sequence component. The negative sequence component, which is significantly higher when a rectifier fuse is blown, is compared to a threshold and a determination made that a rectifier fuse is blown when the negative component exceeds the threshold. In an aspect, an adaptive algorithm is used to make the detection work better in the range of the nominal frequency of the input voltage. In an aspect, the negative sequence is determined indirectly from the existing measurements.
US08035932B2

A Lorentz magnetoresistive sensor having integrated signal amplification. The sensor is constructed upon a substrate such as a semiconductor material, and an amplification circuit such as transistor is constructed directly into the substrate on which the magnetoresistive device is constructed. This integrated signal amplification greatly enhances sensor performance by eliminating a great deal of signal noise that would otherwise be added to the read signal.
US08035930B2

A side shield structure for a PMR write head is disclosed that narrows write width and minimizes adjacent track and far track erasure. The side shield structure on each side of the write pole has two sections. One section along the ABS and adjacent to the pole tip has a height (SSH1) defined by SSH1≦[(0.6×neck height)+0.08] microns. There is a non-magnetic gap layer between the first section and a second section that is formed adjacent to the flared sides of the main pole layer and serves to suction leakage flux from the flared portion and prevent unwanted flux from reaching the first side shield sections. A fabrication method is provided that includes electroplating the first side shield sections, depositing the non-magnetic gap layer, and then electroplating the second side shield sections. Subsequently, a main pole layer and a trailing shield are formed.
US08035909B2

A method of writing data on a storage medium that takes into account a condition of the storage medium. The method includes receiving data to be written on a portion of a storage medium and encoding the data based on a condition of the portion of the storage medium. The encoded data is written on the portion of the storage medium. A data storage system that includes a storage medium having defects is also provided. The data storage system utilizes a coding scheme that comprises coding bit patterns configured to address the defects on the storage medium.
US08035904B2

A camera lens module is provided, in which a lens housing has at least one lens, a main frame contains the lens housing along an optical axis, a support portion is engaged with the lens housing and with the main frame to be rotatable along the optical axis, a cover is engaged with the main frame, for keeping the lens housing contained in the main frame, and a control member is engaged with the cover, for moving the support portion along the optical axis.
US08035902B2

A probe apparatus in combination with an endoscope includes a confocal laser probe for in-vivo imaging. The probe is insertable through a forceps channel of an endoscope, and has an optical unit. There is a lens barrel. Plural lens optics are mounted in the lens barrel. The plural lens optics include first lens optics disposed on an object side, and opposed to an object within a body. An optically inactive surface is formed with the first lens optics, and has at least one portion protruding from a barrel end surface of the lens barrel on the object side. Preferably, a height difference of protruding the optically inactive surface from the barrel end surface is 10-500 microns. The portion of the optically inactive surface protruding from the barrel end surface is coated with adhesive agent, for adhesion of the first lens optics thereto.
US08035896B2

In a transmission grating as a dispersive element, diffraction efficiency is enhanced and manufacturing costs are considerably reduced. A dispersive element includes resin members for forming a diffraction grating, being composed of a plurality of diffraction grating members having a cross-sectional shape respectively surrounded by two straight lines such as a triangular shape, and metal members as light-shielding members each being formed on corresponding one of the diffraction grating members at one side of the diffraction grating member along any of the straight line and the curved line of the cross-sectional shape of the diffraction grating member formed by the resin member. The metal members are configured to reduce zero-order transmitted light with respect to incident light, and to enhance diffraction efficiency of first-order transmitted light.
US08035894B2

A Fresnel lens screen 20 is comprised of a light entering surface partial total reflection type Fresnel lens 24, a first light diffusing part 26 disposed behind the Fresnel lens, and a first base 25. An image display element 30 disposed behind the Fresnel lens screen 20 has a lens element 31, a second base 32, and a third base 35. Second light diffusing parts 33 are disposed behind the second base 32. Each of the second light diffusing parts 33 includes two types of particulates having different particle sizes which are distributed therein.
US08035885B2

A tri wavelength diffracting modulation (TWDM) element, a TWDM imager, and methods of temporally and spatially modulating by using the same are disclosed. The TWDM element includes first and second sets of movable reflective rigid plates under independent electrical actuation, provides four different spatial configurations for reflecting and selectively diffracting incident radiation of three distinguished wavelengths. The TWDM imager is formed with a plurality of the TWDM elements in a regularly spaced planar array configuration on a planar substrate. Incident visible light is spatially modulated by the TWDM imager, either in a time sequential mode or via spatial combination with help of an aligned color filter array.
US08035883B2

A system and method for an optical component that masks non-active portions of a display and provides an electrical path for one or more display circuits. In one embodiment an optical device includes a substrate, a plurality of optical elements on the substrate, each optical element having an optical characteristic which changes in response to a voltage applied to the optical element, and a light-absorbing, electrically-conductive optical mask disposed on the substrate and offset from the plurality of optical elements, the optical mask electrically coupled to one or more of the optical elements to provide electrical paths for applying voltages to the optical elements. In another embodiment, a method of providing an electrical signal to optical elements of a display comprises electrically coupling an electrically-conductive light-absorbing mask to one or more optical elements, and applying a voltage to the mask to activate the one or more optical elements.
US08035874B1

A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror device has a mirror, a frame rotatively coupled to the mirror, and a uniaxial actuator rotatively coupled to the frame where the rotational axis of the actuator is offset from the rotational axes of the mirror and the frame. Another MEMS mirror device has a mirror, a frame rotatively coupled to the mirror, and a biaxial actuator rotatively coupled to the frame where the actuator is able to rotate about the rotational axes of the mirror and the frame with the mirror.
US08035872B2

The present invention aims to provide an image combiner and an image display device which can easily have a wide field of view and reduce a thickness of a substrate while reducing loss of light intensity by means of a PBS. An image combiner includes a substrate transparent to visible light; and a polarization beam splitter installed in the substrate to reflect a light flux introduced into the substrate from an image-display element and to make the light flux incident on an exit pupil outside the substrate. An exit angle θ0 at which a principal ray of the light flux emitted from a center of a display surface of the image-display element is emitted from a surface of the substrate toward a center of the exit pupil satisfies a condition of 3°≦θ0.
US08035867B2

An image reading apparatus includes a reading condition receiving unit for receiving a reading condition; an image reading unit for reading the original according to the reading condition to obtain image information; a storage unit for storing the image information; a reading mode selection unit for selecting a first reading mode or a second reading mode according to a result of comparison between an image information amount and a memory capacity of the storage unit; and a data reading unit for reading the image information from the storage unit according to the reading mode. The data reading unit reads the image information per page in the first reading mode. The data reading unit reads the image information per block in the second reading mode.
US08035859B2

An image forming system, image forming apparatus, and method of correcting image density are provided. The system includes a forming unit that forms an image; an acquisition unit that acquires factor information corresponding to a factor which is capable of causing variations in density of the image; a first determination unit that determines a number of marks in accordance with the factor information; a control unit that provides the forming unit with, as the image data, data pertaining to a pattern comprising a plurality of density marks which are different from each other in density and which are equal in number to the number of marks; a detection unit that detects a density of the image formed on the target by the forming unit in relation to the pattern; and a correction unit that corrects the density of the image in accordance with a result of the detection.
US08035856B2

An image forming apparatus for forming a tone image using a density pattern method has a ROM for storing a density pattern corresponding to each of a number of tones and an ideal density value of each density pattern, and a sensor for detecting the optical density of an image that has been formed by an image forming unit that forms the image by an electrophotographic method. An image is formed by the image forming unit based upon the density pattern corresponding to each tone, and the density pattern corresponding to each tone is modified based upon optical density, which has been obtained by detecting the density of the image by the sensor, and the ideal density value of each density pattern.
US08035851B2

User identification information which is acquired from an originating portable terminal and identifies the originating portable terminal and a destination portable terminal after a wireless communication session is carried out between these portable terminals is registered in a print job database in correlation with print image data to be subjected to image formation. Further, print image data correlated to user identification information corresponding to user confirmation information which is acquired from the destination portable terminal and identifies the originating and destination portable terminals of the wireless communication session carried out between these portable terminals is extracted while referring to the print job database.
US08035849B2

A handheld display device for imaging a printed substrate containing a printed form and for filling in the form. The device comprises: an optical sensor for imaging an area of the printed substrate and for generating image data; a processor for determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; a transceiver for retrieval of display data corresponding to the form; and a touch-sensitive display screen for displaying display information based on the display data, the display information including a displayed form field of the form. The device is configured such that user interaction with the displayed form field via the touch-sensitive display screen enters form data into the device and causes a page description to be updated with the form data.
US08035847B2

A handheld display device for imaging a printed substrate and revealing hidden content associated with the printed substrate. The device comprises: an optical sensor for imaging an area of the printed substrate and for generating image data; a processor for determining interaction data using the image data, the interaction data identifying a substrate identity; a transceiver for retrieval of display data corresponding to the printed substrate, the display data comprising first data corresponding to the printed content and second data corresponding to the hidden content; and a touch-sensitive display screen for displaying display information based on the display data. The display information includes first content corresponding to the printed content and second content corresponding to the hidden content, thereby revealing the hidden content on the screen.
US08035827B2

In an application management system for managing a plurality of applications that are installed in an image processing device, in the case where an instruction of execution start is received, if an application execution unit has already executed an incompatible application that would cause an unintended operation of the application whose execution is to be started if concurrently executed with another application, and a warning screen about the application execution start is output.
US08035822B2

An optical sensing probe includes a tube having a tip portion configured for placement in an environment in which conditions are to be sensed and an etalon having a known characteristic disposed proximate the tip portion. The tube also includes a head portion remote from the tip portion containing a light directing element for directing light beams at the etalon and receiving reflected light beams from the etalon wherein the received reflected light beams are used for determining an environmental condition proximate the tip portion. A method for measuring a thickness of the etalon may include directing a light beams at different frequencies at the etalon and receiving the light beams from the etalon. The method may also include identifying conditions of the respective light beams condition received from the etalon and then calculating a first thickness of the etalon responsive to the respective conditions and the known characteristic.
US08035819B2

An apparatus for detecting vulnerable plaque within a lumen defined by an intraluminal wall is described. The apparatus includes a probe having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The apparatus includes an optical waveguide extending along the probe. The optical waveguide is configured to carry optical radiation between the distal and proximal portions, and has a distal end in communication with the intraluminal wall. The apparatus includes an interferometer coupled to the optical waveguide and configured to provide an interference signal for sub-surface imaging of the intraluminal wall, and a processing module configured to provide spectroscopic information from detected intensity of light collected from the intraluminal wall.
US08035818B2

The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used for the measurements of rotation speed or relative angular positions. This type of equipment is notably used for aeronautical applications. The object of the invention is to complete the optical devices necessary to control the instability of lasers by specific optical devices enabling elimination of the dead zone and of population inversion gratings exiting in the amplifying medium. An “all optical” solid-state laser is hence obtained without moveable parts, stable and without a dead zone. To this end, the laser gyro according to the invention comprises notably and optical assembly enabling a nonreciprocal optical phase-shift to be introduced between the counterpropagating modes; and control means allowing the phase-shift amplitude to be varied periodically around a mean value that is very approximately zero.
US08035816B2

In a method and apparatus for measuring the optical absorption of samples having a light source (1), a photoelectric converter (8), a measurement beam path extending between the light source (1) and the converter (8), in which path the sample to be examined is arranged, a reference beam path extending between the light source (1) and the converter (8), in which path a reference sample is arranged, and a motor-driven chopper disc (10), the chopper disc (10) is configured with a first number of first openings (15) unblocking only the measurement beam path and a second number of second openings (16) unblocking only the path for the reference beam. A lock-in amplifier (21) and a device (17) for synchronising the lock-in amplifier (21) with the chopper disc (10) is connected to the converter (8) and an evaluation circuit (26) establishes the quotient of the transmitted intensity of the reference beam path detected by the converter (8) and the transmitted intensity of the measurement beam path detected by the converter (8) as a measurement for the concentration of the sample in such a way that the decrease in the intensity of the beam by absorption leads to an increase in sensitivity.
US08035810B2

A surface plasmon resonance sensor chip includes: a first dielectric layer; a metal layer disposed on the first dielectric layer; and a second dielectric layer covering the metal layer, the chip being provided with an opening that makes a part of a surface on the side of the second dielectric layer of the metal layer be exposed, and allows a measurement sample and the surface on the side of the second dielectric layer to contact each other, wherein an organic molecule film is provided at least one of between the first dielectric layer and the metal layer, and between the metal layer and the second dielectric layer.
US08035799B2

An exposure apparatus is provided with a measuring unit which measures at least one of property and components of a liquid in a state that a liquid immersion area is formed on an object different from a substrate P to be exposed. There is provided an exposure apparatus which can accurately perform exposure process and measurement process through the liquid by judging the state of the liquid in advance and by performing a procedure as appropriate.
US08035791B2

A display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a sealant, a plurality of spacers, and a display medium layer. The first substrate has a pixel array and a peripheral circuit. The sealant, the spacers, and the display medium layer are disposed between the first and the second substrate. The pixel array is surrounded by the sealant and located on a portion of the peripheral circuit. A multi-layer conductive wiring structure is disposed in the region of the peripheral circuit covered with the sealant. The multi-layer conductive wiring structure includes first and second conductive wirings. The second conductive wirings are connected to the pixel array via the first conductive wirings. An extending direction of the first conductive wirings is substantially different from that of the second conductive wirings. The spacers are distributed at two opposite sides of the sealant and respectively located between two adjacent first conductive wirings.
US08035776B2

A liquid crystal cell (5) comprises a layer (4) of cholesteric liquid crystal material; and a retarder (3) disposed in an optical path through the layer (4) of cholesteric liquid crystal material. The cholesteric liquid crystal material is switchable between a first state in which it cooperates with the retarder (3) to provide a first viewing angle range and a second state in which it cooperates with the retarder (3) to provide a second viewing angle range which is smaller than the first viewing angle range. The pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal material is greater than an intended wavelength of operation of the liquid crystal cell divided by the average refractive index of the liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal cell may be used as a Viewing Angle Restriction (VAR) element, to enable another component, such as a display panel (6), to be operated in either a wide viewing mode or a narrow viewing mode.
US08035771B2

A stereoscopic 3D liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight positioned to provide light to the liquid crystal display panel, and a double sided prism film disposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the backlight. The backlight includes a light guide having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and having a first surface extending between the first and second sides and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface substantially re-directs light and the second surface substantially transmits light. A plurality of first light sources is arranged along the first side of the light guide for transmitting light into the light guide from the first side. A plurality of second light sources is arranged along the second side of the light guide for transmitting light into the light guide from the second side. The second surface includes a regular array of linear prism or lenticular features. A double sided prism film is disposed between the liquid crystal display panel and the regular array of linear prism or lenticular features.
US08035768B2

A liquid crystal display uses a pixel division method by which the size of a defect can be reduced much more than conventionally possible, and a defect correcting method for the liquid crystal display. The liquid crystal display is provided with an active matrix array substrate including a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of source lines arranged on a transparent substrate so as to intersect with each other, and a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in a matrix, each pixel electrode including an assembly of a plurality of sub-pixel electrodes, separate TFTs respectively connected to the sub-pixel electrodes in the vicinity of an intersection portion of the gate line and the source line, the TFTs being driven by the common gate line and the common source line, and at least one opening portion being formed in a lower-layer side line placed in a lower layer at the intersection portion.
US08035759B2

Polarizing split layers 26 and reflection layers 27 are provided on bonding surfaces between prism rods 24a and 24b. Polarization conversion devices 25 are bonded to an emission surface from which linearly polarized light being reflected by the polarizing split layers 26 and reflected by the reflection layer 27 are emitted. The polarization conversion devices 25 are formed by bonding plural prism rods 30 with side surfaces being inclined by 45° with respect to an incidence surface. Retardation films formed of dielectric multilayers are provided between the bonding surfaces to give a phase difference of a ½wavelength to transmitted light. The retardation films and bonding borderlines 31 are inclined by 45° within a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of linearly polarized light so that an optical axis of the retardation film has an angle of 45° with respect to a polarization direction of the linearly polarized light.
US08035758B2

An image display apparatus includes a polarization conversion element which converts second color light of unpolarized light emitted from a light source into a first linear polarized light, and a light path separation element which separates the second color light emitted from the first and third color light; and performs image display by illuminating a first, a second and a third liquid crystal display elements with the first, second and third color light that pass through the light path separation element, wherein the light path separation element leads a first linear polarized light component of the second color light to the second liquid crystal display element, and wherein the light path separation element leads a second linear polarized light component whose direction of polarization is orthogonal to the first linear polarized light component of the second color light, in a direction different from any of the liquid crystal display elements.
US08035747B2

In a method for producing output from an image record, the type of input unit supplying the image record is determined. The image record is classified into one of a predetermined plurality of different edit statuses. The classifying utilizes as input the determined type of input unit. The edit statuses are inclusive of unedited status and very-edited status. The image record is digitally enhanced. During the enhancing material alteration of the image record is constrained. The enhancing is more constrained when the edit status is very-edited and less when the edit status is other than very-edited. The image record is rendered to match a predetermined output unit. The resulting image record is output in viewable form.
US08035746B2

The present invention relates to a method for time base correction during generation of a digital video signal from an analog input video signal, and to an apparatus having means for digitizing an analog input video signal using such method.According to the invention, the method includes the steps of: receiving an analog video signal; generating a digital video signal from the analog video signal with a video decoder; storing at least a part of the digital video signal in a memory; detecting a portion of corrupt data having an abnormal field ordering in the digital video signal; either discarding the portion of corrupt data or replacing at least a part of the portion of corrupt data with previous data stored in the memory; and outputting the digital video signal.
US08035745B2

A channel selection canvas for display on a video display device is disclosed. The video display device can be a television, a laptop computer, or personal digital assistant device. The channel selection canvas allows a user to preview and choose video signals to be watched. The channel selection canvas displays a set of television channel video thumbnails, which can be full motion video, slow motion video or sampled video snapshots. A channel selection canvas can also display video thumbnails for security cameras, baby monitors, video phones and the like. A channel selection canvas generator that generates channel selection canvases is also disclosed. The channel selection canvas generator can reside within a television, set top box or similar video processing device.
US08035743B2

Disclosed is a method for processing digital broadcasting data in a portable terminal having a digital broadcasting receiver. The method includes, when the digital broadcasting data is received, charging the received digital broadcasting data in a buffer, and outputting the charged digital broadcasting data at a first output speed, when the subsequent digital broadcasting data is received, charging the subsequent digital broadcasting data in the buffer, and checking a capacity of the digital broadcasting data charged in the buffer, and when the capacity of the digital broadcasting data charged in the buffer is less than a threshold capacity, outputting the subsequent received digital broadcasting data at a second output speed slower than the first output speed, and when the capacity of the digital broadcasting data charged in the buffer is greater than the threshold capacity, outputting the subsequent received digital broadcasting data at the first output speed.
US08035742B2

A digital cable broadcast receiver and a method for automatically processing caption data of various standards and types, is disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes: a demultiplexer for dividing a received broadcast stream into video data, audio data, supplementary information; a controller for determining whether caption data included in the video data is digital caption data or analog caption data on the basis of caption information included in the supplementary information, and outputting a control signal according to a result of the determining; a digital caption decoder for extracting and decoding digital caption data from the video data according to the control signal; and an analog caption decoder for extracting and decoding analog caption data from the video data according to the control signal.
US08035740B2

An image processing apparatus for deinterlacing and vertical scaling a plurality of initial scan lines includes a control unit, a deinterlacer, a vertical scaler and a buffer. The control unit controls the deinterlacer and the vertical scaler to store parts of the processed scan lines thereof into the buffer according to a scaling ratio factor and a vertical scaling algorithm.
US08035739B2

In one aspect a transmission system with a transmitter which can be connected to a video source and a receiver linked to the transmitter via at least four circuit pairs, to which receiver a playback device can be connected is provided. Data is usually exchanged digitally between a graphics card in a personal computer and an LCD display module. The personal computer transmits a digital R, G, B video signal to the LCD display module via a special, so-called DVI (Digital Video Interface) cable. This DVI cable is also provided to transmit so-called DDC (Display Data Channel) data, which particularly comprises specification information of the LCD display module. A transmission system is proposed, which simplifies a connection of an LCD display module to a personal computer and with which the DVI cable can be dispensed with.
US08035736B2

A grip device and an image photographing apparatus are provided in which a user can photograph an object at any intended angle by freely changing a position of his or her hand while holding the image photographing apparatus. The image photographing apparatus includes a main body including a lens unit to photograph an object, and a button unit to input a plurality of manipulation signals, and a grip device rotatably mounted on one side of the main body. The grip device includes a rotation unit including a grip unit and a connection unit to connect the rotation unit to the main body so that the rotation unit is rotatable about the main body.
US08035735B2

A camera includes a camera body, a video camera recorder, a battery compartment, and a weather cover. The camera body has a lens at front end and threads at a rear end. The video camera recorder has a forward portion located within the camera body. The battery compartment is connected to the video camera recorder. The weather cover has threads for mating with the threads at the rear end of the camera body to attach the weather cover to the camera body, thereby enclosing the video camera recorder and the battery compartment.
US08035733B2

A lens barrel rotation detection apparatus for detecting a rotational state of a lens barrel to which a lens for image pickup is attached and which is rotated in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction by driving force of a driving section, includes: a single rotatable member rotatable together with rotation of the lens barrel; and three rotation detection section for detecting a rotational state of the rotatable member. The rotatable member has a fixed pattern formed thereon so as to be detected by said rotation detection section and a rotation limit section indicative of limit positions of a range of rotation of the lens barrel. The rotation detection section is disposed for detection of presence or absence of rotation of the rotatable member and the limit positions of the range of rotation.
US08035732B2

An image pickup apparatus including a lens barrel, a hollow shaft, a base, electric wiring, and a protection member. The lens barrel has a lens and an image pickup device embedded therein. The hollow shaft is rotatable about an axis intersecting with an optical axis of the lens. The axis serves as a central axis of the hollow shaft. The base supports the lens barrel in a rotatable manner by using the hollow shaft. The electric wiring extends through the inside of the hollow shaft to electrically transmit an image pickup signal of the image pickup device. The protection member is provided in the hollow shaft so as to prevent the electric wiring from coming into contact with the hollow shaft.
US08035728B2

A method and apparatus for applying exposure compensation to an image. Exposure correction limits inclusion of, but does not ignore, image highlights and lowlights.
US08035727B2

An aspect of the present invention provides an image taking device comprising an image pickup device which picks up an image in a field, a luminance measuring device which divides the image into the predetermined number of blocks to measure the luminance level of each block, a reference average luminance level calculating device which calculates an average luminance level in a predetermined reference area in the image, a bright block sampling device which compares the average luminance level in the reference area with the luminance level of each block to sample a bright block high in luminance level, a backlight determining device which determines whether the picked up image is backlit based on the average luminance level of the bright blocks and the average luminance level of the reference area, and an exposure controlling device which calculates an exposure value based on the result of the determination as to the backlight to control exposure.
US08035724B2

An optical apparatus includes a detection unit for detecting a reference position, a detection unit for detecting a relative position, and a control unit for outputting a control signal for the optical apparatus after an operation speed of a moveable input member for drive-controlling the optical apparatus becomes equal to or slower than a predetermined speed.
US08035717B2

A solid-state image pickup device and a camera system in which: (1) counters are organized into a counter group and a memory group on a column-by-column basis; (2) in each column, the individual counters are cascade-connected between individual bits; (3) switches are provided at bit output portions of the individual counters; (4) connecting sides of the individual switches are commonly connected to a column-signal transfer line, and output sides of the switches are shared with the other individual bits; (5) inputs of memories (latch circuits), which store digital data for horizontal transfer, share the column-signal transfer line; and (6) outputs of the memories corresponding to the individual bits are connected via switches to data transfer signal lines wired so as to be orthogonal to the column-signal transfer line.
US08035702B2

To enhance accuracy in correction of a defective pixel. An image of an object is captured using a digital camera, and stored in an image memory 14. A processor 16 detects a defect, using pixels located in the vertical and horizontal directions relative to, in lines of the same color as, and separated by one line from, the focused line. With any defect found, the presence or absence of line crawl is next determined. When it is determined that line crawl is present, the presence or absence of a diagonal edge is then determined. Subsequently, the surrounding pixels used to correct a defective pixel are selected in consideration of whether or not line crawl or a diagonal edge are present.
US08035694B2

A data processing apparatus detects attribute information of image data, and sets a wireless communication parameter based on the detected attribute information. The wireless communication parameter used for performing wireless communication can be easily set.
US08035692B2

There is provided an image taking apparatus capable of preferably correcting both the camera shake and the subject shake in the still picture photography. The image taking apparatus has a system control section that determines whether a subject is a still subject or a dynamic subject. When the system control section determines that the subject is the still subject, the system control section instructs a timing generation section to cause an imaging section to generate a series of images, so that an image piling up section performs piling up of images in accordance with a computed result with a movement vector computing section. Thus, the camera shake is corrected. When the system control section determines that the subject is the dynamic subject, the system control section instructs the timing generation section to perform a single photography at a predetermined shutter time free from the subject shake.
US08035689B2

The invention relates to a camera unit, comprising an image sensor (10), a mechanical shutter (16), a host module (12), and connections between them, in particular a data and control connection (D1, C1) between the image sensor and the host unit. In the image sensor (10), there is a photoelectric pixel matrix (101), a timing unit controlling it, an electronic shutter (ERS), and a ‘global reset’ circuit for resetting the pixels simultaneously. The said data and control connection comprises: a data connection (D1) based on a series bus, a control connection (C1) based on a series bus, and a global-reset signal connection (G1, G2) separate from these. The invention also relates to a method for controlling an image sensor in a camera unit.
US08035685B2

A system for communicating video data is described. The system includes a mobile imaging system, at least one monitor fixed to a room in a medical facility, and a video transmitter assembly coupled to the mobile imaging system to transmit a video signal. The system for communicating video data also includes a video receiver assembly coupled to the at least one monitor to receive the video signal and display the video signal on the at least one monitor.
US08035681B2

A panoramic imaging device comprises: a photodetector array; a lens array having, on one plane, a center lens for receiving light in a front range of 36° to form a central unit image on the photodetector array, and left and right side lenses for receiving lights in left and right ranges each of 72° in capture angle of 180°; and four prisms in two pairs placed facing the side lenses. The two pairs of left and right prisms (more inclined and less inclined pairs) collect lights in divided two pairs of left and right ranges each of 36° in the 72° range (pairs closer to, and farther from, the front range), respectively, to form four side unit images on the photodetector array which are combined with the central unit image to reproduce a panoramic image without using wide-angle lenses or complex image correction process.
US08035677B2

In an optical scanning apparatus, when air flow from a deflecting device is suppressed by a shielding member such as a transparent member, an image of a light beam is not formed at a predetermined position. In view of this, a first wall portion having a wall surface shaped concentrically with a center axis of a deflecting device is provided on an optical path directed from a laser light source toward the deflecting device. By providing at least the first wall portion having laser beam passing portions as openings passing through the wall surface of the first wall portion and providing a second wall portion connected to the first wall portion to define a closed surface except for the laser beam passing portions, warm air flow directed from the deflecting device to the laser light source is blocked.
US08035675B2

First delay mechanisms to delay a beam-detect signal by different lengths of time in synchronization with a first clock signal. The beam-detect signal is generated responsive to one or more beams being output towards a rotating polygonal mirror having facets and directed towards a sensor. One or more second delay mechanisms each correspond to one of the beams to delay a second clock signal, resulting in a beam-clock signal to align the beam over successive reflections by the facets. A mechanism determines a delay by which each second delay mechanism is to delay the second clock signal, based on the beam-detect signal as differently delayed by the first delay mechanisms.
US08035672B2

A printing apparatus includes a thermal head in which a plurality of heating elements are provided in a width direction of paper, an analyzing unit which analyzes whether an input print layout contains any bar code, a calculating unit which calculates a print ratio of a bar code portion in the paper for each line of the print layout in the case where the analyzing unit analyzes that at least the print layout contains a bar code, a setting unit which sets a printing velocity corresponding to the print ratio for one line in the bar code portion calculated by the calculating unit in the case where the analyzing unit analyzes that the print layout contains the bar code and a changing unit which changes a velocity at which the thermal head performs printing on the paper for one line to the printing velocity set by the setting unit.
US08035670B2

A thermal transfer sheet includes coloring material layers D1, D2, and D3. Transferred images respectively formed by the coloring material layers D1, D2, and D3 have a value C defined by mathematical formula 1 of less than 12, and colorimetric values P (a*, b*) defined by mathematical formulae 2 and 3 different from one another: C=([a*]2+[b*]2)0.5   (mathematical formula 1) where C represents chroma and a* and b* each represent a colorimetric value equivalent to L*=38, [a*]=(ay−ax)/(Ly−Lx)*(38−Lx)+ax   (mathematical formula 2), and [b*]=(by−bx)/(Ly−Lx)*(38−Lx)+bx   (mathematical formula 3) where Lx, ax, bx, Ly, ay, and by represent colorimetric values at adjacent step Sx and step Sy near L*=38 when a stairstep image is formed by transfer.
US08035662B2

An integrated circuit device includes a scan driver block, a high-speed interface circuit block, and a scan driver pad arrangement region in which pads electrically connecting scan output lines of the scan driver block and scan lines are disposed. The high-speed interface circuit block includes a physical layer circuit that receives data using differential signals, and a link controller that performs a link layer process. The scan output lines of the scan driver block are provided from the scan driver block to the scan driver pad arrangement region to pass over the link controller while avoiding the physical layer circuit. A common voltage line connecting first and second common voltage pads is provided from the first common voltage pad to the second common voltage pad along a first direction, the common voltage line being provided in a second direction with respect to the physical layer circuit along the first direction in an arrangement region of the physical layer circuit.
US08035655B2

A system and method of converting a red-green-blue (RGB) pixel to a red-green-blue-white (RGBW) pixel by using a W value extraction, the RGB-to-RGBW converting system including: a lookup table generator to generate an RGBW lookup table using one or more RGB lattice points; and an RGBW value computation unit to compute an RGBW value of an input pixel with respect to an RGB value of the input pixel based on the generated RGBW lookup table.
US08035653B2

A system for generating an on-screen display (OSD) is described. The on-screen display, which has a semitransparent background area, is overlaid on top of an image. The data which make up this image are stored in a buffer. An accumulator, connected to the buffer, is used to examine this data, and store information about it. An attached OSD module used the stored information to automatically adjust the semitransparent background of the OSD.
US08035644B2

Provided is a method for providing animation in electronic communications. An image is generated by capturing multiple photographs from a camera or video camera typically fixed in one position. The first photograph is called the “naked photo.” Using a graphics program, photos subsequent to the naked photo are edited to cut an element common to the subsequent photos. The cut images are pasted into the naked photo as layers. The modified naked photo, including the layers, is stored as a web-enabled graphics file, which is then transmitted in conjunction with electronic communication. When the electronic communication is received, the naked photo is displayed and each of the layers is displayed and removed in the order that each was taken with a short delay between photos. In this manner, a movie is generated with much smaller files than is currently possible.
US08035641B1

A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for rendering a scene with a simulated depth of field blur. In one embodiment, the scene comprises a plurality of polygons, each polygon comprises a respective plurality of vertices, and each of the vertices has a respective depth. A respective blur radius may be determined for each vertex of each polygon as a function of the depth of the vertex. A respective blur radius may be determined for each pixel in each polygon based on the blur radii for the vertices of the polygon. Each pixel in each polygon may be rendered using the respective blur radius determined for the pixel.
US08035640B2

A 3-dimensional face data restoring and collating system includes a 2-dimension face image storage unit configured to store a plurality of 2-dimensional face images of persons, and a 3-dimensional face restored shape storage unit. A 3-dimensional face shape restoring unit restores a 3-dimensional face shape data from one of the plurality of 2-dimensional face images for a target one of the persons based on a 3-dimensional reference face shape data, and stores the 3-dimensional restored face shape data in the 3-dimensional face restored shape storage unit.
US08035625B2

A touch screen includes a display screen having an upper surface that provides picture information, and an optical module that emits rays in directions that can be parallel with the upper surface of the screen. When an object, such as a stylus, pen or a finger is placed on the screen to select a portion of the picture information provided on the screen, at least a portion of the rays are reflected off of the object and detected in order to determine a position of the object on the screen. The position of the object can be calculated in various ways including calculating a position of the object based on a phase delay of the reflected rays, or based on an intensity of the reflected rays, or based on an incidence angle of the reflected rays.
US08035620B2

The invention concerns a method, touch input display device and computer program product for moving at least one object presented by the touch input display device. In the touch input display device it is detected that a touching member (46) is at least in close proximity of a first object (38) at a first location provided by the touch input display device, a distancing factor of the first object caused by the detection of the touching member is determined and the first object is moved in a direction and a distance selected according to the distancing factor for presenting the object at a second location. The invention allows the rearranging of objects provided by the device such that they better suit a user.
US08035613B2

Data processing apparatus arranged to receive successive images from a video camera comprises means for detecting the average image luminance of images received from the video camera; means for detecting whether the average image luminance is lower than a threshold luminance value; and means for initiating a control function of the data processing apparatus in response to detection of an average image luminance which is lower than the threshold luminance value over at least a threshold number of successive images.
US08035611B2

An electrophoretic display device is provided which is capable of preventing an afterimage and an image burn-in. Frames to make electrophoretic elements making up pictures of an active-matrix and a microcapsule-type electrophoretic display device be driven are divided into a plurality of white frames and black frames. The number of white frames to be used for writing on the electrophoretic elements by using a scanning driver and a data driver on one picture or between pictures is made to be equal to the number of black frames to be used for the writing and writing frames for particles having slow mobility responsive to variation in an electric field is provided last in the formation of the picture.
US08035605B2

A liquid crystal display device is provided to reduce the edge-blurred influence of the liquid crystal response in accord with temperature dependency, comprising a temperature detector in an inverter circuit detecting the temperature of a liquid crystal display panel and outputting a temperature signal of the liquid crystal; a phase synchronous signal generator outputting the on/off timing signal of each fluorescent lamp in each luminescent region according to the vertical synchronizing signal of a display control device and the temperature signal from the temperature detector; a lamp drive controller in the inverter circuit determining to turn on/off the fluorescent lamp of each luminescent region in the backlight of the liquid crystal display panel with the timing signal. The turn-on signal of each fluorescent lamp is generated and subsequently delayed by the inverter circuit according to the liquid crystal response in accord with the temperature dependency in each luminescent region.
US08035601B2

The present invention provide an image display device including a level shift circuit not requiring a clock signal nor a control signal from the outside and operating at a low voltage and ensuring a high yield.The level shift circuit comprises a pair of transistors each having a source electrode connected to a power, a gate electrode and a drain electrode (the gate electrode and the drain electrode of one of the transistors being connected with the drain electrode and the gate electrode of the other (cross coupling)); and transistors each having an a source electrode connected to a low voltage source or the ground, a drain electrode connected to a connection point for the cross coupling, and a gate electrode, one of the gate electrodes being connected to an input signal and the other being connected to an input inversion signal. The level shift circuit has also a transistor having a gate electrode connected to a connection point for the cross-coupling, a drain electrode connected to a connection point for cross-coupling forming a pair with the cross-coupling connection point, and a source electrode, one of the source electrodes being connected to an input signal and the other being connected to an input inversion signal. The transistor with at least the gate electrode connected to the cross-coupling connection point is a TFT formed on an insulating substrate.
US08035596B2

To provide a pixel matrix and the like, which are capable of improving the picture quality by suppressing generation of flicker and crosstalk without deteriorating the numerical aperture of the pixels and without increasing the manufacturing cost. A first switch device has transistors connected in series. When selected by a gate line, the transistors are set ON simultaneously to apply a voltage, which is supplied from a data line, to a pixel electrode. A second switch device has a transistor and a control capacitor. When selected by a gate line different from the one mentioned above, the transistor is set ON to supply a prescribed potential to a connection point between the transistors of the first switch, and the prescribed potential is stored at the control capacitor. When not selected by the both gate lines, the potential of the connection point is kept to the potential stored at the control capacitor.
US08035595B2

Herein disclosed a liquid crystal panel, including: a plurality of liquid crystal cells each serving as a pixel and disposed in a matrix of N horizontal lines and M vertical lines, each of N and M being an integral value equal to or greater than 1; a switching element provided for each of said pixels and configured to provide a driving voltage to the pixel; the M switching elements which are included in one vertical line having a common source line; and a vertical activation section configured to render gate lines of α ones of the M switching elements included in one vertical line active simultaneously, α being an integral value equal to or greater than 1 but equal to or smaller than M.
US08035592B2

An apparatus for driving a display device includes a timing controller and a data driver. The timing controller encodes first gray scale data of a present frame, decodes encoded second gray scale data of a previous frame, compares the first gray scale data with the second gray scale data, and generates compensated gray scale data based on a result of comparing the first gray scale data with the second gray scale data. The data driver generates data signal based on the compensated gray scale data to provide the data lines with the data signal. The gray scale data are encoded so that the toggle number between adjacent data pins into which the gray scale data are output may be reduce. The encoded gray scale data are stored in a memory. Thus, the power consumption is reduced, and the EMI may be reduced.
US08035591B2

A display device includes a processor for outputting a most-significant m-bit data from an n-bit data and one of a plurality of patterns indicative of first and second locations of a first modulation data in first and second consecutive frames, respectively, in accordance with least significant (n−m) bits of the n-bit data, and a data driver for generating a gray scale value corresponding to the most significant m-bit data and modulating the gray scale value in accordance with the one of the plurality of the patterns, wherein the number of the first location increases at different ratios based on the gray scale.
US08035588B2

A liquid crystal display panel and its driving method are provided. The liquid crystal display panel includes: a plurality of scanning lines and data lines; a pixel matrix having a plurality of pixels which are formed in the intersections of the scanning lines and the data lines; and each of the pixels having: a pixel electrode; a control electrode; a first thin film transistor having a gate electrode connected to the scanning line, a first electrode connected to the data line and a second electrode connected to the pixel electrode; a second thin film transistor having a gate electrode connected to another adjacent scanning line, a first electrode connected to another adjacent data line and a second electrode connected to the control electrode; and wherein one of the two most outside data lines of the pixel matrix is called a boundary data line, and an auxiliary line is disposed between the boundary data line and the pixel electrode adjacent to the boundary data line.
US08035585B2

An electronic device may include a screen and a plurality of lights. A plurality of image frames may be provided with each image frame defining an image for display on the screen. Illumination instructions may be provided for the plurality of lights, wherein different illumination instructions are associated with different image frames and wherein each illumination instruction defines a respective illumination pattern for the plurality of lights. The images defined by the respective image frames may be displayed on the screen. While displaying a first image defined by a first image frame on the screen, a first illumination pattern for the plurality of lights may be provided with the first illumination pattern being defined by a first illumination instruction associated with the first image frame. While displaying a second image defined by a second image frame on the screen, a second illumination pattern for the plurality of lights may be provided with the second illumination pattern being defined by a second illumination instruction associated with the second image frame. Moreover, the first and second illumination patterns may be different. Related methods and computer program products are also discussed.
US08035567B2

An antenna unit is provided with an inverted F-type antenna element provided with a feeding point and a ground connection point, and a non-feed antenna element configured so as to resonate with the inverted F-type antenna element through electrical coupling. In addition, the antenna unit may also be provided with a ground part which is grounded to the earth and connected to the ground connection point provided on one edge of the inverted F-type antenna element, and a resonance element, one edge of which is connected to the ground part, resonated by the non-feed antenna element through electrical coupling.
US08035559B2

A GPS receiver includes a demodulator for obtaining ephemeris data and almanac data from a navigation message sent by satellites, and includes a calculator. The calculator is used for calculating almanac correction parameters according to coordinate differences between ephemeris-based coordinates of the satellites and almanac-based coordinates of the satellites. The GPS receiver also includes a satellite position calculator for calculating the ephemeris-based coordinates of the satellites according to the ephemeris data, for calculating the almanac-based coordinates of the satellites according to the almanac data, and for calculating positions of the satellites according to the ephemeris data, the almanac data and the almanac correction parameters.
US08035558B2

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for obtaining a precise absolute time using a satellite system. The precise absolute time may be used, for example, as an aid for positioning systems including navigation in attenuated or jammed environments. A method of obtaining precise absolute time transfer from a satellite according to an embodiment comprises: receiving a precision time signal from a satellite, wherein the precision time signal comprises a periodic repeating code; determining a timing phase of the code; receiving additional aiding information; and using the timing phase and the additional aiding information to determine a precise absolute time.
US08035552B2

A method for mitigating atmospheric errors in code and carrier phase measurements based on signals received from a plurality of satellites in a global navigation satellite system is disclosed. A residual tropospheric delay and a plurality of residual ionospheric delays are modeled as states in a Kalman filter. The state update functions of the Kalman filter include at least one baseline distance dependant factor, wherein the baseline distance is the distance between a reference receiver and a mobile receiver. A plurality of ambiguity values are modeled as states in the Kalman filter. The state update function of the Kalman filter for the ambiguity states includes a dynamic noise factor. An estimated position of mobile receiver is updated in accordance with the residual tropospheric delay, the plurality of residual ionospheric delays and/or the plurality of ambiguity values.
US08035543B2

An analog-to-digital conversion circuit includes a plurality of comparators and an averaging circuit. The averaging circuit is configured so that a length of a metal routing connected between output terminals of two comparators arranged on a leftmost side from among the plurality of comparators or a length of a metal routing connected between output terminals of two comparators arranged on a rightmost side from among the plurality of comparators is less than a length of a metal routing connected between output terminals of two comparators to which reference voltages having levels that are closest in magnitude are input.
US08035535B2

An apparatus includes a force sensor configured to be activated by a user and a control unit connected to an output of the force sensor. The control unit is configurable to operate in response to receipt of an m-bit value representing a measurement from the force sensor to transform the m-bit value to an n-bit transformed value, where n
US08035530B2

A system and method for regulating the flow of traffic at a roadway intersection having one or more traffic signals by positioning a processor in the vicinity of the intersection to store cycle times of the traffic flow directions, mounting an RFID reader in the vicinity of each traffic signal in communication with the processor, interrogating with the RFID reader an RFID tag on each RFID-tagged vehicle at the roadway intersection to count the number of RFID-tagged vehicles present in each traffic flow direction at the roadway intersection, calculating an unused time slice of the cycle time for a first traffic flow direction at the intersection; reducing the cycle time for the first traffic flow direction in accordance with the unused time slice; and, increasing the cycle time for a second traffic flow direction at the intersection in accordance with the unused time slice.
US08035529B2

A ballast for use in a multi-ballast lighting system wherein the ballasts are coupled together by a digital communication network. The ballast comprises a power circuit portion for providing an electrical current to power a lamp. The ballast further includes a sensor input circuit for receiving at least one sensor input from a sensor device, a processor receiving an input from the sensor input circuit and providing control signals to control the operation of the ballast, and a communication port coupled to the processor and to the communication network for exchanging data. The ballast processor is operative to receive a serial data that has a portion defining whether the message is in a first or a second format, the first format comprising a DALI standard format and the second format comprising a format providing extended functionality. The ballast processor is capable of processing messages in either the first or second formats.
US08035527B2

A fire detection system for monitoring a volume containing fluid, typically air, for the presence of smoke particles is disclosed. A conduit for receiving the fluid, and any smoke particles therein, and directing the fluid to a smoke detector has a plurality of inlets formed therein. A respective temperature sensor is associated with each of the inlets which generate a signal indicative of a change in temperature in the region of the inlet. In the embodiments, the temperature sensor comprises one or more fiber Bragg gratings. The fiber Bragg gratings preferably have different grating periods. The reflected light from each fiber Bragg grating is returned back down the fiber optic cable and redirected via a 2×1 coupler to a wavelength detection system and a personal computer. The combination of wavelength detection system and personal computer allow analysis of the reflected light patterns, as well as providing a user interface which enables detection of the occurrence of a spatial and/or a temperature variation. The location of the said variation along the fiber optic cable is advantageously detectable. The system described is highly sensitive to smoke, but can advantageously also provide an indication of the location of the smoke source, because any variation in temperature at any one of the smoke inlets is also detected, the location of the sensor being known.
US08035509B2

A mote sensor may include and/or involve logic to respond to an external signal by providing one or more return signals indicative of at least one location of the mote sensor.
US08035505B2

In a monitor control system, an HMI (11 in FIG. 1) includes event list display means (16) for displaying an event list screen of list form, in which event names and alarm levels are contained as to faults and the like alarm events occurring in an object to-be-monitored (13), and storage means (17) for storing therein an alarm level table in which the alarm levels are set so as to correspond to time zones. When the alarm event occurs in the object to-be-monitored (13), the event list display means (16) determines the alarm level corresponding to the time zone in which an alarm event occurrence time is contained, on the basis of the alarm level table, so as to display the alarm level on the event list screen. Since the alarm level is changed depending upon the occurrence time, all alarm events can be recorded with unnecessary alarm events suppressed.
US08035503B2

A vehicle location reminder system having a vehicle positioning system operable to provide an approximate location of a vehicle and record the approximate location of the vehicle. A status check system monitors use of the vehicle and sends a signal to the vehicle positioning system to record the approximate location of the vehicle when the vehicle is no longer in use. A memory system is connected to the status check system and the vehicle positioning system, the memory system being adapted to determine if the approximate location of the vehicle, when no longer in use, is in a familiar location. An alert system is connected to the memory system. The alert system prompts a vehicle user to record data on a mobile device pertaining to the approximate location of the vehicle when the location of the vehicle, when no longer in use, is not in a familiar location. A replay system is adapted to replay the recorded data.
US08035501B2

A tire monitoring system in or for a vehicle for determining tire-specific parameters has a distributed bus architecture. At least one intelligent receiving device is configured to receive transmit signals of a wheel electronic system. The receiving device has a signal processing device that carries out an evaluation of the received transmit signals and/or an evaluation of received signals of another subscriber of the bus architecture. The invention also relates to methods for operating the intelligent receiving devices of a distributed bus architecture of the novel tire monitoring or tire pressure system.
US08035500B2

Allocating first transmitters of a tire monitoring system, especially of a tire-pressure monitoring system having a wheel unit comprising a sensor, a first transmitter, which can be triggered, and a sending antenna on each of N wheels arranged on L axles of a vehicle according to a predetermined axle formula, further having receiving antenna on the vehicle body associated to the first transmitters and an electronic receiver and evaluation system, connected to receiving antenna by allocating an identifier characteristic of a particular wheel to its respective first transmitter, by emitting data telegrams, which contain the identifier, in response to a triggering action of second transmitters, and passing on such data telegrams to the central electronic receiver and evaluation system. The number n of the trigger transmitters is smaller than the number A of the axle positions, that each axle position is associated to a triggering range of n trigger transmitters.
US08035499B2

A tire pressure monitor system module provides modular products with tire pressure monitor system functionality. The tire pressure monitor system module may be added to a modular product to provide tire pressure monitor system functionality. The tire pressure monitor system module may be a stand-alone module that may be attached, connected or in communication with a modular product. The tire pressure monitor system tool may include all of the functionality available to tire pressure monitor systems. The tire pressure monitor system module may include modules for transmitting and receiving signals from a tire pressure monitor system, resetting and diagnosing a tire pressure monitor system, initiating, determining, and selecting procedures associated with the tire pressure monitor system, simulating a tire pressure sensor of a tire pressure monitor system, storing, displaying, and updating information related to tire pressure monitor systems, and notifying a user of a status of a procedure and that a procedure has been completed.
US08035495B2

The embodiment relates to a rear view mirror, a monitoring apparatus and a monitoring method. The monitoring apparatus comprises a mirror for showing an object; a camera module obtaining image data from the object and processing the image data; and a display module for displaying the image data processed by the camera module.
US08035487B2

A surgical tool system comprising a control console, a powered surgical device, an intermediate attachment removably connected to the surgical device and a cutting accessory removably connected to the intermediate attachment. Internal to the cutting accessory is an identification device that contains data specific to the operation of the accessory. The control console, through the transfer of signals through the powered surgical device and the intermediate attachment reads the data in the cutting accessory. Based on these data, the control console selectively actuates the powered surgical device. In some versions of the invention, the identification device may be an RFID chip. Signals are exchanged between the surgical device and the intermediate attachment and between the intermediate attachment and cutting accessory by inductive coupling. An identification device internal to the intermediate attachment provides the control console with data describing the intermediate attachment.
US08035481B2

A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a data capture device such as a camera. In one aspect, the data capture device may integrated with the housing of the computing device and further detachable therefrom. In another aspect, the data capture device may swivel and/or translate relative to the housing of the computing device. In another aspect, the computing device may include a positioning device for controlling the movement of the data capture device relative to the housing. In yet another aspect, the computing device may include a latch that is automatically positioned in a home position when a housing component of the computing device is positioned in first position, and is automatically positioned in a lock position when the housing component of the computing device is positioned in a closed position.
US08035479B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for sending a code from a mesh network key and wirelessly communicating the code with one or more mesh network appliances over a mesh network such as ZigBee; receiving the code over the mesh network by a mesh network lock controller; and providing access to the secured area upon authenticating the code.
US08035477B2

An embodiment of an electronic access control system includes an electronic key, an electronic lock, and an access control administration program. The electronic key can include program code for switching between a lock mode and a computer mode. In some embodiments, the lock mode and computer mode allow for simplified administration and operation of the access control system. Some embodiments of the electronic key include a rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the access control system includes a hybrid power supply system having a rechargeable battery and a generator. In some embodiments, the electronic lock includes a piezoelectric latch. In some embodiments, the electronic key is configured to act as a storage device for a computer system. Some embodiments provide an electronic access control system with a streamlined user interface.
US08035468B2

A relay has a magnet system with a core partially enclosed by a coil. A yoke has a first yoke leg attached to a first end of the core and a second yoke leg extending parallel to the core. The second yoke leg has an armature mounting portion formed on an upper side of the second yoke leg remote from the coil. A pole has a first pole leg connected to a second end of the core and a second pole leg extending parallel to the core. The second pole leg has an upper surface substantially aligned with the armature mounting portion. A fixed contact is arranged on a fixed contact carrier substantially aligned with the second pole leg. The arrangement of the magnet system ensures precise positional alignment during extrusion coating with a plastic material.
US08035464B1

Improved coupling coefficients and desirable filter characteristics are exhibited in a SAW filter including an electrode pattern deposited on a piezoelectric substrate bonded directly to an anti-reflective layer, wherein the anti-reflective layer is bonded to a carrier through an adhesive layer such that a preselected thickness of the anti-reflective layer is sufficient for enhancing an acoustic match between the piezoelectric substrate and the adhesive layer.
US08035462B2

A resonant circuit includes a substrate; a MEMS resonator including a fixed electrode and a movable electrode formed above the substrate and having a first terminal and a second terminal, the movable electrode having a movable portion opposing at least a part of the fixed electrode; and a voltage applying unit applying a bias voltage to the MEMS resonator, the voltage applying unit including a voltage divider circuit that includes a compensation resistance formed of a same layer as that of the movable portion to allow a resistance value to be changed by a thickness of the layer and a reference resistance formed of a layer different from that of the movable portion and connected to the compensation resistance to output a junction potential between the compensation resistance and the reference resistance to at least one of the first and the second terminals of the MEMS resonator.
US08035441B2

A high voltage generator includes: a detection unit for comparing a reference voltage with a high voltage and detecting a voltage level of the high voltage; an oscillator selection unit for generating a first control signal and a second control signal in response to an output signal of the detection unit and a selection signal corresponding to a data operation mode; an oscillator for generating clock signals having different frequencies in response to the first control signal and the second control signal; and a pumping unit for generating the high voltage by performing a charge pumping operation in response to the clock signals.
US08035439B2

A multi-channel integrator is provided. The multi-channel integrator includes an integrator and a plurality of channels. Each of the channels includes an input selector and a unit-gain amplifier. The input selector has a common terminal, a first selecting terminal and a second selecting terminal. The input selector selectively electrically connects the common terminal to the first selecting terminal or to the second selecting terminal. The first selecting terminal of the input selector is coupled to an input terminal of the integrator. An input terminal of the unit-gain amplifier is coupled to the second selecting terminal of the input selector.
US08035433B2

A delay line including a phase detector having two inputs and one output. The first input of the phase detector is connected to an input of the delay line. The second input of the phase detector is connected to an output of the delay line. The output of the phase detector is connected to a control circuit which controls current flow at a control node to produce a control voltage at the node. A voltage-controlled delay unit is responsible to the control voltage to control a delay applied to a signal at an input of the delay line.
US08035432B2

A DLL circuit includes a first phase comparing circuit that compares phases between an input clock signal and an output clock signal, a first delay circuit that delays the output clock signal, and a second phase comparing circuit that compares phases between the input clock signal and an output signal of the first delay circuit. A delay amount in the variable delay circuit is controlled based on a comparison result of the first phase comparing circuit and a comparison result of the second phase comparing circuit.
US08035428B2

A power-up circuit for a semiconductor memory device includes a voltage division unit configured to divide a power supply voltage, a first power-up generation unit configured to detect a voltage level of a first divided voltage of the voltage division unit during an initial stage of applying a power supply to generate a first power-up signal and a second power-up generation unit configured to detect a voltage level of a second divided voltage of the voltage division unit, after the first power-up signal is generated from the first power-up generation unit, to generate a second power-up signal.
US08035426B1

This application discloses a device that has a power-on reset generator. The power-on reset generator can include a power-on detector that receives an input electrical signal and outputs a digital signal that has predetermined value when the voltage of the input electrical signal exceeds a threshold voltage. The power-on detector can include multiple voltage-shaping elements arranged in series. Each voltage-shaping element can have a P-channel transistor and an N-channel transistor that differs in strength with respect to the P-channel transistor. The power-on detector can also include a switch that locks the digital signal at the predetermined value when the voltage of the input electrical signal exceeds the voltage threshold. In addition to the power-on detector, the power-on reset generator can include a digital delay that receives both the digital signal and a clock signal. The power-on reset generator can wait a predetermined time delay after the digital signal reaches the predetermined value then de-assert the reset signal.
US08035425B2

A repeater circuit. The repeater circuit includes two output circuits, two echo circuits, two activation circuits, and two deactivation circuits. Responsive to detecting a logical transition of an input signal, one of the activation circuits is configured to activate a corresponding output circuit, which is configured to drive an output signal on an output node. A corresponding echo circuit is configured to be activated and to drive an input node responsive to activation of the corresponding output circuit. A corresponding one of the deactivation circuits is configured to deactivate the corresponding output circuit after a delay time has elapsed, whereas the corresponding echo circuit is deactivated in response thereto. A keeper circuit is configured to continue providing the output signal on the output node after deactivation of the corresponding output circuit.
US08035423B2

A circuit includes a switch, having first and second transistors, and a driving device for driving the switch. A latch circuit, coupled between respective common gate and source terminals of the first and second transistors, supplies the common gate terminal with first and second control signals to turn off and on the first and second transistors. The latch circuit comprises a flip-flop coupled to the common source terminal and having a reset terminal coupled to the common source terminal by a reset resistance, a set terminal coupled to the common source terminal by a set resistance and an output terminal coupled to the common gate terminal. The latch circuit further includes an activation circuit connected to the set and reset terminals of the flip-flop and to the common source terminal to dynamically short-circuit the set and reset resistances during the falling edges of the signal applied to the switch.
US08035416B1

The present invention relates to electronic driver circuits, and more particularly, to low power electronic driver circuits having low manufacturing costs. The present invention is a circuit design that utilizes two transistor types that can be manufactured together thereby reducing the number of processing steps and masks and resulting in lower cost.
US08035404B2

A method is described for controlling the soot deposition on sensors. A sensor element is provided, which includes a first electrode and a second electrode. Different measuring voltages U1 and U2 can be applied to the sensor element. During a first time period t1, the sensor element is operated at a higher voltage U1 until a triggering threshold AP of the sensor element is exceeded, while it is operated at a voltage U2, which is different from higher voltage U1, U2 being lower than voltage U1, during a second time period t2.
US08035403B1

A wireless soil sensor for using a RF frequency for performing soil moisture measurements is disclosed herein. The sensor preferably includes a sensing component integrated directly with a radio and a microcontroller. The wireless soil sensor is designed to be buried underground and to transmit to above ground receivers.
US08035391B2

A method of method of logging an invaded geological formation comprises the steps of: (i) operating plural receivers in order to receive signals generated by one or more transmitters and thereby create logs of overlapping lengths of a bore formed in the said geological formation, the respective said receivers logging distinct depths of penetration, as previously defined, of the geological formation measured with respect to the bore; (ii) recording the resultant values in a two-dimensional plot one of whose axes represents the respective depth of penetration of the said formation to which each said log corresponds; (iii) establishing whether the resulting plot appears to approach an asymptote; and if so (iv) determining the value of the asymptote.
US08035383B2

This invention provides a receiving coil that allows a high-quality image of high depth sensitivity to be obtained during vertical magnetic field MRI without limiting selection of a cross section to be imaged and of a phase-encoding axis. A subject's field of view is broadened without deterioration of the coil characteristics. Two orthogonal solenoid coils (3-1 and 4-1) and sub-coils (5-1, 6-1, and 7-1) whose sensitivity distributions each become an odd function in an x-direction, a y-direction, and a z-direction, respectively, with respect to the origin of the sensitivity distribution of each of the solenoid coils are used as multiple sub-coils to construct the receiving coil. This receiving coil is suitable for a high-speed imaging method in which an image is acquired using reduced phase encoding and the image is reconstructed using image folding. In addition, the subject's field of view can be broadened by arranging conductors of the coil appropriately.
US08035381B2

A computer implemented method for designing a spectral-spatial pulse for exciting at least one passband and minimally exciting at least one stopband is provided. A uniform shaped spectral envelope is generated. For a plurality of kz≠0, kz dependent weights for a spectral envelope that approximate a kz=0 envelope and provides the at least one passband and the at least one stopband for each of the plurality of kz≠0 is generated.
US08035370B2

Systems and methods to stir an electromagnetic (EM) field of an EM reverberation chamber are disclosed. A particular system includes an EM reverberation chamber. The system also includes a transmit antenna and a receive antenna operable to generate an EM field within the EM reverberation chamber. The system further includes a variable charged particle source to stir the EM field by varying introduction of charged particles into the EM field.
US08035367B2

A voltage control method includes producing an error signal based on a difference between a reference signal and an adaptor voltage and an adaptor current corresponding to the adaptor voltage, regulating, based on the error signal, the adaptor voltage, comparing a reference voltage to a voltage proportional to a potential corresponding to an identifying voltage corresponding to the adaptor voltage, detecting, based on the comparison result, whether or not a couplable external power source is suitable, and setting based, on the detection result, a potential corresponding to the identifying voltage.
US08035366B2

A driving circuit of a load has an output semiconductor element connected in series in a power supply path from a power source to the load, to control a current of the load, a PWM signal generator for controlling ON/OFF of the output semiconductor element, a driver of the output semiconductor element according to the PWM signal, a detection resistor made of a semiconductor detecting a current of the load, a current output amplifier outputting a monitored current of detection resistor without being influenced by variation of ambient temperature, a resistor converting the monitored current into a monitored voltage, a current source outputting a constant current without being influenced by variation of ambient temperature, a resistor outputting a reference voltage according to the constant current, and an A/D converter converting the monitored voltage according to the reference voltage into a detected current value of the current of the load.
US08035356B2

A backup power supply includes at least one ultra capacitor to store energy. The backup power supply includes a multiphase boost converter to provide a relatively constant voltage level from the energy stored on the at least one ultra capacitor. A charging and discharging controller is used to monitor the status of a power supply and control the charging and discharging of the ultra capacitors.
US08035355B2

Disclosed is a charge-controlling semiconductor integrated circuit including: a current-controlling MOS transistor; a current detection circuit including a 1/N size current-detecting MOS transistor; and a gate voltage control circuit, wherein the current detection circuit includes an operational amplifier circuit, a bias condition of the current-detecting MOS transistor becomes same as the current-controlling MOS transistor based on an operational amplifier circuit output, voltage drops in lines from drain electrode to a corresponding input point of the operational amplifier circuit become the same by a parasitic resistance, and when the output of the operational amplifier circuit is applied to a control terminal of the bias condition controlling transistor, the drain voltages become the same potential, and the line from the drain electrode of the current-detecting MOS transistor to the input point is formed to be redundantly arranged inside the chip so that a parasitic resistance becomes a predetermined value.
US08035352B2

A battery charger integrated circuit with temperature control is disclosed that includes a temperature sensor circuit and a charging current generator circuit. Upon receiving a temperature reading voltage (VDT), the temperature sensing circuit is operable to generate a second reference voltage (VREF) that is a function of the first reference voltage (VREF1). The charging current generator circuit generates and continuously adjusts a reference current (I1) and a charging current (IOUT) according to the second reference voltage (VREF). Whenever the temperature reading voltage (VDT) exceeds the first reference voltage, the temperature sensor circuit is operable to adjust the second reference voltage (VREF).
US08035348B2

A battery overheating protection circuit includes a thermal resistor samples the temperature of the battery and converts the temperature into a temperature voltage, a comparison circuit compares the temperature voltage with a reference voltage for judging whether the temperature of the battery is higher than the maximum reference temperatures temperature or not. If yes, the comparison circuit outputs a protection signal to drive a charging module to stop charging the battery in the charging process, and to cut off the conducting path to draw power from the battery in the discharging process. The present invention sets two different maximum reference temperatures during charging process and discharging process by a reference voltage module, which makes the maximum allowable discharging temperature is higher than the maximum allowable charging temperature.
US08035347B2

A battery charger for charging a secondary battery using a power supply circuit, includes a discrimination circuit to discriminate a constant-current charging mode and a constant-voltage charging mode, and a controller to which a discrimination signal is supplied. When judged as being the constant-current charging mode, the controller sets the current in the constant-current charging mode by using the control signal. When judged as being the constant-voltage charging mode in accordance with the discrimination signal, the controller sets intermittently the end of charging detection current, and sets an end of charging detection period for judging the constant-current charging mode and the constant-voltage charging mode. When the discrimination signal indicates the constant-voltage charging mode in the end of charging detection period, the controller controls to shift to the end of charging detection mode.
US08035346B2

A battery protection circuit and protection method for a rechargeable battery is provided. The rechargeable battery includes a positive voltage pin, a negative voltage pin, and a temperature sensing pin. A resistance of the temperature sensing pin varies with the temperature of the rechargeable battery. The battery protection circuit includes a temperature and voltage detection unit and a discharging unit. The temperature and voltage detection unit is coupled between the positive voltage pin and the temperature sensing pin, and configured to determine the temperature of the rechargeable battery according to the resistance of the temperature sensing pin. The discharging unit discharges the rechargeable battery when the temperature of the rechargeable battery is higher than a predetermined temperature and stops discharging the rechargeable battery when a voltage of the positive voltage pin is lower than a first predetermined value.
US08035345B2

A system, a method, and an article of manufacture for determining an estimated combined battery state-parameter vector are provided. The method determines the estimated combined battery state-parameter vector based on a plurality of predicted the combined battery state-parameter vectors, a plurality of predicted battery output vectors, and a battery output vector.
US08035343B2

A method is provided for charging a plurality of cells in a battery pack to a target charging value. The method includes: delivering a charging current to the plurality of cells; monitoring cell voltage of each cell in the plurality of cells to determine when at least one of the cells reaches the target charging value; and diverting the charging current around the cells having reached the target charging value and cooperatively adjusting the charging current so that a current received by the cells having reached the target charging value is substantially zero.
US08035342B2

A power pack arrangement for a laptop computer, wherein an AC/DC adapter is integrated with a battery pack to form one cohesive unit freely insertable into and removable from a laptop computer housing.
US08035336B2

A charger slipcover and a handheld device comprising the charger slipcover are disclosed. The charger slipcover is suitable for charging a handheld device. The charger slipcover comprises a cover including a first portion and a second portion, wherein a handheld device body of the handheld device is suitable to being disposed on an inner surface of the second portion; a solar cell panel disposed on an inner surface of the first portion of the cover; and two conductive wires electrically connected to the solar cell panel and the handheld device body.
US08035330B2

The synchronous motor driving apparatus including position sensors provided in the synchronous motor, a current polarity detection circuit for detecting the polarities of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor, an inverter driving the synchronous motor, a motor speed calculation unit calculating the rotational speed of the synchronous motor depending on the output signals from the position sensors, a speed control unit outputting a first voltage adjusting component (q-axis current command value Iq*) to cause the rotational speed of the synchronous motor to approach a speed command value and a phase control unit outputting a second voltage adjusting component (d-axis current command value Id*) to cause the phase differences between the phases of the position sensor signals and of the currents in the respective phase windings of the synchronous motor to become a predetermined value.
US08035325B2

The single-phase brushless motor according to one aspect of the present invention includes a coil array having a plurality of magnetic coils 11-14; a magnet array having a plurality of permanent magnets 31-34; a magnetic sensor 40 for detecting relative position of the magnet array and the coil array; and a drive control circuit that, utilizing the output signal SSA of the magnetic sensor, generates application voltage for driving the coil array with a single-phase drive signal. The coil array includes a magnetic member 20. This magnetic member 20 is constituted such that, with the single-phase brushless motor at a stop, the centers of the permanent magnets 31-34 come to a stop at locations offsetted from the centers of the magnetic coils 11-14, due to attraction of the magnetic member 20 by the magnet array.
US08035315B2

Power management in a light emitting diode (LED) system having a plurality of LED strings is disclosed. A voltage source provides an output voltage to drive a plurality of LED strings. An LED driver implements a feedback mechanism to monitor the tail voltages of the active LED strings to identify the minimum tail voltage and adjust the output voltage of the voltage source based on the lowest tail voltage. A loop calibration module of the LED driver calibrates the feedback mechanism of the LED driver based on a relationship between a digital code value used to generate a particular output voltage and another digital code value generated based on the minimum tail voltage resulting from the particular output voltage.
US08035313B2

A light emitting array is described and includes first, second and third light emitting elements, and first and second current sources. The first light emitting element includes first and second terminals, and is characterized by a first operating voltage Vop1 at or above which it is substantially operable to emit light. The second light emitting device includes a first terminal, and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element characterized by a second operating voltage Vop2 at or above which the second light emitting element is substantially operable to emit light. The third light emitting element includes a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first light emitting element, and a second terminal, the third lighting emitting element characterized by a third operating voltage Vop3 at or above which it is substantially operable to emit light. The first current source is coupled between first terminal of the second light emitting element and the first terminal of the second light emitting element, and the second current source is coupled between the second terminal of the first light emitting element and the second terminal of the third light emitting element.
US08035312B2

A system for supplying current to a load is disclosed. One embodiment provides a switching converter for providing a load current to the load. The switching regulator includes a switching circuit. A current control unit generates a modulated current control signal representing a desired load current. The switching circuit is driven dependent on the modulated current control signal. A logic circuit receives a pulse-width-modulated control signal representing a desired dimming ratio and is configured to generate a gate signal for driving the switching circuit dependent on the current control signal during a duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated control signal. The logic circuit is configured to activate the switching converter, independent on the state of the current control signal, at the beginning of the duty cycle of the pulse-width-modulated control signal.
US08035304B2

A high intensity discharge lamp, in certain embodiments, includes a uniquely shaped shoulder and dimensions selected to reduce stress and associated cracking. The uniquely shaped shoulder has a variable diameter, such as, e.g., a cup-shaped geometry, a curved funnel-shaped geometry, or a conical-shaped geometry. The selected or optimized dimensions may include a tip-to-neck distance, a tip-to-wall distance, and an internal diameter of the lamp. The selected or optimized dimensions also may include a uniform wall thickness, an arc gap distance, and an electrode thickness. These dimensions and shapes are selected to reduce undesirably high maximum stresses and temperatures in the lamp. As a result, the lamp is able to provide higher performance with a longer life due to a decreased risk of stress cracking during rapid start up and steady state operation.
US08035301B2

A plasma display device having a panel main body in which a pair of transparent substrates is arranged in opposition so as to form a discharge space between the substrates on at least a front side, barrier ribs are arranged on at least one of the substrates to divide the discharge space into a plurality of spaces, a group of electrodes is arranged on the substrates so as to generate discharge in the discharge space divided with the barrier ribs, and phosphor layers that emit by discharge are provided, in which the phosphor layers are equipped with a green phosphor layer including at least Zn2SiO4:Mn, a surface of Zn2SiO4:Mn is coated with magnesium oxide, and a ratio of an Mg element to a Si element on the surface measured with an XPS apparatus is 0.7 to 4.0.
US08035300B2

Disclosed is a method of making a flat panel display device. The flat panel display device includes a first substrate, an array of pixels formed on the first substrate, a second substrate opposing the first substrate, and a frit formed between the first substrate and the second substrate to encapsulate the array of pixels. On the first substrate, a buffer layer is formed, a first insulating film is formed on the buffer layer, and a first metal line is formed on the first insulating film. A second insulating film is formed, a second metal line is formed on the second insulating film, and a protective film formed on the upper of the second insulating film. A portion of the protective layer is etched to expose a portion of the second electrode. The frit overlaps with the portion of the second electrode.
US08035295B2

The invention relates to an optically-controlled field-emission cathode, comprising a substrate (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100) having at least one conducting surface (11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61, 71, 81, 91, 101) and at least one conducting emitter element (16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76, 86, 96, 106) in the vicinity of a conducting surface, characterized in that it also comprises at least one photoconducting element (13, 23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 103) electrically connected in series between at least one emitter element and a conducting surface of the substrate. Another subject of the invention is an amplifier tube comprising such a cathode. The application is for Vacuum tubes, in particular for microwave amplification, with a view for example to applications in telecommunications.
US08035290B2

A fluorescent display device includes an aluminum wiring layer formed on an insulating substrate; an insulating layer formed on the aluminum wiring layer, the insulating layer being provided with a through-hole disposed on the aluminum wiring layer; a conductive layer filled in the through-hole. The fluorescent display device further includes an anode conductor formed on the insulating layer to cover the conductive layer and a phosphor layer formed on the anode conductor. The conductive layer is formed of solid mixture containing aluminum and graphite.
US08035288B2

A plasma display panel (PDP) including a protective layer and a material for preparing the protective layer that can be easily fabricated and has little defects, includes a magnesium oxide (MgO) powder including a cathode rays emission spectrum having a first emission peak in a wavelength in the range of 300 to 450 nm, a second emission peak in a wavelength in the range of 650 to 750 nm, and an intensity ratio between 1:0.15 and 0.40 as an intensity ratio of the second emission peak with respect to the first emission peak.
US08035287B2

A light emitting system (1) comprising a radiation source (2) capable of emitting a first light of at least a first wavelength spectrum; a first fluorescent material (4) capable of absorbing at least partially the first light and emitting second light having a second wavelength spectrum; a second fluorescent material (8) capable of absorbing at least partially the first light and emitting a third light having a third wavelength spectrum; wherein one, the first (4) or the second fluorescent material (8) is a polycrystalline ceramic with a density of more than 97 percent of the density of a monocrystalline material and the respective other fluorescent material is a phosphor powder with a median particle size 100 nm
US08035283B2

A piezoelectric ceramic base member is formed of a bar shaped bismuth layer compound, and has main electrodes on two end surfaces in an oscillation direction, with connection electrodes at side-surface central portions of the piezoelectric ceramic base member electrically connected to the main electrodes through extraction conductors interposed therebetween, respectively. The oscillation and polarization directions are set in the same direction, and the piezoelectric ceramic base member is driven at a resonant frequency or at a frequency in the vicinity thereof. The crystal c axis is preferably oriented in a direction orthogonal to the polarization direction. The resonant actuator is able to obtain a high oscillation speed as it has a large mechanical quality factor Qm, and the oscillation is not disturbed by mechanical factors.
US08035281B2

A sensor for detecting a physical quantity includes a piezoelectric thin film device having a lower electrode, a piezoelectric thin film and an upper electrode, and a voltage detecting device connected between the lower and upper electrodes of the piezoelectric thin film device. The piezoelectric thin film is formed of an alkali niobium oxide-based perovskite material expressed by (K1-xNax)NbO3 (0
US08035268B2

An insulating bobbin for disposition between a stator core and a stator winding of a stator of a rotating machine, the stator winding being wound around the stator core by way of the insulating bobbin, the insulating bobbin comprising a coil end section at which an end portion of the stator winding is disposed, a slot side section forming a slot for winding thereon the stator winding, and a corner section having a curved surface and connecting between the coil end portion and the slot side portion, the corner section having a first radius of curvature at a side closer to the coil end section and a second radius of curvature at a side closer to the slot side section, the second radius of curvature being larger than the first radius of curvature.
US08035260B2

The present invention relates to a stepping motor with a magnet pole pattern having a predetermined pattern around the circumference of the stepping motor. In one embodiment, the pattern relates to a code having a unique single maximum autocorrelation peak over the period of the code. Example codes include Barker codes, PN codes, Kasami codes, Golomb ruler codes, and other codes. In one embodiment, the rotor and stator have a matching pole pattern. In one embodiment, the drive is arranged to align the poles in an inline configuration, alternatively, the drive may be arranged to align the poles in a diagonal configuration. In a further embodiment, one or more sets of poles are provided on the stator, each set being offset rotationally by a partial pole spacing.
US08035258B2

An electrical power transmission system includes electrical insulators arranged to electrically isolate live power lines. Measurement devices are physically incorporated or integrated in the insulator structures. The measurement devices measure and report insulator properties during live wire conditions.
US08035254B2

An integrated circuit controller for a power converter to be coupled to a distribution network is disclosed. An example integrated circuit controller according to aspects of the present invention includes a switching control circuit that outputs a drive signal to control switching of a switch to regulate an output of the power converter. The integrated circuit controller also includes a cable drop compensator that outputs a compensated reference voltage signal to the switching control circuit in response to a switching signal. The switching signal is responsive to the drive signal. The compensated reference voltage signal is representative of a voltage value that is responsive to a distribution voltage across the distribution network and a load voltage across a load to be coupled to the distribution network. The switching of the switch is responsive to the compensated reference voltage signal and a feedback signal.
US08035250B2

A load sharing, multi-module power supply system for supplying power to a load. The system may involve: a first power supply module having a controller, and having a first per unit capacity (pu-c); a second power supply module having a controller, and having a second per unit capacity (pu-c); the controller of the first power supply module adapted to implement a reduction in an output power of the first power supply module upon the detection of an operating event, where a portion of the load being handled by the first power supply module is shed by a percentage, and such that the first power supply module remains operating during the operating event but at a reduced power output level; and upon the occurrence of the operating event the controller of the second power supply module is adapted to increase a power output of the second power supply module sufficient to accommodate the portion of the load that has been shed by the first power supply module.
US08035249B2

Distributed maximum power point tracking systems, structures, and processes are provided for power generation structures, such as for but not limited to a solar panel arrays. In an exemplary solar panel string structure, distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT) modules are provided, such as integrated into or retrofitted for each solar panel. The DMPPT modules provide panel level control for startup, operation, monitoring, and shutdown, and further provide flexible design and operation for strings of multiple panels. The strings are typically linked in parallel to a combiner box, and then toward and enhanced inverter module, which is typically connected to a power grid. Enhanced inverters are controllable either locally or remotely, wherein system status is readily determined, and operation of one or more sections of the system are readily controlled. The system provides increased operation time, and increased power production and efficiency, over a wide range of operating conditions.
US08035244B2

An impulse rotor generator is provided for generating power in response to a primary mud flow in a drill string. The generator comprises a power rotor, at least one stationary magnetic pickup, and a pickup coil mounted on the at least one stationary magnetic pickup. The power rotor is positioned at least in part in the primary mud flow and is rotatable in response to the primary mud flow, the power rotor having an axis of rotation that is transverse to said primary mud flow. The power rotor is provided with a plurality of magnets affixed thereto, the magnets being arranged so as to magnetically couple with the at least one stationary magnetic pickup. Upon rotation of the power rotor in response to the primary mud flow, a current is produced in the pickup coil mounted on the at least one stationary magnetic pickup.
US08035243B1

A system to harness energy from water waves, comprising a frame assembly, first and second hydraulic systems, at least one float assembly, and an electrical assembly. The float assembly comprises front, rear, bottom, top, and first and second lateral faces. The float assembly further comprises a trailing face. The trailing face and the rear face merge to define an edge. The float assembly is mounted onto the mounting plate. The float assembly is placed in a body of water that comprises wave forces. The electrical system comprises a generator. The generator produces electricity when driven by the hydraulic motor when hydraulic fluid is displaced and pressurized within a hydraulic system when the wave forces cause the float assembly to move when in the body of water.
US08035242B2

A method of controlling a wind turbine that includes at least one rotor shaft and at least one blade operatively coupled to the rotor shaft includes measuring a first wind turbine operational condition that is representative of a blade deflection value and generating a first operational condition signal based on that first wind turbine operational condition. The wind turbine also includes a drive train including at least one rotor shaft and an electric generator. The method also includes measuring at least one second wind turbine operational condition and generating at least one second operational condition signal. The method further includes changing the blade deflection value by changing the second operational condition.
US08035240B2

The disclosure details implementations of apparatuses, methods, and systems for facilitating efficient operational characteristics for wind turbine generators. The system includes features that facilitate protecting the power semiconductors used in the power converters of variable speed power generation systems from excessive junction temperatures. These features may be achieved by implementing a synchronous speed avoidance (SSA) controller implemented to facilitate a determined active control range as an electrical torque/power-generator rotor speed controller. The determined active control range may be centered around a generator synchronous speed. The upper and lower bounds of the active control range are determined based on operational junction temperature characteristics of power semiconductors used within a power converter, reliability characteristics of the power semiconductors and/or current ratings of the power semiconductors.
US08035235B2

A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing an encapsulation system having a mold chase with a buffer layer attached thereto; forming a base integrated circuit package including: providing a base substrate, connecting an exposed interconnect to the base substrate, a portion of the exposed interconnect having the buffer layer attached thereon, mounting a base component over the base substrate, forming a base encapsulation over the base substrate and the exposed interconnect using the encapsulation system; and releasing the encapsulation system providing the portion of the exposed interconnect exposed from the base encapsulation, the exposed interconnect having characteristics of the buffer layer removed.
US08035232B2

An interlayer insulating film is formed on the upper surface of a semiconductor substrate, and lower-level interconnects are formed in the interlayer insulating film. A liner insulating film is formed on the upper surfaces of the interlayer insulating film and lower-level interconnects. An interlayer insulating film is formed on the upper surface of the liner insulating film. Upper-level interconnects are formed in the interlayer insulating film. The lower-level interconnects and the upper-level interconnects are connected with each other through vias. Parts of the liner insulating film formed in via-adjacent regions have a greater thickness than a part thereof formed outside the via-adjacent regions.
US08035226B1

An integrated circuit including solder balls containing an elastic or resilient material core, a hard or rigid shell substantially enclosing the core, and an electrical contact layer substantially enclosing the shell. The elastic or resilient core serves as a stress buffer layer in a wafer level package (WLP) integrated circuit. The elastic or resilient material core may include an organic plastic material, such as a Divinilbenzene cross-linked co-polymer of relatively high resistance. This material has a relatively good elongation property so that it can effectively absorb forces exerted upon the integrated circuit by, for example, the flexing of a printed circuit board (PCB) or other structure to which the integrated circuit is attached. The hard or rigid shell serves to contain the elastic or resilient core and may include copper. The electrical contact layer serve to provide a good adhesive electrical contact to an under bump metallization (UBM) layer, may include a lead free, Tin-Gold (SnAg) material.
US08035219B2

A method for packaging a plurality of semiconductor devices formed in a surface portion of a semiconductor wafer. The method includes: lithographically forming, in a first lithographically processable material disposed on the surface portion of the semiconductor wafer, device exposing openings to expose the devices and electrical contact pad openings to expose electrical contact pads for devices; and mounting a support having a rigid dielectric layer formed on a selected portion of the support, such rigid dielectric layer comprising a second lithographically processable material, such rigid material being suspended over the device exposing openings and removed from portions of the support disposed over the electrical contacts pads openings in the first lithographically processable material. The support is released and removed from the second lithographically processable material, leaving the second photolithographically processable material bonded to the first photolithographically processable material.
US08035215B2

The invention is directed to prevent corrosion of a semiconductor device. In the semiconductor device manufacturing method of the invention, a semiconductor substrate is etched from its back surface in a position corresponding to a first wiring formed on the semiconductor substrate with a first insulation film therebetween, to form a first opening exposing the first insulation film. Next, the insulation film exposed in the first opening is etched to form a second opening exposing the first wiring, and then the semiconductor substrate is etched to increase a diameter of the first opening and form a first opening having the larger diameter. Then, a second insulation film is formed on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate including on the first wiring through the first and second openings, and then the second insulation film covering the first wiring is etched.
US08035214B1

A package substrate 310 incorporating a substrate provided with a conductor layer 5, a conductive connecting pin 100 arranged to establish the electrical connection with a mother board and secured to the surface of the substrate, wherein a pad 16 for securing the conductive connecting pin is provided for the package substrate 310. The pad 16 is covered with an organic resin insulating layer 15 having an opening 18 through which the pad 16 is partially exposed to the outside. The conductive connecting pin 100 is secured to the pad exposed to the outside through the opening with a conductive adhesive agent 17 so that solution of the conductive connecting pin 100 from the substrate occurring, for example when mounting is performed is prevented.
US08035202B2

A semiconductor chip of the present invention has a wiring substrate and a chip part. The wiring substrate has an insulating resin layer having a first major surface and a second major surface, and a first wiring layer disposed on the insulating resin layer on the second major surface side. The chip part has a projection electrode on the bottom surface. The insulating resin layer holds the chip part such that the bottom and side surfaces of the chip part are in contact with the insulating resin layer, and the top surface of the chip part is exposed on the insulating layer on the first major surface side. The projection electrode of the chip part is connected with the first wiring layer.
US08035193B2

A capacitor includes a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer and a top electrode over a substrate. A RuXTiYOZ film is included in at least one of the bottom and top electrodes, where x, y and z are positive real numbers. A method of fabricating the capacitor through a sequential formation of a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer and a top electrode over a substrate includes forming a RuXTiYOZ film during a formation of at least one of the bottom electrode and top electrode, where x, y and z are positive real numbers.
US08035192B2

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor chip and through electrodes formed passing through the semiconductor chip. A ground layer connected to the through electrode and a patch antenna connected to the through electrode are provided through an inorganic insulating layer formed of SiO2 or SiN on a second face opposite to a first face (main face) of the semiconductor chip.
US08035189B2

The invention includes methods of forming oxide structures under corners of transistor gate stacks and adjacent trenched isolation regions. Such methods can include exposure of a semiconductor material to steam and H2, with the H2 being present to a concentration of from about 2% to about 40%, by volume. An oxide structure formed under the bottom corner of a transistor gate stack can have a bottom surface with a topography that includes a step of at least about 50 Å, and an upper surface directly over the bottom surface and having a topography that is substantially planar. Methodology of the present invention can be utilized to form semiconductor constructions suitable for incorporation into highly integrated circuitry. The highly integrated circuitry can be incorporated into electronic systems, and can, for example, be utilized in processors and/or memory storage devices.
US08035188B2

Plural I/O cells (14) having electrode pads for wire bonding (13) are disposed with spaces (55) between them in the vicinity of a corner of an I/O region (11) of a semiconductor substrate (10), and power supply separation cells (16) not to be wire bonded, on which ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection circuits (4) having ESD protection transistors are amounted, are disposed between the respective I/O cells (14), whereby the chip size is reduced upon consideration of layout of the electrode pads.
US08035186B2

A photodetector is formed from a body of semiconductor material substantially surrounded by dielectric surfaces. A passivation process is applied to at least one surface to reduce the rate of carrier generation and recombination on that surface. Photocurrent is read out from at least one electrical contact, which is formed on a doped region whose surface lies entirely on a passivated surface. Unwanted leakage current from un-passivated surfaces is reduced through one of the following methods. (a) The un-passivated surface is separated from the photo-collecting contact by at least two junctions (b) The un-passivated surface is doped to a very high level, at least equal to the conduction band or valence band density of states of the semiconductor (c) An accumulation or inversion layer is formed on the un-passivated surface by the application of an electric field. Electrical contacts are made to all doped regions, and bias is applied so that a reverse bias is maintained across all junctions.
US08035180B2

Provided is an image sensor and method for manufacturing the same. The image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate including a photodiode for each unit pixel, an interlayer insulating layer including metal lines on the semiconductor substrate, and an optical refractive part in a region of the interlayer insulating layer corresponding to the photodiode for focusing light on the photodiode. The optical refractive part can be formed by implanting impurities into the interlayer insulating layer.
US08035177B2

A magnetic stack having a ferromagnetic free layer, a metal oxide layer that is antiferromagnetic at a first temperature and non-magnetic at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, a ferromagnetic pinned reference layer, and a non-magnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the reference layer. During a writing process, the metal oxide layer is non-magnetic. For magnetic memory cells, such as magnetic tunnel junction cells, the metal oxide layer provides reduced switching currents.
US08035171B2

A pixel of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes for sensing light to thereby generate photoelectric charges in different regions; a plurality of transfer transistors for transferring photoelectric charges of corresponding photodiodes in response to a first control signal; a floating diffusion region for receiving photoelectric charges transferred by the plurality of transfer transistors; a rest transistor connected between a power supply voltage and the floating diffusion region for resetting the floating diffusion region by controlling a voltage loaded on the floating diffusion region in response to a second control signal; a drive transistor connected between the power supply voltage and the floating diffusion region to serve as a source follower buffer amplifier; and a select transistor connected between the drive transistor and a pixel output terminal for performing an addressing operation in response to a third control signal.
US08035170B2

A semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a semiconductor substrate; device regions formed on the semiconductor substrate, the device regions having a length direction in a predetermined direction; a plurality of transistors having gate electrodes, respectively, the gate electrodes extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the predetermined direction, the plurality of transistors having a source/drain region and a channel region having a channel direction approximately parallel to the predetermined direction in the device region; a plurality of SRAM cells disposed in an array, each of the plurality of SRAM cells including the plurality of transistors; and a dummy region made of the substantially same material as that of the device regions, the dummy region being formed between the outermost device regions of the SRAM cells adjacent to each other in the direction approximately perpendicular to the predetermined direction, the dummy region having a length direction approximately parallel to the predetermined direction.
US08035169B2

A technique that makes it possible to suppress a crystal defect produced in an active area and thereby reduce the fraction defective of semiconductor devices is provided. A first embodiment relates to the planar configuration of SRAM. One of the features of the first embodiment is as illustrated in FIG. 4. That is, on the precondition that the active areas in n-channel MISFET formation regions are all configured in the isolated structure: the width of the terminal sections is made larger than the width of the central parts of the active areas. For example, the terminal sections are formed in an L shape.
US08035165B2

A semiconductor device is provided which includes a semiconductor substrate, a transistor formed on the substrate, the transistor having a gate stack including a metal gate and high-k gate dielectric and a dual first contact formed on the substrate. The dual first contact includes a first contact feature, a second contact feature overlying the first contact feature, and a metal barrier formed on sidewalls and bottom of the second contact feature, the metal barrier layer coupling the first contact feature to the second contact feature.
US08035163B2

In preferred embodiments, the invention provides substrates that include a support, a first insulating layer arranged on the support, a non-mono-crystalline semi-conducting layer arranged on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer arranged on the non-mono-crystalline semi-conducting layer; and top layer disposed on the second insulating layer. Additionally, a first gate electrode can be formed on the top layer and a second gate electrode can be formed in the non-mono-crystalline semi-conducting layer. The invention also provides methods for manufacture of such substrates.
US08035159B2

This invention discloses a semiconductor power device. The trenched semiconductor power device includes a trenched gate, opened from a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, surrounded by a source region encompassed in a body region near the top surface above a drain region disposed on a bottom surface of a substrate. The semiconductor power device further includes an implanting-ion block disposed above the top surface on a mesa area next to the body region having a thickness substantially larger than 0.3 micron for blocking body implanting ions and source ions from entering into the substrate under the mesa area whereby masks for manufacturing the semiconductor power device can be reduced.
US08035157B2

The present invention provides a flash memory device having a high degree of integration and high performance. The flash memory device has a double/triple gate structure where a channel is formed in a wall-shaped body. The flash memory device has no source/drain regions. In addition, although the flash memory device has the source/drain regions, the source/drain region are formed not to be overlapped with a control electrode. Accordingly, an inversion layer is induced by a fringing field generated from the control electrode, so that cell devices can be electrically connected to each other. The flash memory device includes a charge storage node for storing charges formed under the control electrode, so that miniaturization characteristics of cell device can be improved. According to the present invention, there is proposed a new device capable of improving the miniaturization characteristics of a MOS-based flash memory device and increasing memory capacity.